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As 2018 enters its final days, it's time to look back on some of the best matches WWE featured this year. Encompassing all brands, all athletes, and all divisions, we have selected those matches which fans, critics, and journalists all agree were top notch from bell to bell.
There are many elements that make for a great pro wrestling match. One factor that must be present is that the fans should care about the participants, and be able to resonate with them emotionally. After all, if the fans don't care, it doesn't matter how many high spots or how much Technical wizardry is on display.
Another element that is quite essential is some sort of stakes. These stakes often involve but are not limited to, a championship title. And finally, the match must be exciting, an emotional rollercoaster for both the performers and the audience.
Without further ado, here are ten of the best WWE matches from 2018.
#1. Seth Rollins vs. The Miz, Intercontinental championship match
The Time: Sun, May 6th 2018
The Place: Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey
The Stakes: The WWE Intercontinental Title, and a good deal of pride.
Match Rating (Via Wrestling Observer Newsletter): 4.5 stars.
It has often been said the Intercontinental title matches are more exciting than those held for the WWE 'big belt' championships, and this match was no exception. Featuring two veteran performers still in the prime of their careers, the match was a real barn burner featuring stiff striking and a rapid pace with excellent psychology.
Highlights of the match include a frog splash from Rollins onto Miz, both athletes diving out of the ring, and Rollins accidentally ramming his knee into the turnbuckle post, resulting in an injury that the Miz could exploit.
#2. WWE Royal Rumble 2018
The Time: Sun, Jan 28th 2018
The Place: Wells Fargo Center (AKA CoreStates/ First Union/ Wachovia Center), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
The Stakes: A guaranteed WWE Universal or WWE World Championship match at Wrestlemania 34.
Match Rating (Via Wrestling Observer Newsletter): 4.25 stars.
Every year the WWE's Royal Rumble Match features shocking surprises, unexpected guests, and some sort of chicanery by Kofi Kingston to avoid elimination. The 2018 Royal Rumble match did all of that, and so much more.
With a guaranteed WWE main event title match at Wrestlemania 34 on the line, the athletes brought their best game to the table. Some of the highlights include the surprise entry of Shane "Hurricane" Helms, Randy Orton delivering an RKO for the ages to a flying Andrade Cien Almas, and Kofi Kingston's foot landing on a stack of pancakes, thereby avoiding elimination in his usual fashion.
#3. AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe, WWE Championship
The Time: September 16, 2018
The Place: AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas
The Stakes: The WWE Championship, but it seemed almost secondary due to the deep and personal hatred between the two competitors.
Match Rating (Via Wrestling Observer Newsletter): 4 stars.
In a deeply personal, emotionally charged match, AJ Styles took on his fellow TNA alumni Samoa Joe in a fierce contest that still has the internet buzzing.
During the build-up to the match, Samoa Joe kept trying to rile up the Champion AJ Styles using a variety of means and psychological warfare. The Samoan Submission Machine even went so far as to mock AJ Styles' family, especially his children.
Highlights include brutally stiff striking from Joe, blink and you'll miss it Pele kick by AJ, and a controversial finish as spectacular as it was buzz-worthy. AJ attempted a phenomenal forearm, but Joe trapped him in the Coquina Clutch. AJ managed to shift his position enough to pin Joe's shoulders to the mat.
The referee counted the pinfall, but before the count of three AJ tapped out to the Coquina Clutch. AJ was declared the official winner, but Joe had great cause for a rematch.
#4. Buddy Murphy vs. Mustafa Ali for the WWE Cruiserweight championship
The Time: Tue, May 8th 2018
The Place: Royal Farms Arena (Formerly Baltimore Arena, & 1st Mariner Center), Baltimore, Maryland
The Stakes: The WWE Cruiserweight championship. Also on the line was Buddy Murphy's legitimacy as a worthy successor to former champion Neville.
Match Rating (Via Wrestling Observer Newsletter): 4 stars.
Remember when Buddy Murphy was best known as "Mr Alexa Bliss?" Yeah, those days are over!
Buddy Murphy was often said to be Triple H's favourite wrestler in NXT, and when he was brought up to the main roster for 205 Live, there were many who expressed doubts as to his ability to compete on the ridiculously athletic stage that brand provides. However, Buddy Murphy passed muster with flying colours against the equally talented and no less spectacular Mustafa Ali.
Highlights of the no-disqualification match include an astounding 450 senton splash by Ali to Murphy at ringside, an amazing superplex off of the ring steps--a first in wrestling--and Ali using a backflip belly to belly superplex to drive Murphy into the announce table--which didn't break. Ouch!
#5. Daniel Bryan vs. Brock Lesnar, Champion vs. Champion
The Time: Sun, Nov 18th 2018
The Place: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
The Stakes: Brand vs. Brand pride as the WWE's Raw and Smackdown big belt holders faced off.
Match Rating (Via Wrestling Observer Newsletter): 4.5
Brock Lesnar, the Beast Incarnate, is a man who generates a lot of controversy. First, there was his verbal taunting of Frank Mir in the UFC, in which Lesnar directed a very non-PG at the former UFC Champion.
Then there's the fact that he enjoys a protected place in the WWE, wrestling essentially only a few dates a year and holding the Universal title for a record run. While some fans are critical of Lesnar, the fact remains he is a top-tier athlete and is capable of putting on stellar wrestling matches with the right opponent.
That opponent was Daniel Bryan. While many expected a squash, the match was actually much more competitive than many of Brock's title defences, with Daniel Bryan seemingly achingly close to defeating the Beast on several occasions.
Highlights include Bryan delivering stiff kicks to Lesnar, Bryan taking a trip to Suplex city, and Bryan locking in a cross face that nearly made Lesnar tap out.
#6. Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair, WWE Smackdown Women's title
The Time: WWE Evolution Sun, Oct 28th 2018
The Place: Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, New York
The Stakes: The WWE Smackdown Women's championship, and validation for perennially underused Becky Lynch.
Match Rating (Via Wrestling Observer Newsletter): 4.75 stars.
For a long time in pro wrestling--at least in North America--women's wrestling was little more than a sideshow. Women--even talented athletes like Trish Stratus--competed in evening gown matches, bra and panties matches and pillow fights where titillation was the goal, not putting on a great match.
Thanks to the Women's evolution, this is no longer the case. If you want to see how far women's wrestling has come in the WWE, look no further than this Last Woman Standing match, which is rated one of the best of the year in any promotion, any division.
Highlights include Charlotte Flair breaking not one but two tables with high flying moves, devastating her opponent, Becky Lynch piling chairs, tables, and seemingly everything but the kitchen sink on top of Charlotte to prevent her from making the ten count, and Lynch leaping off the top of the ladder to drive Charlotte through the announce table.
#7. Drew McIntyre and Dolph Ziggler vs. The Shield (Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins)
The Time: Sun, Sep 16th 2018
The Place: WWE Hell in a Cell AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas
The Stakes: The WWE Raw World Tag Team Championships.
Match Rating (Via Wrestling Observer Newsletter): 4.5 stars.
While WWE is often criticized for wasting the talent in their tag team division, this match proves that when the right elements combine there can still be epic matches that take your breath away.
Drew McIntyre and Dolph Ziggler faced off with the Shield in a brutal contest that practically stole the show on a night of big matches. Highlights include a brutal slugfest between Dean Ambrose and Drew McIntyre, a top rope stun gun by Ambrose to Ziggler, and Seth Rollins hitting a standing enziguri. After the match, the victorious Drew McIntyre carried a slumbering Ziggler back to the locker room.
#8. Ricochet vs. Adam Cole, NXT North American Title match
The Time: Sat, Aug 18th 2018
The Place: WWE NXT Takeover Brooklyn Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York
The Stakes: The NXT North American Championship.
Match Rating (Via Wrestling Observer Newsletter): 4.5 stars
The newly minted NXT North American championship was won by Adam Cole, who vowed to hang on to it at any cost. Ricochet had only been in NXT for a short time but had already created a great deal of buzz via his feud and spectacular match with Velveteen Dream.
The two former indie darlings locked up, and it was nothing short of epic. Highlights include Ricochet's dazzling over the top rope corkscrew plancha, a devastating frankensteiner off the turnbuckle, and Adam Cole hitting a Sweet Chin Music on Ricochet as he rotated mid-air during a moonsault attempt.
#9. Tommaso Ciampa vs. Johnny Gargano NXT Championship
The Time: Sat, Aug 18th 2018
The Place: WWE NXT Takeover Brooklyn Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York
The Stakes: The NXT Championship, but the heated rivalry and emotionally charged hatred between the former tag team partners was the real draw here.
Match Rating (Via Wrestling Observer Newsletter): 4.5 stars.
Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano broke into the wrestling business together, trained together, and became fast friends over the course of their independent careers.
When they signed with NXT, it was only natural that they would form a tag team. DIY was one of the most popular tandem units that the brand had ever seen. With a combination of technical skill and martial arts striking, they took on teams twice their size and came out on top.
However, all good things must come to an end, and when they pair lost their NXT tag team titles it was Ciampa who snapped. He attacked his former partner, but a knee injury put their feud on the back burner for some time.
When they finally collided, it was nothing short of brilliant. Highlights include brutal striking, Ciampa hitting multiple knees, and Gargano losing the match because he compromised himself and his integrity.
#10. Six-Way Ladder Match - NXT North American Title (EC3, Killian Dain, Lars Sullivan, Ricochet, The Velveteen Dream, and Adam Cole)
The Time: Sat, Apr 7th 2018
The Place: Smoothie King Center (Formerly New Orleans Arena), New Orleans, Louisiana
The Stakes: The Newly minted NXT North American championship.
Match Rating (Via Wrestling Observer Newsletter): 5 stars.
In a match as wild as it was unpredictable, six of the best pro wrestlers in WWE faced off for the NXT North American championship. Between human highlight reel Ricochet, red-hot superstar Velveteen Dream, and the technical precision of Adam Cole, the match was filled with magnificent spots and false finishes that had the crowd on their feet.
Highlights include Ricochet delivering an amazing shooting star press from the ring to the outside, Velveteen Dream hitting a flying elbow on just about everyone, and EC3 hitting a cutter from off of the ladder. The match deserves every bit of its five-star rating.
There you have it: Ten of the best WWE matches of 2018. Did your favourite make the list? Please comment below, and thanks for reading!
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