Smashing records on a seemingly weekly basis, 2024 has been a landmark year for theWWEand its performers and the year is only two-thirds in. With WrestleMania XL being the biggest Mania of all time, another successful Royal Rumble in the books, the regeneration of King and Queen Of The Ring, one of the most exciting SummerSlam in history, and Monday Night Raw about to move to Netflix in 2025, thePaul ‘Triple H’ Levesque era of WWE is on fire.
Nonsensical booking feels like a thing of the past, as does nauseating repeated matches on weekly television and, perhaps best of all, it feels like everything and everyone matters. Quite simply, there has never been a better time to jump back into the great world of professional wrestling. Much of this success is due to the superstar who put in the work every day to entertain their audiences, and some of them have been shining even more brightly than the rest in 2024.
6'6
Monday Night Raw Superstar
Past Achievements
World Heavyweight Champion Money In The Bank winner 2023 United States Champion Raw Tag-Team Champion x 2 Smackdown Tag-Team Champion x 2 NXT North American Champion
Everyone has had something to say about El Campion in 2024. That comes with the territory when you’re in one of the company’s most prestigious positions, naturally, but we didn’t hear anyone throwing shade when he gloriouslycashed in his MITB briefcase at WrestleMania.There are plenty of other minor tweaks that he’s applied that have had big consequences, likethe goth-tingedSons Of Anarchyvibe he has brought to The Judgement Day’s presentationthat is so molded in his image.
There’s evenan air of Kevin Nash-esque coolin the methodical, ice-cold cadence to his mic work and the forays into Puerto Rican that he sprinkles into his promos ooze class. The real proof of the success of Priest’s title run is that he has not lost his aura after dropping the title to Gunther, and is now involved in an entertaining and emotional feud with his former comrades.
WWE Champion Cody Rhodes and World Heavyweight Champion Gunther are the only persons to defeat Damian Priest in singles competition in the last 13 months.
9Bron Breakker
2024’s Rookie of the Year goes from strength to strength
Enjoying the new and creative ways that massive men can be broken in half every Monday night has made Bron Breakker’s reign of terror on Rawone of the most exciting things in all of WWE.The breakneck speed with which he hits the ropes is eye-catching no matter how long you’ve watched the product and, after years of dominating NXT (including a hugely enjoyable final run in the early part of this year as part of The Wolfdogs tag-team with Baron Corbin),Breakker’s arrival on the main roster has been timed to perfection.
After the collective PTSD following the Slapjacks and Max Dupreess of this world, theWWE requires a talisman to make both the audience and talent believe in the future of NXT call-upsand, with zero disrespect to the phenomenal Ilja Dragunov and Queen of the Ring runner-up Lyra Valkyria, Breakker is the ace in the pack this year. That he’s already locked into an Intercontinental title reign tells you where his reputation currently lies.
8Rhea Ripley
Even injury cannot halt Mami’s momentum
On a roster that is abundantly blessed with talent, charisma, and likability, Rhea Ripley is one of the most popular superstars in the entirety of WWE with good reason and she’d have been higher on this list if it wasn’t for the shoulder injury that lead to her vacating the women’s title in April.Retaining the Women’s World Title at WresteMania against the generational Becky Lyncharguably made her the new bar by which all others are measured.
Perhaps most impressive is that her presence is felt on camera even when she is not. The “ohhhh snap” moments that happen between Dirty Dom and Liv Morgan evoke such emotion because it’s Ripley who they eventually must answer to. Now that Mami’s home and back on our screens, look for her to reestablish her rise up this chart.
7Jey Uso
Marching to the Yeet of his own drum
Not since the Daniel Bryan ‘Yes’ movement have we seen something that physically connects with the WWE audience so emphatically as Jey Uso’s ‘Yeet’ entrance.Turn on your TV every Monday night and you will see an arena full of people bouncing in unison, hands in the air and thrusting downwards like their lives depend on it. Weekly, he looks like a bigger star, and he would’ve been higher on this list if not for a slightly underwhelming showing against his brother Jimmy at WrestleMania.
With a second half of the year on the horizon that is certain to include him interacting with The Bloodline once more, Main Event Jey Uso could find himself much further up the food chain (and this list) by the year’s end. Yeet.
6Nia Jax
A Dominating Queen
You can put a crown on any head but only a true Queen can wear it with power and believability and the correct woman for that job in the here and now is 2024’sQueen Of The Ring, Nia Jax. Her jutted jaw and playfully powerful aura just fits the billing and her SummerSlam Women’s Championship match against Bayley felt like the just rewards for her year thus far.
She is a serious contender for theMost Improved Wrestler of 2024 in any company, and the interactions with Tiffany Stratton just add that extra bit to her character that elevates her to the next level. When that betrayal happens, fans will be there to watch.
“Two years ago, you didn’t believe in me. You know what? While I was gone, I got refocused, I got better, I got more dangerous, and look at me now” - Nia Jax, WWE’s The Bump
5Sami Zayn
The Canadian superstar continues to ride the wave of global popularity
It is a testament to Sami’s enormous talents that he has not only maintained the tidal wave of goodwill and rabid fan reactions that have accompanied him since becoming an Honorary Uce around 18 months ago, he has superseded them. The perennial underdog wasthe perfect choice to end Gunther’s record-breaking Intercontinental championship reignat WrestleMania and, since then, everyone who has worked with the Canadian has looked stronger and more legitimate in the eyes of the audience.
Be it his encounters with the continually impressive Bronson Reed, his friendship with Jey Uso (yeet), internet favorite Chad Gable or even peripheral figures like The Alpha Academy’s Otis and Maxine,everyone shines when working with Sami. Any notion that his popularity was based upon his association with The Bloodline has been obliterated at this point.There is no longer a glass ceiling for him.Losing the Intercontinental Championship could arguably hurt him, but it all depends on what’s next for Sami. With Triple H in charge, it’s hard to imagine that Sami Zayn is not in line for a world title reign, finally.
King & Queen of the Ring, 25th May, 2024
4Gunther
WWE’s Thanos continues to devour the competition
After his record-breaking 666-day Intercontinental Championship reign ended against Sami Zayn at WrestleMania, eyes were glued on the Austrian superstar to see what direction the company would take with him. Winning the World Heavyweight Championship at SummerSlam was the answer, and now Gunther is the face of the company on Raw.
January of 2025 is one of the most important months in the recent history of the WWE as Monday Night Raw will become available, live and on demand, on Netflix worldwide. It is vital that the company has a believable champion on its flagship show now that more eyes than ever will arguably be on the program. The choice of Gunther is exemplar of just how much the company believes in this man.
3Liv Morgan
Three cheers for her sweet Revenge Tour
A dash of deviousness, a half a cup of conniving, and lashings and lashings of devilish, psychotic energy. The delicious ingredients that have gone into the Liv Morgan Revenge Tour have been captivating since her surprise return at this year’sRoyal Rumbleand herunrelenting pursuit of Dominik Mysteriohas had it all. And it doesn’t stop there. Live really did what she said and took everything away from Rhea, including the Judgment Day after the shocking betrayal against Damian Priest at SummerSlam.
Besides being the linchpin of the most entertaining feud in WWE, Liv also“retired Becky Lynch” after snatching her Women’s World Titleat King and Queen of the Ring. Not bad for a superstar no one would bet on just eight months ago.
2Cody Rhodes
The American Nightmare’s story continues
Less than two years after his triumphant return to WWE,2024 has already seen a huge part of professional wrestling’s fanbase come to Cody Rhodes’s sideto shun the idea of the Rock taking on Roman Reigns at WrestleMania. Cody truly proved he can be the flagbearer of the Paul Levesque era as he’s had more matches than anyone in the company this year.
From the looks to the in-ring ability to the natural charisma and the work ethic, Cody is the right guy to beholding the WWE Championship during wrestling’s hottest erain eons. It’s shocking to think that “finish the story” was, in fact, only the beginning of Cody’s tenure as a top talent in the company. With Roman Reigns' return as a babyface, Cody’s top spot as the good guy is in jeopardy, but that only adds to the intrigue and expectation regarding his future. Truly undeniable.
1Drew McIntyre
A career-best run from WWE’s Hater of the Year
Drew McIntyre is at the pinnacle of this list becauseno superstar has taken a greater leap in 2024in terms of audience perception, prestige, and reputation within the WWE. In the 5 months that have followed his now infamous “I prayed for this and it happened” jibe at CM Punk following his tricep injury at this year’s Royal Rumble, the Scottish Warrior has beenmust-see television every single week.
Indeed, if the idea behind hiring Punk was to elevate talent, McIntyre has literally never looked more legit at the top of WWE cards. He haswon both Money In The Bank and the World Heavyweight Championship this yearand while he immediately lost them, the fact that he’s as relevant and as over as ever is a testament not just to his skills, but the new creative excellence of the company. With arguably the best feud in WWE still running, Drew McIntyre is having the run of a lifetime with no end in sight.
