Wrestling On FanNation

The 20 Best Wrestling Moments Of 2024

Sid Pullar III

allelitewrestling.com

Professional wrestling is an industry that is driven by its moments. Whether it be a championship win, family drama or careers coming to a close, the past 12 months had them all in abundance across the board from multiple promotions.

With the year coming to a close, it's the perfect time to look back and celebrate all the treasured memories that made 2024 what it was.

*The criteria for selecting each moment included how memorable it was, its lasting impact, the emotions it evoked, the level of drama involved, and the degree of fan investment and engagement.

Here are the best pro wrestling moments of 2024.

20. The New Day Turns On Big E - WWE Raw December 2, 2024

While many fans may claim "recency bias," The New Day 10 year anniversary segment has to be recognized as one of the most shocking moments of the past 12 months. The Takedown on SI's Heel Turn of the Year broke the hearts of the fans and left them with their jaws on the floor.

Most fans came into the night believing they would see the end of the group that had been together for a decade, but Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston instead bonded together in their venom towards Big E, blaming him for their failures and for abandoning them. This has truly made The New Day one of the most despised acts in all of WWE.

19. IYO SKY Returns To Japan - Marigold Summer Destiny

2024 became a year of crossover for WWE and led to many of the best moments on this list. The first to be mentioned has to be IYO SKY becoming whole again back home in Japan.

Appearing for Marigold at their Summer Destiny event, IYO put on an absolute barnburner against Utami Hayashishita that is arguably the best women's match of the year.

In the aftermath, SKY has once again proven why she is one of the very best workers in the company regardless of gender. IYO has since put on quality in-ring matches against the likes of Bianca Belair and Liv Morgan since this instant classic.

18. Jon Moxley & BCC Turn On Bryan Danielson - AEW All Out & WrestleDream

There were many heel turns and betrayals throughout 2024, but there may have not been any as shocking as Jon Moxley and the Blackpool Combat Club turning on Bryan Danielson at AEW All Out. The violent plastic bag attack left many fans stunned and brought some true intrigue to the company.

It eventually led to Danielson's last stand in his home state of Washington where he lost the AEW World Championship to Jon Moxley in a superb encounter at WrestleDream. Post match, Bryan's protege Wheeler Yuta betrayed him and once again choked him out with a plastic bag before Claudio Castagnoli stomped a steel chair around Danielson's neck.

With the scene of the fans and wrestlers looking heartbroken over Bryan being stretchered out, the horrific ending to the PPV is among the most emotional in AEW history.

17. Bronson Reed Destroys Seth Rollins - WWE Raw August 5, 2024

Starting out the year on the Raw mid-card, Bronson Reed seemed like he would remain in the spot he was in after winning the Andre The Giant Battle Royal and failing to win the Intercontinental Title from Sami Zayn in the summer.

However, Reed broke the glass ceiling by attacking and delivering six Tsunamis to Seth Rollins on the August 5 edition of WWE Raw. This led to Bronson becoming an attraction for Monday nights and his equally as fun rivalry with Braun Strowman. Now sidelined with injury, everyone is hoping Reed has a speedy and full recovery to get back to the Tsunamis.

16. Dominik Mysterio Chooses Liv Morgan Over Rhea Ripley - WWE SummerSlam

One of the highlights to the build up of WWE SummerSlam was Rhea Ripley feuding with Liv Morgan with Dominik Mysterio stuck in the middle. The "Liv Morgan Revenge Tour" saw Liv try to seduce "Dirty Dom" and The Judgment Day away from Ripley, but heading into the event, it looked like Rhea had gotten things in hand.

After a very entertaining opener, it was Dominik who helped Liv pick up the win over Rhea to retain the WWE Women's World Championship at SummerSlam. The kiss in the post match sealed the deal on "Dirty Dom" somehow pulling off a "double heel turn" and betrayal of Ripley.

15. Jacob Fatu Debuts & Joins The Bloodline - WWE SmackDown June 21, 2024

Ahead of his arrival, many fans were wondering how WWE would present former MLW Heavyweight Champion Jacob Fatu. When he was finally introduced, the company knocked it out of the park in every way possible.

From the savage beatdown on Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton and Kevin Owens on the June 21 SmackDown to his loyal devotion of Solo Sikoa, the presentation has been pitch perfect. Fatu feels like he is destined to be a future WrestleMania main eventer and will be causing chaos for years to come.

14. Will Ospreay Says Goodbye - NJPW The New Beginning in Osaka & RevPro High Stakes

Picking Will Ospreay moments from the year is almost as hard as choosing his best matches. Whether it be his instant classics with Bryan Danielson at AEW Dynasty or Swerve Strickland at Forbidden Door, to the feuds with MJF and Kyle Fletcher, Ospreay left his mark on 2024.

However, the moment that stands out most is his departure from New Japan Pro Wrestling. After a brutal and grueling Dog Pound Steel Cage Match won by the Bullet War Dogs, Ospreay stood bloodied in the ring with his United Empire stablemates and cut an emotional promo saying goodbye to NJPW after his final bout before going to AEW full-time.

Saying farewell to the New Japan fans, Ospreay promised to come back, but he had to go become a star in the United States for All Elite Wrestling. "The Aerial Assassin" has become just that. It seems inevitable for Ospreay to become the undisputed face of AEW and it started with his goodbye to NJPW.

13. CM Punk Screws Over Drew McIntyre, Damian Priest Cashes In - WWE WrestleMania XL: Night Two

The CM Punk vs. Drew McIntyre rivalry provided many moments throughout the past 12 months. From fantastic promos to their unbelievable Hell In A Cell Match, any of those could have made this list.

There is one that might stand out above the rest because of its impact on the rest of the year. In a stroke of booking genius, the open to WrestleMania XL: Night Two saw McIntyre defeat Seth Rollins for the World Heavyweight Title. After celebrating with his wife, Drew had to gloat in CM Punk's face at the commentary table, which led to Punk attacking McIntyre.

After being hit with a camera and an arm brace, Damian Priest cashed in his Money In The Bank briefcase to defeat McIntyre to win the title. This led to the wonderful rise of Priest and the intense escalation of Punk vs. McIntyre, which impacted the next eight months of 2024.

12. Hangman Page Burns Down Swerve's House - AEW Dynamite September 4, 2024

Hangman Adam Page's feud with Swerve Strickland took a further step in making the argument as the greatest rivalry in AEW history. No other moment defined their hate-filled drama more than Hangman's decision to burn down Swerve's house.

After Page cost Strickland the AEW World Title at All In, Swerve issued the challenge for a Lights Out Steel Cage Match at All Out. However, Hangman never showed up for the contract signing for the match because he went to Swerve's newly bought childhood home.

Remembering Swerve breaking into his home in 2023, Hangman set Strickland's house on fire after cutting a spell binding promo about his descent into madness. This led to an even more jaw-dropping moment when Hangman injected Swerve with a needle on his way to a win at All Out.

11. The Wyatt Sicks Debut - WWE Raw June 17, 2024

With the beautiful Bray Wyatt documentary in early 2024, WWE teased fans that Bo Dallas could introduce his version of The Wyatt Family. After weeks of teases being aired, The Wyatt Sicks arrived on the June 17 edition of WWE Raw.

Dallas as Uncle Howdy led the group with Nikki Cross, Erick Rowan, Dexter Lumis and Joe Gacy in an absolute horror crime scene backstage that laid the groundwork for this horrifying tribute to Bo's brother Bray Wyatt. The stable has become one of WWE's most popular with their unforgettable entrances and wild antics.

10. Roman Reigns Returns - WWE SummerSlam

Following his loss at WrestleMania XL, Roman Reigns was absent from WWE TV. In his place, Solo Sikoa assumed the position of "Tribal Chief." Excommunicating Jimmy Uso and Paul Heyman from the faction, Solo dared Roman to return to take back what was his.

At WWE SummerSlam, Reigns did in fact return to cost Sikoa the Undisputed WWE Championship against Cody Rhodes. The huge pop and palpable atmosphere of this return will be remembered by fans for years to come. It has also led to the Bloodline Civil War that will seemingly culminate on the WWE Raw on Netflix premiere.

9. TNA's Jordynne Grace CrossesThe Line - WWE Royal Rumble & NXT Battleground

To the shock of fans everywhere, TNA Knockouts World Champion Jordynne Grace made her WWE debut in the 2024 Women's Royal Rumble Match. Grace impressed with her blend of amazing physique, staggering strength and surprising speed.

After that strong introduction, Grace stunned fans again when she was introduced as Roxanne Perez's challenger for the NXT Women's Championship at Battleground in June. The match delivered and led to a months-long association between NXT and TNA Wrestling.

8. Joe Hendry Takes The Wrestling World By Storm - WWE NXT & TNA Wrestling

The NXTNA relationship led many fans to want one thing and one person to make his WWE debut, and that was Joe Hendry. After weeks of online support, Hendry blew the roof off when he arrived on the June 18 episode of WWE NXT in a number one contender's battle royal.

Hendry's popularity skyrocketed from here. He reached #1 on iTunes in the UK daily sales for his original theme song. His music has become as viral as his in-ring exploits and only made his connection greater with the fans.

While his first appearance was kept brief, Hendry would make additional appearances and eventually headlined NXT No Mercy, challenging Ethan Page for the NXT Championship in September. From there, Hendry has remained at the top of the card for TNA Wrestling and is set to challenge Nic Nemeth for the TNA World Title at Genesis in January.

7. Mariah May Betrays Timeless Toni Storm - AEW Dynamite July 10, 2024

In what was one of the bloodiest scenes in wrestling this year, Mariah May brought an end to her relationship with Timeless Toni Storm in a deplorable attack.

After winning the 2024 Women's Owen Hart Cup, May earned herself a shot against her mentor Toni Storm for the AEW Women's World Championship at All In London. In the post match to her tournament win, Mariah left fans in shock following her assault on Storm. Pulling out a shoe to stab in Toni's head, it became clear what was happening.

May had planned this all along. She wanted to learn from Storm and stab her in the back as soon as she got what she wanted. This visceral beatdown has been heralded as one of the best heel turns in AEW history and is arguably among the most memorable angles ever seen from women's wrestling.

6. The Rock Bloodies Cody Rhodes In The Rain - WWE Raw

The Rock's turn to "The Final Boss" has to be among the best things that wrestling fans saw this year. From his scorching hot promos week after week to his hostilities with Cody Rhodes, the Hollywood megastar proved that he still was a highly compelling character and might be even better at it now than in his prime.

In what has to be the most memorable moment of "The Final Boss" run, The Rock made a surprise appearance in Chicago on the March 25 Monday Night Raw. After a brief exchange with Cody in the opening, fans were made to believe "The Great One" had left.

Then during a wild show closing brawl, The Rock attacked Rhodes backstage and brought him outside the arena into the rain. In a magnificent display of big time cinema, "The Final Boss" cut a scathing monologue on Cody, his family and his mother, "Mama Rhodes." This occured while The Rock beat down Rhodes to a bloody pulp.

The ending of the scene with The Rock wiping Cody's blood on his white leather belt became a symbol that came up during the WrestleMania XL: Night One tag team main event. In the match, the 10-time WWE World Champion pinned "The American Nightmare." The Rock's bloody beatdown has to be the best closing to a WWE show this year.

5. Zack Sabre Jr. Brought It Home - NJPW G1 Climax 34 Final & NJPW King of Pro Wrestling

Zack Sabre Jr. has long been considered the best technical wrestler in the world. From in-ring excellence to innovating with submission holds, ZSJ proved why he should be a world champion and top star of a promotion.

However, New Japan Pro Wrestling never found the right timing for Sabre Jr. to climb to the top until 2024. After the departures of Kazuchika Okada and Will Ospreay, the company needed someone to step up. With his terrific NJPW World TV Championship reign in 2023 as well as his classics with Shingo Takagi and Bryan Danielson, ZSJ did just that.

In August, Sabre Jr. brought it home when he defeated Yota Tsuji to win the G1 Climax 34 to become the first British star and second foreigner to win the prestigious tournament.

Then just to buck tradition, ZSJ took his guaranteed title shot early to defeat Tetsuya Naito and win the IWGP World Heavyweight Title at King of Pro Wrestling in October. It may be a little cheating by pairing these two moments, but you simply cannot talk about one without the other.

4. Swerve Strickland Makes History - AEW Dynasty

Following his rivalry with Hangman Adam Page in 2023, Swerve Strickland soared in popularity and climbed the ladder with a meteoric rise before our eyes. Coming into 2024, he set his sights directly on the AEW World Title held by Samoa Joe.

At AEW Dynasty, Swerve Strickland was finally able to fulfill a self-imposed prophecy by defeating Joe to win the AEW World Championship. This win was significant for Strickland who was released by WWE in 2021 and proved himself to be a main event level talent.

Even more historic, Swerve became the first African American AEW World Champion for the company. This changed how Strickland was viewed and cemented him as a made man.

His reign further established Swerve as one of the main faces of All Elite Wrestling with stellar encounters against the likes of Will Ospreay, Claudio Castagnoli and Christian Cage.

3. Bryan Danielson Proves Why He's The Best One More Time - AEW All In London

In the fall of 2023, Bryan Danielson told the wrestling world that the next 12 months would be the final full-time year of his pro wrestling career. Wanting to be at home with his children, Danielson embarked on a journey to prove himself as the best one final time.

After match of the year candidates against Will Ospreay and Eddie Kingston led to losses, Bryan wanted to go for the top prize in All Elite Wrestling before time ran out. Winning the 2024 Men's Owen Hart Tournament, Danielson upped the ante even more by placing his career on the line against Swerve Strickland.

In one of the most captivating and gripping pro wrestling matches possibly ever, Danielson bled with his family looking on in the front row. Getting energy from his young daughter Birdie, "The American Dragon" fought from underneath and never gave up as the crowd was electric in rallying behind him.

Ending one of the most sensational AEW PPV main events in history, Danielson was able to lock on the LeBell Lock and tap out Swerve. Celebrating his victory with his wife Brie and kids, Bryan left wrestling fans with one of the happiest endings to a pay-per-view ever.

2. Sting Goes Out On Top - AEW Revolution

Talking about happy endings, that is going to be the theme to end this one. At AEW Revolution in March, Sting was set for one final match, teaming with Darby Allin to defend the AEW World Tag Team Championships against The Young Bucks.

The feeling inside the Greensboro Coliseum was something special and everyone knew they were experiencing a moment that would stand the test of time.

After five decades of service to the wrestling industry, Sting put on one final heroic performance against the dastardly Matthew and Nicholas Jackson. Meanwhile, Darby put his body on the line with one of the most barbaric scenes of the year when he dived off the top of a 15-foot ladder through a pane of glass.

Despite the odds against them, Sting and Darby were able to claim the win with the Hall of Famer going out on top. The emotional post-show scene with Tony Khan and the roster coming out to honor a legend is the kind of joy that only wrestling can deliver.

1. Cody Rhodes Finishes His Story - WWE WrestleMania XL: Night Two

It just had to be this, didn't it? When wrestling fans tell the story of 2024, it will have to start and stop with Cody Rhodes finishing his story at WrestleMania XL and the journey that led up to it.

After Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson seemingly took his WrestleMania main event, fans became irate and made their voices heard with the "We Want Cody" movement. Johnson pivoted and became "The Final Boss," while Cody got his Undisputed WWE Championship match guaranteed with a win at the Royal Rumble.

The two-night WrestleMania XL event was built on this main event program. The Rock pinned Rhodes in a tag team match with Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins. This made the Night Two main event "Bloodline Rules."

In what has been compared to a wrestling version of the "Avengers: Infinity War" ending, The Rock, John Cena and The Undertaker all made appearances along with Seth Rollins, Solo Sikoa and The Usos to interfere in the Reigns vs. Rhodes main event.

Following a dramatic rollercoaster battle that is among the very best main events in WrestleMania history, Cody defeated Roman to end his 1316-day reign, win the Undisputed WWE Universal Title and "finish his story." The culmination of his father's goal brought out so many tears and joy for not just Rhodes, but the fans in attendance as well as ring announcer Sammatha Irvin.

Cody Rhodes finishing his story at WrestleMania XL will be remembered as an iconic ending to the biggest show in wrestling and will remain as the best moment of 2024 when fans think back years from now.

Honorable mentions: Konosuke Takeshita's G1 Climax tournament (NJPW), Mercedes Mone Debuts (AEW), Kazuchika Okada Joins The Elite (AEW)

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Sid Pullar III
SID PULLAR III

Sid Pullar III, born and raised in New York, is a lifelong pro wrestling fan who fell in love with the business when stars like Randy Savage, Ric Flair and Sting captured his imagination. In 2017, he started the Tru Heel Heat Wrestling podcast. Then in 2020, he began his writing for Sportskeeda Wrestling before moving to WrestleTalk in 2021. He is looking to capture his three decades worth of pro wrestling knowledge through his pieces and interviewing various stars.

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