WWE have endured a rather strange year.
Throughout 2020, they have spent the large majority telling their wrestlers to perform in front of absolutely no fans whatsoever.
The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on the schedule, and even WrestleMania was performed in an empty Performance Center.
However, there has still been some absolutely superb wrestling on show.
And WWE have done their best to list the very best matches of the calendar year thus far.
Take a look at their list, and their reasoning, below!
10. Matt Riddle v Timothy Thatcher – NXT Fight Pit
(photo credit: WWE)
“When the first-ever NXT Fight Pit was announced, the WWE Universe had no idea what to expect. But what we got was a one-of-a-kind, sports-entertainment spectacle that was just as innovative as it was brutal.
"In an environment where WWE Hall of Famer and Olympic Gold Medalist Kurt Angle was the only person conceivably capable of keeping order as the guest referee, Matt Riddle and Timothy Thatcher’s implosion as a tag team and subsequent falling out reached a heavy-hitting crescendo with the competitors surrounded by chain link and scaffolding, one of the most unique structures in WWE history.”
9. Keith Lee v Adam Cole – Winner takes all
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“In one corner, you had Adam Cole. A braggadocios yet tenacious champion who held NXT’s top prize for 403 days and competed in many of the best matches in NXT history. In the other, you had a man who was carrying the weight of his legacy on his shoulders. Mourning the loss of his trainer, “Killer” Tim Brooks, and his grandmother, NXT North American champion Keith Lee was poised to put an Undisputed reign to rest.
“The 20-minute match brought out all the emotions and physicality, and at the end of it, Lee stood tall with the NXT North American Title and the NXT Championship. You have to give credit to Cole, who elevated the prestige of the championship and gave his all in those 403 days, but there is something poetic and hopeful in seeing a proud and triumphant black man holding two championship titles as celebratory confetti flies through the air.”
8. Men’s & Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder matches
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“The Superstars clashed in the gym, the cafeteria and even Mr McMahon’s office to try and reach the roof where their respective briefcases hung above the ring. Otis was as shocked as anyone when the men’s briefcase literally fell into his hands, giving him the unlikely victory. But the biggest surprise was revealed the next night on Raw when Asuka learned she didn’t win a guaranteed championship match at a time of her choosing. Rather, her victory secured her the Raw Women’s Championship, vacated by Becky Lynch.”
7. Rhea Ripley v Charlotte Flair – NXT Women’s Championship
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“Under the bright lights of WrestleMania, Ripley shone like the Superstar she is, bringing the fight to one of the most decorated female Superstars in WWE history. But despite The Nightmare’s brute force, Charlotte Flair proved why she can lay claim to the title “Ms. WrestleMania.” Ripley took Flair to the limit in a star-making performance, but The Queen stood tall, dethroning The Nightmare and recapturing the NXT Women’s Championship for the first time in five years.”
6. Drew McIntyre v Seth Rollins – WWE Championship
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“Let’s face it: 2020 has been a total swerve on all levels. Thankfully, though, a few silver linings beamed down inside the squared circle — most notably, this tour de force between Drew McIntyre and Seth Rollins at WWE Money in the Bank. At a time when an escape was very much in high-demand, these two titans provided just that in a jaw-dropping showdown.”
5. Daniel Bryan v AJ Styles – Intercontinental Championship
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“The match spanned nearly half of SmackDown that night, but there was never a second you could take your eyes off the action. Like any great artistic display, there was no wasted motion. Each man strategically attacked his opponent, as Bryan used an array of submissions while Styles found counters at the most opportune moments. The Intercontinental Championship is often referred to as “The Working Man’s Title,” and on this night, the work paid off. It was amazing, it was Phenomenal, it was wrestling — in the truest sense of the word.”
4. Men’s Royal Rumble Match
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“The Royal Rumble is all about the moments, those images that are permanently engrained into your memory, and this year’s over-the-top extravaganza was chockful of them.”
3. Charlotte Flair v Rhea Ripley v Io Shirai – NXT Women’s Championship
(photo credit: WWE)
“Io Shirai survived a war. Three of WWE’s best Superstars came together to battle over the NXT Women’s Title, and they put each other through hell — from Rhea Ripley’s top-rope Riptide to Charlotte Flair throwing Shirai through a window.
“The Genius of the Sky dazzled with a leap off the roof of the In Your House entrance to topple both of her opponents in a moment that will play on every NXT highlight reel for the next decade.
“The ending fit the back-and-forth energy of the entire bout, with Shirai breaking up the Figure-Eight Leglock with an awe-inspiring moonsault to steal the win and the NXT Women’s Title in stunning fashion.”
2. Edge v Randy Orton – Greatest Wrestling Match Ever
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“In “The Day Of: Backlash” on the WWE Network, Edge says, “How do you even contemplate calling this The Greatest Wrestling Match Ever unless you have Howard Finkel introducing it?” Howard’s voice set the tone for a match that The Rated-R Superstar calls a “love letter to wrestling,” with the WWE Universe being treated to everything from Charles Robinson rocking an old school referee outfit, Edge and Randy both busting out with maneuvers that paid tribute to icons of the industry and the two going at it at an unbelievable pace for over 40 minutes before Orton put a stop to it all with a Punt square to Edge’s dome.”
1. Undertaker v AJ Styles – Boneyard Match
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“In an era where the cinematic match has unexpectedly become a new normal, the Boneyard Match between Undertaker and AJ Styles that closed out the first night of WrestleMania 36 became the gold standard.
“From the first bang of the drums in Metallica's "Now That We're Dead,” the sight of Undertaker riding toward the battlefield on a motorcycle immediately had the WWE Universe jumping for joy in their living rooms and on Twitter. The instant nostalgia coupled with the extremely personal nature of this rivalry made for WrestleMania magic in a way that nobody initially anticipated.”