The year 2024 has been a remarkable one for professional wrestling fans, and it's trending upward heading into the next 12 months.
Well, it's that time when we spend hours putting together year-end lists and revisiting our favorite and least-favorite matches and wrestlers. It's always a joy to relive the top moments and try to summarize why they left a lasting impact on us.
Luckily, the influx of great pro wrestling has given us plenty to discuss and analyze recently. WWE is on a hot streak heading into a game-changing debut on Netflix on Jan. 6.
Meanwhile, All Elite Wrestling touts a new era for its product as it prepares to add its video library to Max and simulcast Dynamite and Collision on the popular streaming platform in 2025.
It will be interesting to see how these advancements change both companies.
In the meantime, let's examine the five best and worst trends in WWE and AEW to close the year.
WWE: Underutilizing Tag Team Wrestling
Tag team wrestling was one of WWE's glaring weak spots in 2024.
When the company finally split up the undisputed tag titles at WrestleMania 40, there was hope that Raw and SmackDown would rebuild their respective divisions. Unfortunately, it became more of the same as The Judgment Day had one of the most uneventful reigns in recent memory.
Finn Bálor and JD McDonagh only defended their titles three times over 175 days before losing them to The War Raiders on Monday's WWE Raw. SmackDown didn't do much better, and tag team wrestling wasn't emphasized on premium live events for most of the year.
In fact, there were no tag team championship matches at the events after the six-pack ladder match at The Showcase of the Immortal. Hopefully, signing Motor City Machine Guns and renewed interest in The New Day will help change this trend next year.
AEW: Diminishing Championships
A common complaint about AEW is that there are too many championships and its midcard titles appear redundant.
However, that's largely because the company hasn't given each division the focus it needs or presented clear distinctions for its champion. Even worse, titleholders often chase other belts without defending their own, which diminishes the importance of their mantle.
For example, Daniel Garcia won the TNT Championship at Full Gear. Then, he immediately entered the Continental Classic for a shot at more gold instead of establishing an open challenge for his title.
When Will Ospreay held the international title, he challenged The EVPs for the tag belts. Although he was already the TNT champion, Jack Perry was Bryan Danielson's first opponent after All In London.
This happens too often with the tag and trios division as well. It makes it difficult for viewers to care about these belts in the long run.
WWE: 5-Match Premium Live Events
A five-match card has become the standard length for WWE's PLEs this year, and that has pros and cons.
Concise cards are a welcomed change because they're easier to follow and fans don't have to stay up as late to watch the shows anymore. Nevertheless, we would like to see at least two more matches next year because the roster has been short-changed.
As stated, tag team wrestling didn't make the cut on any of these shortened cards in 2024 and that's a disservice to the talented duos on both brands. The online objection to the lack of Black male wrestlers at these shows also proves one or two more matches could be beneficial.
When the average runtime for WWE PLEs is still around three hours, it's hard to understand why the company can't trim the fluff and add more undercard contests. There has to be a better way to strike the right balance and properly showcase its roster.
Seven matches could be the sweet spot.
AEW: Major Storylines and Ongoing Rivalries Featuring Women
The AEW women's division has been the source of the company's most persistent criticism for the past five years.
However, the women have been a bright spot for the promotion in 2024, and we hope this continues next year. One of the benefits of signing Mercedes Moné was that it created more opportunities for in-ring segments instead of the usual pretapes and backstage interviews.
That may not seem like a significant change, but it helped Willow Nightingale gain exposure during their feud. Moné and Britt Baker also became the first women to share an opening segment of Dynamite in the lead-in to their match All In London.
Toni Storm was one of the most visible characters on the flagship show as well as Collision and Rampage, and her rivalry with Mariah May was one of the best storylines of the year. To that end, their year-long story arc was the division's most effective attempt to create a new star and crown her as the main champion to date.
Of course, the company's use of women's wrestling is far from perfect, and there's still room for much improvement. Still, it was great to see some much-needed progress in this aspect of AEW programming.
WWE: Compelling Feuds With A Clear Direction
WWE has excelled in 2024 because of the success of its most prominent feuds.
For better or worse, viewers can usually tell who the main character on Raw or SmackDown is and summarize their most pressing conflict. That has been the industry leader's strength in recent years, which improved under Triple H.
The blue brand has consistently been the destination for Roman Reigns and his storylines with The Bloodline. When Raw stumbled in the past, the series didn't offer the same attention to excellent storytelling or a strong protagonist.
The company has mostly remedied that issue this year. Rhea Ripley's ongoing feud with Liv Morgan has its drawbacks, but the fans have been invested. The red brand also struck gold with Drew McIntyre vs. CM Punk for the same reason.
It's not rocket science. We want to see the top stars in compelling feuds with a clear path to the major PLEs and a satisfying ending. The most recent Bloodline drama was successful because the main story beats hit, and it produced unforgettable moments such as Punk teaming with Reigns.
WWE takes pride in creating moments. The globally recognized purveyor of sports entertainment has always surpassed its competition in this category at its best.
Read 11 Comments
Download the app for comments Get the B/R app to join the conversation