Welcome to a new edition of eWrestlingNews Question of the Day!
Season’s greetings to all celebrating Christmas, and to those who aren’t, enjoy a relaxed day off or just a blissful December 25th! We continue with part two of our Naughty or Nice List of 2024, this time focusing on World Wrestling Entertainment. (Explore the AEW list here).
Today, I put forth the question “Who did you consider to be the top heroes and villains in WWE in 2024?”
Don’t forget to share your responses in the comments section.
Here are my personal thoughts…
Honorable mentions for top villain can be given to several individuals such as Chelsea Green, Gunther & Ludwig Kaiser (underappreciated), Jacy Jayne (frequently dismissed), and, of course, standouts Roman Reigns and the “Final Boss” The Rock.
Coming in second place for me would be Drew McIntyre. Not claiming the top spot mainly because the things he says are usually agreeable to most. Although his approach is abrasive and destructive as a heel, that is what makes him an excellent character.
Interestingly, I find this category to be a tie. Liv Morgan’s rise as a villain wouldn’t have been possible without the support of her partner in crime, Dirty Dominik Mysterio. Raquel Rodriguez and the rest of The Judgment Day are not as crucial to this dynamic. Without the lethal Liv and Dom duo, the women’s division on Raw for this entire year would have certainly had a different landscape.
Notable mentions for top heroes are Bianca Belair, CM Punk, Damian Priest (another overlooked and underappreciated talent, who had a fantastic year), Je’Von Evans, Joe Hendry (if that counts), Kelani Jordan, LA Knight (indeed), Randy Orton, and a lesser-known talent who has captured my interest, Tatum Paxley.
Rhea Ripley, the crowd favorite, bags the third place. If we were assessing her rise to mainstream stardom and the way she attracts new viewers, she would be near the top of the list. Ripley and Belair, beyond a doubt, are the two best female talents that emerged after the Evolution phase.
Claiming the second spot is Seth Rollins, who showed great resilience and commitment at the start of the year as the world heavyweight champion, culminating in his grand victory at WrestleMania XL.
My pick for the top place, unsurprisingly, goes to Cody Rhodes, for reasons that are evident to anyone who has been following WWE programming over the past year. Quite simply, he’s been stellar.
Do you agree? Share your thoughts in the comments below!