Rising Stars Who Deserve Major Push After WWE WrestleMania 41 for WrestleMania 42

On the heels of WrestleMania 41, WWE and its fans traditionally look toward the future and at the Superstars who will make up the next 12 months of top stories and matches.

Fans also tend to look at the Superstars who were not as prominently featured in this year's festivities and discuss those who should be by that time next year.

Looking forward to WrestleMania 42 in New Orleans, these are the men and women who should receive consistent pushes, leading to spots on the WrestleMania 42 card in 2026.

Dragon Lee is a world-class luchador and one of the best young talents on the WWE roster, but for whatever reason, the creative team has struggled to come up with anything of substance for him to do outside of the LWO.

While that faction gets consistent television time, Lee is rarely the focal point of it, oftentimes taking a backseat to Hall of Famer Rey Mysterio (understandable) or whomever the opposition is.

A mesmerizing high-flyer whose ability to soar through the air is next to none and has repeatedly proven himself in the opportunities he has received to spotlight himself, Lee should be having weekly bangers, in a role similar to what Penta and Rey Fenix are now.

Especially with the acquisition of AAA and what is likely to be a renewed emphasis on lucha libre, Lee is a Superstar the creative team must focus on pushing consistently and ensuring he is not on the outside looking in at next year's WrestleMania 42 card.

It may seem absurd to suggest that a reigning champion with consistent television time is a "rising star" in need of a major push, but the only absurdity is that Chelsea Green is not already two WrestleManias deep into her career with WWE.

The self-proclaimed Hot Mess is the inaugural women's United States champion and has spent the last 12 months taking any bit of creative that comes her way, good or bad, and making gold out of it. Yet, when it came time for a significant push on the road to WrestleMania 42, there was none to be found.

Instead, she was the only current champion that did not have a match or segment of any kind on the biggest show of the year. That is an indictment on the creative team and one that should not repeat itself.

A major push that not only features her but legitimizes the title is a must, ultimately concluding with the Vancouver native finally competing at the Show of Shows.

The groundswell of support for Karrion Kross is undeniable at this point, with fans buying into his sinister prophet character and their reactions to him in the arena being undeniable.

At SmackDown the night before WrestleMania Saturday, Kross' elimination from the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal drew a chorus of boos from the audience. Just 48 hours later on WrestleMania Sunday, his appearance during the AJ Styles-Logan Paul match garnered another pop.

A post-WrestleMania promo (NSFW language) in which he voiced his true feelings about the state of his role in WWE was met with universal praise and an online wrestling community ready to see Kross' role expand.

An intense performer with unique and creative ways of communicating with fans, he has routinely furthered his own character and story arcs online. Now, it is time that WWE shows respect for a performer who wants more and is willing to get it from any other platform he can.

Take advantage of that desire, reward him with a sizeable push, and make sure that the next time fans see him on the WrestleMania stage, it is in a meaningful match.

Like Green, it may seem rather ridiculous to include a current champion on this list but also like The Hot Mess, Valkyria spent this road to WrestleMania 41 as a champion in name only before a late surge landed her on the card as little more than window dressing to Becky Lynch's surprise return.

Until winning the Women's Intercontinental Championship and becoming the first competitor to hold that title, the Irishwoman floated aimlessly around the Raw brand, kinda feuding with Pure Fusion Collective, kinda not.

Even this renewed push, in which she is about to embark on a feud with Lynch following a shocking betrayal on Monday's Raw, feels like more of an opportunity for The Man than it is a chance for Valkyria to showcase her abilities and become a major star over the next 12 months.

A great professional wrestler responsible for some of the best in-ring content in the women's division over the last year, Valkyria should receive a sustained push dedicated to actually showcasing her instead of her opponent, and be apart of the WrestleMania 42 card from the beginning instead of a last-minute addition.