20 Best WWE Matches Since 2000

19. Bayley Vs. Sasha Banks (NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn)

Kurt Angle Shawn Michaels
WWE.com

Without NXT's Four Horsewomen, there's no Women's Revolution, and while some might prefer Bayley and Sasha Banks' 30-minute Iron Woman main event at TakeOver: Respect, this might just be the most important women's match in WWE history.

TakeOver: Respect was the first time that two women had ever headlined a major WWE event, but nothing beats the story told in Brooklyn. Bayley had spent much of her NXT career playing second, third, and even fourth fiddle to Sasha, Charlotte, and Becky Lynch. There wasn't a bad bone in her body, but her inherent likeability hadn't translated into title-winning success. Try as she may, Bayley was knocked down every time she reached for the NXT Women's Championship, but Brooklyn provided her big breakthrough.

In front of the largest crowd in NXT history, Bayley and Banks blew the roof off. Sasha drew on snotty heelish tendencies throughout the contest, only amplifying the fan's support for Bayley, and after a thrilling exchange of signature moves and false finishes, Bayley finally smashed the glass ceiling. The Horsewomen are yet to better this match's quality on the main roster, and while they'll have every chance to do so over the coming years, this remains a pre-Revolution highpoint for WWE's talented female roster.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.