My Bold Predictions for 2024
Definitely not a buffer article before I get my act together to write the MOTY article
Just a bit of fun to see in the new year. I’ll try to put my prognosticator hat on and make some wild guesses for what I think the wrestling industry will have in store for us in 2024. I’m not sure any of these will beat the time I correctly predicted that Mae Young’s grown up hand would appear at Raw 1000, but lets see how many of these I can get right:
#1 - CM Punk will still be employed by WWE AND still in good standing with the company on December 31st.
With Punk the safer money is always on him exploding and burning bridges, so that’s why I’m classing this as a bold prediction for him to stick out the year. Punk has nowhere to go this time if he messes up and I think even he himself knows he’s on a shorter leash this time. Whether his body will hold up the entire year is another question.
#2 - Yota Tsuji will win the IWGP Heavyweight Championship in 2024
It feels an absolute lock that Tetsuya Naito will beat SANADA in a few days time at WrestleKingdom, but I see that as a transitional reign before we move onto New Japan’s next big push. Of the Reiwa Three Musketeers, I feel like the one best placed to break out into the main event is the charismatic and exciting Yota Tsuji who seems to have all the tools necessary to lead this new generation of talent.
#3 - Bryan Danielson’s retirement year will include winning the AEW World Championship, beating Nigel in Wembley, and putting over new signing Mustafa Ali before he goes part-time.
I’m still hoping against hope that I’m just being worked here and that Bryan Danielson isn’t actually retiring as a full time wrestler this year, but I’m gonna work under the assumption that this is it. I don’t think Tony Khan can resist being able to add the Greatest of all time, Bryan Danielson, to the lineage of one of his championship belts, and I actually think the one he’s most likely to win is take the world title off of Samoa Joe with their history and no obvious challengers on the horizon for Joe. I also think Chicago native Ali is bound to show up in AEW this year and we know Bryan is a huge fan of his and lobbied for him to get a push in WWE back in 2019. I think as things wind down for Bryan later in the year, he’ll be sure to do some favours and I think he’s for sure gonna share the ring with Ali this year. As for Nigel? That one was hardly worth mentioning as Nigel tries to work that match into existence every week on Collision commentary.
#4 - Mercedes Mone signs a short-term deal with TNA
I’ve mentioned this on the discord, but I have a growing confidence that the big signing Scott D’Amore keeps talking up is none other than the former Sasha Banks. You can’t do all this talk about a historic, ground-breaking signing and then bring out Dolph Ziggler. There’s been rumours that TNA have some money to throw around at a big name (they made a play for Ospreay after all) and I think with the great job they’ve done with Trinity, there might be enough there on the negotiating table for Mercedes to actually make some appearances for TNA this year. With Hard to Kill only a few weeks away, it might not be too long a wait to find out if I’m on the…..Mone….with this prediction.
#5 - Josh Alexander will be in the G1 Climax
Sticking with TNA for a bit, I’m fairly certain that their workhorse and arguably top star Josh Alexander will be invited to be apart of the prestigious G1-Climax this year. He already made his way over to Japan last year with the Motor City Machine Guns to unsuccessfully challenge for the the trios titles, as well as some NJPW Strong appearances. I think in 2024 he’ll make the next step and be one of the tournament’s gaijin participates.
#6 - Hangman Page will win one of the secondary singles title.
I think 5 years into the company existing, and with a dozen or so titles up for grabs, every big star has already tasted gold in AEW. To try and carve some new stories I think one avenue Tony Khan might look to is the chase for someone to be the first AEW Grand Slam Champion i.e. the first man to win all possible titles they can challenge for. In my fantasy booking they’ll distil this down to World Champ, Tag Champ and then any of the secondary titles like the TNT Championship, International Championship or Continental Championship. I think there’s only 4 men who would be one title short of the Grand Slam - Mox, Omega, Fenix and Hangman, and I feel Hangman’s the most likely to achieve it. Lord knows they never want him to challenge for the World title again. I don’t think it’ll be a huge goal of Page’s to be a grand slam champ, rather he’ll just fall into a feud with Christian or Kingston or whoever over the title and then Excalibur will talk it up, but when they host an annual event called ‘Grand Slam’ I can definitely see them having someone achieve the Grand Slam at Grand Slam one day.
#7 - AEW business will improve this year in regards to attendances and TV ratings
AEW business in 2023 not only stalled, but worryingly went backwards and I think the biggest reason for it was the identity crisis the promotion found themselves in. They went too far in terms of presenting themselves as a Sports Entertainment brand and you’re never going to beat WWE at their own game. I’ve seen some encouraging signs in the last month with the Continental Classic, Roddy Strong toning down his gimmick, and MJF finally losing the World title to have hope that the company is heading in the right direction and the fans will flock back to the arenas this year if they stick the course and present a more mature, wrestling-based product this year. Call me barmy but I think having the world title be something that wrestlers pride more over friendship is gonna work out for them.
#8 - Ring of Honor will still not have a TV deal this year
I suppose this is more a middle of the road prediction rather than saying they will get a TV deal or the brand will fold, but I don’t see a great deal of progress this year with ROH - I think it’ll stay exactly as it is as a Honor Club exclusive. Tony Khan seemed to give up on the brand when all the AEW stars dropped the ROH titles this year, and Final Battle was a complete afterthought. I suspect once Athena leaves to go back to AEW (which I think will happen once she drops the title this year) the product will be even harder to get eyes onto.
#9 - Cody Rhodes will finish his story…….erm at Summerslam
I know the ball has started rolling on Roman Reigns Vs The Rock for a blockbuster, yet disappointing Wrestlemania 40 main event, but I do not believe this means Reigns will hold the title for another entire year. I still believe Cody will be the one to beat Roman for the title and we unfortunately just have to put up with the mania pit stop to finally do the Rock match. What the hell Cody does at this years Wrestlemania instead is anyones guess.
#10 - The Continental Classic will return…..and the participants will be
Eddie Kingston, Jon Moxley, Claudio Castignoli, Wheeler Yuta, Daniel Garcia, Darby Allin, Orange Cassidy, Hangman Page, Bandido, Kyle Fletcher, Mustafa Ali and Will Ospreay.
I’m just picking random names here BUT I do think it’ll be a big year for Kyle Fletcher.