New Delhi: The year 2024 saw a lot of huge moments for WWE and was one of the best years as a whole for the company in recent years. From stories being completed, to big moves being announced, there were a lot of new and huge things to look forward to and it seems like 2025 promises to be an even bigger year for the company.
The Rock returned to the company for his longest run since leaving and also joined the company’s board of directors. This year also saw the lines between kayfabe and reality being blurred once again like they used to be in the 1980s and 1990s before social media out the facade.
There were some key moments this year that, while being huge on their own accord, fell just shy of the top five list of the year. These incidents include Jey Uso’s first-ever singles championship win, Dominik Mysterio’s going from a heel to an even bigger heel by turning on everyone’s Mami, Rhea Ripley, and the end of one of WWE’s most successful and longest-running stable, the New Day as Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods kicked Big E out of the group.
Now let’s dive into the best moments of 2024 that defined this year.
5) WWE announces it’s move to Netflix
The confirmed new homes for all 3 of WWE’s products:
— #WWERAW on Netflix starting January 2025
— #SmackDown on USA starting October 2024
— #WWENXT on CW starting October 2024 pic.twitter.com/cOTp7df6ZQ
— Wrestle Ops (@WrestleOps) January 23, 2024
One of the biggest moves to make its product globally available for a wider audience, WWE’s parent company, TKO Holdings announced that they would be moving away from being a Television product. WWE RAW, the longest-running TV program in the United States is officially moving to the world’s most popular streaming platform, Netflix, from the beginning of 2025. This marks the end of RAW’s 30-year run on the USA network in the United States.
While outside of the country, both WWE Smackdown and WWE NXT will also move to Netflix once their current deals expire. While RAW moves to Netflix from January 6th 2025 in the USA, Canada and Latin America, audiences in India will be able to watch all of WWE’s live programming on the streaming platform from April 2025. This is a huge move for both the company and its fans as the product will be easily available now for the fans and the deal is reportedly worth $500 million per year.
4) Introduction of the Women’s US and Intercontinental titles
HISTORY. @ImChelseaGreen is the first-ever Women’s United States Champion! 🇺🇸#SNME pic.twitter.com/6tYGhJEBXo
— WWE (@WWE) December 15, 2024
WWE’s women’s division is widely regarded as the best women’s division in all of pro wrestling given the sheer effort and time they have put in the division since 2016. Often called as the Women’s Revolution, Triple H was a huge reason for WWE’s women stars being transformed from Divas to credible superstars.
However, the lack of championships available for the women to fight for was a huge concern still. They introduced the women’s tag team belts a few years back but those haven’t been able to draw as much attention amongst the fans.
To rectify that, Triple H took a hugely popular decision of introducing the mid-card belts for the women’s division in November of this year. Fans were crying out loud for these and the introduction of the Women’s US and Intercontinental titles were a huge boost to freshen up the women’s division as well.
The introduction of these belts gives wrestlers opportunities to shine as it’s being proven by Chelsea Green’s run as the inaugural Women’s US Champion. Something similar can be said for whoever becomes the first-ever women’s Intercontinental champion with the championship match set for Dakota Kai and Lyra Valkyria.
3) Damien Priest’s WrestleMania Cash-in
Go behind the scenes at #WrestleMania XL as @ArcherofInfamy goes from former Tag Team Champion to the newwwww World Heavyweight Champion! From @RheaRipley_WWE to @TripleH to @undertaker, everyone was there to share and cherish the moment backstage.https://t.co/GKWy0cRf08 pic.twitter.com/glNMN7FgTJ
— WWE (@WWE) April 12, 2024
This year’s WrestleMania marked 40 years of WWE’s flagship event and the event needed a card that would fit the grand nature of the event. With WrestleMania lasting two nights now, Night 1 had set the tone extremely well for the fans with amazing matches, headlined by the Rock and Roman Reigns defeating the team of Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins.
WWE needed night two to start off with a bang and they did exactly that with the World Heavyweight Championship match between Drew McIntyre and Seth Rollins. The match was short and full of action but the real drama unfolded after Drew had won the title.
Embroiled in a rivalry with CM Punk since the Royal Rumble, he couldn’t help but poke fun at Punk during his celebration and Punk retaliated with an attack on Drew with his arm brace that he was wearing cause of an injury caused by McIntyre.
This attack allowed Damien Priest an opportunity to cash in his Money in the Bank contract at the grandest stage of them all and become a world champion in WWE for the first time. He became only the second person since Seth Rollins to cash in the contract at Mania and this officially kick-started WWE’s rivalry of the year, between CM Punk and Drew McIntyre.
2) The Rock demolishes Cody Rhodes on TV
The Rock showed Cody Rhodes why he’s the FINAL BOSS
we may have just witnessed one of the best RAW’s of ALL-TIME#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/6OoBEszMZX
— Degenerate George (@DGen_Media) March 26, 2024
Cody Rhodes had won the Royal Rumble in January 2024 and became one of the very few people to win back-to-back rumbles. He earned another shot at Roman Reigns after failing to dethrone the GOAT at last year’s Mania but had seemingly decided to not use his shot at the champion.
However, the introduction of the Rock into the storyline turned things completely and at the WrestleMania kick-off show, Cody took his shot and chose Roman as his choice to face at WrestleMania XL.
This didn’t sit well with the Rock, who was going to challenge his cousin to the match and he took matters into his own hands to make sure Cody didn’t reach WrestleMania. Mere days before the event, The Rock unleashed his inner demon on Cody during an episode of RAW and beat Cody to a bloody pulp, lashing him with a belt and banging him against cars and production trucks. Cody was bleeding and this was one of the most gruesome beatdowns seen on WWE TV since the company went PG and it only added to the intrigue of their WrestleMania showdowns
1) Cody Rhodes finishes his story
“The first time a Rhodes can call himself a WWE Champion. Cody Rhodes has finished the story.” – Michael Cole pic.twitter.com/9arcaGfVfZ
— Pro Wrestling Finesse (@ProWFinesse) April 8, 2024
There could be no other moment that defines 2024 better than Cody Rhodes finally finishing his story at the grandest stage of them all. A year on from his defeat by Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39, the American Nightmare was once again locking horns with the biggest superstar in the company. The Tribal Chief had been the WWE Undisputed Champion for over four years and was mentored by Cody’s late father, Dusty Rhodes.
Cody had returned to WWE with just one goal in mind, winning the title his father failed to win almost 50 years ago and finally finishing the story. After failing to do so at WrestleMania 39 due to interferences from the Bloodline, Cody was well prepared this time.
He had his own backup who helped neutralize the bloodline with Jey Uso, Seth Rollins, The Undertaker and John Cena all coming to his aid. With the bloodline out of the picture and Cody left one-on-one with Roman, he was finally able to slay the beast end Roman’s historic title run and finish his own story.
This was a huge year for WWE with it being the first full year under former Wrestler Triple H’s control and it gave us a good start to what life in the Paul Levesque era looks like. Dive in to find out the top five moments of the year! WWE Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
