3 most shocking WWE betrayals of 2024
With 2024 coming to an end, we as WWE fans have begun to look back on some of the best moments in what has been another stellar year for the company. One of the most memorable parts of any storyline in professional wrestling is when a betrayal occurs, leaving both fans in attendance and at home in complete shock at what they've seen.
From Seth Rollins' chair shot to Roman Reigns that signaled the end of The Shield to Shawn Michaels putting Marty Jannetty through the barber shop window, or Batista dropping Randy Orton from his shoulders on the instructions of Triple H, many betrayals have contributed to some of the greatest moments in professional wrestling history.
This year was no different. Therefore, we are going to look at the three most shocking betrayals in WWE in 2024:
#3. It'd take more than blood to be Solo Sikoa's brother
Following Roman Reigns' loss to Cody Rhodes in the Undisputed WWE Universal Title match at WrestleMania 40, fans were wondering what would happen to the Bloodline now that its leader was no longer the world champion.
It may not have been the one they wanted or expected, but fans certainly got an answer the following Friday on SmackDown after Solo Sikoa viciously kicked his brother Jimmy Uso out of the faction and replaced Big Jim with Tama Tonga.
This move set up Solo for the remainder of the year as he declared himself the new Tribal Chief, instantly turning Jimmy Uso into a babyface.
Solo's attack on his brother did wonders for him, as The Street Champ became the biggest heel in WWE.
One person who thinks Sikoa is ready to become a world champion is his Hall of Famer father, Rikishi. The Samoan legend recently sang his son's praises on the Rikishi Fatu Off The Top podcast.
"Solo's already a made man; Solo's already a main event player. If they decide or want to go with belts, putting it on Solo, it's only just going to [increase] revenue. Because [if] you put it on the most hated guy in the business right now, people can't wait to see who's gonna take it off of him," he said. [H/T: Wrestling Inc.]
#2. Finn Balor punishes Damian Priest at SummerSlam
For more than two years, The Judgment Day was arguably the most dominant faction in WWE, with Rhea Ripley, Dominik Mysterio, Finn Balor, JD McDonagh, and Damian Priest all firmly standing by each other's side.
However, things started to change after The Archer of Infamy cashed in his MITB briefcase at WrestleMania 40 to become the World Heavyweight Champion. Following Damian's victory, Finn Balor, who had challenged for the title in 2023, started to get jealous of his teammates' success.
This all came to a head at SummerSlam in August when, during Priest's title defense against reigning King of the Ring Gunther, Finn Balor shocked both Damian and fans, as The Prince put The Ring General's leg on the bottom rope during the three-count to stop The Punisher from retaining.
What followed was a vicious staredown between the two, enabling Gunther to beat Priest by submission and win the World Heavyweight Title. Since then, The Archer of Infamy and The Demon have been inseparable due to their hatred for one another, with Finn's betrayal of Damian still being a major part of WWE storytelling towards the tail end of 2024.
#1. WWE's newest power couple emerges
SummerSlam 2024 will go down as the night when The Judgment Day changed forever. Before Finn Balor cost Damian Priest the World Heavyweight Championship, fans saw Dominik Mysterio choose a side, as The Latino Cheat helped Liv Morgan retain the Women's World Championship against Rhea Ripley.
While it wasn't clear at the end of the match which side Dirty Dom was on, it certainly was a few seconds later, as he helped a victorious Liv Morgan get to her feet and kissed her in front of a distraught Rhea Ripley.
This move from Dominik helped further establish him as one of the biggest heels in WWE as well as truly solidifying The Miracle Kid as champion.
One person who feels that 2024 has been the year of Liv Morgan is SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis, who heaped plenty of praise on the Women's World Champion while speaking with Chris Van Vliet on INSIGHT.
"Liv Morgan, to me, is the MVP of 2024. I've told her a couple of times, 'You are crushing it!' A good heel has to have some self-awareness. You have to know what impression you give off when you walk in the room. Liv Morgan is a stunningly good-looking girl. That can work against you. She finally realized, 'I can use that!'" he said.
With a fantastic reaction from fans at the time, Dominik's betrayal of Rhea Ripley at SummerSlam will go down as one of the most iconic backstabbing moments in WWE history.