This year has been another roller-coaster 12 months in professional wrestling, but several new faces have risen to the occasion and proved their worth.

As Randy Savage said in 1987: "The cream will rise to the top." The best this industry has to offer will always find a way to reinvent themselves or gain traction. Sometimes, it takes better work or the right timing, but the greats will always have their time in the spotlight.

It's so rewarding to see the dots finally connect for someone you've been following for years, but that's the beauty of this business.

LA Knight's meteoric rise at 41 years old was the biggest success story last year. Cody Rhodes remained hot heading into WrestleMania 41 and forced WWE to give him a chance to finish his story again.

Who would've guessed? In a genre that continues to surprise us, these are 10 All Elite Wrestling and WWE stars who made the most significant leap this year.

Roxanne Perez

Roxanne Perez is undeniably in the conversation for women's wrestler of the year due to her second reign as NXT women's champion.

Her 2023 run with the title was disappointing, to say the least. But her win over Lyra Valkyria at NXT Stand & Deliver on April 6 launched a much better reign.

The Prodigy delivered strong title defenses against Jordynne Grace, Lola Vice, Thea Hail and Jaida Parker in 2024. Even more, the 23-year-old found the right balance of character and promo work to complement her technical prowess.

Mariah May

Mariah May has emerged as one of the year's breakout stars following her time as Toni Storm's opportunistic understudy.

The 2024 women's Owen Hart Cup winner stunned the crowd when she brutally turned on her idol and set her sights on championship gold. This cliffhanger from the July 10 episode of Dynamite was one of the company's hottest moments of the year.

May dethroned Storm in her home country at All In London in August to become the new women's champion. Many fans consider their match to be one of the event's highlights, and she has grown into her heel persona in the months since.

Kyle Fletcher

Aussie Open has already built a fruitful reputation as a tag team, but Kyle Fletcher has had an incredible year as a single competitor.

The 25-year-old started 2024 with an exceptional stretch as the Ring of Honor world television champion. If you haven't been keeping up with ROH, do yourself a favor and watch his series of matches with Lee Johnson at least.

AEW also tested him against stars like Chris Jericho, Swerve Strickland, Pac, Claudio Castagnoli, MJF, Ricochet and Will Ospreay. That's an impressive catalogue of contests, and he exceeded expectations when given the opportunity.

His rivalry with Ospreay, and win over The Aerial Assassin at Full Gear, has positioned him as a name to watch in this year's Continental Classic. In fact, Fletcher already pulled off an upset on Kazuchika Okada on the Dec. 7 episode of Collision.

Oba Femi

Oba Femi is the preeminent young star from NXT that everyone should familiarize themselves with now so they can eventually say, "I told you so."

The 2023 men's NXT Breakout Tournament winner cashed in his contract on Dragon Lee on Jan. 9 to win the North American Championship. He then went on an absolute tear with the title, eclipsing Wes Lee's reign to become the longest-reigning champ.

The Nigerian, 26, oozed charisma and used his strength and raw athleticism to topple opponents for 272 days. Tony D'Angelo unseated him on Oct. 8, but he recently won the Iron Survivor Challenge match to earn a shot at the main NXT title at New Year's Evil on January 7.

Don't be surprised if Femi starts 2025 as the next NXT champion and continues to build anticipation for his move to the main roster.

Konosuke Takeshita

Viewers were growing apathetic with the booking surrounding Konosuke Takeshita coming into this year, but his jaw-dropping run in New Japan's G1 Climax turned everything around.

The Japanese standout had already produced a barn-burner with Will Ospreay at Revolution, but his performance in the iconic tournament was truly special.

When he returned to AEW, fans hoped the company would capitalize on his momentum, and the results speak for themselves.

Now, Takeshita is in a perfect position to continue to deliver outstanding matches all over the world and represent the brand as the reigning international champion. His resurgence and tremendous output in 2024 will likely put him in many conversations for wrestler of the year.

Bron Breakker

Bron Breakker started 2024 as one-half of a tag team with Baron Corbin called The Wolf Dogs.

The two won the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic and went on a respectable run with the NXT tag titles. Still, the short-lived pairing left some viewers wondering what Breakker's ceiling could be on the main roster after some heralded him as the next big star.

As it turns out, the future still looks bright for the second-generation wrestler. He was awesome in this year's men's Royal Rumble match, and his heel turn following King and Queen of the Ring was a welcome change of direction.

The 27-year-old two-time intercontinental champion has the full package right now. His promos have improved, his catchphrase caught on quickly, he looks the part and his matches are great fun to watch.

Toni Storm

In October, Pro Wrestling Illustrated ranked "Timeless" Toni Storm as number one on its Women's 250 list.

The well-deserved accolade made her the first AEW wrestler to top the annual ranking of the best women's wrestlers in the world. We've often praised her unique character work, but she also fine-tuned her promos and in-ring acumen under the new persona in 2024.

Her friendship and eventual rivalry with Mariah May was one of AEW's most compelling storylines of the year. Storm did some heavy lifting during her third reign as women's world champion, cementing her 281-day tenure as the best singular period of its lineage.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder, though, and the response to her return on the latest episode of Dynamite is a testament to all her contributions this year.

Nia Jax

Nia Jax has been a pleasant surprise in 2024. Her second run with WWE has been significantly better than most of her time on the main roster.

Most fans weren't sure what to expect when she re-signed with the company last year, but she seems much more motivated.

The Irresistible Force revealed she dropped 48 pounds and changed her move set, including her version of the Banzai drop called the Annihilator as a new finisher.

The Australian-American headlined a premium live event for the first time in a career highlight with Rhea Ripley at Elimination Chamber: Perth. Then, she won the Queen of the Ring tournament and secured the WWE Women's Championship at SummerSlam.

Jax's current reign has already surpassed her forgettable stint with the title in 2018, and her dynamic with Tiffany Stratton keeps us guessing.

Damian Priest

Although many critics grew impatient with Damian Priest's time as Señor Money in the Bank, the cash-in gave him a WrestleMania moment and a legitimizing world title reign.

Last year was also significant for El Campeón, but he stood out on his own in 2024. The Puerto Rican star is more popular than ever thanks to his time as world heavyweight champion and split from The Judgment Day.

As one-half of The Terror Twins, Priest became a fan favorite on Raw. Even more, he proved he could believably be the flagbearer for a brand again during his feud with Gunther.

Swerve Strickland

Last year, we predicted Swerve Strickland would be the AEW world champion someday after his successful transition into a main eventer.

Somehow, the 34-year-old made an even bigger leap in 2024 as the first Black wrestler to hold the company's top prize. He climbed from 112th on the 2023 PWI 500 to second on this year's list behind Cody Rhodes, making him the highest-ranked African-American wrestler in 24 years.

Strickland called his shot during his feud with "Hangman" Adam Page and he delivered. Over 126 days, he represented AEW exceptionally well in media appearances and created instant classics with Will Ospreay and Bryan Danielson.

The fact that the 34-year-old is still presented as a top star without the title and reportedly signed a massive new contract ensures he will be a fixture with AEW for years to come.