10 Best Wrestlers Under 30 In The World Today

4. Jay White

MJF AEW
AEW

Jay White is still just 29 years old, and until he effectively resurfaced in AEW - having spent much of the COVID-19 pandemic preferring to appear on Impact midcards than work the eerie, silent caverns of post-2020 New Japan Pro Wrestling - people forgot how great he was.

He is still fantastic. In fact, he might even be better in the more compact, disciplined context that is TV. If the stalling on big NJPW shows veers on dreaded WWE-style cheap heat, it always informs the tone deep into his best matches. Few wrestlers irrespective of their age have quite a fantastic grasp of their character. This is supposed to be the thing that wrestlers get long into their 30s, but White is a prodigy. How good he will eventually be is frightening.

His weasel features and snarling body language get over his crafty defensive style perfectly.

It's a stunning application of character because his unreal ability to counter moves with something even cooler isn't some pursuit of a pop with cool movez. He makes you resent him for doing something dramatic and exhilarating because he knows precisely when to do it: right on the crest of the babyface comeback.

 
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Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!