WWE and UFC rising stars need to do more than win championships. A title can make someone important. Getting people to care is a different job. TKO’s next stars need to do both, then give fans a reason to keep watching.
- How We Ranked Them
- 15. Ian Machado Garry | UFC
- 14. Diego Lopes | UFC
- 13. Paddy Pimblett | UFC
- 12. Roxanne Perez | WWE
- 11. Trick Williams | WWE
- 10. Joshua Van | UFC
- 9. Logan Paul | WWE
- 8. Raul Rosas Jr. | UFC
- 7. Michael Morales | UFC
- 6. Oba Femi | WWE
- 5. Bron Breakker | WWE
- 4. Dominik Mysterio | WWE
- 3. Tiffany Stratton | WWE
- 2. Arman Tsarukyan | UFC
- 1. Stephanie Vaquer | WWE
- Honorable Mentions
A viral finish or a popular entrance can start the conversation. The strongest candidates to lead WWE and UFC into their next era keep it going. Fans repeat their catchphrases, share their clips, follow their lives and argue about what should happen to them next. Their promotions respond with bigger opportunities.
Carrying a company means sustaining that interest across different opponents, setbacks and changes in direction. This ranking looks at who has an audience already invested, the potential to reach beyond it and the ability to become someone WWE or UFC can build around over the next five years.
Expand to Read More About How We Ranked Everyone
How We Ranked Them
| Criterion | Weight | What matters |
|---|---|---|
| Social presence | 35% | Personal audience, engagement and recurring interest |
| Five-year potential | 30% | Performance, charisma, adaptability and a credible path to sustained headline relevance through 2031 |
| Fan connection and demand | 20% | Crowd participation, fan activity and investment in the individual |
| Promotional investment and booking | 15% | Major opponents, meaningful opportunities and sustained exposure |
There is no hard age cutoff or WWE/UFC quota. Age and experience inform the five-year outlook, but neither automatically earns someone a place. The focus is on who can become a lasting centerpiece through the next five years.
“Next” includes recent champions and established celebrities whose potential to carry WWE or UFC is still developing.
The weights guide editorial judgment rather than a statistical prediction. Social figures come from public reporting and third-party trackers, whose methods vary. Follower counts, engagement rates and shared clip views are considered separately.
Reporting cutoff September 28, 2026. Social figures are dated snapshots or attributed estimates.
15. Ian Machado Garry | UFC
Ian Machado Garry brings an established personal audience to a career that has already reached championship stakes. HypeAuditor’s September snapshot reports approximately 1.51 million Instagram followers and 3.80% engagement, though those numbers fluctuate, with his biggest fights bringing more attention.
That audience has been built strategically from the end of his Cage Warriors days into his UFC career, something we explore in our Becoming Inevitable YouTube series.
His UFC 330 title headliner against Islam Makhachev shows how highly the promotion views him, and it likely won’t be his only title opportunity. Despite losing by decision, reaching that stage gives his five-year projection substance beyond online attention. But that attention isn’t always the kind he wants.
Much of the conversation centers on his personal life and decisions, sometimes overshadowing his performances. His posting has also become more selective, focused on big moments rather than frequent updates. Whether that approach protects his peace or limits his connection with fans could matter down the road.
At 28, Machado Garry has time to become a consistent headliner whose appeal extends beyond fighting for titles. His challenge is turning interest in his personality into lasting demand for his fights. Polarization gets people talking, but it doesn’t automatically build fan loyalty.
Ian still has work to do to establish the core fanbase that can take him into the next level of UFC superstardom. That unfinished business keeps him at the cutoff.
14. Diego Lopes | UFC
Diego Lopes has a personal audience large enough to support a serious star-making opportunity.
HypeAuditor’s September analysis lists approximately 1.53 million Instagram followers and a 6.33% engagement rate. People aren’t just watching his fights. They’re following him and engaging with what he shares between them.
UFC has already given him major stages, including Noche UFC at Sphere, a title shot against Alexander Volkanovski and a spot on UFC Freedom 250, where he knocked out Steve Garcia. Still chasing his first UFC championship, Lopes is getting opportunities many contenders never receive.
Those opportunities extend beyond the cage, too. His DoorDash commercial alongside WWE’s Dominik Mysterio shows how his visibility is expanding beyond fight promotion.
Over the next five years, the goal is to become a recurring headliner whose fights feel important even without a championship attached. His fanbase gives him a strong starting point. As he builds his presence in the United States and becomes more comfortable speaking English, he could connect with an even wider audience.
The question is whether his results can keep pace with those opportunities. Being a fan favorite gives Lopes something valuable to build on, but staying near the top will help determine how far he can take it. His ceiling is still high.
13. Paddy Pimblett | UFC
Paddy Pimblett has already demonstrated the part many prospects struggle with. People care about him before he even throws a punch. I mean, just look at his entrances when he walks to the cage.
Socialpruf lists approximately 6.24 million Instagram followers, with roughly 124,000 likes per post across its tracked annual sample. His audience extends to YouTube, where HypeAuditor’s August snapshot lists approximately 1.4 million subscribers. His fight content and glimpses into life outside the cage give fans reasons to keep following between appearances.
Paddy understands that being a fighter doesn’t mean your entire personality has to revolve around fighting. That appeal has already translated into business opportunities.
Barstool Sports announced a seven-figure partnership early in his UFC career. More recently, British beer brand ROLEY’S announced him as a shareholder and global strategic partner. These deals help explain why we previously identified him as a potential UFC cash cow. Companies see value in reaching the audience he brings with him.
UFC has backed that appeal with major opportunities, putting his interim-title fight against Justin Gaethje atop its first Paramount+ event. He even got his own custom fight shorts, another touch that helps distinguish him from the rest of the roster.
His decision loss raised questions about his championship ceiling, but his response deserves space in this conversation too. He rebounded by submitting Benoit Saint-Denis in just 52 seconds at UFC 329.
The attention reached beyond MMA. Dana White said producers of Paramount+ crime drama MobLand contacted him the following morning because they wanted Pimblett for the show. That doesn’t confirm an acting deal, but it does show how a big performance can open doors beyond his existing audience.
Over the next five years, Paddy’s challenge is keeping his performances strong enough to support the attention he already commands. His personality, audience and commercial appeal give him several ways to remain an attraction without a belt.
Sustained success against the division’s best remains the question keeping him below candidates with smaller followings but stronger long-term competitive projections.
12. Roxanne Perez | WWE
Roxanne Perez deserves more than a generic description of her as a talented young wrestler. Her NXT run was one of the most iconic in recent memory.
Across her championship reigns, she defended against opponents ranging from Japanese legend Meiko Satomura to TNA’s Jordynne Grace. It was the kind of run that makes you believe you’re watching someone who could define a generation.
Unfortunately, that momentum hasn’t fully translated to the main roster.
WWE has given her opportunities through The Judgment Day and her Money in the Bank qualifying victory over IYO SKY and La Catalina, but those moments have yet to capture what made her such a force in NXT. The investment is there. The opportunity to establish herself as a leading singles star still needs to catch up.
Social Blade’s earlier snapshot listed approximately 988,000 Instagram followers and average likes near 60,000 in its sample. That is a meaningful audience choosing to follow Roxanne individually. She may not have the biggest following on this list, but she already has people invested in her, and WWE’s continued opportunities suggest the company sees her as part of its next generation.
Over the next five years, Perez has room to move from a featured faction member into someone whose rivalries help define the women’s division.
She has the talent and an audience to build on. WWE just needs to pull the trigger on a signature main-roster program that lets her show a wider audience what she can do. The fact that she is still waiting for that opportunity feels criminal.
When it comes, she has every chance to remind people why her NXT run meant so much.
11. Trick Williams | WWE
Trick Williams understands how to make an entrance feel like an invitation. Fans have a part to play, and “Whoop That Trick” gives them a way to play it.
The crowd chose him, and since arriving on the main roster, he has turned everything up a notch. The charisma is off the charts. It’s crazy to think he started as Carmelo Hayes’ hype man and developed into the kind of star the main roster was missing.
That potential hasn’t gone unnoticed behind the scenes. During an Elimination Chamber sequence featured on WWE Unreal, Paul Heyman watched from Gorilla and delivered a blunt assessment.
“This motherf**ker is going to be a monster.”
It captures what makes Trick so compelling. Before the match even starts, he makes the moment feel big.
His previously indexed Instagram profile showed approximately 374,000 followers, a smaller personal audience than several candidates on this list. But his SLAM cover alongside NBA star Tyrese Haliburton shows how naturally he fits into conversations beyond wrestling.
His personality gives those appearances something to work with, and that exposure creates opportunities to turn casual interest into fans who follow him directly.
WWE is giving him plenty to build on. His résumé includes two NXT Championship reigns, the TNA World Championship and United States Championship success on the main roster. He also has Lil Yachty in his corner, an ongoing celebrity partnership that has become part of his presentation.
Throw in a custom, fur-covered United States Championship and his inclusion among the potential WWE 2K27 cover stars, and the investment extends beyond his weekly booking. WWE is giving Trick opportunities to become one of the faces people associate with the company.
Over the next five years, the opportunity is to become someone WWE can repeatedly build its biggest stories around. Trick already knows how to command a crowd and make people want to join in. His next step is growing that personal audience while delivering matches and rivalries that keep people invested after the entrance ends.
The connection is undeniable. Sustaining it at the main-event level is what could make him one of WWE’s defining stars.
10. Joshua Van | UFC
Joshua Van went from being dismissed by some as a paper champion to showing why the flyweight division could be built around him for years. His first win over Alexandre Pantoja ended with an injury. The rematch gave him the chance to remove that doubt.
At UFC 331, Van retained his title by unanimous decision over five rounds, proving he could beat the man whose injury had overshadowed his breakthrough. And he did it at just 24 years old.
Even Dana White seemed struck by that last detail. While congratulating Van backstage after the fight, White asked how old he was and reacted with visible excitement when Van told him he was 24. It was a small exchange, but it captured the appeal of his long-term potential.
Van is already delivering in championship main events at an age when many fighters are still trying to establish themselves in the UFC.
His connection to Myanmar adds another dimension. Born there and raised in Houston, Van represents communities with a personal reason to care about his success. As UFC’s first Myanmar-born champion, he gives the promotion an opportunity to deepen its connection with fans in the country and its diaspora, with potential to reach more of Southeast Asia.
That is an opportunity, not a guarantee of an entire region’s support, but the passion around him is already visible. We shared YouTube Shorts showing fans lined up to meet him. For those supporters, the connection clearly extends beyond watching his fights.
His verified Linkme page lists approximately 886,000 combined followers across platforms. That total can include the same people following multiple accounts, so it is not directly comparable to an Instagram count. Still, it shows he has a personal audience to build on alongside his championship résumé and passionate support.
Over the next five years, Van has time to grow as both a fighter and a public personality. The Pantoja rematch strengthened his case as a lasting force in the division, while his background gives fans a story to connect with beyond the belt. He still needs to turn that support into consistent demand across different opponents and eventual setbacks.
But with championship credibility already established and so much of his career ahead of him, Van has the foundation to become one of UFC’s most important stars.
9. Logan Paul | WWE
Do we even have to explain this one? Logan Paul has the largest documented personal platform among these selections and is arguably the biggest mainstream name on the list.
HypeAuditor’s September snapshot puts him at approximately 25.82 million Instagram followers. His challenge isn’t getting people to recognize him. It’s getting more of those people to care about what he does in WWE, then staying long enough to build on that interest.
He has already moved beyond the occasional celebrity appearance. In January 2026, Paul announced a new long-term WWE contract and described himself as a full-time wrestler. He has also spoken about feeling “born to wrestle.” That enthusiasm matters because his ceiling depends on how much of himself he continues to invest in this career.
If WWE remains his priority over the next five years, it is difficult to see a limit. A world championship feels like a realistic destination.
His position in The Vision strengthens that belief. Alongside Bron Breakker, Bronson Reed, Austin Theory and Maxxine Dupri, with Paul Heyman guiding the group, Logan is embedded in a faction built around several of WWE’s potential future headliners. WWE is treating him as someone who belongs in its stories, with responsibilities beyond bringing outside attention to a big event.
The business relationship extends beyond the ring. When IMPAULSIVE joined the WWE and Fanatics digital network, WWE reported an average of 1.5 million YouTube viewers per episode. That gives the company another place to introduce its performers to audiences who may not watch wrestling every week. Logan brings a media platform with him, and WWE has made that platform part of its own business.
It’s wild to look at where both Paul brothers have landed. Jake has become a major commercial attraction in boxing, with Netflix reporting more than 108 million live viewers for his fight against Mike Tyson. Logan has established himself inside WWE. Their competitive achievements are different, but both have shown how an audience built online can become a powerful asset in live sports and entertainment.
When his wrestling career is over, Logan may also deserve more credit for helping make WWE a destination for creators. Kai Cenat’s appearances and IShowSpeed’s involvement, including teaming with Logan and Theory at WrestleMania, show how much space that crossover now occupies.
Logan didn’t single-handedly create it, but his transition into a regular performer offers a blueprint for how far it can go. He is a bigger part of that story than people sometimes want to acknowledge.
The remaining question is whether that enormous reach becomes sustained demand for Logan as a central WWE performer. Recognition, controversy and fan loyalty are different things. His full-time commitment makes the projection stronger, but staying invested through years of matches and storylines will determine how high he climbs.
The audience is already there. So is the opportunity. If he keeps treating wrestling like his future, WWE has a potential world champion with reach few people in the business can match.
8. Raul Rosas Jr. | UFC
Raul Rosas Jr. understands that building a fighting career today also means giving people reasons to follow you between fights. A substantial audience has already invested in his development, and he is building an identity that extends beyond being the kid UFC signed at 17.
HypeAuditor’s September snapshot reports approximately 1.55 million Instagram followers and 5.19% engagement, alongside modest follower growth. His online presence also extends to YouTube, Twitch and Kick, all linked through his personal profile. That gives him ways to connect with fans as a personality while his fighting career develops.
UFC has responded with bigger responsibilities.
Rosas became what the promotion described as its youngest-ever headliner at UFC Vegas 121 and won his first main event against Raoni Barcelos. The fifth-round TKO came amid a frightening finish that sent Barcelos to the hospital, but the result extended Rosas’ winning streak and moved his career beyond the novelty of his age. He is now being tested as someone who can lead a card.
At 21, he also remains young enough to challenge Jon Jones’ record as UFC’s youngest champion. Jones won the title at 23 years and 243 days, leaving Rosas a limited but meaningful window to climb the bantamweight division. Getting there will require beating stronger opposition and earning the opportunity quickly.
Still, having a headlining win and a sizeable personal audience this early gives that ambition substance.
The next five years could turn Rosas into a recurring attraction whose audience has followed the entire journey from teenage prospect to title contender. His reach gives UFC something to build around, while his results increasingly justify the attention.
There is one complication in projecting that far ahead. He has said he could retire young if he achieves everything he wants, though he has not committed to a fixed retirement age. His ceiling depends on both how far his ability develops and how long he chooses to pursue it.
7. Michael Morales | UFC
Michael Morales looks like a star, and he walks the walk. Still undefeated at 19-0, the Ecuadorian has backed up his potential with finishes over established names, including Gilbert Burns and Sean Brady.
Those wins give his rise substance. He is already proving he can beat the opponents standing between him and the top of the welterweight division.
HypeAuditor’s August 24–September 22 snapshot reported approximately 962,000 Instagram followers, 5.52% engagement and 0.9% follower growth. That is a substantial personal audience developing alongside his competitive success.
His presence also extends to OnlyFans, which he has publicly promoted, giving supporters another way to follow him outside the Octagon. The look gets attention, but building that connection between fights can help turn attention into lasting interest.
Where he comes from adds to the opportunity. Morales gives Ecuadorian fans someone to rally around at the highest level, while his potential to connect with a broader Latin American audience makes his rise especially valuable to UFC.
A championship would give the promotion another prominent figure around whom it could build Spanish-language coverage, promotional appearances and regional interest. His nationality opens that door. His performances give people a reason to keep watching.
There is also something refreshing about how he talks about getting to the top. After beating Brady, Morales made clear that he wanted a title opportunity but would fight Carlos Prates first if that was what it took. He has ambition without sounding desperate to skip the remaining steps.
That patience makes his approach feel methodical, especially for someone with an unbeaten record and this much momentum. He seems to understand that becoming champion and being ready to stay champion are separate challenges.
Over the next five years, Morales has the ingredients to become a recurring headliner with support that extends beyond a single title run. He has the presence, a growing audience and results against serious opposition.
The next step is letting more of his personality reach the people already watching his finishes. If that connection develops alongside his fighting, UFC could have a major star whose appeal reaches well beyond the welterweight rankings.
6. Oba Femi | WWE
Oba Femi feels like someone the audience chose and WWE recognized it couldn’t ignore. Fans chant his name, copy his strut and turn his entrance into part of the show. That connection gives him something beyond the imposing look. People are having fun being his fans.
Pulse Sports reported approximately 398,000 Instagram followers in May 2026. That older snapshot shows a personal audience still developing alongside his growing role in WWE. His case here rests heavily on the crowd connection and the major moments the company has trusted him with. You can’t hide from Oba. His fans will make sure of it.
WWE’s booking has matched that enthusiasm. Beating Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania was enormous. Defeating him again inside Hell in a Cell at SummerSlam, in what Lesnar subsequently confirmed was his final match, made the investment even clearer.
Retiring Brock Lesnar is the kind of accomplishment that can define a career, and WWE gave that moment to Oba while his main-roster story was still taking shape. Lesnar then explicitly called him the future. It is hard to deliver a stronger endorsement than that.
Add King of the Ring success and his inclusion in the fan vote for a WWE 2K27 cover, and the direction becomes difficult to miss. WWE is positioning him as a lasting part of its identity. The victories establish his credibility, but the cover opportunity puts him forward as someone who can represent the company beyond its weekly television.
Femi has the potential to become a centerpiece around whom WWE builds its biggest rivalries. The presence is there, the audience has responded and the company has committed major moments to him. His booking already makes him feel like a staple.
Deepening that connection with fans could make him one of the defining stars of WWE’s next era.
5. Bron Breakker | WWE
Bron Breakker is one of the obvious choices. WWE was already building around him before several of its newest main-roster standouts arrived. As Rick Steiner’s son and Scott Steiner’s nephew, he came with a recognizable legacy.
But the speed, intensity and ability are his own. The family connection gets your attention. Watching him makes it easy to understand why WWE has invested so heavily.
His spear alone can make someone stop scrolling. WWE reported more than 300 million social views within 24 hours for his Royal Rumble collision with IShowSpeed. It demonstrated just how quickly his offense can reach beyond wrestling’s regular audience. His previously indexed Instagram following of approximately 521,000 leaves room for that exposure to become a larger personal fanbase.
The booking makes the argument even clearer. Breakker has already challenged CM Punk for the World Heavyweight Championship and worked a major rivalry with Seth Rollins that reached a Steel Cage Match. Come on. WWE is putting him opposite the people who have carried its biggest stories for years.
Those assignments show how seriously the company views his ability to eventually carry those stories himself.
His position in The Vision, with Paul Heyman alongside him, gives that investment continuity. So does his inclusion in the fan vote for a WWE 2K27 cover. From championship programs to opportunities to represent the brand, Breakker keeps appearing where WWE’s future is being shaped.
Over the next five years, a sustained place in the main event feels like a natural progression. He has the pedigree, the presence and a style people recognize immediately. Growing his personal audience and giving fans more reasons to follow him between matches would strengthen the case further.
But WWE has already spent years showing what it sees in Bron Breakker. At this point, it’s time to give him a world championship reign on the main roster.
4. Dominik Mysterio | WWE
Dominik Mysterio has come a long way from being introduced as Rey Mysterio’s son. That connection brought opportunity, but it also meant every performance invited comparison with one of wrestling’s most beloved names.
He had to develop in front of an audience that wasn’t always patient with him. But look at him now. Dominik has built a character people recognize, react to and want to see get what’s coming to him.
His heel work is among the best in the business. He gets heat before he can finish a sentence, and he knows how to make the frustration part of the performance.
The family conflict helped establish Dirty Dom, but his work with The Judgment Day and Liv Morgan gave him more room to grow. Betraying Rhea Ripley for Liv took him to another level, making his decisions central to a story fans were deeply invested in.
That interest extends beyond the weekly show. A September tracker snapshot lists approximately 1.69 million Instagram followers. His PAPER feature ahead of WrestleMania brought him into the wider pop-culture conversation. People have reasons to follow Dominik that go well beyond his last name.
WWE has backed that development with championship opportunities. His Intercontinental Championship victory at WrestleMania 41 was a major milestone, and his AAA Mega Championship run added another chapter to his relationship with lucha libre. Carrying that title gave him a prominent role in a wrestling tradition inseparable from his family’s legacy, while allowing him to contribute something distinctly his own.
That versatility makes his next five years especially interesting.
Dominik can be funny, infuriating, opportunistic or unexpectedly vulnerable without losing the character people recognize. He can drive family conflict, faction drama and championship rivalries. WWE has several ways to build around him, and he has already shown how much he can evolve when given the opportunity.
The next step is making him central to sustained main-event programs. He has fought to establish an identity under a level of scrutiny few newcomers experience, and the progress is impossible to ignore.
Rey’s legacy will always be part of his story. Dominik has earned the right to have his own.
3. Tiffany Stratton | WWE
Tiffany Stratton‘s presentation gets your attention, the personality makes her recognizable and the athleticism gives you a reason to take her seriously. She has built an identity that can follow her through different rivalries, championship runs and opportunities outside wrestling.
HypeAuditor’s September snapshot reports approximately 1.18 million Instagram followers and average likes around 29,000. The comparison showed a slight follower decline, so her position here reflects an established audience rather than explosive growth. She already has people choosing to follow her beyond what happens on SmackDown.
WWE has given her the opportunities to match. Her 301-day Women’s Championship reign demonstrated sustained trust, and beating Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania 41 was a defining moment. Walking out still champion showed how much WWE was prepared to put behind her.
She has also made her ambitions outside the ring known, expressing interest in Hollywood while maintaining that wrestling remains her priority. Streaming gives her another way to develop that audience now. Her broadcasts have included training sessions and collaborations with creators and celebrities, including Lil Yachty.
Those appearances let people connect with her personality without needing to follow every storyline first.
If WWE ever brought back Total Divas, Tiffany would feel like an obvious fit. We have already explored what a revamped cast could look like, and she has the combination of personality, presentation and ambition that could make viewers want to follow her life outside the ring. That is part of what makes her ceiling so interesting. There are several ways for someone to discover Tiffany and become invested.
Over the next five years, she has the potential to become a recurring face of the women’s division while reaching people beyond wrestling’s usual audience. She has already carried a championship, delivered on a major stage and started creating more reasons for fans to follow her between matches. The next step is building rivalries as memorable as the personality.
Tiffy Time already has an audience. Now she has the opportunity to make it last.
2. Arman Tsarukyan | UFC
Arman Tsarukyan has given people a reason to care about him beyond where he sits in the rankings. His ability was already there. What has changed is how much of his personality fans get to see.
Regular collaborations with Nina Drama and N3on have brought out a playful, more approachable side of him, making it easier for people to connect with the person behind the contender. Even Israel Adesanya acknowledged how much his popularity had grown through those appearances.
Socialpruf’s retrieved snapshot reports approximately 6.74 million Instagram followers and 3.34% engagement across its displayed annual period. That is a substantial personal platform, and his creator collaborations give that audience reasons to follow him outside fight week.
Arman has become someone people want to watch hanging out, joking around and doing things that have nothing to do with his next opponent.
The drawn-out wait for another title opportunity has also become part of his appeal. After withdrawing from his scheduled fight with Islam Makhachev in 2025, Tsarukyan had to rebuild his case. But as the wins continued without another championship booking, the frustration gave supporters something to rally around.
There is an irony to it. Being kept outside the title picture can make people more invested in seeing him finally get there. His growing popularity amid that tension has become a story of its own.
He has stayed visible through his wrestling appearances in Real American Freestyle, including a victory over Georgio Poullas. His training relationship with Khamzat Chimaev adds another dimension to the content surrounding him. These appearances keep fans engaged between UFC fights, but the performance against Mauricio Ruffy supplied the strongest reminder of what makes Arman dangerous. He finished the fight with first-round elbows and gave the title conversation another result it could not easily ignore.
At 29, Tsarukyan appears to be entering a period where his competitive ability and public personality are coming together. That combination makes him the strongest UFC selection on this list. He has the skills to remain relevant near the top and an audience increasingly interested in more than his results.
Over the next five years, the opportunity is to turn that connection into sustained demand for his fights. A championship would give the story its biggest breakthrough, but he has already shown he can keep people interested while waiting for it.
Fans have seen more of Arman, found reasons to like him and become invested in where he goes next. Now he needs the opportunities to match.
1. Stephanie Vaquer | WWE
Stephanie Vaquer’s rise in WWE went from zero to 100. One moment she was establishing herself in NXT. The next, she was holding both women’s singles championships and moving toward the Women’s World Championship. WWE kept expanding her responsibilities, and the audience kept giving the company reasons to go further.
Social Blade’s retrieved snapshot lists approximately 2.09 million Instagram followers and average likes near 170,000 in its sample. That is a substantial personal audience for someone whose WWE career has accelerated this quickly. Her presentation makes her recognizable, her performances give fans something to talk about and her signature offense gives them moments to share.
People are invested in Stephanie herself. The championship opportunities show how much WWE trusts that connection.
Winning the Women’s World Championship in 2025 established her at the top of the division. Regaining it from Liv Morgan in Santiago, Chile, in September 2026 made the investment feel even more personal. WWE gave her a world-title victory in her home country at a non-televised live event, where championship changes have become increasingly rare.
That is a major moment to build around one performer and the people who came to support her.
Her Chilean identity also creates opportunities beyond WWE’s usual audience. She trained with fellow Chilean UFC fighter Ignacio Bahamondes at the UFC Performance Institute in Mexico, bringing two athletes from the same country together across TKO’s biggest promotions.
Vaquer takes the top spot because her engaged audience, immediate impact and rapid rise into championship responsibility make the strongest combined case under these criteria.
Part of that comes down to what she brought with her. Vaquer arrived from outside WWE with the experience, identity and ability to make an immediate impression. WWE gave her a bigger platform, and she was ready for it. That transition is far from automatic, even for accomplished wrestlers. Finding this level of success this quickly makes her rise stand out.
She has already shown she can connect with a new audience without losing what made her special in the first place. Over the next five years, Vaquer has the potential to become someone WWE builds its next era of the women’s division around. The challenge is giving her rivalries and character development that grow with that responsibility.
Considering how quickly she has reached this point, there is still so much left to explore. The sky really does feel like the limit.
Honorable Mentions
Carlos Prates and Lola Vice are among the closest cuts. Prates combines a reported 2.24 million Instagram followers with a headlining victory over Jack Della Maddalena, giving his case both audience reach and competitive substance. Vice brings approximately 1.3 million Instagram followers into a main-roster run that began with Money in the Bank qualification.
Chelsea Green belongs in that conversation, too, and her push for world domination feels increasingly literal. She presented at the 2026 Creative Arts Emmy Awards, appeared in Blue Ridge and landed roles in upcoming films including Red Wedding and We Could Be Heroes.
Her personality is opening doors beyond wrestling, giving new audiences reasons to discover her. The question is how that crossover success develops alongside a sustained position at the center of WWE’s biggest stories.
Penta, Je’Von Evans and Payton Talbott also deserve consideration.
Penta’s approximately 1.39 million Instagram followers and world-title program with Roman Reigns demonstrate established appeal, though his position as a recurring centerpiece remains uncertain.
Evans’ Iron Survivor victory and opportunities against Bron Breakker support his five-year potential. His personal audience still needs to catch up.
Talbott pairs approximately 331,000 Instagram followers with coverage in GQ and a recent appearance in i-D’s “What’s Up!” feature. His friendship with Frank Ocean adds another connection beyond MMA, giving him a place in music and fashion conversations that most fighters never reach.
The next five years won’t belong to everyone on this list. Some will exceed the expectations. Others will get passed by someone we’re only beginning to notice. But these are the 15 with the strongest cases right now.
We’ll see who turns that promise into an era people remember.
