The 25 best WWE matches of 2018 so far
Unbelievably, 2018 is half over. It hasn't been WWE's best year. The programming has stalled and no main roster feud has been impressive. That's a damning indictment for a full six months into the year.
Nevertheless, we've still managed to get some great wrestling. 2018 has mostly been the year of NXT, but the main roster pulled off some magic and gave us some gems in a sea of many duds.
Note that this list isn't yet a ranking. That will come at the end of the year. Instead, this is a census of the matches from the first half of 2018 that will be in the "match of the year" conversations this December. The list comes in the order that the matches happened.
I invite you to make your own lists in the comments below.
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#1 Aleister Black vs. Adam Cole (NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia)
A brutal hardcore match that nearly stole the show on January 27th, Aleister Black suffered a beating that he hadn't experienced before. Adam Cole quickly found himself outmatched without the use of weapons, so naturally, he got some.
The spots were intense. Adam Cole gagged Aleister Black on a kendo stick. He whacked him in mid-air. He kicked a chair into his face that sent him crashing from the turnbuckle through a table below.
The Undisputed Era and SAnitY got involved and things got even more chaotic from there. No pun intended!
Eventually, Adam Cole would meet the Black Mass, which was more devastating than any weapon, for the pinfall.
The character work by both men in this match was on par with the weapons spots. Adam Cole's arrogance met Aleister Black's stoic demeanor, with the latter practically begging him to try and use a weapon. Their standoff with the kendo sticks almost looked like a sword duel.