5 most brutal WWE matches of the 2010s

In 2008, the WWE ushered in the 'PG era' changing the show's rating system to accommodate for more family-friendly viewing. Whilst it's hard to argue that the PG Era hasn't been successful from a business standpoint, many fans have lambasted this current period of wrestling, with many considering it the worst of all time.

Gone are the likes of fire and hardcore matches, and blood is now a very rare commodity, almost exclusively seen by accidental cutting, instead of intentional blading. Though this past decade has been entirely within the PG Era though, there have been some serious wars in the ring, many of which ending with all Superstars looking worse for wear.

Here are the five most brutal matches in WWE of the 2010s, that proved that just because the product may be rated PG, the violence is still there.

#5: Brock Lesnar Vs. Randy Orton (Summerslam 2016)

Orton was left lying in a pool of his own blood as Brock won via TKO.

As two defined WWE megastars, the Summerslam encounter between Brock Lesnar and Randy Orton seemed like nothing short of a dream match. For years, the pair had been on different shows, each having impressive careers, but never touching, until that night.

A heavy-hitting bout from the start, the match would end suprisingly quicky, as Lesnar would catch the Apex Predator with some bare knuckle blows, busting Orton open. Continuing his assault, Lesnar lived up to his Beast moniker, as Orton was left in a pool of his own blood to end the show.

A shocking sight, Orton would go on to receive ten staples to close the cut, whilst Lesnar would get into a backstage altercation with Chris Jericho after the show.

#4: Randy Orton Vs. Jeff Hardy (Hell In A Cell 2018)

The Viper used a screwdriver to twist and damage Jeff Hardy's ear in a brutal act.

Randy Orton may have been demolished at Summerslam 2016, but just over two years later, it was the Viper's turn to dish out some pain. After threatening to rid SmackDown Live of all it's heroes, Orton would go to war with Jeff Hardy, one of the shows most beloved stars.

Meeting inside Hell in a Cell, Orton would take his sadistic side to a whole new level, at one point using a screwdriver to twist and turn the earlobe of the Charismatic Enigma. Orton himself however, would not leave the Satanic structure unscathed, losing a chunk of flesh from his leg during the match.

Though Orton would emerge victorious, after Jeff went crashing through some tables, the Legend Killer certainly took a beating on route to his win.

#3: Dean Ambrose Vs. Chris Jericho (Extreme Rules 2016)

The two future AEW stars battled out in the Asylum at Extreme Rules 2016.

Jon Moxley may be doing big things now as a part of AEW, but it'd be unfair to see the former Lunatic Fringe didn't have his share of brutal matches whilst part of WWE. At Extreme Rules 2016, Moxley, then Dean Ambrose met Chris Jericho in the first-ever 'Ambrose Asylum' match.

A cage match loaded with weapons, the bout was predictably brutal, with both Superstars trying to gain the upper hand. At one point, Ambrose would counter Jericho's Codebreaker, dropping the Canadian into thumbtacks, which Jericho would shriek to the WWE Universe for weeks about having to have 69 tacks removed from his body. With both men now in All Elite Wrestling, could we see a second Ambrose Asylum (perhaps the Moxley Madhouse) match in the future?

#2: The Undertaker Vs. Triple H (WrestleMania XXVII)

Both men would use unprotected chair shots to the skull.

By the time WrestleMania 27 rolled around in April 2011, the PG Era was in full effect, but it seemed nobody told either Triple H or The Undertaker. After both men had returned in February, a match was made for WrestleMania, where the Game aimed to do what his friend Shawn Michaels hadn't done the two prior years: end The Streak.

The match was violent from the get-go, with the pair brawling on the outside crashing into the Cole Mine: the special glass box for then-heel commentator. Michael Cole. What the match is perhaps best remembered for though, is the unprotected chair shots to the head, delivered by both men during the match. These shots had been banned for years, so to see them make a one-night return at WrestleMania only added to the brutality.

#1: John Cena Vs. Brock Lesnar (Extreme Rules 2012)

Cena was busted open badly by a flurry of blows by the Beast.

When Brock Lesnar returned to WWE on the night after WrestleMania 28, everyone was shocked. No-one knew quite what to expect from the returning beast after an incredible career in UFC, but within minutes of his return, Lesnar's target was clear: John Cena.

Meeting at Extreme Rules in Lesnar's first WWE match in over eight years, both men gave their all during the encounter, with Lesnar drawing first blood with a series of elbow strikes to Cena. Countering, Cena would show incredible strength, at one point lifting Lesnar mid-Kimura lock, and smashing the Beast into the steel steps.

A hard-fought affair, it would be Cena who won the day, and though fans have debated whether having Brock lose his first match bad hurt his character, both men delivered an absolute blockbuster.