10 of the best WWE matches in 2018

#3. AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe, WWE Championship

AJ Styles takes on Samoa Joe in an emotionally charged match for the 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.