Who were the 10 best men's and women's wrestlers in WWE in 2024?

It's a loaded question, one best answered by taking several different elements into consideration such as in-ring performance, championship accolades, storyline prominence, fan reaction and overall significance to the WWE product.

With those things in mind, these are the Superstars who shined brightest over the last 12 months.

Women's No. 10: Chelsea Green

The self-proclaimed "Hot Mess" was a shining example of taking what was given to her and making the most of it.

In 2024, Chelsea Green was a performer played for comedic value early and often. She was laughed at, humiliated and beaten down, but her commitment to the character endeared her to fans.

At Money in the Bank in Toronto, she was the overwhelming fan favorite. When she didn't win the briefcase, some questioned if those in key positions were paying attention to the groundswell of support Green had garnered.

Those questions were answered a few months later, when she entered the Women's United States Championship Tournament and advanced all the way to the finals, where she battled Michin and made history by becoming the first to win the title.

It was a triumphant moment for the 33-year-old, whose spot on the card was not ideal for most of the year but whose resiliency and determination to get over with the audience regardless of the quality of what she was working with proved undeniable.

A great performer who is only beginning to get her flowers as 2024 comes to an end ahead of a potentially great new year for her.

Men's No. 10: Kevin Owens

Kevin Owens answered a relatively low-key start to 2024 with an explosive second half.

KO found himself competing for the United States Championship against Logan Paul at the beginning of the year, and then partnered with Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes to combat Solo Sikoa's reimagined Bloodline.

It was his continued efforts to keep The Bloodline out of power that sparked the second-half renaissance and his position on this countdown.

Owens, 40, took exception to Rhodes teaming with Roman Reigns to battle Sikoa and Co., seeing it as a betrayal of their friendship given how many times he had battled the family group and even stood alongside The American Nightmare while helping him finish his story.

He lashed out at Rhodes, turned heel and targeted the Undisputed WWE Championship as the year came to a close. With a ladder match for the title booked at the Royal Rumble, Owens figures to kick off 2025 as he ended 2024: On top in a red-hot championship rivalry.

Women's No. 9: Jade Cargill

Jade Cargill exploded onto the WWE scene in 2024 and wasted little time letting the fans know why she is a potential generational talent.

Lasting until the final four of the women's Royal Rumble match, she immediately established herself as a threat to championship gold. And a partnership with Bianca Belair brought her tag team gold in short order.

Together, they dominated the women's tag team division, suffering just one defeat and even then, they weren't the ones pinned.

They regained the gold from Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn and returned to smacking down anyone foolish enough to challenge The Storm and The EST of WWE.

An injury angle late in the year, which saw Cargill assaulted and thrown through a windshield, wrote her off of television for the time being, but that does not take away from a banner first year in WWE for the 32-year-old.

Men's No. 9: Sami Zayn

Sami Zayn had another stellar year, thanks to the character work that has connected the performer to the fans for years. If that wasn't enough, his list of accomplishments in 2024 certainly was.

He defeated Chad Gable in a gauntlet match to cash his ticket to WrestleMania 40, where he ended Gunther's 666-day reign as intercontinental champion in one of the best matches of the year.

From there, he feuded with Gable in a great series of contests that also saw him playing moral advocate for Otis, Akira Tozawa and Maxxine Dupri as they sought to separate themselves from the Olympian.

He was integral in the development of Bron Breakker at the main roster level in a series of matches for the IC title, in which he won the first but ultimately dropped the title at SummerSlam.

Eventually, he reunited with Roman Reigns and The Usos to reform the OG Bloodline and defeat the new Bloodline at Survivor Series: WarGames in November.

Not a bad year from one of the most engaging performers in the industry.

Women's No. 8: Tiffany Stratton

Tiffany Stratton entered 2024 with momentum on her side.

An impressive final-four showing in the women's Rumble match was followed by a breakthrough performance in the Elimination Chamber, where she received tremendous fanfare from fans in Australia who wanted it to be Tiffy Time then and there.

The 25-year-old did not have a role on the WrestleMania 40 card, but she quickly reminded the world of the connection her performances had created with fans at Backlash in Lyon, France, when she and Naomi challenged Bayley in a Triple Threat match for the WWE Women's Championship.

A Money in the Bank victory was only logical, and she has since partnered up with champion Nia Jax in what feels like a mutually beneficial "keep your friends close and enemies closer" deal.

Stratton is poised for great things and should be the next WWE women's champion. Whether it comes at the expense of Jax and as a babyface is the question.

Men's No. 8: Randy Orton

Randy Orton entered 2024 in contention for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship as a potential foil for Roman Reigns.

While the 44-year-old didn't end The Tribal Chief's historic reign, he did stay at or near the top of the card all year, battling The Bloodline or pummeling United States champion Logan Paul on the WrestleMania 40 stage.

It was his work with Solo Sikoa's Bloodline and his rivalry with Gunther that really solidified Orton's year as one of his best of the last decade.

With Kevin Owens as his partner, The Viper had some great brawls with Sikoa, Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa and Jacob Fatu. Against Gunther in both the King of the Ring final and for the World Heavyweight Championship at Bash in Berlin, he had two of the best matches of the year.

Orton was written off of television via a wicked piledriver from former friend Owens, but what he accomplished leading up to that moment—including the subtle side-eye glances at Cody Rhodes' title—helped make him one of the best of the year and reminded fans that age is but a number when it comes to greatness.

Women's No. 7: Becky Lynch

It has been so long since Becky Lynch has been in a WWE ring that it almost feels like a different year since we last saw The Man come around.

She kicked off the year by expressing her desire to regain championship gold and compete at WrestleMania 40. She failed in her first attempt to accomplish that in the women's Rumble match, falling just short as the first runner-up.

The 37-year-old responded to that disappointment at Elimination Chamber by winning the same-titled women's match and earning a shot at the Women's World Championship on wrestling's grandest stage.

However, in front of a worldwide television audience, Ripley proved too good for Lynch, who succumbed to the Riptide and saw her championship hopes dashed.

Until, that is, Ripley suffered an injury and WWE officials needed to crown a new champion. Lynch won the gold, besting Liv Morgan after a Battle Royal. It was a short-lived run, though, as Morgan defeated her at King and Queen of the Ring in Saudi Arabia, thanks to interference from Dominik Mysterio.

A steel cage match loss to Morgan wrote the final chapter of Lynch's story for 2024, with a return expected in time for WWE Raw's move to Netflix on January 6.

Though it was only for the first half of the year, Lynch's run was still more than noteworthy and saw her again climb the ladder to the top of WWE as its champion. And she got to go home and be a mom for a bit.

Men's No. 7: Jey Uso

Jey Uso became one of the most popular and beloved Superstars in WWE in 2024.

From his "Yeet" catchphrase to his confidence and aura, the 39-year-old elevated himself to main event status and is not looking back.

He beat his brother, Jimmy, at WrestleMania 40. Then, he challenged Damian Priest for the World Heavyweight Championship at Backlash France after one of the most memorable entrances in modern WWE history.

In arenas across the country, thousands of fans raised their hands up and down in unison, greeting Uso with chants of "Yeet!" as he walked through them, ready to conquer the squared circle.

He did just that, too, winning his first singles title by defeating Bron Breakker for the Intercontinental Championship.

If there was ever any indication of how popular Uso had become and the star power he possessed, it was at Crown Jewel and Survivor Series where he got the star entrance over Roman Reigns.

The future is bright for Uso and based on the popularity he enjoys, it would not be surprising if he was slated to win a world title of his own in 2025.

Women's No. 6: Nia Jax

Nia Jax had a career year in 2024 and earned every bit of it.

After returning last fall, she wasted little time making the new year hers.

After being left off the WrestleMania 40 card, Jax set her sights on winning the Queen of the Ring tournament, and she did just that by defeating Lyra Valkyria with one of the best Annihilators we will ever see.

From there, the 40-year-old formed a partnership with Tiffany Stratton that saw her keep Ms. Money in the Bank close while she competed for the WWE Women's Championship.

At SummerSlam, and with Stratton's assistance, Jax defeated Bayley and took the title and has reigned over the SmackDown women's division ever since.

The work Jax put into improving her ring performance was evident as far back as February, when she challenged Rhea Ripley for the Women's World Championship in the main event of Elimination Chamber.

While it's not pretty on every outing, Jax has improved by leaps and bounds and been a worthy champion.

Men's No. 6: Seth Rollins

Seth Rollins dragged his beaten body into the ring at WrestleMania 40 to participate in the closing moments of the main event between Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes.

After years of mind games and establishing himself as the one man The Tribal Chief could not conquer emotionally, Rollins took a nasty chair shot to the back that set Rhodes up to end Reigns' run and finish his story.

That moment was essential to the story at play and came after The Visionary worked two other WrestleMania 40 matches on a knee that had been injured since a match with Jinder Mahal in January.

Fast-forward four months, and the 38-year-old returned after a much-needed hiatus to serve as the guest referee for a match between two men he had no love for: Drew McIntyre and CM Punk.

A great feud with Bronson Reed followed, one in which Rollins used his status to elevate the Aussie to the top of the Raw card.

A selfless worker whose in-ring performances never waned despite his questionable health, Rollins remained WWE's unsung MVP in 2024, even if he did not have nearly as many matches as he has had over the previous three years.

Women's No. 5: Bayley

Bayley's first half of 2024 was significantly stronger than her second, which explains her relatively low ranking here.

The Role Model won the women's Rumble match in January, then split from Damage CTRL and challenged Iyo Sky for the WWE Women's Championship at WrestleMania 40.

The 35-year-old won there in what was one of the seminal moments of her career.

Even after losing the title to Nia Jax at SummerSlam, she remained in the title picture and continued battling with The Irresistible Force, but it would not be unfair to suggest she lost creative momentum along the way.

And as 2024 comes to an end, she feels very much like one of a roomful of competitors instead of the face of the division.

Still, that first half of the year was the stuff of dreams and Bayley excelled when she was given the opportunity.

Men's No. 5: Roman Reigns

It remains somewhat extraordinary that Roman Reigns can rank on these end-of-year lists despite working so little.

It's a testament to him and the WWE Creative team that he remains as relevant as he does and competing in so many high-profile matches to make that possible.

Reigns defeated LA Knight, Randy Orton and AJ Styles in a Fatal 4-Way match to kick off his 2024 at the Royal Rumble, then teamed with The Rock to beat Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins on the first night of WrestleMania 40.

Just 24 hours later, he dropped the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship to Rhodes after a nearly four-year reign. And when he returned, he did so as a conquering babyface, striking down Solo Sikoa for seizing control of The Bloodline in his absence.

He partnered with Rhodes to beat Sikoa and Jacob Fatu, then captained the OG Bloodline (and CM Punk) to victory over the new Bloodline at Survivor Series: WarGames.

All things considered, this was a productive year for Reigns, culminating in a babyface turn that saw him rise in popularity naturally after WWE had spent a decade trying to force him on fans without success.

Women's No. 4: Bianca Belair

Bianca Belair may not have had the same singles success of the past in 2024, but she remains one of the most prominently featured Superstars on Raw or SmackDown while collecting more gold and rarely losing a match.

The EST of WWE remains unbeaten at WrestleMania as she partnered with Jade Cargill and Naomi to defeat Damage CTRL's Asuka, Kairi Sane and Dakota Kai. From there, she partnered with The Storm to win the Women's Tag Team Championship twice.

One of the premier workers in the women's division and a wrestler who is perpetually over with fans, the 35-year-old is one of the elite competitors on the roster.

The "whodunnit" storyline involving the vicious attack on Cargill late in the year and its eventual revelation will determine what Belair is going to be in 2025, but one thing is for sure: Whatever it is, she will be relevant.

Men's No. 4: Damian Priest

Damian Priest smashed through the glass ceiling in 2024, shaking off the idea he was little more than the enforcer of The Judgment Day by cashing in Money in the Bank at WrestleMania 40 and becoming world heavyweight champion by defeating Drew McIntyre.

From there, The Archer of Infamy flashed his natural charisma and ascended the ranks in WWE, becoming one of the faces of Raw.

The 42-year-old retained his title against Jey Uso and Drew McIntyre before jealousy on the part of his Judgment Day teammate, Finn Bálor, resulted in a shocking betrayal that cost him the title to Gunther.

Priest spent the rest of the year warring with his former faction in singles and tag team matches alongside Rhea Ripley. He had two shots at regaining the world title from The Ring General, but Bálor reared his head in both and cost him a second run with the gold.

Still, Priest enjoyed a significant year that saw him achieve the greatest success of his career while firmly entrenching himself at the top of the card.

Women's No. 3: Iyo Sky

Iyo Sky may be the best pure women's wrestler on the WWE roster, thanks to her combination of technical skill, striking and high-flying arsenal.

The 34-year-old also saw her stock rise in WWE as she entered the year as the women's world champion and assumed leadership of Damage CTRL when the faction ousted Bayley.

The Genius of the Sky lost her title to Bayley at WrestleMania 40 but remained a prominent fixture on WWE TV for the majority of the year, often in some of the best matches of whatever show she appeared on. Look no further than the Queen of the Ring semifinal against Lyra Valkyria.

Sky emerged again late in the year as a contender to Liv Morgan and the Women's World Championship. She lost at Saturday Night's Main Event but brushed it off and picked up a key win in the Women's Intercontinental Championship Tournament to take one step closer to becoming the first-ever winner.

Men's No. 3: Gunther

In terms of in-ring ability, Gunther may be the best wrestler on this list.

The Austrian, 37, also had a definitive year in 2024, entering as the intercontinental champion and leaving with the world heavyweight crown.

Along the way, he finished in the final four of the men's Rumble match, saw his 666-day reign as IC titleholder come to an end in a Match of the Year candidate against Sami Zayn, won the King of the Ring tournament and defeated Damian Priest for the World Heavyweight Championship.

The only thing keeping Gunther from ranking even higher on this countdown is that he took a backseat to ongoing rivalries as world champion, which is an indictment on the creative team.

However, it adversely affected the second half of his year, even though he still appeared at premium live events and Saturday Night's Main Event.

Women's No. 2: Rhea Ripley

Rhea Ripley became the main event attraction and incredibly marketable star in 2024 many in WWE believed she could be when she first stepped entered the Performance Center.

The Eradicator of The Judgment Day entered the year as the women's world champion and only lost the title when she suffered a real injury at the hands of Liv Morgan.

The Australian came back with a vengeance, more popular than ever and has waged war with her rival in a feud that spanned the whole year.

Along the way, the 28-year-old became one of the faces of Raw and partnered with Damian Priest to form The Terror Twins following a betrayal by their Judgment Day teammates.

She proved as popular as any other Superstar on the roster, and the opening of her theme song is as close to this generation's version of Steve Austin's glass-shattering in terms of generating a deafening pop.

Ripley is one of only two or three members of the current women's division who can be put in the main event of a PLE and be accepted in that role, thanks to her aura, popularity and in-ring ability.

Men's No. 2: Drew McIntyre

Drew McIntyre was the best character on WWE television in 2024.

That is some statement given the wealth of creative excellence from Triple H and his team, but there is no one else who can top what The Scottish Warrior accomplished this year.

Bitter about the return of CM Punk and the arrival of Jey Uso on Raw after past wrongs committed by them, McIntyre underwent a transformation from one-dimensional babyface to heel.

From there, the 39-year-old injured Punk in the men's Rumble match, costing him a WrestleMania 40 main event and then spent considerable time trolling him on social media.

In classic heel fashion, when the consequences came around for his actions, such as Punk attacking him at WrestleMania 40 and costing him the newly won World Heavyweight Championship, he failed to realize it was a direct response to his own doing.

An incredible feud with Punk stretched all the way to October, culminating in the best match of the year inside Hell in a Cell at Bad Blood.

Along the way, McIntyre lost championship matches, doubled down on his trolling and became the most complete villain on WWE TV, a trend that does not appear to be ending any time soon after he targeted Uso and Sami Zayn upon his return from a recent hiatus.

Women's No. 1: Liv Morgan

The Liv Morgan Revenge Tour took WWE by storm in 2024 as she returned from injury and proceeded to have the best year of her career.

The 30-year-old won the Women's World Championship by beating Becky Lynch, injured Rhea Ripley and stole Dominik Mysterio from her, joined The Judgment Day and saw her star rise to new heights.

This year saw Morgan make good on the potential she flashed during her days learning her craft in NXT, becoming one of the faces of Raw along the way.

Her in-ring performances improved while her promos and on-screen presence were undeniable, and the result was the most successful year of her career.

Men's No. 1: Cody Rhodes

Cody Rhodes kicked off the year by becoming the first Superstar to win back-to-back men's Rumble matches since "Stone Cold" Steve Austin in 1997 and 1998.

That historic feat was nearly negated by the return of The Rock and a teased matchup between him and Roman Reigns that would have left The American Nightmare out of the equation at WrestleMania 40.

The American Nightmare proved to be the real people's champion, though, and the "We Want Cody" social media and live event movement led to him taking his place in the main event against Reigns, where he finished his story by bringing The Tribal Chief's nearly four-year run as undisputed WWE universal champion to an end.

Successful title defenses against AJ Styles, Logan Paul, Solo Sikoa and Kevin Owens followed before an unlikely partnership with Reigns earned him a victory over Sikoa and Jacob Fatu at Bad Blood.

A win over world heavyweight titleholder Gunther gave him the Crown Jewel Championship and a red-hot feud with friend-turned-enemy Owens wrapped up what may have been the best year of the 39-year-old's career.

Rhodes is the easy No. 1 on this list and the undisputed face of pro wrestling's top promotion entering the new year, where he figures to battle for the top spot again as the standard-bearer and QB1 in this new era of WWE.