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Last week, we looked at the matches from WWE's various brands at the beginning of the decade and picked out our favorites. The period between 2011 and 2014 heavily featured standout performances from names like The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels and The Shield.
While the second half of the 2010's saw more from the latter group, the years between 2015 and 2019 highlighted a shift in dynamic in the WWE. That shift was spearheaded by the development and growth of NXT from developmental territory to the company's third brand. It's popularity has been driven by the high caliber of wrestling it has produced both weekly on NXT TV and at their regular Takeover events.
As a result, there is a bounty of great matches to pick from as we select our top bouts from each year of the second half of the decade.
Here are our top choices.
2015 - Brock Lesnar vs John Cena vs Seth Rollins - Royal Rumble
While 2015 was the year in which Bayley and Sasha Banks helped put NXT and women’s wrestling in general on the map, it kicked off in some style with this all-action Triple Threat battle.
The year prior had been a breakout year for Seth Rollins. After dominating the first half of 2014 with his Shield comrades, he shocked the world that June by betraying his brothers-in-arms and joining up with Triple H. With the Authority behind him, Rollins would win the Money In The Bank briefcase as well as vanquish any foe that tried to stop him.
When Triple H and Stephanie McMahon were sent away from TV after Survivor Series, 'The Architect' found a way to get them back in power soon after. His reward? Rollins was inserted into the WWE Championship match between Brock Lesnar and John Cena at the Royal Rumble.
This match was great as it showcased exactly what each man could bring to the table. We had Cena providing his usual consistency in high stakes matches. Rollins showcased the sneakiness that saw him shine as a heel when many thought he'd be better suited as a babyface.
As great as each man was in this match, the shining light was easily Brock Lesnar. As much as he can be criticized, Lesnar knows how to tell a story in the ring when motivated. This was evident in the closing stages of the match. While lying prone for several minutes after being put through the announce table, 'The Beast' would display cat-like reflexes to get back in the ring while Rollins tried to secure the win with a Phoenix Splash.
Such quickness gave Seth zero time to react, and one F-5 later, Lesnar had retained. In a decade of standout Triple Threat matches, this was a superb start to the year.
2016 - The Revival vs DIY - NXT Takeover: Toronto
This is the first of three NXT matches to feature on this list and one that would arguably start a trend the brand has continued to this day.
Many critics of WWE will highlight how poorly the company handles their Tag Team Division. In NXT, it is the complete opposite with their tag matches often standing out as some of their best. This was particularly the case when the division was led by The Revival, who many will still classify as the top team to come out of Full Sail.
Throughout the summer of 2016, the NXT Tag Team Champions were regularly locking horns with the team of Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa: DIY. Having defeated the former indie pair at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn II, The Revival would do everything in their power to stop DIY from facing them again. This even included Scott Dawson faking an injury to get out of a scheduled clash at the Dusty Rhodes Classic tournament.
The tension between the two teams boiled to the point that, in order to settle their feud, a Two-Out-Of-Three Falls match was scheduled for NXT Takeover: Toronto. To this day, this match still ranks high in the all-time great NXT matches. The chemistry both teams had was undeniable - something which really stood out during the third and final fall, as each team came close to securing victory on numerous occasions.
In the end, the closing moments stands out as a picture moment in NXT history. As Johnny Gargano locked Dash Wilder in the Gargano Escape, Scott Dawson's attempts to block the submission led to him ending up in a hold of his own from Tommaso Ciampa. In their desperation not to submit, The Revival teammates would hold onto each other in their attempt to stand firm.
Ultimately, it proved futile as both men would tap out, giving Johnny and Tommaso the big moment they'd always dreamed of. Who'd have thought then their friendship would soon turn sour?
2017 - Tyler Bate vs Pete Dunne - NXT Takeover: Chicago
I may sound biased here as a Brit, but this was the moment British Wrestling became truly appreciated on a worldwide scale.
Earlier in 2017, WWE held their first ever UK Championship Tournament to much acclaim. That weekend, then 19-year old Tyler Bate shocked the world by beating the favorite Pete Dunne to become the first ever champion. It was a defeat that didn't sit well with 'The Bruiserweight' Dunne, and he would soon find his way back into title contention just a few short months later.
Given the fact that an NXT Takeover event was chosen as the scene for this rematch, it showed how much faith the company had both in the pair and the division as a whole.
The match encapsulated everything UK Wrestling has been known for over the years: technical wizardry, hard-hitting action, and top-notch storytelling. It was a damn near perfect exhibition of what Brits are capable of.
It felt extra special with the addition of the legendary Jim Ross on commentary. Pairing him with Nigel McGuinness felt like a sort of passing the torch moment on the booth, and to me, it remains the last great match of commentary he has done in his career.
This was a great match that gave a great showcase for two of the sport's future top stars, who had just a combined age of 43 at the time of this show.
2018 - Johnny Gargano vs Tommaso Ciampa - NXT Takeover: New Orleans
In the current wrestling climate, it is extremely rare that one match on a WWE-based show receives a five star rating from Dave Meltzer and the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. This show was lucky enough to have two!
As good as the Takeover opening Six-Man Ladder Match for the NXT North American Championship was, it still couldn't compare to a match one year in the making.
The previous May, after losing their rematch for the NXT Tag Team Championship, Tommaso Ciampa turned his back on his friend Johnny Gargano. Before the bad blood between the pair could truly transition to NXT TV, Ciampa was forced onto the sidelines with a serious knee injury.
While he was away though, he would continue to find ways to torment Gargano, especially on social media. He wouldn't be seen on NXT for eight months and when he made his return, it was impactful. First, he would attack 'Johnny Wrestling' moments after he unsuccessfully challenged Andrade for the NXT Championship. When Gargano would later put his NXT career on the line to go for the gold again, Ciampa would cost him the match.
In the weeks that followed, Gargano would continue to show up on NXT TV to try and gain revenge. As tensions reached a boiling point, NXT GM William Regal would announce an unsanctioned contest between the two with Gargano's NXT career once again at stake.
Of all the matches in the second half of the decade, this is the best of the bunch. It had absolutely everything. From the moment Ciampa came out to no music to draw out the maximum level of heat from the crowd, you felt it was going to be big.
The brawl through the crowd was perfectly executed. What there was in technical wrestling was done to a tee, and the use of psychology and throw backs to past events drew you in as a fan.
One particular throwback led to the finish, with the two side-by-side sat in the ring similar to the end of their Cruiserweight Classic showdown in 2016. While Ciampa's plan was to use this as a decoy, Gargano scouted it, and would proceed to use Ciampa's knee brace to help him to victory.
Both men would go on to have another two outstanding matches across the year, but neither could live up to this. If you've never seen this battle, get out there and see it as soon as you can. You won't regret it!
2019 - Becky Lynch vs Sasha Banks - Hell in A Cell
Kofi Kingston vs Daniel Bryan had all the emotional build up from weeks of KofiMania, and it came so close to being my pick for this year- as did any of the fantastic series of matches between Johnny Gargano and Adam Cole. However, I've plucked for a match that surpassed expectations to become a top drawer contest.
Hell In A Cell 2019 will be remembered by many for the farcical finish to the main event match between Seth Rollins vs The Fiend. What many forget though is that night kicked off with a top-tier Women's Championship match within the confides of Hell in A Cell.
The night after Summerslam, Sasha Banks returned to TV after being away seen since WrestleMania. Immediately, she set her sights on Becky Lynch and the RAW Women's Championship.
After the first match between the two ended in a DQ finish, 'The Man' and 'The Boss' were all set to end their rivalry here at Hell in A Cell.
The use of this type of match on a stand-alone PPV isn't something many fans like, as it takes away from what the Cell was originally used for. However, these two ladies made great use of their surroundings to carve out a great match. I particularly enjoyed how Becky Lynch used the cell to prop up a chair to assist in her attack on Banks.
It's a shock choice and a bit of a sleeper hit compared to most of what we saw in 2019. But it was the bout I enjoyed most, and the one where my investment only grew as the match went on.
