2020 has been an incredibly crazy year due to COVID. However, unlikely pretty much every other aspect of life else wrestling has somehow been able to continue, with neither WWE nor AEW missing a single show as a result of the pandemic this year.
As we approach the end 0f 2020 and head into 2021, WrestleTalk has decided to draw up a list of the ten best wrestling matches of the year, with bouts from main roster WWE, AEW, NJPW & NXT featured.
The opinions aren’t just my own (so please don’t blame me), with votes being cast by every single member of the WrestleTalk team, as well as some of the fantastic content creators and journalists that we have had the pleasure of working with in 2020.
What are your thoughts on this list and do you think we’ve missed anyone one? Let us know in the comments on Twitter or Facebook.
10. Finn Balor (c) vs. Kyle O’Reilly – NXT Championship – NXT TakeOver 31
Voted as the tenth best match in 2020 is the brutal NXT Championship match at TakeOver WarGames between Finn Balor and Undisputed ERA member Kyle O’Reilly.
The build to the match was superb, with Kyle transitioning away from being solely a tag team wrestling, albeit a fantastic one, to becoming half of one of the best NXT feuds of the year.
The action in the ring was superb, with Finn and Kyle actually both picking up injuries coming out of the bout, with Finn still not having wrestled a match following this TakeOver main event.
NXT probably wasn’t as good in 2020 as it has been in previous years, but this match between Finn Balor and Kyle O’Reilly undoubtedly deserves its spot as one of the best matches of the year.
9. Kazuchika Okada (c) vs. Kota Ibushi – IWGP Heavyweight Championship – Wrestle Kingdom 14 Day One
Wrestle Kingdom is New Japan Pro Wrestling’s answer to WrestleMania and in terms of match quality, it is often the best show of the year. The best match of the show this year was the main event of night one, Kazuchika Okada vs. Kota Ibushi.
Okada is the ultimate champion in pro wrestling. Arguably the best worker in the world, Okada was set to defend his title against the “Golden Star” Kota Ibushi. Ibushi had been in the shadow of former partner Kenny Omega for years with Omega reaching the main event success he never could in New Japan.
Wrestle Kingdom 14 was Ibushi’s chance to finally reach the mountaintop of pro wrestling and become IWGP Heavyweight Champion. Unfortunately for him, there is a reason Okada has been largely unbeatable since 2016.
Their match was incredibly dynamic with Ibushi losing control of his temper and allowing his dark side to emerge. The problem with Ibushi has always been when he loses control he loses focus. Such was the case here as Okada was able to weather the onslaught from his opponent and retain the title in a truly classic match.
8. Men’s Royal Rumble – 2020 WWE Royal Rumble
The Royal Rumble match is all about surprise appearances, returns, showdowns that you wouldn’t otherwise see, and hopefully a new star overcoming the odds and walking away with a guaranteed WrestleMania title match.
If that’s your criteria, then the 2020 Royal Rumble match will be near perfect.
The match saw appearances from stars lika Matt Riddle and Keith Lee from NXT, the return of MVP, the dominance of Brock Lesnar, the amazing return of Edge, and was topped up off by a Drew McIntyre victory.
McIntyre winning the Rumble after eliminating Brock Lesnar, who was on an impressive 13-elimination streak, and the return of Edge will undoubtedly go down as two of the best moments of the year.
All of that, coupled with the hot crowd, something that has been sorely missed in 2020, and you don’t struggle to see why this match was voted the eighth-best of the year.
7. Inner Circle vs. The Elite – Stadium Stampede Match – AEW Double or Nothing
Unlike any of the other technical masterpieces that will feature on this list, the Stadium Stampede match was one of the most entertaining and gripping pieces of wrestling that many fans have watched all year.
In a time where wrestling companies were looking for out-of-the-box ideas to keep fans engaged with the ongoing pandemic, AEW opted to have the two top factions work a cinematic match all over Daily’s Place, and it was honestly a joy to behold.
The match featured such iconic moments as Hangman Page chasing Sammy Guevara while riding a horse, and Guevara being northern lights suplexed from one side of the football field to the other.
Like many things in AEW this year, the match featured some great physical action as well as some neat storytelling. If you are to watch any cinematic match from this year, with the exception of one to feature later on in this list, then I’d recommend the Stadium Stampede.
6. Roman Reigns (c) vs. Jey Uso – I Quit Hell In A Cell Match – Universal Championship – WWE Hell in a Cell
If you told me at the end of 2019 that one of wrestling’s best matches of the year would be a Hell in a Cell match between a heel Roman Reigns and Jey Uso over the Universal Championship, I’d have probably called out crazy.
This match capped off a fantastic feud between Roman Reigns and Jey Uso. The match was incredibly emotional, and while it didn’t feature the insane moves like some of the other matches on this list, you’ll struggle to find another that was this gripping.
The story of the match was simple yet complex, with Jey Uso refusing quit, no matter how much Roman brutalised him. Jey only quit when Roman started attacking his brother Jimmy. It was a fantastic finish.
The closing shot of the match was great too, with Roman Reigns standing at the top of the ramp with The Wild Samoans, finally being recognised as the Head of the Table and the Tribal Chief.
The emotional story and great ending mean this match is rightfully ranked as one of the best matches of the year.
5. Bayley (c) vs. Sasha Banks – Hell in a Cell Match – SmackDown Women’s Championship – WWE Hell in a Cell
From one match at WWE Hell in a Cell to another, Sasha Banks’ brutal clash with her former best friend Bayley has been ranked as the fifth-best match of the year.
Bayley and Banks were the real MVPs for WWE during the no-fans COVID era, appearing on all three shows and being involved iv multiple segments. They deserved this big stage to finish off their feud.
Just as she did with Becky Lynch the year prior, Sasha Banks arguably stole the show at Hell in a Cell, with her and Bayley using the structure to their advantage for some innovative offence.
The match was iconic for Sasha Banks too, with “The Boss” becoming a Grand Slam Champion after winning the SmackDown Women’s Championship for the first time in her career.
4. WALTER vs. Ilja Dragunov – NXT UK Championship – NXT UK
Coming in as the fourth-highest rated match of the year is the hard-hitting showdown between WALTER and Ilja Dragunov from NXT UK.
The match was so good that it earnt the illustrious five-star rating from Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, with Meltzer calling it the “most brutal match” in WWE history.
What makes this match extra special is the fact that it’s the only entry on this list not to happen on pay-per-view, and also took place in front of absolutely no fans in an empty arena. Also, the only non-cinematic match of that nature to feature on this list.
WALTER and Dragunov tore the house down with their title match, making this a match that you certainly have to go out of your way to check out if you’re a fan of great professional wrestling and are hopng to get into NXT UK.
3. Bray Wyatt vs. John Cena Firefly Fun House Match – WWE WrestleMania 36
This is probably the most out-of-the-box match that WWE has ever put on, and it rewarded fans for being long-time watchers of the product, something that is pretty rare for WWE.
This was a complete dissection of John Cena’s character, as well as the toxic nature of WWE and professional wrestling as a whole.
This is unlike anything I have seen in professional wrestling this year, and probably the most unique “match” (if you can even call it that) that I’ve ever seen.
This was brilliant, and showed what a truly creative genius Bray Wyatt is. The fact after five or six watches of the this match you are learning new things is exactly what pro wrestling should be.
Taking all that into consideration, it’s no surprise that this is the highest-rated WWE match on this list, and the highest-rated cinematic match of the year, coming in as the third-best bout of 2020.
2. FTR (c) vs. The Young Bucks – AEW World Tag Team Championship – AEW Full Gear
Those who aren’t fans of The Young Bucks should probably look away right now, as the talented brothers are unsurprisingly going to feature heavily in the remaining portion of this list.
Coming in at second on this list, just narrowly missing out on top spot, is the fantastic AEW World Tag Team Championship match from Full Gear this year between FTR and The Young Bucks.
The battle was not just between two of the world’s best tag teams in the world, but was a war between two different wrestling philosophies, with every neat little nods to the best teams of yesteryear.
This match saw the perfect blend of The Young Bucks’ perfect blend of fast-paced offence and FTR’s slow-paced, methodical style. It was truly fantastic.
The finish to this match was also genius, with Cash Wheeler failing to hit a Springboard 450 Splash, which goes against everything FTR stands for. It was brilliant.
1. Kenny Omega & Hangman Page (c) vs. The Young Bucks – AEW World Tag Team Championship – AEW Revolution
This match had everything, and will rightly go down in history as one of the greatest tag team matches in professional wrestling history.
This matched featured fantastic moves, brilliant tag team offence and even better storytelling. If you haven’t checked out this match, you really need to.
Kenny Omega kicking out of the Golden Trigger will go down as one of the best moments of 2020, and as one of the last matches with a full crowd, this match is incredibly memorable.
There’s not much more than can be said about this match, but if you only watch back one more bout from 2020 before the end of the year, then make sure it’s this one.
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