The WWE Network released a new special on Sunday, counting down the top 10 matches of 2020. The list covers all aspects of WWE, from in-ring classics on NXT and NXT UK, to emotional pay-per-view championship clashes to the standout WrestleMania 36 bouts and even the memorable Cinematic Matches that became a staple of the pro wrestling world during the pandemic era. The special featured all 10 matches in a nearly six-hour video, which you can see here. But if you simply want to see what each of the selections were, check out the list below.
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Do you agree with WWE’s picks? Are some matches too high or too low on the list? And which matches got snubbed? Let us know in the comments below!
10. Finn Balor vs. Kyle O’Reilly — NXT TakeOver 31
This may be the only match from NXT proper to make the list, but for many, this was the match to watch under the WWE banner. After stomping around as “The Prince” for nearly a year, Balor finally regained the NXT championship after an hour-long Iron Man Match and a tiebreaker clash with Adam Cole. His first challenger was O’Reilly, another Undisputed Era member who hadn’t been given the chance to shine as a singles star despite that being his claim to fame in Ring of Honor, PWG and New Japan. Balor won the hard-hitting confrontation, but not before O’Reilly shattered his jaw in multiple places. Don’t be shocked if their rematch at New Year’s Evil is on next year’s list.
9. Charlotte Flair vs. Rhea Ripley — WrestleMania 36
At the time, this match felt like a huge deal. Rhea Ripley had the rocket firmly strapped on her back and was the first NXT champion to defend her title at WrestleMania. And while the match itself is solid, what came afterwards has soured many fans on it. Flair won, made just a handful of appearances on NXT, didn’t put a single wrestler over and dropped the title at the next TakeOver (without getting pinned) before getting shunted right back over to Raw. The booking emboldened Flair’s loudest critics and Ripley still hasn’t been able to regain her momentum in the eight months since.
8. Walter vs. Ilja Dragunov — NXT UK
NXT’s British brother doesn’t get a lot of attention, but this clash of the NXT United Kingdom Championship was so good it captured the attention of WWE’s entire fandom.
7. Drew McIntyre vs. Randy Orton — Clash of Champions (Ambulance Match)
This one is easily the strangest pick on the list. Bell-to-bell, McIntyre and Orton’s matches at Survivor Series and their title match on Raw were both better, and the support this match initially received was centered around the idea that this was the final chapter between McIntyre and Orton. It clearly wasn’t, so the only real highlight is seeing legends like Shawn Michaels and Ric Flair briefly get involved.
6. Daniel Bryan vs. AJ Styles — Friday Night SmackDown
Sami Zayn’s prolonged absence from WWE television prompted WWE to strip him of the Intercontinental Championship back in May. SmackDown then hosted an eight-man tournament to crown a new champion, culminating in a match between Bryan and Styles. Even though the two didn’t have much of a storyline heading in, they wound up having one of the best matches of the year.
5. Sami Zayn vs. Jeff Hardy vs. AJ Styles — Clash of Champions (Ladder Match)
These three each made a name for themselves in their younger days with high-flying, death-defying matches. And despite the fact the average age of this match was 40 years old, it wound up being one of the wildest ladder matches in recent memory.
4. Roman Reigns vs. Drew McIntyre — Survivor Series
Roman Reigns’ heel turn and Universal Championship reign as “The Tribal Chief” was hands-down one of the best storylines of 2020. And while his clashes with Jey Uso and Kevin Owens had more emotion, none of those matches came close to his Champion vs. Champion bout with McIntyre when it came to sheer brutality. This has all the makings of a WrestleMania main event if and when WWE wants to run it again.
3. Edge vs. Randy Orton — Backlash (Greatest Wrestling Match Ever)
“The Greatest Match Ever” wasn’t even the best match of 2020…
All jokes aside, Edge vs. Orton II wound up being a love letter to pro wrestling thanks to all of the extra wrinkles that were added in. The only real knock against it was Edge suffering a torn tricep during the match’s shooting, an injury he still hasn’t returned from.
2. Sasha Banks vs. Bayley — Hell in a Cell
Bayley and Banks’ long-awaited implosion was everything their fans hoped it would be, culminating in a near-flawless Hell in a Cell Match.
1. The Undertaker vs. AJ Styles — WrestleMania 36 (Boneyard Match)
It seems almost poetic. The COVID-19 pandemic forced WWE to change up its plans for the past 10 months, including what it wanted to do with Undertaker vs. AJ Styles at WrestleMania. Instead of a match inside of an empty Performance Center, fans were treated to something that felt straight out of an action movie. This new type of match — a Cinematic Match — wound up becoming of WWE programming for the rest of the year. This particular one stands because a) it was first, b) many feel it was the best match of WrestleMania 36 and c) it wound up being The Undertaker’s final match in his WWE career.
