Remember when WWE’s deal with the NBCUniversal-owned Peacock was announced and there was a rumor ESPN would be scaling back coverage of Vince McMahon’s company as a result?
Kyle Decker is definitely gonna mark that one wrong in the Rumor Look Back.
We know this because the Disney-owned sports network/streaming service just announced the 2021 ESPYs, their annual awards show. For the second time, one of the categories is “Best WWE Moment”.
The award debuted in 2019, and was given to Roman Reigns for his return after leukemia treatment. It, along with the traditional “best of” show, went on hiatus last year during the pandemic so ESPN could focus the ceremony on service and humanitarian work.
But with a general return to normalcy - including live sports - here in the United States, the ESPYs in their usual form.
A new wrinkle for the “Best WWE Moment” award is how it will be decided. In 2019, there was a fan vote among four choices. In 2021, there are 16 options broken up into eight “matches” in a single elimination tournament-style bracket. You can vote in these first round match-ups here:
1. Dominik Mysterio makes in-ring debut at SummerSlam, with dad Rey Mysterio in his corner -or- Roman Reigns returns to SmackDown and aligns with Paul Heyman
2. Pat McAfee confronts and punts Adam Cole - or- Goldberg returns to challenge Drew McIntyre for WWE Championship
3. Keith Lee breaks Adam Cole’s record 403-day reign as NXT Champion at The Great American Bash -or- Sasha Banks & Bianca Belair become the first Black women to battle in a WrestleMania main event
4. Edge wins the 2021 Men’s Royal Rumble and becomes the third person ever to win from the No. 1 spot - or- Kevin Owens stuns Logan Paul at WrestleMania
5. Sasha Banks wins the SmackDown Women’s Championship at Hell in a Cell -or- Randy Orton sets The Fiend on fire at TLC
6. Undertaker celebrates his 30th anniversary and gives his final farewell -or- Bobby Lashley wins WWE Championship for the first time
7. Bayley turns on Sasha Banks -or- Bad Bunny teams with Damian Priest at WrestleMania and unveils a “Bunny Destroyer”
8. Bianca Belair wins the Women’s Royal Rumble, sets record for longest time spent in the match -or- The Miz cashes in MITB at Elimination Chamber, becomes the first two-time Grand Slam champ
You don’t have too long. Quarterfinal voting starts next Monday (June 21), and the final four vote is Fri., June 25.
Then we’ll find out who wins when the ceremony (hosted by Captain America himself, Anthony Mackie) airs on Sat., July 10 at 8 pm ET.
.@AnthonyMackie is the host for this year's ESPYS!
— ESPYS (@ESPYS) June 16, 2021
July 10 at 8 PM ET on @ABC pic.twitter.com/oD6MfftK4e
Vote! And tell us who you’re voting for!