When Covid-19 forced a worldwide lockdown in March of 2020, it seemed as if everything around was going to be temporarily put on hold. However, the WWE continued matches as if nothing had happened — a period now remembered as the Lockdown Era.
Whilst criticised at first and their handling still being a point of scrutiny, their continuance was an escape for many viewers. In this Lockdown Era, WWE still managed to put on some brilliant matches, some of which we will look at today.
Bray Wyatt vs. John Cena – WrestleMania 36
Just weeks before WrestleMania, lockdown started in the US, throwing the whole wrestling landscape into chaos. However, it soon was announced that the WWE’s biggest event of the year would indeed occur but with no fans present. Although this would negatively impact nearly all other matches as they took place in awkward silence, it greatly benefitted the match between The Fiend Bray Wyatt and John Cena.
Billed the Firefly Funhouse Match, this was the first of many cinematic-style matches of the Lockdown Era. Less of a match, this parodied WWE’s mistreatment of Cena as The Fiend took us on a long journey to see John’s career pan out. Unbelievably out of character for the WWE, Wyatt took shots at Cena’s mishandling – building off of storylines from 6 years earlier (showing that despite fan complaint, WWE can do long-term storylines).
Whether it was Wyatt showing Cena in his debut attire, in an NWO shirt to symbolise his polarising run as a face, or Bray displaying Cena’s moments of grief – it was thoroughly entertaining throughout with easter eggs and references for those who had been complaining about the leader of the Cenation for years. Cena actually lost to top it all off, taking a rare pinfall to finally put Wyatt over properly. The Fiend had accomplished his goal, furthering him as a character.
Timothy Thatcher vs. Matt Riddle – NXT, May 27
Whether it was characters like Shayna Baszler or bringing up Brock Lesnar’s UFC record, WWE attempted to give their product a more realistic feel, especially incorporating MMA components. Case in point – the WWE’s debut of the Fight Pit match in May.
Combining elements of the Lion’s Den and steel cage match, Timothy Thatcher and Matt Riddle squared off, with these combatants being legit tough guys. When the Lockdown Era struck, the short-lived yet beloved comedic team The BroserWeights (Riddle and Pete Dunne) were forcibly broken up. Replacing the absent Dunne was Thatcher, who almost immediately turned on Riddle, costing them the tag titles. After Dunne got a surprise win on an episode of NXT, a more decisive match stipulation was added.
With the recently released Kurt Angle as the referee, the MMA-inspired bout added a dose of legitimacy to the feud. In the match, Riddle kayfabe kicked out some of Tim’s teeth early on, giving us the visual of a bloody-mouthed Thatcher. In a submission-heavy encounter, Riddle eventually hit Thatcher with a knee strike knocking TT off the top onto the floor below, followed by a Floating Bro. As the match closed, the new arrival won as Thatcher forced Matt unconscious with a rear-naked choke – ending a successful debut concept that would later become a fixture on the brand.
AJ Styles vs. Daniel Bryan – SmackDown, June 12
Likely unsurprising to… literally anyone who has ever seen them wrestle – AJ Styles and Daniel Bryan put on one of the greatest matches pre-Thunderdome in a bout for the Intercontinental Title in a tournament final. After Sami Zayn was stripped of the title for refusing to wrestle through the pandemic, a single eliminator tournament was set up.
Prior tournament matches had been undeniably great such as Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura and Bryan vs. Drew Gulak; however, the final was a match of the year candidate in the Lockdown Era.
With flashbacks to their other epic SmackDown bout 2 years ago, it brought memories of Bryan suddenly low-blowing Styles to win the WWE title, turning heel in the process. Now fighting for the ‘workhorse’ title, a determined Bryan fought valiantly against a despisable AJ – with Bryan fighting to win his second IC title, which would make his return to wrestling even more feel-good. So, of course, AJ came to rain on the Goat’s parade.
A match of technical mastery, Bryan used his strategic offence to wear down The Phenomenal One before Styles managed to start working over the leg. Being a ring veteran for so many years, the second Daniel made a mistake, AJ exploited it – managing to hit the Phenomenal Forearm before getting the pinfall on the leader of the Yes! Movement.
Sami Zayn vs. AJ Styles vs. Jeff Hardy – Clash of Champions 2020
Despite several alterations to matches, Clash of Champions 2020 was, on the whole, a great PPV for WWE with multiple brilliant matches in the Lockdown Era.
Having been stripped of the belt he never lost, upon his return Sami Zayn became a rejuvenated conspiracy victim, fighting for justice. Trying to win back his IC title, he challenged then-champion Jeff Hardy and previous titleholder AJ Styles to a 3-way ladder match.
With Hardy having such a legacy with ladders, Zayn being one of the most underappreciated wrestlers in the company, and Styles being deceptively athletic, it was a spot-fest for the ages. With all men enduring a great deal of pain throughout – it gave us what may be one of the most memorable spots of the era as Hardy dove from the top of a ladder onto Zayn, who himself was prone on a ladder below.
Additionally, the finish perfectly suited the characters involved. The Great Liberator eventually won the match, deviously handcuffing his opponents to get the IC title. Heelishly ‘cuffing Hardy’s ear lobe to a ladder as well as Styles’ wrist to the ladder support. The smarmy finish matched Zayn’s coward character, allowing a brilliantly-made finish to a great stipulation match.
Roman Reigns vs. Jey Uso – Clash of Champions 2020
A matter of days before the biggest show of the year, Roman Reigns pulled out of WrestleMania 36 – not willing to risk the health and safety of himself and his family. Likely having his Universal Title win scrapped, fans rejoiced when he returned – but this time as a heel.
For years, fans had been sick of the Omni-Reigns’s excessive push as a preening face, wanting a heel turn. This did not disappoint, with a now more vicious and ruthless Reigns capturing the world title belt at Payback in his return bout.
Now with Paul Heyman, Reigns declared himself the Head of the Anoa’i Table. This was met with resistance from cousin Jey Uso who went on to get a shock win in a number 1 fatal-four-way. In his first world title feud, Uso challenged Reigns in a personal and Shakespearean match at Clash of Champions in the Lockdown Era.
A few matches after the aforementioned ladder match, Reigns proved how much of a hot commodity he was – defeating cousin Jey in an emotionally-charged match. Declaring Jey show respect to The Tribal Chief and quit, Jey wrestled with passion, refusing Roman’s orders. Eventually, it became too much for an injured Jimmy Uso, who came out with a towel to throw in for his brother; however, Jey refused. After more sickening, vicious blows, Jey was unconscious, which forced Jimmy to throw in the towel. Afterwards, Roman was presented with a garland around his neck by Heyman.
Sasha Banks vs. Bayley – Hell in a Cell
One of WWE’s glimmering bright spots throughout the pandemic was their women’s star power – Charlotte, Asuka, Rhea Ripley, Bianca Belair, and Shotzi Blackheart, amongst others, all contributed to the company’s talent pool. But perhaps nobody anchored the division more than Bayley and Sasha Banks.
Immediately making it known they were one of the Lockdown Era‘s main acts, Bayley and Banks went about winning the Women’s Tag Team Titles in May (while Bayley was also SmackDown Women’s Champion). Billed the Golden Role Models, the obnoxious yet entertaining duo were obviously destined to split, but fans didn’t know Banks would turn face for months. Bayley betrayed Banks in September after dropping the tag straps, brutally attacking The Boss.
With the stage set, the duo put on a thrilling match inside the devil’s playground. Constantly performing unique spots, Banks elevated it – she’s one of the most overlooked yet realistic sellers in WWE today. With Sasha’s loose-limb selling came Bayley’s brilliant character work; the hard-hitting offence seemed even viler and more wince-inducing. With a creative chair-assisted Bank Statement, The Boss ended The Role Models’ lengthy title reign before beating Bayley on SmackDown to retain – breaking Banks’ drought of always losing the Women’s Title on her first defence.
A brilliant match with an easy-to-follow story, it proved the strength of both competitors – creating one of the greatest women’s matches of the year.
WALTER vs. Ilja Dragunov – NXT UK, October 29
Throughout its run, the biggest star made by NXT UK is almost undoubtedly WALTER. The Austrian hoss had held the NXT UK Title for about 2 years at the time of writing, utterly dominant in that reign – quashing talents such as Pete Dunne, Tyler Bate, and Trent Seven.
In this hard-hitting encounter, the lack of fans surprisingly aided the bout, with the echoey silence making the fight feel more ruthless and eerie. The absence of crowd noise made the Lockdown Era feel rawer, as the mammoth Austrian constantly shut down the spirited Dragunov. Kicking out of all of WALTER’s offence, including powerbombs and a top rope splash, it was gritty, violent, and absolutely ferocious.
Dramatic without being corny or overproduced, Dragunov – the unlikely underdog – gave WALTER all he could, pulling out every stop in an attempt to win the title. A barbaric combination of stiff European style and Japan’s strong style eventually came to a termination when Dragunov was choked out. Just brutally brilliant.
Women’s WarGames Match – NXT TakeOver: WarGames
Further adding to the stacked women’s division on the main roster, the NXT women’s talent filled this match with all their brightest stars, giving all impressive moments and storylines. Team LeRae (Candice LeRae, Dakota Kai, Raquel González, Toni Storm) took on Team Blackheart (Shotzi Blackheart, Ember Moon, Rhea Ripley, Io Shirai).
The match was packed with standout moments: Shotzi’s tank, Shirai’s denial from entry, a run-in by Indi Hartwell, Ember Moon’s Eclipse onto chairs on Kai, Blackheart’s dive onto a chair-crushed LeRae, Kai ambushing Shirai trapped in a trash can, and González delivering a chokeslam through a ladder between the rings.
Most memorably, Shirai placed herself inside a trash can before diving from the top rope onto everyone below – instantly iconic and absurdly hilarious. Sure, it may not have been as serious as the classic WarGames matches in the NWA in the ’80s, but its combination of unique moments, wackiness, and drama made it stand out as one of the most fun spectacles of the Lockdown Era.
The finish came when Raquel González pinned Io Shirai after a dominant showing – a surprise outcome for the reigning NXT Women’s Champion. While four wrestlers technically lost, and likely all eight felt sore the next day, there were no true losers in this bout.
SmackDown Elimination Chamber Match – Elimination Chamber
Generally, it’s tough to get an Elimination Chamber match wrong (though the 2015 IC Title Chamber and ECW’s Chamber of Horrors would disagree). While it’s been criticised in recent years for looking safer and more gimmicked, great matches still happen in its modern design.
For nearly a decade, Cesaro had been one of WWE’s most underappreciated and consistently brilliant wrestlers, so fans were eager for him to finally get his moment. This bout was essentially a showcase for Cesaro – but calling it a one-man match would undersell the other participants: Daniel Bryan, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, King Corbin, and Jey Uso.
The match ingeniously started with Bryan and Cesaro trading crisp offence before Corbin entered to slow things down in perfect heel fashion. Sami Zayn tried locking himself inside his pod to avoid entry and later climbed the truss – only to be kicked down by Cesaro, who followed it up with some pull-ups atop the structure.
Owens, now a face, and Zayn, now a heel, avoided any reunion of their old alliance. Owens hit a moonsault from the top of a pod, and Jey Uso entered last – conveniently drawing the freshest number. Jey trapped Owens’ arm in the chamber door, pummelling him before eliminating Cesaro in heartbreaking fashion mid-one-legged Cesaro Swing. Eventually, Bryan pinned Jey for the win.
Booked with layered storytelling and innovative spots, it’s a candidate for the greatest modern chamber match of the Lockdown Era. While fan-favourite Cesaro didn’t win, few could complain at Bryan’s victory – even if he was immediately crushed by Reigns moments later.
Drew McIntyre vs. Sheamus – Raw, March 1
When Sheamus returned to WWE, he initially underwhelmed in feuds with Shorty G (Chad Gable) and Jeff Hardy (involving the infamous urine test segment). But his recent Raw work in 2021 brought back his credibility.
Raw’s reputation had been declining, but Drew McIntyre vs. Sheamus on the March 1 edition was a reminder of how good the show could be, even in the Lockdown Era. Former friends turned rivals, they tore into each other in a no-frills, hard-hitting brawl.
Packed with stiff strikes, stolen moves, nasty outside interactions, and multiple near-falls, it ended after 15 minutes when Sheamus’ Brogue Kick was countered into a Claymore for the win. It was predictable but thrilling — and the first of a trilogy, followed by a No DQ match the next week and a Fastlane clash. All three were brutal, crowd-pleasing hoss fights.
Conclusion
While the world outside was on pause, WWE’s Lockdown Era delivered some of its most creative, daring, and emotional matches in years. From cinematic experiments like the Firefly Funhouse to gritty slugfests such as McIntyre vs. Sheamus, this period proved that necessity can breed innovation — even in a company often criticised for playing it safe.
These bouts didn’t just fill airtime during a pandemic; they created lasting moments, elevated careers, and in some cases, redefined characters forever. Whether it was Roman Reigns cementing himself as The Tribal Chief, Sasha and Bayley putting the women’s division on their backs, or WALTER and Dragunov chopping each other into legend, the Lockdown Era showed that even without crowds, wrestling can still connect, surprise, and captivate.
