1. WWE Universal Title: Roman Reigns [c] w/ Paul Heyman vs. Jey Uso (Clash of Champions 9/27/20)
Sometimes you write a million words on a WordPress blog about what you want out of pro wrestling; sometimes they just do it. Great story, great chemistry, a match that delivered on that story, a new heel, an underdog, extra expressive selling, looming camera shots, a story-filled finish that came off perfectly and made me feel actual things… this wasn’t WWE making movies, it was pro wrestlers with a story to tell. The Usos and their big cousin Joe are all-time greats.
2. Steel Cage Match: Rhea Ripley vs. Mercedes Martinez (NXT 9/8/20)
NXT’s cage matches are usually a little cute, but this felt like an actual war inside a cage with weapons and a spider German suplex and a freaking dropkick to the top rope. They kept it moving like a Stone Cold match and Martinez basically beat the ass-kicker back into Ripley.
3. Triple Threat Ladder Match – WWE Intercontinental Title: Jeff Hardy [c] vs. AJ Styles vs. Sami Zayn (Clash of Champions 9/27/20)
Hardy, Styles, and Zayn just had too much pride to put on the “usual” WWE Ladder Match and instead delivered something not just fun and crazy but new and memorable too. After a bunch of bumps no guys in their middle or even young age should be taking, they actually made an over-complicated WWE finish work perfectly with no less than Jeff Hardy dragging a ladder to the ring by his ear lobe and Sami Zayn retrieving a key from his mouth.
4. WWE Women’s Tag Team Title: Shayna Baszler & Nia Jax [c] vs. Bayley & Sasha Banks (SmackDown 9/4/20)
Way better than the tag title switch at Payback, just a great tag match that got time but will always be remembered for Bayley finally turning on Sasha afterwards. Sasha is the only person on the roster willing to try new stuff with Nia Jax and she sold her leg like an absolute.. Boss.
5. Gauntlet Eliminator Match – NXT Title #1 Contender’s Match: Kyle O’Reilly vs. KUSHIDA vs. Bronson Reed vs. Timothy Thatcher vs. Cameron Grimes (NXT 9/23/20)
The Gauntlet Eliminator was an eh concept, but this match has Kyle O’Reilly finally breaking out with awesome exchanges opposite KUSHIDA, Thatcher, and eventually Grimes en route to a very satisfying victory.
6. Ambulance Match – WWE Title: Drew McIntyre [c] vs. Randy Orton (Clash of Champions 9/27/20)
Stupid feud, stupid gimmick, fun match. They used all the tricks they could, including cameos from Orton’s rivals and chairs to the teeth and, well, an ambulance. But in between that they brought the physicality too, giving an aura of seriousness to this match where the point is to successfully lift your opponent into the back of an ambulance.
7. Io Shirai vs. Shotzi Blackheart (NXT 9/16/20)
It’s a fun match otherwise, but what made this stand out was how well it established Shotzi as a player: going long with Io, prepared to counter her signature offense, and taking some buck wild moves. Tiger suplex, German suplex, nasty moonsault… it’s all here.
8. NXT Tag Team Title: Breezango [c] vs. Marcel Barthel & Fabian Aichner (NXT 9/16/20)
Really good match with a great heel tag performance by Imperium: good pressure, double teams, and just mean work that led to a major league hot tag by Tyler Breeze.
9. WALTER vs. Saxon Huxley (NXT UK 9/24/20)
The first WALTER sighting since March is the only thing worth seeing from the new episodes of NXT UK, with low-key hoss Saxon Huxley bringing it non-stop and WALTER game to throw it back. Great studio TV match.
10. RAW Women’s Title: Asuka [c] vs. Mickie James (RAW 9/14/20)
Mickie James took an assignment with more than 5 minutes of TV time as cue to have a match up there with some of Asuka’s recent battles with the Four Horsewomen before a confusing referee stoppage disappointed everybody.
Honorable Mentions: Damian Priest & Io Shirai vs. Johnny Gargano & Candice LeRae (NXT 9/30/20), RAW Tag Team Title: Street Profits [c] vs. Andrade & Angel Garza (Clash of Champions 9/27/20), NXT North American Title: Damian Priest [c] vs. Timothy Thatcher (NXT 9/16/20), SmackDown Tag Team Title: Cesaro & Shinsuke Nakamura [c] vs. Kalisto & Lince Dorado w/ Gran Metalik (Clash of Champions Kickoff 9/27/20)
RAW Women’s Title: Asuka [c] vs. Zelina Vega (Clash of Champions 9/27/20), Mustafa Ali vs. Ricochet (Main Event 9/2/20), Mustafa Ali vs. Ricochet (Main Event 9/23/20), NXT UK Women’s Title: Kay Lee Ray [c] vs. Piper Niven (NXT UK 9/24/20), SmackDown Women’s Title: Bayley [c] vs. Asuka (Clash of Champions 9/27/20)
Adam Cole vs. Austin Theory (NXT 9/30/20), Bronson Reed vs. Austin Theory (NXT 9/8/20), WALTER vs. Ridge Holland (NXT UK 9/3/20), Humberto Carrillo vs. Akira Tozawa (Main Event 9/2/20), Street Fight: Dominik Mysterio vs. Murphy (RAW 9/7/20), NXT Title: Adam Cole vs. Finn Balor (NXT 9/8/20)
