10 WWE and AEW Breakout Stars from the 1st Half of 2024 (2024)

Few years have been more exciting for professional wrestling than 2024.

Halfway through the year, and WWE has consistently broken attendance records while delivering some of the most exciting moments in modern wrestling.

Meanwhile, All Elite Wrestling has delivered some of the greatest pay-per-view experiences in the company's history while reshaping its roster.

Both companies are growing into new identities through fresh stars who have grabbed their opportunity with both hands.

Whether the focus is on new talent such as Tiffany Stratton and Mariah May or rising veterans like Damian Priest and Swerve Strickland, the first half of the year has been defined by an impressive number of breakout stars.

The following are 10 major breakout stars from WWE and AEW who have become household names in the first half of 2024.

In a year when wrestling has been hotter than ever, there are names who stand out but have not quite broken into our top 10.

Cody Rhodes

The American Nightmare was already a top star in 2023, so he does not make the main list. In 2024, though, he became the guy in WWE, fighting The Rock and dethroning Roman Reigns. That is a certain jump from an inconsistent 2023.

Chad Gable

If Gable had won his first singles gold at Clash at the Castle last weekend, it would be hard not to place him on the main list, but WWE has not quite let him break out. However, he is still doing some of the best work of his career right now while elevating Otis and Maxxine Dupri.

Jade Cargill

The Storm has the look and presentation to become one of the biggest names in the business. However, despite a short WWE Women's Tag Team Championship reign with Bianca Belair, she still hasn't quite taken that next step past her time in AEW.

Lyra Valkyria

Becky Lynch went to NXT to create stars, and she made two. Tiffany Stratton has become one of WWE's most popular stars since moving over. The Valkyrie is still establishing herself on the main roster but is quickly becoming a top name in her own right.

Daniel Garcia

The journey of Garcia in AEW is a series of near-commitment. Few stars get bigger reactions. His dance is massively over as is his impressive technical talent. He is just waiting for the company to crown him. It seems destined to happen later this year.

Jack Perry

Even before the CM Punk controversy, Perry was finding his voice as a heel. He has carried the controversy forward and improved greatly as a character worker in 2024. It seems likely his breakout is around the corner.

Many expected a major push for Solo Sikoa following his main roster debut at Clash of the Castle in 2022. However, it took until after WrestleMania 40 for him to get that main event rub.

Beyond John Cena putting over Sikoa in 2023, it was a rough year for a wrestler who was still finding his footing.

However, the man who has taken The Tribal Chief label from Roman Reigns has become SmackDown's top heel through hard work, careful presentation and a strong spotlight.

Sikoa comes off as a leader who could genuinely threaten any top name in WWE. That includes Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton.

His new Bloodline has taken a few months to come together, but with the arrival of Jacob Fatu following Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa, Sikoa's crew looks lethal.

While Sikoa has not had the definitive in-ring performance to guarantee a long-term main event spot, he has not faltered in crafting one of WWE's hottest angles.

Damian Priest has stood on the verge of a breakout for years. The former United States and NXT North American champion was always a midcard star ready for his world title opportunity.

His Money in the Bank victory in 2023 was a welcome step in the right direction, but his cash-in at WrestleMania in April 2024 was the final step.

Since his World Heavyweight Championship victory, he has been thrown into the fire, working off top names such as Drew McIntyre, Seth Rollins and Jey Uso.

He continues to look more like a main event act with each performance. His match with The Scottish Warrior was one of the best of his entire career.

All signs point to Priest as a permanent fixture near the top of the scene for years to come, even if his first world title reign is unlikely to last the summer.

Swerve Strickland was a man on the rise in 2023, especially near the end of the year when he feuded with "Hangman" Adam Page.

His match with The Cowboy at Full Gear was an unforgettably brutal Texas Deathmatch that stands among AEW's greatest moments.

However, 2024 was when he reached his peak. In an unstoppable rise to the top of the business, he dethroned Samoa Joe at Dynasty to become AEW world champion,

Strickland is the man at the top of the company and solidifying his status as one of AEW's true aces.

It is always harder to keep fan attention once you become world champion, and The Mogul's title reign has not been perfect, but Swerve has not faltered in the bright lights.

If he continues his hot streak at AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door with a match no one will soon forget against Will Ospreay, he should reinforce his main event status for years to come.

Liv Morgan is back on top of WWE, and the women's world champion is redefining her legacy with a second singles title reign.

While it would be nice to see Morgan competing more in the ring, she has stolen the show as a character worker.

Her growing "relationship" with Dominik Mysterio is one of WWE's most popular angles. She has capably taken over Rhea Ripley's spot on Raw.

Morgan has more to prove, but she has never looked more like a star than this recent run.

As long as she can keep this story engaging until Mami returns, Morgan could solidify herself as one of the most important names in WWE.

Mariah May has always had talent, but she was barely on the radar for fans when she signed with AEW in 2023 after a one-year run in World Wonder Ring Stardom.

However, her talent and charisma have jumped off the screen immediately. Integrating quickly into the story of "Timeless" Toni Storm, she has helped elevate herself and the champion in 2024.

The 25-year-old is already one of AEW's top women and led the charge in a dramatic improvement for the overall presentation of the division.

Her breakout should continue throughout the rest of 2024, and she should be considered the favorite to win the women's Owen Hart Foundation tournament.

If she does win the tournament, she is also likely to dethrone Storm at All In in her birthplace of London, capturing the title less than one year after debuting.

It would be much deserved for a woman who has made the most of her opportunity from day one.

It could be argued Tiffany Stratton broke out in 2023 when she captured the NXT Women's Championship, but a big run on the gold brand does not always translate into main roster success.

However, The Center of the Universe solidified her status as WWE's most exciting rising star when she stole the show at Elimination Chamber: Perth in February.

The crowd was completely behind Stratton, and she made the most of the spotlight. Her athleticism jumped off the screen in an incredible effort.

She followed up at Backlash in France in a wild Triple Threat for the WWE Women's Championship. Once again, she was massively over with the crowd and showed off unmatched athleticism.

While she has not seen much serious screen time since early May, Stratton is 25 years old and already a leading name in the SmackDown women's division. She will have her time at the top soon.

AEW has long faced criticism for its development and presentation of the women's division. However, 2024 has presented several great women's angles, carried by fresh talent.

Willow Nightingale was already a name to watch in 2023, even winning the women's Owen Hart Foundation tournament. However, she could not seem to carry it forward to regular screen time.

That changed in 2024 when she teamed with Kris Statlander to become the most capable duo in the women's division.

The Babe with the Power ran with the opportunity, eventually winning the TBS Championship and feuding with Mercedes Moné, leading to The CEO's debut match.

This run granted Willow serious mic time and in-ring opportunities. She delivered on all fronts to become arguably AEW's most popular pure babyface.

She may no longer hold gold, but The Babe with the Power is a made woman who should be a regular part of the product for the foreseeable future.

Trick Williams debuted in 2021 in the shadow of Carmelo Hayes. He helped build his friend as North American and NXT champion.

However, in 2023, he began to build a groundswell of fan support that became unmistakable. In 2024, he broke out of the shadow.

Fans are behind Trick more than anyone else on the gold brand. He needed to become NXT champion and the new face of a fresh generation.

While the 30-year-old has work to do in the ring to reach the main roster, he is already immensely over with fans, which showed in his only appearance on SmackDown so far.

Trick can reach higher than the NXT Championship. He could be one of WWE's top stars in short order. However, he is a made man in an era when NXT feels hotter than ever.

Will Ospreay was a known name at the beginning of 2024, including for a reign as IWGP world heavyweight champion that was cut short at just 46 days due to a neck injury.

By the time he signed with AEW at Full Gear 2023, he was considered one of the best in the world in the ring.

Being the best in the ring does not always translate to success outside of it, but he has also shown himself to be a fantastic promo in 2024 while rising to the top of AEW in a matter of months.

The Aerial Assassin gets consistently strong reactions with each performance. He may be the hottest star in the world outside of WWE right now.

The 31-year-old Englishman should steal the show again at Forbidden Door with Swerve Strickland, and there is a possibility that he even wins the AEW World Championship.

Even if he loses, he is already International champion and may just redefine that title as more than a secondary prize.

When WWE rebranded NXT as NXT 2.0, the first big star to make an impact was Bron Breakker. He quickly took the NXT Championship from the last old guard of NXT, Tommaso Ciampa.

While he was an obvious star from the start and broke records as NXT champion, he struggled to develop as a character until he got a chance to play the heel.

His brief run with Baron Corbin as a tag team was his most important in NXT, allowing him to embrace his charisma. That work has shined in 2024 since his official main roster arrival.

On top of showing his personality more recently on Raw, the 26-year-old has showcased his talent in the ring. His style, equal parts fast and brutal, stands out.

His unbelievable speed plays out in some of the wildest Spears WWE has seen in years.

Breakker may have already broken out on Raw, but it feels like he has not reached his big moment yet. That will likely come when he dethrones Sami Zayn to capture the Intercontinental Championshop soon.

He may even reach higher because he has genuine top-star energy building in his first full year on the main roster.