5 Best WWE Raw Matches of 2021 (& 5 Worst)
2021 has been an up and down year for WWE, but for its longest running weekly episode show, Monday Night Raw, it has seen a huge number of downs. Raw has been often criticised for its low quality, repetitive matches, and questionable booking, with some matches standing out as being worse than others.
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However, with the mass amount of in-ring talents WWE has on its roster, it’s nearly impossible for them to not have some great matches here and there, battling through the bad booking. There have certainly been some stand out performers, both good and bad on Raw this year.
10 WORST: Jaxson Ryker Vs AJ Styles
AJ Styles is renowned for being one of the greatest performers to ever step foot inside of a wrestling ring. No matter what promotion he has been in, he has given the powers that be no choice other than to make him a star. Whilst that has been no different in WWE, his stock has fallen a lot in recent times.
Residing in the tag team division, he is also treated like a typical WWE tag team wrestler. That means losing to other tag team wrestlers in short singles matches. Jaxson Ryker, who had no momentum or credibility to speak of, defeated two-time WWE Champion Styles in just over two minutes. This was a complete slap in the face to not only Styles, but to the fans. It was an atrocious thing to take place on TV.
9 BEST: John Morrison Vs Ricochet
After a series of great matches on both Main Event and on Raw, Morrison and Ricochet were allowed to settle their differences in a Falls Count Anywhere match, after their previous encounters ended in countouts. Usually, when WWE opts to go with a non-finish, it isn’t followed up. However, using that to create a match with a stipulation was good.
The pair put on an athletic match, filled with unique and creative spots, making strong use of their surroundings, and showing the world what they are capable of pulling off when given the chance.
8 WORST: Triple H Vs Randy Orton
The bell never technically rung with for this one, and whilst it could be argued that this wasn’t a match, it was certainly an unsanctioned fight, and the pair set it up earlier in the night. After teasing an announcement by Triple H, WWE instead opted out of that in place of rehashing the decades long rivalry between Randy Orton and HHH.
They met in the ring at the main event slot and went at it. However, the lights went down, HHH’s sledgehammer caught fire, and then he disappeared into nothingness. Alexa Bliss would then emerge, shooting a fireball at Orton. There will be some who enjoyed this, but to many it was an overbooked, spooky mess, with no follow up to HHH’s whereabouts nor his supposed announcement. It was a big waste of time.
7 BEST: Drew McIntyre Vs Riddle Vs AJ Styles
With the names involved, it would be impossible for them to have a bad match. However, with stakes on the line, what would’ve been a good match became a great match, with fans fully invested to the three performers putting on a phenomenal showing, with their clash of various styles.
There were a few different stories intertwined in this, with Riddle fighting for Randy Orton’s spot in the Money in the Bank ladder match, with RKBro’s rivalry with AJ Styles & Omos beginning too. It was a fun main event, and all three men delivered.
6 WORST: Jeff Hardy Vs Karrion Kross
Karrion Kross was the reigning NXT Champion, debuting on Raw with talks of him being just what WWE would want in a new star. Representing the whole Black & Gold brand, beating veteran Jeff Hardy would’ve been a great way to start off his WWE main roster career.
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And then Jeff Hardy rolled him up in less than two minutes, ending all his momentum, damaging the integrity of NXT, and leaving fans around the world scratching their heads. This match ruined Kross before he’d even had a chance to impress, with him eventually succumbing to WWE’s cuts after not impressing enough.
5 BEST: Drew McIntyre Vs Sheamus
At this point, McIntyre and Sheamus could have a quality match in their sleep. Although fans have seen them clash numerous times, they deliver each and every time. McIntyre, despite his momentum easing in recent months, has had a consistently strong list of matches throughout the year, and Sheamus has been perhaps WWE’s most reliable in-ring competitor in recent years.
The pair have undeniable chemistry with a hard-hitting style, creating tension and intensity inside the four ropes, with near-falls and big moves at the latter end of the match.
4 WORST: Nia Jax Vs Charlotte Flair
This match was perhaps the most infamous of the year on Raw. The first half was average, but as time went on, it was clear that Nia Jax and Charlotte Flair were not on the same page. They appeared to legitimately shoot on each other, botching moves, landing real blows, and sandbagging one another.
It was an awkward mess of a contest, which saw the champion lose clean on a random episode of Raw, only to set up a championship match the following week. From execution to booking, this was hard to watch.
3 BEST: Roman Reigns Vs Big E Vs Bobby Lashley
In an attempt to give Raw a boost, Roman Reigns made a rare appearance on the red brand, teaming up with The Usos to take on The New Day to open the show. The match was great, but it also set up the main event, creating a triple threat between Reigns, Big E, and Bobby Lashley.
The trio of powerhouses unsurprisingly delivered in a hard-hitting brawl, with impactful manoeuvres. With two world champions and the former WWE Champion all battling it out, the match felt huge, and everyone played their part well. It was a nice surprise and change to Raw’s main event.
2 WORST: Shayna Baszler, Nia Jax, & Lacey Evans Vs Charlotte Flair, Mandy Rose, & Dana Brooke
This match began as a straight-up singles match between Flair and Baszler, which, on paper, looked like a promising encounter. However, just seconds into the match, Jax interfered to cause a DQ finish. This prompted Mandy Dana Brooke, and Lacey Evans to run down to the ring, lazily setting up a six-woman tag.
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During the match, the heels were counted out, which seemed like a mistake from the competitors and the referee, with everything stopping awkwardly. The match was then restarted, only for the heels to then win. It was an overbooked mess filled with a pointless disqualification, a botched finish, and disjointed in-ring work.
1 BEST: Seth Rollins Vs Finn Balor Vs Kevin Owens Vs Rey Mysterio
These four men faced off in a Ladder Match for a shot at the WWE Championship. With the names involved, its no surprise that this delivered as one of the best matches on WWE TV year. Even with fans seeing a countless amount of Ladder Matches over the years, there were still new and innovative spots in this one.
Kevin Owens put his body on the line with dangerous looking bumps which only elevated the match, and Seth Rollins emerged victorious as the correct choice, capping off a hugely entertaining main event.
