Wrestling isn’t for everyone. There are really silly, even cringeworthy moments that take place on almost every show you see. A lot of people view it as fake, not meant to be taken seriously by anyone other than little kids who still think it’s real. Yes wrestling is scripted. Yes, wrestling can be stupid. But there’s a certain artistry of performance in wrestling that deserves respect and often goes unappreciated. Think about how you feel watching a close championship game when you really like one of the teams. Think about how you feel when you’re watching your favorite fight scene in a tv show or movie. This is the feeling that pro wrestling is able to recreate when it’s at its best. This requires an incredible amount of athletic ability, storytelling ability, and psychological knowledge from the wrestlers and the people who help them put the matches together. In this post I will list 10 matches that I think the layperson who doesn’t care for wrestling will enjoy.
- Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels (Wrestlemania 25) – Two of the biggest icons in wrestling history performing on the biggest stage. The presentation was great before the bell even rang. Shawn Michaels dressed in white, coming down from above. The Undertaker rising from the ground, drenched in darkness. This is the match that best personifies Wrestlemania in my opinion.
- Sami Zayn vs Shinsuke Nakamura (NXT Takeover: Dallas) – Shinsuke Nakamura is a Japanese wrestling legend who was making his American wrestling debut in this match. The takeover crowds are notorious for being red hot and this match was no different. On one of the best wrestling shows of all time, Nakamura and Zayn put on one of the best matches you’ll ever see. The transitions were smooth, the strikes were stiff, the crowd was electric, the match was magic. This is like a love letter to pro wrestling.
- CM Punk vs John Cena (Money in the Bank 2011) – Of course I had to include a John Cena match. This was a feud that changed wrestling forever. This is the defining match of the 2010’s. CM Punk is the cool, clever, charismatic wrestler fighting in his hometown. Cena was viewed as being a boring wrestler with very basic predictable matches. CM Punk symbolized change, and the crowd wanted change. The crowd was incredible, solidly behind Punk and solidly against Cena. The atmosphere was intense and the in ring action didn’t disappoint.
- Kenny Omega and Hangman Page vs The Young Bucks (AEW Revolution 2020) – The Young Bucks are the best tag team of this generation. Kenny Omega is in my opinion, one of the 5 best performers of all time. Hangman Page is on his way to being possibly the biggest star in all of wrestling today. They all came together to make maybe the greatest tag team match of all time. The crowd was super into it and the action was insane.
- Sasha Banks vs Bayley (NXT Takeover Brooklyn) – Possibly the most significant match on this list. Single-handedly kickstarting a boom in American women’s wrestling. Sasha Banks is a star and Bayley played the role of the gutsy underdog to perfection. This match is a classic.
- Pac vs Orange Cassidy (AEW Revolution 2020) – Orange Cassidy has a very distinct style (some call it sloth style). Pac, being a tough, nasty, no nonsense kind of character was the perfect foil to Orange Cassidy’s style. This came together to create a really fun match with a great atmosphere. The crowd was really into it and the fire up spots were great.
- Youngbucks vs Lucha Bros (AEW All Out 2021) – Spectacular match. These 2 teams were made for each other. The transitions and exchanges were so smooth, fluid, and even breathtaking at times. Rey Fenix is awesome, and I’ve been a Pentagon fan for several years now. This is probably the best cage match I’ve ever seen.
- Brock Lesnar vs Daniel Bryan (Survivor Series 2018) – Daniel Bryan is maybe the best wrestler of all time and Brock is just a monster. This was a dream match that many thought would never happen after Bryan was forced to retire for 5 or so years. By this time the fans were starting to turn on Brock’s formulaic matches, at one point chanting “same old shit” during this match. But the wrestlers brilliantly turned that narrative on its head during this match. This was awesome.
- 3rd fall of Adam Cole vs Johnny Gargano (NXT Takeover New York) – Gargano and Cole, both fantastic wrestlers. Cole is currently one of the biggest stars in wrestling. That being said, this is a 2 out of 3 falls match and I’m trying not to include matches that are too long. So for that reason I’m recommending you just watch the 3rd and final fall in this match. The action and the atmosphere slowly builds throughout the match and the third fall is when it all comes to a head. The atmosphere becomes intense and the action becomes increasingly frantic as both competitors desperately/urgently fight for the championship.
- Io Shirai vs Candice Lerae (NXT Takeover Toronto) – This might be my favorite women’s match ever. Io Shirai is just amazing. This was the beginning stages of her new character which I adore. The dangerous badass, who doesn’t care about anyone. She just carries herself like a star. Candice Lerae is also a great wrestler and had a good showing in this match. Definitely worth the watch.
Honorable Mention: Sasha Banks vs Bianca Belair (Wrestlemania 37 night 1) – These 2 wrestlers probably have the biggest mainstream appeal potential of anybody in wrestling currently (other than Roman Reigns). This was a good match but it was hurt a bit by the lack of crowd (due to covid). Still worth checking both of these women out.
This list isn’t in any kind of order. Just matches I think are good that I think you will too. Putting together this list I tried to pick matches that you could enjoy in a vacuum without a lot of knowledge about the wrestlers or the story. I also tried to not include overly long matches and matches where the crowd’s attention wasn’t held throughout. These are definitely worth watching, and I think you’ll enjoy them more than you expect.
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