Matt Hardy Names 2024's Breakout Star In Pro Wrestling

As we near the last stretch of 2024, what better time to acknowledge some of the best moments in professional wrestling than now? For living legend Matt Hardy, he had many candidates to choose from for his "2024 Breakout Star of the Year." As part of his annual Hardy Award ceremony, the current TNA World Tag Team Champion chose to award someone he has worked with rather closely this year and who has motivated him to believe.

"My 'Breakout Star for 2024' this year, because I was with him, and I was up close in personal, and I saw how popular he has become, and how, even being out in the streets, he was being recognized and whatnot...it is Joe Hendry," he announced on his "The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy" podcast.

Hendry also recently earned TNA's 2024 "Male Wrestler of the Year" award this past Thursday as part of TNA's Best of 2024 two-part special. After winning a Fatal Four-Way contest against Josh Alexander, Steve Maclin, and Mike Santana at Final Resolution earlier this month, Hendry has secured his second main event shot at the TNA World Championship against Nic Nemeth at Genesis on Sunday, January 19. Hendry last fought for this title at Bound For Glory in October.

Four other stars were close to making the cut, including former WWE Tag Team Champion who pledges his devotion to the New Bloodline Tribal Chief, Solo Sikoa, regularly, a disciple that literally stabbed her mentor with a shoe to become the current AEW Women's World Champion, and wrestlers who carried the top world titles in AEW and "WWE NXT."

"I mean, when I hear the term 'Breakout Star,' I think of people like Jacob Fatu," Hardy added.  "I think about Ethan Page. He had a big breakout year coming to 'NXT' and doing his thing... I even think Swerve [Strickland], in some ways, was...a breakout star. Mariah May. She was a big breakthrough star this year. There were a lot of people that had really good years, and they really solidified their positions as players this year."

Hardy also named a WWE star his best talker of 2024 during the awards ceremony, admitting that it was another close contest. The former WWE and AEW star praised wrestlers from both promotions, but one stood out as the best of the best.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.