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WWE has produced six pay-per-views so far in 2021, with none of them being a complete dud. Some of them did much better than others, as would be expected during a time like this for the product.
We are at the halfway point of this year and with changes coming to WWE in a few weeks, 2021 definitely is a tale of two halves for the company. The return to touring represents a fresh start, with Money in the Bank set to be the first pay-per-view to take place in front of a full crowd since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The ThunderDome has been WWE's home for over ten months now, with five out of the six pay-per-views this year emanating from the LED-filled arena. While RAW and SmackDown may be inconsistent, the pay-per-views always deliver to some extent. This is a testament to the incredible talent among the roster.
Anyway, here is every WWE pay-per-view from the first half of 2021 graded and ranked, from worst to best. What was your favorite event of the year so far? Let us know in the comments section below.
#6 WWE Fastlane
We start this list with an event that, while decent, was an unnecessary addition to the WWE calendar. The company could have done without Fastlane - a show that served little purpose on the road to WrestleMania 37.
The only match that needed the pay-per-view was Daniel Bryan's Universal Championship match against Roman Reigns. Edge was the special guest enforcer. He cost Bryan the match, inadvertently adding him to the main event of WrestleMania.
The Fiend returned in his burnt form to help Alexa Bliss beat Randy Orton, three months after The Viper set him on fire. Meanwhile, Drew McIntyre took on Sheamus in a hellacious No Holds Barred Match. It was spectacular and saved Fastlane from being a "one match show."
That just about covers everything of note that happened at Fastlane.
Elsewhere, the Intercontinental Championship match between Big E and Apollo Crews was more of an angle to set up another one for WrestleMania. Seth Rollins defeated Shinsuke Nakamura in an alright match, while Braun Strowman's squash of Elias did nothing besides extending the length of the pay-per-view.
WWE could have scrapped Fastlane entirely and played these matches out on RAW and SmackDown. It would have helped improve the quality of both brands heading into WrestleMania if nothing else.
Grade: B-
#5 WWE Hell in a Cell
The one thing that keeps Hell in a Cell above Fastlane was the overall in-ring quality the WWE Superstars produced at the event. However, the booking was all over the place. While most matches were good, the finishes were equally poor.
One of the notable exceptions came in the Hell in a Cell Match between Bianca Belair and Bayley. It was a great showcase for both women, featuring some brutal spots like a KOD onto an open ladder. However, it did only happen because Roman Reigns vs. Rey Mysterio inside the cell was moved to SmackDown.
With that being said, the other Hell in a Cell match on the card ended underwhelmingly. Bobby Lashley rolled up Drew McIntyre to retain the WWE Championship after a tense and hard-hitting affair. That pretty much summed up the night.
Seth Rollins defeated Cesaro in a similar fashion, while Rhea Ripley got herself disqualified against Charlotte Flair. Sami Zayn beat Kevin Owens in the second WrestleMania 37 rematch of the night, signaling how WWE has struggled to move on to stories beyond The Show of Shows to some extent.
But the worst part of Hell in a Cell was Shayna Baszler's defeat to Alexa Bliss. It was a tedious match - one that featured Bliss hypnotizing Nia Jax, before putting away Baszler with ease. Hopefully, the end of the ThunderDome era leads to changes in WWE's booking habits.
Grade: B-
#4 WWE Elimination Chamber
WWE produced Elimination Chamber in February, which was a short and sweet show. It only featured five scheduled matches, one of which was a formality. That was a squash victory for Roman Reigns, who defended the Universal Championship against Daniel Bryan.
The latter had just won the SmackDown Elimination Chamber Match which stole the show. Bryan enjoyed a stellar performance inside the structure alongside the likes of Cesaro and Jey Uso, among others.
The other Chamber match was also pretty strong, if a bit predictable. Drew McIntyre successfully defended his WWE Championship against five former Champions, before being assaulted by Bobby Lashley.
The All Mighty laid him out, leaving an opening for The Miz to cash in his Money in the Bank contract. It was an exciting end to the show. Earlier on, Lashley had lost the United States Championship without taking the fall. Riddle won the title after pinning John Morrison in a solid triple threat match.
However, WWE's booking of the women's division may have let Elimination Chamber down a bit. The build to Bianca Belair's big WrestleMania match with Sasha Banks saw the two of them team up in a losing effort against the WWE Women's Tag Team Champions, Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler.
While Banks could have defended her SmackDown Women's Championship inside the Elimination Chamber, the two titular matches we got were both great. It would have been fine if WWE let this remain the only pay-per-view between Royal Rumble and WrestleMania.
Grade: B+
#3 WWE WrestleMania Backlash
The weirdly named WrestleMania Backlash was one of WWE's strongest efforts during the ThunderDome era. It followed up on a few stories from WrestleMania 37, but none of them was a direct rematch from The Show of Shows.
That was showcased in the pair of triple threat matches on the RAW side. Rhea Ripley retained the RAW Women's Championship against Asuka and Charlotte Flair, while Bobby Lashley kept Drew McIntyre and Braun Strowman at bay. The All Mighty WWE Champion had a particularly strong showing.
Meanwhile, Rey and Dominik Mysterio won the SmackDown Tag Team Championships from Robert Roode and Dolph Ziggler, becoming the first father-son duo to become Tag Team Champions in WWE. However, it was not all hits at WrestleMania Backlash.
The zombie Lumberjack Match between Damian Priest and The Miz was nothing but a terrible movie tie-in, possibly being WWE's worst pay-per-view bout in 2021 so far. WrestleMania Backlash may have also delivered the best pay-per-view match of the year.
Cesaro put up a heroic effort against Roman Reigns, nearly capturing the Universal Championship in the process. He was outstanding in the ring and threatened The Tribal Chief on multiple occasions, but ended the night laid out when Seth Rollins attacked him post-defeat.
Grade: A-
#2 WWE Royal Rumble
WWE's first pay-per-view of 2021 was, as always, Royal Rumble. It was a weird affair without a crowd, but it still delivered nonetheless.
Goldberg's WWE Title match against Drew McIntyre was quick and served to elevate The Scottish Warrior, while Sasha Banks defeated Carmella in a solid outing for both women. Roman Reigns also retained his belt, fending off Kevin Owens in a brutal Last Man Standing Match.
Aside from the confusing ending, the match was excellent. Both men put a lot into it and fought around Tropicana Field. It was the perfect match to place between the two Royal Rumble matches, both of which were filled with fun surprises and emotional moments.
The women's Rumble match saw some great performances from the first few entrants, like Shayna Baszler and the returning Naomi. Rhea Ripley did well and eliminated seven women, but Royal Rumble was Bianca Belair's night. She went all the way from No. 3 and earned a monumental victory after eliminating Ripley.
There's no way the men's Rumble winner would top this moment, right?
Well, Edge entered at No. 1 and won the entire match. It was an unbelievable effort that somehow topped his inspirational comeback from the previous Royal Rumble. The match did feature quite a few fun moments.
Damian Priest had a strong outing on his WWE main roster debut, eliminating multiple superstars including Kane. The Big Red Machine enjoyed a brief Team Hell No reunion with Daniel Bryan, but was not the only nostalgia entrant. Carlito made his WWE return at the Royal Rumble as well.
But the biggest one of all was Christian, who made his in-ring return after seven years away. It was one hell of a moment, made even stronger by his great performance. He reunited with Edge during the match, with both superstars lasting until the final four.
The Rated-R Superstar outlasted every competitor and eliminated entrant No. 2, Randy Orton, to win the Men's Royal Rumble Match. He had earned this incredible moment, although a crowd would have made it legendary.
Grade: A-
#1 WWE WrestleMania 37
Well, this had to be it. As the only WWE pay-per-view to happen in front of a crowd so far this year, WrestleMania 37 stands above all of the company's ThunderDome efforts.
However, that was not the only reason why The Show of Shows is on top of this list - both nights delivered quality and grandeur in spades. The action started late on Night One, as a result of a rain delay. That only added to the charm of 'Mania 37, which took place at Raymond James Stadium.
The first match was Bobby Lashley's stunning victory over Drew McIntyre, with The All Mighty remaining WWE Champion against expectations.
Cesaro defeated Seth Rollins, while Bad Bunny shocked the world with an insane performance opposite The Miz and John Morrison. He and Damian Priest won possibly the greatest celebrity match in WrestleMania history.
However, Night One belonged to Bianca Belair and Sasha Banks. They became the first African-American women to main event WrestleMania, and did so in a fantastic match.
The EST of WWE became a megastar on this night, as she used her hair braid to whip Banks, before defeating her to stand tall as the SmackDown Women's Champion. It was a rightly beautiful moment.
While WWE couldn't follow it up with the epicness of the previous night, Night Two was also really good. It featured some of the more understated matches of the weekend, like Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn and Sheamus vs. Riddle.
With that being said, Night Two also featured one of the very few duds across WrestleMania. The Fiend lost to Randy Orton in his big return match, after Alexa Bliss distracted him. Luckily, WWE got it out of the way early as it opened the show.
The headliner of the entire weekend saw Roman Reigns defend the Universal Championship against Edge and Daniel Bryan, in what was an epic encounter.
The combination of all three men was dynamite, which led to some excellent in-ring action. In the end, both Edge and Bryan were smashed, stacked, and pinned by The Head of the Table.
Reigns enjoyed a dominant victory, albeit with some help from Jey Uso. Nevertheless, he stood tall at the end of the weekend. The Tribal Chief would not be going anywhere as the top guy in WWE. The boos that met him were glorious.
The two nights of WrestleMania 37 were the biggest positive from an uncertain first half of 2021 for WWE, serving as a momentary change of pace from the monotony of the ThunderDome. It was a reminder of better times - a preview of what should be the most exciting summer in the company's history.
Grade: A
