Being the child of a wrestling superstar can be a double-edged sword. While many have the size and athletic abilities of their parents, it also comes with the sometimes unreasonable expectations of living up to the name of their parent.
Currently, in the wrestling world, there are a good amount of up-and-comers that have legendary wrestling parents. There are some that have already begun to show a promising future, already exhibiting the excellence of their forefathers. On the other hand, some have shown that pro wrestling may not be etched in their DNA as much as past generations.
10 Have It: Simone Johnson
Simone Johnson, the 19-year-old daughter of icon Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, has already begun training in the WWE Performance Center. With the potential to be the 1st fourth-generation wrestling in WWE history, Johnson certainly has the genes to be great.
While her wrestling career will inevitably come with high expectations, if Simone has a fraction of the talent as her father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, she'll be a heavy hitter in wrestling for years to come.
9 Don't Have It: Shaul Guerrero
Another iconic surname in wrestling had a daughter who attempted to make it in wrestling recently as well. Shaul Guerrero, daughter of the late great Eddie and current AEW manager Vickie, made it to NXT in the early 2010s, but never quite took off.
Guerrero had a couple of different stints on the developmental brand, but due to injuries, personal issues, and lack of TV time, was released for good from NXT in 2014. She's remained a presence in wrestling since then, appearing in multiple promotions as a ring announcer and most recently as an announcer in AEW. While she didn't have the most success in her family by far, Shaul has shown her appreciation for a business that her family helped build.
8 Have It: Humberto Carillo
A descendant of Mexican wrestling stars Hector Garza Jr. and Hector Garza, Humberto Carillo has made a name for himself in WWE over the last couple of years as a true prodigy. At only 24 years old, Carillo has helped usher in the new era of Mexican-born stars that WWE has been looking for.
Signing with NXT in 2018 and quickly making his way onto the WWE main roster, has shown his worth by competing alongside top names in the industry like Seth Rollins, AJ Styles, and Rey Mysterio. With the Lucha style in his blood, Carillo has already shown agility and skill that could make him a mainstay in WWE for years to come.
7 Don't Have It: Austin Gunn
While Bad-Ass Billy Gunn was an incredibly popular figure during the Attitude Era in WWF, his son Austin has quite a ways to go in that regard. The two currently operate as a tag team in AEW named Gunn Club, but Billy still serves as the main draw.
Austin has raw talent at his disposal, but he's still waiting for his breakthrough as far as character work goes. If he wants to step out of the shadow of his father in AEW and beyond, he'll need to do something to set himself apart.
6 Have It: Angel Garza
Another member of the Garza Mexican wrestling family like Carillo above, Angel Garza has "it" in spades. Even in his earliest days of NXT, both his in-ring skillset and charisma prove he is primed for stardom.
In the empty arena and WWE Thunderdome shows of 2020, Garza has been a mainstay of the WWE main roster, being shown almost every week. Being that he's only been in the company for less than 2 years, it shows the WWE brass has a lot of trust to feature a fresh face so heavily at a pivotal point in the company's history. Garza already has a Cruiserweight Championship reign under his belt (pardon the pun), and there's no doubt that more gold lies in his future.
5 Don't Have It: Brian Pillman Jr.
The late "Flyin'" Brian Pillman is widely known as one of the more underrated wrestlers of the 1990s. With stints in NWA, WCW, ECW, and WWF, the journeyman had memorable stories and matches everywhere he went. Many are hoping his son Brian Pillman Jr. is able to reach championship heights that his father was unable to.
Thus far in his career, Pillman Jr. hasn't fully lived up to the hype. Though he has appeared in multiple promotions and he has less than 4 years' experience, his national exposure on AEW has left fans wanting. He definitely has some skills, which should be no surprise given his father and being trained by technical wizard Lance Storm, but his character work is non-existent. Perhaps with more time and man-hours in the ring, he'll reach cult legend status like his father, but for now, he has work to do.
4 Have It: David Finlay
Another offspring of a 90s wrestling journeyman, David Finlay has begun making a name for himself, particularly in Japan over the last few years. His father, known as Fit Finlay in WCW and as a current WWE producer, is one of the great ring technicians of the last 30 years.
By channeling some of that same rough and tumble attitude as his father while carving out his own look (shown above), David Finlay can be a force to be reckoned with in the coming years, whether in Japan or elsewhere. At only 27 years old, his prime still to come, the junior Finlay could very well achieve what Fit did, and even more.
3 Don't Have It: Santana Garrett
The daughter of "TNT" Keny G, Santana Garrett has toiled around the wrestling world for over a decade at this point. And while she's had plenty of experience on NXT, it doesn't seem as if WWE has many plans for the 2nd generation wrestler.
To this point, the only win in her NXT tenure is over Aliyah, only serving to show how down on her luck that Aliyah is. Of course there are many wrestlers that have a niche of being fodder for other performers, but one would think a veteran of Garrett's tenure would be beyond that status at this stage of her career. Regardless of where her NXT stint ends up, Garrett has certainly made "TNT" a proud father.
2 Have It: Dominik Mysterio
One of the most pleasant surprises of WWE in 2020 has been Dominik Mysterio's first few months as a wrestler. It is certainly nerve-wracking following in the footsteps of the greatest luchador of all time who also happens to be your father. But Dominik has shown in the last few months that he has earned his current roster spot in WWE, and not just from his last name.
Dwarfing his dad in size, Dominik still shows great Lucha libre skill like his pops, and has had great matches with Seth Rollins and Murphy since his debut. Anyone who has watched Rey and Dominik's interactions on screen can plainly see the pride that Rey has in his son, and that he truly believes Dominik can be great as well. If 2020 is any indication, Dominik Mysterio has one of the brightest futures of any WWE newcomer in recent memory.
1 Don't Have It: Tessa Blanchard
While most of those who "don't have it" on this list are for circumstances out of their control, Tessa Blanchard's downfall has been solely her doing. At only 25 years old, Tessa, daughter of legendary Four Horsemen member Tully Blanchard, has achieved more than most women in an entire wrestling career, even earning the Impact World Championship. Unfortunately, talent only gets you so far.
Reports of bullying, racism, and general unpleasantness from her contemporaries have led to multiple promotions distancing themselves from Blanchard and left her wrestling career in jeopardy. In general, the days of pro wrestling where dirtbag behavior like hers would be tolerated are thankfully gone. If she continues to show no remorse or growth from her actions, the once-promising career of Tessa Blanchard will be over, and one of the great "what-ifs" in modern history.