For all of WWE’s faults, they consistently have some of the best wrestlers in the world amongst their roster, with several all-time greats still appearing in the company over the last decade. Even if booking and storylines can be poor, matches can still deliver in a big way.
Due to NXT becoming such a force in wrestling over the decade, especially between 2014 and 2019, a lot of their matches overshadowed the main roster at times. With it still technically being developmental, and the style of matches has sometimes drawn dissent amongst fans, only main roster WWE matches will be considered for being the best match of each year in this list.
10 2010: The Undertaker Vs Shawn Michaels, WrestleMania 26
One year after their classic at WrestleMania 25, Michaels and Taker rolled it back and put on another match of the year showing, this time with the stakes raised, with Michaels’ career on the line. This one was more intense than their previous encounter, which was smoother in execution.
The emotion was felt throughout this match, with Michaels trying everything to hold onto to his in-ring career and to end Taker’s undefeated streak at WrestleMania, but he would ultimately come up short, bowing out on his remarkable career.
9 2011: John Cena Vs CM Punk, Money in the Bank
In what is often considered as the best match of the PG Era, John Cena and CM Punk battled over the WWE Championship. At the time, Punk was the hottest name in the entire company, and with his contract legitimately expiring on the night of the show, the drama was at a high.
This match took place in Punk’s hometown of Chicago, creating an electric atmosphere unlike any other WWE match in recent memory, with Punk’s victory still acting as one of the biggest moments of all time. The match itself was full of strong wrestling, but the atmosphere elevated it even higher.
8 2012: The Undertaker Vs Triple H, WrestleMania 28
This Hell in a Cell match concluded the four-year story between The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, and Triple H, and it did so in sensational fashion. This felt like a war between HHH and Taker, with the physicality ramped up, and the fantastic emotion being displayed, notably from Special Guest Referee, Shawn Michaels.
This match produced one of the greatest near-falls of all time, with Taker kicking out of both a Sweet Chin Music and a Pedigree, on his way to winning yet another match in his undefeated WrestleMania streak. The post-match moment with the legends embracing is an all-time picture, and nothing else throughout the year lived up to the drama in this match.
7 2013: CM Punk Vs John Cena, Raw
Punk and Cena have wrestled several classics, but from purely an in-ring perspective, this may be the best. That being said, this was still jam-packed full of storytelling. Following Cena’s loss to The Rock one year prior, he had to overcome Punk to make a rematch happen – something he’d been unable to do over the last two years.
Punk’s heel persona was displayed wonderfully here, as was Cena’s desperation. Due to knowing each other so well, there were unending counters, which was fun to see, with Punk having to pull out a piledriver to try and win the match, which produced a stunning moment. Cena eventually won after yet another great battle between the pair. Both men would have great matches at Summerslam against Brock Lesnar and Daniel Bryan respectively in 2013, but this match arguably just about surpassed those two.
6 2014: The Wyatt Family Vs The Shield, Elimination Chamber
Though both of these teams were technically heels at the time, the trios had been built up so strongly that the fans went electric upon seeing this match teased, and even more so when they faced off at the Elimination Chamber PPV.
This match was fast-paced, hard-hitting, full of big moments, and featured some strong storytelling, specifically from The Shield members. It was a chaotic car-crash but in the best of ways, with the audience helping this match become a classic with their unending noise and ovation during it. It is a shame that both factions would end during the year, but this match was perhaps the best for both parties.
5 2015: Brock Lesnar Vs John Cena Vs Seth Rollins
The Royal Rumble 2015 PPV may have ultimately gone down as a disaster, but it also hosted one hell of a WWE Championship triple threat. The unique trio of the dominant monster, Brock Lesnar, the successful veteran, John Cena, and the hungry young heel, Seth Rollins, meshed perfectly to produce this fantastic match.
Lesnar looked like an absolute machine in this match, further cementing him as the most dominant superstar for many years, but Rollins also looked like a star, with this match proving that he could hang with the best in the business.
4 2016: John Cena Vs AJ Styles, Summerslam
2016 saw a breath of fresh in air in WWE, with new names such as Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, and AJ Styles getting a chance to show what they could do following the brand extension. John Cena & AJ Styles were feuding during that time, each ending up on Smackdown, as their feud continued to Summerslam.
Cena once again proved how underrated of a worker he is, having the same sort of chemistry with Styles as he did with CM Punk. The pair put on a great match in which Styles won clean, which acted as a huge rub, and was the precursor to him winning the WWE Championship a month later.
3 2017: AJ Styles Vs John Cena, Royal Rumble
With Styles 2-0 up in their series, he defended the WWE Title against Cena at the 2017 Royal Rumble PPV. This was a unique match, with the pair spending the entirety of the contest inside the ring, and it was certainly a masterclass, and perhaps the best of their trilogy.
Cena finally picked up the win by giving Styles several Attitude Adjustments, which made Styles look strong even in defeat. This was a record-equalling 16th title win for Cena, which was a historic moment.
2 2018: Brock Lesnar Vs Roman Reigns Vs Braun Strowman vs Samoa Joe, Summerslam
This fatal-four-way between four of the biggest and most dominant men in WWE was everything that everyone dreamed it would be. It was 100mph, hard-hitting, and an all-out brawl.
All four men looked strong during this match, beating the holy hell out of one another, and Lesnar pinning Reigns set up two singles matches between both Joe and Strowman throughout the rest of the year, with this match doing a strong job and making everyone come out better after it.
1 2019: Daniel Bryan Vs Kofi Kingston, WrestleMania 35
WrestleMania 35 saw Kofi Kingston finally achieve a lifelong dream of becoming WWE Champion by defeating Daniel Bryan in what was one of the best storylines of the entire year, with the match following suit.
The emotion, the wrestling, the physicality, and the result all played into a marvellous match, with Kingston proving himself good enough to be at the top of WWE, and Bryan once more proving why he is one of the best in-ring performers of all time.