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June was filled to the brim with many awesome matches, even as the WWE main roster content continued to stagnate. The coinciding of a TakeOver and the UK tournament special guaranteed a month that would be eventful, but Money in the Bank had a deceptively good action that belied what looked like a weak card on paper.
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Despite a last-ditch valiant effort from the main roster, NXT took the vast majority of June's best matches. Still, the main roster didn't slouch off this month (at least in terms of putting on good matches). Ordinarily, we'd see the likes of Dolph Ziggler vs. Seth Rollins in here. They were just up against some very stiff competition indeed, falling just short.
As a result, it was hard to pick the matches that should populate this month's top 10 list, but these were the ones that ultimately made the landing.
#10 Toni Storm vs. Shayna Baszler (United Kingdom Championship Tournament)
This was by far Shayna Baszler's best match as a full-time NXT superstar, and while a lot of praise has to go to Toni Storm for making that happen, the NXT Women's Champion was certainly no slouch in the affair.
If there's one strongest aspect of the champion's game, it's in her ability to project her character in the ring, and Shayna Baszler tearing Toni Storm's joints apart made for a great face vs. heel dynamic as the hot London crowd got more and more invested in the latter's prospect of success. When Toni Storm hit her finisher on the champion, London got very hot, but alas, it was only a near fall. Toni even managed to escape Shayna's choke. This was something which only Kairi Sane previously managed to do in the Mae Young Classic final. Storm went outside the ring, where Shayna choked her again and took a count out victory.
That level of protection suggests that the company is very high indeed on Toni Storm, who will likely anchor the UK women's division going forward and have a good run in the Mae Young Classic this summer. In fact, she has to be considered one of the favourites to win the thing.
#9 AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (Money in the Bank)
When looking back at the rivalry between AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura, which was so eagerly anticipated, this is the match that will be remembered. Their other matches disappointed but got steadily better. This one looked at first like it would disappoint, but like their rivalry itself, got steadily better until a blistering home stretch.
Low blows were used as storytelling devices instead of outs in this match, and the table spots were certainly memorable. Styles stood tall in the end. It was a satisfying conclusion to their rivalry which became very personal.
#8 Pete Dunne vs. Kyle O'Reilly (NXT, June 13th)
Two guys with a knack for brutal technical wrestling and high impact strikes got it on before NXT TakeOver: Chicago. Full Sail came alive as the two traded holds and kicks to close the go-home show out.
It also helped that the guys just have brutal auras about them, even if they aren't very big.
Ultimately Dunne would prevail in the contest, but not before O'Reilly had worked him very hard and traded some near falls.
#7 Aleister Black and Ricochet vs. EC3 and Velveteen Dream (United Kingdom Championship Tournament)
This was a fun, house-show style match, but that didn't stop the action from thrilling the crowd. The mind games traded between the two teams made everyone come alive and the action felt like it mattered because of how EC3 and Velveteen Dream almost pinned Aleister Black.
Velveteen Dream would also set up what appears to be a coming rivalry with EC3 like abandoning his partner, allowing Aleister Black to hit the Black Mass and get the victory.
#6 British Strong Style vs. The Undisputed Era (United Kingdom Championship Tournament)
A blistering six-man tag team match between three great wrestlers in front of a hot crowd is guaranteed to show off some fireworks. This one did that and then some.
Everybody in the match got their spots in. Tyler Bate was arguably the show stealer with his hard strikes, his aeroplane spin, and his hard strikes, but Pete Dunne shined alongside him, and the Undisputed Era always delivers.
British Strong Style emerged victorious, setting up Tyler Bate and Trend Seven's tag team victory the following night.
#5 Pete Dunne vs. Zack Gibson (United Kingdom Championship Tournament)
Zack Gibson had established himself as the hated heel in the tournament and rode that wave to victory. Pete Dunne was the top heel the year before but has since turned babyface. Dunne, however, isn't a happy-go-lucky, sympathetic figure. He lives up to his tagline as the Bruiserweight.
As such, both men battered and bruised each other to claim the UK Championship. While this match didn't quite rise to the level of Tyler Bate and Pete Dunne's classics last year, it was still very good. Dunne stopping himself from tapping in mid-air was an excellent touch.
He ultimately prevailed with the Bitter End.
#4 Gauntlet match: Daniel Bryan vs. Big E vs. Samoa Joe vs. The Miz vs. Rusev (SmackDown, June 19th)
All five parts of this gauntlet match were excellent. Everyone was protected in defeat, and no one's momentum was stalled. In fact, everyone came out of the match looking better than before, and it gave us great wrestling to boot.
Rusev's shocking win sent the crowd home happy, and while he won't win against AJ Styles at Extreme Rules, it's nice to see him get a main event spotlight. Hopefully, he can use it as a springboard for greater things to come.
#3 Zack Gibson vs. Travis Banks (United Kingdom Championship Tournament)
This was an excellent match with a perfect babyface vs. heel dynamic. Zack Gibson tore apart Travis Banks' previously injured arm, but the "Kiwi Buzzsaw" refused to submit, twice escaping Gibson's submission finisher. He hit some big moves of his own, only for his opponent to kick out of all of them.
Eventually, Gibson was able to lock in his submission for the third time, and this time, Banks had no choice.
Gibson's refusal to shake his opponent's hand in a sign of poor sportsmanship only put him over even more as a mega heel, and he'll likely be one of the top bad guys in NXT's UK division.
#2 Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch vs. The Undisputed Era (NXT TakeOver: Chicago II)
Easily the best tag team match of 2018 so far, it's a legitimate top 10 matches of the year contender regardless of division.
Lorcan and Burch weren't taken seriously as challengers before the match began, and Chicago was on the Undisputed Era's side, but slowly and surely, the unlikely #1 contenders turned the Windy City in their favour.
The false finishes, including the brilliant double submission attempt, had everyone in a frenzy, but ultimately NXT's most dominant stable got the job done and retained their gold.
#1 Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa (NXT TakeOver: Chicago II)
Once again, was there ever any doubt?
Johnny Wrestling and the blackheart had a monumental hill to climb in trying to equal their NXT TakeOver: New Orleans classic, but they came very, very close in the Chicago street fight.
For nearly 40 minutes, the two went to war, and it got very personal when Ciampa spit on Johnny Gargano's wedding ring and threw it away. Gargano put him through a table just like he was put through the year before but ultimately paid a steep price for wanting to continue the match.
Ciampa hit his rival with a DDT onto the exposed wood underneath the ring canvas to get his win back over his former best friend. The two are now tied 1 and 1, and a conclusion is definitely coming.
Do you agree with the list or would you like to change something? Let us know in the comments section below. You can also send us news tips at [email protected].
