WWE's big business in 2024 has gone hand-in-hand with a string of strong premium live events. In addition to the many record-setting sellouts it's had across the globe, every event has had something substantial to offer from both an in-ring and storytelling standpoint.

The permanent removal of Vince McMahon from WWE's creative process—and the company as a whole—has resulted in the Triple H regime producing some of its greatest content in recent memory.

The foreign countries WWE has traveled to, including Australia, France, Scotland and Germany, have also added to the exciting atmosphere at the monthly shows and given them a must-see vibe for the hot crowds alone.

While the tentpole pay-per-views have largely delivered, some of the smaller shows struggled to feel important. There were certainly occasions when the company played it safe and went the predictable route in order for the more monumental moments to be saved for the bigger stages.

For as hot as the WWE product has become, there is always room for improvement.

With Survivor Series done, here is every WWE PLE from 2024 ranked from worst to best, along with analysis of what the company excelled at, where it went wrong and how the event could have been better.

12. Survivor Series: WarGames

The dust is still settling on Survivor Series, but it was easily WWE's most inconsistent card of the year.

The decision to make WarGames an annual staple at the November classic has actually devalued the gimmick's mystique. Solo Sikoa's Bloodline battling the original Bloodline was worthy of the billing, but there was no story with the women to justify that match happening inside the double cages.

Consequently, the women's WarGames matchup suffered considerably and opened the show on a rather weak note. Shinsuke Nakamura shockingly winning the United States Championship was a fine follow-up, but the bout itself was hardly anything special.

The excellent Intercontinental Championship Triple Threat between Bron Breakker, Sheamus and Ludwig Kaiser gave the event a much-needed shot of adrenaline. The crowd then quietened down again for Gunther vs. Damian Priest for the World Heavyweight Championship and were unimpressed by the flat finish with Finn Bálor interfering.

The men's WarGames match was a masterclass in storytelling and arguably saved the show from being a total miss. Roman Reigns, CM Punk, Sami Zayn and The Usos bested Bronson Reed and The Bloodline's Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa and Jacob Fatu in a brutal contest.

The straightforward conclusion wasn't quite the buzzworthy cliffhanger Punk's highly anticipated return provided the year prior, though.

11. Bad Blood

WWE scrapped Payback and Fastlane on this year's PLE schedule in favor of Bad Blood, which hadn't been held in two decades. It fell on Oct. 5, the 27th anniversary of the inaugural installment.

It was the perfect PPV for CM Punk and Drew McIntyre to have their big blowoff inside Hell in a Cell. Fittingly, the first-ever such match headlined the first-ever Bad Blood when Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker had their instant classic in 1997.

Punk and McIntyre delivered a five-star masterpiece of their own to finish their feud but were relegated to the opener due to Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns' heavily touted team-up against Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu stealing the spotlight.

That match also managed to live up to the hype, but the rest of the card left a lot to be desired. The Nia Jax vs. Bayley and Liv Morgan vs. Rhea Ripley rematches from SummerSlam were mediocre at best, and Damian Priest vs. Finn Bálor failed to amaze.

The quick cameos from The Rock and Goldberg during the show were notable but have yet to be followed up on in any meaningful way.

10. Crown Jewel

WWE's biannual Saudi Arabia PPVs were once considered the worst events all year, if only because the match quality was subpar and they were essentially treated like glorified house shows by the company.

Thankfully, that hasn't been the case since before the pandemic. In fact, Crown Jewel in particular has featured some stellar matches in the last three years including Edge vs. Seth Rollins inside Hell in a Cell and Roman Reigns vs. Logan Paul.

The 2024 installment, albeit solid, was relatively tame due to the emphasis on the new men's women's Crown Jewel Championships that ultimately did not matter.

Cody Rhodes and Gunther had an above-average main event, but it had little effect on their respective storylines outside of the Saudi Arabia show. Liv Morgan vs. Nia Jax was far inferior and didn't do either competitor any favors.

The undercard had its fair share of gems with LA Knight successfully defending his United States Championship in an enjoyable Triple Threat, Seth Rollins barely beating Bronson Reed, and Solo Sikoa scoring a clean win over Roman Reigns in six-man tag team action.

Crown Jewel was an overall quality show, but WWE had better showings on PPV in 2024.

9. Elimination Chamber

Never before has the Elimination Chamber event felt bigger than when it emanated from Optus Stadium in Perth, Australia this past February.

This PLE is often overlooked in between the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania, but WWE was determined to make this year's installment a massive deal due to the high-profile venue. It ended up being no more special than almost any other Chamber event in terms of match quality but was carried by the capacity crowd in attendance.

The men's and women's Chamber matches were terrific in their own right and saw Drew McIntyre and Becky Lynch emerge victorious and punch their tickets to WrestleMania 40.

Meanwhile, the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship clash between The Judgment Day and New Catch Republic was a welcome addition to the undercard.

Following appearances from Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins on The Grayson Waller Effect, Nia Jax and Australia's own Rhea Ripley closed out the event for the Women's World Championship. They told a simple story and had a very good match.

Despite being an extremely predictable PPV, Elimination Chamber was fun for what it was.

8. Bash in Berlin

Bash in Berlin followed the same formula as most WWE international PLEs in that it was a fairly basic card on paper elevated by an electric audience in Germany.

Cody Rhodes and Kevin Owens brought the best out of each other in the opener for the Undisputed WWE Championship. As we now know, this was merely the first step of their storyline, but it was an exhilarating affair nonetheless.

Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill regaining the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship from The Unholy Union was expected, but the bout was perfectly fine while it lasted. Rhea Ripley and Damian Priest giving Liv Morgan and Dominik Mysterio a small sliver of comeuppance was a much more entertaining tag team matchup.

CM Punk and Drew McIntyre's strap match was a step up from their previous encounter at SummerSlam, while Gunther and Randy Orton put on a wrestling clinic for the World Heavyweight Championship in the main event.

Fans wouldn't have missed much had they not tuned in, but those who did didn't have their time wasted. This sub-three hour card breezed by and proved that a lively crowd can make all the difference.

7. King and Queen of the Ring

WWE originally intended to resurrect King of the Ring as its own PPV in 2023 before eventually replacing it with Night of Champions. That vacant Saudi Arabia slot in May 2024 was given back to King and Queen of the Ring, and rightfully so.

It had been many years since the men's tournament had last felt prestigious. The women's tournament, which had been held only once in 2021, had never been treated with an ounce of importance or respect.

That changed this year with the two great tourneys that played out on Raw and SmackDown in the weeks preceding the PLE. World championship opportunities at SummerSlam being awarded to the King and Queen of the Ring gave the concept stakes for the first time in decades.

Both Gunther vs. Randy Orton and Lyra Valkyria vs. Nia Jax were strong matches in the finals. Elsewhere on the undercard, Sami Zayn beat Bronson Reed and Chad Gable to retain the Intercontinental Championship, and Liv Morgan upset Becky Lynch for the Women's World Championship to cement her heel turn.

Logan Paul had virtually no chance of dethroning Cody Rhodes as undisputed WWE champion so early into his reign, but their well-wrestled match served as a solid main event to this middle-of-the-road show.

6. Clash at the Castle: Scotland

The last installment of Clash at the Castle in 2022 was Triple H's first in charge of WWE's creative direction (not counting SummerSlam that already had its card put together by Vince McMahon in advance), and it was nothing short of a major success.

Therefore, the 2024 event had a lot to live up to. While nowhere near as memorable, it did feature plenty of top-notch matches and moments that set the stage for the company's white-hot summer season.

Cody Rhodes and AJ Styles delivered one of the most grueling "I Quit" matches in years, culminating in The American Nightmare forcing Styles to say the two humiliating words after threatening him with the steel steps.

The WWE Women's Tag Team Championship Triple Threat match was put in a tough position of having to follow up on that but benefited from Scottish stars The Unholy Union stealing the tag titles to a raucous reaction in Glasgow.

Sami Zayn and Chad Gable contested another awesome match for the Intercontinental Championship, but Bayley vs. Piper Niven for the WWE Women's Championship didn't have the same juice behind it.

CM Punk spoiling Drew McIntyre's homecoming in the Scot's World Heavyweight Championship match with Damian Priest was a brilliantly executed ending to the event.

5. Royal Rumble

Royal Rumble PPVs tend to be remembered most for the Rumble matches themselves and specifically their outcomes. The 2024 installment managed to get it right with both the men and women for a change, leaving fans satisfied once it was over.

The card was kept short and sweet with only four matches. The women's Rumble, which was won by Bayley and featured surprise appearances from Jade Cargill, TNA's Jordynne Grace and the returning Naomi, was arguably the best to date and got the event off to a spectacular start.

It's rare for a Roman Reigns title defense to occur anywhere on a PPV card other than the main event, but the show being bookended by the men's and women's Rumbles caused his Fatal 4-Way match against AJ Styles, LA Knight and Randy Orton to go on second. The title was never in jeopardy of changing hands, but it was an action-packed affair nonetheless.

Logan Paul and Kevin Owens more than held their own when they collided for the United States Championship and had quality chemistry together, but the men's Rumble match was a far bigger attraction and had a strong structure with excellent execution.

The show unfortunately fell in the immediate aftermath of the Vince McMahon scandal that broke earlier in the week and had that dark cloud hanging over it, but Cody Rhodes claiming a repeat win kicked off the Road to WrestleMania in historic fashion.

4. Money in the Bank

Unlike the Royal Rumble, the lasting impact of any Money in the Bank event isn't always dependent on the same-titled matches, though their success—or lack thereof—is considered a key factor.

This year's men's and women's MITB bouts were captivating car crashes in a sense with every single combatant making the most of their time to shine.

Drew McIntyre capturing the contract and later cashing it in unsuccessfully was a disappointing development, but Tiffany Stratton becoming Ms. Money in the Bank was the correct call.

Sami Zayn handing Bron Breakker his first singles loss on the main roster—and in clean fashion—was another intriguing swerve. The match was also above average and on par with the entertaining encounter between Damian Priest and Seth Rollins for the World Heavyweight Championship.

The weakest aspect of the show was the main event pitting The Bloodline's Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga and Jacob Fatu against Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton and Kevin Owens in six-man tag team match. It was serviceable yet unspectacular and seemed to only go on last to set up Sikoa challenging Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship at SummerSlam.

3. SummerSlam

There have been several SummerSlam cards over the years that have started and ended strong but featured a forgettable midcard. Other installments have been marred by an underwhelming main event that forced fans to disregard the rest of the show.

SummerSlam 2024 not only had a bit of everything and moved multiple storylines forward but also felt like a complete package, making for the best all-around installment of the event in nearly a decade.

Rhea Ripley and Liv Morgan had one of their better bouts together for the Women's World Championship in the opener, but it was Dominik Mysterio betraying Mami to join forces with Morgan that got fans buzzing.

Three titles proceeded to change hands with Bron Breakker becoming intercontinental champion, LA Knight knocking off Logan Paul for the United States Championship and Nia Jax beating Bayley for the WWE women's belt.

The eventful evening continued with CM Punk and Drew McIntyre waging war, with Seth Rollins acting as the special guest referee, though this wound up being the weakest entry of their trilogy.

The pace picked up again with Gunther securing the World Heavyweight Championship after Finn Bálor betrayed Damian Priest followed by a returning Roman Reigns providing an unintentional assist to Cody Rhodes in his Undisputed WWE Championship defense against Solo Sikoa.

SummerSlam was the massive shakeup the WWE product needed at the time.

2. Backlash France

WWE took an otherwise ordinary Backlash event in May 2023 and turned it into something special thanks to the incredible environment in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The company somehow pulled off that impressive feat for the second straight year by taking Backlash to Lyon, France and giving the audience in attendance an event they'll remember forever.

Sikoa Sikoa and Tama Tonga (making his WWE in-ring debut) had one of the wildest openers in recent WWE history with Randy Orton and Kevin Owens. Tonga Loa was revealed as the newest addition to the group and made his presence felt by aiding The Bloodline to victory.

Bayley, Tiffany Stratton and Naomi then had a well-wrestled Triple Threat for the WWE Women's Championship where the rowdy crowd was behind all three women. They also rallied behind Jey Uso in his World Heavyweight Championship match with Damian Priest.

Although the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship match was a fairly basic contest, Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill clinching the gold was a standout moment. Cody Rhodes and AJ Styles then capped off the evening with a phenomenal affair that will go down as one of the best all year.

While not the most significant show of the year, the French fans were responsible for making Backlash a top-tier B-level PLE.

1. WrestleMania 40

WrestleMania's two-night format is always tough to top, but this year's installment was truly tremendous from top to bottom.

While not originally the plan, the masterful build for Roman Reigns and The Rock vs. Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins on Night 1—as well as Reigns vs. Rhodes on Night 2—made for a wonderfully fun Road to WrestleMania.

That's to take nothing away from what the women brought to the table on both nights with Rhea Ripley vs. Becky Lynch and Iyo Sky vs. Bayley. The Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship changing hands and being split up was long overdue, and Sami Zayn ending Gunther's two-year undefeated run as intercontinental champion was the definition of a 'Mania moment.

Any match that underperformed such as Jey Uso vs. Jimmy Uso was overshadowed by Seth Rollins vs. Drew McIntyre, Damian Priest cashing in Money in the Bank to become world heavyweight champion, and Rhodes finishing his story in an epic main event, among many other highlights.

If WWE's goal with WrestleMania 40 was to usher in an exciting new era, then mission accomplished.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.