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It's the end of the year. Who were the winners and losers in pro wrestling 2018?
The dawn of a new year approaches. It's a time to reflect upon the many changes that 2018 has wrought, both good and bad.
In many ways, 2018 has been one of the wildest in pro wrestling history. Not since the fall of WCW and the end of the Monday Night Wars has so much happened in so little time. The WWE continued its global expansion and dominance, even as a slew of new--and some old--challengers appeared to cut a piece of its market share. Some wrestlers returned from injury or semi-retirement to thrill the fans, and some were sadly put on the shelf.
Then there are the tabloid-worthy tales of some wrestlers and former wrestlers that really make social media buzz. Fans are following along and connecting with their favorite pro wrestling superstars at an ever-increasing rate. Some stars have risen, and meteorically at that, while others have fallen just as fast.
Here are five wrestlers who had a great 2018, and five who probably are glad the year is finally over!
Had a good 2018: Ricochet
The artist formerly known as Prince Puma finally arrived in the WWE, something that fans had been anticipating for years.
As often happens when an indie darling makes their arrival in the world's largest pro wrestling organization, his advent was treated with trepidation and eagerness in equal measure. Fans were excited to see him perform in a WWE ring for the first time, but also worried that--like so many others before him--he would fail to resonate with the WWE audience.
Those fears are surely put to rest by now. Ricochet was catapulted into a feud with NXT's fastest rising homegrown talent, the Velveteen Dream, and their match at Takeover was considered an instant classic.
Then there's the fact that Ricochet defeated Adam Cole--who had a ton of momentum--and took his NXT North American championship. With several five star title defenses to his credit, Ricochet definitely had a winning 2018.
Will 2019 be good to him as well?: Signs point to 'yes.' Ricochet is currently the North American champion, and will likely finish out the year wearing the belt, giving him huge momentum in the coming year.
Had a rough 2018: Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns certainly had a tough year, despite the fact that he main evented Wrestlemania, pinned a man who hadn't been beat in over a year, and won the WWE Universal title.
But if you take a closer look at his 2018, you can see why he might be glad that it's finally over. For one, his performance against Brock Lesnar at Wrestlemania 34 was widely criticized by both fans and critics. At the biggest event for the most prestigious wrestling organization in the world, if the fans are chanting 'this is awful,' you know you have problems.
Roman's polarizing effect on the fans was in full effect, with a split between his haters and supporters growing more apparent. Still, he did win the Universal, and that might have made him at least feel he'd broken even...if it weren't for the specter of illness. Roman Reign's Leukemia diagnosis was shocking heartbreaking, and we can't help but feel a great swell of sympathy for the Big Dog.
Will his 2019 be better?: At this point, it's all up in the air. If Roman can defeat his cancer a second time, it will be a better year by default. The odds are against Roman getting back in the ring anytime soon, but he could make a comeback by the end of 2019.
Had a great 2018: Cody Rhodes
When Cody Rhodes announced his departure from the WWE, voluntarily ending his relationship with the organization, many fans and critics scratched their heads. Those same doubters straight up scoffed when he proposed the unthinkable; To hold an independent wrestling show and sell out a 10,000 seat arena.
But to everyone's surprise, except possibly Cody's, the All In event was a huge success. Cody raised both his stock and that of independent wrestling by a hundredfold, and proved that he had more than just wrestling ability, but could shine as a booker and producer as well.
With his ROH contract coming to an end, there has been much speculation as to where Cody will end up. Will he re-sign with WWE? Start his own wrestling promotion, as has been rumored? Fans and critics are dying of curiosity to see his next move, which is a great place for him to be in.
Will 2019 be good to him as well?: Most likely yes. Cody has a ton of momentum, a lot of social media game and the eyes of the wrestling world are on him. Unless he gets injured or makes a huge professional or personal mistake, he is going to have another great year.
Had a rough 2018: Enzo Amore
The bizarre tabloid fodder that has become Enzo Amore's life is surreal, disturbing, and disappointing to his fans in equal measure.
Enzo started 2018 in what seemed like a good position; He was the reigning cruiserweight champion of WWE, ostensibly the star of 205 Live, and was involved in several high profile story lines.
However, beneath the surface, his career was careening toward disaster. His immature behavior backstage had gotten him kicked out of the locker room, and his propensity for making bad decisions wound up costing him his job; He failed to notify WWE that he was under investigation for sexual assault. Enzo was cleared of all charges, but due to his failure to let his bosses know, he was released.
Then he got kicked off of an airplane for vaping, and then he showed up at a WWE Pay per view in the audience and was taken down by a female security guard half his size.
Enzo has to be glad that 2018 is almost over!
Will 2019 be any better for him?: We wish Enzo nothing but the best, but based on his past behavior and poor decision making skills, we're betting his career will get worse before it gets better.
Had a great 2018: AJ Styles
In the world of professional wrestling, you can never say never.
Like, for example, you shouldn't say "AJ Styles will never work for WWE."
Also, you should avoid saying "AJ Might work for WWE, but he'll never be champion." Don't forget "AJ Might be champion, but he will never have a memorable run."
As it turns out, AJ had no trouble getting over with the WWE Universe. In a rare move, WWE had him bypass NXT completely and instead make his debut at the Royal Rumble as a surprise entrant. From there he would feud with industry heavyweights like John Cena, and wound up wearing the Smackdown Live world championship for nearly a year.
AJ continues to dazzle and impress in a WWE ring, which is as pleasing as it is surprising to long time wrestling fans.
Will 2019 be just as good to him?: AJ Styles is on the top of the world right now, even though he recently lost his title to Daniel Bryan he is still the number one draw on Smackdown, and possibly all of WWE. With that much momentum, and a dream Wrestlemania 35 match in the works, things look good for Mr. Styles.
Had a rough 2018: Todd Hanson
Ten-year veteran Todd Smith, better known to the wrestling world as Hanson, was once over three hundred pounds and not the least bit graceful.
However, he suffered a knee injury which forced him into an aggressive rehab routine. As part of his routine, he started doing yoga, changed his diet and training methods, and came back to the squared circle leaner, meaner, and more determined than ever. He formed a top draw tag team with Raymond Rowe, War Machine, and captured gold all over the globe.
When War Machine were signed to NXT, fans were salivating in anticipation of their arrival. However, the duo had some missteps early on. Their War Raiders gimmick doesn't seem to have caught on as well as their War Machine gimmick did in ROH and New Japan. They have yet to gain solid wins over established teams like Undisputed Era, and are having a hard time filling the shoes left vacant by the Authors of Pain.
To add injury to insult, Hanson suffered several calamities at the War Games Takeover event and is now on the shelf indefinitely. Todd Hanson could have had a better 2018.
Will 2019 treat him any better?: Given that the fans are starting to warm up to War Raiders, and his injuries aren't career threatening, we believe that Hanson will wind up having a much better year in 2019.
Had a great 2018: Hulk Hogan
The Immortal Hulk Hogan has had his share of ups and downs in his career, but the last several years have seen a lot of drama for the former WWE champion.
After his fall from grace due to his tabloid fodder leaked video with a friend's wife, and the racially charged comments he made upon said video, many believed that Hogan's career was a complete wash. He was suspended from the WWE Hall of Fame and his marketability suffered even as he raked in the cash on a billion dollar settlement from Gawker.
But 2018 was the year of his resurrection. He was reinstated into the WWE Hall of Fame, wound up working for the company and teased the return of the NWO with a series of videos. His appearance at Crown Jewel seems to have reinvigorated the Hulkster, and he's tweeting with the best of them about how 'huge, jacked, and swole' he looks compared to the WWE Roster.
Will 2019 be good for him as well?: We'd have to say yes. While there are some grumblings in the WWE locker room concerning his return, most agree that when Hogan is around business always picks up.
Had a rough 2018: Dalton Castle
It's truly a new era in pro wrestling. Whereas wrestlers like Exotic Adrian Street, Goldust, and Gorgeous George were booed because of their alternative lifestyle shenanigans, Dalton Castle has been greeted with nothing but cheers.
His athleticism, work ethic, and amateur wrestling background have helped propel him to the top of ROH just as much as his outlandish gimmick. However, 2018 wasn't the greatest for Mr. Castle.
Almost right off the bat, the former ROH world champion suffered a back injury that limited his performance in the ring, and it is believed he had other health issues as well. He was forced to drop the ROH title to Jay Lethal and has only recently begun to wrestle without a back support belt.
Will 2019 treat him any better?: It looks like yes. Dalton's body is healing, the fans are still rabid for him, and rumor has it the WWE is very, very interested in acquiring his services. No matter what, we're betting he'll have a better time of it next year.
Had a great 2018: Daniel Bryan
In the world of professional wrestling, everyone loves a good comeback story, and there are few filled with the ups and downs, trials and tribulations, and false starts than Daniel Bryan.
The 'garden gnome' fought his way to unprecedented popularity by a combination of grit, technical wrestling ability, and sheer determination. He was forced to take a long hiatus from the ring due to injury, but he was finally cleared to wrestle again in 2018.
Since then Bryan has turned heel and captured the Smackdown Live championship from AJ Styles. His new persona seems to be serving him well, and he has a ton of momentum going into the coming year.
Will 2019 be good to him as well?: Bryan has been like a caged lion, pacing about anxiously waiting for his chance to sink his teeth into the competition. Now that he's cleared to wrestle, we'd say there's nothing that can stand in his way of having a great 2019.
Had a rough 2018: Asuka
After a massively successful run on NXT, big things were expected out of Asuka when she made her main roster debut.
However, it seemed like WWE was reluctant to push her as hard as they had previously. She was downgraded from the flagship show to the Smackdown Live program--which, despite statements to the contrary, is considered the 'b' show by management.
Once there, she challenged Charlotte at Wrestlemania 34, only to be beaten cleanly by submission. Robbed of her undefeated streak--and some say, much of the mystique surrounding her character--she has since struggled to stay relevant in a women's division that is stacked from top to bottom. Asuka will probably not look back on 2018 as one of her better years.
Will 2019 be any better for her?: We are hoping so. Asuka seems to be getting back into her groove, and giving stellar and dominant performances once again.
There you have it; Five wrestlers who had a great 2018, and five who did not. Questions or comments? Please leave them below the article, and as always thanks for reading!
