20 Best WWE Matches Since 2000

Wrestling goes through booms and busts like any other industry. The sport was incredibly hot through the 1980s golden period and again during the Attitude Era, but it cooled off in between, and ratings have never been lower than they are in 2016. It has never been easier to criticise WWE than it is today, and the company don't exactly make it easy for themselves.

The WWE Universe's complaints are numerous, but they're rarely heard. The company are dead set on doing things their way, regardless of how their decisions are received, and their monopoly situation makes them practically invulnerable. Thus, they have become the most widely-criticised entertainment company in the world, even among their own fanbase.

There's one area in which WWE have continually excelled throughout all this, however: in the ring. The working style isn't as fast or visceral as it used to be, but WWE have regularly delivered the goods between the ropes since the turn of the century. They often botch things with confusing booking and screwy finishes, sure, but it'd be churlish to deny the slew of great matches to take place over the past 16 years.

Whittling things down is tough. There has been an abundance of great matches throughout this time period, and inevitably, dozens of great contests were left on the cutting room floor. Still, the matches found within come with undeniable quality, with some standing among the greatest of all-time.

Here are the 20 best WWE matches since 2000.

For Daniel Bryan fans, this epic battle served-up blissful elation and crushing disappointment within minutes of each other.

On a night where Brock Lesnar vs. CM Punk had already set the bar incredibly high with their No DQ contest, Bryan and John Cena went all-out to match them. The duo worked a classic, methodical main event style before a partisan pro-DB crowd, and the came in with the perfect story.

Bryan was the ultimate underdog, and his popularity was soaring. He was the most over professional wrestler on the planet, and it wasn't even close. Cena, meanwhile, was the squeaky-clean company man, and an all-conquering multi-time World Champion who rarely lost through anything other than misdirection. It was WWE's chosen one against the fan's golden boy, and from bell-to-bell, Bryan vs. Cena was brilliant.

With Triple H as the referee, Bryan was able to defeat Cena cleanly, capture his first WWE Championship , and secure the biggest moment of his career up to that point. It wasn't to last, however: The Game quickly turned on Bryan when Randy Orton arrived with his Money in the Bank briefcase. One Pedigree later, and Bryan's first World Title reign was over before it had really began.