The Best Match From Every 2021 WWE PPV

It's a shame that this Match of the Year Candidate was somewhat overshadowed by the dissolution of The Undisputed Era.

When his second reign as NXT Champion began on 8 September 2020, Finn Bálor's defences became considerably more intense and physical as 'The Prince' rediscovered his Japan-era aggression. Among these was a vicious doubleheader with Kyle O'Reilly whose first meeting sent both men to the hospital with a broken jaw for the former and a bruised liver for the latter.

Noticing this continuing trend, most NXT fans circled one name in particular, waiting for the match to be made. When the match finally came in February 2021, those fans were not disappointed. The end result was seasoned international champion Bálor against Pete Dunne, who had cobbled together quite the résumé in his own right. Rightfully nicknamed 'The Bruiserweight', Dunne first stepped into the ring at the age of 12 and over the next 16 years developed a penchant for bending joints in directions not meant to go. This hard-nosed approach would eventually lead him to a record-setting 685-day reign as United Kingdom Champion at age 22 and on this night, brought him within a hair of the NXT Championship. After a punishing 25-minute showcase of in-ring psychology, Bálor prevailed after ripping Dunne's mouth guard from his head before delivering a dropkick to the face and Coup De Grace to retain the gold.