2024 has been an incredible year for professional wrestling, especially in the landscape of theWWE. Thanks to anannouncement about a Netflix deal, a truly electrifying (and often hilarious) Rock return, and a scattered international presence, many wrestling fans will admit that WWE is great again. Most importantly, it’s the matches which keep bringing fans back for more.
It’s no secret that the actual in-ring wrestling comes secondary to storytelling, specifically in the sports entertainment environment of the WWE. The most important part of wrestling isn’t always wrestling. Usually, it’sthe promos in WWE, or soap opera-esque storytelling on display. However, 2024 is a rare year wherethe wrestling has been just as compelling as the stories across the roster. Thankfully, WWE has been gracious enough to upload many of the year’s best matches for free on YouTube.
10Braun Strowman vs. Bronson Reed - Last Monster Standing
Monday Night Raw, Jul 02, 2025
The tail end of the summer was dominated by Braun Strowman and Bronson Reed,two behemoths who found creative ways to go viral every week, ranging from flinging fully grown men at each other to one splashing the other on a two-ton car. The chaos would culminate in an equally chaotic Last Man (Monster) Standing match, which saw the return of Seth Freakin' Rollins and the return of a familiar ring break spot from a nearly 1,000 lb top rope suplex.
The match has divided some audiences, including critics like WWE Hall of Famer Bubba Ray Dudley, who on Busted Open Radio argued thatthe match simply didn’t work. However, those who enjoyed it indulge in the spectacle of, as Big E once put it best,big meaty men slapping meat.
9Randy Orton vs. Je’Von Evans
NXT, June 27, 2025
NXT is WWE’s classic developmental system now produced on a worldwide, high-production scale. As what worked in WWE’s past for developmental brands like OVW and FCW, the best way to prime rookies for the main roster is to have them wrestle visiting main roster talents. Enter Randy Orton, the RKO master. In NXT’s first episode on The CW, The Viper faced first-year NXT competitor, Je’Von Evans (who dons a similar Cutter for a finisher) in front of his local St. Louis crowd.
In the biggest match of his wrestling career yet,Evans has a surprisingly good outing against the two-decade veteran. Granted, it didn’t end spectacularly as an ambitious RKO attempt was botched, but post-match made for a wholesome sight not only with Orton raising “Bouncy” Evans' hand out of respect but for audibly being heard forgiving Evans for the misstep.
8Jey Uso (c) vs. Bron Breakker - WWE Intercontinental Championship
Monday Night Raw, June 11, 2025
Jey Uso vs. Bron Breakker has turned intoa surprisingly generational feud in WWE, built off the history of Jey’s Samoan lineage having never defeated any wrestler from Bron’s Steiner family. In a rivalry based on legacy, “Main Event” Jey Uso came out on top by defeating Rick Steiner’s son for the Intercontinental Championship some weeks prior. This would mark the rematch for the coveted workhorse title.
The shenanigans ofthe neverending Bloodline storylinestop this match from topping its predecessor (even if it does tease the ensuing dream match of Jacob Fatu vs. Bron Breakker), butthe chemistry between Breakker and Uso still makes for a must-see affair. It’s an interesting mix of intensity based on family feuds and the mutual respect between two men who earned it from each other.
7Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Nia Jax - World Women’s Championship
WWE Elimination Chamber: Perth
This is the kind of match that Gorilla Monsoon was talking about 40 years ago during one ofAndre the Giant’s most iconic matchesagainst Hulk Hogan. This is what happens whenan irresistible force meets an immovable object. Rhea Ripley, the magnitude of her charisma and the height of her popularity at an all-time high, is facing the literal biggest challenge of her title reign thus far in the form of Nia Jax.
Thistaking place in Ripley’s home country of Australiaonly adds to the electric atmosphere of the event. Both women seem evenly matched, frequently colliding into each other, matching strength with strength, with Nia’s stature sometimes proving to be the X-factor. It’s a rare instance of the juggernaut Ripley playing the underdog, and thanks to Jax outweighing Ripley, it’s believable to see. It makes for a highly captivating bout.
6Joe Hendry vs. Wes Lee vs. Pete Dunne - Number One Contender’s Match for the WWE NXT Championship
NXT, July 16, 2025
Many of the sleeper hits of 2024 have taken place on WWE’s developmental brand. It also houses the biggest benefit toWWE’s current working relationship with Total Nonstop Action, as several top-tier TNA talents have been featured week-to-week in main event angles. Among those talents is the red-hot Joe Hendry, who meets the once-longest-reigning North American Champion and the former longest-reigning United Kingdom Champion in a triple threat. The winner faces the NXT Champion Ethan Page (a former TNA star, one-half of the longest reigning TNA Tag Team Champions) at No Mercy.
The match is most notable for having a wholly creative finish. Hendry is the last person who Page wants to defend his title against, so he distracts the referee after Hendry lands his finisher. Moments later, Pete Dunne hits the Bitter End on Hendry, but can’t capitalize while the ref’s back is still turned. Meanwhile, Dunne’s rival Trick Williams enters the fray to hit his Trick Shot running knee on Dunne, and slide another referee in the match to secure the victory for Hendry, much to All Ego’s dismay.
5Solo Sikoa and Tama Tonga vs. Randy Orton and Kevin Owens - Street Fight
WWE Backlash: France
WWE Backlash showcased just how much WWE having more premium live events overseas has only benefited the atmosphere of their B-shows. It certainly benefitted this show, asthe France crowd still holds up as one of the best WWE crowds of the year. Such a crowd was much needed to help add legitimacy to Solo Sikoa’s new reign as the self-proclaimed, uncrowned Tribal Chief. He had just kicked Jimmy Uso out of the group and added the debuting former NJPW star, Tama Tonga, to the group.
As they face longtime Bloodline foes, Randy Orton and Kevin Owens, they needed to build their credibility with a hot match in front of a hot crowd. This was exactly that, with both teams brawling all over the arena, highlighted by a dream confrontation between Orton and Tama (masters of the Cutter in their respective rights) and KO finding a neck-breaking use for chairs. This is all before Tama’s brother Tonga Loa debuts, albeit with a slightly miscued run-in that nearly spoils the match’s climax.
4Cody Rhodes (c) vs. AJ Styles - WWE Championship
Speaking ofmatches that benefit from a hot France crowd, the main event of the night did even more so. AJ Styles vs. Cody Rhodes was always destined to be a great match on paper thanks to the sheer ability of the competitors involved, but actual investment was questionable since there wasn’t much of a story going into the match. It was two babyfaces who mutually respected each other and wanted to earn the right to call themselves WWE Champion.
There’s nothing wrong with babyface vs. babyface matches, but when crowds love storylines, a match hyped on in-ring wrestling alone was always going to be a hard sell. However,it helped that the crowd was excited about basically everything, making everything Styles and Rhodes did in the ring feel far all the more grandiose than it already was.
3The Rock and Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins and Cody Rhodes - Bloodline Rules Tag Team Match
WrestleMania XL Night One
In the best use of the two-night WrestleMania concept since WWE implemented it four years ago, Night One of WrestleMania XL hadmajor implications for Night Two’s main event. If Roman Reigns and The Rock won, then the former’s title defense the next night would be under Bloodline Rules. If Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins won, then the Bloodline would be barred from ringside.
In hindsight, it may have been a little obvious that The Bloodline would win this one since they have the more enticing, lucrative stipulation for Night Two. Thankfully, that didn’t stop this match from being an absolute blast to watch. In addition to the arena-wide brawl between all four men havinga classic Attitude Era tone, it also goes a long way to foreshadowing the inevitable Rock vs. Roman, thanks to a Spear heard ‘round the world.
2Roman Reigns (c) vs. Cody Rhodes - WWE Championship Bloodline Rules Match
WrestleMania XL Night Two
As exciting as the main event of Night One is, it caters to what makes the main event of Night Two so great. As many expected going into Night One, The Rock and Roman Reigns won, meaning that Cody Rhodes had to endure a No Disqualification bout where The Bloodline was bound to appear on their Tribal Chief’s behalf. Cody comes prepared, though, as numerous cameos get wheeled out in defense of the Rhodes dynasty, including John Cena, Jey Uso, and most unexpectedly, The Undertaker.
Even before the match became so cameo-heavy,both men managed to top their previous Mania boutwith crisp chemistry and a boiling atmosphere. They trade finishers, steal each other’s finishers, and hit one counter after another proving both men have learned from the mistakes of previous encounters. It resulted in one of thebest matches of Roman Reignsand Cody Rhodes’ careers.
1Gunther (c) vs. Sami Zayn - WWE Intercontinental Championship
The main event of WWE’s Grandest Stage of Them All aside, one sleeper pick for the best match of Mania weekend wasa match that everyone will agree exceeded expectations. This was a match that everyone considered an afterthought, as fans expected Zayn to be slim pickings for the longest reigning IC Champ, especially when everyone would’ve rather had the over-like-rover underdog Chad Gable in the mix. Even the storyline on the Road to WrestleMania had to acknowledge this, as Zayn grew increasingly frustrated with everyone expecting him to lose.
Props to the tenacity of Zayn, asno one plays an underdog quite like The Underdog from the Underground. Despite everyone expecting him to lose, his performance sees him constantly, desperately fighting from underneath in a way that makes the crowd buy into the slight chance that he could win. TheWWEUniverse remained unglued from their seats from start to finish, especially in the shocking conclusion of Zayn unleashing his old indy finisher - top rope brainbuster - and a series of Helluva Kicks to end Gunther’s reign on day 666.
