The Posts 2024 pro wrestling awards: The best from WWE, AEW and beyond

It was a banner year for WWE creatively and that’s certainly reflected in The Post’s pro wrestling awards for 2024.WWE gave us one of the best WrestleMania’s ever, passed the torch from Roman Reigns to Cody Rhodes and saw performers such as Liv Morgan, Drew McIntyre and Damian Priest take things to a whole new level as the company signed a historic media rights deal with Netflix.AEW still had plenty of highs, just not as many as years past.Tony Khan’s company saw the rise of Swerve Strickland and “Timeless” Toni Storm and watched Will Ospreay deliver on the hype as it gave us emotional retirement moments for Sting and Bryan Danielson.

AEW will be around for a long time after a massive media rights renewal with Warner Bros.Discovery.Rising tides have raised all ships as NXT and TNA feel like they are on the ascent, too.Here are the best from 2024:  Cody Rhodes, WWERhodes moved into the “quarterback” spot and WWE’s business has continued to pick up steam.

“The American Nightmare” won the Royal Rumble for the second straight year and watched fan support sway WWE to change its Rock vs.Roman Reigns main event at WrestleMania 40 to Rhodes finishing his story by ending The Tribal Chief’s historic 1,316-day world championship reign in an all-time great main event.

He followed that with memorable feuds versus AJ Styles, Logan Paul, Gunther and Kevin Owens.Honorable mention: Bryan Danielson (AEW); Gunther (WWE); Drew McIntyre (WWE); Swerve Strickland (AEW); Will Ospreay (AEW).Toni Storm, AEWStorm took one of wrestling’s most unique characters — a Golden Age of Hollywood starlet working in black and white — and her career to the next level while making Mariah May.Watching “Timeless” Toni Storm go from an aloof star heel to a caring mentor babyface betrayed by May — who ended her 280-day reign as AEW Women’s champion at All In — was often the most entertaining part of AEW’s shows.

Storm, who eventually put it all together in the r...