Children Of Wrestling Legends Who Successfully Carry On The Torch

In an industry like professional wrestling, where legacy is debated for generations among as passionate a fanbase as there is, following in the footsteps of a parent begets a natural pressure unrivaled in sports and entertainment. And when that parent is considered a legend, expectations only amplify depending upon how high that familial bar was set. When true legendary status is reached, as arbitrary as that distinction may be, legions of fans hold the superstars of yesterday in such high regard that it's almost impossible for the sons and daughters of those icons so revered to measure up.

While there are plenty of examples of wrestlers who failed to carry the family torch at the highest levels, it's worth exploring the select few who are doing so today. Some have been at it a while, having already reached the pinnacle of the business, and others on this list are still on the upswing, aiming to maximize their potential and reach heights that their parents eclipsed before them. Championships aren't necessarily the ultimate measure of those fortunate enough to be included either, but rather an established existence on a national stage, either already worthy of being spoken about in the same breath as their forebears, or well on their way. Whichever it is for the ones in this group, it's safe to say they've upheld their family reputation honorably, with a long way to go for several of them.

It's fair to say that, for the majority of her career, Charlotte Flair has been a polarizing figure for the WWE Universe. She's discussed it plenty herself — recently pouring her heart out in a Players' Tribune article where she talked about how much crowd reactions have affected her — and when your father is Ric Flair, it is logical to see an uphill battle for someone in Charlotte's position from the get-go. The elder Flair, of course, is rarely excepted from the impossible "greatest of all time" debates, and was recognized by WWE as the GOAT in terms of major championships, at 16, until John Cena topped broke his record earlier this year.

For Charlotte, however, at the end of the day, it isn't about championships or the popular opinion of the masses. In fact, it's well-chronicled that following in Ric's footsteps wasn't even her dream in the first place but rather her late brother Reid's. While Ric's other son, David had a run in WCW in 1999 and 2000 (and even a match against The Undertaker on "WWE Smackdown" in 2002), it was Reid who wanted most to be like Dad. Unfortunately, he died in 2013 at just 25 years old.

Charlotte has not just carried Ric's torch admirably but has done so while honoring her late brother all the while as a surefire Hall of Famer who seems to be having as much fun these days as we've seen at any other time in her illustrious career.

Falling into the category of one who has shown tremendous potential but hasn't quite hit the upper echelon yet, HOOK represents his own family legacy well, taking after his father Taz and becoming a popular figure in AEW since 2021. At just 26 years old, HOOK quickly became a mainstay on AEW television and was awarded Pro Wrestling Illustrated's Rookie of the Year honors in 2022. While he hasn't managed to capture any major championships to date, it's hard to argue that Tony Khan and company hasn't treated him like a big deal all the while, giving him a Batman-esque entrance and bringing back his father's trademark FTW Championship (first introduced in ECW), surely with HOOK in mind. 

First winning the title in 2022, HOOK became just fifth person to wear this particular gold, joining not just his father but another iconic ECW name in Sabu, and taking it off of Ricky Starks, who has now gone onto greater heights as Ricky Saints in "WWE NXT." HOOK can also now boast of being the all-time leader in FTW Championships, with his three runs besting his dad's pair of title reigns, retiring the belt on "AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam" in 2024.

While rumors have swirled here and there in recent years that he might be on WWE's radar, HOOK re-signed with AEW in 2024 and is expected to be with the company for the foreseeable future.

Few active wrestlers can boast of a deeper family pedigree than Nattie Neidhart, daughter of Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart, granddaughter of all-time wrestling icon Stu Hart, the niece of Bret, Owen, Smith, Bruce, Keith, Wayne, Dean, and Ross Hart, as well as "The British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith. Better known as Natalya throughout the majority of her WWE run, Nattie has started to use her real name of late as the moniker for a feistier, reality-based alter ego in matches outside of WWE, with cameos in promotions such as AAA, GCW, NWA, and Reality of Wrestling throughout 2025.

While Natalya has found gold on occasion in a WWE run that dates back to 2007 — she's a former Divas, Smackdown Women's, and WWE Women's Tag Team Champion — her legacy extends beyond those accolades and perhaps more importantly as someone who is nearly universally-heralded as a locker room influence and leader. In recent years, she's carried on another family tradition, teaming up with her husband TJ Wilson (fka Tyson Kidd in WWE) to train fellow wrestlers in their Tampa, Florida-based facility, fittingly dubbed "The Dungeon 2.0."

With an emerging new persona, and a larger canvas on which to paint these days with the cross-promotional work, on top of her impressive accolades to date, the future remains bright for Nattie, who also holds the distinction of being six-time Guinness World Record Holder for her wrestling achievements, and was recently honored by the Cauliflower Alley Club, becoming the first woman to be awarded the Lou Thesz Award.

What is it they say about a wrestler's impact not so much being measured whether the masses love you or hate you, but instead by simply consistently garnering a reaction? Since his debut in 2020, few have demonstrated the latter better than Dominik Mysterio, first as the baby-faced babyface son of the legendary Rey Mysterio, but more notably — and for the majority of his career thus far — as "Dirty Dom," the spiteful, self-disowned, resentful bad seed of the Mysterio family, dubbing his father a "deadbeat dad" and campily remolding himself in the vein of an ex-con (after a storyline night or two in jail). 

The result? Perhaps the biggest heat-seeking heel in all of wrestling for the majority of the time since. But that won't last forever, as Dominik has drawn quite the following with a healthy interjection of humor, a rapport with the ladies — namely Rhea Ripley, Liv Morgan, and Roxanne Perez — few can rival, and relatability.

At the end of the day, a wrestler's prowess will be measured by in-ring ability and Mysterio has grown leaps and bounds in that regard since his debut. The current WWE Intercontinental Champion, Dom can also stand on his laurels as two-time NXT North American Champion, as well as an early run with his pops (before the split) as WWE SmackDown Tag Team Champion. With exposure in the traditional lucha libre atmosphere thanks to WWE's relationship with AAA, Mysterio's global impact is only just beginning.

The Rhodes Family legacy has undoubtedly been cemented with the success of Cody and Dustin Rhodes, and the only negative element therein is that its patriarch, "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes, didn't get to see its highest heights. With Cody as the face of WWE since his return in 2022, along with his industry-altering influence in the inception and success of AEW, plus Dustin finding a new lease on his wrestling life in AEW and Ring of Honor, there's not much debating the iconic line that kicks off Cody”s theme music: "Wrestling has more than one royal family."

Cody "finishing his story" in WWE dominated programming for the first two years of his second run with the company and that was only just the beginning. His fingerprints are all over everything WWE these days and that now stretches out further into the mainstream with sponsorships, podcasts, media appearances, and movie roles, including a significant role in the upcoming "Street Fighter" film.

Though Dustin is currently recovering from double knee replacement surgery, his time with AEW and ROH has allowed him to not only continue his in-ring career but to mentor young performers, including nephews Wayne and Wyatt Rhodes, who debuted in a dark match for AEW in August and, given this particular family bloodline, could very well carry the Rhodes torch for a long time to come.