The Big Picture

The modern era of professional wrestling has delivered an absurd volume of unforgettable moments. We are exactly six days out from WrestleMania 41, and the industry has never felt more volatile or rewarding for long-term viewers.

The intense competition between promotions has forced everyone to elevate their creative output. From generational storytelling peaks to shocking returns that broke the internet, the standard for what makes a moment truly iconic has shifted. Here is the definitive ranking of the top 10 wrestling moments of the 2020s so far.

10. Gabe Kidd's War With Eddie Kingston (Resurgence 2024)

Gabe Kidd spent months terrorizing everyone before clashing with Eddie Kingston in a brutal No Rope Last Man Standing match. As reported by PWInsider, Kidd remains a focal point of NJPW's plans. The match stripped away the usual polish for pure grit. Kidd threw Kingston off the stage, bleeding and screaming.

It solidified him as the most dangerous wildcard in the Bullet Club War Dogs. The real moment was the sheer intensity of the closing stretch. Kidd felt like a genuine threat to Kingston's livelihood. While NJPW's booking has occasionally felt aimless, this specific night delivered exactly what was promised. It was raw, ugly, and impossible to turn away from.

9. Bad Bunny's San Juan Street Fight (Backlash 2023)

Celebrity matches usually involve heavy smoke and mirrors. Bad Bunny decided to bypass all of that and just take a legitimate beating from Damian Priest at Backlash 2023. The crowd in San Juan created an atmosphere that rivaled any major stadium show, treating the Grammy winner like a hometown deity.

Every weapon shot and counter was met with deafening noise. When Bad Bunny hit a flawless Canadian Destroyer, it was a stunning execution by someone who had no business being that smooth in the ring. The core match stood entirely on its own merits. It set an impossibly high new standard for celebrity involvement, earning its spot above mere debuts.

8. Bryan Danielson Arrives in AEW (All Out 2021)

Adam Cole had just debuted minutes earlier at All Out 2021, seemingly closing out an already loaded pay-per-view. Then "Flight of the Valkyries" hit the speakers, and the United Center absolutely lost its mind. Bryan Danielson walking out in a plain white t-shirt, confronting the Elite, felt like the tectonic plates of the industry shifting.

Adding the best in-ring performer of his generation legitimized the young company in a totally new way. It was the absolute peak of AEW's early honeymoon phase. Looking back, Tony Khan's booking hasn't always capitalized on that massive initial momentum, but the debut itself remains a flawless, untouchable piece of television.

7. Will Ospreay and Kenny Omega Go to War (Wrestle Kingdom 17)

The Tokyo Dome hadn't seen a crowd this molten in years. Kenny Omega returned to Japan as the arrogant "Cleaner" at Wrestle Kingdom 17 to face Will Ospreay. The resulting match was a terrifying, exhausting blend of athletic precision and sickening head-drops.

When Omega hit Ospreay with a DDT on an exposed turnbuckle, the collective gasp sold the violence perfectly. Omega winning the IWGP United States Championship was a minor shock, but the real takeaway was the visual of Ospreay bleeding out in the ring. He was screaming in defiance, refusing to stay down. It elevated Ospreay to a generational protagonist, pushing this violent masterpiece past standard TV surprises.

6. Stone Cold Steve Austin Returns (WrestleMania 38)

Nobody actually thought it would be a real, sanctioned wrestling match. The build to WrestleMania 38 framed it simply as a special appearance on the Kevin Owens Show. Within minutes of the promo segment, a referee was called to the ring, and the bell rang.

Steve Austin, after 19 years away, took a suplex on the concrete floor and drank an absurd amount of beer. Owens deserves massive credit for bumping like an absolute madman, making Austin look incredible. It was a pure nostalgia act, but it was executed with such reverence that it completely over-delivered. The visual of Austin hitting one final Stunner is permanently etched into wrestling history.

5. Sami Zayn Betrays The Bloodline (Royal Rumble 2023)

The agonizing burn of Sami Zayn infiltrating The Bloodline was the most compelling weekly television WWE had produced in years. It all culminated in the Alamodome at the 2023 Royal Rumble, with a furious Roman Reigns demanding Zayn strike a handcuffed Kevin Owens with a steel chair.

The hesitation, the complex facial expressions, the crowd loudly begging him not to do it—it was peak cinematic wrestling. When Zayn finally cracked Reigns in the back with the chair instead, the pop was deafening. However, WWE completely fumbled the immediate aftermath by not putting the world title on Zayn in Montreal. That cowardly booking decision still frustrates many fans today.

4. Sting's Final Ride (Revolution 2024)

Retirement matches in professional wrestling are almost never actually good, usually hampered by age or inflated egos. Sting completely defied the odds at AEW Revolution 2024 by diving through glass tables at 64 years old. Teaming with Darby Allin to face The Young Bucks, Sting went out entirely on his own terms in a chaotic, bloody brawl.

The Young Bucks played their roles perfectly, acting as heat-seeking missiles for the crowd's hatred. Seeing Sting lock in the Scorpion Death Drop one last time, wearing his classic Surfer Sting face paint, was a brilliant creative touch. He retired as a tag team champion, completely undefeated in his AEW run.

3. Jey Uso Pins Roman Reigns (Money in the Bank 2023)

Roman Reigns had not been pinned in 1,294 days. The "Bloodline Civil War" tag team match in London was built entirely around the seemingly impossible idea that someone might actually keep the Tribal Chief's shoulders down. The match was a slow-burn masterclass in near-falls, dramatic pacing, and deep familial psychology.

When Jey Uso hit the ultimate splash off the top rope and the referee's hand hit the mat for the third time, the O2 Arena legitimately shook. While it wasn't a world championship bout, the symbolic victory of Jey taking down his emotionally abusive cousin was arguably much more important.

2. CM Punk Returns to WWE (Survivor Series 2023)

Hell froze over in Chicago. After nearly a decade of intense bad blood and public insults, the static hit the arena speakers at the very end of Survivor Series 2023. The reaction from the hometown crowd wasn't just loud; it was sheer, unadulterated disbelief. Fans in the front row were visibly shaking and crying.

Punk walking out onto the stage in a basic white t-shirt, looking genuinely emotional, completely broke the modern wrestling news cycle. It was so massive that it completely overshadowed the return of Randy Orton minutes prior. The sheer impossibility of mending that burned bridge forces it above almost any in-ring action.

1. Cody Rhodes Finishes the Story (WrestleMania XL)

The main event of WrestleMania 40 was less of a traditional wrestling match and more of a massive culmination of decades of WWE storytelling. Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes battled through heavy interference from The Bloodline, John Cena, and Seth Rollins. The chaos was perfectly orchestrated, paying off multiple character arcs in rapid succession.

Then the gong hit, the lights went out, and The Undertaker appeared to chokeslam The Rock. It was absurd, overbooked nonsense in the best possible way. Cody finally pinning Reigns ended the greatest title reign of the modern era and solidified Rhodes as the face of the company. It was the perfect, cathartic payoff.

Honorable Mentions

  • Ilja Dragunov and Gunther beating each other senseless in front of an empty arena.
  • MJF finally turning on Cody Rhodes in AEW, a single kick that birthed the most compelling villain of the decade.

Both of those moments shaped the trajectory of their respective companies, even if they narrowly missed out on the top 10.