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With another year of ups and downs coming to an end for the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), it's that time of the year where people ponder upon what went right and wrong over the past year.
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While WWE hasn't been doing great lately in terms of ratings, there were a number of great matches that the WWE Universe were able to witness and remember for a very long time.
With lack of creative storylines and repetitive feuds, the main roster has seemingly failed to captivate the audience with the bookings and has gradually lead to an increase in the number of admirers for the Triple H-led NXT.
We take a look back at some of the best bouts that took place within the squared ring in 2018.
#5 Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa (NXT Takeover: New Orleans)
Former DIY team-mates, Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano have been at each other ever since the former turned on him after their loss to the Authors of Pain at NXT TakeOver: Chicago.
They have easily been part of the most intense and perfect feud NXT and possibly WWE has ever witnessed with a materialistic and well-built narrative and superlative performances whenever they met inside the ring.
With Johnny Gargano in the middle of an NXT Championship feud with the then-champion Andrade 'Cien' Almas, Ciampa showed up and cost Gargano not only the title but also his job.
This ultimately lead to their insane battle at NXT TakeOver: New Orleans where they took each other to the extreme limits.
This was an unsanctioned match with each of the competitor's technical ability on full display. The match was more than just life for a perennial underdog such as Gargano who was fighting for his job as well.
The uses of the symbolic crutches within the match were key to the storytelling and was what propelled the feud towards excellence.
With Gargano winning the match, he was thereby reinstated and would always be remembered as the victor of an amazing match against Ciampa.
#4 Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka (Wrestlemania 34)
This was the dream match as far as the Women's division was concerned with two of the best women squaring off for the ultimate prize at the grandest stage of them all - WrestleMania.
After winning the first ever Women's Royal Rumble match, Asuka decided to challenge then-Smackdown Women's Champion, Charlotte Flair at Wrestlemania. With high expectations upon both of the female superstars, they did not disappoint.
Inspite of WWE Creative's controversial decision to hand Asuka her first loss in WWE since her arrival at the company, it was a 13-minute treat for everyone present in the arena.
With spots involving Charlotte's moonsault being countered and Asuka trying to sell Charlotte's 'injured' arm, the match had it all.
Asuka did tap out in the end to Flair's Figure Eight culminating in an artistic match between two of the best women's competitors in WWE right now.
#3 NXT North American Championship Ladder Match (NXT TakeOver: New Orleans)
NXT has put up far better matches when compared to those of the main roster in 2018. One match that would definitely count in NXT's favour was the epic North American Championship Ladder match involving Richochet, Adam Cole, EC 3, The Velveteen Dream, Killian Dain and Lars Sullivan.
The first thing that comes into any WWE fan's mind on envisioning a ladder match is high-flying moves.
With only one prolific high-flyer in the match, the match was more than anything one would have expected it to be. The match was complete with impressive storytelling and captivating moves on display.
Elbows from Velveteen Dream were cheered vividly with the much-anticipated clash between Dain and Sullivan fulfilling it's potential.
However, the spectacle of the match had to be the jump off the ladder by Ricochet onto his fellow challengers that just blew the crowd away.
Each competitor seemed to be just a few seconds away from being crowned champion at different occasions but it had to be Adam Cole in the end.
Eventually, he climbed up the ladder and became the inaugural North American Champion, cementing himself into NXT folklore.
#2 Seth Rollins vs. The Miz (Backlash)
The feud between the Miz and Seth Rollins was one of the highlights of Monday Night Raw for the better part of the year.
With the Intercontinental Championship being exchanged back and forth between the two, the war ended with a fitting performance between both of them at Backlash.
After winning the Intercontinental Championship at Wrestlemania 34, Rollins had to face the Miz at Backlash.
With two of the Raw's best in-ring performers and on-the-mic personalities pitted against each other, it was surely going to end well for the WWE. Their battle at Backlash just solidified their positions as top guys in the industry.
It was the best main-roster match of the year and involved superior storytelling such as the Architect slamming his leg on to post and selling a subsequent submission move by the Miz. The body language of both competitors was impressive.
With Seth Rollins displaying enormous reserves of grit during the match, he picked up the pin-fall victory over the A-Lister thus concluded their much-acclaimed battle.
#1 Johnny Gargano vs. Andrade "Cien" Almas (NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia)
On a night of amazing matches, the main event was the highlight at the NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia!
Johnny Gargano took on the then-NXT champion, Andrade 'Cien' Almas in the best match in WWE of 2018. It will forever be counted among all time great matches and why not? It had absolutely everything in it.
The match lasted for over 30 minutes with both Gargano and Almas initially going slow on each other with masterful displays of technical counters.
The presence of both Zelina Vega and Candice Le Rae and their mini-battle outside the ring added to the delight of the crowd.
Almas, a third-generation superstar was able to pick up the win over a visibly dejected Gargano, who had given in his best efforts.
The aftermath of the match involved Ciampa viciously attacking Gargano, this initiating the start of their epic rivalry.
With this match, Gargano had announced himself as one of NXT's top stars and would go on to have several critically acclaimed matches with the likes of Alastair Black and Tommaso Ciampa whereas Almas was drafted to Smackdown Live.
