CM Punk vs. Seth Rollins and 7 Dream Matches in WWE and AEW This Year

Despite being only halfway over, 2024 has already provided WWE and AEW fans with many matches that will be talked about for years to come.

Cody Rhodes finally finished his story at WrestleMania 40 by becoming Undisputed WWE Universal champion, but no one could have ever expected at the onset of the year seeds being planted for a future face-off between him and The Rock.

That marquee matchup likely won't go down until 2025, but the mere tease of it is an indicator of just how unpredictable the pro wrestling landscape is at the moment.

In the last four months alone, Will Ospreay has produced some of the best bouts in the business so far this year with the likes of Bryan Danielson, Swerve Strickland and MJF. Thus, there's no telling what other gems he'll have in store in the remainder of 2024.

The two companies' rosters are so stacked that any amount of dream matches are possible, but in the second half of the year, these seven have the strongest chance of coming to fruition and living up to the hype.

Coming into 2024, CM Punk vs. Seth Rollins appeared to be one of the most anticipated matches of the year. They were on a collision course toward WrestleMania 40 where the World Heavyweight Championship would have been on the line.

Punk's untimely injury prevented their 'Mania match from happening and forced WWE to change course, ultimately resulting in the "pivot" with Rollins simultaneously getting involved in Cody Rhodes' redemption story and defending his title against Drew McIntyre instead.

The focus shifted toward McIntyre vs. Punk once McIntyre began boasting about sidelining Punk, but Punk vs. Rollins remained a possibility for down the road. At SummerSlam, Punk will return to the ring to settle his score with McInyre where Rollins will serve as the special guest referee.

This should be where Punk and Rollins rekindle their rivalry and set the stage for their imminent match. Although it's a WrestleMania-worthy encounter, WWE can ill afford to wait that long to deliver on it.

Punk's program with McIntyre should wrap up around Bad Blood in October, and from there, he and Rollins can get back on track with their feud heading into Survivor Series season—the site of Punk's shocking WWE return one year ago.

Through everything he's accomplished in his five-plus years with the promotion, MJF has cemented his spot as the face of AEW, so virtually every match he has is high-profile.

He's battled a majority of the roster throughout his tenure, including all of the top talent from Bryan Danielson and Kenny Omega to Chris Jericho and Jon Moxley, but one name that has alluded him in recent years is Swerve Strickland.

Strickland had a solid first year with AEW, but his star skyrocketed in 2023 thanks to his feuds with Darby Allin and Adam Page. By early 2024, fans were clamoring to see him as AEW World champion, and sure enough, he captured the prestigious prize at the Dynasty event in April.

Back when MJF was in the midst of his record-setting reign as champ, a match between himself and Strickland was teased, but MJF lost the strap to Samoa Joe before it could happen.

With MJF recently returning to his roots as a heel and never having been beaten for the belt, it's now likelier than ever they'll cross paths before 2024 comes to a close.

Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton have waged war before, but so much has changed since their last one-on-one encounter over a decade ago that it'd certainly be considered fresh in 2024 and defined as a "dream match" by many.

The American Nightmare has evolved into a beloved headliner, while Orton has maintained his status as the measuring stick for success in WWE. It's one of the biggest attractions that can realistically be booked on SmackDown right now.

Of course, their history is well documented. Orton took Rhodes under his wing as a member of The Legacy in 2008 and helped elevate him to new heights in the years that followed.

It's a simple story to tell with Orton gradually growing jealous of his former pupil eclipsing him as the face of Friday nights. The Viper has subtly teased wanting a shot at the Undisputed WWE Championship but has assured Rhodes he has his back against The Bloodline.

Rhodes vs. Solo Sikoa is the primary focus in the buildup to SummerSlam, but Rhodes vs. Orton should be the title feud that carries the blue brand into the fall. It's another obstacle for Rhodes to overcome en route to his aforementioned showdown with The Rock at WrestleMania 41.

This is the only "dream match" that isn't currently feasible with Ricochet not yet having signed with AEW, but most fans assume it's inevitable at this point.

Ricochet leaving behind a guaranteed spot in WWE to bet on himself and explore new endeavors will go down as one of the smartest career moves he's ever made. It's possible he takes his talents to other promotions first, but AEW is ultimately where he belongs.

His exhilarating, high-flying style is best suited in AEW, specifically for opponents such as Ospreay. The two famously collided in New Japan Pro-Wrestling in 2016 and had a sensational sprint, so a rematch is absolutely in order.

Ospreay is already booked to challenge MJF for the rechristened AEW American Championship at All In next month, but Ricochet competing on the card against an equally-skilled competitor in Pac isn't out of the question.

The aerial insanity these two are capable of in 2024 is bound to be unmatched and deserves a grand stage on the sooner side.

From the moment Jade Cargill jumped ship from AEW to WWE in September 2023, fans fantasy-booked a bout between her and Bianca Belair and pitched it as one of Cargill's first feuds in the company.

The two powerhouses did briefly interact in the 2024 women's Royal Rumble match, but WWE subsequently went in a different direction by having them team up with Naomi to take down Damage CTRL at WrestleMania 40.

Since then, they've been a force to be reckoned with in the women's tag team scene.

The dominant duo clinched the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship at Backlash and racked up several wins before losing the titles in a Triple Threat at Clash at the Castle. They'll receive their rematch when they challenge Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn on SummerSlam-eve edition of SmackDown and it's not far-fetched that they'd regain the gold.

WWE would be better off using this as an opportunity to have them fall short once again and begin building toward their split. The audience is ready for them to test their mettle against each other in a one-on-one scenario and shouldn't have to wait until WrestleMania to see it.

AEW fans were treated to Bryan Danielson vs. Kenny Omega in Danielson's in-ring debut for the company at the inaugural installment of Grand Slam in 2021 and it did not disappoint.

The atmosphere in Arthur Ashe Stadium was electric before the bell even rang and the match that followed was one of AEW's best to date. The 30-minute time-limit draw left the door open for an eventual rematch that has yet to materialize.

Injuries to both men have caused them to constantly miss each other.

All In at Wembley Stadium in London last year would've been the perfect place for it, but Danielson's return came one week later. Omega will be missing this year's installment due to still being sidelined.

Danielson has made it known that he intends to wrap up his run as an active full-time performer this year, but he hasn't definitely declared his swan song will be at All In. Therefore, hope remains that they can get their long-awaited rematch sometime in the remainder of 2024, but only if Omega is able to get cleared by then.

It would be poetic for Danielson to have the same opponents in his first and last major matches for AEW.

Solo Sikoa has repeatedly put Roman Reigns on notice in various vignettes by declaring himself the new Tribal Chief and promising problems for Reigns if he ever decides to resurface to reclaim that title.

Reigns' return is right around the corner, ideally at the conclusion of SummerSlam. He should confront Sikoa after he fails to defeat Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship, kicking off the next chapter in the Bloodline saga in the process.

Reigns vs. Sikoa is what WWE seems to be building toward in the long-term, but the much more appealing matchup on the horizon is Reigns vs. Jacob Fatu.

Fatu arrived on the SmackDown scene in Reigns' absence and made an immediate impact. He's far and away the most exciting element of the current Bloodline and would pose the biggest threat to The Head of the Table.

If Reigns vs. Sikoa is indeed being saved for WrestleMania 41, Reigns vs. Fatu could be what bridges the gap between now and then. Fatu is a bona fide future world champ in WWE and can prove his worth by beating the former undisputed champ of four years in his first major singles showing in the not-too-distant future.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.