3 WWE 2nd generation stars who surpassed their parents (and 3 who didn't)
Wrestling is a difficult business to break into. Sometimes, you can have everything you need to succeed and still fail. Wrestling generally requires a mixture of charisma, looks, and a little bit of luck going your way.
Many wrestlers are born into the industry, brought in by parents who were also wrestlers or promoters themselves. From families like the McMahons, the Harts, the Anoa'i family, or the Guerreros, wrestling is built on multi-generational lineages.
A famous family name is usually a great leg up in professional wrestling. There is always a hope that charisma can be passed down from generation to generation as well. Finally, having a family legacy can help open doors to places.
More than that, many wrestlers also train their children, meaning that they get a head start on learning the ropes, so to speak. This is certainly the case of the Guerrero and Hart clans, as Eddie and Chavo Jr wrestled each other from a young age at Gory's wrestling events in El Paso, TX, and Stu Hart's kids, (like Bret and Owen) were all graduates of the infamous Hart Dungeon in Calgary. All but one of the wrestlers on this list were trained by their fathers or their family's wrestling school.
However, just because you have a wrestling pedigree in your blood, it doesn't mean that you are going to succeed in the business. Despite their families accolades, if the next generation doesn't have the necessary ability to make it in the ring, are unable to connect with the fans, or, in some cases, saddled with ridiculous gimmicks and storylines, nothing will help them.
While some superstars have the required attributes, some find it difficult to escape their parent's shadows. Superstars like Natalya or Tamina will always struggle to outshine their fathers. Charlotte Flair is amazing, but will probably never come close to reaching the levels that her father did.
#6 Surpassed - Bray Wyatt
Bray Wyatt is currently experiencing a career renaissance with his new Firefly Funhouse segments and Fiend character. Wyatt, currently in his third iteration following his work wrestling as Husky Harris and as the head of the Wyatt family. The Fiend and his new Bray Wyatt personality have seemingly rejuvenated Wyatt's career and made him relevant again. Before returning with the Firefly Funhouse gimmick, Bray had won tag team titles with the Wyatt family and Matt Hardy. He also had a reign with the WWE title after he outlasted AJ Styles, Baron Corbin, Dean Ambrose, the Miz, and John Cena in the Elimination Chamber before losing the title at WrestleMania 33 to Randy Orton.
Wyatt's father, Mike Rotunda wrestled for several promotions, including the then-WWF, WCW NJPW, and AJPW before retiring from in-ring competition in 2004. Rotunda returned to make several guest appearances as Irwin R. Schyster, Rotunda's most recognizable gimmick.
While Rotunda was successful during his time with the WWF, the only title he managed to win was the Tag Team title. Rotunda won the belt 5 times, twice with future brother-in-law Barry Windham - as U.S. Express - and three times with Money Inc partner Ted DiBiase.