2024 has proven to be one of WWE's most successful and memorable years as a professional wrestling company. 2025 is expected to be even bigger as WWE prepares for a WrestleMania in Las Vegas and a Raw premiere on Netflix. As 2024 comes to a close, it's important to reflect on the moments that shaped 2024 into one of WWE's biggest years yet.
Moments like CM Punk costing Drew McIntyre the World Heavyweight Championship, Damian Priest's Money in the Bank cash-in, Sami Zayn's surprise Intercontinental Title win over Gunther, and Chelsea Green becoming the inaugural WWE Women's United States Champion all rank among the year's best moments. With 2025 already shaping up to be a fundamental year for the future of the company, the best moments in 2024 helped shape that transaction, and this year won't be forgotten any time soon.
11 TNA Knockouts Champion Jordynne Grace Debuts in the WWE
Royal Rumble 2024
It's always been rare to see WWE collaborate with other wrestling companies, especially in the long term. The new Triple H regime has allowed wrestlers to work independent wrestling shows like Josh Barnett's Bloodsport or in Japanese events with Pro-Wrestling NOAH, but they were always one-off. Even Mickie James returning in the 2022 Royal Rumble match as TNA Knockouts Champion was only a one-off. This, however, was different.
Jordynne Grace competing in the 2024 Royal Rumble match marked the beginning of a working partnership with Total Nonstop Action. From this moment forward, TNA wrestlers like Grace, Joe Hendry, and Rosemary would appear on NXT and vice versa throughout 2024. It helped put the previously stagnant Impact promotion back on the map, whilst adding a new level of interest in the WWE product from those outside of it.
10 John Cena Returns to Announce His Retirement
Money in the Bank 2024
This may not be the most joyous moment of the year, but it may be the most significant moment of the year. John Cena returned on WWE television for the first time since WrestleMania. It was a welcome surprise for the fans at Money in the Bank, but it quickly turned into a somber one as the 16-time World Champion announced that 2025 would be his final year as an active wrestler, as he's ready to permanently hang up his pumped-up kicks.
Cena is a man who many people view as the greatest WWE superstar of all time, so his sendoff was always going to make major news. Cena announcing that he will be working 2025's entire calendar year paints a mission statement for the next year of WWE storytelling. Fans can walk into 2025 expecting Cena to chase last-minute dream matches and perhaps a last title chase for one last hurrah.
9 Trick Williams Wins the NXT Championship
NXT Spring Breakin' 
In their first encounter at WWE Vengeance Day, Trick Williams failed to topple Ilja Dragunov for his NXT Championship. After finishing a rivalry with ex-friend Carmelo Hayes, Trick gained the confidence to challenge The Mad Dragon at Spring Breakin', and this time, he would not be denied. With one last showdown in the final seconds, both men charging their finisher at each other, it's Williams who would land the Trick Shot to prevail.
While not as widely seen by the masses of WWE viewers because it’s not the main roster, this felt like a main roster victory due to the atmosphere. The crowd was raucous once Williams made his successful three count, to the point even the camera was shaking. For NXT fans, finally seeing Trick win the big one was the equivalent of a WrestleMania moment, and their energy made this a memorable one.
8 Ethan Pages Wins the NXT Championship
NXT Heatwave
Just 75 days into his first title reign, Trick Williams defended his NXT Championship against three top contenders. In the closing moments, Williams lands the Trick Shot on Ethan Page, who - unconscious - falls onto a fallen Je’Von Evans. Shawn Spears prevents Trick from breaking up the pinfall, forcing the champion to watch as his title slips from his grasp.
Beyond just a great moment, it’s a strong contender for the most shocking end to a wrestling match of 2024, and even more arguably, the best heel tactic of the year. All Ego was knocked out as the challenger but woke up as a champion. It echoes shades to the finish of WWE Backlash 2007’s main event Fatal Four Way, albeit with a twist. This time, viewers got to see a title change, and this time, it's thanks largely to a nefarious Chairman wanting to spite his foe Williams.
7 Dominik Mysterio and Liv Morgan's First Kiss
Raw, May 27, 2024
There was once a time when the three-way feud between Liv Morgan, “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio, and Rhea Ripley made for the hottest angle of the year. Crowds ate up every bit of it, especially as Liv continued to seduce Dom for months while Ripley was away on injury leave. The biggest turning point of the storyline came when Liv snuck a lip-lock on Mysterio to close out her Steel Cage main event with Becky Lynch.
Some will argue Dom's heel turn at SummerSlam sealed with a kiss was far more memorable, but it’s a case of not getting the chicken without the egg. That definitive union between WWE’s IT couple doesn’t happen if Liv never catches Dom off guard by planting the first kiss when he least expects it to.
6 Bronson Reed Hits a Tsunami on Braun Strowman Atop a Car
Raw, August 26, 2024
The chaotic shenanigans between Braun Strowman and Bronson Reed made for some of 2024's most entertaining highlights. While that feud would finalize with a Last Monster Standing bout that received a mixed reaction, their most fun brawl to watch came on August 26. Their scheduled match spilled into a brawl to the backstage area, which itself spilled into the parking lot, resulting in one of the most devastating Tsunamis in WWE history.
Moments like these helped turn Bronson Reed into WWE's next big thing. 2024 was his breakout year, and he consistently created must-see moments like this that were worth talking about every week. This moment in particular managed to be the most electric, as fans can't get enough of two giants colliding into each other. This collision felt like watching Godzilla run into Mothra at full velocity, destroying everything around them ablaze.
5 Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods Kick Big E Out the New Day
Raw, December 2, 2024
The New Day celebrating its 10-year anniversary was one of the most hotly anticipated segments of the year. Going into it, a breakup had been teased for months, with many speculating either Kofi Kingston or Xavier Woods would turn heel on the other. No one expected them both to turn heel on an injured Big E.
Few moments in WWE have produced such a visceral, emotional reaction as this segment did. Fans were livid to see Kofi and Xavier berate E, and basically kick him out of the New Day. The social media reaction was immense, translating to some of the loudest boos on WWE TV in every promo they’ve cut since. The duo managed to keep the momentum with numerous segments since, most notably one where Kofi's mother turns her back on him, but that initial heel turn can't be beaten.
4 The Wyatt Sicks Debut
Raw, June 17, 2024
For several weeks, there had been ominous, cryptic messages displayed in video packages that would play at random, some of which would need to be unlocked on social media by way of clues. It would all finally culminate in the closing minutes of this episode of Raw. The lights go out, and suddenly, several of the staff, crew, and even the roster (most notably Chad Gable) are found unconscious. The Wyatt Sicks (or 6, Six) would emerge as the culprits.
Bo Dallas would return as his Uncle Howdy alter ego. Now, in tow, he'd have former Wyatt Family member Erick Rowan, Dexter Lumis, Joe Gacy (debuting from NXT) and Nikki Cross, all donning spinoffs of characters from Bray Wyatt's Firefly Funhouse. The death of Bray Wyatt was a tragedy, but this new stable paid perfect tribute to his legacy, making an impactful and intriguing first appearance.
3 The Rock Acknowledges Roman Reigns
SmackDown, March 1, 2024
In what is easily the longest segment of the year, taking up nearly an hour's worth of space (commercials included), The Bloodline congregates with their newest member in tow. Things start off hilarious with The Brahma Bull referring to the crowd as crackheads (one of his funniest moments), before things get deadly serious as The Rock makes a WrestleMania challenge to Seth Rollins and Cody Rhodes, seemingly without consulting the Tribal Chief beforehand. Refusing to be shown up by his distant cousin, the Head of the Table demands that Mr. Hollywood acknowledges him.
It sounds like hyperbole to suggest one segment has "everything," but if any promo would sound accurate to the matter, it's this one. There are laughs, suspense, a main event made for WrestleMania, and a tease for a future WrestleMania match. Some will argue that it's too long, but it remained captivating to the WWE Universe for every minute.
2 The Rock Beats Cody Rhodes to a Bloody Pulp
Raw, March 25, 2024
The closer WrestleMania neared, the closer The Rock was prepared to lock horns with Cody Rhodes. When The Final Boss finally got his hands on the Royal Rumble winner, The Rock unleashed a lashing that would give anyone an American Nightmare. He pummeled the youngest Rhodes son to a bloody pulp, whipping him with a belt to send Raw off the air. Social media footage would reveal that The Rock even continued to beat Rhodes after the show went off the air.
It's rare to see WWE showing blood of any kind ever since the company went PG, so to see it here made for a special moment. Beyond the shock of seeing blood, it truly established that this was a new version of The Rock unlike ever seen before. This segment showed that this Bloodline Boss was far more brutal than he's ever been, molding Cody as the perfect underdog in peril. The stunning visual in the rain only further amplified the moment.
