Ranking and grading every WWE pay-per-view in 2021

#5 WWE WrestleMania Backlash

Despite its weird name, WrestleMania Backlash was one of WWE's greatest efforts of the ThunderDome era. It was a night of excellent action, showcased by Cesaro's heroic performance in the main event opposite Roman Reigns.

The Swiss Superman showed why he should be in the upper portion of the card, even if he was laid out by Seth Rollins after the match. Bobby Lashley continued his dominance as WWE Champion with solid wins over Drew McIntyre and Braun Strowman.

Rhea Ripley and Bianca Belair retained their respective Women's Championships in good matches, while Rey and Dominik Mysterio made history at WrestleMania Backlash. They became the first father-son duo to become Tag Team Champions after defeating The Dirty Dawgs.

This fun show would have been even better if WWE hadn't booked The Miz and Damian Priest in a zombie Lumberjack Match. It was the worst pay-per-view match of 2021.

Grade: B+

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#4 WWE Royal Rumble

WWE's first pay-per-view of the year was also the strongest one without a crowd. Having a Royal Rumble in this setting may feel awkward, but it worked. Both Rumble Matches were good, as WWE created a new megastar in Bianca Belair.

She entered the Women's Royal Rumble Match at No.3 and withstood some stern competition from Shayna Baszler, Charlotte Flair, and Rhea Ripley. The latter's final sequence with Belair was electric. Meanwhile, Edge went one better and won the Men's Rumble as the No.1 entrant.

The Rated-R Superstar had an inspirational showing, while he was joined by a returning Christian. The current AEW star had a fantastic in-ring comeback. Damian Priest also impressed on his main roster debut in the Royal Rumble Match.

Elsewhere on the card, Roman Reigns outlasted Kevin Owens in a Last Man Standing Match, although the botched ending took away from it. Sasha Banks defeated Carmella in a solid outing, while Drew McIntyre survived Goldberg to remain WWE Champion in an explosive opener.

Grade: A-