WWE: 20 Best Matches Of 2023 (Part 3)
It’s time to enter the top 10 of our list of WWE’s best matches from 2023. We have already seen some huge matches that in our first two parts that some people might have even put on top of their own personal lists–that’s how good 2023 was for WWE. It’s only going to get better from here, so let’s not waste any more time.
My name is Sam Palmer from Vendetta Sports Media, and here is part three of my list of WWE’s 20 best matches from 2023!
10. Gunther vs. The Miz [WWE Intercontinental Championship] – Raw (Dec. 18):
When it was announced that Gunther would be defending his WWE Intercontinental Championship against The Miz at Survivor Series, many people wondered whether or not Miz could hang with The Ring General. While their match in Chicago didn’t blow anyone away, it did prove that there was certainly something that could be revisited between the two men who have made the IC belt so important over the years.
This led to the Dec. 18 edition of WWE Raw, the final episode of 2023, where The Miz proved all of his doubters wrong, he could actually wrestle. While he has been better suited as a heel during his WWE career, Miz played the role of an underdog babyface superbly against Gunther. Both men made each other look incredible in this bout, putting the importance of the IC Title over at the same time. The Miz might not get praised very much, but you have to give him his flowers for this one.
9. Roman Reigns vs. Sami Zayn [Undisputed WWE Universal Championship] – Elimination Chamber:
WWE’s start to 2023 is truly remarkable to look back on. They had the hottest story in years with The Bloodline saga, the hottest babyface in the world with Sami Zayn, and they were able to time it so Zayn would challenge Roman Reigns in his hometown of Montreal, Quebec. Zayn had enough of The Bloodline at the Royal Rumble and finally snapped, setting up one of the most anticipated matches in recent history.
One of WWE’s biggest problems in recent years is that the Premium Live Event that gets sandwiched between the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania often feels insignificant. It’s a show that will produce cool moments, but doesn’t do anything to shake the foundations of Mania. However, this main event threatened to change that with 32 minutes of drama that had the Montreal crowd on the edge of their seats. Should Sami have won? Perhaps, but that doesn’t take anything away from how big this match felt.
8. Austin Theory vs. Seth Rollins vs. Johnny Gargano vs. Damian Priest vs. Bronson Reed vs. Montez Ford [Elimination Chamber Match for the WWE United States Championship] – Elimination Chamber:
Reigns and Zayn wasn’t the best match on the show! That honor would go to the Elimination Chamber match for the WWE United States Championship. The Elimination Chamber is a stipulation that seems difficult to mess up, and yet WWE has managed to make some of the recent outings for the Chamber feel dry, predictable and boring. This was a glorious exception.
One of the best ways to get the most out of this match is by putting six performers against each other who can bring the most out of each other, and the structure itself. Giving guys like Johnny Gargano, Bronson Reed and Montez Ford the chance to bounce around the big black box was a breath of fresh air, and when you throw in guys like Seth Rollins, Austin Theory and Damian Priest, you get the best Elimination Chamber match since before the COVID-19 pandemic.
7. Roman Reigns & Solo Sikoa vs. The Usos – Money In The Bank:
One thing that we haven’t talked about enough so far is the variety of locations where WWE’s big events took place in throughout 2023. Gone are the days when shows in places like Puerto Rico and England are treated like glorified house shows, nowadays the locations add something extra to a promotion that is already firing on all cylinders. The main event of Money In The Bank in London is a prime example of this.
By July of 2023, The Bloodline saga had passed its peak, but it was entering a new direction that focused less on who was going to take the titles away from Roman and more on the crumbling empire that surrounded him. The Usos had already turned on him and Solo, and it was time for The Bloodline ‘Civil War.’ I’ve already said the word ‘drama’ enough in this countdown, but to see Jey Uso pinning Roman Reigns in the main event of a pay-per-view might be one of the most dramatic WWE moments of the year.
6. Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn vs. The Judgment Day [Steel City Street Fight for the WWE Raw Tag Team Championship/WWE Smackdown Tag Team Championship] – Payback:
BLOOD! Who doesn’t love a little bit of blood from time to time? WWE has strayed away from letting their wrestlers spill some of the red stuff, but this was a glorious exception. While we all know that Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn are fantastic in-ring workers, there’s something about giving KO a bunch of plunder to play with that produces magic, just look at his work in ROH and PWG for other notable examples.
The best match on a show that might have its fair share of critics due to feeling like the least important show of the year up to that point, Owens, Zayn, and The Judgment Day beat the snot out of each other all over the PPG Paints Arena, with Owens’ face being painted red by the end of the night. The reign of KO and Sami as tag team champions might have come to an end in this one, but what a match to go out on!
That’s the end of part three, tune in next time to see what we think was WWE’s best match of 2023! Don’t forget to follow myself and Vendetta Sports Media on all your favorite social media platforms.
