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In the future, when historians examine the state of sports entertainment in 2018, it will be known as a wild, watershed moment that set the stage for great changes in 2019.
There were a ton of big moments in pro wrestling during 2018. Kenny "the Cleaner" Omega and The Rainmaker Kazuchika Okada wrestled the first ever seven star match in pro wrestling history, dazzling fans of New Japan Pro Wrestling and all over the world.
We saw one superstar fall to illness, as Roman Reigns was forced to relinquish his beloved Universal championship due to leukemia. But we also saw some beloved superstars return to in ring action, like Daniel Bryan.
AJ Styles proved to be a major draw for WWE, while Ring of Honor saw the departure of many of its most popular superstars. Cody Rhodes and the Young Bucks flipped the script on the sports entertainment business with All In, and the WWE made history by having shows in the insular kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
It was also a year of many title changes all over the sport, with WWE alone seemingly having over one hundred different champions in one year. Now that 2019 has truly begun, it's time to assess the champions of the various promotions and see how kindly 2018 treated them. The answers may surprise you!
Here's the criteria we'll be using to determine which champion had the best 2018;
Wins and Losses: Even in a scripted performance, wins and losses matter.
Championships: Were the current title holders also champions in 2018? How long/memorable was their reign, if any?
Popularity: Does the crowd make noise, and do fans talk about the wrestler on social media?
Mainstream appeal: Does anyone outside of pro wrestling fandom recognize the champion?
Without further ado, here is the list.
1.Daniel Bryan - WWE Champion
Daniel Bryan missed the first quarter of 2018 due to still being on WWE's injured list, but had made up for lost time with a ton of momentum and head-scratching yet successful moments.
Turning Daniel Bryan heel was evidently his own idea, and in fact currently Bryan has creative control of his character. This represents the deep respect the WWE and Vince McMahon have for the undersized underdog. But how was his 2018 overall?
Win loss record: Bryan racked up nineteen wins and thirteen losses, above average. Grade: B
Championships: Daniel Bryan captured the WWE World Championship--Smackdown's big belt--and has held it ever since. Grade: A
Popularity: Daniel Bryan was tremendously over as a face, but some fans aren't sure what to make of him as a heel, though he does play one effectively. Grade: B
Mainstream Appeal: Daniel Bryan is a wrestling legend, and not just in the WWE, but few outside of sports entertainment know who he is. He does have some slight crossover appeal due to his appearance on Total Divas and the spinoff Total Bellas: Grade: C
Overall Grade: B For a man who missed the first quarter of the year, Daniel Bryan had a stellar 2018 but missed time hurt his grade a bit.
2.Brock Lesnar - WWE Universal Champion
Brock Lesnar is the Beast Incarnate, a living legend in both pro wrestling and mixed marital arts. He is also a polarizing figure, because many fans resent his very light schedule and pampered treatment.
On the other hand, he brings legitimacy to the WWE by virtue of his amateur wrestling All American status and UFC title reigns. How was 2018 to Brock Lesnar?
Win Loss Record: Brock had seven wins and only one loss--an impressive ratio despite his few appearances. Grade: A
Championships: Brock Lesnar was the WWE Universal champion for most of the year, with only one brief hiccup in his reign. Grade: A+
Popularity: Smart fans may hate him, but the arena always makes a ton of noise for Brock, and he's always trending on social media: Grade: A
Crossover Appeal: Brock Lesnar is a household name in places where people don't even watch wrestling. Grade: A
Overall Grade: A+ 2018 was a dominant year for Brock Lesnar in pro wrestling.
3. Johnny Impact - Impact World Champion
Call him Johnny Impact, Johhny Mundo, Johnny Nitro, or even just plain John Morrison but don't call him a minor league player.
When the former John Morrison left WWE, a few figured he would struggle on the indie scene, but that has been far from the case, with Johnny Impact holding gold in 2018. How did the year treat him overall?
Win loss record: Johnny Impact enjoyed twenty losses in 2018 while tasting defeat twelve times, an excellent record: Grade: A
Championships: Johnny Impact held both the AAA world Heavweight title and the Impact World title, though not concurrently, in 2018, an impressive feat: Grade: A+
Popularity: The fans know that Johhny Impact will give them a good show and respond accordingly, but he has always struggled to truly resonate with the fans. Perhaps ditching his fur coat and sunglasses and playing on his 'from the bottom up' success story might help. Grade: B-
Mainstream Popularity: Johnny Impact has appeared in some non-wrestling projects as an actor, but he is nowhere near the level of, say, Dwayne Johnson in this regard. Grade: C+
Overall Grade: B+ Johnny Impact had a stellar 2018 and deserves recognition for his success.
4. Jay Lethal - Ring of Honor World Heavyweight Champion
The former Black Machismo has enjoyed a lot of success with the Ring of Honor promotion, where he was the first ever dual champion, holding both the TV title and the World Heavyweight title.
Whether working as heel or face, no performer is as consistently good and thrilling as Lethal, who connects with any sized audience. How was his 2018?
Win loss record: With 33 wins and only nine losses, Lethal has a stellar record for 2018. Grade: A+
Championships: Jay Lethal began 2018 as ROH World Champion, and ended the year as ROH champion with only a few months without gold, an outstanding record: Grade: A
Popularity: Jay Lethal is excellent at connecting with audiences, and gets boos as a heel and cheers as a face: Grade: A
Mainstream Appeal: Jay Lethal who? Is he a rapper or something? Sorry Jay, but no one outside of pro wrestling fandom knows you exist. Grade: D-
Overall Grade: B+ Jay Lethal had an outstanding year in Ring of Honor and elsewhere.
5. Hiroshi Tanahashi - IWGP World Heavyweight Champion
Many pro wrestling journalists and critics refer to Hiroshi Tanahashi as "New Japan Pro Wrestling's John Cena." That comparison is both accurate and at times a bit unfair.
It is true that Tanahashi is one of the most popular wrestling superstars in NJPW with young children and female fans, much like John Cena. He has also dipped his toe into the music industry, also like Cena, but Tanahashi is considered to have a better workrate and deeper moveset than big match John. How did 2018 treat our favorite rock star wrestler?
Win Loss Record: Tanahashi racked up 52 wins and 55 losses--not bad, but one expects more of a man with his pedigree. Grade: C
Championships: Tanahashi held the IWGP Intercontinental Championship for the first quarter of 2018, and challenged for several other titles. Grade: B
Popularity: Tanahashi is quite over with certain segments of the audience, and is winning over his critics due to his longevity. Grade: B
Crossover Appeal: Tanahashi is a household name in Japan, but not as well known outside wrestling in the rest of the world: Grade: B
Overall Grade: B- Tanahashi didn't have a bad 2018, but he really struggled to win over the second half of the year and that cost him in the final grade.
Tommaso Ciampa - NXT Champion
Tommaso Ciampa probably deserves the award for the biggest comeback in pro wrestling this year. He has truly redefined what it means to be a heel wrestler in the modern era, and also what it means to be a smaller wrestler.
Not an acrobat or a 'flippy' performer, Ciampa relies on smashmouth striking and a deep technical moveset to bring his opponents down. How was 2018 for the Sicilian Psychopath?
Win Loss Record: With 37 wins and only 11 losses, Tommaso Ciampa has an outstanding record. His record is even more impressive when you factor in that most of his wins were successful title defenses. Grade: A
Championships: Tommaso Ciampa spent roughly half the year as NXT Champion. Grade: A
Popularity: Ciampa is a very talked about superstar, gets a great reaction and often trends on social media. Grade: A
Crossover Appeal: Despite Ciampa's legend in the making status in the world of pro wrestling, few outside of the sports entertainment world would recognize him. Grade: D
Overall Grade: A- 2018 will go down as a watershed year in the career of Tommaso Ciampa.
And the winner is... BROCK LESNAR
In a decision that will no doubt sting many smart mark fans, Brock Lesnar has been named the wrestling champion with the best 2018.
Brock Lesnar's high wins to losses ratio, championship status, popularity, and appeal with audiences outside of the wrestling world were unmatched by the competition. Tommaso Ciampa is a better technical wrestler, Tanahashi worked a lot more matches, and Jay Lethal may be Mr. Ring of Honor, but no one comes close to matching the dominant run of Brock Lesnar in 2018.
For a man who only worked ten times last year, he made millions of dollars and was buzzing with popularity and social media diatribes. That's a success story in our book.
There you have it - Brock Lesnar is your winner! What were your favorite championship moments from 2018? Please comment and let us know, and thanks for reading!
