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Cinematic matches bring out the best of both worlds of sports-entertainment. A cinematic bout is your classic wrestling match, which is enhanced by a different location, theatrics, and some quality background music to give the fight a big-time feel. Matt Hardy's Final Deletion matches from Impact were a visual treat, and fans wondered how WWE could use their resources to have even better matches, which provide wrestling fans with the perfect cinematic experience.
WWE's initial attempts with such gimmick fights failed miserably (looking at you, House of Horrors), but they have stepped up their game in the pandemic era, delivering some quality cinematic matches. So, without further ado, let us dive deep down into the WWE Cinematic Universe and rank every cinematic match produced by the wrestling behemoth in 2020.
Disclaimer: The views of the author do not necessarily represent that of Sportskeeda
#7 The Backlot Brawl - WWE NXT Takeover: In Your House
Let's get one thing clear: Backlot Brawl was not a bad match at all. But, when compared to other cinematic bouts, this match was quite weak, the reason being it is at the bottom-most position. I appreciate the effort put in by NXT, be it multiple cars surrounding the ring, or the vehicles which both Adam Cole and Velveteen Dream drove to the fight. The match was not bad at all, but given the in-ring mastery of the men involved, fans were certainly expecting more than what they got.
The commentary too was not that good an addition, as it watered down what could have been an exceptional trash talk session between Adam Cole and Velveteen Dream. While it has stemmed out into a good storyline, the addition of Dexter Lumis wasn't right either, as not only it shifted focus from the actual match, but also Dream came out weak from the fight, given that he lost even after the odds had been evened.
While the Backlot Brawl wasn't bad at all, it wasn't good enough to be the best.
#6 Corporate Money in the Bank ladder match - WWE Money in the Bank 2020
This year's Money In The Bank PPV was a unique one, featuring some of the most anticipated bouts in Bray Wyatt vs. Braun Strowman and Drew McIntyre vs. Seth Rollins. The main attraction of the PPV, though, was the corporate Money in the Bank ladder match, which saw all 12 participants (six men, six women) start from the ground floor of the WWE HQ, with the briefcases hanging above a ring on the roof of the building.
This cinematic match was very entertaining, with WWE making full use of not only the headquarters but of their legends as well. While this one gets full marks for the entertainment, the sports side wasn't the best, to say in the least. There were some logic-defying moments too, like no other women following Asuka to the top in another lift and Dana Brooke celebrating after unhooking the briefcase in a conference room (despite the rules being clear about the Money in the Bank briefcase being on the roof).
The match did feature some extremely entertaining moments too, with the food fight and the Vince McMahon appearance particularly standing out. Had this been a list of entertaining WWE matches, this match would have been in the top three. But due to the bout lacking some legit wrestling, this cinematic match makes it at number six.
#5 Anything You Do, We Can Do Better - WWE Backlash 2020
Can we just take a moment out and appreciate how ridiculously entertaining Montez Ford actually is? What initially started as a very cringy and damaging storyline, soon turned into the most intriguing program the tag division of WWE had seen after the iconic New Day vs. Usos rivalry. The two teams were supposed to fight in a classic tag team match at this year's WWE Backlash PPV, with the Street Profits defending their WWE RAW Tag Team Championships against the Viking Raiders. The two teams brawled all over the backstage area, giving rise to some funny moments, like them crashing Braun Strowman's car.
This cinematic match reached the next level when Akira Tozawa arrived with the ninjas. Them morphing into the Viking Profits, fighting the Ninjas, falling into the garbage, along with the 'Ivar is cute, Erik not so much' provided for a very entertaining experience, which lightened up the scene before the 'Greatest Wrestling Match Ever' (which was a classic wrestling bout).
#4 Swamp Fight - The Horror Show at WWE Extreme Rules 2020
Now, judging from the reactions online, a large chunk of fans were disappointed by the Cinematic match that headlined the WWE Extreme Rules. In what may come across as an unpopular opinion, the Wyatt Swamp Fight was the perfect match for this rivalry, which not only added more layers to the Wyatt/Strowman feud but also did an excellent job is setting up the final bout of the trilogy at SummerSlam.
Coming to the match itself, the Evil Strowman attacking the good one and the exploration of the angle between Alexa Bliss and Braun Strowman from their Mixed Match Challenge days were the highlights of the match. While many were disappointed because the bout featured more of talking and less of action, it wasn't a surprise, given that the other entry featuring Bray Wyatt in this list was the same (more on that later).
Also, Wyatt winning the cinematic match places him in a stronger position, which was the right thing, given that Strowman is likely to face The Fiend at WWE SummerSlam. Moreover, The Fiend left enough of an impact, saving us from what would have been a not-so-clean finish, had it been a regular match.
#3 The Firefly Fun House Match - WWE WrestleMania 36
Another match from the Wyatt Cinematic Universe makes its way to number three. While the fight was a creative masterpiece, it was not good enough to be ranked higher. For starters, the bout was not a legit match, but a segment that featured little to no fighting at all between the longtime rivals. The causal viewers felt cheated out, as they were very excited to see John Cena go at it once more in WWE, which wasn't the case. The complex story which the match portrayed made it even more difficult for the casual viewers to comprehend what was going on.
That being said, kudos to WWE for experimenting with such a gimmick bout, which focused solely on storytelling. The use of the puppets was on the mark, and a great job was done in giving a proper conclusion to their six-year rivalry. Also, seeing both Bray Wyatt and John Cena in different gimmicks was a visual treat for the fans, making The Fun House match better than the recently concluded Swamp Fight.
Above all, John Cena snapped and let the darker side of his take over, which is memorable in itself!
#2 One Final Beat - WWE NXT: April 9, 2020
Of all the cinematic matches on this list, this is the only one to have taken place inside the WWE Performance Center. The never-ending rivalry between former friends-turned bitter enemies in Tomasso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano got renewed earlier this year when Gargano turned heel and cost Ciampa his shot at the NXT Championship at Takeover: Portland. In order to settle the score between the former DIY members once and for all, Triple H got involved, making the two men agree on this being the final match between them, whatever be the result.
The empty arena, along with only the ref and the two competitors being in the building, gave the perfect setting to this no-holds-barred match. The ending of this fight did leave a sour taste in the mouth of the WWE Universe, but the quality of the bout, along with the perfect use of the empty arena setting, gets this cinematic match the number two position.
#1 Boneyard Match - WWE WrestleMania 36
The very first cinematic match that WWE presented in 2020 was the Boneyard match between The Undertaker and AJ Styles. This WrestleMania headliner (it headlined Night 1) set a standard so high for the cinematic matches in WWE that no other bout has been able to surpass it. An intriguing storyline revolving around Styles ripping off the kayfabe that The Undertaker has maintained for years now did its job in getting the fans excited for this fight.
The match itself, along with the setting, the background music, and the Buried Alive stipulation, was a visual treat. In what was one of the better bouts that The Phenom has had over the years, we saw The Undertaker bring with him The Unholy Trinity (The Undertaker gimmick, The American Badass Gimmick, and the man Mark Calaway himself) to fight Styles and his Good Brothers.
The Undertaker burying Styles, before doing his signature fist raise, and riding off was perhaps the perfect retirement that The Phenom could have had, and we can only say one thing: Thank You, Taker.
Do you agree with these rankings? Which was your favorite WWE cinematic match? Sound off in the comments below!
