5 best WWE, AEW, and IMPACT matches of the week (January 25-29)

WWE and AEW put on the best matches the week
WWE and AEW put on the best matches the week

Every week, wrestling fans are treated to many fantastic matches from WWE, NXT, AEW, and IMPACT Wrestling. Wrestling fans are spoilt for choice with great action from a myriad of amazing talents across all brands, promotions, and companies.

This week, Monday Night RAW gave fans a brilliant gauntlet match and NXT had a superb main event in another strong and solid show. SmackDown was an okay show, but took a rare misstep when booking the matches this week.

AEW were back to their best and delivered a handful of great matches throughout Dynamite. In fact, AEW was so good this week they could have an entire article dedicated to that show.

IMPACT had some entertaining matches on the show, but it was WWE and AEW putting on the better matches this week.

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Here are the five best WWE, AEW and IMPACT Wrestling matches of the week.


#5 Riddle ran the gauntlet against the Hurt Business on WWE RAW (January 25th)

Riddle ran the gauntlet on WWE Monday Night RAW
Riddle ran the gauntlet on WWE Monday Night RAW

The rivalry between WWE United States Champion Bobby Lashley and Riddle continued this week on Monday Night RAW in a cracking gaunlet match that saw the "King of Bros" take on all of the remaining members of The Hurt Business.

MVP, Shelton Benjamin, and Cedric Alexander all stepped inside the ring to attempt to take down Riddle and halt his quest for championship gold.

Riddle made quick work of Benjamin and MVP, but when Alexendar got in between the ropes that is when the action amped up to another level.

The match was swift, smooth and faultless as two of the best in the business got to show what they can do when given the chance. Alexander and Riddle went at each other full-throttle and filled the match with excellent, standout sequences on WWE RAW.

Riddle has been excellent in the ring since his main roster debut and Alexander has shone brightly having joined The Hurt Business. The match between the two proved just what amazing spectacles can take place on RAW, which is a show that's been starved of great matches as of late.

So good was this bout that WWE needs to book these two into their own separate feud coming out of RAW.

The feud between two of WWE's most impressive wrestlers has built nicely and Riddle finally gets to face Lashley one-on-one without any pre-match beatdowns at the Royal Rumble. With Riddle's momentum coming out of this gauntlet match, he could leave WWE's first pay-per-view of 2021 as a champion.

#4 Eddie Kingston vs. Lance Archer on AEW Dynamite (January 27)

The Mad King vs The Murderhawk Monster on AEW Dynamite
The Mad King vs The Murderhawk Monster on AEW Dynamite

Two of wrestling's toughest warriors slugged it out in a brilliant brawl in the opening match on this week's AEW Dynamite.

Eddie Kingston and Lance Archer have been on a collision course for months in AEW and finally got to settle their differences in the ring. The match was brutal, hard-hitting and violent with both fighters getting to showcase their particular talents. Archer was the dominant monster using his scary strength to toss Kingston about and out of the ring with an amazing chokeslam over the top rope to the floor.

Kingston was great as the never-say-die warrior that he has built his whole career on. No matter what the "Murderhawk Monster" did to him, he would not stay down.

Archer's face turn was cemented when the Butcher and the Blade came out with a battered WWE Hall of Famer Jake Roberts mid-match. The distraction allowed the Bunny to give Kingston a pair of knuckle dusters, which he used to smash the giant Texan in the jaw to knock him out for the win.

This victory was Kingston's biggest win since he joined AEW and was very much needed, as he was looking to start backing up his fantastic words with actions, which is exactly what he did on AEW Dynamite.

#3 The Good Brothers & The Young Bucks vs The Dark Order on AEW Dynamite (January 27th)

The Good Brother and The Young Bucks teamed up for the first-time in 5 years to take on the Dark Order
The Good Brother and The Young Bucks teamed up for the first-time in 5 years to take on the Dark Order

AEW hosted this terrific and historic match, as it was the first time that the Young Bucks and the Good Brothers had teamed together in five years.

The former Bullet Club members picked up where they left off, before the Good Brothers signed for WWE, and worked together as if they had been performing on a regular basis.

The Good Brothers heeled it up as only they can, using every trick in their extensive book to dominate large portions of the match. The Young Bucks were on full form, bringing their swift and energetic style to the show.

The action was fun, chaotic and frantic as all eight men got to shine throughout the match. The talent on show in this match was incredible, with Alex Reynolds, John Silver, Stu Grayson and Evil UNO putting in a fantastic effort.

The match came to an end when the Young Bucks and the Good Brothers hit Grayson with a quadruple superkick and a Meltzer Driver for the win, to end this cracking match up and a great episode of AEW Dynamite.

#2 Finn Balor and Kyle O'Reilly vs Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch on WWE NXT (January 27th)

Finn Balor teamed with Kyle O'Reilly to take the WWE NXT Tag Team Champions
Finn Balor teamed with Kyle O'Reilly to take the WWE NXT Tag Team Champions

Both AEW and WWE NXT ended their respective shows with fantastic tag team matches. While AEW was killing it on the other channel, NXT closed out another solid show with this great clash.

Two former enemies, Finn Balor and Kyle O'Reilly, teamed up to take on common foes, the WWE NXT Tag Team Champions, Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan.

Balor and O'Reilly patched up their differences and put their broken jaws aside to put on a brilliantly brutal and smashmouth fight with two of the roughest and toughest WWE NXT has to offer.

Despite their previous animosity, Balor and O'Reilly are perfect partners and worked incredibly well together, but Lorcan and Burch exploited and targeted O'Reilly's injured jaw.

Balor saved his partner from the incessant beatdown, but after a fierce flurry of offence, the Prince was also worn down by the Tag Team Champions with clever double team manoeuvres and vicious strikes.

O'Reilly entered the fray to level the playing the field and get the win for his team via submission. After the match, Pete Dunne hit the ring and attacked Balor, but Balor fought him off with the Undisputed Era's help.

This was a stiff, hard-hitting and solid match. Burch and Lorcan looked strong throughout, while Balor and O'Reilly proved to make a very formidable duo.

While AEW's main event tag team match was the fast and furious style they are known for, WWE NXT opted for the heavy-hitting and gritty approach that highlights the excellent mix of wrestling the fans get to enjoy every week.

#1 Jungle Boy vs Dax Harwood on AEW Dynamite (January 27th)

Jungle Boy vs Dax Harwood on NXT Dynamite
Jungle Boy vs Dax Harwood on NXT Dynamite

This match was a joy to watch as two very different wrestlers, with contrasting styles, put on an unexpectedly excellent match on AEW.

Their dynamics were great and worked really well throughout the match. Dax Harwood, the grizzled veteran has an old school style of wrestling. While Jungle Boy is the up-and-coming rookie prospect with a penchant for high-flying offence.

Dax disliked everything about Jungle Boy. His character, gimmick and move set drew the old school brawler's anger as he set out to punish the member of Jurassic Express, with his methodical and grinding offence. But Jungle Boy, despite his youth and size, is as tenacious as they come. This guile, combined with his skill set made him a formidable and perfect opponent for the former WWE and AEW tag team champion.

The back and forth action was a brilliant mix of mat-based wrestling, frantic sequences, near-falls and reversals, with a great dose of psychology and storytelling displayed throughout the bout.

Dax showed that he is just as good in the ring as a singles competitor than he is as a tag team specialist. Jungle Boy proved, once again, that he is living up to the hype and quickly becoming the breakthrough superstar he is touted to be.

AEW continues to put out incredible and enthralling matches each week and this week, Jungle Boy and Dax put on an old school vs new school classic.

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Edited by James Sullivan
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