5 surprising WWE moments in 2021

As every year passes in WWE, fans are treated to many memorable and surprising moments. Some are mostly great, but sometimes they can be shocking and leave the WWE Universe with a lot of questions.

2021 has been memorable in its own right. The company has continued to adapt with the COVID-19 pandemic that has crippled the world. We haven't seen anything quite like it in our lifetime.

WWE started the year inside the fan-less ThunderDome before returning to touring weekly this summer. Despite the obstacles, Vince McMahon's promotion has managed to deliver every single week as it always has done.

That being said, let's take a look at five surprising WWE moments in 2021.

#5 Becky Lynch returns at WWE SummerSlam to win the SmackDown Women's Championship

Look at the pure and utter joy on Becky Lynch’s face. Congratulations to her.

#SummerSlam https://t.co/Ox7FzegyPl

In May 2020, Becky Lynch stepped away from WWE to give birth to her first child. At the time, The Man was RAW Women's Champion and the title was eventually handed to Money in the Bank winner Asuka.

Lynch has already cemented her name as one of the most popular superstars on the roster. Her return was always going to drum up a lot of fanfare and excitement.

It eventually happened 15 months later at SummerSlam in August at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, NV. Becky Lynch stunned fans by returning unannounced to challenge SmackDown Women's Champion Bianca Belair.

Sasha Banks was initially set to be Belair's opponent, but she was pulled from the match for an undisclosed reason. Carmella was selected instead, but Big Time Becks took her out before the bout.

Back where she belongs.

#SummerSlam @BeckyLynchWWE https://t.co/Bl0GLC5zRf

Bianca Belair accepted Becky Lynch's challenge, but she was not expecting what was about to come next. Lynch defeated The EST of WWE in just 26 seconds to capture the SmackDown Women's Championship.

As you can imagine, the move caused quite a storm on social media, and The Man responded to the critics on CBS Sports:

"So, look, the thing is, people are not happy with how it went down. That’s a good thing when we want people to want somebody to overcome something. It’s better in the long run if people are not happy. If they’re happy and they’re happy with the match and she loses, then we have a problem. We want people to want the good guy to come out on top. If we see somebody we like do something that’s a bit underhanded, then we are displeased with them and don’t want them to win. That’s what we want," said Becky Lynch. (h/t No DQ)

All in all, it was certainly a surprising moment that got the WWE Universe talking, no matter how they felt about it.