Top 5 things about WWE in 2018

From Shawn Michaels' surprising in-ring return to Titus O Neil's unforgettable slip and slide moment from the Greatest Royal Rumble, it is safe to say that 2018 has been a very contrasting year for WWE.

Whether you like it or not, the show has offered a wide range of content this year, and despite a few setbacks, 2018 has also been quite an unexpected year for various reasons.

So without further ado, here are the top 5 best things about WWE in 2018.

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#5 The amount of nostalgia was off the charts

All in all, 2018 was quite a nostalgic year for WWE fans

The amount of nostalgia has been quite overwhelming for both good and bad reasons this year.

Even during the very beginning of 2018, we got RAW 25 and Royal Rumble, both events boasting a wide range of legends who came back for a specific reason. As a matter of fact, both male and female names from the past have made their mark for old times sake this year.

SmackDown Live 1000 also featured some legends, and who can forget the very controversial DX vs Brothers of Destruction feud that spanned a few months?

The list of names that returned this year is huge. But the main reason why the nostalgia felt too overwhelming is that it didn't happen at one specific point in 2018, the nostalgia was right there with us from the very beginning to the very end as we approach January 2019 already.

Even if the nostalgia was widely criticised by many people, it is still appreciable that we can look back at this one year as a bizarre point in time where old names from the past kept cropping up everywhere in the WWE.

#4 WWE Network's original content programming was impressive

WWE delivered on some original programming this year

One of the most important and appreciable things WWE has achieved this year is creating an original platform where fans can view their favourite WWE Superstars from a totally different perspective.

Whether it was Dean Ambrose's ground-breaking WWE Chronicle special, which managed to blend reality and fiction almost seamlessly, or AJ Styles' WWE 365 documentary, both are good examples of how the company has expanded its scope to various platforms other than the weekly wrestling shows we have gotten accustomed to.

Table For 3 and WWE Ride Along are some of the non-fictional shows which give us an insight into the lives of the people who spend a lot of time creating fictional stories for our entertainment purposes.

From the quirky Edge & Christian Show (Season 2) to the outlandish House of Hardy Halloween special, there is a wide range of original content available on WWE Network.

#3 Becky Lynch

Lynch has been one of the most popular stars WWE fans have embraced recently

If any WWE fan had a list of things to be thankful for when it comes to WWE, then Becky Lynch would've surely popped in those lists when it comes to 2018.

From being one of the most under-utilised and under-looked stars to becoming the hottest act in the current WWE landscape, Becky Lynch's popularity has skyrocketed through the ceiling during the latter half of this year.

Moreover, 'The Man' isn't looking to stop anytime soon. From having her '3:16' moment when Nia Jax accidentally broke her nose, to absolutely destroying everyone on Twitter, Becky Lynch is certainly the next big superstar after Daniel Bryan.

It is hard to fathom how good she is when given the full liberty to show her strengths on national television. Interestingly, Becky Lynch is also a part of the next best things WWE had to offer during 2018...

#2 We saw a major progress in the WWE Women's Evolution

The women's division saw a lot of opportunities and made a lot of moments in 2018

Honestly, we all know that there has always been criticism of WWE's execution when it comes to the women's division.

After all, claiming to make history by using a lot of 'tags' and boasting of changing the landscape of the women's division without actually properly executing the storylines has always been a problem in recent years.

However, it is safe to say that 2018 is a year where the women have finally delivered where others couldn't. For example, WWE spent a lot of time promoting and marketing Crown Jewel, a PPV riddled with controversy throughout.

Since WWE Evolution, the first ever all women's' pay-per-view took place around the same period of time, it became painfully obvious that WWE didn't invest a lot of time building the storylines leading up to the Evolution event.

But when the event actually took place, it was the talent which fired on all fronts, making the pay-per-view a huge success in a period of time where there was only controversy surrounding WWE.

We talked about how Becky Lynch had a huge role in making this possible, but lets not forget that because of Roman Reigns' unfortunate leukemia announcement, it is Ronda Rousey who is now the most commercial full-time star in this company.

The times they are a-changin'...

#1 2018 has been one of the most unexpected years in WWE

There are several moments which nobody could have seen coming this year

Here is a list of contrasting things that occurred in WWE during 2018:

#1 Roman Reigns, the biggest full-time WWE star in recent times, announced that he had been diagnosed with leukemia.

#2 Daniel Bryan was cleared to return to the ring after a career-ending injury which had forced him to retire earlier.

#3 Ronda Rousey made her in-ring debut at WrestleMania, and is currently the most commercial full-time WWE Superstar after Roman Reigns' departure. This is a first...

#4 Shawn Michaels came out of retirement, which was seemingly impossible before it actually happened.

#5 Braun Strowman tag-teamed with a kid named Nicholas to defeat The Bar in order to become new RAW Tag Team Champions at WrestleMania!

#6 The Undertaker squashed John Cena at this year's WrestleMania, which was never the way anyone thought it would go if this match-up were to ever occur in the first place.

#7 Daniel Bryan shockingly turned heel after making one of the most impressive comebacks from retirement, and both of these events took place in the same year.

#8 Dean Ambrose turned heel on the same night when Reigns made his leukemia announcement, leaving us with a plethora of emotions after the show.

#9 The Ultimate Deletion match happened in WWE!

#10 Who would've thought Becky Lynch would be the most popular star after Daniel Bryan if the question had been popped at the beginning of 2018?

Whether you like it or not, 2018 is certainly a year which is going to be referenced by wrestling fans in years to come.

Thanks for reading this article. Leave your thoughts in the comments section below and stay tuned for more...