Welcome to Happy Wrestling Land’s Best and Worst WWE Matches of 2021. A year ago for the 2020 version of this list, I wrote:
“The wrestlers fought through the insanity to deliver something resembling good wrestling. Nothing was consistent, but watching them adapt to new surroundings was occasionally interesting.”
Midway through 2021, WWE escaped the Thunderdome but soon fell back into newer, similar uncomfortable surroundings. Dropping focus on in-ring competition in favor of spectacle is fine, unless you suck at spectacle now too. We begin at #25.
The Best 25 WWE Matches of 2021
It’s ridiculous this isn’t top 10, but we were where we were and in 2021 we were in the WWE Thunderdome or Capitol Wrestling Center or whatever. Good, serious title match that sometimes strayed too much into silly.
24. Edge vs. Seth Rollins (SmackDown 9/10/21)
Edge. Seth. They do a certain type of match, and in front of an MSG crowd still caught in the honeymoon period of WWE returning to live shows they managed fireworks.
23. Cesaro vs. Seth Rollins (WrestleMania 37 4/10/21)
High-level, well-executed, and just plain simple: build-up cool moment, give cool moment. On the way there the boys did all their stuff on the big stage, including the first Cesaro UFO in WWE.
22. WWE Universal Title: Roman Reigns [c] w/ Paul Heyman vs. Cesaro (WrestleMania Backlash 5/16/21)
Needed Cesaro to bring a little bit more “killer instinct” but this is still an awesome 30-minutes of professional wrestling, a continuous battle of headlocks and arm work and deadlift suplexes and strikes that hit real hard, baby.
21. Triple Threat Match – WWE Title: Bobby Lashley [c] w/ MVP vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Braun Strowman (WrestleMania Backlash 5/16/21)
Just an absolute adrenaline-pumping action-filled stupid WWE heavyweight spectacle. On top of the usual barricade bumps, Braun gets tossed around and does a plancha like a little guy.
20. Falls Count Anywhere: Leon Ruff vs. Isaiah “Swerve” Scott (NXT 5/4/21)
As close as WWE got to the Mustafa Ali/Buddy Murphy 205 Live series since it happened, a match packed with wild spots and Ruff wishing death on each bump. Six months later? Both free agents.
19. WWE Universal Title: Roman Reigns [c] w/ Paul Heyman vs. John Cena (SummerSlam 8/21/21)
Roman vs. John in 2021 didn’t have a lot of surprises, but it did have two guys who understand how to do big and amplified main event pro wrestling. Reigns is frustratingly good at wasting time, while Hollywood Cena remains an amazing big match seller.
18. NXT Tag Team Title: MSK [c] vs. Tommaso Ciampa & Timothy Thatcher (NXT 7/6/21)
For 10 minutes on a Tuesday night, the energy previously only found in the opener of prime NXT TakeOver was felt inside the CWC. Around a traditional tag structure, Wes (Lee) was especially crisp, Nash (Carter) threw hands, and the whole thing felt like Rey vs. Angle in doubles or something.
17. RAW Women’s Title: Rhea Ripley [c] vs. Charlotte Flair (Money in the Bank 7/18/21)
Having a good match is cool, but wrapping an unconvinced crowd into your match is another level of wrestling. Bumps, strikes, strength, and — yep — Big Match Charlotte overcame some early chants for Becky Lynch and delivered an ol’ Match of the Night.
16. Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic – Final: MSK vs. The Grizzled Young Veterans (TakeOver: Vengeance Day 2/14/21)
The familiar beats of a WWE tag match occasionally give comfort, especially when they hit as well as they did here. These four just powered through an empty arena with a whole epic tag match carried by grounded work from the GYV and spectacular spots from MSK.
15. NXT UK Title: WALTER [c] vs. A-Kid (NXT UK 1/14/21)
This has all the hilarious ass-kicking a match between WALTER and little A-Kid would promise, but they also do an amazing job keeping the-Kid credible by way of a general resourcefulness, the most underrated wrestling trait.
14. Hell in a Cell: Edge vs. Seth Rollins (Crown Jewel 10/21/21)
There were tables. Ladders. Chairs. Stairs. A Cactus Jack elbow drop with chair on stairs and sunset flip powerbomb off ladder through table. Rollins was game for bumps, while Edge did that thing where he maintained the energy of his entrance by strategically using some signature moves. It’s the kind of commercially acceptable showcase Hell in a Cell WWE does nowadays, an insane effort physically if not always creatively.
13. WWE Title: Big E [c] vs. Drew McIntyre (Crown Jewel 10/21/21)
Move the boys from Monday Night RAW to a big arena where the crowd is actually reacting you’ve got yourself a premium WWE heavyweight classic. It reminded me of Batista/Edge from Vengeance 2007, which had no right to be as good as it was but careful build-up and hot near falls from a couple of bodybuilders reminded everyone that, after so many TV matches, the boys are good at this.
12. Last Man Standing – WWE Universal Title: Roman Reigns [c] w/ Paul Heyman vs. Kevin Owens (Royal Rumble 1/31/21)
Roman and KO seem to respect each other even if they may not get each other, and the contrast delivers some very fun and very painful-looking wrestling with both heel Roman Reigns and the Thunderdome getting the whole Kevin Owens experience.
11. RAW Women’s Champion vs. SmackDown Women’s Champion: Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair (Survivor Series 11/21/21)
Given Becky and Charlotte’s longform rivalry and a live audience not yet exhausted by the choices WWE would make on pay-per-view, the opening match of Survivor Series already had an atmosphere going for it. It also just happened to be the match presented by WWE that most resembled an actual professional wrestling match in November. Strikes, stomps, and Scarlet Witch – sometimes that is all you need.
10. If Reigns Wins, Bryan Leaves SmackDown – WWE Universal Title: Roman Reigns [c] w/ Paul Heyman vs. Daniel Bryan (SmackDown 4/30/21)
Bryan’s last match before he began the Fall semester with AEW was really, really good. He was always great at building momentum in a wrestling ring, and Roman was right there to bring him down with all the most demoralizing cut-offs.
9. Edge vs. Seth Rollins (SummerSlam 8/21/21)
Edge and Rollins are a pair of guys who usually go 20-minutes because the job is asking for it, even if they maybe shouldn’t. They went 20 here and the first half wasn’t the most compelling game of chess I’ve ever seen, but all their signature moves and big match spots were capitalized on they both looked like tough guys by the end. A show stealer, if that’s a term still being used.
8. 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 – there are a few too many convenient Triple Threat spots that blew more vibes than minds, but if you can get past the jokes this this WrestleMania main event is just scientifically engineered to be as fun as it can possibly be.
7. Triple Threat Match – SmackDown Women’s Title: Becky Lynch [c] vs. Bianca Belair vs. Sasha Banks (Crown Jewel 10/21/21)
They put on the t-shirts and went to work, delivering 20 minutes of fast-paced and well-timed action highlighted by Banks and Belair’s one-on-one exchanges and Becky Lynch just raging everywhere. It might be the best women’s Triple Threat I’ve ever seen, I don’t know.
6. Last Man Standing Money in the Bank Qualifier: Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn (SmackDown 7/2/21)
As this match closed, I texted the group one thing: “JESUS CHRIST THIS MATCH.”In the middle of SmackDown Live on the Friday before the 4th of July, Owens and Zayn said farewell to the Thunderdome with a gimmick match that could’ve been a classic with or without an actual crowd. Their two matches on PPV this year were good but midcard and restricted by time, while this was top-of-the-hour and restricted by nothing.
5. NXT UK Title: WALTER [c] vs. Tommaso Ciampa (TakeOver: Stand & Deliver 4/7/21)
Tests of will, manly strikes, and a stubborn old man trying to do the impossible: this is a dad’s pro wrestling match and it’s incredible. WALTER pops in to remind WWE viewers he’s incredible while Tommy Ciampa just does not stand down.
4. WWE Universal Title: Roman Reigns [c] w/ Paul Heyman vs. Daniel Bryan (Fastlane 3/21/21)
The craft and heart of Daniel Bryan goes up against the size and sociopathy of Roman Reigns, and folks: it’s magic. The stakes and dynamic helped, but Reigns and Bryan provided all the little touches to make sure the story really hit.
3. Drew McIntyre vs. Sheamus (RAW 3/1/21)
The pacing and energy of this is great but more than anything this is here because they just beat the fucking shit out of each other for almost half an hour. McIntyre and especially Sheamus adapted to the Thunderdome better than most, and here is their masterpiece.
2. SmackDown Women’s Title: Sasha Banks [c] vs. Bianca Belair (WrestleMania 37 4/10/21)
In a tight main event package that left room for more, Banks and Belair delivered a few of the coolest spots ever done in a WrestleMania match and seamlessly wove them into B-stories and C-stories and the A-story of crowning WWE’s new queen. It was Hogan vs. Andre for the B2B era and I just re-watched it to make sure — still great.
1. NXT U.K. Title: WALTER [c] vs. Ilja Dragunov (NXT TakeOver 36 8/22/21)
They pulled it off last year in an empty arena, pulled it off a few times before WWE, and pulled it off again here: epic, MOTY-caliber championship match that seemed to both surpass what modern WWE (even pro wrestling) can offer while really keeping it pretty easy. Hitting, shoving, kicking, really really hard… sometimes that’s what this great sport is all about. Combine it with a hero taking an alarming amount of damage as he wills his way towards victory and you’ve got yourself two of today’s best wrestlers having WWE’s best match of the year.
See the ongoing tracker here: Matches Worth Watching in 2021.
The Worst 10 WWE Matches of 2021
2. Alexa Bliss vs. Eva Marie w/ Doudrop (SummerSlam 8/21/21)
3. WWE Title: Bobby Lashley [c] w/ MVP vs. Goldberg (SummerSlam 8/21/21)
4. Zombie Lumberjack Match: Damian Priest vs. The Miz w/ John Morrison (WrestleMania Backlash 5/16/21)
5. RAW Women’s Title: SmackDown Women’s Title: Bianca Belair [c] vs. Becky Lynch (SummerSlam 8/21/21)
6. Doudrop vs. Eva Marie (RAW 9/13/21)
7. RAW Women’s Title: Asuka [c] vs. Alexa Bliss (RAW 1/25/21)
8. B-Fab vs. Katrina Cortez (NXT 9/14/21)
9. Josh Briggs vs. Joe Gacy (205 Live 8/13/21)
10. Keith Lee vs. Karrion Kross (RAW 8/2/21)
10 Other Good WWE Gimmick Matches
2. Bad Bunny & Damian Priest vs. The Miz & John Morrison (WrestleMania 37 4/10/21)
3. Hell in a Cell – SmackDown Women’s Title: Bianca Belair [c] vs. Bayley (Hell in a Cell 6/20/21)
4. 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)
5. No Holds Barred: Drew McIntyre vs. Sheamus (Fastlane 3/21/21)
6. No DQ Match: Drew McIntyre vs. Sheamus (RAW 3/8/21)
7. Money in the Bank: Drew McIntyre vs. Kevin Owens vs. Big E vs. King Nakamura vs. Riddle vs. Ricochet vs. Seth Rollins vs. John Morrison (Money in the Bank 7/18/21)
8. No DQ Match: Ilja Dragunov vs. Sam Gradwell (NXT UK 3/25/21)
9. Hell in a Cell – WWE Universal Title: Roman Reigns [c] w/ Paul Heyman vs. Rey Mysterio (SmackDown 6/18/21)
10. 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)
15 Other Good WWE Championship Matches
2. SmackDown Women’s Title: Becky Lynch [c] vs. Bianca Belair (Extreme Rules 9/26/21)
3. WWE Title: Bobby Lashley [c] w/ MVP vs. Kofi Kingston (Money in the Bank 7/18/21)
4. WWE Universal Title: Roman Reigns [c] vs. Finn Balor (SmackDown 9/3/21)
5. RAW Women’s Title: Becky Lynch [c] vs. Liv Morgan (RAW 12/6/21)
6. NXT UK Women’s Title: Kay Lee Ray [c] vs. Meiko Satomura (NXT UK 3/4/21)
7. NXT UK Title: Kay Lee Ray [c] vs. Meiko Satomura (NXT UK 6/10/21)
8. WWE U.S. Title: Sheamus [c] vs. Damian Priest (SummerSlam 8/21/21)
9. Triple Threat Match – WWE U.S. Title: Damian Priest [c] vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Sheamus (RAW 8/30/21)
10. Heritage Cup: A-Kid [c] vs. Tyler Bate w/ Trent Seven (NXT UK 5/20/21)
11. RAW Women’s Title: Charlotte Flair [c] vs. Bianca Belair (RAW 10/18/21)
12. NXT North American Title: Johnny Gargano [c] vs. KUSHIDA (TakeOver: Vengeance Day 2/14/21)
13. NXT UK Tag Team Title: Pretty Deadly [c] vs. Moustache Mountain (NXT UK 12/9/21)
14. 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)
15. SmackDown Tag Team Title: Rey Mysterio & Dominik Mysterio [c] vs. The Usos (SmackDown 6/4/21)
9 Other Good WWE TV Matches
2. Edge, Rey & Dominik Mysterio vs. Roman Reigns & The Usos (SmackDown 7/16/21)
3. Triple Threat Match: Big E vs. Roman Reigns vs. Bobby Lashley (RAW 9/20/21)
4. Kyle O’Reilly vs. Adam Cole (NXT 7/6/21)
5. Street Profits vs. The Usos (SmackDown 5/28/21)
6. Becky Lynch vs. Sasha Banks (SmackDown 10/15/21)
7. Tyler Bate vs. Bailey Matthews (NXT UK 2/25/21)
8. Riddle w/ Randy Orton vs. Otis w/ Chad Gable (RAW 12/13/21)
9. Big E vs. Chad Gable w/ Otis (RAW 11/8/21)
