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Jayden and Shane’s 2024 WWE Slammy Awards

Jayden Simmons
Slammy

Photo Credit: WWE

Last year, I brought my personal take on what the year-end traditional WWE “Slammy” awards should’ve looked like. The Academy Award spin-off was one of my favorite traditions in professional wrestling and was always a fun way to celebrate the successes of the wrestlers that put their heart and soul into the business over the past 12 months.

With the move of Monday Night Raw to Netflix, WWE has reached heights it hasn’t seen since the attitude era, pulling in 4.9 million views on the January 6 debut episode. So if you’re one of the new fans tuning in for the first time, here’s a glimpse at the highs from last year that you should rush to Peacock to enjoy, courtesy of myself and Shane Davis!

Tag Team/Stable of the Year

2023 Winner: The Judgment Day

Even though Triple H seldomly books the tag division onto premium live events, this year was still a very successful one for tag team wrestling. Starting out this year the Judgment Day reigned supreme holding the unified tag team championships. But at WrestleMania, the titles became brand exclusive once again, leaving room for many innovative storylines and tag team wrestling to showcase on weekly television.

Shane’s choice for tag team of the year went to the inaugural World Tag Team Champions, Awesome Truth. The Miz and R-Truth were able to captivate the fans, provide consistent laughs, strike gold again at a later point in their careers and completely flip the characters of their previous tag team from a decade ago.

Although their reign only last 79 days and ultimately The Miz turned heel on Truth months later, this pairing was certainly fun while it lasted.

My choice for tag team of the year came from the black and gold brand, the current NXT Tag Team Champions, Axiom and Nathan Frazer. The high-flying duo are two of the best workers in the world and put on classic after classic this year down in NXT. Their chemistry is outstanding, their athleticism is second-to-none, not to mention they’re now the fifth-longest reigning cumulative NXT Tag Team Champions ever, with 259 days and counting between their two reigns.

Whenever they’re due for a main roster call-up, I’m expecting huge things from them in the ring, and the rest of the locker room should as well.

Honorable Mentions:

Crowd of the Year

2023 Winner: San Juan, Puerto Rico (Backlash)

Everyone knows that the WWE Universe is what drives competitors to do their very best. A lively crowd can change the entire feel of a major event, and the crowds from 2024 did not fail to disappoint in that regard.

One crowd that went above and beyond in making the show feel special was definitely Lyon, France at Backlash 2024. From Jey Uso blowing the roof off the place with his entrance, to the deafening crowd singing alongside Randy Orton’s iconic “Voices” theme song, to the legendary reaction to AJ Styles, to the simple “simplement deux” chants after every kickout.

Backlash is two for two with international crowds, and they firmly claim this year’s Slammy from Shane and I.

Honorable Mentions

Breakout Star of the Year

2023 Winners: LA Knight and Dominik Mysterio

2024 was the year of opportunity for a lot of talent. We saw several first-time champions on the main roster, exciting debuts down in NXT, and consistent players at the top of the cards each week. From the Bloodline saga, to the Liv Morgan Revenge Tour, and everything in between, 2024 was a year where we saw more faces in new places than ever before.

Last year it was tough to call one true breakout star, so luckily we can shine light on our two separate picks for this year.

Shane went with the current Intercontinental Champion, Bron Breakker. Breakker hit the scene at full-speed (the way he usually does) in the Royal Rumble last year, picking up four eliminations. Once he was called up in February, he would go undefeated for four months, spearing anyone in his way, prior to an unsuccessful Intercontinental Championship challenge against Sami Zayn. But just a month later, he’d claim the title at SummerSlam.

He had intense battles with Sheamus, Ludwig Kaiser, Jey Uso and Ricochet this year and now he enters 2025 with two Intercontinental title reigns, as well as a long list of NXT dominance, and he’s only 27 years old. I think it’s a safe bet to say the dog will be a household name for years to come.

My choice for breakout star of the year was an honorable mention last year, the newly crowned WWE Women’s Champion, Tiffany Stratton. Stratton was also a February main roster call-up and quickly became a fan favorite, even as a heel. She was the overwhelming crowd favorite at Elimination Chamber, competed for the WWE Women’s Championship at Backlash, and then became Miss Money in the Bank.

The latter half of her year saw a rocky alliance with WWE Women’s Champion Nia Jax, an an inclusion in the Women’s WarGames match at Survivor Series. Although this wasn’t a part of 2024, she would cash-in her briefcase to a thunderous ovation on the first SmackDown of 2025 to become the new champion.

Stratton hit a dream list of accomplishments last year, and now at the top of the SmackDown women’s division, her star will continue to shine.

Honorable Mentions

Best on the Mic

2023 Winner: Sami Zayn

There have been countless superstars that have absolutely shined on the mic this year. Whether it was LA Knight verbally assassinating his adversaries, or Solo Sikoa crowning himself as the New Tribal Chief, it seemed like everyone in the limelight had some grit on the mic to back up their performance in the ring.

For Shane, nobody did it better than the voice of the voiceless himself, CM Punk. The better half of the year saw CM Punk out of action entirely, nursing his injuries sustained in the Royal Rumble, but when he couldn’t fight he kept the attention of the universe every time he touched a mic.

He had verbal wars with Drew McIntyre, Seth Rollins, and even Roman Reigns, proving time and time again as to why he calls himself the Best in the World.

My personal pick would’ve been a shock to many a year ago, but I’m going with the Ring General and World Heavyweight Champion Gunther. Everyone knew what Gunther was capable of in the ring, his track record shows that he’s one of the best wrestlers in the world. But he truly tapped into his heel character work in his pursuit of the World Heavyweight Championship following the King of the Ring tournament.

His innate talent to take the big bad wolf role is amazing, and he presents any challenger like an outmatched underdog in the best way possible. Gunther is an absolute stud and is falling into his role perfectly as the monster heel of the future.

Honorable Mentions:

Best in the Ring

2023 Winner: Gunther

In the precursor to the Match of the Year candidates, there were so many superstars that put on generational performances in the ring this year. Randy Orton put on instant classics with several foes, Oba Femi dominated the NXT mid-card scene, and WWE Champion Cody Rhodes made it his mission to put on a match of the year contender in every title defense.

But for me, I have to go with my pick from last year, Gunther. The 2024 calendar had electric matches all throughout from Gunther. Sami Zayn at WrestleMania. The Randy Orton clashes from King of the Ring and Bash in Berlin. Damian Priest at SummerSlam. Sheamus in the King of the Ring semi-final. Gunther brought the best out of his opponent every time the bell rang.

Shane’s pick is my second favorite wrestler of all-time, Seth “Freakin” Rollins. Rollins definitely had a standout year in the ring, even while battling through injury issues.

He headlined Night One of WrestleMania 40 alongside Cody Rhodes to take on The Rock and Roman Reigns in an instant classic. He had a stellar performance against Damian Priest at Money in the Bank. And he also had a great match with Bronson Reed at Crown Jewel.

He started 2025 with a loss to CM Punk, but showcased again why he’s been a main event talent for the last decade with a match that many won’t forget for a long time.

Honorable Mentions

Rivalry of the Year

2023 Winner: Sami Zayn vs The Bloodline

2024 was the year of the patented Triple H long-term storytelling trope. But there was a bit of a line that was toed between authentic long-term storytelling and extending storylines just for the sake of it. There were so many rivalries that stretched out this year, whether it was the two sectors of the Judgment Day breakup, the Cody vs Rock chronicles at the beginning of the year, and of course the Battle for the Ula Fala.

But no other rivalry exuded pure hatred much like CM Punk and Drew McIntyre, which was the choice of both me and Shane for this Slammy. What started with a genuine injury at the Royal Rumble, delved into a series of championship pursuits foiled, personal lines crossed, and ultimately one of the best matches of the year.

This rivalry was exceptional across every aspect, and it’s criminal that these two weren’t graced with the main event of Bad Blood in October.

Honorable Mentions:

Moment of the Year

2023 Winner: CM Punk returns to the WWE

There were so many crazy moments that kept fans glued to their television this year. Bayley winning the Royal Rumble shook Tampa to its core. The Rock was doing crazier and crazier things each week leading up to WrestleMania. John Cena announced that 2025 would be his final year wrestling. The New Day turning on Big E shattered the hearts of millions.

But one thing that me, Shane and almost anyone else watching wrestling agree upon is that no moment was bigger than Cody Rhodes finishing the story at WrestleMania 40.

The act of ending the 1,316 day Universal Championship reign of Roman Reigns was already a major ordeal. Sprinkle in some interferences from Jimmy and Jey Uso alongside Solo Sikoa, include The Rock and John Cena standing face to face at WrestleMania for the first time in a decade, hit The Shield theme song as Seth Rollins limped towards the ring in the patented riot gear, hit the gong as The Undertaker rose from the shadow realm to take out The Rock, and ending it with a trifecta of Cross Rhodes, you get a moment that will live forever in WWE history.

That was bigger than a match, bigger than a championship, it was a cinematic experience that truly signified a changing of the guards moving forward. A perfect ending to a story nearly 50 years in the making.

Honorable Mentions

Storyline of the Year

2023 Winner: Bloodline Civil War

It’s crazy to look back on last year’s winner and describe the storyline of the year as the Bloodline Civil War. I ended last year’s description by saying “And despite the Slammy, who knows, we might still only be in the third inning of this Bloodline story.” And boy, I hit that nail right on the head.

Of course we had Jimmy and Jey Uso having their fallout leading up to WrestleMania 40, alongside Roman Reigns and The Rock ready to battle against Seth Rollins and Cody Rhodes. But following Cody Rhodes dethroning Roman, the cracks in the foundation started to show.

Insert Solo Sikoa. The Enforcer of Roman’s Bloodline saw Reigns’ departure as something he needed to take over for, immediately exiling his own brother Jimmy Uso and replacing him with Tama Tonga. A month later, Tama’s brother Tonga Loa would join. Then Jacob Fatu would join in June as the new enforcer. This New Bloodline full of transplants would then assault Paul Heyman and dispatch him as the wiseman as Solo Sikoa crowned himself the new Tribal Chief.

Then Roman Reigns came back. And so did Jimmy Uso. A few apologies (not really) later, and Jey Uso and Sami Zayn found themselves aligning with their former mortal enemy ready to face this New Bloodline inside of WarGames.

In case you haven’t realized by now, The Bloodline Saga once again wins storyline of the year, unanimously.

Honorable Mentions

Female Superstar of the Year

2023 Winner: Rhea Ripley

The women’s roster saw world championships change hands, incredible Royal Rumble returns and iron woman performances, some of the best in-ring work of the year at WrestleMania and Money in the Bank, and the introduction of midcard titles to the women’s division for the first time ever. Women’s wrestling is finally receiving the fruits of its labor over the past few decades.

And two women stood atop of the mountain in 2024. My personal pick for female superstar of the year is Roxanne Perez from NXT. Perez started the year participating in the Royal Rumble to a major pop, then went back to NXT and turned heel en route to her most successful year to date. She became the third woman in NXT history to have multiple NXT Women’s Championship reigns, and backed it up 100% in the ring.

Classic battles with the likes of Lyra Valkyria, Jordynne Grace, Thea Hail, Jaida Parker, and Giulia showcased that Roxanne is the undisputed future of the women’s division. Her 276 day reign as NXT Women’s Champion may have come to an end, but a new beginning is very much in her future when she gets called up.

For Shane’s choice, he stayed on the main roster and gave the flowers of another wrestler who earned a world title, Liv Morgan.

Much like Perez, Morgan kicked off her year at the coveted #30 spot in the Royal Rumble, finishing as runner-up for the second straight year. She followed that up with another second-place finish inside of Elimination Chamber for a shot at the Women’s World Championship. But she didn’t let that stop her from partaking in her personal revenge tour after missing six months due to injury.

She would attack Rhea Ripley and force her to vacate her Women’s World Championship before turning her attention to Dominik Mysterio, Ripley’s love interest. After defeating Becky Lynch and claiming the women’s world championship, Morgan would spend the better part of the year antagonizing Ripley and eventually stealing her title, her man, and her stable. And as an added bonus, she defeated Nia Jax to become the first ever Crown Jewel Champion of the women’s division.

Morgan was the quintessential heel champion this year, and showcased her in-ring skills with battles at SummerSlam, WarGames, and an impressive win over Iyo Sky at Saturday Night’s Main Event as part of her 226 day reign as champion.

Honorable Mentions

Male Superstar of the Year

2023 Winner: Cody Rhodes

There’s a lot of directions you can go in for Male Superstar of the Year in 2024. Cody Rhodes has given us several classic matches, won the Universal Championship and been a fighting champion ever since. CM Punk made his official return to the ring and didn’t miss a beat post-surgery contributing to some of the best matches on television. Oba Femi went on an incredible run as the longest reigning NXT North American Champion ever.

But ultimately for me, nobody had a better 2024 than the Ring General Gunther. I’m sure this doesn’t come off as a shock for anyone after I listed him as both the best in the ring and on the mic, but even those don’t do justice for what Gunther accomplished this year.

From breaking the record as the longest reigning Intercontinental Champion, to being crowned King of the Ring in a classic battle with Randy Orton, to winning the World Championship, it’s hard to argue that anyone else had more success last year than Gunther. And that success makes him the Male Superstar of the Year in my book.

Shane’s choice was my runner-up and it may come as a shock to some, but it’s the Scottish Warrior Drew McIntyre. McIntyre at face value is the same man he was last year, a main event player without a championship to back it up. But when you look at everything he did in 2024, you start to reconsider that need for backup.

McIntyre won the Elimination Chamber to earn a shot at the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 40, which he would then win to open night two. He might’ve been cashed in on, but he kept fighting and nearly became champion again at Clash at the Castle in his homeland.

Then he won Money in the Bank and cashed in the same night, glory just within reach. He could’ve been a long-reigning World Champion throughout this year if it wasn’t for CM Punk. And McIntyre knew this and put blood, sweat and tears into the instant classic rivalry with Punk, showcasing once again why he’s one of the best workers in the business.

While it wasn’t a fruitful year in terms of titles for McIntyre, it was easily one of the best years from a performer in a long time.

Honorable Mentions:

Match of the Year

2023 Winner: Charlotte Flair vs Rhea Ripley (WrestleMania 39)

Once again, this was probably the toughest decision to come to for both Shane and I. There were countless five-star matches across WWE programming that will be remembered for years to come. High octane action, intense rivalries, high stakes, you name it they brought it to the table. And I think that Shane and I picked the best two of the bunch.

Shane’s pick is the one that obviously comes to mind first, Cody Rhodes vs Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40 for the Undisputed WWE Championship. Interferences and storyline aside, Reigns and Rhodes threw caution to the wind for this match and created an absolute spectacle. Every part of this match was poetry, from the entrance presentation to the in-ring chemistry and character motivations.

Every part of this match worked in the best way imaginable with some of the highest expectations in sports entertainment history. I would say they more than delivered.

My pick would be Drew McIntyre vs CM Punk at Bad Blood inside of the Hell in a Cell structure. This was 31 minutes of pure animosity. Two maniacal psychopaths simply looking to inflict as much damage as humanly possible upon each other.

This match didn’t miss a beat from bell to bell and featured almost just as much emotion as WrestleMania’s main event. Both guys deserve nothing but kudos for the showcase they put on, especially to open a show.

Honorable Mentions

WWE releases three wrestlers

2024 was the ushering in of a new era in this business, and with the move to Netflix I feel like that change has been stamped. With Royal Rumble just over two weeks away, a John Cena retirement tour and WrestleMania looming, what do you think 2025 will bring to the WWE?

What were your favorite moments from 2024?

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