Friday, December 28, 2018

The Top 35 Matches of 2018






What's happening folks! To describe 2018 in wrestling would present one word...WOW!!! This has been a year unlike any other in many years, maybe even ever.  Continuing off of the momentum of how historic 2017 was, this year the bar was raised even higher and highlighted  many, many notable items.  Some of which included the rise of women's wrestling, the strongest indie period in years, and a historic World Title reign ending in arguably the greatest wrestling match of all-time.  This was a truly hard list to compose. One that was not taken lightly whatsoever.  There were SO many impeccable matches this year from various promotions, it's impossible to put them all in this list or even in the Honorable Mentions list.  The main list was narrowed to thirty-five, so if your favorite match isn't on here, chances are it might be in the HM section.  With all that said, let's get to it.



35. AJ Styles vs. Daniel Bryan/WWE Championship
WWE TLC '18

One of the truly gripping moments of the year was the return of the beloved Daniel Bryan from concussion-related issues that sat him out for two plus years.  When he returned, he picked up right where he left off with great matches and the Yes movement was back.  AJ Styles on the other hand was WWE Champion and held the belt for over a year when the unthinkable happened. Bryan turned heel and became champion.  This was the rematch, and goodness what a rematch this was.  This was a well put-together clinic of two of the best this generation in a textbook wrestling match.  You can't help but think this is how AJ's feud with Nakamura should've been.  



34. Will Ospreay vs. KUSHIDA/IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
NJPW Wrestling Dontaku '18 Day 2

One of the great competitive rivalries involves two of the finest in the world, Will Ospreay and KUSHIDA.  These two fought at Wrestling Dontaku in another thrilling encounter for the Junior Heavyweight Title.  Ospreay came in as champion and fought off a very focused and determined challenger who himself is one of the mos celebrated Junior champions this generation.  This was another fantastic match between these two awesome competitors.



33. Oney Larkin & Danny Burch vs. Kyle O' Reilly & Roderick Strong/NXT Tag Team Championships
NXT Takeover: Chicago II

This year, the group of Undisputed Era dominated NXT, and they even won the Tag Team Titles twice.  At NXT Takeover: Chicago II, O' Reilly and Strong of the group defended against two grizzled, time-tested fighters in Oney Lorcen and Danny Burch.  Highly underestimated going in, the challengers made believers out of everyone by the end of the match.  While the two former ROH World Champions managed to escape with the titles, Lorcan and Burch walked away with something more from this incredible match- the admiration of NXT fans everywhere, even at the expense of Lorcan and a devastating facial injury.



32. Kenny Omega vs. Tomohiro Ishii/IWGP Heavyweight Championship
NJPW Destruction In Hiroshima '18

While everyone is talking about the great years the likes of Omega, Ospreay, and Jay White have had this year, you might wanna add Tomohiro Ishii to that list as well. His quality of matches this year has been simply excellent.  One such example was his match for the IWGP Heavyweight Title and defending champion Kenny Omega.  Their on-again, off-again rivalry typically results in quite the dazzling match, and this was no exception.  At the Destruction In Hiroshima event, the "Stone Pitbull" gave Omega his best, but once again Omega showed why he's arguably the best wrestler on planet Earth.



31. Marty Scurll vs. KUSHIDA vs. Hiromu Takahashi vs. Will Ospreay/IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 12

At Wrestle Kingdom 12, the Junior Heavyweight Title was on the line amongst four of the truly finest junior heavyweights in the world in the form of KUSHIDA, Marty Scurll, Will Ospreay, and Hiromu Takahashi.  As one would expect, these four lit up the event in a non-stop frenzied pace match.  There was no shortage of excitement with this match, as this was truly a show stealing match. Scurll came in as champion, but it was "The Aerial Assassin" that got the W in a memorable encounter.



30. Jonathon Gresham vs. Zach Sabre Jr.
ROH Final Battle '18

We are all familiar with how unique and incredible Zach Sabre Jr is in the ring. The Suzuki Gun member is considered the most technically gifted wrestler in the world today. However, he met up with another highly acclaimed technician in Jonathon Grishom.  This was their first encounter on Ameriican soil and at Final Battle '18, these two put on an absolute display of wrestling chess.  While ZSJ showed why he is who he is, Grishom earned even more respect by literally matching Sabre Jr move for move in a match that some could compare to Benoit vs. Angle at Royal Rumble nearly a decade and a half ago.  



29. Aleister Black vs. Johnny Gargano
NXT Takeover: War Games II


Two guys that have really had a great year are Johnny Gargano and Aleister Black.  These two fought in quite the charged, competitive match. Black was mysteriously attacked and was out for a couple months.  The previously beloved Gargano was exposed as the culprit and their match was quite the firestarter.  Gargano's newfound role as a heel proved to be quite the intriguing spotlight to him in the midst of arguably the best single critically acclaimed year of his career, and his chemistry with Black is borderline magic. Their match was excellent and this showed how two of the premier athletes of NXT can provide much captivation and suspense.  How cool was Black when he "absolved Gargano of his sins?"



28. Tomohiro Ishii & Kazuchika Okada vs. The Golden Lovers
NJPW Fighting Spirit Unleashed

Let's be clear: there was NO bad Golden Lovers match this year. Zero. When Omega reunited with Ibushi, it was among the most talked about moments of 2018.  One of their great matches was against Chaos members Okada and Ishii.  Okada, reeling from losing the IWGP Title to Omega and Ishii having quite the impressive year this year on his own, performed tremendously against The Lovers, but Ibushi and Omega reestablished themselves as of the finest teams in the sport and this match demonstrated that wholeheartedly.



27. Ricochet vs. Pete Dunne/Title vs. Title
NXT TV Taping 8/23/18

Nobody in the modern era of WWE has held any championship longer than how long Pete Dunne has held the UK Title.  He was hoping to become a dual champion by facing NXT North American Champion, the internationally acclaimed high flyer Ricochet.  In what was one of the finest one on one matches this entire year on NXT TV, these two displayed true pizazz against each other, and truthfully if it wasn't for the interference of The Undisputed Era, and would've had a definitive winner, this match would've been possibly the greatest NXT TV match ever. However, regardless of this, these two put on onew HELLUVA wrestling match.



26. Kenny Omega vs. Pentagon Jr.
All In

Arguably wrestling's most triumphant moment came in the form of All In, an indie event completely funded and put together by Cody and The Young Bucks.  One of the single best matches of the night was the much anticipated encounter between IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega and one of the year's most popular luchadors, turned worldwide star, Pentagon Jr.  These two had an overall fast paced match, and gave each other all they could handle and it was as awesome as the fans chanting it.  Omega showed why he's considered the best on the planet, but Penta showed why he should be considered among the best today as well.



25. RINGKAMPF vs. Ilja Dragunov & Shingo Takagi
PWG BOLA '18 Night One

PWG's BOLA tournaments are known for producing some incredible matches throughout the tournament.  This year was no exception.  One such match was the tag team match between Dragunov and his partner, new LIJ member, Singo Takagi against WALTER (NXT's newest signee) and Timothy Thatcher, collectively known as RINGKAMPF.  Physical was the perfect word here.  All these guys are dumb hard workers, and can fight and suplex and chop and everything else VERY effectively.  This was a big time pouding affair, and one that made night one of this tournament a damn good opening night.  



24. Moustache Mountain vs. Roderick Strong & Kyle O' Reilly/NXT Tag Team Championships
NXT TV Tapings 7/12/18

Only a couple weeks after Moustache Mountain captured the NXT Tag Team Championships in the UK, they brought them back to the States in a rematch against the guys they defeated, Roderick Strong and Kyle O' Reilly of The Undisputed Era.  While their first match was very good, this one was simply captivating.  The main reason for the high acclaim was the story here.  Strong and O' Reilly working on the knee of Seven and battering him to the point where Bate had to throw in the title.  Very similar to Backlund vs. Iron Sheik or Backlund vs. Hart, this match gutted you as you were pulling so hard for the champs to persevere and overcome, but had you in your feelings when they lost.  A fantastic and compelling moment for the year.



23. Kazuchika Okada vs. Zach Sabre Jr./IWGP Heavyweight Championship
NJPW Sakura Genesis '18


Okada was in defense of his IWGP Heavyweight Championship against the winner of the New Japan Cup, Zach Sabre Jr at the excellent Sakura Genesis event.  Okada was approaching a record in terms of title defenses and length of reign, but it was definitely in danger facing the "Technical Wizard" and Suzuki-Gun member.  To no surprise, this was a different style from what Okada had been used to, as ZSJ applied his super scientific style to the finesse style of Okada.  The result was such a great match and showed why ZSJ is as superb of an in-ring performer as he is today.  As for Okada, this was yet another match that he had to adapt to a different style than what he was used to, but as usual Okada rose to the occasion and delivered another out the park performance.




22. Charlotte vs. Becky Lynch/WWE Smackdown Women's Championship
WWE Evolution '18

One of the biggest stories of 2018 in WWE involved the transformation of Becky Lynch and her epic, albeit confusing, heel turn.  Her feud with Charlotte Flair was possibly the best rivalry on the entire SD brand, and it culminated into a classic Last Woman Standing match at the first women's pay per view, Evolution.  Folks, this was absolute physicality.  Completely.  Lynch and Charlotte went through tables, chairs, kendo sticks...you name it.  This was the most intense women's encounter all year, and definitely among the most intense encounters in recent memory, regardless of gender.  Lynch may have shown she was "The Man", but Charlotte, even in defeat, showed why she's one of the best performers in the business, bar none.



21. Adam Cole vs. Lars Sullivan vs. EC3 vs. Ricochet vs. Killian Dane vs. Velveteen Dream/Ladder Match/NXT North American Championship
NXT Takeover: New Orleans

Whenever NXT delivers a Ladder Match, they always produce fantastic, memorable matches.  This one may have been the most memorable of them all.  NXT introduced the North American Championship, and for their inaugural champion, they put six of the best around in a Ladder Match, and this was simply AWESOME.  This marked the NXT debuts of Ricochet and EC3, and they performed incredibly, while the rest of the guys in it all delivered tons of punishment while also going through ladders and enduring other forms of aching brutality.  Cole came away with the title, but everybody involved raised their games to new heights here...pun intended.



20. The Briscoes vs. The Young Bucks vs. SoCal Uncensored/Ladder Match/ROH Tag Team Championshhips
ROH Final Battle '18

Staying with Ladder matches, ROH is known for having classic Ladder matches as well.  Who can ever forget El Generico vs. Kevin Steen in his farewell match from ROH?  This year, we had Tag Team Champions, SoCal Uncensored facing the legendary Young Bucks and the most celebrated tag champions in ROH history, The Briscoes.  From the opening bell, the intensity of sincere and the physicality of the page.  This had it all: tables, chairs, staple guns, of course plenty of ladders and lots of blood, as both Briscoes and Kazarian were all bloody messes by the end of the match.  Scary bumps and spots were aplenty and you can't help, much like the aforementioned match, how many years were taken off these men's careers.



19. Charlotte vs. Asuka vs. Becky Lynch/TLC Match/WWE Smackdown Women's Championship
WWE TLC '18

Perhaps the most grueling Ladder match of all this year involved arguably the three most dominant women on Smackdown in Becky, Charlotte, and Asuka.  These ladies showed the world that when it comes to intensity and combat, these women can go as hard as the men and in some cases even harder.  Becky came in fresh from a concussion and broken nose from weeks earlier but put up a hell of a fight, as did Charlotte and Asuka.  They went through tables, the security barricade, kendo sticks were involved, as were chairs.  This was a street fight with ladders.  Asuka acquired the title, but not withoiut enduring some brutal punishment, as the other two did as well. Arguably the most vicious match of the year within the women's division.


18. Kenny Omega vs. Chris Jericho/IWGP U.S. Heavyweight Championship
NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 12


What a year for both these outstanding athletes.  Omega came into Wrestle Kingdom as the inaugural IWGP U.S. Champion and had a ferocious match with the legendary Chris Jericho, who was coming in as one of the sports biggest heels.  After the brutal bloodying of Omega before the end of the year by Jericho, this match was billed as a No DQ match, and these guys turned it up.  Omega, bloodied and battered just like the attack, took the fight to Jericho and gave Jericho his ever five star match, according to Meltz.  This was a phenomenal showing the twenty-plus year veteran that showed that even at the ladder end of his career, he can hang and deliver against athletes as great as "The Six Star Cleaner".


17. Will Ospreay vs. Marty Scurll/IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
NJPW Sakura Genesis '18

One of the most celebrated and acclaimed rivalries of this era involves Will Ospreay and Marty Scurll.  Although they've had many amazing affairs, most still have yet to reach the plateau their match at RevPro High Stakes 2016 accomplished.  However, this match at Sakura Genesis wasn't far from that peak.  This was yet another storied match between two guys that truly know each other in the ring and everything was textbook and cohesive.  Ospreay was the champion going in, and came out the champ as well, even though Scurll delivered one of his best performances in some time during this match.  As long as these two are in the game, we will likely see more magic between these two fantastic athletes.



16. Kazuchika Okada vs. Will Ospreay/IWGP Heavyweight Championship
NJPW 46th Anniversary Show

On paper, a match between Will Ospreay and Kazuchika Okada sounded like a dream match, especially for the IWGP Heavyweight Title.  That match happened at the 46th Anniversary Show, and what a match it was.  Ospreay was the challenger that was aiming to prove he was more than just a junior heavyweight wrestler.  He was a worthy contender to the throne of Okada.  There's no doubt Okada came away with tons more respect for his Chaos compadre than going in, but there's also no doubt as to why Okada is considered a modern legend in New Japan and in the business as a whole.  



15. Johnny Gargano vs. Tomasso Ciampa/Street Fight
NXT Takeover: Chicago II

If there was one person in all of NXT that has really stepped his entire game up in 2018, it's been Johnny Wrestling himself, Johnny Gargano.  While he never won the NXT Title, he provided perhaps the best matches this entire year consistently.  One such match was the Street Fight between him and former friend/partner Tomasso Ciampa.  After their stellar match at NXT Takeover: New Orleans, they attempted to step it up even more with this incredible one at NXT Takeover: Chicago II.  This had much of the same ferocity and intensity as their prior match, and was, at times, somewhat unsettling to watch.  This was shear brutality, but one that Ciampa won and survived.  Folks, there wasn't a better and more engaging rivalry in NXT, and maybe all of WWE this year than this one.



14. Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kazuchika Okada
NJPW G1 Climax '18 Day 17

One of the greatest rivalries of this generation is undoubtedly Tanahashi and Okada.  There has never been a bad match between these two extraordinary competitors.  This was yet another master class in storytelling, psychology, and athletic showmanship, and it was in practically perfect form.  Both came in with intriguing back stories.  Tanahashi was the elder statesmen who, at forty-one, could still go and needed to get back to top form from his somewhat underwhelming 2017.  Okada was reeling from losing the IWGP Heavyweight Title to Omega just a couple months prior and was trying to get his mojo back.  With both men needing to prove something, this match was filled with captivation to see who needed it more.  While it ended in a draw, both men showed why the industry needs both these unbelieveable wrestlers.



13. The Young Bucks vs. EVIL & SANADA
NJPW Dominion '18

The almighty Young Bucks ARE tag team wrestling.  Innovators to an underappreciated art in wrestling, they have become the most attention-grabbing tag team of our current generation.  At Dominion, they collided against LIJ members, EVIL and SANADA.  Don't get it twisted, this was no walkthrough for Mark and Nick Jackson.  None whatsoever.  The highly skilled and athletic SANADA and the brawling physicality of EVIL made the Bucks work very, very hard in this match.  The Bucks persevered, but it was not without going deeper and further than they likely thought they would go when it came to two damn good talents like these two LIJ members.



12, Johnny Gargano vs. Andrade "Cien" Almas/NXT Championship
NXT Takeover: Philadelphia

Dear Lord!!!  If there was a career defining match in NXT for Gargano and Cien Almas, this was it. Almas had just defeated Drew McIntyre a few months earlier to become the champion and Johnny was...well...the underdog that would tend to come up on the short end of the stick since the brutal breakup of DIY.  This was the classic underdog vs. incredibly talented champion, and the story they told here was scintillating.  Not only did Zelina Vega and Johnny's real life wife Candice LeRae get involved, but these two took their storytelling abilities to levels NXT hadn't seen in years, if not ever.  This match was easily a new benchmark in both men's careers and raised the bar for future NXT Championship matches.



11. Hiroki Goto vs. Tomohiro Ishii
NJPW G1 Climax '18 Day 6

Two tough sons of bitches is the best way to describe Goto and Ishii.  These two are far from strangers to each other, and their match on the eighth day of the famed G1 Climax tournament was another example of how fantastic these two are at storytelling.  Goto is the celebrated journeyman. Has held everything virtually and done everything to where he's considered a legend. Ishii is the big brute that is laser focused on inflicting pain and obtaining glory.  These two provided a very stiff contest, but also extremely evenly matched as well.  Ishii picked up the huge win but best believe we all were winners by the end of this monstrous encounter.



10. Johnny Gargano vs. Tomasso Ciampa/Unsanctioned Match
NXT Takeover: New Orleans

The two former friends and partners of DIY were bound to collide after Ciampa viciously turned on Gargano at the first NXT Takeover: Chicago event.  Unfortunately, Ciampa was out with an MCL and ACL injury that kept him out for a year.  However, in this Unsanctioned Match for Johnny's NXT career, this was a dazzling display of what storytelling looks like in 2018.  Those had rivalries like Flair/Funk, Guerrero/JBL, and Styles/Samoa Joe (when in TNA) all wrapped up in this one, as this match was brutal, and at times a bit uneasy, but fully captivated you and were hypnotized by the action and the story. The betrayed underdog versus the arrogant, vicious former best friend was the anchor behind this. Even though Gargano won, this match set the stage for arguably NXT's most incredible, and personal, rivalry all year.



9. Kenny Omega vs. Tetsuya Naito
NJPW G1 Climax '18 Day 2

It doesn't get much better than these two phenomenal athletes.  Anytime Omega and Naito get together, you're simply bound to see another amazing match, and this match was no different whatsoever.  They had recently fought in the finals of G1 and it was among the greatest finals in the twenty-seven year history of the event.  This year, it was only day two, but it still served as yet another exceptional matchup between two of the best in the world.  This was damn near every bit as awesome as their unbelievable encounter last year and was a great bar for the other matches to reach.  





8. Kota Ibushi vs. Tomohiro Ishii
NJPW G1 Climax '18 Day 10

Staying with the G1, Ishii is once again on the list.  In case you're not aware, Ishii killed in this tournament.  He shined all throughout this tournament, win or lose.  One of his most fantastic encounters was against the always extremely impressive Kota Ibushi.  Ishii's super tough and rugged style against the finesse and high flying abilities of "The Golden Star" was an excellent dance for both of these highly respected competitors. This match continued to show the toughness of Ishii and the never-ending heart of Ibushi in dazzling fashion.  Stiff shots a plenty, Ibushi managed to get a big win over "The Stone Pitbull", but don't think his win was painless.  



7. Kenny Omega vs. Tomohiro Ishii
NJPW G1 Climax '18 Day 14

Once again, another match that has two people that produce magic every time they square off. In this case, it's Kenny Omega and Tomohiro Ishii.  Ishii is a stud. We all know this. Omega is the best in the world. These two can kill it on any given night.  Who will forget their epic match in Long Beach for the IWGP U.S. Title? This match was very much up there with it, if not surpassed it.  Ishii's immense physicality was a lot for Omega to overcome at times, and it was enough for the "Stone Pitbull" to pull off a massive victory over the IWGP Champion in a match that will go down in G1 history.



6. Hiromu Takahashi vs. Taiji Ishimori
NJPW BOSJ '18 Finals

The Best Of the Super Juniors tournament is considered one of the most acclaimed tournaments on the planet and really has a spotlight for the junior heavyweights.  This year was no exception.  There were several matches that were quite the spectacular match.  However, none of those matched the amazing display showed by the Bullet Club's Taiji Ishimori and LIJ's Hiromu Takahashi.  This match, at times, was a true fight, with them going into the stands, then showing off their simply tremendous technical in-ring showmanship.  The story of these two young warriors giving everything they have in the longest BOSJ match ever for the right to compete at Dominion for the Junior Title was simply compelling.  While we were really knowing more about Takahashi, Ishimori wasn't quite as known, other than his Impact run.  By the end of this match, both men's careers were raised to whole new levels.



5. Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kazuchika Okada
NJPW Wrestling Dontaku '18 Day 2

Here we go again.  Okada and Tanahashi dancing with each other again on this list, and for very good reason.  This particular match was, in fact, for the IWGP Heavyweight Title.  This match wasn't as quick-paced or offensive minded as their match in the G1, but the storytelling here and the game of human chess was more visually stunning.  These were two modern legends at the office again showing the world how to properly tell an athletic story and make it look seamless.  Needless to say, this was another classic that will go down in the annals of NJPW history. 



4. Hiroshi Tanahashi & Will Ospreay vs. The Golden Lovers
NJPW Road To Wrestle Kingdom '18

The last big match of 2018 was this beyond thrilling match between Tanahashi and his partner Will Ospreay and The red hot Golden Lovers.  This was a set up match for their individual matches at Wrestle Kingdom 13 (Ibushi vs. Ospreay, Omega vs. Tanahashi) and folks, this was as crazy of a match athletically as you'll ever see between two teams.  While this was already a hell of a match within the first fifteen to twenty minutes, but towards the final ten or so minutes, this was absolutely spectacular.  This was non-stop, frenzied, and every single person here showed they were ready for the Tokyo Dome, win or lose.  While The Lovers showed why they're one of the single hottest teams in the business, Tanahashi and Ospreay were equally amazing here, and the chemistry between these four was brilliant.  Who wouldn't want to see these four get it on in the ring again??



3. Kota Ibushi vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi 
NJPW G1 Climax '18 Finals

The culmination of one of the most acclaimed G1 tournaments of all-time, if not the greatest, resulted in a G1 Finals we will not soon forget.  Multi-time winner Tanahashi faced Kota Ibushi in a match of teacher versus student.  Kota looked to Tanahashi to god-like levels, but his performance against his hero was among the best we've ever seen from him.  If his performance against Shinsuke Nakamura at Wrestle Kingdom 9 was his breakout match, this match officially made him a main event payer worthy of being at the top of the card.  Tanahashi is clearly a modern legend and one that will be remembered as arguably the man that saved New Japan is a lot of ways in the mid-00s.  Now, the forty-one year old "Ace" showed the younger Ibushi who boss was in there, but Ibushi stepped to that next level in a highly memorable match worthy of GOAT list conversations in today's era.



2. The Young Bucks vs. The Golden Lovers
NJPW Strong Style Evolved '18

Never have we seen a tag team match as brilliantly executed and phenomenally done at telling such a captivating story as we saw with The Young Bucks and The Golden Lovers. Omega was split between his allegiance to The Elite and his renewed friendship with Ibushi.  Even though Omega was conflicted his gave a six star worthy performance, along with Ibushi, in this match. However, Mark Jackson may have been the MVP here, with him selling a back injury and both Bucks performing masterfully, this match was one of the most beautifully told matches in many years, and has been argued that this may be the greatest tag team match this decade.  If you're not convinced by the end of this forty minute masterpiece that these two teams just delivered us a tag team master class, what are you even doing watching wrestling??





1. Kazuchika Okada vs. Kenny Omega/IWGP Heavyweight Championship/2 Out Of 3 Falls
NJPW Dominion '18

This has been called the Flair/Steamboat rivalry of our era.  This has been called the rivalry that has changed the game and set a new bar for professional wrestling.  Kenny Omega and Kazuchika Okada OWNED 2017 with their series of matches.  All of their matches have been revered as three of the greatest matches of all time.  Once it was announced there would be a 2 Out Of 3 Falls Match with no time limit for the IWGP Heavyweight Title, we all knew we were in line for quite likely a new bar being raised, them outdoing themselves even more, and perhaps the greatest wrestling match of our generation.  Folks, all were accomplished. Breathtaking. True artistry. Exhausting athletic showmanship. There are so many different ways to describe the beauty of this match. Okada became the longest reigning champion in NJPW history, as well as breaking Tanahashi's record with length of combined days, but Omega knew it was the proverbial now-or-never. After seventy-four god-level minutes, Omega finally dethroned Okada, thus ending, at least for now, the greatest rivalry and series of matches in decades.  We all witnessed the new bar set by these two extraordinary athletes, and this was not only the match of the year, this was the match of a generation.



Honorable Mentions

Omega vs. Ibushi/NJPW G1 Climax 28-Day 18
Ishii & Ospreay vs. G. Lovers/NJPW Road To Destruction '18
Black vs. Almas/NXT Takeover: New Orleans
Asuka vs. Banks/Raw 1/29
Goto vs. Suzuki/NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 12
Okada vs. Naito/NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 12
Reigns vs. Rolllins vs. Miz vs. Strowman vs. Cena vs. Elias vs. Balor/Raw 2/19
Ibushi vs. Sabre Jr/NJPW New Japan Cup '18
Omega vs. Page/NJPW Wrestling Dontaku '18
Alexander vs. Ali/WWE Wrestlemania 34
Rollins vs. Miz/WWE Backlash '18
Ricochet vs. Cole/NXT Takeover: Brooklyn IV
Ricochet vs. Dream/NXT Takeover: Chicago II
Ali vs. Murphy/205 Live 7/3
Lee vs. Takahashi/NJPW G1 USA Special
Okada vs. White/NJPW G1 Climax 28-Day 1
Tanahashi vs. Suzuki/NJPW G1 Climax 28-Day 1
Omega vs. Goto/NJPW G1 Climax 28-Day 4
Ishii vs. Naito/NJPW G1 Climax 28-Day 4
Pentagon Jr. vs. Callahan/IMPACT Slammiversary XVI
Williams vs. Ishimori vs. Fantasma vs. Johnny Impact/IMPACT Slammiversary XVI
Goto vs. Ibushi/NJPW G1 Climax 28-Day 12
Omega vs. Sabre Jr/NJPW G1 Climax 28-Day 12
Okada vs. Elgin/NJPW G1 Climax 28-Day 11
Gargano vs. Ciampa/NXT Takeover: Brooklyn IV
M. Mountain vs. O'Reilly & Strong/NXT Takeover: Brooklyn IV
Mysterio/Fenix/Bandito vs. Bucks/Ibushi/All In
Blanchard vs. Green vs. Baker vs. Rayne/All In
Bandito vs. T-Hawk/PWG BOLA '18
M. Mountain vs. A. Open/Riptide Wrestling Tournament
CCK vs. LAX/Progress Ch. 80
Ospreay vs. Havoc/Progress Ch. 64
Rousey vs. Charlotte/WWE Survivor Series '18
Ambrose & Rollins vs. McIntyre & Ziggler/WWE Hell In A Cell '18
Sotomora vs. Martinez/WWE Mae Young Classic '18
Ospreay vs. Scurll/NJPW Fighting Spirit Unleashed
WALTER vs. Bones vs. Dragunov/wXw 16K Gold
KUSHIDA vs. Scurll/NJPW King Of Pro Wrestling '18
LAX vs. OGz/Bound For Glory
Storm vs. Sotomora/WWE Mae Young Classic '18
Ricochet/Dunne/W. Machine vs. U. Era/NXT Takeover: War Games II
Dream vs. Ciampa/NXT Takeover: War Games II
Bandito vs. Janela/PWG BOLA '18
Flamita vs. Bandito/PWG BOLA '18
Bandito vs. Takagi vs. Cobb/PWG BOLA '18
Fenix vs. Omega/NEW Redemption '18
Thatcher vs. WALTER/Progress Ch. 62
Bucks vs. Briscoes/ROH Best In The World '18
Bryan vs. Lesnar/WWE Survivor Series '18
Riddle vs. Sabre Jr/PWG Time Is A Flat Circle
Ospreay vs. Ishimori/NJPW BOSJ '18
King & Bateman vs. RINGKEMPF/PWG All-Star Weekend '18
Cobb vs. Page/ROH Final Battle '18
Storm vs. Shirai/WWE Mae Young Classic '18
Sabre Jr vs. WALTER/Progress Ch. 77
Ospreay vs. WALTER/Defiant Wrestling: Stacked
RUSH vs. Park/CMLL 6/22
PCO vs. Riddle/GCW Lost In NY '18
Shirai vs. Sotomora/Sendai Girls
Viper vs. Kong/EVE Wrestle Queendom '18
Ospreay vs. WALTER/OTT 4th Anniversary
Bate vs. WALTER/Progress: Hello Wembley
Black vs. Cole/NXT Takeover: Philadelphia
Women's Royal Rumble Match/WWE Royal Rumble '18
Men's Royal Rumble Match/WWE Royal Rumble '18
CCK vs. A. Open/RevPro Summer Sizzler
Sabre Jr. vs. A-Kid/White Wolf Wrestling Total Rumble 8


In a word, 2018 has been special. In another word, historic. In one last word, fun. Trust me, there were tons more incredible matches that need to be viewed and experienced if you haven't already.  Not only did this pick the ball up where 2017 left it, which was already unbelievable as it was, it took it even further.  This could be considered the greatest year professional wrestling has had as a whole this decade, possibly in modern history.  Will 2019 repeat the same phenomenal acclaim as the past three years especially have shown? Time will tell.  All I have to say is stay tuned. It'll be TOO SWEET (oops!)  Until next time!

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