Much like 2020, the first half of 2021 was a time when WWE just powered through it.
Forced into literal boxes called the Thunderdome and Capitol Wrestling Center, WWE for the past while has been less about good wrestling matches and more impressive performances from the boys and girls stuck on a buzzkill wrestling TV show. Actually maybe it was always like that.
WWE’s wrestlers may have been prepared to have weekly solid matches without the direction of a crowd, but having them without the reaction of one is another story. Some eventually found a rhythm, though most got stuck at “good try.”
On occasion though some managed actual compelling and awesome pro wrestling, despite the whole… all of it. Still says something the top 3 are from the one weekend with a crowd though.
Probably should’ve just done a Top 25.
1. SmackDown Women’s Title: Sasha Banks [c] vs. Bianca Belair (WrestleMania 37 4/10/21)
We’re three months removed and I’m ready to call this match transcendent, are you? In a tight main event package that leaves you wanting more, they delivered a few of the coolest spots ever done in a WrestleMania match, spots that were seamlessly weaved into B-stories and C-stories and the A-story of crowning a new queen. Hogan vs. Andre for the B2B era.
2. NXT UK Title: WALTER [c] vs. Tommaso Ciampa (TakeOver: Stand & Deliver 4/7/21)
WALTER pops in every few months to remind you he’s just better, and on WrestleMania weekend he and Tommy Ciampa put on a show. Tests of will, filthy strikes, and a stubborn old man trying to do the impossible… this is dad wrestling in all the best ways
3. WWE Universal Title: Roman Reigns [c] w/ Paul Heyman vs. Daniel Bryan (Fastlane 3/21/21)
Big and sociopathic Roman Reigns against the craft and heart of Daniel Bryan is a magical wrestling story, and these two provided all the little touches to make that work. It helped along what was already an awesome deal, the greatest wrestler in the world challenging for the big belt on pay-per-view.
4. Drew McIntyre vs. Sheamus (RAW 3/1/21)
They might not have got the WrestleMania they were building to, but they were definitely going to passive aggressively have a few classics on the road to it. McIntyre vs. Sheamus shows up again later but this first match was a marvel, 25 minutes of them just beating the goddamn shit out of each other. The pacing and energy is impressive but more than anything, yeah: just beat the goddamn shit out of each other. The Thunderdome MOTY.
5. Triple Threat Match – WWE Universal Title: Roman Reigns [c] w/ Paul Heyman vs. Edge vs. Daniel Bryan (WrestleMania 37 4/11/21)
One-half wrestling classic, one-half wrestling experience – this has plenty of convenient WrestleMania Triple Threat spots, but it also has plenty of epic moments and is just scientifically designed to be as fun as it can possibly be.
6. If Reigns Wins, Bryan Leaves SmackDown – WWE Universal Title: Roman Reigns [c] w/ Paul Heyman vs. Daniel Bryan (SmackDown 4/30/21)
Here they are again, good guy and bad guy with stakes and stipulations. This wasn’t pay-per-view, but they made up for any lack of time with a no-bullshit urgency that the event called for. Bryan is so especially good at building up momentum and Roman is right there to bring him down with all the most demoralizing cut-offs.
7. NXT UK Title: WALTER [c] vs. A-Kid (NXT UK 1/14/21)
Another edition of WALTER popping in for a classic, this had all the ass-kicking a match between him and the tiny kid man could promise but they also did an amazing job keeping the underdog credible with tricked out submissions and just a general resourcefulness. Resourcefulness is a very fun wrestling trait.
8. Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic – Final: MSK vs. The Grizzled Young Veterans (TakeOver: Vengeance Day 2/14/21)
On occasion the familiar beats of a WWE tag match bring comfort over pain, especially when they hit as well as they did here. These four just powered through the drab Capitol Wrestling Center environment and had a whole epic tag match with grounded work from the GYV and spectacular spots from MSK.
9. Last Man Standing – WWE Universal Title: Roman Reigns [c] w/ Paul Heyman vs. Kevin Owens (Royal Rumble 1/31/21)
This just kept climbing as I thought about it, the best embrace of the Thunderdome as Kevin Owens brought the whole Kevin Owens experience to a rare WWE hardcore match that felt more like a fight than a series of comedy bits— even if they brawler all over Zoomtopia. These guys get good work out of each other and are willing to hurt themselves to get there too.
10. Falls Count Anywhere: Leon Ruff vs. Isaiah “Swerve” Scott (NXT 5/4/21)
This felt like the breakout Mustafa Ali/Buddy Murphy 205 Live matches a few years ago where the directive from management seemed to be, mmmmnnn… no directives tonight. In a world of so many wild wrestling moves, they did a few more wild than all the rest — also helps Ruff has a death wish on every bump. A match so good Swerve got a Hit Row.
11. Street Profits vs. The Usos (SmackDown 5/28/21)
Like the Street Profits/New Day tag from Survivor last years, this is a good tag match made great because they’re being such dickheads about it. Wrestling matches should normally look like they’re trying to win, and some fun ones look like they’re trying to out-perform each other too — this had both.
12. Women’s Royal Rumble (Royal Rumble (1/31/21)
It was a Royal Rumble in the Thunderdome, but they kept the action moving and fun coming. Bayley, Naomi and Bianca Belair brought all-star energy at the start and lasted deep, while Billie Kay’s running bit carried like half the match. One of the more fun things WWE did.
13. WWE Universal Title: Roman Reigns [c] w/ Paul Heyman vs. Cesaro (WrestleMania Backlash 5/16/21)
Needed Cesaro to a little bit of that “killer instinct” but this is still an awesome 30-minutes of professional wrestling, fighting over headlocks and deadlifting suplexes and hitting each other really really hard.
14. Heritage Cup: A-Kid [c] vs. Tyler Bate w/ Trent Seven (NXT UK 5/20/21)
Two fellows in their mid-20s have the best Heritage Cup match, making choices with the rounds concept that escalated the action and drama brilliantly — at least as brilliantly as one can do in an empty arena. Early on they’re chain wrestling, later on they’re just smacking at each other with their one working limb.
15. Triple Threat Match – WWE Title: Bobby Lashley [c] w/ MVP vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Braun Strowman (WrestleMania Backlash 5/16/21)
Here’s a real WWE heavyweight spectacle, a match so packed with action you can’t even stop and think about how bad RAW is. I’m officially over a guy tackling another guy into a barricade or LED video board, but I was very into Braun Strowman doing a plancha and getting tossed around like a cruiserweight.
16. Cesaro vs. Seth Rollins (WrestleMania 37 4/10/21)
Double C and Tyler Black did their thing on their big stage, including the first (I think?) UFO from Cesaro in WWE. High-level, exciting, and maybe most importantly simple professional wrestling.
17. No Holds Barred: Drew McIntyre vs. Sheamus (Fastlane 3/21/21)
18. No DQ Match: Drew McIntyre vs. Sheamus (RAW 3/8/21)
I didn’t lose my mind for these these as much as McIntyre/Sheamus from 3/1, mostly because the lads’ fists are way cooler than any table or barricade. But these are also awesome matches. It’s like Regal vs. Finlay with more bumps into electronics.
19. NXT UK Women’s Title: Kay Lee Ray [c] vs. Meiko Satomura (NXT UK 3/4/21)
20. NXT UK Title: Kay Lee Ray [c] vs. Meiko Satomura (NXT UK 6/10/21)
You can watch plenty of wrestling these days but not much will be better than any random Meiko Satomura match, let alone a championship match with Kay Lee Ray — let alone two of them! KLR carried NXT UK through the pandemic and Meiko is real wrestling.
21. No DQ Match: Ilja Dragunov vs. Sam Gradwell (NXT UK 3/25/21)
This was like McIntyre/Sheamus Jr., well-paced and credible wrestling with strikes that make you question the participants’ insanity a little. I still want Sheamus around, but I am reasonably sure Sam Gradwell can fill the Sheamus role at any time.
22. 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. Spectacular celebrity wrestling.
23. Hell in a Cell – SmackDown Women’s Title: Bianca Belair [c] vs. Bayley (Hell in a Cell 6/20/21)
It was a Hell in a Cell in the Thunderdome, but this was less a Cell match and more a battle of good vs. evil in front of a cage. Bayley is a psychopath and Belair’s comebacks ruled.
24. Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn w/ Logan Paul (WrestleMania 37 4/11/21)
25. Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn (Hell in a Cell 6/20/21)
The system is the system: sometimes it changes, but in the meantime work through its’ confinements and you might find yourself doing neat: half-nelson suplexes at WrestleMania before giving a Stone Cold Stunner to Logan Paul at WrestleMania, somersault sentons to the floor designed to put over a guy named Commander Azeez at Hell in a Cell. These two are businessmen.
26. Elimination Chamber – Winner Faces Roman Reigns for the Universal Title: Daniel Bryan vs. Kevin Owens vs. Cesaro vs. Sami Zayn vs. Jey Uso vs. King Corbin (Elimination Chamber 2/21/21)
It was an Elimination Chamber in the Thunderdome, but in February 2021 most of these guys were clicking as superstars and Daniel Bryan basically had a good singles match inside it with everyone.
27. NXT Title: Finn Balor [c] vs. Pete Dunne (TakeOver: Vengeance Day 2/14/21)
28. NXT North American Title: Johnny Gargano [c] vs. KUSHIDA (TakeOver: Vengeance Day 2/14/21)
It’s ridiculous these two aren’t both like #1 and like the best matchest of all time, but we are where we are. They all took it to the mat and had a big championship match. Fun approach, good intensity, and occasionally kind of silly.
29. 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 the #1 match on this list, this is a PPV main event that put over a newcomer while intelligently spacing out and delivering a few of the most amazing things you will ever see in a wrestling ring.
30. Nigerian Drum Fight – WWE Intercontinental Title: Big E [c] vs. Apollo Crews (WrestleMania 37 4/11/21)
Here’s to something completely different. 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.
31. NXT Cruiserweight Title: Jordan Devlin [c] vs. Ben Carter (NXT 1/7/21)
The rare straight-up junior heavyweight match on WWE TV, less about popping DX in the gorilla position with spots and more about tight work and little touches between the flying that ensured the flying stood out. Finish comes together real great and all that too.
32. Gauntlet Match – Winner Enters Elimination Chamber Match: AJ Styles, Kofi Kingston, Drew McIntyre, Jeff Hardy, Randy Orton, Sheamus (RAW 2/15/21)
This felt occasionally like the RAW guys — mostly AJ Styles actually — proving they can still go. AJ and Kofi have a whole psychologically-sound match based around limb work, then he and Drew kicked each other’s asses for a little. It isn’t holding up by the time Alexa Bliss shows up with spooky powers, but for around 20 minutes this is quite the gauntlet match.
33. WWE Title: Drew McIntyre [c] vs. Keith Lee (RAW 1/4/21)
Happy New Year, Drew and Keith are hitting each other. A real main event championship kind of match and one of the best of McIntyre’s reign – we miss Keith Lee.
34. Tyler Bate vs. Bailey Matthews (NXT UK 2/25/21)
Bailey Matthews is the son of William Regal who spent time at the New Japan dojo and it shows: this is pretty much a whole young lions match, holds and suplexes and credibility on NXT UK TV. It ruled.
35. Fatal 5-Way Match – NXT Title: Karrion Kross [c] w/ Scarlett vs. Kyle O’Reilly vs. Adam Cole vs. Johnny Gargano vs. Pete Dunne (TakeOver: In Your House 6/13/21)
Definitely more style than substance, but here’s a bunch of fun wrestlers and Karrion Kross in a match with TakeOver-level motivation if not atmosphere. The spots were out of control but also flowed from on to the next seamlessly, as if they came from a well-oiled — maybe even automated — machine.
36. WWE U.S. Title: Riddle [c] vs. Sheamus (WrestleMania 37 4/11/21)
As long as they’re both OK with it, pro wrestlers hitting each other remains good whether in a Thunderdome or Raymond James Stadium. Highlights include a Lionsault countered with the Brouge kick and one of the greatest knee drops ever delivered.
37. Triple Threat NXT Women’s Tag Team Title #1 Contender Match: Io Shirai & Zoey Stark vs. Ember Moon & Shotzi Blackheart vs. Raquel Gonzalez & Dakota Kai (NXT 6/29/21)
The triple threat tag usually stinks but this absolutely ruled, all over the place action with incredible timing that kept the big spots coming, spots all delivered with an extra kick.
38. Hell in a Cell: Xavier Woods w/ Kofi Kingston vs. Bobby Lashley w/ MVP (RAW 6/21/21)
39. Hell in a Cell – WWE Universal Title: Roman Reigns [c] w/ Paul Heyman vs. Rey Mysterio (SmackDown 6/18/21)
Hastily announced but wonderfully straightforward Hell in a Cell matches, with bad guys that looked like killers and underdogs finding ways to make themselves competitive before it was time to get wrecked. Woods takes a phenomenal spear and in an era of crash pads and crazy bumps, Reigns powerbombing Rey from inside the ring into the Cell wall was SPECIAL.
40. Gauntlet Match – Winner Earns a Universal Title Match at Royal Rumble: Rey Mysterio, Sami Zayn, Shinsuke Nakamura, King Corbin, Daniel Bryan, Adam Pearce (SmackDown 1/8/21)
Another TV gauntlet match where a guy reminds you he can still go, in this case Shinsuke Nakamura: he trades neat counters with Rey, shows big babyface energy against Corbin, and does a bunch of fun wrestling with Bryan.
41. Winner Takes All – NXT North American Title & NXT Tag Team Title: Bronson Reed [c] & MSK [c] vs. Santos Escobar, Joaquin Wilde & Raul Mendoza (TakeOver: In Your House 6/13/21)
The crowd-pleasing 6-man wasn’t around so much with no crowd, but here it was: six fun wrestlers doing a fun bunch of wrestling, with MSK and Legado saving some of their wildest exchanges together for TakeOver.
42. Money in the Bank Qualifier: Drew McIntyre vs. Riddle (RAW 6/21/21)
Drew McIntyre the WWE Main Event guy isn’t the greatest, but Drew McIntyre the guy in these random matches where he and another guy light each other up looks like the best in the world. Strikes so nasty the Thunderdome got hot, baby.
43. Kyle O’Reilly vs. KUSHIDA (NXT 6/22/21)
It’s Kyle O’Reilly vs. KUSHIDA in a vacuum, but it’s still Kyle O’Reilly vs. KUSHIDA. One of those matches where a guy grabbed an arm and neither seemed to let go, two guys who clearly love wrestling and beating the crap out of each other.
44. SmackDown Tag Team Title: Rey Mysterio & Dominik Mysterio [c] vs. The Usos (SmackDown 6/4/21)
This hits every beat a good tag match usually does, but each one was played sublimely: Rey caught with a Samoan drop onto a table to setup the heat, Jey colliding with the corner post to setup the hot tag, and the apron senton by Rey followed by him getting bodied by a superkick to setup the finish. So good.
45. Tornado Tag Team Match: Tommaso Ciampa & Timothy Thatcher vs. The Grizzled Young Veterans (NXT 6/15/21)
Ciampa & Thatcher are best in straight-up singles matches (see #2) while the Grizzled Young Veterans are best in straight-up tags (see #8), but this still rocked. Just a physical and chaotic bunch of fighting that felt like a concession stand brawl inside the Capitol Wrestling Center.
46. Daniel Bryan & Cesaro vs. Seth Rollins & Jey Uso (SmackDown 4/23/21)
Bryan and Rollins throwing down, Bryan and Cesaro taking heat, Bryan doing a hot tag, Bryan closing it up hot… this was some good wrestling on a Friday night from all four guys, but especially Bryan.
47. Meiko Satomura vs. Aoifie Valkyrie (NXT UK 4/29/21)
The veteran vs. upstart match stays in style if they’re showing enough fire, and there was plenty of that here. Aoifie Valkyrie has just kind of ruled from her TV debut, both an intriguing character and ass-kicking wrestler.
48. Finn Balor vs. Roderick Strong (NXT 3/3/21)
There’s a hundred more interesting scenarios this match could’ve take place in, but the one it did was still pretty good.
49. Sarray vs. Zoey Stark (NXT 4/20/21)
Sarray’s first match in NXT saw her absolutely slaughter Zoey Stark, who seemed game and stayed competitive. Ideal introductory match.
50. Ari Sterling vs. Tony Nese (205 Live 5/14/21)
Tony Nese had a quietly great run this year where he put over all the guys that were ultimately being hired to replace him. This went 15 minutes and the former Alex Zayne got all his most impressive stuff in before the most dramatic near falls 205 Live is probably capable of.
