5 WWE matches from 2019 that overdelivered
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So many elements go in the makings a great wrestling match. A great wrestling match doesn't merely mean an in-ring performance or the crowd reacting to a particular move/spot but rather a combination of both and so much more. The backstory, the build-up to the match are integral to hype the crowd up for a match.
But sometimes, a match fails to live up to the hype and falls flat due to some reason or another. The biggest example of that in recent memory was the much-hyped dream match between Shinsuke Nakamura and AJ Styles at WrestleMania 34. Despite the enormous hype and the history between the duo, their match fell flat. Nakamura and Styles are considered to be two of the business and they had everything going for them but their match (and the entire feud as a whole) was a gigantic disappointment.
On the other hand, there have been instances where fans aren't very into a particular match but they are pleasantly surprised by the final product.
Here are five WWE matches from 2019 that completely overdelivered:
#5 Roman Reigns vs Buddy Murphy (SmackDown August 13, 2019)
One of the best WWE TV matches of the year happened to be Buddy Murphy's debut match on SmackDown. The Australian-native had built quite the resume during his time on NXT and 205 Live. Murphy is a former NXT Tag Team Champion alongside Wesley Blake and has also held the WWE Cruiserweight Championship. During his time in Cruiserweight division, Murphy became renowned for being one of the best in-ring talents in the company. His matches against the likes of Cedric Alexander, Mustafa Ali and Akira Tozawa left a permanent mark on the WWE Universe. Fans were very excited when Murphy was moved up to SmackDown during the 2019 Superstar Shakeup.
But, the Wildcard Rule and Superstars performing on both brand led to the former Cruiserweight Champion having to wait for over three months to make his TV debut. Murphy was a part of the Roman Reigns Mystery Attacker storyline. Reigns and Murphy had a scuffle in locker room weeks before the match where Murphy revealed that it was Rowan who was behind the forklift incident. A match between the duo was set for the post-Summerslam episode of SmackDown.
Murphy vs Reigns was an absolute barnburner that featured a star-making performance from the Aussie. Murphy was able to go toe-to-toe with Reigns in a highly competitive match which saw a couple of near falls and false finishes. The match ended with Reigns pinning Murphy with a Spear. The Best Kept Secret was finally out in the open and even Reigns had to acknowledge that.