25 Best Wrestling Moments Of 2024

10. The Best WWE Finishing Sequence Of The Year

WM Bayley IYO Sky II
WWE

Bayley, cursed with terrible main roster booking and an even worse new theme, didn’t seem to stand a chance of delivering her elusive WrestleMania “Moment”. 

As her match with IYO SKY unfolded, that feeling wouldn’t shake. Bayley clutched at and sold her leg, in a beat that often escapes the squint of a stadium’s gaze. Bayley was so fantastic, however, that she drew 60,000 people into a difficult - but beautifully worked - struggle. 

In tandem with SKY, who also entered her best performance on the big stage, Bayley paced her comeback to perfection. The match flowed with a real pulse underneath it, allowing the best finishing sequence of the year to soar. 

IYO smashed Bayley with a barrage of moonsaults. Bayley kept kicking out. In a magnificent twist - one that broke your heart and spiked its rate, all at once - IYO missed a third, but executed a flawless handspring kip-up out of a Rose Plant attempt. The execution here was outstanding. IYO’s feigned bump was so close to the real thing that it seemed there was no space in which to perform the counter, even if she were athletic enough. Bayley fired back with a clothesline and the Rose Plant to avenge the indignity of WrestleMania 37. 

It was especially heartwarming for long-suffering fans of Bayley who, on the main roster, had to contend with Vince McMahon’s mean-spirited lunacy and Triple H’s apathy.  

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!