7 Outlandish-Yet-Realistic Predictions for WWE and AEW in 2024

A wrestling landscape that is constantly changing has resulted in a banner year for both WWE and All Elite Wrestling, and there's no telling what else could transpire in the rest of 2023.

The past month alone has seen Jade Cargill and Adam Copeland (f.k.a. WWE's Edge) swap companies, talent releases, NXT and Dynamite go head-to-head with two star-studded shows and The Rock return to SmackDown, among other exciting developments.

The bottom line for fans has been to expect the unexpected, and there's a strong chance of that ringing even truer in 2024.

Multiple major contracts in both promotions are set to expire, AEW is expanding its pay-per-view lineup, and WrestleMania 40 could be shaping up to be a must-see spectacle. There's plenty to look forward to at the turn of the year and beyond.

It's impossible to predict exactly what 2024 will have in store for fans, but the following seven outlandish-yet-realistic scenarios could well be a taste of what's to come for WWE and AEW.

Cody Rhodes Fails to Finish the Story with Roman Reigns (Again)

The closing moments of last week's season premiere of SmackDown made it clear LA Knight is next in line to challenge Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship, presumably at Crown Jewel.

However, The Tribal Chief's ultimate opponent at WrestleMania 40 will be Cody Rhodes.

Many will argue that Rhodes should have dethroned Reigns when they first went one-on-one at WrestleMania 39, and considering the champ's appearances have been far and few between since then, there's merit to that claim.

WWE will have a chance to right that wrong by booking them run it back at The Show of Shows come April 6-7, but with the company constantly touting his record-breaking stats as the longest-reigning titleholder in decades, it's entirely possible Reigns leaves the event with the gold still in his grasp.

By then, he will have already smashed Bruno Sammartino's 1,237-day record from his first reign. Hulk Hogan's 1,474-day record wouldn't be that far off, and WWE may be tempted to have him rule for four straight years before finally unseating him.

Rhodes taking the title from him at WrestleMania 40 is the only outcome that makes sense, but fans should have their guard up for yet another shock ending.

Sting Retires as AEW World Tag Team Champion

Edge and Christian Cage reuniting following their feud and holding tag team gold together in 2024 seems like a foregone conclusion, along with an eventual match with The Hardys.

Before then, though, Sting and Darby Allin should finally capture the AEW World Tag Team Championship together, ideally in what will mark The Icon's swan song.

Sting, 64, announced on Wednesday's Dynamite that he will wrestle his final match on the same pay-per-view he made his in-ring debut at for AEW: Revolution. He said nothing about who it would be against, but he's had nothing but tag matches during his time in the company, and his last hurrah will likely be no exception.

Amazingly, Allin and Sting have gone undefeated in tag team action the past three years and have yet to receive a shot at the titles. It's only appropriate they get that opportunity at Revolution and leave with the belts by beating current titleholders Ricky Starks and Big Bill.

It's more likely he puts over Allin one-on-one at the event or has a fairly standard tag team match with no stakes, but Sting has more than earned the honor to hang up his boots as a champion.

Bron Breakker Becomes Newest 'Paul Heyman Guy'

In a not-so-subtle attempt to bolster the show with star power, WWE put Paul Heyman in the corner of Bron Breakker for his main event match against a John Cena-backed Carmelo Hayes on the Oct. 10 edition of NXT.

Although it was designed to further the feud between Cena and The Bloodline, it isn't a stretch to think WWE could have been testing the waters for a future partnership between Breakker and The Wise Man.

Heyman has kept himself busy with The Bloodline for the last three years, and before that, he served as the advocate for Brock Lesnar. WWE abandoned the "Paul Heyman Guy" concept after Curtis Axel, Ryback and Cesaro all failed in the role, but Breakker would be a perfect fit.

The second-generation star has long been overdue for a main roster call-up. It would seem WWE is waiting for an opportune time to make it happen, and having Heyman be the one to introduce him to the mainstream audience would be quite the endorsement.

To ensure it wouldn't interfere with Bloodline affairs, Heyman could pull double duty with Breakker on Raw and Reigns on SmackDown.

The two-time NXT champion has shown he can hang on his own and doesn't need a mouthpiece, but he certainly wouldn't be worse off with Heyman as an ally.

MJF Leaves AEW for WWE

MJF has been his running his mouth about the self-professed "bidding war of 2024" for what feels like ages, and whether fans realize it or not, it's been the crux of his character for the last year-plus.

From a storyline standpoint, the biggest reason why MJF was brought back to television in the summer of 2022 was because AEW president Tony Khan couldn't afford to lose him. It's essentially why he's been able to get away with so much, though that theme has been lost in recent months with him masquerading as a babyface.

By all accounts, the AEW world champion's contract with the company is legitimately up at the onset of 2024, unless he secretly signed an extension or a new deal that has yet to be made public.

Being AEW's lead star in many ways, all signs point to him sticking around, but the same was assumed of Cody Rhodes before he jumped ship to WWE in 2022. The opposition would no doubt make a play for the AEW original and roll out the red carpet for him, paving the way for a grand arrival just in time for WrestleMania season.

AEW should be doing everything imaginable to ensure that doesn't become a reality.

Drew McIntyre and Sheamus Are All Elite

Several AEW stars are strong candidates to follow Jade Cargill and Cody Rhodes to WWE in 2024, but there's an equal chance some current WWE stars are also eyeing the exit and a potential jump to the opposition.

For as much time as they've spent in WWE, Drew McIntyre and Sheamus could be among those who leave of their own accord when their contracts come due next year.

Per Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful, both men will see their deals expire early in 2024. News of McIntyre's possible departure has been a hot topic of conversation for many months, and as of this writing, he has reportedly yet to re-sign.

It's no secret that the two are close, and where one goes, the other is likely to follow. It's a safe bet they'll stay with WWE, but similar to Adam Copeland, they could be looking for fresh opponents to mix it up with and new goals to attain.

Mercedes Moné Wrestles for AEW But Doesn't Sign

Mercedes Moné made her presence felt at AEW All In simply by sitting in the crowd at Wembley Stadium in London and being shown on camera.

The former IWGP women's champion last competed at New Japan Pro-Wrestling's Resurgence on May 21, when she suffered an ankle injury that has kept her sidelined from action ever since.

Moné wrestling for AEW at some point is hardly a question, but when it happens and if she signs are a little less certain.

There's been no indication that she's headed back to WWE anytime soon and taking her talents to AEW would give her a platform to continue honing her craft. But being the hot commodity she is, there's no reason for her to lock herself down to any one promotion.

Fans will expect her to be deemed "All Elite," but she could just as well wrestle a number of matches for AEW and even challenge for the AEW Women's World Championship without being exclusive to its roster.

That would allow her to maintain a "special attraction" status while also keeping the window open for her to compete in Japan and elsewhere.

CM Punk Wins Men's Royal Rumble and Faces Seth Rollins at WrestleMania 40

CM Punk has been far and away the most talked-about talent in all of wrestling throughout 2023 despite only being active a mere two months.

That hasn't changed following his departure from AEW, with rumors running rampant regarding a return to WWE. The latest update from Sapp revealed that company higher-ups have had no talks with the 44-year-old and a comeback at Survivor Series on November 25 isn't in the cards currently.

Of course, anything can change on a whim in wrestling and a return shouldn't be ruled out entirely, especially with WrestleMania season on the horizon. Aside from Cody Rhodes, there's no one name who stands out as being an obvious winner of the 2023 men's Royal Rumble match and that alone increases the odds of a surprise Punk victory.

Winning the Rumble and headlining WrestleMania are the only two accolades that eluded Punk during his previous run, and he can accomplish both in one fell swoop. It wouldn't send the best message to the rest of the roster considering the comments he's made about WWE over the years, but that may not deter the company from immediately pushing him straight to the top.

Regardless of where Punk pops up next, he's bound to keep fans buzzing in 2024, and AEW's loss could soon prove to be WWE's gain if he can stay out of his own way.

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Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.