What a thrilling, tumultuous, and unforgettable 2023 it was for WWE. Last year saw many shocking moments for the premier sports entertainment company. And with Raw Day 1 making national headlines, 2024 already looks to be another wild and unpredictable year for WWE. Given my affinity for pro-wrestling and penchant for making utterly flawless match and storyline predictions, I thought I’d take a crack at predicting some of the biggest moments for WWE in 2024!

Last year was a roller coaster of emotions for many wrestling fans. The WWE Universe got to witness heartwarming moments like lifelong friends Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens winning tag-team gold from the Bloodline in the main event of night one of WrestleMania.

Speaking of the Bloodline, another cathartic moment for WWE fans came at the hands – or rather, foot – of Jey Uso, who finally broke free of Roman Reigns’ tyrannical leadership and set out to become his own man. Ever since shedding his shackles and leaving his Bloodline brethren in the dust, “Main Event” Jey has been killing it on Raw.

As high as the highs were for WWE in 2023, the lows were just as low. One of the most soul-crushing moments for the WWE Universe happened in the main event of Night 2 of WrestleMania, when Cody Rhodes failed to win the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship from Roman Reigns. Rhodes was heavily favored to win heading into the match, with the American Nightmare pledging to “finish the story” against the Tribal Chief. His loss came as a profound shock and left the crowd at SoFi stadium in stunned silence.

But apart from matches and in-ring action, WWE is all about creating once-in-a-lifetime moments and experiences. Many of these moments came in the form of shocking returns from fan favorites like Randy Orton, John Cena, Bianca Belair, and even a brief Royal Rumble appearance from Hall-Of-Famer Booker T.

And of course the biggest return of the year came in late November, when CM Punk came back to WWE nearly ten years after his abrupt departure in 2014. It was a moment many wrestling fans were convinced would never happen, and stands as arguably the single most jaw-dropping moment for WWE, and pro-wrestling as a whole, in all of 2023.

But now it’s time to look ahead. We’re just a couple days into the new year and things have already popped off considerably for WWE. Raw Day 1 delivered a thrilling World Heavyweight Championship match, a brutal slugfest of a World Women’s Championship match, and the return of WWE legend Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who seems to have his sights set on his cousin Roman Reigns for a title match down the road.

It’s clear that WWE is setting out to make this year the biggest and best yet. With that in mind, here’s my five boldest predictions for WWE in 2024!

• 1. Cody Rhodes Finishes The Story At WrestleMania

  With The Rock’s return at Raw Day 1, rumors have been circulating that his long-awaited match against the Tribal Chief Roman Reigns could be the plan for WrestleMania.

  But I don’t believe that’s the case. WWE has two premium live events to get through before their biggest show of the year. I foresee Rock/Roman going down at either Royal Rumble later this month, or Elimination Chamber in late February.

  Don’t get me wrong, I get the intrigue of a Roman and Rock match for WrestleMania. The story tells itself with Rock being ashamed of Roman’s sociopathic behavior bringing dishonor to their family heritage. It makes sense narratively and would no doubt sell a lot of tickets.

  But they’ve been planting seeds of a rematch between Cody and Roman all year long, with both superstars dropping references to the other in various promos and matches. Even with The Rock seemingly guaranteed to fight for the title in the near future, I don’t think creative has strayed from the path this close to WrestleMania season. I have another reason to doubt Rock and Roman do battle at WrestleMania, which I will get into later in the list.

  I still firmly believe Cody gets to finish his story at WrestleMania, and ultimately claim the achievement that has eluded his own family line for generations. Remember that I said that, because it’ll play into another entry on this list as well.

• 2. CM Punk Turns Heel

  CM Punk sent shockwaves through the wrestling industry when he returned to WWE in the closing moments of Survivor Series. Since then the controversial superstar has received love and acclaim from fans every time he’s stepped through the curtain.

  This was bound to happen of course. Even with his polarizing reputation preceding him, nobody can deny that CM Punk has that “it” factor that resonates with fans. You couple his intangible gifts in the ring and on the microphone with his prolonged absence from WWE TV, it only makes sense that the fans would be elated to welcome Punk back with open arms.

  But the further we go into 2024, the more that initial shock factor of Punk’s return will wear off, and he’ll soon be forced to change trajectory if he wishes to stay in the forefront of an ever-changing wrestling landscape. And what better way to do that, for Punk especially, than with a good old-fashioned heel turn?

  Punk is a great good guy, but history has proven he’s nigh untouchable as a bad guy. His natural confidence and self-belief, combined with his scathing and line-blurring promo style makes him the perfect foil to some of WWE’s biggest babyfaces. The sooner CM Punk sheds the happy-to-be-back schtick and becomes the cocky, opportunistic jerk we all know and love, the better off WWE will be in 2024.

• 3. Tiffany Stratton Wins Main Roster Gold

  Ever since debuting on WWE’s developmental brand NXT in 2021, relative newcomer Tiffany Stratton has taken the wrestling world by storm. With a perfect mixture of natural athleticism from her years as a gymnast and her intimate understanding of her “Buff Barbie” persona, Stratton has made insane strides for someone just two years into her pro-wrestling career.

  Tiffany already has an NXT Women’s Championship reign under her belt, and was named Female Superstar of the Year for 2023. And at just 24 years of age, Stratton has a ton of longevity and upside as she progresses her in-ring acumen and character work.

  I’m usually wary of WWE pushing their developmental stars to the main roster too early, but I get a good feeling with Stratton. I foresee the Buff Barbie not only debuting this year, but securing Women’s Championship gold to let everyone know exactly who she is.

• 4. Damian Priest Cashes In...On Cody

  I think I’ve made my thoughts clear on the WWE Universal championship picture at this year’s WrestleMania. While I do believe Cody will finish his story and finally win the big one on the grandest stage of them all, I can’t shake the feeling that a big swerve is coming soon after.

  That swerve could very well be “Señor Money In The Bank” Damian Priest.

  Ever since winning the Money In The Bank briefcase last July, Priest has been hellbent on trying to cash in his guaranteed title match against the World Heavyweight Champion Seth “Freakin” Rollins. But every attempt at this has been thwarted due to one reason or another, whether it’s through outside intervention or incompetence of his Judgment Day cohorts.

  But I think it’s possible, and honestly quite likely, that this is all a misdirect. I think they keep having Damian go after the World Championship to throw us off the scent of him cashing in on the WWE Universal title instead. Given how sneaky and underhanded Judgment Day is, I can totally see him waiting to cash in on a battered and weakened Cody Rhodes soon after he wins the title from Roman.

  Whether Damian cashes in at WrestleMania or on the Raw the night after, who’s to say? But I do think that Damian will bide his time a little longer, waiting to strike and ruin the dream of the American Nightmare.

• 5. The Rock Headlines The WWE Hall of Fame

  Does 2024 smell what the Rock is cookin’?!

  Casual and hardcore wrestling fans alike are always shocked to find out that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has yet to be inducted in the WWE Hall Of Fame. It’s almost a Mandela Effect situation where fans could swear they remember him being there and giving a speech.

  While The Rock has inducted his father and grandfather into the Hall, he himself has not been inducted. Given that he is arguably the biggest superstar in sports entertainment history, you gotta think that the powers that be at WWE wanted to wait for the right time to induct him.

  I think the night before the milestone WrestleMania 40 is that time.

  As stated earlier, it’s clear that Rock has his sights set on Roman Reigns and his WWE Universal championship sometime soon. But this is predominantly why I don’t think that match is destined for WrestleMania. I believe Rock would want to put his cousin over as hard as possible as his final act before his induction. And then by the time WrestleMania weekend comes around, all he has to do is headline this year’s Hall of Fame class and electrify the millions (and millions!) of Rock fans without having to get back in the ring.

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