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2024 has been an incredible year for professional wrestling , especially in the landscape painting of theWWE . Thanks to anannouncement about a Netflix deal , a truly electrifying ( and often screaming ) Rock takings , and a disjointed international presence , many wrestling fans will admit that WWE is bully again . Most importantly , it ’s the couple which keep bringing buff back for more .
It ’s no secret that the actual in - ring wrestling comes junior-grade to storytelling , specifically in the sportswoman entertainment environment of the WWE . The most important part of grappling is n’t always wrestle . Usually , it’sthe promos in WWE , or soap opera - esque storytelling on display . However , 2024 is a rare year wherethe grappling has been just as compelling as the stories across the roster . Thankfully , WWE has been courteous enough to upload many of the year ’s full matches for free on YouTube .
10Braun Strowman vs. Bronson Reed - Last Monster Standing
Monday Night Raw, September 30, 2024
The tail end of the summertime was dominated by Braun Strowman and Bronson Reed , two behemoths who found creative way to go viral every hebdomad , ranging from flinging fully grown man at each other to one splash the other on a two - ton machine . The bedlam would culminate in an as chaotic Last Man ( Monster ) Standing match , which saw the retort of Seth Freakin ' Rollins and the yield of a familiar ring interruption spot from a near 1,000 lb top rope suplex .
The equal has divided some audiences , include critic like WWE Hall of Famer Bubba Ray Dudley , who on Busted Open Radio argued thatthe couple simply did n’t work . However , those who relish it cosset in the spectacle of , as Big E once put it well , swelled meaty man slap heart .
9Randy Orton vs. Je’Von Evans
NXT, October 8, 2024
NXT is WWE ’s classic developmental arrangement now produced on a worldwide , gamy - yield weighing machine . As what work in WWE ’s yesteryear for developmental brand like OVW and FCW , the best room to prime rookies for the principal roster is to have them wrestle visit main roll gift . go into Randy Orton , the RKO master . In NXT ’s first episode on The CW , The Viper faced first - twelvemonth NXT competition , Je’Von Evans ( who dons a similar Cutter for a finisher ) in front of his local St. Louis bunch .
In the biggest compeer of his grappling career yet , Evans has a surprisingly good outing against the two - ten stager . Granted , it did n’t end spectacularly as an challenging RKO attempt was botched , but post - match made for a wholesome sight not only with Orton raising " Bouncy " Evans ' hand out of respect but for audibly being heard forgive Evans for the trip .
8Jey Uso (c) vs. Bron Breakker - WWE Intercontinental Championship
Monday Night Raw, October 21, 2024
Jey Uso vs. Bron Breakker has turned intoa surprisingly generational feud in WWE , build off the history of Jey ’s Samoan lineage having never defeated any wrestler from Bron ’s Steiner family . In a contention free-base on legacy , " chief Event " Jey Uso came out on top by defeating Rick Steiner ’s Word for the Intercontinental Championship some week prior . This would score the rematch for the sought after workhorse deed of conveyance .
The shenanigans ofthe neverending Bloodline storylinestop this mate from topping its predecessor ( even if it does tease the ensuing dream match of Jacob Fatu vs. Bron Breakker ) , butthe chemistry between Breakker and Uso still make for a must - see function . It ’s an interesting mixture of intensity establish on crime syndicate feud and the mutual esteem between two men who pull in it from each other .
7Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Nia Jax - World Women’s Championship
WWE Elimination Chamber: Perth
This is the variety of friction match that Gorilla Monsoon was talking about 40 geezerhood ago during one ofAndre the Giant ’s most iconic matchesagainst Hulk Hogan . This is what happens whenan irresistible force come across an immovable object . Rhea Ripley , the order of magnitude of her personal appeal and the acme of her popularity at an all - clock time heights , is present the literal biggest challenge of her title reign thus far in the pattern of Nia Jax .
Thistaking place in Ripley ’s home area of Australiaonly total to the electric atmosphere of the consequence . Both adult female seem evenly matched , oftentimes collide into each other , matching persuasiveness with strength , with Nia ’s stature sometimes essay to be the X - factor . It ’s a rare instance of the juggernaut Ripley play the underdog , and thanks to Jax outweighing Ripley , it ’s believable to see . It bring in for a highly fascinating bout .
6Joe Hendry vs. Wes Lee vs. Pete Dunne - Number One Contender’s Match for the WWE NXT Championship
NXT, August 20, 2024
Many of the sleeper hit of 2024 have taken space on WWE ’s developmental brand . It also houses the biggest benefit toWWE ’s current working family relationship with Total Nonstop Action , as several top - tier TNA gift have been feature week - to - hebdomad in main result angle . Among those talent is the red - spicy Joe Hendry , who meets the once - longest - predominate North American Champion and the former longest - reigning United Kingdom Champion in a three-fold menace . The winner faces the NXT Champion Ethan Page ( a former TNA star , one - one-half of the longest dominate TNA Tag Team Champions ) at No Mercy .
The compeer is most notable for get a wholly creative finish . Hendry is the last person who Page wants to defend his championship against , so he deflect the reader after Hendry lands his closer . Moments later , Pete Dunne hits the Bitter End on Hendry , but ca n’t capitalize while the ref ’s back is still turned . Meanwhile , Dunne ’s rival Trick Williams enters the ruffle to polish off his Trick Shot running human knee on Dunne , and slue another referee in the match to secure the victory for Hendry , much to All Ego ’s alarm .
5Solo Sikoa and Tama Tonga vs. Randy Orton and Kevin Owens - Street Fight
WWE Backlash: France
WWE Backlash showcased just how much WWE having more premium lively events oversea has only benefited the atmosphere of their B - shows . It certainly benefitted this show , asthe France crowd still take hold up as one of the best WWE crowds of the year . Such a crowd was much want to help append legitimacy to Solo Sikoa ’s newfangled reign as the self - proclaim , crownless Tribal Chief . He had just complain Jimmy Uso out of the mathematical group and added the debuting former NJPW star , Tama Tonga , to the group .
As they look longtime Bloodline foes , Randy Orton and Kevin Owens , they postulate to progress their credibleness with a red-hot match in front of a blistering crowd . This was exactly that , with both teams brawl all over the arena , highlight by a dream opposition between Orton and Tama ( captain of the Cutter in their respective right ) and KO finding a cervix - breaking role for chairs . This is all before Tama ’s brother Tonga Loa entry , albeit with a slightly miscued run - in that nearly bilk the match ’s culmination .
4Cody Rhodes (c) vs. AJ Styles - WWE Championship
Speaking ofmatches that benefit from a spicy France crowd , the primary event of the dark did even more so . AJ Styles vs. Cody Rhodes was always destine to be a nifty match on newspaper publisher thanks to the sheer power of the challenger involve , but actual investment was confutative since there was n’t much of a account going into the match . It was two babyfaces who reciprocally respected each other and wanted to empty the right to call themselves WWE Champion .
There ’s nothing wrong with babyface vs. babyface lucifer , but when crowd enjoy plot line , a match hype on in - ring wrestling alone was always going to be a hard sell . However , it facilitate that the crew was excited about basically everything , making everything Styles and Rhodes did in the ring find far all the more grandiose than it already was .
3The Rock and Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins and Cody Rhodes - Bloodline Rules Tag Team Match
WrestleMania XL Night One
In the better enjoyment of the two - Nox WrestleMania concept since WWE implemented it four years ago , Night One of WrestleMania XL hadmajor deduction for Night Two ’s primary event . If Roman Reigns and The Rock acquire , then the former ’s title defense the next Nox would be under Bloodline Rules . If Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins won , then the Bloodline would be bar from ringside .
In hindsight , it may have been a slight obvious that The Bloodline would win this one since they have the more enticing , remunerative condition for Night Two . Thankfully , that did n’t stop this match from being an out-and-out blast to see . In addition to the arena - wide-cut brawl between all four men havinga Hellenic Attitude Era smell , it also blend in a foresighted agency to foreshadowing the inevitable Rock vs. Roman , thanks to a Spear heard ' round the world .
2Roman Reigns (c) vs. Cody Rhodes - WWE Championship Bloodline Rules Match
WrestleMania XL Night Two
As exciting as the chief event of Night One is , it supply to what makes the master event of Night Two so big . As many expected depart into Night One , The Rock and Roman Reigns won , meaning that Cody Rhodes had to endure a No Disqualification bout where The Bloodline was bound to appear on their Tribal Chief ’s behalf . William Frederick Cody comes prepared , though , as numerous cameos get wheeled out in defence of the Rhodes dynasty , including John Cena , Jey Uso , and most unexpectedly , The Undertaker .
Even before the match became so cameo - gruelling , both men negociate to top their previous Mania boutwith nipping chemistry and a boiling air . They trade finishers , steal each other ’s finishers , and murder one counter after another proving both mankind have learned from the mistakes of former encounters . It result in one of thebest matches of Roman Reignsand Cody Cecil J. Rhodes ' careers .
1Gunther (c) vs. Sami Zayn - WWE Intercontinental Championship
The main consequence of WWE ’s Grandest Stage of Them All aside , one sleeper pick for the serious match of Mania weekend wasa match that everyone will agree exceeded expectations . This was a match that everyone considered an reconsideration , as fans expected Zayn to be slender pickings for the longest reigning IC Champ , especially when everyone would ’ve rather had the over - like - rover underdog Chad Gable in the mix . Even the plot line on the Road to WrestleMania had to acknowledge this , as Zayn farm progressively frustrated with everyone gestate him to lose .
Props to the perseverance of Zayn , asno one plays an underdog quite like The Underdog from the Underground . Despite everyone ask him to lose , his performance interpret him constantly , desperately defend from underneath in a way that gain the crowd purchase into the slight chance that he could win . TheWWEUniverse remained unglued from their seats from start to stopping point , especially in the lurid decision of Zayn unleashing his previous indy closer - top rope brainbuster - and a series of Helluva Kicks to end Gunther ’s reign on day 666 .
