10 Best WWE pay-per-view matches of 2021

2021 was a year that started with unsure times for WWE in the middle of the global pandemic that is still ongoing. However, there was light at the end of the tunnel with the announcement of WrestleMania having live fans in attendance. Despite the restrictions, the competitors performed above and beyond to entertain the fans on every single show, especially on pay-per-view.

WWE had 11 major events in 2021 with the majority of these shows delivering entertaining action. Fans usually vent their frustrations with the weekly product due to the creative, but the company showed when they let their superstars just perform to the best of their ability that the output was terrific. The pay-per-view matches this year were of high quality consistently.

With all of WWE's major shows in the rearview mirror and the year coming to a close, it is an awesome time to look back on the year that was and all the outstanding in-ring work that fans witnessed. In this article, let's take a look at the ten best WWE pay-per-view matches of 2021.

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10) Bianca Belair vs. Bayley in a Hell In A Cell Match for the SmackDown Women's Championship (WWE Hell In A Cell 2021)

Bianca Belair had a breakthrough year in WWE that saw her reach new heights as the SmackDown Women's Champion. Following her historic victory at WrestleMania 37, Belair found herself with a familiar first challenger. Bayley is one of the most decorated superstars in the company today as the longest reigning SmackDown Women's Champion in history.

Prior to Belair's win in the 2021 Women's Royal Rumble Match, the EST of WWE was embroiled in a feud with Bayley to prove herself. Bianca not only did just that with a win over the Role Model, but she also eliminated Bayley from the Rumble. This only caused the fury in which Bayley hunted down the SmackDown Women's Championship over the months to follow.

Bianca Belair defeated Bayley at WWE WrestleMania Backlash, but the former champion gained vengeance with a non-title victory over the EST. This set the stage for Hell In A Cell 2021 where the two women met inside the steel structure. Bayley was more than comfortable in this environment after her Match of the Year candidate with Sasha Banks the previous year.

This didn't stop Belair from showing off her unreal strength and creativity in a physically intense battle. Bayley was once again innovative inside the Devil's Playground. She utilized kendo sticks, steel chairs and ladders at her disposal to inflict punishment on her rival. However, Belair came up with the win after a vicious KOD on a ladder to retain the SmackDown Women's Championship.

9) Rhea Ripley vs. Charlotte Flair for the Raw Women's Championship (WWE Money In The Bank 2021)

Rhea Ripley was called up to the WWE main roster earlier this year with lofty expectations. The former NXT Women's Champion had made a name for herself as one of the can't-miss prospects who would be the future of the company. This is why her Raw Women's Championship win over Asuka at WrestleMania 37 had many believing she would be on course for success.

Her biggest rival in WWE was always going to be Charlotte Flair. The Queen defeated Ripley to win the NXT Women's Championship at WrestleMania 36 and returned after WrestleMania 37 looking for her gold. This led to a showdown at Money In The Bank 2021.

The two women were in front of a Fort Worth, Texas crowd that weren't very interested in their contest. However, Flair and Ripley willed this encounter to be a showstealing display from both ladies. The stiffness in the strikes and how crisp the sequences were made this compelling. Charlotte beat Rhea with the Figure 8 to claim her 13th WWE Women's Championship.

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8) Roman Reigns vs. Cesaro for the WWE Universal Championship (WWE WrestleMania Backlash)

Following WWE WrestleMania 37, Cesaro was riding high with plenty of momentum after a huge win over Seth Rollins. Roman Reigns was also firing on all cylinders after a convincing victory over both Daniel Bryan and Edge. The two superstars would meet in a highly anticipated clash to headline WrestleMania Backlash.

Roman's WWE Universal Championship matches were known for their marvelous storytelling and this was no different. Cesaro added his superb in-ring work to give the fans a captivating main event. Reigns worked over Cesaro's arm throughout the bout and eventually that came into play when the Tribal Chief locked on his guillotine choke to win and retain his title.

7) Edge vs. Seth Rollins (WWE SummerSlam 2021)

WWE SummerSlam 2021 was considered the biggest pay-per-view of the year for the company. It marked the first full-capacity stadium show for the promotion since the global pandemic started and would have to assemble an exceptional lineup. They did just that, which included a showdown between WWE Hall of Famer Edge and Seth Rollins.

It had a big fight feel from the very beginning with fresh attire for both men and an epic Brood entrance for the Rated R Superstar. What followed was what many fans expected from a dream match on a show of this level. The two former WWE champions went back and forth, even pulling out finishers from their significant others. Edge finally got the win with a crossface while slamming Seth's head.

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6) Becky Lynch vs. Bianca Belair vs. Sasha Banks in a Triple Threat Match for the SmackDown Women's Championship (WWE Crown Jewel 2021)

WWE has been heading to Saudi Arabia for major events since 2018. For the first few years, the women were unable to compete due to the government. However, Natalya and Lacey Evans were honored to be in the first women's match to be in the country at the end of 2019. In the first Saudi Arabia show since the pandemic, the company delivered its most star-studded women's clash yet.

Becky Lynch defended the SmackDown Women's Championship against former champions Bianca Belair and Sasha Banks in a Triple Threat Match. This became a showcase for three extraordinary female athletes. Bianca Belair, in particular, stood out in a major way with her insane one-arm gorilla press being a highlight. Lynch retained the gold by rolling up Banks with her hand on the ropes.

5) Roman Reigns vs. Daniel Bryan for the WWE Universal Championship (WWE Fastlane 2021)

At WWE Elimination Chamber 2021, Daniel Bryan defeated five other superstars to survive the Chamber and get an Universal Championship Match. However, Roman Reigns didn't give the leader of the Yes Movement any time to prepare or recover before coming down and choking him out for the win. Bryan was granted a rematch at the next pay-per-view, Fastlane 2021.

The winner of the 2021 Men's Royal Rumble Match, Edge, wasn't pleased with this and inserted himself as a special guest enforcer. Bryan and Reigns delivered an excellent main event that featured sublime mat work and brilliant storytelling. Daniel Bryan locked in the Yes Lock and made Roman tap, but the referee was down. Edge nailed Bryan with a steel chair, leading to Reigns winning.

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4) Big E vs. Seth Rollins vs. Kevin Owens vs. Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Riddle vs. John Morrison vs. Ricochet vs. Drew McIntyre in the Men's Money In The Bank Ladder Match (WWE Money In The Bank 2021)

The Money In The Bank Ladder Match has become a staple of the WWE over the course of the past two decades. 2021 gave the fans one of their more illustrious lineups for the titular clash. Big E, Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens, Shinsuke Nakamura, Riddle, John Morrison, Ricochet and Drew McIntyre all came in with reasons a victory for them made sense.

All eight men produced an exhilarating spectacle that had consistent high spots, intensity and adrelanine inducing sequences that kept fans on the edge of their seats. The WWE even delivered the right outcome with Big E disposing of Seth Rollins before climbing the ladder to retrieve the briefcase.

3) Edge vs. Seth Rollins in a Hell In A Cell Match (WWE Crown Jewel 2021)

The rivalry between Edge and Seth Rollins has to be regarded as the best WWE feud of 2021. What started as two superstars wanting to get a shot at the Universal Championship became a bitter, personal issue that escalated into aggression as the months went on. After Rollins did a home invasion at Edge's house, there was no turning back and Hell In A Cell was the only option.

At WWE Crown Jewel 2021, the show kicked off with the final battle between these rivals inside Satan's Structure. This was everything that it should have been. The Saudi Arabia crowd were molten hot to see their first big WWE show in almost two years. Rollins put his body on the line in this one, especially when he was launched into the cell and went through a table at ringside.

The two men used the story heading in to get some amazing callbacks from their previous two meetings and the angle that sparked their initial conflict. There were repeated superkicks from Edge to Seth and the ending with Edge using the Stomp on a chair to win. This was a tremendous way to blow off their feud.

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2) Roman Reigns vs. Edge vs. Daniel Bryan in a Triple Threat Match for the WWE Universal Championship (WWE WrestleMania 37 Night 2)

Edge returned and entered the 2021 Men's Royal Rumble Match from the number one spot. However, he didn't let this or his enemy Randy Orton get in the way of his goal of winning and getting back to the main event of WrestleMania. The Rated R Superstar chose Roman Reigns and the WWE Universal Championship to challenge at the Show of Shows.

The months following Royal Rumble saw Daniel Bryan repeatedly insert himself into the title scene after Roman screwed him out of his earned opportunity at Elimination Chamber. Edge was annoyed by this and eventually cost Bryan the title at Fastlane 2021. This forced Adam Pearce to make the WrestleMania 37 Night 2 main event a triple threat with all three men.

Reigns, Bryan and Edge have all faced career-threatening situations, which made this even more special and was also showcased. These superstars all wrestled like this was their last match with desperation and passion. There were tons of emotion, wild moments and huge amounts of drama. Roman retained the WWE Universal Title by stacking his opponents and pinning both men.

1) Sasha Banks vs. Bianca Belair for the SmackDown Women's Championship (WWE WrestleMania 37 Night 1)

Bianca Belair came into 2021 with a couple of huge victories that had many believing that the EST of WWE could be on its way to a breakout year. This looked to be the case almost immediately after she won the 2021 Women's Royal Rumble Match. Her opposition as the SmackDown Women's Champion proved to be a more than formidable one.

Sasha Banks won the SmackDown Women's Championship by defeating Bayley inside Hell In A Cell last year. She fought back challenges from the self-proclaimed Role Model and Carmella in the months to follow. This ultimately set the stage for Banks and Belair to meet in the main event of WrestleMania 37.

Sasha and Bianca remained friends on the way to the Showcase of Immortals and even tried to be tag team partners in an attempt to vie for the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships. However, this didn't go smoothly with the two women splitting and Banks getting aggressive as the event came closer. It only meant that neither man would hold back in this SmackDown Women's Championship bout.

Everything about this WWE WrestleMania 37 Night 1 headliner was special. From the entrances to the opening moments with the crowd on their feet to witnessing history, Sasha Banks and Bianca Belair took part in something that meant so much to so many people. They became the first African-American women to main event the biggest show of the year for the company.

Bianca tried to use her power and athleticism to constantly overwhelm Sasha. Whenever Banks thought she had control, Belair would respond with a display of strength that changed the complexion of the contest. Her awe-inspiring walking gorilla press slam from the floor, up the steel steps and into the ring was one of the highlights of WWE WrestleMania 37.

Banks would counteract Belair by targeting her hair and using it to her advantage. This worked well for her until Bianca used the hair against her with a vicious lashing that left a mark. The Tampa crowd got a suspenseful series of counters that eventually led to the EST of WWE connecting with the KOD on Sasha to win the SmackDown Women's Championship.