Wrestlers of the Year 2024: Who were the ultimate kings and queens of the ring?
If AEW exists, in spirit, off of the in-ring style pioneered by The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega, then Will Ospreay is its spiritual successor.
There is an artistic void in professional wrestling when Kenny Omega isn’t present, and while Ospreay is no replacement, he relentlessly did his part 2024 to restore that feeling. The real question heading into the year was whether he’d be able to perform at his incredible Revolution Pro/New Japan Pro Wrestling level week in and week out under the AEW banner. That question almost seems laughable in retrospect, because Ospreay made it a point to perform at the highest level every time out.
He set the standard for 2024's Match of the Year less than two months into his AEW tenure, defeating Bryan Danielson at the promotion's Dynasty pay-per-view in April. He also had a few of the year’s top title matches, one in regaining his International Title from MJF at All In, then in a losing effort to then-AEW World Champion Swerve Strickland at Forbidden Door. He closed out the year winning the Gold League in the 2024 Continental Classic, then defeated former friend Kyle Fletcher in the semifinals before ultimately losing to Kazuchika Okada in a stunning finals match at AEW Worlds End.
Pick out any of the matches listed — or his match with PAC, or Daniel Garcia, or run through any "AEW Dynamite" or "AEW Collision" episode featuring Ospreay — he had the crowd in his hands in a way no other consistent performer did over the past 12 months. He felt like he was supposed to win every match he was in, and when he didn't, it was seen as a big deal for his opponent. No one in the business better encapsulated what their wrestling promotion was trying to showcase than Ospreay did in 2024.
That is why "The Aerial Assassin" is Uncrowned's inaugural Male Wrestler of the Year.
Best of the Rest
2. Cody Rhodes
In any other year, Rhodes runs away with this designation.
He repeated as Royal Rumble winner, main evented both nights of WrestleMania, and became the man to finally dethrone Roman Reigns as WWE Champion. Fulfilling what some perceived to be a family birthright, he won the big one, and has since performed spectacularly as WWE’s frontman. He’s the biggest stadium act in the business, helping WWE set sales and attendance records. In a world where so many of the top players live in a world of grey, he’s unabashedly the business white knight, doing all of the things an upstanding hero should. He had great title defenses, most notably against Kevin Owens and AJ Styles, that showed he didn’t take his foot off the gas after the biggest night of his life.
If not for Ospreay’s masterful execution of his brutal, athletic style all year, the Undisputed WWE Champion would have another award to place on his mantle.
3. Gunther
Gunther had one of the most impressive two-year runs in a long time, dominating all of 2023 as WWE Intercontinental Champion then branching out into even more success into 2024.
After losing that title to Sami Zayn at WrestleMania in April, Gunther set his sights on the World Heavyweight Championship, securing his shot by winning the King of the Ring tournament. He defeated Damian Priest at SummerSlam in August for the title, then racked up successful defenses over Randy Orton, Sami Zayn and both Priest and Finn Balor at Survivor Series.
It’s possible "The Ring General" is becoming a victim of his own success, but he’s been great in the squared circle, sharp on the microphone, and enters 2025 poised to be WWE’s next great villain.
4. Swerve Strickland
Strickland’s past 18 months were so strong, he’s ends 2024 nestled firmly within both the Wrestler of the Year and Breakthrough Wrestler of the Year categories.
While making history by becoming AEW’s first Black World Champion (and one of the few ever across major American wrestling), he’s found a voice — and an edge — to match what was always stellar in-ring work. He had two Match of the Year candidates with Ospreay and Danielson, the crowd embraced him as their favorite anti-hero, and he’s just come out of a blood feud with Hangman Page with both men bigger stars as a result. He’s made AEW his house, and is looking to buy even more property in 2025.
5. Bryan Danielson
Danielson’s swan song to professional wrestling in 2024 included capturing the AEW World Championship and putting on two of the company’s best matches to date with Ospreay and Strickland.
Danielson is absolutely one of the best wrestlers this century, and to have still been competing at such a high level on his way out the door is unheard of. After such an amazing sendoff for an amazing talent, the quality of what Danielson gave the wrestling community in 2024 won’t soon be forgotten.
Here is how Uncrowned's wrestling team voted for 2024's Male Wrestler of the Year.
Honorable mentions:
Drew McIntyre
Damian Priest
Sami Zayn
Seth Rollins
FEMALE WRESTLER OF THE YEAR
Toni Storm’s path to Wrestler of the Year is especially interesting because she’s been successful at every stop, just as she’s been successful at her current stop in AEW.
But we’re in a period within professional wrestling where everyone is a “good wrestler.” Plenty of talents within the industry have a long Wikipedia page of lesser known titles and accomplishments, and sometimes they have a solid collection of WWE/AEW accolades to boot. But even with those names and numbers, women within wrestling aren’t always given the chance to become fully fleshed out characters whose motivations delve deeper than greed or jealousy. With the invention of “Timeless” Toni Storm, however — an out-of-time black-and-white era film starlet — the wrestling world suddenly had this over-the-top, wacky character, chewing up scenery, making wild proclamations and references, while still doing the phenomenal ringwork week-in and week-out that Storm was known for as a “normal” act.
She carried the AEW Women’s Championship for almost 300 days, winning it for the third time at November 2023’s Full Gear event. With successful defenses against Deonna Purrazzo, Thunder Rosa, Serena Deeb and Mina Shirakawa, Storm faced and bested four very distinct challengers while shining at press conferences, AEW’s own YouTube shows, and her personal, over-the-top vignettes.
But perhaps the most impressive feat Storm accomplished in 2024 is to help create a new star while she herself was on her own ascent. Mariah May, introduced as Storm superfan, tribute act and now sworn rival, had very little exposure on the American wrestling scene prior to this year. But building alongside Storm as Storm dove further and further into the “Timeless” role, May captured the Women’s Championship and established herself as Uncrowned's Breakthrough Wrestler of the Year.
Now everyone enters 2025 awaiting their eventual showdown. Of all the talents on this list, no one can claim to have done as much for another act as they did for themselves quite the way Storm can.
Plenty of wrestlers had good years in 2024, but Storm was an asset to herself, to her peers, and to the entertainment side of professional wrestling in such a uniquely thorough way, it’s hard to give enough credit to her efforts. She is Uncrowned's inaugural Female Wrestler of the Year.
Best of the Rest
2. Liv Morgan
2024 will be remembered as the year Morgan put it all together.
Her matches have never been better, she’s focused and confident on the microphone, and she has a believable mean streak to highlight her physical and psychological gifts. Where talents like Bianca Belair and Raquel Rodriguez match up with Rhea Ripley’s size and physicality, Morgan used subterfuge and manipulation to supplant Ripley as the top woman on "Monday Night Raw," usurping her as the Judgement Day’s matriarch and keeping her away from the Women’s World Championship.
Morgan put Becky Lynch on the shelf while defeating her for the vacant championship at King and Queen of the Ring, captured the first Women’s Crown Jewel Championship by dispatching Nia Jax, and successfully defended her championship against Iyo Sky in a great bout at Saturday Night’s Main Event. It’s rare you hit your stride in Year 10, but 2024's version was the best Morgan we’ve seen to date.
3. Rhea Ripley
Only injury or retirement will keep Ripley off of these year end lists going forward.
"Mami" has been one the driving forces of WWE programming for almost two years, has dominated the women’s main event scene, and is perhaps the most prominent female wrestler across social media. If she didn’t have to take time off in the summer, it’s likely she’d top this list again.
Even with some time off of television, she continues to have longterm rivals in Morgan and Dominik Mysterio, is one half of the extremely rare intergender fighting duo “The Terror Twins” with Damien Priest, and defeated Lynch at WrestleMania XL to retain her Women’s World Championship before having to vacate it due to injury. She’s poised to be one of WWE’s top acts for years to come.
4T. Willow Nightingale
Nightingale was one of the most well traveled and internationally successful American wrestlers of 2024.
She won both the AEW TBS Championship and the CMLL World Women’s Championship, while also making her Stardom debut. She’s also been one of AEW’s toughest competitors, defeating Skye Blue and Kris Statlander in heralded street fights. She’s made a few overtures toward AEW’s main event scene, and while she’s attached to several different promotions, if she’s able to secure the AEW’s Women’s Championship sometime in 2025, she has a chance to really break through as a top act in all of wrestling.
4T. Roxanne Perez
Tied with Nightingale in fourth place is NXT’s Perez, who saw an uptick in competition in 2024, facing the likes of Jordynne Grace and Giulia.
The wrestling comes easy to her, but she’s really played into a paranoia of facing new challengers, with her delivery catching up to her physical acumen. She’s held the NXT Women’s Championship since February and has carried the torch for her division as well as any champion before her.
Here is how Uncrowned's wrestling team voted for 2024's Female Wrestler of the Year.
Honorable mentions:
Mariah May
Iyo Sky
Bayley
Bianca Belair
Mercedes Moné
