10 WWE Matches We Need To See In 2021

7. Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Daniel Bryan

When Daniel Bryan was cleared for in-ring competition in 2018, the former WWE Champion named Nakamura as a dream opponent. Citing Bryan as one of the reasons he came to wrestle for WWE, The King of Strong Style has confirmed that he’s equally as eager to battle his friend.

Bryan has only faced Nakamura once in singles competition on WWE TV. Acting as more of a chapter in Bryan and Sami Zayn’s feud, this encounter wasn’t the major meeting of two wrestling legends that fans had hoped for.

With reports that Bryan is looking forward to a lighter schedule, there doesn’t seem to be many more opportunities for a large-scale match between the duo. Two of the greatest performers currently signed to WWE, it would be a shame if fans didn’t get to see The Leader of the Yes Movement clash with The King of Strong Style one last time.

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6. Io Shirai vs. Toni Storm

At Evolution in 2018, Toni Storm pinned Io Shirai to win the second-ever Mae Young Classic.

Since that match, the landscape of NXT has changed. Not only has Shirai became one of NXT’s most popular champions, but Toni has also taken the Gold Brand by storm with her new cutthroat persona.

Toni challenged for the NXT Women’s Championship early in 2020, but came up short. Interestingly, Storm’s last one-on-one encounter with Shirai ended with Io’s disqualification, meaning the current women’s champion has never pinned Storm in a singles match in NXT.

Two of the most talented wrestlers on the Gold Brand, Storm and Shirai bring a combined 24 years of experience to their singles clashes. Crowd or no crowd, these two world-class athletes would tear the house down, once again.

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5. Pete Dunne vs. Timothy Thatcher

Since competing in the inaugural United Kingdom Championship Tournament in 2017, Pete Dunne has shown WWE audiences that he’s willing to fight until the bitter end. Now aligned with Pat McAfee’s Kings of NXT stable, The Bruiserweight utilises his technical wrestling background to brutalise anybody standing in his way.

In April, Timothy Thatcher began dominating the NXT roster with his ‘Thatch-as-Thatch-can’ style. With brutal contests against Finn Bálor and Tommaso Ciampa, Thatcher has proven that he owns any ring he enters.

Two of the toughest men on the Gold Brand, Thatcher and Dunne would put on a pure wrestling clinic. With both competitors fond of sadistic strikes and agonising submission holds, a contest between the two would be unpredictable.

During their NXT tenures, Pete Dunne and Timothy Thatcher have proven that they’re two of the toughest athletes wrestling today. A match between the two would have any technical wrestling fan on the edge of their seat.

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4. Asuka vs. Shayna Baszler

Asuka and Baszler were two of the most dominant NXT Women’s Champions in history. When Baszler moved to Raw in March, everyone was waiting for these two exceptional athletes to square off.

Sadly, other than a short sequence inside the Elimination Chamber, and a match on Raw that was more of a backdrop to Lana and Nia Jax’s brawl, Asuka and Shayna haven’t had the singles clash that fans have been waiting for.

With both women perfecting an MMA style, it would be intriguing to see whose strikes, grappling and chokes are superior. With both athletes so used to dominating their opponents, Neither would want to be bested at their own game.

Whether this match happens for the Raw Women’s Championship or not, Asuka and Baszler would put on the fight of their lives to walk away with the W.

• dream match
• 2021
• AJ Styles
• Drew McIntyre

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