2025 was a very interesting year for professional wrestling to say the least. You had WWE seemingly looking to expand their brand and collaborating with TNA while AEW rose from a difficult era and gave us some of their best stuff in years. One thing that only seems to get better is the in-ring product, guys continue to go all-out and put in some major effort just for our entertainment. Let’s wrap 2025 up in a bow with the greatest wrestling matches of 2025.

5. John Cena vs AJ Styles – Crown Jewel 2025

(John Cena putting AJ Styles in Chris Jericho’s “Walls of Jericho” submission hold, photo from WWE’s website)

Mr.WWE and Mr.TNA face off in this love letter to professional wrestling as a whole. There was pretty much no build-up for this match but it didn’t need it; just two legends of the game lighting the arena on fire with a mix of nostalgia and in-ring ability. So many cool call-backs and references. Cena and Styles were using moves from famous wrestlers from their pasts like Chris Jericho, Randy Orton, Samoa Joe, Sting, and The Undertaker! The ring announcer even announced AJ Styles as “Mr. Total Nonstop Action” and “Leader of the Bullet Club” at Cena’s request. With AJ’s career coming to an end at the Royal Rumble last weekend, it’s good he was able to have a match like this in his last year.

4. Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens – Unsanctioned Match

– Elimination Chamber 2025

(Sami about to strike his former best friend with a steel chair wrapped with barbed wire, photo from WWE’s website)

Best friends turn bitter enemies in this battle of emotions. This match-up was built up for a few months with KO turning heel and fighting former friends like Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton, him and Sami’s friendship was pretty complicated until he finally attacked Sami and gave him a piledriver on an episode of Raw. This match being held in both men’s home countries of Canada definitely added to the experience with a hyped up crowd. The match itself was great and kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the whole thing. The finish was great too with KO coming out on top, getting ready to piledrive his former best friend, but returning legend (killer) Randy Orton making the save. This was gonna lead to a match against Randy at Wrestlemania but it got cancelled due to KO getting injured, only one can imagine how awesome that would be.

3. John Cena vs. Cody Rhodes – Street Fight – Summerslam 2025

(The two titans having a staredown, photo from WWE’s website)

This match was announced with a mix of confusion and excitement from fans. These two guys had quite the stinker at Wrestlemania 40 earlier that year so it seemed like WWE was trying to redeem themselves with a street fight rematch at Summerslam. What was surprising was John Cena turning face on the Smackdown right before the match. So when the second night of Summerslam hit, the people didn’t know what to expect. When that bell rang, the magic happened right in front of our eyes. People seem to forget how good of a wrestler John Cena is, and he sure reminded us with this classic. They were fighting all over the arena and using all types of weapons. The match ending with Cena putting Cody over, signaling Cody being the new face of WWE.

2: Jon Moxley vs Hangman Adam Page – Texas Death Match – AEW All In 2025

(Jon Moxley shoving barbed wire in Hangman Adam Page’s face, screenshot from All Elite Wrestling’s YouTube channel)

Jon Moxley’s AEW World Title Reign was subject to a lot of hate and criticism from fans, but even the harshest hater can admit it did lead us to this classic. AEW built Hangman up as the new top babyface after a long heel run and it was exciting to see him go after top heels Jon Moxley and the Death Riders. The stage was set for AEWs biggest show of the year after Hangman won a grueling qualifier match with fellow babyface Will Ospreay. People were begging for new life to be breathed into AEW and they did just that. This match truly felt like everything AEW had been building up to for the whole year with everybody getting involved for a battle of the century and even ending on a cliffhanger with Hangman getting help from sworn enemy Swerve Strickland. In the end the cowboy rode into the sunset with the belt in hand and the world by his side.

1: John Cena vs Gunther – Saturday Nights Main Event

(Cena and Gunther facing off in a battle of strength, photo from WWE’s website)

‘Nuff said, we all saw it. This match is very hard to describe, the perfect ending to a nearly perfect career with the perfect guy to end it. You could feel the suspense even through the TV. Cena and Gunther did a great job at keeping the crowd on their toes with this battle of fate between two conflicting forces. The finish was great and had the perfect emotional ending to Cena’s legacy in WWE. What came after really put the icing on the cake with the whole locker room coming out to pay their respects and a tribute video playing. Gunther has massed so much momentum from this moment alone with him also retiring AJ Styles the same way at the Royal Rumble last weekend. With all that being said this is the greatest match of 2025.