The top 10 WWE matches of 2018
WWE's last major event of the year, TLC, is now behind us, as well as the last set of NXT tapings of 2018. As we gear up for a new year, it's time to start looking back at the last one. 2018 was an odd year in the company. Booking-wise, it was arguably the worst since 1995, with numerous duds and dreadful angles, particularly in the months before SummerSlam.
At the same time, 2018 has unquestionably been WWE's best in-ring year ever, with a catalogue of classics outnumbering any other. Dave Meltzer, usually hesitant to give WWE matches five-star ratings, dished out four in 2018, which was twice as much as any other year. NXT shined the brightest, but the main roster also had its moments of brilliance - more than it had any right to, considering its lacklustre booking. That we had such quality is a true testament to how good WWE's current roster truly is.
Choosing a top 10 from this batch is a tall order. How would it even be possible to leave some of what we saw out? Nonetheless, let's give it a try. Out of all of the classics we saw this year, these were the best.
Honorable mentions:
- Tommaso Ciampa vs. Velveteen Dream (NXT TakeOver: War Games II)
- Brock Lesnar vs. Daniel Bryan (Survivor Series)
- Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre vs. The Shield (Hell in a Cell)
- Aleister Black vs. Andrade "Cien" Almas (NXT TakeOver: New Orleans)
- Cedric Alexander vs. Buddy Murphy (205 Live, May 29th)
#10 Aleister Black vs. Tommaso Ciampa (NXT, July 25th)
Despite it not taking place at a TakeOver, this felt like the most important match in NXT of the summer, and one of the most important matches of the year, period. A big fight feel was in place well before the bell rang. It was only a matter of Black and Ciampa rising to the occasion.
This was a high-intensity match in terms of both work rate and character work. Ciampa was the consummate slimy heel throughout the contest, finding creative workaround methods to counter the ugly truth that he didn't want to admit - he was outmatched in a straight fight. Ciampa tried every trick in the book, including with underhanded tactics, but Aleister Black countered him at every turn.
There were huge spots and surprising kickouts throughout the home stretch of the match, including Ciampa failing to secure victory after using a crutch while the referee was distracted. Black had him dead to rights with the Black Mass, but Ciampa had torn apart the ringside area to expose the concrete, and the referee was down.
Then came the biggest shock of all. Johnny Gargano stepped into the maelstrom and tried to "help," but instead wound up costing Aleister Black the title. Ciampa's victory was one of the most shocking moments of the year and set NXT on an ominous, but enthralling new course.