Professional wrestling in 2024 was nothing short of extraordinary, with unforgettable matches, groundbreaking storylines, and seismic shifts in the industry. From historic title reigns to noteworthy retirements, the year showcased the best of what wrestling has to offer. Whether it was WWE redefining its legacy in the wake of leadership changes, AEW continuing to elevate the art of storytelling, or independent promotions thriving like never before, 2024 proved to be a banner year for the sport.
With so much to write about this year, I tried incredibly hard to keep it reigned in (with one notable exception) but 2024 was truly a banner year in the art of professional wrestling.
Is 2024 the best year in wrestling on record? As a subjective art form, only you can make that decision! (But it was pretty good.)
Vince McMahon Resigns as Chairman of TKO (January 26, 2024)
Well, except for this.
In July 2022, former chairman of WWE Vince McMahon retired from wrestling, only to resurface five months later as a board member. When UFC parent company Endeavor purchased the WWE in April 2023, they made McMahon chairman of the newly merged company TKO. The proverbial cockroach, McMahon continued his stranglehold on WWE programming moving into 2024.
Then, in a stunning development, McMahon was forced to step down in late January amid serious allegations of sexual misconduct and trafficking from a former employee. Facing mounting legal challenges and public outcry, McMahon stated that his decision was made "out of respect for the WWE Universe, TKO, shareholders, and business partners." Endeavor's CEO Ari Emanuel assumed the role of chairman, and WWE programming has been white-hot ever since.
The Final Boss (February 8, 2024 - WrestleMania XL Kickoff)
During the WrestleMania XL press conference, 2024 Royal Rumble winner Cody Rhodes chose Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns to be his opponent at the biggest show of the year. While the entire segment is worth the watch, it was The Rock's involvement that quickly became the talking point of the night.
Rhodes and Reigns traded verbal jabs, each pointing out the shame the other's ancestors must feel. The Rock soon stepped up, noting that Reigns' blood is his blood and any issues there are a problem for him. A quick slap from the People's Champ to Rhodes ignited a pull-apart and officially got the Road to WrestleMania underway.
Leading up to this interaction, rumblings online were that The Rock was looking to insert himself into the title picture for WrestleMania XL. In late January, The Rock had been made a member of TKO's Board of Directors and had begun talking about his involvement with the current product. Backlash was swift and WWE pivoted back to Rhodes vs Reigns, with those involved saying that this was always the plan. Ah, wrestling. Don't ever change.
Sting Retires (March 3, 2024 - AEW Revolution)
Taking place in the historic Greensboro Coliseum in North Carolina where 36 years prior Ric Flair and Sting wrestled in a career-making match, AEW Revolution would be the final stand of The Icon. Partnering with his longtime protégé Darby Allin, the two faced off against Matt and Nick Jackson of The Young Bucks for the AEW World Tag Team Championship. Sting and Allin ultimately defeated the brothers to retain their championships, allowing Sting to retire both a champion and undefeated in AEW.
The four men put together a worthy send-off to the legend with guest appearances throughout: Ricky Steamboat, who tagged with Sting years prior, acted as timekeeper. Sting's sons joined the fray, decked out in two of their father's signature looks. And Ric Flair -- the man who put Sting on the map -- was in attendance to see his longtime friend and opponent off in style.
Professional wrestlers have a funny habit of retiring multiple times, so only time will tell if Sting stands by his word. (This, hilariously, was Sting's second retirement.) If he never steps in the ring again, he finished his career with style, grace, and on his own terms. He wasn't called The Icon for nothing.
Kazuchika Okada is All Elite (March 6, 2024 - AEW Dynamite)
Known as being one of the central pillars of New Japan Pro-Wrestling, Kazuchika Okada's official AEW debut sent shockwaves through wrestling fans. This was Okada's first time signing full-time with an American wrestling promotion, and his alliance with The Young Bucks was a dramatic twist: known for being predominantly a babyface in NJPW, Okada's partnership with The Elite -- cementing himself as a heel -- made him a new threat to the AEW roster. Regardless of when he turns on The Elite and begins his run as a babyface (because he will, one way or another), American fans who have never experienced NJPW before can be in awe of the one called The Rainmaker.
The Rock Ambushes Cody Rhodes (March 25, 2024 - WWE Raw)
In the preceding weeks to WrestleMania XL, a tag match was booked between Roman Reigns and The Rock versus Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins for Night 1 of the event. While Reigns and The Rock were the clear heels, the latter was leaning deep into his role as his Tribal Chief's heavy. None can argue The Rock's charisma as a wrestler, but many agree that he truly shines when positioned as a heel, and this attack on Cody displayed those chops in spades.
The backstage attack lead out into the rainy Allstate Arena parking lot where The Rock made the segment more colorful with both language and blood. For fans, it felt like the years of pandering and PG-rated interactions were slowly slipping away. If anyone was continuing to doubt The Rock's involvement in Roman vs Cody II, this segment erased it all. We were ready.
Finish the Story (April 7, 2024 - WrestleMania XL, Night 2)
The events of WrestleMania XL alone could be the entirety of this post. Now consistently spanning two nights, the annual event features the culmination of half a dozen long-term storylines that naturally let viewers move onto the next chapter. It is the professional wrestling spectacle of the year.
However, arguably the biggest storyline in wrestling for the past several years involved The Bloodline, Roman Reigns' stable, and the introduction of Cody Rhodes as his primary challenger. As already noted above, the story in 2024 had been building to Cody Rhodes challenging Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at WrestleMania for a second time. (He tried and failed in 2023.) This time around, though, Reigns would be flanked by The (self-proclaimed) Final Boss and would be wrestling under "Bloodline Rules," aka no disqualification.
Despite these stipulations, Reigns entered the match with only Paul Heyman by his side. Rhodes and Reigns wrestled for 20 minutes before the shenanigans started. Bloodline member Jimmy Uso came out first to deliver a superkick to Rhodes. In response, his brother Jey Uso (who is not in The Bloodline) came out to tackle his twin brother off the entrance ramp and out of the match. Five minutes later, Bloodline member Solo Sikoa made his presence known and attacked Rhodes; it was Sikoa who cost Cody the match at last year's WrestleMania. This time, though, Rhodes had enough wherewithal to kick out. After the second pinfall attempt, John Cena sprinted down the ramp and made a beeline for Sikoa. In late 2023, Sikoa defeated Cena one-on-one in a shocking victory for the Enforcer of The Bloodline. Cena charged the ring and took out the trash, delivering an Attitude Adjustment to Reigns while he was at it.
But wait! Sikoa isn't the only Samoan that Cena has history with. It was time for The Final Boss to make his appearance. After a brief faceoff, The Rock delivered a Rock Bottom to his former nemesis and was prepping to whip Cena with his weightlifting belt exactly how he'd attacked Rhodes a month prior. Before he could land a blow, though, the all-too familiar strains of "Sierra-Hotel-India-Echo-Lima-Delta. SHIELD." came pouring through the arena's speakers. While The Rock waited, Reigns spotted the threat first, delivering a Superman Punch to former Shield partner Seth Rollins who was wielding a steel chair.
While Seth lay incapacitated, The Rock turned his attention to Rhodes, slowly making his way to his feet. But before additional damage could be done, the final nail in this proverbial coffin rang: a resounding gong, signaling only one thing. The Undertaker.
Though The Undertaker and The Rock have their own storied history, the real connection (for me) is this: For over two decades, The Undertaker is whom many would consider The Final Boss, especially when it came to WrestleMania. He remained undefeated in over 20 appearances and has lost only twice on the big stage since 1991. His first defeat came from Brock Lesnar in 2014. His second? None other than from the Tribal Chief himself. Payback is real.
The Undertaker delivered a chokeslam to The Rock, removing him from the match. The Undertaker disappeared. Cena, Sikoa, and the Usos were all gone. All that remained was Rhodes, Reigns, and Rollins.
Reigns grabbed the steel chair Rollins had introduced, focusing on Cody first before noticing Rollins struggling to his feet. Decked in his Shield gear, Seth faced away from Roman, who was clearly torn. On the one hand, Cody Rhodes was there to be defeated. One solid chair shot would've ended the match and cemented another successful defense for the Undisputed WWE Universal Champ. But Seth? Seth was right there, and payback is real.
The incredibly abridged version of the history between Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins is as follows: Roman and Seth were once two-thirds of the incredibly dominant faction known as The Shield. They ran roughshod over the company for several years before Seth turned on his brothers for personal gain. In 2014, in the middle of the ring, Seth tattooed Roman's back with a steel chair, dissolving the group. In the ten years since, there have been soft revivals and dozens of matches between the two men, but Roman's time as a solo act stems from this dissolution. His story arc as the Tribal Chief starts with him face-down in the ring with Seth standing over him wielding the weapon. A decade later, Roman was now the one with the chair in his hands, and the urge to pay him back for everything he'd done was too great. Roman smashed the chair against Seth's back and queued up to finish the match with Cody.
But the distraction proved to be enough time for Cody to regroup. He dodged Reigns' spear, hit the champ with three Cross Rhodes, and pinned him in the middle of the ring for three. Veteran commentator Michael Cole said with each slap of referee Charles Robinson's hand on the mat: "Finish. The. Story." Over a year in the making, Cody Rhodes had finally dethroned Reigns' historic 1,316-day reign as champion.
Was this A Lot™ for a wrestling match? Absolutely. Multiple interferences, throwbacks, false finishes, etc., means it's not for everyone. But was this probably the single greatest main event in 40 years of WrestleMania? No contest.
Bryan Danielson vs Will Ospreay (April 21, 2024 - AEW Dynasty)
Acting as a perfect foil for Rhodes vs Reigns, veteran wrestlers Bryan Danielson and Will Ospreay met for the first time in what is being lauded as one of the best technical wrestling matches to take place in the United States. Whereas WWE had been building the rivalry between their two biggest stars for years, Danielson and Ospreay met for the most part due to mutual respect and a desire to be known as the best.
Both masters of their craft, Ospreay and Danielson dazzled fans with their showcase, delivering moves that mere mortals should never attempt: an avalanche Tiger Suplex from the top rope, a Tiger Driver '91 (that was retired from Ospreay's repertoire shortly after the end of the match due to its devastating nature), as well as the Hidden Blade and the Busaiku Knee which are both known for their speed and impact. Ospreay picked up the victory over Danielson in a stunning display and left fans in awe of what is physically capable in the squared circle. Sometimes, you don't need a deep story to get to the match. Sometimes, you just want to watch two guys be the best.
Swerve Strickland Becomes AEW World Champion (April 21, 2024 - AEW Dynasty)
Later that night, a different kind of history was being made in the main event. Reigning AEW World Champion Samoa Joe was defending his title against Swerve Strickland. Joe and Strickland had met earlier in the year when Joe defeated both Strickland and Adam Page in a triple threat. This time around, Strickland had earned his shot by defeating Konosuke Takeshita on a March episode of Dynamite.
While the match itself delivered all the story beats, the history lies with Strickland himself: after defeating Samoa Joe, he became the first Black AEW World Champion. Additionally, he proved himself as a main-event player within the company, holding onto the title for 126 days. He would eventually lose to Bryan Danielson in a Title vs Career Match at All In in August, but not before Strickland carved his name among a very elite group of men.
I Believe in Joe Hendry (May 3, 2024; June 18, 2024 - WWE NXT)
Whenever wrestlers "get over" with crowds on their own, it's an impressive feat. It takes a rare combination of charisma and being in the right place at the right time. In early May, TNA Impact's Joe Hendry was 2024's version of that wrestler. His entrance theme "I Believe in Joe Hendry" had captivated fans and non-fans alike, and the song was eventually released as a single in the UK, reaching number 4 on the Official Big Top Charts. Wrestlers are constantly looking for that crossover appeal; for a way to dip into the main stream and become a familiar face. But doing so through your theme song? That was new!
Hendry's popularity continued throughout the summer where he made his NXT debut as one of TNA's representatives in a 25-man battle royal. He would eventually win an opportunity to wrestle NXT Champion Ethan Page for the belt at their No Mercy event in September. While he wouldn't capture the gold, he had absolutely captured the hearts and attention of wrestling fans across companies.
Jacob Fatu Debuts (June 21, 2024 - WWE SmackDown!)
In the wake of Roman Reigns' defeat at WrestleMania in April, The Bloodline underwent a shift in hierarchy. Reigns disappeared from WWE programming, and his loss put into question his position as the Tribal Chief. In his absence, Solo Sikoa stepped up and became claiming that he was the new Tribal Chief. In an effort to solidify this position, he recruited new members to The Bloodline, creating two iterations of the faction.
In Sikoa's Bloodline, new members Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa filled out the ranks. Both men are longtime professional wrestlers who most recently were running circles around opponents in New Japan as the Guerrillas of Destiny. Their presence became an immediate threat to those remaining members of the OG Bloodline.
But the true coup came in the form of Jacob Fatu, also known as the Samoan Wolverine. Known for his time in the independent promotion Major League Wrestling as their longest-reigning World Heavyweight Champion, Fatu's aggression, athleticism, and unwavering devotion to his Tribal Chief Solo Sikoa would set himself up to fill the role that Sikoa himself originally filled opposite Reigns. With these acquisitions, The Bloodline story reinvented itself, making it fresh and interesting once again.
Dominik Mysterio Turns on Rhea Ripley (August 3, 2024 - WWE SummerSlam)
I can think of no one better who personifies the phrase "let him cook" better than Dominik Mysterio. Originally debuting in August 2020, Mysterio was originally positioned as a babyface alongside his father, the legendary Rey Mysterio. He skills in the ring were fine, but it was his (lack of) charisma as a babyface that was holding him back. Paired with his father, he wasn't connecting with fans in a meaningful way.
Two years later, Dominik turned on his father to join The Judgment Day, a struggling heel faction made up of Damien Priest, Finn Bálor, and Rhea Ripley. With this new alignment, Dominik got to stretch his legs as a bad guy, completing one of the most impressive heel turns by any wrestler in recent memory. He got closer to Ripley and acted as her valet, which was a refreshing change of pace; too infrequently do men valet for women. Ripley was a world-killer and the current Women's World Champion. It made perfect sense that Dominik would follow her to the ends of the earth and back.
The day after WrestleMania XL, Ripley was attacked by Liv Morgan, becoming injured and forced to vacate her championship. A tournament was held to crown a new champ which, ultimately, led to Morgan capitalizing on the situation she had created. As the new Women's World Champ, Morgan added insult to injury and began pursuing Dirty Dom while Ripley was away. Morgan could be very persuasive, and with Ripley physically absent, Dom could feel himself slipping.
Ripley returned in the summer and challenged Morgan to reclaim the title she never actually lost, pulling Dominik back into her orbit. While he accompanied Ripley to the ring, Morgan's wiles could not be resisted and Dirty Dom firmly aligned himself with Morgan by the end of the match. As of this writing, there is still no other wrestler on WWE's roster that gets as much heat as Dominik Mysterio. He is one of the true heels in the modern era, and he is knocking it out of the park.
Wyatt Sicks Debut (August 5, 2024 - WWE Raw)
For years, WWE has been haunted by the Wyatt Family, helmed by the eponymous Bray Wyatt. Throughout 2023, Wyatt became the focus of a character named Uncle Howdy, a being that appeared to be a manifestation of Wyatt's mind and encompassed the darker thoughts that plagued the wrestler. Hidden behind a mask, Uncle Howdy was played by Wyatt up until Wyatt's passing in August 2023 due to complications from Covid. Fans were shocked at the death of the charismatic performer and were further surprised when, months later, rumors started that Wyatt's real-life brother Bo Dallas (himself a former WWE star) would resume the role of Uncle Howdy and revive the Wyatt Family.
The newly formed Wyatt Sicks debuted the Raw after SummerSlam to the delight of fans. With the ranks filled out with Joe Gacy, Dexter Lumis, Nikki Cross, and Erick Rowan -- one of the three original Wyatt Family members and the only one still alive -- with Bo Dallas as Uncle Howdy himself, this updated faction laid waste to a number of wrestlers backstage to make their mark on the company. They're here.
CM Punk vs Drew McIntyre in Hell in a Cell (October 5, 2024 - WWE Bad Blood)
Throughout all of 2024, CM Punk had been at war with Drew McIntyre. McIntyre injured Punk's arm during the Royal Rumble, removing Punk from WrestleMania's card. At WrestleMania, McIntyre wrestled Seth Rollins for the World Heavyweight Championship and emerged victorious, receiving the coronation he missed out on 4 years ago when he won during Covid. Punk, ever the player of mind-games, sat ringside and provided commentary but mostly provided a thorn in McIntyre's side. After the match, Drew crawled on top of the announce desk, shoving the title in Punk's face. Punk swept the legs of the champ and stepped aside as Damien Priest -- who held the Money in the Bank briefcase which allowed him to fight any champion at any time for a shot of their title -- rushed to the ring and pinned McIntyre to be the second person to win the World Heavyweight Championship that evening. Once McIntyre recovered, he went ballistic. But Punk was just getting started.
Over the course of the year, CM Punk would cost Drew the title two more times, all while not being medically cleared to wrestle. When the greenlight was given on Punk's return, though, the two met at SummerSlam which ignited a best-of-3 set and a blood feud. McIntyre took the first victory, then Punk challenged him to a Strap Match at Bash in Berlin in September, where Punk brought the score to 1-1.
The two escalated their feud to the final logical spot in wrestling: a Hell in a Cell (HIAC) match. Larger than a standard cage, HIAC encompasses the ring and surrounding area. The objective isn't to escape like a standard cage match; it's to survive. Both men got a lot of color throughout the match and used everything from power tools, tables, chains, and a bag of bracelet beads, symbolic of Punk's bracelet that he had received from a fan and which McIntyre had taken upon himself to steal, mock, and destroy. McIntyre, feeling cocky, poured the loose beads all over Punk and went for the Claymore, a huge dropkick that usually finishes any opponent. Instead, Punk dodged and Drew landed back-first on the steel steps, allowing Punk to capitalize with a chain-assisted GTS and a three count.
By their nature, HIAC matches are meant to be spectacles, but the stakes are incredibly high and expectations can fall flat. For McIntyre and Punk, though, their match was the perfect finale on a year-long feud easily dubbed one of wrestling's best. Punk already had fans in the palms of his hands, but McIntyre as a heel delivered on levels no one was anticipating. 2024 was McIntyre's year.
Bryan Danielson's Full-Time Retirement (October 13, 2024 - AEW WrestleDream)
Often cited as one of the best wrestlers in the world, Bryan Danielson finally decided in 2024 that he would retire on his own terms. Having previously been "forced" to retire from the recommendations of medical professionals, Danielson found new life in AEW and became one of the company's primary draws and locker room leaders. Having won the AEW World Championship in August where his career was on the line, he continued with this mentality: until he lost that championship, he would remain full-time with AEW.
Throughout this, Danielson was part of the Blackpool Combat Club alongside former AEW World Champion Jon Moxley. Together, the faction was one of the dominant forces in AEW, but the latter eventually became jealous of Danielson's popularity and accolades. According to Moxley, Danielson's ego had overshadowed the group's goals, forcing Moxley and the rest of the group to oust Danielson. Moxley challenged Danielson to the belt at WrestleDream, fully aware of the stipulations Danielson had set for himself: if he lost, he was gone.
In typical Moxley/Danielson fashion, the match between the two was violent, aggressive, and entertaining. The two traded blows with no clear leader until Moxley applied a chokehold on Danielson, forcing the champ to pass out and relinquish the title. Danielson's time as a full-time wrestler in AEW was over, but Moxley wasn't finished with him yet. The rest of the BCC joined Moxley in the ring and brutalized the former champ, forcing him out on a stretcher by the end of the night. The King is Dead. Long Live the King.
Chelsea Green Becomes Inaugural Women's U.S. Champion (December 14, 2024 - WWE Saturday Night's Main Event)
It only took 40 years for the WWE to establish a secondary women's single championship, undoubtedly as a response to AEW's TBS title. Following the existing trend of men's championships, two new belts were created for the women's division: the Women's Intercontinental Championship which would be defended on SmackDown, and the Women's United States Championship which would be defended on Raw.
A tournament was created to crown the inaugural U.S. Champion, with the two finalists facing each other at Saturday Night's Main Event, a nice foil of something old to something new. SNME was in its prime in the late 80s, slotted in the time slot normally filled by SNL reruns. Since then, it had a couple revival attempts in the early 90s and mid-2000s, neither of which found success. Time will tell on this third revival.
In the ring, though, finalists Michin and Chelsea Green locked up to make history and be the first. While the match itself will not be terribly memorable, it's aftermath will resonate for years. Chelsea Green, a character who many find incredibly entertaining and deserving of TV time, had been given the chance to further prove herself with this new title. Women's wrestling has been changing and only getting better since it's "rebirth" in 2016, and it was time for the women to receive additional support in the form of more title opportunities. The Women's Intercontinental Champion will be decided sometime in 2025. In the meantime, everyone can confidently say who the first Women's United States Champion was: "Chelsea Gree-een!"