The 25 best WWE matches of 2018 so far

Unbelievably, 2018 is half over. It hasn't been WWE's best year. The programming has stalled and no main roster feud has been impressive. That's a damning indictment for a full six months into the year.

Nevertheless, we've still managed to get some great wrestling. 2018 has mostly been the year of NXT, but the main roster pulled off some magic and gave us some gems in a sea of many duds.

Note that this list isn't yet a ranking. That will come at the end of the year. Instead, this is a census of the matches from the first half of 2018 that will be in the "match of the year" conversations this December. The list comes in the order that the matches happened.

I invite you to make your own lists in the comments below.

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#1 Aleister Black vs. Adam Cole (NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia)

A brutal hardcore match that nearly stole the show on January 27th, Aleister Black suffered a beating that he hadn't experienced before. Adam Cole quickly found himself outmatched without the use of weapons, so naturally, he got some.

The spots were intense. Adam Cole gagged Aleister Black on a kendo stick. He whacked him in mid-air. He kicked a chair into his face that sent him crashing from the turnbuckle through a table below.

The Undisputed Era and SAnitY got involved and things got even more chaotic from there. No pun intended!

Eventually, Adam Cole would meet the Black Mass, which was more devastating than any weapon, for the pinfall.

The character work by both men in this match was on par with the weapons spots. Adam Cole's arrogance met Aleister Black's stoic demeanor, with the latter practically begging him to try and use a weapon. Their standoff with the kendo sticks almost looked like a sword duel.

#2 Johnny Gargano vs. Andrade "Cien" Almas (NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia)

It would have been hard for anyone to follow the Aleister Black vs. Adam Cole match which had just taken place, but follow it this match did! A very early contender for the best match of 2018, Johnny Gargano and Andrade "Cien" Almas earned a very rare five star rating from Dave "Tokyo Dome" Meltzer.

This bout wasn't a war, but a masterful technical contest that lasted a full 30 minutes. High impact reversal met high impact reversal, while Zelina Vega's constant presence basically made it a handicap match for the lovable "Johnny Wrestling."

Eventually, Johnny Gargano's wife, Candice LeRae, would make an unforgettable debut and get involved, chasing Zelina Vega around and neutralizing her presence. It wouldn't be enough, however, as Gargano would ultimately suffer another heartbreaking loss.

Things got even worse from there, though, as Tommaso Ciampa returned, smacking him with a crutch just when TakeOver was going off the air.

#3 Pete Dunne vs. Roderick Strong (NXT, February 14th)

This was the start in a long friendship-turned-rivalry that has yet to be resolved. The two men worked marvelously together as Pete Dunne worked Roderick Strong's arm and hand and kept him grounded to prevent him from using his patented backbreakers. That didn't stop Strong from hitting Dunne hard though, or vice versa.

Ultimately, after both men exchanged one hard shot after another, Dunne would win the match. Their subsequent frenemy relationship has been one of the drivers on NXT in the months since.

#4 Seth Rollins vs. Roman Reigns vs. John Cena vs. Elias vs. Finn Balor vs. The Miz vs. Braun Strowman in a gauntlet match (Raw, February 19th)

This was a way to build up hype for their upcoming seven-man Elimination Chamber match, but it easily exceeded it. This was a blistering contest that produced probably the best two hours Raw ever will in 2018.

Seth Rollins was the star, as he went an hour, defeating both John Cena and Roman Reigns on the same night, and in a row. It was the start of his upward trajectory that's seen him become the hottest act on the main roster in 2018. He was ultimately eliminated by Elias.

From there, the match stalled, but it picked up in the end with The Miz and Braun Strowman, who was super over and delighted the crowd by squashing his opponent and the Miztourage.

#5 Johnny Gargano vs. Andrade "Cien" Almas (NXT, February 21st)

Whenever these two enter the ring together, there's magic to be made. This contest wasn't far inferior to their TakeOver: Philadelphia classic. The stakes were elevated, too, because it was title for career. If Johnny Gargano lost, he would leave NXT.

Most notably, this is the one match where Johnny Gargano looked like he was finally ready to dispatch his rival. The Gargano Escape was locked in right in the middle of the ring. Zelina Vega was nowhere to be found, as Candice LeRae had chased her away.

That's where Tommaso Ciampa struck again!

He screwed Johnny Gargano out of what looked like a sure win, getting him fired in the process, and setting the table for their showdown to come.

#6 Drew Gulak vs. Mustafa Ali (205 Live, March 20th)

This was the best match of the Cruiserweight Championship tournament. Storytelling and ring action combined to create a thrilling contest.

Drew Gulak snapped throughout the tournament, shedding his political campaigning and becoming a pure wrestler that had no qualms about hurting people. Mustafa Ali called Gulak a bully and vowed to end his run.

It didn't look like it at first, and the idea that WrestleMania would see a Cruiserweight title match between two babyfaces had me skeptical, but that added to the trill of the contest, and ultimately, Ali's win after a hard-fought battle that spilled outside many times.

#7 Adam Cole vs. EC3 vs. Killian Dain vs. Lars Sullivan vs. Ricochet vs. Velveteen Dream (NXT TakeOver: New Orleans)

This match was insane. There's really no other word to describe it. In my opinion, it was the greatest ladder match since TLC II at WrestleMania 17.

Each man played up his character to perfection in the brutal spots. Ricochet was the high flyer (who could forget him jumping onto Lars Sullivan's back?). Sullivan and Dain bruised about, crushing ladders and their opponents with them. The vainglorious Velveteen Dream captured all attention with his elbow spots. Adam Cole and EC3 were the slimy heels who looked for any advantage they could get.

Eventually, Adam Cole would take advantage of his downed and dazed opponents, climb to the top, and claim the honor of being the first-ever North American Champion.

#8 Aleister Black vs. Andrade "Cien" Almas (NXT TakeOver: New Orleans)

This was a showdown between the two most dominant forces in NXT. Aleister Black had only suffered one unclean loss. Andrade "Cien" Almas hadn't been defeated since joining forces with Zelina Vega nearly a year earlier. Their clash was inevitable, with the yellow brand's biggest prize on the line.

Aleister Black was taken to the limit like we hadn't seen before. Almas was vicious and Zelina Vega's presence again made this more akin to a handicap match than a singles bout. She crashed Black into the ring steps. She spiked his head on the mat with a hurricanrana. She saved her client from the first Black Mass.

However, Almas and Vega's usual tricks weren't working on Aleister Black like they had on Johnny Gargano, which led to Zelina Vega making a crucial mistake.

She interfered one time too many, leading to Aleister Black landing the Black Mass on her client and becoming the 13th NXT Champion.

#9 Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa (NXT TakeOver: New Orleans)

A year in the making, this match delivered everything we hoped for and then some. Though 2018 still has another half yet to run, this contest is thus far my choice for match of the year, and it will take greatness indeed to top it.

This was an unsanctioned match, but the use of weapons was surprisingly minimal. It was mostly a technical classic that gave us near fall after near fall, keeping us on the edge of our seats. If Johnny Gargano successfully dispatched his rival, he would be reinstated to NXT, so the match was even more important.

The storytelling climaxed when crutches and Ciampa's knee brace were introduced into the ring. Both had significance to their blood feud. Johnny Gargano's initial hesitation to use the crutch as a weapon, and then ultimately tapping Tommaso Ciampa out with the use of his knee brace, were masterful.

It was a combination of technical wizardry and ring storytelling that hadn't been seen since Stone Cold Steve Austin and Bret Hart.

#10 Seth Rollins vs. Finn Balor vs. The Miz (WrestleMania 34)

The feud was randomly thrown together, but it was one of the highlights of WrestleMania, opening it full throttle. The work rate in this match never slowed as all three competitors are fast-paced superstars.

It helped that The Miz was on the verge of passing the record for most total days as Intercontinental Champion, so the stakes were raised.

While the triple threat format didn't lend to much character work being shown in the match (in contrast with a certain other match we'll soon discuss), suspense was kept at a maximum as many times in the affair, you didn't know whether Seth Rollins, Finn Balor, or The Miz would walk away with the victory, because they were constantly on the move.

Eventually, Seth Rollins would hit two Curbstomps on Miz and Rollins to pick up the win and his first Intercontinental Championship.

#11 Asuka vs. Charlotte Flair (WrestleMania 34)

This was the best women's match in WrestleMania history. For 13 minutes, the two most dominant women in the company went head to head, after a spectacular entrance from Charlotte, I might add.

There were several crazy spots. Asuka reversing Charlotte's moonsault into a triangle choke is always going to be remembered. For a while, it looked like the Empress had the advantage, as Charlotte's arm was injured. However, she couldn't get in the Asuka Lock.

Charlotte, on the other hand, locked in the Figure Eight, causing Asuka to tap in seconds, despite having an injured arm. The anticlimactic ending was the only poor part of this match.

Unfortunately, this is the only women's match that's a legitimate match of the year candidate so far. Hopefully things will pick up in the second half of the year. The arrival of Io Shirai and the second Mae Young Classic gives us reason to hope.

#12 Triple H and Stephanie McMahon vs. Kurt Angle and Ronda Rousey (WrestleMania 34)

I didn't have high hopes for this match, but Ronda Rousey's in-ring debut was better than anything I'd ever dreamed. Sure, the match was choreographed down to the minutest detail, but it was a smash hit. Everyone in it looked like a star, even Stephanie McMahon.

The action was all over the place as complete chaos descended in the entire ringside area. In the ring, out of the ring, it didn't matter! The crowd was electric as Ronda chased Stephanie around. It came even more alive when she laid a beating on Triple H, as intergender violence is an extreme rarity in today's WWE.

The result was what we expected going in. Ronda Rousey tapped Stephanie McMahon in the armbar. Predictable outcomes don't make them bad though. This was a blast from bell to bell.

#13 Finn Balor vs. Seth Rollins (Raw, April 30th)

These two have clashed numerous times in 2018 alone, but this match was by far the best of them all. It was a hard-hitting, back and forth affair with several believable near falls that had the crowd on its collective feet.

Though it didn't look like it at times, Seth Rollins would win and retain his Intercontinental Championship. That was obvious, but this match made you believe that it wasn't, which is everything you'd want in a great match.

#14 Seth Rollins vs. The Miz (Backlash)

In what was probably the best main roster match to date this year, Seth Rollins retained his Intercontinental Championship against The Miz at an otherwise terrible Backlash pay per view. That wasn't a surprise, but much like with Finn Balor before, this match made you believe that somehow it wouldn't be.

The highlight came when Seth Rollins banged his knee on the post and The Miz put him in the Figure Four. He looked astonished when Seth Rollins refused to submit and was prepared to fight back. More than anything else, those priceless facial expressions will be remembered from this match.

#15 Cedric Alexander vs. Mustafa Ali (205 Live, May 29th)

The main events of 205 Live have been consistently of pay per view quality, and this one was the best of them all. It had the benefit of already having a big fight feel before the bell rang. Buddy Murphy had established himself as the juggernaut of the division, and in my opinion, he should have won this match and the purple strap. He was far hotter going into it than Cedric Alexander.

The finish didn't take away anything from the match, though. Murphy was able to keep up with Alexander's agility even at his size, which was a highlight in itself. The action went back and forth for the longest time, and there were no finisher kickouts. Both guys simply tried to hit their finisher, with Alexander being successful.

If only the crowd were hotter, this could have been even better.

#16 Pete Dunne vs. Kyle O'Reilly (NXT, June 13th)

There's not much in Pete Dunne's arsenal that's overly flashy. He has a very technical style, but his performances are always can't-miss.

What makes Dunne so brilliant is that he's always doing something. There's no pure resthold with him. If he's got a guy on the ground, he's breaking their fingers or adding some punches into the hold. Add in some stiff strikes when he's standing and you have a style that adds up to much more than the sum of its parts.

Kyle O'Reilly has a similar game. He's always moving and has holds that come from nowhere which look really cool.

So you add these two together and you're guaranteed for a great match. That's what we got in this hard-hitting contest that Pete Dunne ultimately prevailed in.

#17 Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch vs. The Undisputed Era (NXT TakeOver: Chicago II)

This was by far the best tag team match of 2018 to date. That isn't exactly hard to do this year, but this one was easily better than many of last year's tag team classics as well.

At the start of the action, Chicago was thoroughly on the Undisputed Era's side, despite their being heels. No one really believed that Lorcan and Burch were anything more than filler opponents. That all changed during the action, as the duo won Chicago over to their side and got a standing ovation at the end.

That usually means a match has been outstanding, and hopefully it will act as a springboard to give the pair more prominence.

#18 Velveteen Dream vs. Ricochet (NXT TakeOver: Chicago II)

This wasn't quite the match that many of us were expecting, but it still delivered a massive spectacle nonetheless. As one would expect from Velveteen Dream, a lot of character work and taunts went into this match. Dream was trying to do the things that Ricochet could do and kept failing to impress as much - his flips were notably slower, for example.

Velveteen Dream got more frustrated as he couldn't quite put his opponent away, yelling that he was "a wrestling god" over and over again. This attitude would ultimately cause Dream to make the mistake that cost him the match - he tried the Purple Rainmaker across the ring and failed, allowing Ricochet to hit his 630 Senton for the win.

#19 Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa (NXT TakeOver: Chicago II)

While this one (probably, depending on your opinion) wasn't as good as their meeting in New Orleans, it came very, very close. This match was probably the most brutal weapons match in recent WWE history. It kicked into hyperspace when Ciampa began tearing apart the ring.

The weapons weren't the only highlight, either, as Ciampa proved once again that he's the best heel in the business today. He took Johnny Gargano's wedding ring off, spit on it, and threw it away. Gargano responded by reversing what happened to him in Chicago a year prior and putting Ciampa through tables.

He had the match won, but became like Ciampa in order to lay more punishment on his former best friend, ultimately paying for it.

Brutality and storytelling combined to make this another masterpiece in one of the best feuds in WWE history.

#20 AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (Money in the Bank)

The Styles/Nakamura rivalry often disappointed, but the matches got better each time. The final match at Money in the Bank was the best. It had a slow start, but the final few minutes were blistering.

When the tables and chairs came out, things got real. The use of callbacks with Styles kicking Nakamura in the nuts were well-placed and, unlike the match at Backlash, didn't detract from the contest at all.

AJ Styles would ultimately drive Shinsuke Nakamura through the announcer's table with the Phenomenal Forearm to end their feud and retain his WWE Championship.

#21 Daniel Bryan vs. Big E vs. Samoa Joe vs. The Miz vs. Rusev in a gauntlet match (SmackDown, June 19th)

WWE has been doing a lot of gauntlet matches this year, but I'm not complaining. This was even better than Raw's gauntlet match, because it didn't stall at all. It was full throttle from start to finish and everyone was booked well.

Big E looked great in taking the fight to Daniel Bryan. Samoa Joe was protected in defeat by being counted out. Further teases for The Miz and Daniel Bryan's feud came when the former took advantage of a dazed Bryan to hit the Skull Crushing Finale.

And speaking of finales, Rusev's shocking victory sent everyone home happy and put a glimmer of hope that he's finally turned the corner, or at least that the company is willing to give him a chance to see how he does in the main event.

It was the best of a hot streak SmackDown's (mostly) been on since WrestleMania.

#22 British Strong Style vs. The Undisputed Era (United Kingdom Championship Tournament)

This was the best six man tag match of the year so far. The Undisputed Era just has a knack for rising to the big occasions. It's not like British Strong Style is far behind, either.

In addition to fast-paced, nonstop action, the storytelling was on point as well. Pete Dunne was still looking for revenge on Roderick Strong due to his betrayal.

All six competitors got their spots in during a wild, raucous ride. Numerous false finishes sent Royal Albert Hall into a frenzy, but ultimately the hometown heroes prevailed.

It was also a nice full circle story to see Tyler Bate and Pete Dunne turned into allies in the same building they were once rivals in.

#23 Zack Gibson vs. Travis Banks (United Kingdom Championship Tournament)

This year's UK tournament final was even better than last year's. Zack Gibson played the impeccable heel against Travis Banks. The two tore each other apart and we saw a sequence of false finishes that left Royal Albert Hall on its toes.

Banks' arm was injured before the match began, which helped Gibson a lot since his finisher is an arm submission hold. The first time he got the hold in, it looked like the match was over, but Gibson bit his hand and refused to submit.

That's when we got the false finishes. Ultimately, Gibson locked in his submission for the third time and Banks was forced to tap out. The heel to the end, Gibson taunted his opponent and refused to shake his hand.

#24 Aleister Black and Ricochet vs. Velveteen Dream and EC3 (United Kingdom Championship Tournament)

This was just a boatload of fun. Take four performers that are super over, have them play mind games with each other, and watch them wrestle, and you're in for an excellent match.

The action was fast-paced and thrilling. What looked like a slow start proved only a small deception. The commentary hyped up any pinfall which might occur on the champion, Aleister Black, saying that it would put EC3 or Velveteen Dream in title contention.

There were a number of 2 and 7/8ths near falls on Aleister Black, which sent Royal Albert Hall into a frenzy. Eventually, Dream would abandon his partner, and EC3 would eat the Black Mass for the loss.

#25 Pete Dunne vs. Zack Gibson (United Kingdom Championship Tournament)

While not as good as the tournament final, this was still a great match. It was almost unthinkable to the London crowd that Pete Dunne could lose his title so close to the UK division's launch, but Zack Gibson made believers out of them as the match went on and on. Gibson kicking out of the first Bitter End certainly upped his credibility.

When Pete Dunne was locked in Gibson's submission in the middle of the ring, it looked like it was over. The Bruiserweight almost tapped his hand to the mat, but stopped himself in mid-air.

He would eventually get a rope break, a second bitter end, and the victory. His 400+ day title reign continues.

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What was your favorite match of 2018? Comment below.