10 Most Important Matches In Modern Wrestling History

2. Roman Reigns Vs. Edge Vs. Daniel Bryan - WWE WrestleMania 37

Cody Dustin Rhodes
WWE

The main event of WrestleMania night two was a superb match.

It was very intricate in its construction, but, owing to Bryan's genius, every complicated sequence felt like urgent intra-match strategy as opposed to an elaborate set-piece designed to pop the crowd. But then again, what isn't a superb match these days?

This match wasn't important or notable for its quality; increasingly, few are.

It was the night on which Roman Reigns finally, formally made it as a huge megastar. The way in which he manipulated the atmosphere in that stadium was masterful. AEW made gains in 2021, even beating Raw in the demo in the autumn - but this match, the true breakthrough of the Tribal Chief, altered the course of the war. Wars are won and boom periods erupt on the back of stars. Roman Reigns became the official, undisputed biggest star in wrestling on this night.

The repercussions did not end there. Famously, Daniel Bryan felt nothing before and during the match. He knew in that moment that his future resided elsewhere. He jumped to AEW at All Out '21, and this Triple Threat incited the best-ever in-ring run of a man who may very well be the greatest of all-time. Without this match, you may not have watched the American Dragon whip several layers of skin from the face of Ricky Starks.

WWE, as it often did, followed up WrestleMania with a woeful spring in 2021. Roman Reigns had finally made it big, but the promotion was not back.

Yet...

 
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Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!