2024 has been a great year for the WWE, especially if you're someone getting TV time on the main roster. With the help of The Rock and some great storylines, business is booming and there are several upcoming WWE events fans are really excited for, as Cody Rhodes continues to defend his WWE Championship and Roman Reigns continues his feud with The Bloodline. Out of everything we've seen in 2024, however, my favorite feud doesn't involve either Cody or Roman. There's one feud that shines above everything else we've seen thus far, and it has nothing to do with those two.
While I'll admit that I enjoyed watching CM Punk and Drew McIntyre have a blood feud over a friendship bracelet for months, that's not the one I'm talking about. There is another I'm enjoying a good deal more as the year closes out. Bronson Reed and Seth Rollins are tearing the house down just about every time they step in the ring, and we need to start acknowledging this is the year's greatest feud.
2024 Has Been The Year Of Big Bronson Reed
Bronson Reed missed a chance to perform in his homeland of Australia at the start of the year, but it ended up being a blessing in disguise as he could be there when his wife went into labor. It seems like while the WWE didn't have Reed in their immediate plans at the start of the year, so much of 2024 has been about raising his stock in the WWE as a credible threat and possible main eventer.
We've seen Bronson Reed hit his signature Tsunami multiple times in succession against a lot of people, but readers may forget that his entire reign of terror started with a surprise attack on Seth Rollins. Words can't describe just how wild it was, but thankfully, we have the video to enjoy:
From there, Bronson Reed took out his frustrations on The Miz, then R-Truth, and then finally seemed to find another more durable opponent in Braun Strowman. Strowman lasted as long as he could, and technically, won their Last Man Standing match, but it was Reed who emerged from the feud looking stronger. It seemed like nothing was going to stop Reed, right up until Seth Rollins returned and delivered the first beating to the superstar that he's received in a while.
CinemaBlend predicted Reed would fall to Rollins at Crown Jewel 2024, but I don't think any of us were happy about it. After all, we saw how Rollins' 2023 Heavyweight Championship run all but extinguished Shinsuke Nakamura's comeback, and it felt like yet another promising superstar was getting built up just to be squashed by one of WWE's most consistent main eventers.
Originally, I thought Bronson Reed's build was just so he could serve as a stepping stone for Seth Rollins to challenge Gunther for the Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania. Following Crown Jewel, however, I think that this feud may not actually be for Seth to come out on top, especially after seeing how easily Reed got up after that devastating match. I'm not entirely sure how this feud ends, but damn, is it intriguing.
Reed And Seth Have Made For Some Of The WWE's Best Matches Without A Title On The Line
I mentioned Drew McIntyre and CM Punk's feud earlier in a flippant way, and that was honestly a little unfair. Even with the weird bracelet angle, this has been one of the best blood feuds we've seen in the WWE in some time, but it differs from Bronson Reed and Seth Rollins feud in one key way.
The stakes for McIntyre and Punk's feud were elevated because the latter cost the former his Heavyweight Championship. That's not to say either superstar isn't worthy of carrying a feud where there are no title implications, but it's a fact that Punk screwing McIntyre out of the title was the catalyst to everything that came after.
Bronson Reed's whole mission is not being driven by a title he lost out on, or one that he was robbed of. This entire WWE storyline is centered around a man proving he is deserving of an opportunity. Does defeating Seth Rollins in a feud prove he's capable of that next step to main event title matches? I think so, and I think the power in that story speaks for itself when you don't even care whether a title is on the line.
2025 Should Be The Year Bronson Reed Has A Big Title Run
Whether he wins or loses the feud with Seth Rollins, it's my hope that whatever happens with Bronson Reed steers him in the direction that sets him up for his first major title run in 2025. If we get to the end of this feud and it just ends up in Seth Rollins moving on to bigger and better things while Reed slips back into the background, the WWE has wasted our time.
Sure, I'll concede that the WWE's main event scene is so loaded that you have pro wrestling icons struggling to get television time. That said, it's a great problem to have several guys on the roster who, at any given moment, can rise up and shock the world (no Shockmaster) with a surprising title run. Sure, Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns are at the top of the mountain, but that doesn't mean there isn't room for others just below the peak.
I also can say that in an era where just about everyone in the main roster is cut and looking like a marble statue, it's nice to see a big dude throwing his weight around and kicking some ass. It's been a while since there's been a big guy at the top of the WWE roster, and we're past due for seeing another one make a name for themself. Could Bronson Reed be what Yokozuna was to a generation of fans? I say we give him all the opportunities to prove he can rise to the challenge, and so far, he's passing all the tests he needs to.
Check out some of Bronson Reed's best matches in the WWE with a Peacock Premium subscription. We'll see what the future holds for him and how the rest of this feud with Seth Rollins will go, but so far, I think it's the best thing happening in pro wrestling.
