logo
Bron Breakker, Jacob Fatu And The 5 Next Faces Of WWE

Bron Breakker, Jacob Fatu And The 5 Next Faces Of WWE

Forbes20-07-2025
Bron Breakker should benefit greatly from the absence of Seth Rollins. (Credit: Heather ... More McLaughlin/WWE via Getty Images)
WWE is already strapping the proverbial rocket to Bron Breakker and Jacob Fatu, but they won't be alone.
According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t WrestlingNews.co), both Breakker and Fatu, along with Rhea Ripley, are being positioned as WWE's next top stars. In the case of Ripley, one could argue she's already there. She's a three-time women's world champion on the main roster and has been cemented as one of the biggest stars on Monday Night Raw over the past few years.
While Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes have been the main two driving forces behind WWE's boom period over the past decade, Ripley is one of a handful of other stars who've been right beside them. Still, as John Cena nears retirement while Rhodes and Reigns continue to dip their toes into Hollywood, WWE is in a major transitional period right now.
These stars are the closest thing WWE has to a next 'face of the company,' and it could happen sooner rather than later.
Liv Morgan
As is the case with Ripley, Liv Morgan is essentially already one of WWE's cornerstones, but she isn't always mentioned in that conversation.
Morgan, a former three-time world champion herself, recently landed her first major movie role and reportedly wowed the filming crew with her performance. That's not a surprise given Morgan's roles in cinema-style storylines in WWE over the past several years, most notably her love triangle with Ripley and Dominik Mysterio.
As Morgan has developed her acting chops during her decade in WWE, she's also developed into one of the most well-rounded performers in the entire company. In fact, Morgan has been the glue that's held WWE's women's division together during the long-term absences of stars like Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair.
While Morgan's WWE resume isn't quite as impressive as those stars, she's still just 31 years old, already has a list of Hall of Fame-worthy accomplishments and is becoming a household name both in and out of the pro wrestling circles.
Trick Williams
A sign of strange times in pro wrestling, WWE NXT star Trick Williams is currently holding the TNA World Championship, a true testament to WWE's faith in him as a potential future face of the company.
Indeed, there have long been reports that WWE views Williams, a former football player and standout athlete, as a WrestleMania main eventer in the making. Williams certainly has the look, the athletic pedigree and the charisma to get there, but WWE will never truly know what it has in Williams until he's officially promoted to Raw or SmackDown.
The one thing that might hold Williams back is his in-ring skills, which aren't progressing quite as quickly as other rising stars in WWE. Yet, WWE fans have seen time and time again that stars dripping in charisma can make it to the top before their in-ring skills match their crowd connection or in-ring abilities.
Williams could follow a similar path because if his wrestling skills catch up with everything else, he truly is a possible generational talent.
Bron Breakker
There's a reason why Bron Breakker has long been considered to be someone WWE can build its future around: he's the total package.
Breakker has the look, the in-ring skills and the crowd connection that make him a virtual shoo-in to be a main eventer and world champion contender for the next decade-plus. The recent injury to Breakker's stablemate Seth Rollins, which has resulted in an even bigger spotlight on Breakker, is only going to expedite the process.
Breakker is on track for a mega match involving Reigns at SummerSlam in just a couple of weeks, and that's a sign of things to come. Still just 27 years old, Breakker has developed into a human highlight reel over the past year, and he's only getting started.
If he isn't headlining WrestleMania within the next year or two, someone in WWE creative will have dropped the ball.
Stephanie Vaquer
Stephanie Vaquer has been on WWE's main roster for a cup of coffee, but it's already clear that she's one of the biggest stars in the women's division.
The former NXT standout is quickly generating some of the loudest crowd reactions in WWE, especially with her Devil's Kiss move, and in a matter of mere months, she's developed an incredible connection with WWE's fan base. Whatever 'it' is, Vaquer has it, and WWE fans are already recognizing it.
Even with limited English, Vaquer is already improving in the promo department, too, which is the final piece of the puzzle to make her a five-tool player. Vaquer will challenge for a women's world title at next month's Clash in Paris event, demonstrating that she's already perhaps just a match away from reaching the mountaintop.
With the right feud, Vaquer is all but guaranteed to solidify herself as a top act by next year's WrestleMania, if not sooner.
Jacob Fatu
Speaking of meteoric rises, Jacob Fatu, in the span of roughly one year, already ranks among WWE's biggest babyfaces.
In fact, WWE recently began a massive marketing push for the Samoan star, who has that type of rapport with the crowd that is almost indescribable. Part of Fatu's virtually instantaneous success on SmackDown is that everything he does, from his promos to his in-ring work, feels incredibly authentic.
Nothing Fatu does seems forced or fake, so it's been easy for WWE fans of all ages and backgrounds to be able to relate to him. Throw in a feud with Solo Sikoa's hated stable and some stellar highlight-filled matches, and all of the ingredients are there for Fatu to be a world champion sooner rather than later.
Much like Reigns, he should headline a number of WrestleManias, win a handful of world titles and remain a prominent fixture in the main event scene for as long as he's in WWE.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

WWE SummerSlam 2025 Potential Surprises And Returns
WWE SummerSlam 2025 Potential Surprises And Returns

Forbes

time12 minutes ago

  • Forbes

WWE SummerSlam 2025 Potential Surprises And Returns

Seth Rollins was recently injured at Saturday Night's Main Event. (Credit: Heather McLaughlin/WWE ... More via Getty Images) WWE SummerSlam 2025 will be the first-ever two-night edition of WWE's summer spectacle, and it features a slew of matches with major long-term ramifications. Among them, John Cena will defend his WWE Championship against Cody Rhodes in a Street Fight, a bout that will undoubtedly play a significant role in determining Cena's trajectory over the last five months of his retirement tour. In addition, CM Punk vs. Gunther for the WWE Championship, the likely main event of Saturday's show, will have a domino effect that trickles down Raw's entire main event scene. The massive show in MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey could feature more than 45,000 fans in attendance for each night, and they may be in for a number of big surprises and blockbuster returns. Bayley Turns Heel On Lyra Valkyria When Becky Lynch defends her WWE Women's Intercontinental Championship against Lyra Valkyria, there will be no disqualifications and no countouts. In addition, if Valkyria loses, she can never challenge Lynch for the IC title again. Well, that sure smells like a recipe for Valkyria to lose in cheap fashion, doesn't it? WWE has not-so-subtly planted the seeds for Lynch to retain with the help of an old rival: Bayley. 'The Role Model' has made it quite clear that she isn't happy about being left off the SummerSlam card, and she has put that blame squarely on the shoulders of Valkyria. Look, anyone who has watched WWE consistently can tell you that a babyface star being shafted out of a title by a fellow babyface, even if it happens inadvertently, lays the perfect framework for an epic heel turn. With Bayley, Valkyria and Lynch all pursuing the same title in a never-ending vortex of feuds and matches, the best finish at WWE SummerSlam is for Bayley to cost Valkyria the match and turn heel in the process. Plus, with the No DQs, No Countouts stipulation, WWE is practically telling fans that it will happen even though Bayley remains very popular. Gunther Beats CM Punk Cleanly When it comes to the World Heavyweight title match, one scenario that seems to be overlooked is Gunther actually winning cleanly. With this bout penciled in to headline WWE SummerSlam on Saturday, the prevailing thought is that it will end with some sort of significant storyline development, perhaps with CM Punk winning his first world title in WWE in 12 years. In reality, though, Gunther only just won back the World Heavyweight Championship and is one of the most protected wrestlers in all of WWE. In other words, it's far from a shoo-in that Gunther loses cleanly, or loses at all, even though the widespread expectation is that Punk is a lock to win at WWE SummerSlam. Seth Rollins Returns At WWE SummerSlam and Cashes In Despite suffering what appeared to be a legitimate leg injury at WWE Saturday Night's Main Event, WWE has reportedly penciled in a Seth Rollins cash-in for WWE SummerSlam 2025. The idea is for WWE fans to think that Rollins will be out of action for several months, only for 'The Visionary' to actually return at SummerSlam mere weeks after his supposed injury. Given that Rollins has vowed time and time again that he will never let Punk become world champion, his cash-in is expected to close out SummerSlam Saturday. That leaves three potential options: Rollins cashes in during the match to make it a triple threat a la Naomi, or he cashes in afterward, whether on Punk or Gunther. Of those choices, the most logical is Rollins cashing in during the match to ensure that Punk doesn't get to become champion at all. With such a cloud of uncertainty hanging over Rollins' status, a possible surprise WWE SummerSlam return would send the New Jersey crowd into an absolute frenzy. John Cena And Cody Rhodes Execute a WWE SummerSlam Double Turn Although WWE rather recently rejected an idea to turn Cody Rhodes heel, the company has hinted during his feud with John Cena that it's an actual possibility. The main reason why? Well, Cena is clearly taking small steps toward making a return to his babyface roots, and at times during their rivalry, the two stars have appeared to flip-flop face and heel roles. While that's based largely on crowd reaction more than anything else, it appears to be a virtual certainty that Cena will return to being a fan favorite mere months after his epic Elimination Chamber heel turn. Of course, Cena transitioning back to a babyface role doesn't necessarily mean that Rhodes turns heel, and it would be risky to turn Rhodes given that he's arguably WWE's most popular star. But the majority of WWE's fan base had given up on a potential Cena heel turn. Then, boom. It finally happened. Rhodes is in a different spot as WWE's No. 1 full-time face, but if there was ever a time to turn him heel, WWE SummerSlam is it. The Rock Makes Surprise WWE SummerSlam Return The follow-up to Cena's heel turn has been married by Travis Scott's 'falling out' with and The Rock's bizarre disappearance from the storyline altogether. At last word, there also was no real sign that The Rock is returning at WWE SummerSlam. Then again, this is WWE, where it's possible, if not probable, that the company would be tight-lipped about a potential return for its biggest star ever. And if it does happen, SummerSlam is the perfect stage for it. The Rock has plenty of recent history with both Rhodes and Cena, and the Street Fight stipulation for their SummerSlam matches leaves the door wide open for a convoluted finish. During WWE's creative era under Triple H, many pay-per-view main events have featured numerous run-ins and a plethora of outside interference. That figures to be the case at WWE SummerSlam, and while it may not be The Rock who does it, that possibility can't be ruled out, either.

Sydney Sweeney Is Facing A Backlash Over Her New American Eagle Campaign. Here's What People Are Saying
Sydney Sweeney Is Facing A Backlash Over Her New American Eagle Campaign. Here's What People Are Saying

Yahoo

time2 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Sydney Sweeney Is Facing A Backlash Over Her New American Eagle Campaign. Here's What People Are Saying

Sydney Sweeney's new collaboration with the fashion brand American Eagle has become the centre of a whole lot of debate. The Euphoria star unveiled a new campaign with the American clothing brand last week, to promote their line of denim last week. However, it didn't take long before social media clips to promote the deal sparked a wave of discomfort among many critics, largely due to some of the language that's used in the campaign. This is the story so far… What is Sydney Sweeney's new ad campaign for American Eagle all about? For American Eagle's autumn 2025 campaign, Sydney Sweeney can be seen sporting items from the brand's denim range, including a new pair of jeans inspired by her. The campaign also makes use of the slogan 'Sydney Sweeney has great jeans', a pun on the term 'great genes'. In another, she explains: 'Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair colour, personality and even eye colour.' 'My jeans are blue,' she then quips, at which point a narrator delivers the line: 'Sydney Sweeney has great jeans.' Why are some people upset about Sydney Sweeney's new ads for American Eagle? Unfortunately this repeated use of the slogan 'great jeans', a pun on 'great genes', has put some viewers in mind of the language used by white supremacists and eugenicists. By centring a blonde, white star in a campaign referencing 'genes', some critics are accusing the brand of tone-deafness at best – particularly in the current political climate – and deliberately pushing a white supremacist agenda at worst. HuffPost UK has contacted representatives for both Sydney Sweeney and American Eagle for comment. Others are pointing out that Sydney Sweeney's American Eagle campaign doesn't mention one other important aspect of the product American Eagle's new 'Sydney Jean' features a butterfly detail on its back pocket, in a nod to domestic violence awareness, a cause which the White Lotus star has championed throughout her career. In fact, an American Eagle press release confirmed that '100% of the purchase price from 'The Sydney Jean' will be donated to Crisis Text Line', a charity in the US which aims to help those affected by domestic violence. However, the ads are also being criticised for not highlighting this key part of the campaign, with some saying its accompanying slogan is even more jarring as a result. Has Sydney Sweeney or American Eagle said anything about the controversy? Not yet, but we'll be sure to keep you updated if and when they do… READ MORE: Glen Powell's Ex Makes Veiled Comments About How Sydney Sweeney Rumours Affected Relationship Sydney Sweeney Fires Back After Producer's Takedown Of Her Looks And Talent Sydney Sweeney Makes Blunt Comment On Women's Empowerment In Hollywood

Access More Than 30,000 Movies and TV Shows With This One Free Item
Access More Than 30,000 Movies and TV Shows With This One Free Item

CNET

time2 hours ago

  • CNET

Access More Than 30,000 Movies and TV Shows With This One Free Item

When I was an undergraduate student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, I added a concentration in film studies as part of my English and Comparative Literature degree. This choice exposed me to the marvelous world of film scholarship, adding to my already fervent love for movies. The decision also meant I was screening anywhere from four to seven movies each week for assignments and my honors thesis. The one platform that saved me throughout my semesters of frantic screenings was the streaming service Kanopy. Kanopy is an on-demand video platform that boasts a catalog of 30,000-plus titles, including classics, film noirs and award nominees. And unlike other streaming services like Netflix that are consistently raising their prices, Kanopy is still free. As a college student, I had free access to the platform with my university email address. The best part -- besides Kanopy being ad-free -- is that I didn't have to give up my account after I graduated; I'm still streaming its robust offerings for free thanks to my public library card. Below, I'll show you how you can sign up with Kanopy, and why it's worth it. Read more: 9 of the Best Netflix Alternatives to Entertain You How to create a Kanopy account With Kanopy, you can stream for free — without ads — movies, TV shows and documentaries. To create a Kanopy account, you can do the following: Go to and click Get Started . . The next window will ask if you're signing up with a university credential or a public library card. Select which option applies to you. You'll need to select your library system or university from the dropdown list. To find a library near you, share your location when prompted or search for your library by name, city or ZIP code. You can do the same when searching for your university. Hit Continue. Create your Kanopy account by filling out the requested fields (name, email address and password). Click Sign Up . . You will receive a verification email from kanopy@ Open the message, and click Verify My Email . . Start streaming. You'll need to select your library system or university from the dropdown list when creating a Kanopy account. Kanopy/Screenshot by CNET Are there limits to the number of films I can watch per month? Yes, Kanopy does not offer unlimited streaming. After signing up, you can stream up to 10 titles per month. Your 10 play credits will renew at the beginning of every calendar month. These credits do not carry over if you don't use them. Why is there a monthly limit? CNET Kanopy works on a pay-per-checkout model, meaning the public library system pays a small fee each time you check out a title. By limiting checkouts to 10 titles per month, libraries can ensure they stay on budget. Which films are offered on Kanopy? Kanopy catalog gives you access to over 30,000 titles, including: Award-winning foreign films Critically acclaimed movies A24 films Documentaries Classic films from the Criterion Collection Content from the Great Courses and PBS Festival indie or world cinema Storybooks Films and series for children Some notable standout films include Memento (2000), Donnie Darko (2001), Dial M for Murder (1954), and my personal favorite, Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019). If you're interested, you can read my commentary about why I love this film so much. Does Kanopy offer seasonal collections? Yes, Kanopy offers select seasonal and speciality collections. Kanopy's Holiday Collection is released each December and includes a slew of Christmas features and documentaries, and Yuletide classics. In October, Kanopy released its Fright Fest collection -- a catalog of Halloween favorites -- comprised of horror flicks, slashers, thrillers and more. The Fright Fest collections includes A24 favorites, creepy classics, cozy horror and so much more. Kanopy/Screenshot by CNET You should also explore our full rundown of the best movies on Max, Netflix and Amazon Prime. Plus, stream our favorite horror double-feature now on Netflix.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store