Hitting the Future Jackpot: Why WWE Needs to Push their Younger Stars at WrestleMania 42

With almost exactly two weeks left until WrestleMania 42, WWE has ramped up its efforts this week to fill the card’s missing gaps that fans have been eagerly awaiting. Since last week, WWE has announced a total of six matches, with four of them made official this past Monday on Raw. Headlining the four Raw announcements was the highly anticipated showdown between Finn Balor and Dominik Mysterio. We also saw Gunther make his return after nearly a month away, setting the stage for a match with Seth Rollins. The plans for the Intercontinental Title were also revealed, as Penta will defend his championship in a stacked ladder match against Je’Von Evans, JD McDonagh, Rusev, and Dragon Lee. It has also been hinted that this might not be the final list of opponents, meaning even more names could still be added to the match. Also announced was a massive Fatal 4-Way tag team bout. Lash Legend & Nia Jax will put their titles on the line against Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss, The Bella Twins, and Bayley & Lyra Valkyria. While there is massive hype about the stakes for these specific WrestleMania matches, there is a much bigger conversation happening among fans regarding the importance of pushing younger talent over the two-night event. This focus on the future is incredibly important right now, as WrestleMania moments can instantly turn a promising young wrestler into a certified superstar. Each of the three recent call-ups from this past year is a part of the card, starting with Oba Femi taking on Brock Lesnar, a match that has fans buzzing with electricity. Trick Williams will also be taking on Sami Zayn for the United States Championship, which was announced this past Friday. And rounding it out, Je’Von Evans will be involved in the ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship. While fans are thrilled to see these three on the card, there are a number of people who feel that all three need to go over in their respective matches. Let’s examine just a few reasons why they should all receive the biggest endorsement of all by winning their matches at WrestleMania. Giving these rising stars a major spotlight isn’t just about making them look good; it’s absolutely crucial for building the next generation of WWE main eventers. First, we need to speak about the elephant in the room, which is the high number of aging champions in the men’s division. Every single male champion is currently in their 40s, with Cody Rhodes being exactly 40, CM Punk being 47, Penta at 41, and Sami Zayn also at 41. Even the main challengers to these titleholders are all over 40. Meanwhile, WWE has a plethora of younger talent waiting in the wings, with the most recent additions being Oba Femi, Trick Williams, and Je’Von Evans, who are all much younger. Femi is 27, Evans is 22, and Williams is 31. If WWE wants to show fans that they are invested in the future by pushing younger talent at WrestleMania, doing it immediately can provide a fresh spark that veterans cannot offer to that part of the audience. One of the strongest arguments for why the push for Femi, Evans, and Williams needs to happen immediately is WWE’s history. In the past, the company has at times missed the opportunity to build on the momentum that talent initially created. Wade Barrett is a prime example of WWE failing to push a rising superstar properly. He entered at age 30 as a solid in-ring performer and great on the mic. Unfortunately, his trajectory and that of The Nexus were killed at SummerSlam 2010 when they lost to John Cena’s team. Barrett went from a breakout leader to being relegated to the mid-card, with the company refusing to commit to him as a top talent. Bo Dallas is another perfect example. He was just 23 years old when he entered the main roster, coming off a run as a brilliant heel character who acted delusional rather than evil. While he did have a winning streak upon his main roster debut, the commentary team and creative treated it like a comedy act rather than a vehicle to build a star. It is important to mention Dallas in particular, given the fact that Je’Von Evans was 21 years old when he joined the main roster. While WWE isn’t treating him like Dallas, as Evans was the Iron Man for the Royal Rumble, lasting 41 minutes, and secured a spot in the Elimination Chamber match, Dallas is a perfect example of why you shouldn’t put a young talent on hold, simply because of their age. While there are a number of environments that can help propel a talent to the next level, there is no better place to do so than at WrestleMania. Throughout its history, WWE has forged the pathway to success for younger talent on The Grandest Stage of Them All. Shawn Michaels was already on the rise, but his Intercontinental Championship ladder match against Razor Ramon at WrestleMania 10 sent his career trajectory up like a rocket ship. For Daniel Bryan, winning the World Heavyweight Championship by cashing in his Money in the Bank contract at TLC 2011 only helped set the stage for WrestleMania to elevate him as a true main event player. But it was at WrestleMania 30 where his victory in the main event triple-threat match against Randy Orton and Batista made him a cultural phenomenon. One year later, Seth Rollins provided another blueprint for making a star when he cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase, which became iconically described as “The Heist of the Century.” Setting the stage for this year, WWE has three golden opportunities in the palm of its hands. Trick Williams, who has become extremely over with fans, has the opportunity to win the United States Championship while doing it in front of his mother. She is currently recovering from knee replacement surgery, but is still set to attend her son’s match in person, creating a perfect feel-good WrestleMania moment. Meanwhile, Je’Von Evans’ situation is an intriguing one, as talk of him winning hasn’t been as loud as it has for the other two. There are two major reasons why Evans should win at WrestleMana, despite Penta having only won the title on March 7. First, a win would make Evans the youngest Intercontinental Champion in history, breaking the record held by a 23-year-old Jeff Hardy. Speaking of Hardy, the second reason involves him as well; some fans believe Evans could have the same kind of cultural impact in the future that Hardy once had, and there is simply no better stage for WWE to prove they see that same potential in him than at WrestleMania. That brings us to Oba Femi, who lands the biggest spot of the three as he’s involved in what is arguably the most anticipated matchup against Brock Lesnar. A win for “The Ruler” at WrestleMania could provide a perfect passing-of-the-torch moment. A post-match handshake from Lesnar would not only cement Femi as a star. Still, it could also trigger a babyface return for Brock ahead of a massive potential SummerSlam collision with Gunther. Many fans believe a WrestleMania victory over Lesnar is just the beginning. It could easily provide the runway for a world title push at SummerSlam, perhaps by having Femi win the King of the Ring tournament to challenge either CM Punk or Roman Reigns. As the final pyro goes off and puts an end to WrestleMania 42, the show shouldn’t just be remembered for its marquee title matches. Instead, it should also be cemented as the moment WWE proved that Oba Femi, Je’Von Evans, and Trick Williams aren’t just the future of the company, they are the undisputed present. Investing in this young talent today will help the product captivate audiences for years to come. 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