The future is now, meaning WWE and All Elite Wrestling should be doing everything possible to prepare for what's next as opposed to solely relying on the established talent of today.

CM Punk, Bryan Danielson and Adam Cole have all been great gets for AEW, but who will be in their shoes several years from now? The roster is loaded with promising prospects, but beginning the process of pushing them toward the top of the card is what's essential.

AEW's four pillars (MJF, Jungle Boy, Sammy Guevara and Darby Allin) have been talked up quite a bit by fans, but with all of them having become household names for the promotion, it's time to start building up the next crop of competitors.

Meanwhile in WWE, there are multiple fresh faces ready to rise to the occasion. A majority of them weren't being afforded the opportunity to showcase their skills when Vince McMahon was running the show, but it's a whole new ballgame with Triple H taking over as head of creative.

Now it's up to The Game and AEW co-owner Tony Khan to start using the athletes who are still in the infancy of their careers to their full potential and allow them to break out.

The following six stars are the most likely candidates.

Tommaso Ciampa

At 37, Ciampa is hardly an "up-and-comer" in the grand scheme of things, but he is new to WWE's main stage, having only arrived on Raw four months ago.

Prior to that, he spent seven years in NXT, where he achieved amazing success and served as one of the brand's biggest cornerstones. Although he was overdue for a move to the main roster, there was always the concern of how he'd be used by Vince McMahon.

Sure enough, Ciampa was relegated to the undercard for the first few months of his Raw run and later took on the role of The Miz's lackey. Thankfully, Triple H has begun pushing him as a singles star by featuring him in the United States Championship picture and showing the world what he's capable of.

It's difficult to believe the two-time NXT champion will be anything less than a staple on the flagship show with The Game now in charge creatively. He may never be a perennial world championship contender, but he's bound to be a big part of the program going forward based on what we've seen so far.

It also shouldn't be long before he's holding gold of some kind, whether it be the tag team titles or the star-spangled prize. He excels in every area and deserves a shot at superstardom.

Daniel Garcia

It was evident from the moment Daniel Garcia made his official debut in AEW last year that he was primed for big things, and his gradual ascent since then has proved that.

In addition to benefiting from his pairing with 2point0, he was constantly showcased in the main events of Dynamite and Rampage in matches against the likes of Eddie Kingston, Jon Moxley, CM Punk and Sammy Guevara. He looked credible in defeat on every occasion.

It wasn't until this year's Fight for the Fallen edition of Dynamite that Garcia finally won when it mattered most, in the main event against Bryan Danielson. AEW is clearly telling a calculated story between the two that will inevitably lead to a rematch, likely at the All Out pay-per-view on September 4.

His rookie year included many strong showings but also a lot of losses. He was positioned as a background player in the Jericho Appreciation Society early on, but the time has come for him to be built up on his own and the Danielson feud will play an important role in that.

At the age of 23, Garcia has his whole career ahead of him. Beyond his rivalry with Danielson, he should have a championship in his possession in the not-too-distant future.

Madcap Moss

Similar to Ciampa, Madcap Moss has been around a lot longer than most may know.

The former college football player joined NXT in 2014 and was sparingly seen on the show throughout his entire tenure there. Vince McMahon then decided to call him up to Raw on a whim at the onset of 2020, and his stint included him winning the 24/7 Championship, aligning with Mojo Rawley and taking part in Raw Underground.

With a resume like that, it's astounding he avoided getting released when he was out injured for nearly a year. Linking up with Happy Corbin upon his return didn't do much to boost his stock, but it did give him the exposure that later benefited him when he split from Corbin.

On the surface, nothing feels remarkably special about Moss, but he's been attempting to find his footing in recent months and has shown serious signs of potential both in the ring and on the mic. Moreover, he has a presence about him and has gotten a good portion of the audience behind him.

He's essentially the SmackDown equivalent of Theory, except as a babyface. He checks most of the boxes WWE tends to look for in its talent and therefore there's no reason to believe he won't thrive in the Triple H era.

Jamie Hayter

One year ago this coming weekend, Jamie Hayter made her first appearance as an official member of the AEW roster and aligned herself with Britt Baker and Rebel.

In that time, the 27-year-old has stood out in a major way, particularly with the way she incorporates her intensity into her matches. She may have fallen short of beating Thunder Rosa for the AEW Women's World Championship at Battle of the Belts III but she again shined in defeat.

Haytar has been teasing tension with Baker for months, but none of it has amounted to anything yet. All roads must lead to the two going one-on-one eventually, but nothing that's happened lately would suggest it's coming soon.

Needless to say, there's plenty more AEW can be doing to prioritize their women's division, specifically Hayter. She makes the most of every opportunity she has and will be someone to watch for years to come.

Whether it be the AEW Women's World Championship or the TBS Championship, she has her sights set on taking a title home before long.

Iyo Sky/Io Shirai

We're just one week into her run on Raw and already Iyo Sky has lived up to the hype as one of the best female wrestlers in the world.

While never confirmed, it was clear the former Io Shirai would have never gotten a fair shake on the main roster as long as Vince McMahon was at the helm.

However, Triple H being handed the keys to WWE Creative has opened the door for her to stick around on Raw instead of leaving when her contract expired.

Her pairing with Bayley and Dakota Kai has been pure perfection. She made her in-ring debut on last week's Raw and took the red brand's women's champion, Bianca Belair, to the limit in a wonderful affair.

The EST of WWE teased unfinished business between Sky and herself just this week, so it's more a matter of when than if they'll meet again in the ring, likely with the gold up for grabs next time.

The Raw women's division is very much looking ahead to the future thanks to Bayley and her new crew.

Sky had a stellar stint in NXT and is ready to shine on the main stage.

Ricky Starks

Despite holding the FTW Championship for over a year, Ricky Starks could easily be considered one of the most underutilized talents in all of AEW.

Since signing with the promotion two years ago, he's spent all his time as a member of Team Taz. The group should have had much more success than they did, but for whatever reason, they were largely directionless and used as stepping stones for other teams.

Breaking off on his own is what Starks has sorely needed. He underwent an abrupt face turn two weeks ago on Dynamite when he was betrayed by Powerhouse Hobbs, but only after cutting a heartfelt babyface promo that had the crowd cheering him once it was over.

It's possible this program proves to be the peak of his push in AEW, but Tony Khan must know from hearing those reactions for Starks that this is something that should be sustained. While not the biggest guy physically, he can hang with the best of them on the mic and in the ring and has charisma in spades.

If Khan plays his cards right, he can have a main event-level babyface in the 32-year-old by the end of the year or early 2023.

Starks has been waiting to break out for quite a while, and this turn should provide him with that long-awaited opportunity to ascend to the next level.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.