Every WWE PPV Of 2021 Ranked

During the COVID-19 pandemic, WWE moved from the WWE Performance Center, to the Thunderdome, to a new Thunderdome, to finally resuming a regular touring schedule in full arenas in the summer of 2021. 

The return to some semblance of normality provided WWE with a shot in the arm and that was reflected by the company’s pay-per-view output as the shows in front of real people at least seemed better and more exciting than those which took place in front of big screens full of fans who clapped and cheered from their own living rooms. 

That wasn’t always the case, however, as an up-and-down year saw some bad, some average, and some great pay-per-views, regardless of whether fans were in attendance or not. 

This is Every WWE Pay-Per-View of 2021 Ranked from Worst to Best.

12. Survivor Series

2021 was the final edition of Survivor Series filled with BRAND WARFARE, before WWE decided to rejuvenate the Big Four pay-per-view with the introduction of WarGames on the main roster in 2022. 

The concept of WWE Raw vs. WWE SmackDown brand warfare was incredibly tired by the 2020s, especially as wrestlers moved between the two brands on a consistent basis, meaning there was little reason for there to be any loyalty to Monday or Friday nights. 2021’s brand warfare was even worse, though, as it took place just weeks after the latest WWE Draft, and WWE lazily built up the pay-per-view by announcing the matches on social media, and then changed the matches around anyway.

There were two decent matches at Survivor Series, with the show opening up with one of them in Charlotte Flair vs. Becky Lynch just a couple of weeks after their legitimate issues during a belt exchange on SmackDown which saw Flair throw her belt to the mat. Lynch won the match as the two women continued to have entertaining matches. 

The incredibly long Raw vs. SmackDown Survivor Series Elimination Match that followed couldn’t measure up, with Seth Rollins winning the match for Raw as the sole survivor. The show only worsened in the next match in a Pizza Hut sponsored Battle Royal won by Omos that was actually to commemorate the 25th anniversary of The Rock’s WWE debut. That was the same Dwayne Johnson who failed to actually appear at Survivor Series. 

The brand warfare continued on regardless as RK-Bro vs. The Usos was fine and the women’s Survivor Series Elimination match had it’s moments but went on way too long as Bianca Belair overcame a four-on-one disadvantage to win the match for WWE Raw. 

In the main event, Universal Champion Roman Reigns went one-on-one with WWE Champion Big E. It was good, but the match could have been better and actually underwhelmed as Reigns defeated the New Day man to end Survivor Series standing tall. 

This was also the show where Vince McMahon discussed a golden egg incessantly to hype The Rock’s Red Notice movie, with the egg ultimately leading to the rubbish union of Austin Theory and the then-WWE CEO. 

11. Fastlane

Two great matches courtesy of the usual suspects was really all there was to see at Fastlane 2021. 

The first of those was a teeth-rattling No Holds Barred Match between Drew McIntyre and Sheamus. The second was the main event, another sports entertainment masterclass courtesy of Roman Reigns and Daniel Bryan, and Edge as special guest enforcer. It was 30 minutes of superior action, drama and storytelling that added plenty of intrigue heading into WrestleMania.

The awfulness that took place between those two matches was the sort of thing that makes you embarrassed to be a wrestling fan. Randy Orton and Alexa Bliss’ intergender match wasn’t a match, but more of a special effects-laden angle done to set up the return of the severely burnt Fiend, and it was rubbish.  

Elsewhere, Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax’s WWE Women’s Tag Team Title defence against Sasha Banks and Bianca Belair was messy, Big E’s Intercontinental Title defence over Apollo Crews was short and not up to the standard you expect from those two, and Braun Strowman vs. Elias was just a squash.

Even Seth Rollins vs. Shinsuke Nakamura as part of the build to Rollins vs. Cesaro at WrestleMania 37 underwhelmed and was a completely forgettable encounter.  

10. SummerSlam

SummerSlam was another big show – 52,000 in Las Vegas big – that had its moments and some really good matches but, on the whole, failed to properly satisfy. 

The best match on the show was a toss-up between the Edge vs. Seth Rollins grudge match and the Roman Reigns vs. John Cena blockbuster. 

The Rated-R Superstar and Rollins had a great 20-minute match that immediately got off on the right foot thanks to Edge’s Brood-inspired entrance.

In the main event, Roman Reigns demonstrated why he was WWE’s top star as he beat John Cena in a very good match to retain the Universal Title. Brock Lesnar’s re-emergence following the main event was also a great hook to end the pay-per-view, too. 

There were other enjoyable matches in The Usos vs. The Mysterios for the SmackDown Tag Team Titles, Nikki ASH vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Rhea Ripley for the Raw Women’s Title, Damian Priest vs. Sheamus for the United States Championship, and RK-Bro vs. AJ Styles & Omos for the Raw Tag Team Championships.

Bobby Lashley vs. Goldberg for the WWE Championship, Eva Maria vs. Alexa Bliss, and Jinder Mahal vs. Drew McIntyre were all weak additions to SummerSlam and simply served to pad out the card.

Worst of all, though, was Becky Lynch’s return. It should have been a cause for celebration but was quickly infamous as Lynch was reintroduced as a last-minute replacement for an absent Sasha Banks and went on to defeat Bianca Belair for the SmackDown Women’s Championship in just 26 seconds. 

9. Hell in a Cell

There wasn’t too much to complain about at Hell in a Cell 2021, but the element of the pay-per-view that irked the most was the over-reliance on WrestleMania rematches, with the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view moved to June as opposed to its usual spot of the autumn. 

Seth Rollins vs. Cesaro, Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens, and Drew McIntyre vs. Bobby Lashley for the WWE Title inside Hell in a Cell were all worth a watch outside of Lashley winning his match by roll-up inside the steel structure. The show still had a sense of you had seen it all before, however.

Bayley vs. Bianca Belair inside Hell in a Cell, meanwhile, was entertaining enough, while Charlotte Flair vs. Rhea Ripley had a good match apart from the lame DQ finish. Alexa Bliss’ win over Shayna Baszler was worthless, though, and was the only real outright bad match on the card.

8. Extreme Rules

For a show that was usually built on the promise of most (if not all) of its matches coming with some sort of ‘extreme’ stipulation, the gimmicks were conspicuous by their absence at Extreme Rules 2021. 

Only the main event, Roman Reigns and Finn Balor’s excellent Universal Title match, had one. It was, aptly, an Extreme Rules match. The finish was hilariously bad, though, as the turnbuckle mysteriously exploded when “Demon” Finn Bálor had the match won and was about to hit the Coup de Grace, causing Balor to fly into the ring and straight into a spear from Roman Reigns for the successful title defence. 

Across the rest of Extreme Rules, there was nothing terrible, but there was very little memorable either. The opening six-man tag of The New Day vs. AJ Styles, Omos and Bobby Lashley was enjoyable, as was The Usos’ SmackDown Tag Team Title defence against The Street Profits. 

Charlotte Flair’s Raw Women’s Title defence against Alexa Bliss was poor, but at least Lilly The Doll was dispatched for the time being as Flair murdered it. The Triple Threat between Damian Priest, Sheamus, and Jeff Hardy for the United States was a pleasant, fast-moving surprise, though. 

Becky Lynch vs. Bianca Belair was also fine until the cheap DQ finish. That finish summed up the lack of extreme at Extreme Rules 2021. 

7. Elimination Chamber

On a show like Elimination Chamber – where the namesake matches are the big attraction – fans are usually happy if those matches deliver, and in 2021, both Chamber matches were good and took up a significant portion of the pay-per-view.

In the first Elimination Chamber, Daniel Bryan outlasted Cesaro, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Jey Uso and King Corbin to become number one contender to Roman Reigns’ Universal Title, with exchanges between Bryan and Cesaro, in particular, being superb. 

Bryan Danielson’s reward was an immediate Universal Title shot and he was choked out by Roman Reigns in 90 seconds, rendering the whole Elimination Chamber match pointless. 

Matt Riddle then won the United States Title in a Triple Threat with Bobby Lashley and John Morrison, who was subbing in for Keith Lee. Nia Jax and Baszler then retained their WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles against Bianca Belair and Sasha Banks, which was literally it for the mid-card. 

The second Elimination Chamber of the night saw Drew McIntyre successfully defend the WWE Championship against Jeff Hardy, AJ Styles, Kofi Kingston, Sheamus, and Randy Orton. The action was sound and they made good use of the Chamber surroundings and the big babyface won in the end.

The biggest angle occurred after the match, though, as Drew McIntyre was laid out by Bobby Lashley, which led to a Miz Money in the Bank cash-in as The A-Lister became a two-time WWE Champion to end the pay-per-view.

6. Royal Rumble

This was a particularly weird Royal Rumble as the show took place in front of nobody inside the ThunderDome. The match was built around Edge’s return and The Rated-R Superstar went on to win the match for the second time in his career. 

The match was good, if not as good as the year before, and the big surprise this time came courtesy of Edge’s tag team partner Christian, who made his own in-ring comeback after years of forced retirement in what would also end up being his final WWE match, as Christian Cage signed with All Elite Wrestling one month later. 

In the Women’s Royal Rumble, Bianca Belair won after entering at number three and lasting an impressive 56 minutes, last eliminating Rhea Ripley to book her place at WrestleMania. 

As for the rest of the show, Drew McIntyre easily rolled past Goldberg, Sasha Banks retained over Carmella in another decent effort between the pair, and Roman Reigns saw off Kevin Owens in an exhausting Last Man Standing Match that often stretched beyond the realms of believability but, overall, was a worthwhile spectacle. 

5. WrestleMania 37 - Night 2

WrestleMania 37 signalled WWE’s return in front of live crowds, a year after the COVID-19 pandemic had begun, and the show remained over two nights, which has been the norm ever since.

The second night of the Showcase of the Immortals from Raymond James Stadium began very sadly as Randy Orton defeated The Fiend in a bizarre match that primarily centred around Alexa Bliss stealing Bray Wyatt’s powers. This would also end up being the final appearance from Bray Wyatt ahead of his WWE release.

Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler’s match with Tamina and Natalya didn’t make things any better, but match three – between Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn – certainly did, even if Logan Paul’s involvement was very odd. 

Sheamus vs. Riddle for the United States Title, with Sheamus picking up a feel-good win, was a good match, but the Nigerian Drum Fight between Big E and Apollo Crews for the Intercontinental Championship was only fine and had a rubbish ending as Dabba-Kato aligned with Crews as Commander Azeez to help Apollo to victory. There were also no drums actually used during the match. 

Rhea Ripley challenging Asuka for the Raw Women’s Championship began poorly but they found their groove as the match moved along, and they ended up having a great match, with Ripley winning the title too. 

In the main event, Roman Reigns pinned Edge and Daniel Bryan at the same time to retain the Universal Title in a match that felt like it could have been won by any of the competitors. The in-ring action was great, too, and blew everything else on both nights of WrestleMania 37 out of the water. 

4. WrestleMania Backlash

Though it was a shame to retreat back into the Thunderdome after the joy of a WrestleMania in front of fans, WrestleMania Backlash, stupid name aside, was actually a very good show. 

It started off with Rhea Ripley beating Asuka and Charlotte Flair in a typically good triple-threat Raw Women’s Title match. The SmackDown Tag Team Titles changed hands next, as Rey Mysterio and Dominik beat the Dirty Dawgs in a solid match. The less said about the Zombie Lumberjack Match between Damian Priest and The Miz, complete with John Morrison’s storyline murder, the better. 

The show got back on track as Bianca Belair beat Bayley in a very good SmackDown Women’s Title match. Bobby Lashley then retained his WWE Title against Drew McIntyre and Braun Strowman in a really good Triple Threat that would end up being Strowman’s last WWE match of his first run. 

In the main event, Roman Reigns defeated Cesaro in a great contest via referee stoppage. A very good show outside of the zombies.

3. WrestleMania 37 - Night 1

WWE waited a whole year to get back in front of people and were greeted by rain, causing a delay to the pay-per-view, but it did give us the historic image of Samoa Joe in a poncho. 

After Mother Nature went away, Hulk Hogan and new best friend Titus O’Neil got things underway in a very awkward beginning to the show. The show’s opener was a great powerhouse match between Drew McIntyre and Bobby Lashley, though. They really went for it and got the show off (finally) to a good start, but Drew’s clean loss was puzzling and not exactly the mood-lifter that was perhaps wanted. 

The WWE Women’s Tag Team Title number one contenders' Tag Team Turmoil Match that followed it was a dud of a match that was firmly there just to get everyone on the show. 

Much better was Seth Rollins and Cesaro deciding to go all Ring of Honor 2008 on the Grandest Stage, with Cesaro picking up one of the biggest wins of his WWE career several years on from the false dawn that proved to be his Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal win at WrestleMania XXX. 

Next up was AJ Styles & Omos defeating The New Day for the Raw Tag Team Titles in a match that was well received at the time but looks decidedly odd years later, while Shane McMahon vs. Braun Strowman in a Steel Cage Match was one of the worst builds ever to a WrestleMania 37 match but was much better than it had any right to be and wasn’t terrible. 

Rap superstar Bad Bunny provided one of the show’s true surprises, as he looked great teaming with Damian Priest against The Miz and John Morrison, with Miz & Morrison also helping to make Bad Bunny look so good inside the squared circle. 

In the historic main event, Bianca Belair beat Sasha Banks for the SmackDown Women’s Title. It was a star-making performance from Belair and great work by Banks, which ensured that night one of WrestleMania ended on a real high note. 

2. Money in the Bank

A real show of two halves. The first part was so-so and didn’t give fans much to cheer about on the first WWE pay-per-view in front of a full crowd since March 2020, but the second half was fantastic, with three great matches in a row capped off with a major return. 

The first of those matches was Charlotte Flair regaining the Raw Women’s Title from Rhea Ripley. They have always had enviable chemistry inside the squared circle, and while the result annoyed many, the match itself was dynamite. 

Then Big E won the men’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match, climbing to the briefcase ahead of Drew McIntyre, Ricochet, John Morrison, Kevin Owens, Riddle, King Nakamura and Seth Rollins, as Big E finally got the push fans had been campaigning for. 

In the main event, Roman Reigns had a great match with Edge over the Universal Title. The arrival of John Cena to rain on the Big Dog’s parade was a great cliffhanger and actually made you want to watch to see what happened next.

As far as the first half of the show is concerned, the Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match won by Nikki ASH was decent enough, but that gimmick was absolutely abysmal outside of it being a nice moment for Nikki Cross. 

AJ Styles and Omos against the Viking Raiders was just a match and felt like an arbitrary defence to get the Phenomenal One and the giant on the show, and Bobby Lashley’s destruction of Kofi Kingston for the WWE Title was what it was but didn’t warrant being on the pay-per-view. 

1. Crown Jewel

WWE's shows in Saudi Arabia have, to say the least, been a bit of a mixed bag. For Crown Jewel 2021, WWE’s first excursion to the gulf state since the pandemic began, the company went big with a WrestleMania-worthy card that looked appealing on paper and turned out to be excellent in execution. 

The Hell in a Cell blowoff match between Rollins and Edge was a hell of a way to kick things off, with the two men taking a lot of punishment for the cause in a violent and gripping contest. Local hero Mansoor then got a big win over Mustafa Ali in a tidy little match. 

RK-Bro retained against Omos and Styles after that. There wasn’t much to the match, but Riddle did make his way to the ring on a camel.

Zelina Vega’s Queen’s Crown Tournament final win over Doudrop was the only lull in the show. The whole tournament had been rushed and the final was no exception, though they did what they could with the six minutes they were given. 

Goldberg’s No Holds Barred Falls Count Anywhere win against Bobby Lashley was Da Man’s best showing in years. They worked it perfectly and Big Bill finally looked like a killer again. 

Xavier Woods became King of the Ring by beating Finn Balor in a satisfying tournament final. A great moment for Woods to shine after his New Day pals’ WWE Title wins. 

Big E, meanwhile, retained his belt over Drew McIntyre in a big meat-slapping-meat bout that satisfied, while Becky Lynch retained the SmackDown Women’s Title against Sasha Banks and Bianca Belair in an exciting triple threat where a different winner was teased well several times.

In the main event, Roman Reigns managed to leave Riyadh with the Universal Title still around his waist as he defeated Brock Lesnar in the challenger’s first match since WrestleMania 36. The two men would have better matches but it wasn’t terrible and was a fine enough way to close out the best WWE pay-per-view of 2021.