Goodbye 2021, thanks for coming. Another year down, another year closer to the pit, 2021 was an
odd year for wrestling. Not quite as odd as 2020, granted but this year has seen some pretty seismic
shifts to the industry in flavours good and bad. Fans returned, that’s good, WWE stepped up its
release game, that’s bad, CM Punk returned, that’s good, but the frogurt is also cursed, that’s bad.
To celebrate the dichotomy between excellent and terrible, I’m gonna be coming at you with two top
10s to see out the year, my top 10 favourite matches of the year, and the 10 worst matches
to grace our ppv screens, let’s get my favourites out of the way, so we can save the worst ones for
pudding. I’m Adam hailing from partsFUNknown and here are my 10 Favourite Wrestling Matches of 2021
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10. Britt Baker vs Thunder Rosa - Lights Out
Blood blood blood, for those used to WWE programming for the last decade, the crimson
spectre has been something of a silent guardian, a watchful protector, a dark knight, but in AEW they
love a bit of it. And saying shit. Blood and saying shit. Ooh AEW you’re hard. I’m mostly
kidding, especially when AEW use the red stuff to make a match feel more deadly, more unsanctioned,
more important. The best example of that, and possibly the best deathmatch of the year was Britt
Baker vs Thunder Rosa. Their series of matches had been lowkey AEW’s version of Steamboat and Flair
for a while, but on the March 17th episode of Dynamite the two women got the showcase their feud
deserved, a main event slot and one of AE dub’s most protected stipulations, the Lights Out match,
a stip that carries the same hushed tones that Hell in a Cell… used to have. The match is full
of deathmatch stuntitude, including an eyewatching thumbtack spot, the kind of spots that are all-too
rare in women’s wrestling. Apparently Tony Khan is planning something big for Baker and Rosa
in 2022. Makes sense, considering that when they wrestle each other, it’s violent magic.
9. Bryan Danielson vs Minoru Suzuki - Rampage Kickoff
And speaking of violence, holy shit. The most amount of vicious strikes to hit
youtube since the adpocalypse, it is borderline unfathomable that this dream match between two
of the founding members of the You’re Going To Get Your Fucking Head Kicked In party was given away,
for free, on a Rampage Pre-Show, to compete with Smackdown running long,
and hell if the two biggest companies in the US decide to showcase their pettiness this way,
then long may the Mean Girls shenanigans reign, because this was 20 minutes of technical prowess,
smooth reversals and, of course, people getting their brains fundamentally altered with some of
the most shoot-like wrestleviolence this side of Walter joint. For fans of wrestling narrative,
there’s not much here, but for those that still see the process as the spectacle,
and for those unaware of a certain murder grandpa, then this is a must-see. Bryan
Danielson is having the time of his life at the moment, doing good wrestling for the sake of
good wrestling, see also his masterclass of stiffness against Eddie Kingston. Phrasing.
8. MJF vs Darby - Full Gear
It’s always nice to see a match that makes you sit back and think, ah,
the future of the business is in safe hands. Bret Hart vs Mr Perfect at Summerslam 1991, The Rock vs
Triple H at Summerslam 98, and at Full Gear we got another statement match, when MJF went up against
Darby Allin, two of the four pillars colliding to prove which will be the next Main Man in AEW, and
absolutely the right man won. MJF is so good at promos that sometimes people think that’s ALL he’s
good at, but those people are wrong and stupid and they smell. It’s a match with a little bit
of everything, that bit where both people kip at the same time, wrestling fans really like that,
fluid chain wrestling, distinct character work, convincing false finishes, it’s wonderful stuff.
Right now, with the huge influx of big names, AEW has become an amalgamation of homegrown and
imports and while that’s fantastic, and is one of the main reasons it’s currently on fire as
a promotion, there’s just something heartwarming about two of its homegrown talent being given this
match, with this length, with this placement, on one of the biggest shows of the year.
7. Sasha Banks vs Bianca Belair - Mania 37
And when you talk about matches elevated by the statement that they’re making,
sometimes wrestling fans tell WWE what they want, and they say ok you can have it,
and don’t mess with it at all, and it’s pretty much always amazing and I do not understand why
they don’t do it more. People wanted Sasha vs Bianca to main event wrestlemania, and
they did and there were fans there, and everyone was so supportive and the two women were so happy
and I’m sorry but that just makes a match more enjoyable for me. Is it the match with the most
moves in it? No, was it quite as good between the ropes as the triple threat at Crown Jewel?
No, but wrestling matches have a number of things that make them personally special. Match quality,
sure, but also surprises, the narrative, and in this case, a sense of occasion. The crowning of
Bianca Belair in a wrestlemania main event, the best argument there is for two night manias,
and also the match itself was pretty great, that hair spot, jesus f christ.
6. Edge vs Rollins HIAC - Crown Jewel
In this case, a match that managed to deliver DESPITE its sense of occasion, not because of
it. We’ve been pretty upfront about how much WWE Saudi Shows are quite literally a bloody disgrace,
so you can just imagine how annoyed we were when Crown Jewel was actually pretty good,
with a really solid main event, a Xavier Woods feel-good moment of the year and then there’s
this, WWE’s best Hell in a Cell match in god knows how long. Brutal without having to be bloody,
epic without overstaying its welcome and, fucking finally, a cell match that came
about because of the context of the feud, not because it was THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN.
Seth Rollins has been making magic in WWE for years, genuinely at this rate he’s
Shawn Michaels levels of in-ring reliable, and their trilogy is some of Edge’s best work of his
career. While it’d like to have their Summerslam match on this list, because it didn’t happen
in the unmagic kingdom, there’s no denying that this was their best, it ruled so hard.
5. Reigns vs Edge vs Bryan - WrestleMania 37
All three men involved in this match might legitimately be having the best
years of their respective careers. Roman Reigns ascended to godhood,
Bryan Danielson is the American Dragon once more, and Edge is finally living up to legend status.
All three men collided in the main event of Mania night 2 and holy shit though. What a
match. Is Reigns vs Bryan, aka Bryan’s last WWE match, technically better? Absolutely,
but this was a barnstormer in front of a crowd and that makes ALL the difference. Also,
the fact that it legitimately could have gone either way, there was an argument for Reigns,
Edge, even Bryan, all walking away with the W, making some of the false finishes into
true heartstoppers. Once it got going it never stopped, gave us a spot of the year in the double
submission head butt extravaganza and, though we didn’t know it at the time, it would end up being
Daniel Bryan’s final PPV match in WWE. It’s a hell of a send-off. And speaking of the GOAT.
4. Bryan Danielson vs Kenny Omega - Dynamite
No it’s not number 1, and that’s fine. Trust me it’s fine, but even so, it bears noting that in
the year of our lord 2021, AEW had a match of the year candidate, and it was a time limit draw. That
for me is what marks Tony Khan’s Legs and Arms as the perfect hybrid promotion. The physicality and
athleticism of the present, with the slow-build, spectacle psychology of wrestling’s past. A
marquee match that neither man could afford to lose, neither man did, so now AEW has the rematch
in their pocket whenever they like, it’s simple, comprehensive stuff, oh and also the match itself
was insanely good. Bolster by a nuclear crowd that understood exactly how significant the match was
that they were seeing, it genuinely had that throwback feel. The best wrestler from another
territory coming in to channel the promotion’s top guy. And amazingly it lived up to the hype,
being in turn, fast, brutal, technical, two of the best wrestlers in the world together crafting
something really special. Am I as likely to go back and rewatch it, knowing that a tied
finish is coming? Not so much, but it’s still landmark achievement in professional wrestling.
3. Men’s MITB Match - Money In The Bank
Despite WWE having an absolute shocker of a year from a PR perspective - between Saudi,
the releases, setting fire to NXT, WWE are one kicked puppy away from being Satan’s
favourite company. Despite ALL OF THAT, I couldn’t help it. I loved Money in the Bank,
WWE’s first PPV in front of a live crowd since the thing. The main event was steller,
John Cena’s return was one of the biggest pops I’ve ever seen, but this was the highlight for me.
I’ve thought about it and I think it might just be my favourite Money in the Bank ladder match… ever.
My condolences to everyone on Peacock who didn’t get to properly enjoy it, but holy shit though.
The crowd wanted every single bit of it, the action was nonstop, the lineup was ridonkulous,
Ricochet finally got to do some stuff, same with John Morrison, Kevin Owens got to take the most
dangerous spot, as is tradition, and best of all Big E won. We didn’t think he would win.
We didn’t think they’d ever do the nice thing, but they did! They did the nice thing! In front
of everyone! Hooray! A rousing welcome back for live wrestling, and a true heartwarming spectacle.
2. Lucha Bros vs Young Bucks - All Out
Lol. This match is dumb. But sometimes, that’s exactly what you’re in the mood for, four of
the most acrobatically gifted wrestlers to ever live, the mad alchemists of intricate spotwork,
getting 20 minutes to go mental in a box, deep in the heart of one of the greatest top to bottom
PPVs produced in the USA. And some of the things the bucks and the bros did were very silly indeed,
the thumbtacked boot, the leap from the cage, the canadian destroyer from the top rope,
some of the funniest low blows in wrestling history and that false finish where Fenix
just hops up from the mat to break it up JUST in time. It’s the MOST cage match,
possibly of all time, and it seems that’s going to be the Young Bucks and the Lucha Bros
thing, an enduring rivalry that they come back to every year or so where they just
happen to put together the best example of a stipulation in wrestling history. At All
Out 2019 they did the best ladder match, at All Out 2021 the best cage, can’t wait until All out
2023 where we see the Young Buck vs Lucha Bros in the best Tuxedo Match in wrestling history.
1. WALTER vs Ilya Dragunov - NXT Takeover 36
Oh just yes please. Last year I put the first Walter vs Ilya Dragunov match at number 2 on
my list of best matches of the year. How did WWE improve it, by having it in front of a live crowd,
and by having David finally topple Goliath. While Kross vs Joe might have been the main
event of the last ever NXT TakeOver, I’m choosing to remember this as the last match of NXT’s Black
and Gold era, and it’s a perfect encapsulation of everything I used to adore about the brand.
Earnest & emotional storytelling, told long-term, realistic violence, a steady escalation without
overindulging on false finish excess, giving the talent room to work, it’s throwback,
strongman era, ludicrious violence perfection. For taking otherwise mundane moves and turning
them into showpiece, crowd-popping fare, I mean for fucks sake the match ends with a fucking
sleeperhold, Walter might just be the greatest wrestler alive. He’s certainly a master at turning
out unique matches that no one else can provide. As a match it’s eye-wateringly violent, as a last
look back at the glory years of NXT, it’s also eye-watering, but for a very different reason.
And that’s our list