7 Second Generation Superstars Who Will Surpass Their Parents

3. Carmella

Carmella Mellabration
WWE.com

'The Princess Of Staten Island' has courted controversy recently as the lone destroyer of Asuka's main roster career, but Carmella's ascension from NXT valet to SmackDown Live! Women's Champion reflects the faith the company have put in her to improve on the job.

She's an unfinished product in every sense; her work is passable at best and noticeably sloppy in comparison with the raised game of her contemporaries, whilst her promos are obviously pleasing somebody backstage - that can be the only reason WWE have ran with so many near-identical 'Mellabration' gabfests since defeating Charlotte Flair just days after WrestleMania.

Though professional wrestling wasn't her first choice - she was a cheerleader in both the NFL and NBA before giving herself a try in Sports Entertainment - it presumably delighted her dad. Father Paul Van Dale was an enhancement talent for WWE back when such a thing still existed as a regularly paying role - a position Carmella may have fulfilled had her heel persona not resonated in such a fashion over the past 18 months. And as the women's division continues to thrive and flourish, it's unlikely she won't rack up further status-enhancing achievements.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation for 10 years. Alongside the production of daily written, audio and video content covering WWE and AEW, he also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot on the UK's wrestling podcast charts with over 10,000 episodes and 70,000,000 total downloads. He also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House!, Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast, and has guested on long-running Sunderland AFC podcast Wise Men Say. With WhatCulture, he has provided in-person coverage of some of the biggest pay-per-views and Premium Live Events in wrestling history, including WrestleMania, Survivor Series, All In & Double Or Nothing in destinations such as New York, New Jersey, Chicago, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. He has also been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana, 411Mania and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in music and culture magazines The Crack, Pilot as well as Sunderland AFC's premiere fanzine A Love Supreme. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it every other Saturday at the Stadium Of Light, and at Cribs gigs nationwide.