5 Recent WWE dream matches that actually delivered

With the immense talent pool WWE has amassed over the past few years, there were bound to be a lot of dream matches that would play out. Fans always love to envision scenarios in their heads, pitting two top stars against each other.

There are many factors which make up a dream match in WWE. Whether it is a showdown between two legends, a clash between the faces of two different companies, a battle between past and present, or something else, there has been no shortage of such highly-anticipated contests in WWE over the past few years.

However, with the heightened expectations, some dream matches disappointed the fans. Examples include AJ Styles vs Shinsuke Nakamura at WrestleMania 34 and the infamous DX vs Brothers of Destruction match from Crown Jewel 2018. That being said, we have also witnessed some dream matches play out to perfection.

Quite a few of those such encounters lived up to their hype, giving WWE fans some excellent matches that will be worth remembering. Here are five recent WWE dream matches that actually delivered.

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#5 AJ Styles vs Finn Balor (TLC 2017)

No build? No problem.

When AJ Styles signed for WWE, fans were quick to name some dream matches for him in the company. One of the biggest ones mentioned was Finn Balor, with the promise of a high-profile Bullet Club-based angle between the former leaders of the revolutionary heel stable.

Styles and Balor had never actually faced each other before, making an eventual showdown more of a dream scenario than it would have been. However, this dream match came about in the most bizarre way possible, as part of a last-minute scramble following an illness wrecking plans for the RAW-exclusive TLC pay-per-view in October 2017.

WWE replaced Bray Wyatt with The Phenomenal One as the Demon's opponent at the show. So, with a couple of days' notice and zero storyline build-up, we were getting AJ Styles vs 'Demon' Finn Balor for the first time ever. And it lived up to the hype. The two put on a clinic, doing the best with the cards they were dealt with.

Styles and Balor made each other look incredible, ensuring there wouldn't be any real loser on the night. The face-painted Irishman won in the end though, courtesy of a brutal Coup de Grace. The only two words that could describe the action in this match are, well, too sweet!

#4 John Cena vs AJ Styles (Money in the Bank 2016)

The interference did not harm this match.

Sticking with AJ Styles, here is another 'Phenomenal' dream match that delivered what the fans expected. This time, it was against the WWE's biggest star, John Cena. A match between Cena and Styles seemed to remain a dream, with the former face of TNA being the biggest North American wrestler to not join WWE until he eventually did.

While this match was expected to happen down the line, WWE surprised the fans by booking it just months after AJ's debut. He had just lost a WWE Title feud with Roman Reigns, with Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson by his side. So the best way for him to retain his momentum was to turn heel and beat up John Cena!

The match was signed for Money in the Bank 2016, with a lot of expectations surrounding it. It was the top WWE star of the past decade against the top non-WWE star of the past decade. And boy, it was excellent. Cena and Styles went at it in a tactical masterpiece, one which tested the 16-time WWE World Champion all the way to his limit.

The Phenomenal One matched Cena move-for-move and it was as even as a wrestling match could get. Sure, Gallows and Anderson interfering to gift AJ Styles the win was not ideal. But don't let that distract you from the 20-plus minutes of breathtaking action before it.

#3 Charlotte Flair vs Trish Stratus (SummerSlam 2019)

The two greatest female wrestlers of all-time?

With the in-ring talent that Trish Stratus and Lita possessed, WWE fans would always wonder what would happen if these two would face off against the current crop of women's wrestlers. WWE's female division is the best it's ever been, with a few names that stand out as dream opponents for Trish and Lita.

Charlotte Flair was at the top of that list and with nothing for her to do last summer, WWE brought Trish back for one last match. The stage was set for the WWE Hall of Famer and The Queen to face off at SummerSlam, in the former's hometown of Toronto.

A mix of experience, athleticism, and storytelling did the trick as Trish and Charlotte had a tremendous showing. The 7-time Women's Champion proved that she could still go, even over a decade after her last high-profile singles match.

This clash of eras lived up to expectations and elevated both Superstars. Charlotte Flair, because she was able to defeat a Hall of Famer. And Trish Stratus, because it proved that she could hang with the best in the business today.

#2 The Shield vs The Wyatt Family (Elimination Chamber 2014)

A belter of a match.

You know you're going to see magic in a WWE ring when the crowd chants "This is awesome" before the match even begins.

That is what happened when two of the most dominant trios in WWE finally came face-to-face at Elimination Chamber 2014. The company had done a fine job in building both of them up as separate main-event level threats on the roster. The Shield and the Wyatt Family were both incredibly over at the start of 2014, after largely being separated from each other.

The ensuing match was an all-out war, with all six men involved putting in a serious shift and brawling all over the place. Luke Harper had his breakout performance here and showed how good he can be in the ring. His team was efficient in their plan, taking out Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, and Roman Reigns one after the other.

The end saw The Big Dog try to combat the numbers game set up by the Wyatts, eventually succumbing to a Sister Abigail from Bray Wyatt. It was a taxing battle between two excellent trios. The match was worth the hype, with the only negative being that it did not happen at WrestleMania, which was the next WWE pay-per-view.

#1 Brock Lesnar vs Daniel Bryan (Survivor Series 2018)

Just a fantastic wrestling match.

When Daniel Bryan ended his in-ring retirement in 2018, fans were extremely excited. Not only for the man but also so we could see him partake in several WWE dream matches that were back on the table. One of the biggest ones was against Brock Lesnar, with the potential for a compelling and rewarding 'David vs Goliath' story.

The fans were looking forward to seeing the beloved underdog finally get his chance to systematically break the Beast down and while the match would happen, the circumstances were a bit different.

Announced five days beforehand when Bryan suddenly turned heel and won the WWE Championship, this Champion vs Champion match was tipped to set Survivor Series alight. And they did exactly that in a wonderfully tense encounter.

It may have been a rare instance of a heel going up against heel in WWE, with the fact being reminded to us by Bryan's mocking of Lesnar. But it was impossible not to feel any sympathy for him while the former UFC Champion destroyed him. However, after a ref bump and a low blow, the tide swiftly turned. Bryan was now in control, hitting all of his signature offense on the Beast.

The primary reason why this match delivered was the believability of it, with every WWE fan biting for the nearfalls and thinking that Bryan had pulled it out of the bag. And just when it seemed like Brock Lesnar would tap out, he got out of the LeBell Lock and hit one final F5 to pick up the hard-fought victory.

Both Superstars were spent after this match due to the effort they put in. The flexibility of Daniel Bryan's character was on full display, as he brought out the best in Brock Lesnar. These two did not need a build-up from WWE to have a classic, they simply told their story within those 15 glorious minutes.