1. SmackDown Women’s Title: Sasha Banks [c] vs. Bianca Belair (WrestleMania 37 4/10/21)
This match featured a few of the coolest spots ever done in a wrestling ring (not to mention a WrestleMania main event), spots that were seamlessly worked into a tight package that made a new star, had B-and-C-stories to follow, and actually didn’t drag itself out 10 minutes past its’ expiration. This is better than what I think good wrestling is supposed to even be.
2. NXT UK Title: WALTER [c] vs. Tommaso Ciampa (TakeOver: Stand & Deliver 4/7/21)
Like a lot of WALTER’s championship defenses, this maintained a wrestling credibility WWE rarely achieves elsewhere… but it also had Tommaso Ciampa playing this old bastard who was going to try and run through him again and again. A Ciampa win felt unlikely but they managed to make it seem like a possibility too. Got to respect WALTER showing up every few months and putting on one of the best matches of all time too.
3. If Reigns Wins, Bryan Leaves SmackDown – WWE Universal Title: Roman Reigns [c] w/ Paul Heyman vs. Daniel Bryan (SmackDown 4/30/21)
If this was Bryan’s last hurrah in WWE then it was an awesome way to go, opposite his arch-rival in a premium WWE main event that was all about momentum via ass-kicking and cut-offs via signature moves with a no-bullshit urgency the stipulation called for. Good guy and bad guy, stakes and stipulations. It doesn’t seem that complicated until two of the best in the world do it right and remind you that this is the most not-complex complex art in the world.
4. Triple Threat Match – WWE Universal Title: Roman Reigns [c] w/ Paul Heyman vs. Edge vs. Daniel Bryan (WrestleMania 37 4/11/21)
A type of match, less a wrestling classic than The Wrestling Experience but still a heck of an experience: dueling crossfaces, powerbomb through a table, two men trying to hit a spear simultaneously and colliding skulls mid-air. It’s a little all over the place but occasionally the greatest goddamn thing you’ve ever seen.
5. Cesaro vs. Seth Rollins (WrestleMania 37 4/10/21)
High-level, exciting professional wrestling. The Ring of Honor fellas did all the things on the big stage, including the first (I think?) UFO from Cesaro in WWE. They built the match around the Cesaro Swing and Cesaro not being able to win; in the end they did the Cesaro Swing and Cesaro won. It was tremendous.
6. NXT Women’s Title: Raquel Gonzalez [c] vs. Io Shirai (TakeOver: Stand & Deliver 4/7/21)
We are blessed to live in the era of Io Shirai. Like Sasha/Bianca, here’s a PPV main event that put over a newcomer while intelligently spacing out and delivering few of the most amazing things you will ever see in a wrestling ring.
7. Daniel Bryan & Cesaro vs. Seth Rollins & Jey Uso (SmackDown 4/23/21)
Bryan and Rollins throwing down, Bryan and Cesaro taking heat, Bryan hot tag, a hot closing stretch (featuring Bryan)… this was good to great wrestling on Friday night TV.
8. Nigerian Drum Fight – WWE Intercontinental Title: Big E [c] vs. Apollo Crews (WrestleMania 37 4/11/21)
I don’t think they even used a drum, but this was a blast: a 7-minute brawl packed with enough nasty bumps and kendo stick shots that it felt double that. Here’s to something completely different.
9. Bad Bunny & Damian Priest vs. The Miz & John Morrison (WrestleMania 37 4/10/21)
In which Bad Bunny did a la magistral cradle and falcon arrow, in which he sold a beating like a champion and did a Canadian Destroyer on the floor. At WrestleMania. Pretty spectacular celebrity wrestling match.
10. Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn w/ Logan Paul (WrestleMania 37 4/11/21)
10 minutes long and not a moment wasted; this isn’t some violent or layered classic but the system is the system: it can change sometimes, but work through its’ confinements and you might find yourself doing head-drop suplexes and face kicks at WrestleMania before giving a Stone Cold Stunner to Logan Paul.
11. Meiko Satomura vs. Aoife Valkyrie (NXT UK 4/29/21)
Some wrestlers are so good you can just plant them anywhere — even NXT UK — and they’ll continue to have great matches in spite of it. Meiko Satomura delivered here with promising newcomer Aoife Valkyrie, who has kind of just ruled from her TV debut. The veteran vs. upstart match stays in style if they’re showing enough fire. Plenty of that here.
12. NXT UK Title: WALTER [c] vs. Rampage Brown (NXT UK Prelude 4/8/21)
A different kind of WALTER match, but still a good WALTER match. He treats Rampage like an equal, getting tossed around and trading strikes instead of just hitting his opponent and watching them fall down.
13. WWE U.S. Title: Riddle [c] vs. Sheamus (WrestleMania 37 4/11/21)
Pro wrestlers hitting each other hard remains in style, whether in the Thunderdome or Raymond James Stadium. Sheamus counters a Lionsault with a Brouge kick here; he also delivers one of the greatest knee drops of all time.
14. KUSHIDA vs. Pete Dunne (TakeOver: Stand & Deliver 4/7/21)
Tons of cool wrestling, nasty strikes, counters of counters that were usually focused on a man’s limb. It felt more about them proving they’re good at wrestling than actually good wrestling sometimes, but adaptation to WWE’s weirdness aside these two are phenomenal.
15. NXT UK Heritage Cup #1 Contender’s Match: Tyler Bate vs. Noam Dar w/ Sha Samuels (NXT UK Prelude 4/8/21)
A psychologically sound Heritage Cup rules match, each fall and some leg work providing a foundation for a bunch of wrestling exchanges that were practically dazzling.
16. Triple Threat Match – NXT Tag Team Title: MSK vs. The Grizzled Young Veterans vs. Legado del Fantasma (TakeOver: Stand & Deliver 4/7/21)
An actually good Triple Threat Tag; MSK are a special pair of flyers and it was impressive how seamlessly the Grizzled Young Vets played along with 3-way match spots when they’re such… well, you know. Raul Mendoza & Joaquin Wilde have always just ruled too, so it was nice to see them in a big TakeOver spot.
17. RAW Women’s Title: Asuka [c] vs. Rhea Ripley (WrestleMania 37 4/11/21)
Badass Ripley not afraid of Asuka’s bullshit and bringing it to her all match was a cool dynamic to the reliably awesome Asuka championship match. This felt like a struggle for control the entire time until Rip just smashed the Riptide.
18. Moustache Mountain vs. Noam Dar & Sha Samuels (NXT UK 4/22/21)
It was sad to see the momentarily reunited Moustache Mountain emerge from a curtain to the cheers of the vague void that is the BT Arena, but Bate and Seven having a basic tag match is still better than most wrestling right now.
19. Zoey Stark vs. Toni Storm (TakeOver: Stand & Deliver 4/7/21)
20. Zayda Ramier vs. Toni Storm (NXT 4/27/21)
Toni Storm went 0-2 here against NXT’s newest rookies, but she was 2-0 in having good matches with them. This was tight, credible wrestling where all the great-looking offense Stark and Ramier provide was utilized effectively.
21. Sarray vs. Zoey Stark (NXT 4/21/21)
A promising debut within NXT’s cursed world, Sareee has arrived and she kicked the shit out of Zoey Stark.
22. Drew McIntyre vs. King Corbin (RAW 4/5/21)
This 20-minute Drew McIntyre/Baron Corbin was weirdly good, a pretty basic WWE-style match that just inexplicably clicked including when Corbin tried MMA stuff.
23. Ladder Match – Undisputed NXT Cruiserweight Title: Jordan Devlin vs. Santos Escobar (TakeOver: Stand & Deliver 4/7/21)
I liked the approach to this if not the whole thing itself, a match where they rarely wavered in wanting to hurt each other (unless Devlin was doing one of his pretty moonsaults). Good effort, so-so as far as standing out from all other ladder matches… or even probably needing to be a ladder match.
24. NXT Cruiserweight Title: KUSHIDA [c] vs. Oney Lorcan (NXT 4/21/21)
This low key dream match was more a solid NXT TV match than anything, but it’s good wrestling from two of the greats.
25. Kyle O’Reilly vs. Cameron Grimes (NXT 4/21/21)
Another solid NXT TV match, though one one ended with an incredible top rope kneedrop.
Honorable Mentions: Meiko Satomura & Millie McKenzie vs. Kay Lee Ray & Isla Dawn (NXT UK Prelude 4/8/21), Bobby Lashley w/ MVP vs. Riddle (RAW 4/13/21), NXT Women’s Tag Team Title: Ember Moon & Shotzi Blackheart [c] vs. Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell (TakeOver: Stand & Deliver 4/7/21), NXT Tag Team Title: MSK [c] vs. Killian Dain & Drake Maverick (NXT 4/14/21), NXT Cruiserweight Title: Santos Escobar [c] vs. KUSHIDA (NXT 4/14/21), Bronson Reed, Dexter Lumis, Ember Moon & Shotzi Blackheart vs. Johnny Gargano, Austin Theory, Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell (NXT 4/14/21), Ever-Rise vs. Tony Nese & Ariya Daivari (205 Live 4/30/21)
