Ranking the Top 5 WWE Storylines to Track For the Rest of the Year

As the end of the year rapidly approaches, WWE is starting to ramp up its hottest storylines ahead of 2024.

There are only 71 days left in 2023. January will be here before we know it, and Royal Rumble will effectively kick off the road to WrestleMania 40. That means the company will begin to plot out the trajectory for many of its noteworthy stars and bring their ongoing stories to a conclusion soon.

The recent season premieres of Raw and SmackDown set up some intriguing plot developments and marquee matchups. Survivor Series is also right around, but it's easy to look ahead of the last Big Four event to attempt to predict what's in store for The Showcase of the Immortals.

Nick Aldis' emergence as an on-screen authority figure and his newfound tension with Adam Pearce could re-introduce brand warfare. It will be interesting to see if that leads to traditional champion vs. champion matches or sets up the teams for the WarGames match.

However, curiosity surrounding the wrestler who will end Roman Reigns' historic title run is still more compelling, for example. As such, these are the top five WWE storylines to track for the rest of 2023.

5. Jade Cargill's In-ring Debut

Jade Cargill's AEW exit and move to WWE was one of the biggest headlines of the year.

The change of scenery came as a surprise for many fans. Nevertheless, the former TBS champion has become the most anticipated signing to join the company's women's division since Ronda Rousey.

Over the last few weeks, Cargill has appeared backstage at Fastlane and made her presence known on Raw, SmackDown, and NXT. It has been a great way to build up suspense for her to find a new home on one of the brands and start her first feud.

The breakout star of 2022 has already crossed paths with notable names like Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch. We can't wait to see who she shares the ring with first.

4. Chad Gable vs. Gunther

Gunther's record-breaking Intercontinental title reign has been a consistent highlight on Monday nights, but his rivalry with Chad Gable over-delivered.

The two started feuding in July, and the Olympian quickly became the most convincing contender the Austrian wrestler has faced since Sheamus. After all, Gable handed him his first loss on the main roster via countout.

This unexpected matchup and even more improbable outcome led to an excellent showing in the main event of the Sept. 4 episode of Raw. Although Gunther was the victor this time, he narrowly escaped the challenger, and the 37-year-old vowed to avenge his loss in front of his daughter.

The Ring General seems destined to challenge for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship next year, but Gable may be the man to end his reign of terror. Their third encounter will be one for the ages.

3. The Judgement Day's Machinations

The Judgement Day has emerged as the most dominant stable in WWE since The Bloodline imploded earlier this year.

The fearsome foursome led by Rhea Ripley has secured championship gold and run roughshod on all three brands. Even more, Damian Priest remains a looming threat to Seth Rollins as Señor Money in the Bank.

That alone makes them a magnetic act to watch for the remainder of the year, but there are so many layers to the current scenario. Recent backstage sightings imply that Drew McIntyre could be in cahoots with Ripley. There is still tension between Priest and Finn Balor, and JD McDonagh adds another wrinkle to the equation.

Meanwhile, The Eradicator has kept her sights on Becky Lynch for a year, and their staredowns could pay off sooner rather than later. Everyone has their own motives, and this looks like a powder keg waiting to explode or stable one right move away from total supremacy.

2. Jimmy vs. Jey Uso

Jimmy Uso's heel turn was one of the most confounding plot twists in recent memory, but fans are still engaged in the latest Bloodline drama.

For many viewers, the storyline jumped the shark following the events of SummerSlam. It certainly hasn't led to consistently cohesive or engrossing weekly programming, but the pieces are starting to come together again as Roman Reigns returned for the season premiere of SmackDown.

Putting Jimmy and Jey Uso on separate brands stretched out their feud, and it worked surprisingly well. The sibling rival could be the premise for this year's WarGames match or a traditional five vs. five elimination bout at Survivor Series.

It's still unclear if there's enough material here to build towards a one-on-one matchup at WrestleMania 40. Nevertheless, Main Event Jey's return to the blue brand proved that fans are still invested.

1. Rhodes to the Top

It has been a bumpy ride for loyal fans since Cody Rhodes lost to Roman Reigns in April, but it finally seems he's en route to his long-awaited rematch.

The American Nightmare had a strong feud with Brock Lesnar that ended with a rare endorsement from The Beast Incarnate. Then, the second-generation star languished in filler programs and repetitive segments until his upset win over The Judgement Day at Fastlane.

It's still difficult to surmise what WWE was going for with such a short tag titles run with Jey Uso. However, it at least laid the groundwork for Rhodes' first interaction with The Tribal Chief in months, and it was electric.

As of now, the 38-year-old remains the favorite to dethrone Reigns and become the face of the company. Still, another setback appears every time he gets close to securing an audience with The Head of the Table again. How will he find a way to climb back to the top of the mountain and earn another shot against the champion, who is seemingly more vulnerable than ever?

That's the million-dollar question, but we will be on the hook to see if he can do the unthinkable and finally finish the story in 2024.