Ranking WWE's 10 Forgotten Classic Matches of 2025
WWE set the standard for exceptional in-ring action in 2025, even when the quality of creative wasn't always consistent in either company.
Top-tier matches weren't hard to come by on the weekly programs or the monthly premium live events, which tended to feature some of the best bouts all year. Although some shows ended with a whimper, fans could at least count on there being a slew of strong matchups throughout the night.
There were also a number of instances where questionable booking decisions overshadowed the above-average wrestling, leading to many matches slipping under the radar and not receiving the praise and attention they deserved.
However, it's high time the following forgotten classic matches of 2025 be acknowledged and appreciated as the year comes to a close.
10. Ilja Dragunov vs. Carmelo Hayes (SmackDown, 12/26/25)
1 of 10
Carmelo Hayes is coming off unseating Ilja Dragunov as United States champion on Friday's SmackDown, but while it's still very much fresh in the minds of fans, it likely won't lead many Match of the Year contender lists because it happened so late in the year and on a taped show.
Dragunov put together a tremendous string of matches with the star-spangled prize on the line after beating Sami Zayn in October. His weekly open challenges led to many standout contests, but his best may have been his bout with Hayes on the final SmackDown of 2025.
The two men previously met with the gold up for grabs earlier in the month, but Dragunov decided to offer Hayes another opportunity after Tommaso Ciampa cost Hayes the win. Hayes took full advantage and not only pulled out the victory but also did so following an outstanding showing.
They have had incredible chemistry dating back to their NXT days, so hopefully it won't be much longer before they wage war again. Additionally, Dragunov and Zayn should be credited for revitalizing the U.S. title in the second half of the year.
9. LA Knight vs. Jacob Fatu (WrestleMania 41: Night 1)
2 of 10
The United States Championship was stuck in a state of limbo for the first half of 2025. Shinsuke Nakamura did nothing of note for the title, and it later became clear LA Knight got it back from him solely so he could lose to Jacob Fatu at WrestleMania 41.
That said, it was an appropriate direction to go in with Fatu getting as organically over as he was at that point. He was ready for the singles spotlight away from Sikoa's second-rate Bloodline group, and his 'Mania match against Knight gave him a chance to show what he could do on the grand stage.
Sure enough, Knight and Fatu had a sleeper of a match in the midcard on Night 1 of 'Mania. They exceeded expectations with how well they worked together and had the crowd hanging on every near-fall, including Knight hitting an astonishing mid-air BFT out of nowhere on Fatu.
It seemed safe to assume Sikoa would interfere and factor into the finish, so it was pleasantly surprising when Fatu won clean on his own. It was a crowning moment for him, at least so far in his WWE run.
8. Damian Priest vs. Aleister Black (SmackDown, 10/10/25)
3 of 10
Damian Priest and Aleister Black have been feuding for so long that it's easy to forget they've had some solid matches in the last six months on SmackDown, but none better than their Last Man Standing clash on Oct. 10.
The stipulation can be hit or miss depending on who's involved and the story being told, but Priest and Black more than made the most of their extreme environment by battling all around ringside and keeping the crowd engaged throughout.
It's a mystery why it was left off the card for Crown Jewel, which emanated from Perth, Australia the next night and could have benefited from having another grudge match.
Black had cemented his heel turn months earlier and was slowly finding his footing as a heel but was still missing something as part of his act. His wife, Zelina Vega, joining his side was exactly what he needed as the former Women's United States champion threw a fireball in Priest's face and aided Black in putting him through a table for the 10-count and the win.
That would have been a worthy blowoff to the rivalry had WWE not decided to drag it out for many more months.
7. Rhea Ripley vs. Asuka (Raw, 9/22/25)
4 of 10
Despite Rhea Ripley and Asuka having what feels like countless matches in the last five years, none of them ever stood out as special.
That was, however, until their meeting in the main event of Raw on Sept. 22.
Remarkably, there wasn't anything on the line for this encounter. Rather, Ripley drew the ire of Asuka by aligning herself with Iyo Sky, who has a documented history with The Kabuki Warriors in Damage CTRL.
This was all about them settling their score, and it resulted in a wonderfully-paced, hard-hitting affair. Giving them center stage at the end of the episode made the match that much more meaningful.
Ripley kept her undefeated streak against Asuka intact but was subsequently left laying when her rival turned heel and attacked the Australian. It had been heavily foreshadowed for months, yet the moment still packed a punch and was brilliantly executed.
Sky then attempted to talk sense into Asuka, but The Empress of Tomorrow made an enemy out of her as well. Asuka being showered with a chorus of boos after officially severing ties with her now-former friend was the perfect way to kick off the next stage of the story.
6. Penta vs. Chad Gable (Raw, 1/13/25)
5 of 10
Penta coming to WWE was once unfathomable, but with the new regime welcoming a plethora of fresh faces in recent years, it became a reality at the onset of 2025.
The Lucha Underground original arrived on Raw one week removed from the red brand's move to Netflix. All eyes were on him to see how he'd fare in his first-ever appearance on WWE's flagship show and he did not disappoint.
He answered an open challenge from Chad Gable, and WWE was wise to not book it as a standard squash. They had an incredibly entertaining and competitive contest that went back and forth before Penta soundly secured the victory.
Their stark contrast of styles made for an exciting encounter, and Penta shined on offense. Having an opponent the caliber of Gable also helped him come off as a major deal.
Penta's post-match promo further established he was one to watch. He has yet to hold gold in WWE, but that white-hot debut for the enigmatic luchador was pivotal in getting the fans familiar with him and ensuring he had the strongest start possible.
5. Gunther vs. Je'Von Evans (Raw, 11/17/25)
6 of 10
The Last Time Is Now Tournament saw 16 WWE Superstars collide for a chance to face John Cena in his last match at Saturday Night's Main Event. on December 13.
A vast majority of the matches were predictable and/or nothing out of the ordinary from an in-ring standpoint, but all four of Gunther's matchups managed to be must-see.
The Ring General had not been seen since SummerSlam, where he legitimately busted his nose open and lost his World Heavyweight Championship to CM Punk. In his first bout back in over three months, he didn't miss a beat against Je'Von Evans, the young upstart from NXT who was the brand's sole representative in the tourney.
From the moment they locked up, it was apparent their bout would be a blast. Evans' resiliency and refusal to back down only intensified Gunther's strikes and chops, forcing the fans to rally behind Evans more and more in Madison Square Garden.
The Ring General was always expected to go over, but there were glimmers of hope for Evans throughout, especially with some of the suspenseful nearfalls down the stretch. Ultimately, Evans wasn't able to overcome Gunther, but their electric outing did leave fans eagerly awaiting a rematch.
4. TLC 6-Pack Challenge (SummerSlam: Night 2)
7 of 10
The stellar TLC Triple Threat tag team match between The Street Profits, DIY and Motor City Machine Guns being left off WrestleMania 41 was one of the more puzzling decisions of the weekend.
Instead, the three teams killed it in the main event of the post-WrestleMania SmackDown and left fans in awe.
The blue brand's stacked tag team scene stayed hot through SummerSlam, where they were announced for the event in another TLC matchup. This time, however, it would also include the duo of Andrade and Rey Fenix and reigning WWE tag team champions The Wyatt Sicks.
It was complete chaos and unreal action from start to finish. With WWE not doing as many demolition derby-type of matches nowadays, it came across as a spectacle and the audience in attendance ate it up.
The only knock against the bout was the flat finish, with The Wyatt Sicks retaining in underwhelming fashion. Otherwise, it was pure pandemonium that somehow matched the magic of the TLC warfare from earlier in the year and served as a reminder of how fun tag team wrestling can be when given the proper attention and effort.
3. Gunther vs. Pat McAfee (Backlash)
8 of 10
In many ways, Gunther is WWE's resident miracle worker. He can constantly be relied upon to have a terrific match regardless of the circumstances or the opponent. He proved that when he went up against Pat McAfee at Backlash in May.
To his credit, McAfee has had his fair share of impressive outings over the years, but he had never faced anyone on the elite level of The Ring General before.
Acting as a cheerleader for Jey Uso, who won the World Heavyweight Championship from Gunther at WrestleMania 41, led to the Austrian accepting McAfee's challenge to a match and promising to humiliate him in front of the watching world.
McAfee showed serious heart and lasted longer in the ring with Gunther than anyone could have imagined. He even took the fight to The Ring General with Michael Cole coming to his aid, nearly upsetting the former world champ.
An argument can be made that it wasn't realistic for it to be anything other than a squash, but they had a wildly enjoyable affair that encapsulated what wrestling is all about. Through his courageous performance, McAfee earned Gunther's respect and disappeared from WWE TV soon after to focus on his other endeavors.
2. CM Punk vs. Sami Zayn (Raw, 2/3/25)
9 of 10
Coming out of the Royal Rumble, everyone's sights shifted toward the Elimination Chamber, specifically the men's Chamber match to determine Cody Rhodes' challenger for the Undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania 41.
CM Punk and Sami Zayn were among those who came up short in the men's Rumble and were looking for a different path to 'Mania. Punk had dismissed Zayn in the weeks leading up to the Rumble and thus it was only fitting that they had to go through each other in order to advance to the Chamber.
Punk started wrestling more frequently on television again in 2025 and had several strong matches, but more than anyone, Zayn brought the best out of him and delivered a PPV-worthy main event.
Punk showed shades of his prime years and pulled everything from his arsenal in a desperate attempt to defeat Zayn.
Punk did have his hand raised in the end, but only just barely. It was a fantastic Chamber qualifier that emphasized how much more important wins and losses become on the Road to WrestleMania, and that "dream matches" can indeed occur on Raw every now and again.
1. Lyra Valkyria vs. Bayley (Raw, 7/14/25)
10 of 10
From WrestleMania 41 to SummerSlam, Lyra Valkyria was embroiled in a heated rivalry with her friend-turned-foe Becky Lynch, a spectacular storyline that improved with each passing month.
Moreover, it succeeded in getting Valkyria over with the audience and granting her a recurring role on Raw after barely being featured in 2024.
Valkyria initially bested Lynch to retain the Women's Intercontinental Championship but lost the title to her in an even better bout at Money in the Bank. Their Triple Threat with Bayley at Evolution was also a gem of a match.
Consequently, her 2-out-of-3 falls match with Bayley on the July 14 edition of Raw gets overlooked despite being every bit as excellent as Valkyria's many encounters with Lynch.
Bayley in particular had been lacking that drive that had made her one of WWE's top female talents for years, but this bout pushed her to her limit and tested what Valkyria was capable of as well.
They received plenty of time and made all three falls matter. With a shot at Lynch's women's intercontinental title hanging in the balance at SummerSlam, they dug down deep and kept fans guessing who would win.
Valkyria scored the emphatic victory, but Bayley lost nothing in defeat. In fact, both women emerged from this match far better off than they were going into it and eventually formed an alliance that could see them wearing tag team title gold in the not-too-distant future.
Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.
.jpg?w=600 "WWE NXT Results & Grades 🔠")
.jpg?w=600 "Grading Raw After WrestleMania 🔠")