The 15 Best WWE, AEW Matches in 2026 So Far, Ranked

The first half of 2026 has brought with it stellar in-ring performances from both WWE and AEW, with the latter routinely producing contests worthy of inclusion on any "best of" list.

With six months down, and some of the biggest events on either company's calendar in the rear view mirror, finds it which 15 matches earned recognition as the best of the best so far this year, ranked according to overall quality and, when necessary, their setting.

Nos. 15-11

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15. Seth Rollins vs. Gunther (WrestleMania 42, April 18)

A thrown-together match in necessitated by injuries, Rollins vs. Gunther was as good a match as two former world champions could have given the time restraints and run-in finish they had to work with. For just 15 minutes, they tore the house down in Las Vegas, culminating with Bron Breakker returning and assisting The Ring General in victory.

14. Mark Briscoe vs. Kyle Fletcher (Grand Slam: Australia, February 14)

The latest, greatest match in the young career of Kyle Fletcher took place in his home country as he and Mark Briscoe settled their lengthy feud over the TNT Championship. A bloody, high-impact contest, it saw The Protostar outlast Briscoe, thanks in large part to a nasty brainbuster off of the ladder. A signature win for Fletcher.

13. The Street Profits vs. The Vision (Saturday Night's Main Event, May 23)

Perhaps the most unexpectedly great match on this list saw Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford challenge Austin Theory and Logan Paul for the World Tag Team Championship. A high-octane match, it had fans in Fort Wayne, Indiana hanging on every near-fall and high spot. Interference doomed The Street Profits to defeat, and Paul suffered a torn triceps, but not before reminding fans how great WWE's tag team division can be when focused even the slightest.

12. Hangman Page vs. MJF (Revolution, March 15)

The long and emotional rivalry between Hangman Page and MJF came to a head at Revolution in a match that some loved, some hated, but no one could deny was an appropriate feud-ending war. Syringes, light tubes, barbed wire, and more factored into the Texas Death Match for the AEW World Championship before MJF outlasted his opponent and sent Page off into the sunset, not to be seen again in the three months that have followed.

11. Will Ospreay vs. Samoa Joe (Double or Nothing, May 24)

Take two of the best wrestlers in the world, let them have a wrestling match in front of a red-hot crowd in Queens, New York, and you are destined to have a match deserving of recognition on this list. A back-and-forth encounter for its entire 14 minutes, with a spot in the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament semifinals at stake, Ospreay outlasted his punishing opponent, catching him with consecutive Hidden Blades to earn the victory in a match that needed no bells or whistles to captivate the audience.

Nos. 10-6

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10. Roman Reigns vs. Jacob Fatu (Backlash, May 9)

In his first title defense as world heavyweight champion, Roman Reigns needed every ounce of resiliency, and an exposed turnbuckle, to put down Jacob Fatu and retain the gold. A match that forced The Tribal Chief to fight from underneath in the face of his relentless challenger's onslaught, it put The Samoan Werewolf over as a legitimate title threat and supported the narrative that Reigns could not win by himself.

9. Young Bucks vs. Konosuke Takeshita and Kazuchika Okada (Dynasty, April 12)

At the height of the tension between the Don Callis Family's Konosuke Takeshita and Kazuchika Okada, they partner to battle The Young Bucks in the opener of the Dynasty pay-per-view, a back and forth battle of attrition that saw both teams empty their arsenals. Ultimately, Takeshita walked out on Okada, allowing the Bucks to deliver the Meltzer Driver for the win in the first of several outstanding performances by the team in 2026.

8. Darby Allin vs. MJF (Double or Nothing, May 24)

After weeks of defending his AEW title in grueling match-ups against some of the best wrestlers on the planet, Darby Allin finally ran out of gas as he squared off with MJF in the main event of Double or Nothing. His head bloodied following an awe-inspiring Coffin Drop from the stage through a table, he ultimately succumbed to a Tombstone off the ropes and one last, insulting headlock takeover as MJF regained his gold.

7. Penta vs. Dragon Lee vs. Rey Mysterio vs. Je'Von Evans vs. JD McDonagh vs. Rusev (WrestleMania 42, April 19)

When all else fails, take six talented wrestlers, throw a few ladders into the fray, and let them wow the fans with their athleticism and creativity. Such was the case at WrestleMania 42, where Penta successfully defended his Intercontinental Championship, outlasting five top contenders and while throwing caution to the air and captivating the fans in Las Vegas. The first weekend-saver of the Sunday card. More on that in a bit.

6. Konosuke Takeshita vs. Kazuchika Okada (Double or Nothing, May 24)

A match months in the making saw Takeshita and Okada settle their differences with the AEW International Championship on the line. A hard-hitting match that saw each man throw everything they had at the other, it did not feature any run-ins, incessant interference, or shenanigans. Takeshita solidified himself as the face of AEW's future with a clean win over The Rainmaker, a rarity for any wrestler in any company. It is a testament to the strength of the matches ahead of it that this near instant classic is just outside the top five.

5. Young Bucks vs. FTR (Revolution, March 15)

All Elite Wrestling

The Young Bucks vs. FTR is one of the greatest rivalries in AEW history, a battle between the two best teams in professional wrestling that the company has managed not to overexpose. As a result, when they do square off, each match takes on greater meaning and is met by greater anticipation.

Case in point: Revolution on March 15, where Matt and Nick Jackson challenged Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler for the AEW World Tag Team Championship.

Fueled not only by their desire to retain the gold but, also, to defeat the greatest challengers to their claim of greatness, FTR weathered the Bucks' arsenal, including the BTE Trigger and the Meltzer Drive. Refusing to stay down, Harwood and Wheeler recovered, spiked Matt with a piledriver, and earned the win with the Shatter Machine.

A captivating, dramatic contest that served as another classic entry in a rivalry as good as any the company has produced.

4. Darby Allin vs. Tommaso Ciampa (Dynamite, April 22)

Allin was a man possessed in 2026, hellbent on proving that he could be world champion and doing so through a series of defenses, any of which could have been on this list. His best, though, was against Tommaso Ciampa on April 22 in a match that, had it been on pay-per-view, may have ranked at the top of this countdown.

Champion and challenger destroyed each other, with the latter delivering an Air Raid Crash to the arena floor that would have beaten a lesser opponent. Blinded by his own blood, Ciampa relentlessly unloaded on Allin, who provided a gutsy performance of his own.

Late in the match, the heel tried to beat Allin with the Scorpion Deathlock, insulting him and his mentor, Sting. The champion countered out, applied the move himself, and forced Ciampa to tap out.

The contest, the first of Allin's title defenses, set the tone for the face-painted babyface's brief run as champion and reiterated to the wrestling world the red-hot streak AEW was on between the ropes through the first half of the year.

Speaking of which...

3. Kenny Omega vs. Swerve Strickland (Dynamite, February 18)

All Elite Wrestling

Two of the best, most celebrated and popular stars in AEW history battled in a dream match of sorts in February as Kenny Omega and Swerve Strickland wrestled their first one-on-one match against each other.

Tasked with wrestling a man who many consider the best in the world, Strickland seemingly had an answer for everything that Omega threw at him. He escaped a One-Winged Angel and evaded a V-Trigger. Down the stretch, he again had an answer for Omega's signature stuff and even survived a poison rana and and snapdragon suplex.

Omega was equally as resilient, kicking out of a Swerve Stomp seconds after colliding with an exposed turnbuckle. A JML Driver, though, proved to be the end for The Best Bout Machine as Strickland claimed victory.

If that was not enough, the victor's stunning heel turn after the match, including a beatdown with a steel chain and driving Omega through the announce table, put an exclamation point on it.

The last three AEW matches on this countdown were so good that they could be interchangeable, but the first-time showdown, the abundance of star power, and the clean finish elevated Omega vs. Strickland just slightly past the others for the No. 3 spot.

2. CM Punk vs. Roman Reigns (WrestleMania 42, April 19)

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In the biggest match of the night, on the most important card of the year, CM Punk and Roman Reigns silenced a whole lot of doubters with a WrestleMania 42 main event that was recognized as an instant classic.

Preceded by grand entrances, and accompanied by a split crowd solidly behind both men, the contest took the WWE Universe on an emotional roller coaster ride that had them biting on several near-falls and false finishes.

Punk, the grizzled veteran who had his age called out by his opponent in the weeks leading into the bout, turned back the clock and reminded the audience why he is what he claims to be: the Best in the World. While he landed a top-rope elbow drop that drove Reigns through the announce table, it may have been his one, last-gasp chance of victory.

Moments later, his body gave out and Reigns capitalized with one last spear to win the match and the World Heavyweight Champonship.

A great match, on the biggest stage, at a time when WWE needed it to save its marquee event after a disastrous first night, it instantly inserted itself among the greatest in WrestleMania history.

1. El Grande Americano vs. Original El Grande Americano (Noche de El Grandes, May 30)

The best match of 2026, so far, is a Mask vs. Mask match between am American and German. The showdown between El Grande Americano and the OG version of the character was months in the making, featured incredible heat, and was brimming with raw emotion.

A long, bloody battled that seamlessly meshed story and physicality, it captivated fans in Mexico, with run-ins from Los Americanos, Los Hermanos Americanos, and Pimpinela Escarlata, and some encouragement from the technico's love interest, Andrea Bazarte, before the beloved Americano caught the original with a running headbutt to win the match.

It was a perfect match, heightened by Chad Gable's classy unmasking and immediate babyface turn.

A flawlessly executed conclusion to the most heated rivalry in all of professional wrestling this year, it was a rare occasion of the finale exceeding even the loftiest of expectations and making the entire journey to it worth the time and energy.

A brilliant bit of business and a match that everyone who was involved with it should be proud of.