It’s the end of a year marked with monumental title changes, friends turning on friends, and wrestlers popping up on in new promotions. But what were some of the biggest surprises this year? Here is what Kayfabe Bugle think are the five of the biggest shockers to hit the wrestling world in 2024.

Jordynne Grace in the Royal Rumble and the alliance between WWE and TNA

Sometimes there are Royal Rumble surprises that catch us by surprise. When John Cena returned from injury before anyone thought possible comes to mind. Or how about when Edge came back at the 2020 Royal Rumble and blew the proverbial lid off of Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas. I wouldn’t put Jordynne Grace’s surprise entrance in the Royal Rumble on the level of either one of those superstars. At the same time, it was a significant shock not only because it was the debut of a brand-new wrestler in front of WWE fans, but she was (and at the time of this writing still is) part of an entire separate company.

Not only was she part of TNA wrestling, but when she debuted in the Royal Rumble she was the Knockout’s Champion. Think about that for a minute. One of another company’s champions debuted at the Royal Rumble.

Of course, since that time, the partnership between WWE and TNA has only grown stronger. NXT talent has competed in TNA, while TNA’s Joe Hendry (clap, clap) has appeared not only on NXT’s television program, but competed at NXT’s PLE No Mercy. Time will tell what further developments happen between the two companies.

Solo Sikoa Becomes the Tribal Chief

When Cody Rhodes defeated Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40, it was the end to a historic championship reign. For nearly four years Roman dominated the entire WWE. When the American Nightmare dethroned him, no one was sure what was next for the head of the table or his family. But I’m pretty sure no one thought a usurper was lying in wait.

Fans were left with weeks of silence from Reigns after his championship loss. And in the silence no one could’ve foresaw a power grab by the man Roman once leaned on as his enforcer.

Solo Sikoa claimed the ula fala as his own. He brought in not only Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa, but maybe the most dangerous new member of the Bloodline, the Samoan Werewolf, Jacob Fatu. Sikoa’s final declaration of being the new Tribal Chief happened when he requested Roman Reigns’ wise man, Paul Heyman, to acknowledge him. When Heyman refused, he was put through the announcer’s table as not only a show of force but a warning to all former members of the original bloodline and Roman Reigns himself.

The Judgement Day Kick Out Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley

Betrayal is nothing new to The Judgement Day. When the faction first formed under Edge’s leadership, the evil crew took no prisoners on the entire roster of the WWE. It wasn’t long before the wrestlers Edge recruited to form his faction: Damian Priest, Finn Balor, and Rhea Ripley, turned on the man that created the faction.

Once The Judgment Day was done with Edge, they set on a new course and began attaining title after tile. And no title win was more prominent than Damian Priest cashing in his Money in the Bank contract at WrestleMania 40, on Drew McIntyre, and becoming the new world champion.

One would think after such an amazing win the sky was the limit for the faction. But cracks in the group’s foundations began to pop up. And only four months after Priest’s championship cash-in, not one but two betrayals would take place.

First, in a long-standing feud, Liv Morgan defended her championship against Rhea Ripley. Morgan had been antagonizing Ripley for months. When Dominik Mysterio came out, everyone thought it was to back up his Judgement Day partner, but it wasn’t. Dirty Dom turned his back on Mami, and aligned himself with Morgan, helping her retain the title.

Only hours later, Finn Balor would turn on Priest, costing him his championship against Gunther. When Summer Slam came to a close, The Judgement Day had been reformed, with both Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley on the outside looking in.

Mariah May Betrays Timeless Toni Storm

When Mariah May made her debut in All Elite Wrestling, she’d already garnered an impressive reputation in her short wrestling career. So when she was announced as All Elite and became a mentee to Timeless Toni Storm, it seemed she was in a perfect position to learn from the wrestling star who was already months into her third title reign as AEW Women’s Champion. It looked like May and Storm were set to keep the women’s division on lock as teacher and student for years to come.

Even when Mariah defeated Willow Nightingale to win the Women’s Owen Hart Cup, earning herself a championship match against her mentor, it seemed the duo’s relationship was as strong as ever.

That’s why everyone was shocked when, immediately following her win over Nightingale, Mariah May attacked Toni Storm. The brutal attack on the Timeless One stunned audiences everywhere. Mariah used a high heel to bust open the women’s champion, smearing Storm’s blood over both of their faces. A month later, at All In 2024, Mariah May would dethrone Toni Storm and become the AEW Women’s Champion.

New Day Turns on Big E

There are some surprises you don’t see coming. When Seth Rollins turned on The Shield with the chair shot heard around the world, the shock hit everyone. Or When the referee counted to three and stunned the WrestleMania crowd as Brock Lesnar pinned The Undertaker.

Then there are some things you see coming but you still can’t believe it. Like when Bret Hart slowly began belittling and insulting fans around the United States, becoming a Canadian hero that American fans couldn’t stand. Sidenote: as heinous as some things the Hitman said were, he was and still is my favorite wrestler of all time, and I could never bring myself to boo him. But I understood why some did. And that hate from fans didn’t happen all of a sudden. It grew and grew during and after his rivalry with Stone Cold Steve Austin.

I mention all of that because Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods turning on Big E was shocking. Not in the split-second kind of way, like Seth Rollins betrayal, but in the Bret Hart kind of way. In the same way you see a car accident is about to take place, but you’re helpless to do anything about it. Woods and Kingston slowly, and painfully, berated the former champion. A man they once called their brother, and it was like death by a thousand cuts instead of a quick dagger to the heart. And in the end, the fact that they turned on Big E, left everyone heartbroken.

BCC Turns on Bryan Danielson

Finally, we can’t discuss betrayals without talking about arguably the biggest one of the year. I’m talking about All Out and the Blackpool Combat Club turning on Bryan Danielson.

A returning Jon Moxley had warned AEW that a paradigm shift was about to take place. And it started as Moxley led the group, now known as The Death Riders, and attacked Danielson after his victory over Jack Perry.

The attack was heinous and disturbing, as they threw a plastic bag over Danielson’s head, and suffocated the champion until he blacked out. Moxley would go on to dethrone the champion, ending Danielson’s full-time wrestling career in his home state of Washington. Since then, The Death Riders have run rough shod over all of AEW, even going so far as to scare away the company’s EVPs, Matthew and Nicholas Jackson, and causing them to work from home.

There were other surprises that happened in wrestling this year. JBL popping up on the independent circuit and clotheslining wrestlers comes to mind. As well as Nic Nemeth debuting in TNA. But these were the top five that really shocked us at Kayfabe Bugle.