2024 has been a year full of excitement and surprises in the world of WWE. Throughout the year, fans have witnessed booking decisions that have drawn both applause and criticism. Some of these decisions elevated wrestlers to new heights, while others left fans perplexed.
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AEW has had an up and down year in 2024, with plenty of positives to go along with the negatives.
On this occasion, we’ll explore five booking decisions that fans loved in 2024 and five that they hated. From epic moments that will forever be etched in the collective memory to mistakes that sparked public frustration, we will analyze the impact of these decisions on the WWE landscape and fan perception. Join us as we look back at the successes and failures of WWE booking for 2024.
We loved: Dominik Mysterio betraying Rhea Ripley
Liv Morgan stole Dominik Mysterio from Rhea Ripley
- Liv Morgan defeated Rhea Ripley at SummerSlam.
- After the match, Dominik Mysterio kissed Liv Morgan.
- This allowed Rhea Ripley to complete her face turn.
Part of the
Liv Morgan
Revenge Tour was supposed to steal Dominik Mysterio from Rhea Ripley. She worked hard for it, spending several weeks seducing and even stalking Dominik, until, finally, Dom could no longer resist and ended up betraying Rhea at SummerSlam.
This was a new twist in the storyline and benefited both Dom and Liv, elevating them as a pair of heels, while allowing Ripley to officially become a babyface.
We Didn’t Like: Women’s Champions Lose in WarGames Match
Nia Jax and Liv Morgan looked weak
- Rhea Ripley, Naomi, IYO SKY, Bayley and Bianca Belair were the winners.
- Rhea Ripley pinned Liv Morgan.
- This was perhaps the worst women’s match in WarGames.
In theory, women’s champions are the best wrestlers around, at least in Kayfabe. Build a team with the two champions, Liv Morgan and
Nia Jax
along with talented wrestlers like Tiffany Stratton, Raquel Rodriguez and Candice LeRae, should have been enough to defeat any team.
However, the babyface team led by Rhea Ripley won despite IYO SKY, Bayley and Bianca Belair not getting along. It was a booking decision that didn’t sit well with fans.
We loved it: Bayley wins women’s Royal Rumble match
Bayley won the Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 40
- Bayley was the third entrant in the women’s Royal Rumble match.
- She scored seven kills.
- Bayley lasted 63 minutes, setting a new record in the Women’s Rumble.
Bayley
has been a central figure in the WWE women’s division for several years. Winning the Royal Rumble and the title at WrestleMania not only solidified his legacy, but also recognized his dedication and contributions to the company.
His Royal Rumble victory created an exciting and meaningful storyline. Bayley was betrayed by the women’s champion IYO SKY and her teammates from Damage CTRL, so we had an emotional and above all exceptional match at FightMania 40. Bayley managed to win the title and received a standing ovation from the fans again after a long time as a heel.
We didn’t like: Drew McIntyre’s failed cash-in
WWE wasted the money in the bank briefcase
- Drew McIntyre won the Money In The Bank 2024 ladder match.
- McIntyre cashed in during the world heavyweight title match between Damian Priest and Seth Rollins.
- CM Punk cost McIntyre the match and the title.
The Money In The Bank briefcase is a powerful tool that can propel a wrestler to stardom. By giving the briefcase to
Drew McIntyre
only for him to miss the money in the match between Damian Priest and Seth Rollins that same night, WWE squandered the opportunity to revitalize a career and give someone else a boost.
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McIntyre is a wrestler with great presence and skills in the ring. Not cashing in on the contract not only hurt his credibility, but also made him appear less competent compared to other wrestlers who had success in the past. It’s understandable that they wanted to add fuel to the McIntyre/CM Punk rivalry, but in this case it would have been better for Punk to attack McIntyre during the ladder match.
We loved it: Tiffany Stratton becomes Miss Money In The Bank
Tiffany Stratton is a beloved heel
- Tiffany Stratton won the Money In The Bank 2024 women’s ladder match.
- Stratton still has the briefcase in his hands.
- Stratton is likely to successfully cash in his contract in 2025.
Unlike the men’s Money In The Bank ladder match, the women’s ladder match had a logical winner, who still had the briefcase in his hands.
Tiffany Stratton
It was the right call, and the fans made it known when they cheered even though Stratton is a heel.
Tiffy is young, very talented and is a “bad guy” ready to hold a women’s championship, so giving her the briefcase was definitely a good booking decision. Chelsea Green was also a strong contender, but she ended up winning the United States women’s title, which was also a move fans loved.
We didn’t like: Logan Paul’s reign in the United States
Logan Paul’s title reign lasted longer than it should have
- Logan Paul won the United States Championship at Crown Jewel 2023.
- He held the title for 273 days.
- Paul has only had three title defenses.
Logan Paul held the United States title for the first seven months of 2024 and defended it just three times, including his loss to LA Knight at SummerSlam.
We know how famous Paul is and what he can bring to the company, but the fact that he has held the title hostage for so long has only hurt the WWE midcard scene and has took away opportunities from several wrestlers who deserved to compete for this title. This was a perfect example of why celebrities shouldn’t win titles in WWE.
We Loved: The New Day Heel Turn
Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston excited Big E
- The New Day celebrated its 10th anniversary.
- Big E returned, ready to help Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston.
- Woods and Kingston turned on Big E.
Everyone expected The New Day to break up and Xavier Woods to turn heel, but instead we got an unexpected twist. During The New Day’s 10th anniversary celebration, Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston seemed ready to announce their split, but Big E showed up to try to save the historic stable.
Unexpectedly, Woods and Kingston turned on E and told him it was all his fault, including one memorable line: “You broke your neck, so what?” It’s a booking decision that left fans stunned, even teary-eyed, and it’s the kind of booking decision we love.
We didn’t like: Sami Zayn dethrones Gunther
Sami Zayn had an unforgettable title reign
- Sami Zayn defeated Gunther at WrestleMania 40.
- Zayn lost to Bron Breakker at SummerSlam 2024.
- Sami Zayn held the Intercontinental Title for 119 days.
Gunther had the longest Intercontinental title reign in history, being a dominant and admirable champion from start to finish.
Sami Zayn
was the one chosen to dethrone him, it wasn’t the best choice from the start, but maybe Triple H knew what he was doing…right?
Zayn had an unforgettable title reign and lost the title in a five-minute match to Bron Breakker at SummerSlam, which belies the fact that Zayn was good enough to beat Gunther. This was a booking decision we didn’t like and one that clearly shows that perhaps it was Chad Gable who should have dethroned Gunther.
We loved it: Cody Rhodes dethrones Roman Reigns
Cody Rhodes defeated Roman Reigns in a memorable match at WrestleMania 40
- Roman Reigns vs. The Rock was the original plan for WrestleMania 40.
- Fans wanted Cody Rhodes to finish his story.
- Triple H did the right thing and gave the title to Cody.
WWE’s original plan for the main event of FightMania 40 was for Roman Reigns to defend the undisputed WWE Championship against The Rock. However, fans raised their voices and chose Cody Rhodes. Fortunately, Triple H and The Rock listened and changed their plans.
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We had an epic road to WrestleMania, with The Rock making Cody’s life miserable, leading to a fantastic tag team match at WrestleMania on Saturday and finally, The American Nightmare defeated The Tribal Chief and finished his story after
a match for the ages
at WrestleMania on Sunday. It was WWE’s most important booking decision of the year.
We didn’t like: Finn Balor does nothing after betraying Damian Priest
Finn Balor’s talent was wasted again
- Finn Balor betrayed Damian Priest at SummerSlam.
- Balor wasn’t pushed afterward.
- Priest defeated Balor at Bad Blood 2024.
Finn Balor betrayed Damian Priest after growing tired of being under his shadow. It looked like Balor was going to take center stage after this, that he was going to gain notoriety, but he didn’t.
Balor has lost time and time again since, losing to Damian Priest at Bad bloodlosing the Triple Threat match to Saturday Night Main Event and even losing the World Tag Team Championship. Then Balor betrayed Priest and showed his rebellion for nothing.
