The MVP of SmackDown's biggest angle or an international addition? Ranking WWE's top 6 signings of 2024
With Triple H in charge of WWE's new era, several stars that may not have been signed in past years have inked deals with the promotion. Vince McMahon had a particular vision of the stars he would bring to the company.
McMahon did bring in international talent and regularly signed big free agents like AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura. With new leadership, recruiting is more open to bringing in stars from various types of backgrounds.
One of the first big signings of the new regime was Jade Cargill. She finally got into the ring in 2024 but appeared on programming at various points in 2023. WWE has signed several talents in 2024. Here they are ranked from the least amount of impact to the greatest impact.
(While Hikuleo, Stephanie Vaquer, Delta, and the Motor City Machine Guns have signed with WWE, they haven't debuted on programming. For that reason, they will not be included in the rankings).
#5. Giulia finally debuted in NXT this month
While she's been signed to the company since April, Giulia has taken a circuitous route to get into an NXT ring. She was in the crowd at Stand & Deliver but suffered a wrist injury over the summer.
Giulia also helped out her friend, Rossy Ogawa, as he started the Marigold promotion. Once she was ready, the Beautiful Madness immediately challenged Roxanne Perez.
Had she debuted earlier instead of this month, she'd have had a bigger impact. Giulia's presence will certainly help a division that was built a lot with college athletes rather than stars with indie wrestling experience.
#4. Andrade returned in the 2024 Royal Rumble
El Idolo is the second former WWE star to leave AEW. His inconsistent booking during his tenure hindered any chance to build momentum.
While he may have been unhappy before joining AEW, he did win the NXT and United States titles. Chad Gable cannot make that claim but stayed with WWE. Since he's proven to be one of the finest in-ring stars of this generation, Andrade wasn't going to stay idle for long.
He was the fourth entrant in the 2024 Royal Rumble and resumed putting on fantastic matches after the event. El Idolo stole the show at Money in the Bank and put forth some of the best matches of the year with Carmelo Hayes.
#3. Ethan Page won the NXT title in his first month
Another former AEW star who endured less than stellar booking is Ethan Page. Page was the total package in terms of in-ring skill and promo ability.
He wasn't renowned for wrestling five-star matches but was good in the ring and even better on the mic. It may have been his status as a former TNA star that hindered his growth.
AEW hasn't booked many former TNA/Impact Wrestling stars (Kiera Hogan, Allie, Brian Cage, Ortiz) well. Despite that, All Ego delivered when given the spotlight but opted to leave Tony Khan's promotion. He's already enjoyed more success in his new home.
#2. Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa are the current WWE Tag Team Champions
While the former IWGP Tag Team Champions have had varying impacts in The Bloodline, both stars have played their part in wrestling's biggest storylines possible.
If Solo Sikoa couldn't build his own Bloodline with reputable Samoan stars, then a potential Civil War match wouldn't be credible. Tonga debuted first and instantly shook things up on SmackDown.
His brother debuted shortly after but missed a few spots and didn't appear consistently. Despite his issues, Loa has been an important part of the group. Their cache in New Japan Pro Wrestling made them a believable threat to dethrone DIY for the belts.
#1. Jacob Fatu has been a game-breaker for WWE
Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa put the rest of WWE on notice when they joined Solo Sikoa. Jacob Fatu ripped up that notice and changed the game when he ran roughshod over Randy Orton, Kevin Owens, and Cody Rhodes in his debut.
The Samoan Werewolf instantly turned the tides in favor of the new Bloodline due to his explosive and intense aura. Solo Sikoa may be the group's leader but he's routinely been outshined by Fatu.
There's already been tension teased between Sikoa and Fatu but The Samoan Werewolf has remained loyal to his Tribal Chief. Wherever the story goes, few signings have made as big an impact right away in WWE as Jacob Fatu.