Welcome to the finale of Violent People’s 25 Under 25. Ranking the top wrestlers currently under the age of 25. Read our intro post to learn more!

5. Yuma Anzai (53 Points,7 Votes) 

Well, you can’t say All Japan doesn’t see him as the next guy. His shock title win/run, the debut of ELPIDA and the criminally underlooked tag match with Burning at Judgement, Anzai has been on damn fire. I can see him holding the title a few more times this decade, but I’m a bit more interested in his stuff with New Period right now. Can’t just have him lose the title just to give it back…right, Suwama…right? – NoMoreCreatives

The 1st wrestler to truly feel like they broke out of the AJPW/Kento curse and make a name for himself as the triple crown champion. Another young wrestler that feels like he is out of time in the current slog of repetitive and derivative puro wrestling. If you are looking for a bygone era of wrestling in a Japan that is about big dudes smashing into each other Yuma Anzai has you covered – TimB

Recommended Matches:

• w/ Ryuki Honda vs. Kento Miyahara & Yuma Aoyagi (AJPW 10/31/23)
• w/ Ryuki Honda vs. Kento Miyahara & T-Hawk (AJPW 11/5/23)
• vs. Kento Miyahara (AJPW 5/29/24)
• vs. Rei Saito (AJPW 8/3/2024

4. AZM (57 Points, 9 Votes)

The most gif’able wrestler in the world. She does lots of cool looking moves and they almost always look smooth. That’s more than a lot of other wrestlers in 2024. – DanRice

Fuck brat summer. AZM’s been on a brat decade. – pto

Probably the most complete package of anyone on my ballot with the poise and experience to be the top star of any joshi promotion right now. Incredibly consistent performer who has proven to be able to carry the entire Highspeed division on her back with any rotating cast of co-stars. – TimB

Recommended Matches:

• vs. Starlight Kid (STARDOM 2/23/22)
• vs. Toni Storm (AEW 4/13/24)
• vs. Stephanie Vaquer (NJPW 4/12/24)
• vs. Mayu Iwatani (STARDOM 8/18/24)

3. Xelhua (57 Points, 9 Votes)

High Vote: 1 (definetly_pedro)

% of Ballots Made: 47.4%

He’s an amazing technical wrestler at such a young age. He’s just so freaking talented, whether it’s on the mat or taking to the air. The biggest obstacle in his way is just getting the opportunity to show out. He never disappoints. Honestly I’m most excited for his maestro work in 30 years. – DanRice

If only Xelhua had come along a year or two earlier. If he had, there would be an entire library of freely available CMLL matches to catch up on. Is he the next Hechicero or Virus? Pay up to find out. Really, it’s remarkable enough that a man all of twenty years old is being spoken of in the same breath as the previous generation’s maestros. He’s amazing at tying up human bodies into painful-looking knots. Now if only more people could see him do it! – pto

What feels like the great young hope someone in Lucha Libre to care on the tradition of grappling and technical wrestling at the level of the are slowly starting to age out of prevalence. Xelhua is incredibly interesting to watch as he feels influenced by the rich history of technical wrestling from around the world in a way that is similar to early Zack Sabre Jr. – TimB

Recommended Matches:

• vs. Judas el Traidor (Lucha Memes 5/19/24)
• w/ Kaoma Jr., & Kastigador vs. Blue Panther, Hechicero & Templario (6/13/24)
• vs. Magnetico (Lucha Memes 6/30/24)
• vs. Hechicero (Lucha Memes 7/28/24)

2. Momo Watanabe (61 Points, 8 Ballots)

Already one of the best big match wrestlers in Japan when she was only 18, it was hard to imagine how much better Momo could get. With her heel turn a couple years ago she has now added being one of the best plunder brawlers on the joshi scene to her resume. At 24 she’s one of the most well rounded wrestlers in the country, although she only gets to show it in her forays outside of her home promotion. – Cole

When you land a big move on someone in a pro wrestling match, how should you punctuate it to the crowd? Do you cry out, hoping that the crowd will follow your lead and make some noise? Do you bang the mat with your fists, surging with adrenaline? Do you strike a signature pose to fish for cheers while also more or less teabagging your downed opponent? If you’re Momo Watanabe, you maybe smirk a little bit, or chuckle to the open air, or poke your tongue out of the side of your mouth for a second. Then you carry on. Watanabe wrestles like she truly doesn’t give a fuck about the crowd. This isn’t just a strength – in a world created by Rossy Ogawa, it makes her virtually unique. – pto

Star quality and stature beyond her years, probably the most shocking wrestling to be “still under 25” of everyone she does not seem like she is out of place next to wrestler that have been at it decades prior to her. Momo feels timeless and classic in a way that takes me out of modern stardom and back to the peaks violent and aggressive joshi wrestling – TimB

Recommended Matches:

• vs. Io Shirai (Stardom 2/18/18)
• vs. Io Shirai (Stardom 5/23/18)
• vs. Jungle Kyona (Stardom 3/3/19)
• vs. Syuri vs. Momo Watanabe (STARDOM 9/25/21)
• vs. DASH Chisako (Sendai Girls 7/15/24) 
• vs. Mercedes Moné (NJPW 8/30/24)

1. Mascara Dorada (70 Points, 8 Ballots)

A truly spectacular young luchador, getting pushed in the promotion of the year. Hits insane spots that always seem close to blowing up, but that adds to the charm. At such a young age we could be seeing the start of an insane run if CMLL keeps up the pace they’ve been running.  – DanRice

Here’s the thing: CMLL is perhaps the most conservative, slow-and-steady, don’t-rock-the-boat wrestling company to have ever existed. Their roster is a caste system, and family connections have a much better chance of pushing you to that next level than putting on bangers. And yet, look at Máscara Dorada. From the moment he hit CMLL, they knew they had something special, and fast-tracked him like no one in the history of the promotion. Rechristened with a beloved and “important” mask, given tournament wins and spotlights other wrestlers would kill for… Máscara Dorada is the future. So much so that the promoters figured it out before the rest of us. – pto

Recommended Matches

• vs. Rocky Romero (CMLL 7/28/23)
• vs. Templario (CMLL 1/5/24)
• w/ Hechicero, & Volador Jr. vs Jon Moxley, Bryan Danielson, & Claudio Castagnoli (AEW 2/7/24)
• vs. Stuka Jr (NJPW 2/19/24)
• w/ Rocky Romero vs. Atlantis Jr & Soberano Jr (CMLL 3/29/24)
• w/ Templario vs. Rocky Romero & Taiji Ishimori (CMLL 6/21/24)