The first half of 2026 has brought 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, here are the matches that earned recognition as the best of the best so far this year, ranked according to overall quality and, when necessary, their setting.

1. #15: Seth Rollins vs. Gunther (WrestleMania 42, April 18) A thrown-together match 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.
2. #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.
3. #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.
4. #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.
5. #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.
6. #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.
7. #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. #8: Darby Allin vs. MJF (Double or Nothing, May 24) After weeks of defending his AEW title in grueling match-ups.