{"id":144450,"date":"2025-10-21T08:30:01","date_gmt":"2025-10-21T12:30:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/?p=144450"},"modified":"2025-10-21T02:43:40","modified_gmt":"2025-10-21T06:43:40","slug":"greatest-wwe-matches-renaissance-era-edition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2025\/10\/21\/greatest-wwe-matches-renaissance-era-edition\/","title":{"rendered":"Greatest WWE Matches: Renaissance Era Edition"},"content":{"rendered":"
Cody Rhodes’s return to WWE created a tidal wave of change. It coincided with a change at the top of the company and a new direction for WWE. There was a sharper focus on the in-ring product and a greater commitment to long-term storytelling. These factors pushed the company into a new era, one that we are currently in.<\/p>\n
This Renaissance Era has been at its peak when WWE\u2019s wrestlers are churning out amazing matches. There have been a plethora of great matches during this current era. One\u2019s that feature the best male\/ and female wrestlers on the planet. These matches are the best example of why we are living in a Renaissance of professional wrestling. They are also listed below.<\/p>\n
CM Punk vs Drew McIntyre (Hell in a Cell Match; Bad Blood 2024)<\/strong><\/h2>\n
CM Punk’s return to WWE set up many dream matches, but none paid off greater than his feud with Drew McIntyre. Injuries pushed things back, but when Punk was able to go, these two men produced wrestling gold. Punctuated by an old-school brawl inside Hell in a Cell.<\/p>\n
Hell in a Cell matches lost their emphasis over the years, but this match brought the intensity back. There wasn\u2019t any great wrestling during this contest, only intense violence as both men tried to tear one another apart. Everything was done with so much purpose that we felt every move.<\/p>\n
Also, we can\u2019t discuss this match without mentioning how brutal it was seeing both men busted open. It was a factor that was missing from previous Hell in a Cell matches. It sold the vicious nature of the gimmick and was emblematic of the PLE\u2019s name.<\/p>\n
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Cody Rhodes vs Roman Reigns (WWE Championship Match; WrestleMania 40)<\/strong><\/h2>\n
The best thing about WWE\u2019s current era is its commitment to long-term storytelling. It is something that was lost in previous years, and we can look to Cody Rhodes finishing his story as a prime example of how great this storytelling is.<\/p>\n
Cody Rhodes was on the cusp of winning at WrestleMania 39, only to have it stolen away from him. It irked lots of fans that WWE didn\u2019t pull that trigger, but they had the long game in mind, and it paid off massively in Philly.<\/p>\n
Roman Reigns’ defense against The American Nightmare was an overly booked mess in all the right ways. The wrestling was great, but it was more about the run-ins and whether Cody Rhodes would finally finish the story. It included a bunch of appearances from wrestling greats and was punctuated by Cody Rhodes finally attaining victory. It was one of the best WrestleMania main events in company history, with a match that was as close to perfect as one could get.<\/p>\n
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Gunther vs Sheamus vs Drew McIntyre (Intercontinental Championship Match; WrestleMania 39)<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Sheamus and Drew McIntyre\u2019s quest for the Intercontinental Championship was the stuff of legend. It began as a solo mission from Sheamus, but soon turned into a three-way dance when Drew McIntyre threw his hat into the ring. With the history of these three men, we knew that we were going to get a hard-hitting match, but no one could have predicted this level of violence.<\/p>\n
This was the stiffest match that we have ever seen. Each man\u2019s body was beaten red by the end of the contest as we got to see chops that would level even the toughest of wrestlers. There was nothing fancy about this match. This was three men throwing bombs until two of them weren\u2019t able to stand anymore. It reminded us of the brawls that filled previous eras, as opposed to the crisp wrestling we see now.<\/p>\n
There was nothing fancy about this match, just a haymaker after haymaker match that stood out on a stacked WrestleMania card.<\/p>\nPhoto Credit: WWE<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Cody Rhodes vs Seth Rollins (Hell in a Cell Match; Hell in a Cell 2022)<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Any one of the trilogy of matches between these men could have made it on the list. Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins put on a masterclass of wrestling throughout 2022 with their matches at WrestleMania, Backlash, and Hell in a Cell. All were great, but it was their finale that pushed their program into greatness.<\/p>\n
This had all the makings of a great Hell in a Cell match. WWE put two of its best workers in the cage, and they had plenty of history to work off of. It was filled with great back-and-forth action and great use of weapons in the cage. Of course, it was the torn pectoral muscle of Cody Rhodes that elevated the entire match. Visually, it was brutal, and it allowed Rollins to pull off some vicious spots, focusing on the injury. It was a fitting end to what was an iconic trilogy.<\/p>\n
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Rhea Ripley vs IYO SKY vs Bianca Belair (Women\u2019s World Championship Match; WrestleMania 41)<\/strong><\/h2>\n
This year’s WrestleMania was met with an uneven reception. Fans rebelled against most of the matches and their finishes. What every audience member could agree on, though, was that IYO SKY, Rhea Ripley, and Bianca Belair put on the performance of a lifetime.<\/p>\n
WWE did a fantastic job of building towards this triple threat. Each woman was matched up against the other, and the audience was salivating for a three-way dance to take place. No other match, at \u2018Mania, had its build so expertly crafted.<\/p>\n
Once in the ring, these three women went to work putting together one of the best triple threats in company history. There was no stop in the action, and we got to see some great one-on-one standoffs. The spots were perfect, and it was booked in such a way that no one truly knew who was going to walk out the winner. That\u2019s what added to the shock ending when IYO SKY moonsaulted her way to victory. It was a great ending to what was the highlight of both nights.<\/p>\n
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The Usos vs Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn ( Undisputed Tag Team Championship Match; WrestleMania 39)<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Sami Zayn\u2019s betrayal of the Bloodline produced a tremendous pop at the Royal Rumble. As great as that turn was, it was nothing compared to the story that it sparked heading into WrestleMania. A story of former friends reuniting to take on a juggernaut of a tag team, deciding who will walk out of WrestleMania 39 as the Undisputed Tag Team Champions.<\/p>\n
This was the first time that the Tag Team Championships main evented WrestleMania, and with the way the match went, it was the right choice. This was as close to perfect as a tag team match could get. Sami Zayn played the face in peril role wonderfully, and the stadium erupted when he hit the hot tag on Kevin Owens.<\/p>\n
There was no slow point in the match, and everything performed was done with such intention that the whole world didn\u2019t want the match to end. When Zayn and Owens emerged victorious, the stadium was deafening. This was, perhaps, the greatest tag team match in WrestleMania history.<\/p>\n
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Charlotte Flair vs Rhea Ripley (SmackDown Women\u2019s Championship Match; WrestleMania 39)<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Charlotte Flair and Rhea Ripley already had a WrestleMania match under their belts by the time this World Championship match came around. They engaged in a fairly underwhelming contest at WrestleMania 36. Luckily, they were given another crack, and in front of an audience this time. It was a chance at redemption that neither woman was willing to pass up, and they rewarded the world by engaging in one of the best women\u2019s matches in WWE history.<\/p>\n
This was a true clash of the titans. Rhea Ripley had come into her own as a performer and Charlotte Flair, was well Charlotte Flair. Their history had helped to build a chemistry that made this match that much more intense. This was Rhea Ripley\u2019s chance to take over the top spot, and she did so in convincing fashion. The Queen was upended, and The Eradicator was on top of World Wrestling Entertainment.<\/p>\n
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