Yeah, we’re back to 10 for now.
1. Boneyard Match: The Undertaker vs. AJ Styles (WrestleMania 36 Night 1 4/4/20)
More an extended movie scene than a wrestling match, but I will judge any match on any card all the same. For a company that is normally tone deaf, WWE completely nailed the tone for whatever this needed to be. They embraced both the ridiculousness and possibilities of pro wrestling, with 20 minutes of hand-to-hand combat and henchman attacks and explosions at an abandoned house by a graveyard. If all Undertaker has to do is heave and deliver lines, he’s got 20 more years left.
2. Firefly Fun House Match: John Cena vs. The Fiend (WrestleMania 36 Night 2 4/5/20)
More an Adult Swim short than a professional wrestling match, but damnit I will judge any match on any card all the same. WWE does all kinds of weird things, but John Cena and Bray Wyatt teleporting into John Cena’s unconscious to have a self-referential match at WrestleMania is another level of weird. Heck of a risk. Happy they did it. I’m not going to say they’ll “draw money” or “get heat”, but they restored the element of surprise to WWE and put smiles on my face. Maybe you can’t do what wrestling is supposed to do through just wrestling anymore.
3. NXT Women’s Title: Rhea Ripley [c] vs. Charlotte Flair (WrestleMania 36 Night 2 4/5/20)
Charlotte Flair’s big title match approach translated well to an empty arena, with a physicality and general seriousness making this feel like the most intense, real wrestling match of the entire month. She actually roared at one point, like a lion. It ruled. Ripley kept up too, and you could feel this translating well in front of an audience.
4. Kevin Owens vs. Seth Rollins (WrestleMania 36 Night 1 4/4/20)
Owens and Rollins have their match down and can deliver it anywhere. Like Ripley/Flair, it was one of the only matches since the pandemic began that would clearly hit big with a live crowd. It’s tough to read live drama when live people aren’t audibly responding to it, but this felt very dramatic. You could distantly hear the “This is Awesome” chants, even.
5. Money in the Bank Qualifier: Rey Mysterio vs. Murphy (RAW 4/20/20)
A match that snuck up on me, one where I went from barely paying attention and smirking when Rey whispered “my fingers hurt” to one where I thought it might’ve been everything I could ask from a Rey/Murphy TV match besides the crowd. They kept on the fingers and made that interesting, while Murphy was a quality partner for Rey’s typically awesome flying.
6. NXT Tag Team Title: Matt Riddle & Timothy Thatcher [c] vs. Roderick Strong & Bobby Fish (NXT 4/15/20)
This followed a big debut for Tim Thatcher, the temporary replacement for Pete Dunne in the BroserWeights. All four of these guys had a go and delivered a fun match despite the circumstances. Riddle vs. Fish is a fun pairing, while Thatcher’s hot tag sees him step inside the ring and begin belly-to-belly suplexing people. As my first look at Thatcher, I’m immediately into it.
7. Triple Threat Match – SmackDown Tag Team Title: The Miz [c] vs. Big E vs. Jey Uso (SmackDown 4/17/20)
This couldn’t have been more than 5 minutes but they packed in as much fun as the entire last month of WWE TV combined. Big E and Jey Uso are very capable of going balls out, and it’s always fun when The Miz reminds you he can too. Somehow, like 10x better than the very OK WrestleMania Ladder Match.
8. Ilja Dragunov vs. A-Kid (NXT UK 4/30/20)
Originally taped in early March, this happened at one of the last live shows WWE ran and was aired on a “Hidden Gems” edition of NXT UK. It’s a strong bunch of wrestling with tight matwork, well-timed big spots, applause and a handshake afterwards – all the good stuff. I miss it.
9. Daniel Bryan w/ Drew Gulak vs. Shinsuke Nakamura w/ Cesaro (SmackDown 4/3/20)
This actual Dream Match seriously actually finally happened and was very good, at least as good and solid as a restrained WWE TV empty arena match is able to be. They did a fine job picking up the pace and hitting a groove before a DQ.
10. Money in the Bank Qualifier: Daniel Bryan w/ Drew Gulak vs. Cesaro w/ Shinsuke Nakamura (SmackDown 4/17/20)
Just some real cool wrestling and knuckle-locking from two of the greats, highlighted by Cesaro catching Bryan’s top rope backflip only for Bryan to tilt-a-whirl into a YesLock.
Honorable Mentions: KUSHIDA vs. Danny Burch (4/3/20), Triple Threat Ladder Match – SmackDown Tag Team Title: John Morrison [c] vs. Kofi Kingston vs. Jimmy Uso (WrestleMania 36 Night 1 4/4/20), WWE Title: Drew McIntyre [c] vs. Big Show (RAW 4/6/20), Aleister Black vs. Apollo Crews (RAW 4/6/20), Aleister Black vs. Oney Lorcan (RAW 4/20/20), Oney Lorcan vs. Jack Gallagher (205 Live 4/10/20), Charlotte Flair vs. Mia Yim (NXT 4/30/20)
Money in the Bank Qualifier: Asuka vs. Ruby Riott (RAW 4/13/20), Gran Metalik & Lince Dorado vs. The Miz & John Morrison (SmackDown 4/24/20), Money in the Bank Qualifier: Sasha Banks w/ Bayley vs. Lacey Evans (SmackDown 4/24/20), WWE Title: Brock Lesnar [c] w/ Paul Heyman vs. Drew McIntyre (WrestleMania 36 Part 2 4/5/20), Cedric Alexander vs. Fabian Aichner (Main Event 4/1/20)
