The Top Five Matches of 2024
Plus–Hulk Hogan on Cody Rhodes
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The Week in Wrestling is published every week and provides beneath the surface coverage of the business of pro wrestling.
The best bouts from 2024
Saying goodbye is a lot like saying hello.
In many ways, that sums up my favorite matches from the past year. The ability to tie together a performer’s entire career in one night is no small feat, yet we saw that done in masterful fashion on multiple occasions throughout the past 12 months.
And that takes us to the top five matches from 2024.
With pro wrestling on almost every night of the week, the odds have improved significantly that you’re going to find something you like. But the pay-per-views and PLEs are still where the top content will be displayed. That was the case at AEW’s Revolution PPV, where we witnessed an outstanding bout between Will Ospreay and Konosuke Takeshita, as well as WrestleMania 40 when Bayley defeated Iyo Sky.
But this is only a list of the top five matches from the year. Missing is Ospreay against Bryan Danielson from Dynasty, which was a spectacular match taken to a whole other level by an incredibly passionate crowd. The finish, however, saw Danielson injure his neck (a moment that never extended the feud as both men moved in different directions) and it completely removed my suspension of disbelief.
The right ending is a critical part of a match, which is what made the matches on the ensuing list so special. And that list begins with:
I. Cody Rhodes vs. Roman Reigns, WrestleMania 40
This wasn’t just a rematch of the main event from WrestleMania 39.
It was a story of the improbable, where Cody Rhodes–who once wrestled in WWE as Stardust–reached the top of the wrestling industry. It was a bit over-the-top at times with cameos from The Rock, John Cena, The Undertaker, Seth Rollins in his Shield gear, and more, but so much of Reigns’ run as champ was defined by outside interference that it made complete sense for it to ultimately backfire on him.
The match was exactly what it needed to be, a spectacular moment that instantly became an all-time classic.
II. Bryan Danielson vs. Swerve Strickland, All In
For my money, there wasn’t a better bout all year.
This wasn’t just the match of the year, it was the match of Bryan Danielson’s career. Yes, he may have had better technical wrestling bouts on the indies. You can certainly argue he had higher profile matches in WWE. Yet this was the culmination of it all, overcoming a bad neck (for real) in his quest for one last moment atop the wrestling world.
If Danielson never leaves WWE, would Rhodes have still headlined WrestleMania 40? Or is there a parallel universe where Danielson is the one who defeats Reigns? We’ll never know, but instead, we received two phenomenal matches only months apart in 2024.
III. Drew McIntyre vs. CM Punk, Bad Blood
Drew McIntyre and CM Punk both had a lot at stake entering this Hell in a Cell match. McIntyre’s most defining moments had come during the pandemic without a crowd, while Punk was hungry to prove he remains the industry’s most gripping in-ring storyteller.
And they both exceeded expectations.
Beginning at SummerSlam, Punk and McIntyre couldn’t find the perfect rhythm together. That changed as their matches progressed, and they saved the best for last at Bad Blood this past October when they met at Hell in a Cell. This should have headlined the card (it was bumped due to a return by The Rock), but nothing can take away from its magnificence. It was a symphony of violence and bloodshed, with Punk winning the war.
This set the standard for everything a Hell in a Cell match should be. If it is ever reached again, those who witness it will be extremely fortunate.
IV. Will Ospreay vs. MJF, Dynamite
On the subject of proving grounds, look no further than the opening match from Dynamite on July 17 when Maxwell J. Friedman defeated Will Ospreay in 59-minute, 58-second thriller.
This was pure wrestling joy. Ospreay is an athletic marvel and constant highlight reel, but MJF was the perfect opponent, making every move and moment feel realistic and legitimate. Though they would wrestle again at All In in London, this was their finest moment together.
MJF is full of bravado, but he can back it up. On this hot summer night in North Little Rock, Arkansas, he showcased why he is even better than Ospreay.
V. Sting and Darby Allin vs. The Young Bucks, Revolution
In the days prior to Sting’s last match, he said to me, “I’m going to wrestle a way that will make people want to save the tape.”
Perhaps you’re noticing a trend with these matches. There is a blend of nostalgia and a modern-day edge. That is what we witnessed at AEW’s Revolution pay-per-view in March, when Sting teamed with Darby Allin one last time and defeated The Young Bucks in a match that, yes, wanted to make you go back in time and save the tape.
The brilliance of the Bucks was also on display, who sent Ricky Steamboat and Ric Flair engraved invitations to their superkick party. They also played the villains in an exceptional manner, and it all built to Sting’s grand finale–that also included some death-defying stunts from Darby Allin.
This past week…
… This past Monday’s Raw was pre-taped, but next week’s will feature a face-off between Seth Rollins and CM Punk (as well as the semi-finals in the women’s IC title tournament; in a related note, how much fun is it to know the Raw matches ahead of time?).
… RIP to Rey Misterio Sr., who passed away on December 20.
The legendary uncle of Rey Mysterio, he left a lasting impression in pro wrestling. His passing reminded me of a conversation with Mysterio, who was brought to tears the night his uncle lost his mask.
“As a kid, I loved watching my uncle wrestle,” Mysterio told me. “Wrestling back in the early ‘80s, those ten years from ‘80 to ‘90, those were the moments I enjoyed most about wrestling. I was just a fan, and I learned and absorbed everything. The one match that really stands out the most was when my uncle lost his mask. That’s the night I was determined to continue the legacy.
“I cried like a baby. That auditorium in Tijuana was known as the spot where the most iconic masks would be lost, but I never thought my uncle was going to lose. He had won so many hair matches and mask matches, so when I heard the one-two-three, and it wasn’t just me, that whole place was in awe. We couldn’t believe what had happened. It was a very sad moment for Tijuana and all the Misterio fans.”
… The New Day have unlimited potential as heels. They’ll need the tag team gold at some point, but their current focus, and rightfully so, is establishing themselves as bad guys.
… For those looking for more pro wrestling content, check out On This Day in WWE.
… WWE Vault on YouTube is phenomenal. In the past week alone, there have been plenty of compelling videos for ECW Week, as well as an unseen title match from Japan pitting Triple H against Tajiri. There is also this fantastic video on Steve Austin’s time in ECW, which laid the foundation for his iconic run as “Stone Cold” in WWE.
Hulk Hogan on Cody Rhodes–and Dusty, too
Take a close look at the crowd at Nitro on July 6, 1998.
There at the Georgia Dome, soaking up every moment of the WCW title bout pitting Goldberg against Hollywood Hogan, was Cody Rhodes.
“You can see me in the crowd with a backwards Penn State hat on,” said Rhodes. “I feel like I’m off to the right side. That’s one of the most fun experiences I ever had as a fan.”
Rhodes discussed this match with me shortly before rejoining WWE. Though decades had passed, he was still in awe of the intensity between Goldberg and the NWO.
“That was the culmination of a story we’d followed so closely,” said Rhodes. “This was all about Bill’s journey. Remember, earlier in the night he wrestled Scott Hall. The fact that he was in Atlanta where he had all this history with the Bulldogs and the Falcons, and it’s the home of Turner, it all culminated that night.
“I know we hear the criticism that it should have been on pay-per-view, but no, they should have put something better on pay-per-view. You should always keep getting better. That’s easy to say now, but at the time, the moment was there. The crowd genuinely loved every aspect of it. The crowd made it so special.”
Prior to his legendary run in WCW, Hulk Hogan ruled the wrestling universe as wrestling’s all-time greatest babyface. He brought WWE to heights otherwise foreign to professional wrestling.
Considering Rhodes is nearly a year into his WWE title reign as a crowd favorite, an extraordinarily complex task in the modern era, Hogan has paid close attention to his run atop WWE.
“A lot of what we did back then still works,” said Hogan. “From time to time, you see him sort of ‘Hulk up’. That’s cool to see. But it’s so hard to compare. This is a completely different time. I slammed Andre The Giant once [at WrestleMania III], and that was it. Would one slam be enough now? I don’t know. So times have changed, but Cody’s doing a great job with the belt–and that’s not easy.”
Wrestling has a unique way of connecting the past and present. As a child of the 1990s, Cody Rhodes grew up watching Hulk. Years prior, Hulk grew up watching Cody’s father–the legendary Dusty Rhodes.
“Dusty was the one who got me hooked on wrestling,” Hogan once told me. “If Dusty Rhodes was not on TV on Saturday or Sunday morning here in Tampa, we were pissed off. We lived for Dusty Rhodes. I loved the matches, but the interviews alone, man–those were incredible.
“He was the main reason I got focused on pro wrestling. If it wasn’t for Dusty, none of this happens.”
Tweet of the Week
Congrats to Dustin, though it would have been extremely fascinating to see him have one more run with Cody in WWE. This will allow him to keep coaching and training the next generation of wrestlers, and who knows, maybe that one last run at the world title isn’t out of the question quite yet…