10 Best WWE NXT Matches Of 2018

We were nothing short of spoiled this year with epic matches from NXT. The main roster offered up some gems as well, but nothing on the same level of the supposed “developmental” system. 2018 was a year of expansion, with NXT UK finally being established. NXT stars have even gone over to EVOLVE and won titles there, huge names such as Ricochet, EC3, Keith Lee and Matt Riddle made their way over, too.

Between snapping up every indie star in sight and providing satisfying storytelling that’s capped off with suitably outstanding matches, NXT has had yet another banner year. It could be argued that it’s the most consistently enjoyable wrestling promotion going today; yes, even more so than the mighty New Japan. Narrowing down the ten very best matches was not easy, but I love this brand too much not to give it its due. With that said, here are our picks for the ten best NXT matches of 2018.

Note: This list is limited to one unique match per entry. If you’re wondering why a notable match didn’t make it in, it’s probably because there was another one featuring the same wrestlers that was deemed superior.

 

10. Tommaso Ciampa Vs. Velveteen Dream – TakeOver: WarGames

Kicking off the countdown, we’ve got one of the stronger NXT Title matches of the year. Velveteen Dream morphed from attention seeking heel into a flashy, lovable hero. Serving as a stopgap feud to cool off the Ciampa/Gargano/Black saga, both men delivered a dramatic contest that had the fans more emotionally invested than anything else on the night.

This match would probably be a little higher if it didn’t go full New Japan towards the end. Nothing against New Japan, but seeing so many false finishes got a little tiresome after a while. The spots were outstanding, albeit a little contrived. However, nearly everyone truly believed that Dream had secured victory after landing a gorgeous Purple Rainmaker. It was not to be, though, as Ciampa landed a vicious draping DDT on the partition between the double rings to retain after Dream went crashing to the outside. A worthy bout to be considered among the ten best of the year.

 

9. North American Championship Six-Man Ladder Match – TakeOver: New Orleans

I think it’s safe to say that a lot of us were surprised when this received a five-star Dave Meltzer rating. Not to say it wasn’t awesome, it just lacked the intricate storytelling that Dave usually heaps praise upon. This was a car crash in the best possible way. We saw both EC3 and Ricochet making their debuts, but the MVPs of this contest were Velveteen Dream and Adam Cole (as well as Lars Sullivan and Killian Dain for the crazy spots they took part in).

Spot of the night was undoubtedly Dream hitting a Purple Rainmaker from the top of the ladder on Lars Sullivan. The most memorable moment of the match falls to Adam Cole, who superkicked everyone in sight – including an airborne Ricochet, more on that later. It’s hard to break down the match as a whole with so much going on, just watch it for some stone cold entertainment. The right man absolutely won as well, Adam Cole was the perfect candidate to be the inaugural North American Champion. Top stuff.

 

8. Adam Cole Vs. Ricochet – TakeOver: Brooklyn 4

You know how I said we’d be getting more of Adam Cole kicking Ricochet out of the air? This match granted us arguably the single best spot of the entire year, when Cole superkicked “The King of Flight” in the side of the head as the latter was doing a beautiful springboard backflip. That spot alone encapsulates the work rate in what we all knew would be a modern classic.

The story heading into this was that Adam Cole believed himself to be special, he didn’t afford Ricochet that same assessment. The constant, weasel-like nature of Cole as he tried to avoid Ricochet’s aerial offence made for a great game of cat and mouse. This made the final moment where Ricochet got his man all the more satisfying. This isn’t the last time you’ll be seeing members of The Undisputed Era on this list, as they have had a remarkable year.

 

7. The Undisputed Era Vs. Moustache Mountain – TakeOver: Brooklyn 4

This is where I will first exercise my “no repeat matches” rule. Yes, the match on NXT TV where Tyler Bate was forced to throw in the towel was a wonderful story, but this match was everything I love about NXT’s tag division. We saw all the things we’ve come to expect from both teams in spades. Tyler Bate was big, strong, and a “boi” with seemingly effortless moves on both Roderick Strong and Kyle O’Reilly at the same time. There was some lovely role reversal where Trent Seven had to consider throwing in the towel for Tyler, and there was a massive assisted burning hammer spot that genuinely had me believing we’d seen a title change.

TUE eventually came through with a smooth, deceptive finish. While they won clean, they outfoxed Moustache Mountain with some clever misdirection to retain their titles. It communicated the juxtaposition between the gentlemen and the rascals sharing the ring appropriately. Cap it all off with a post-match War Raiders ambush, and you’ve got a thrilling tag team bout.

 

6. Pete Dunne Vs. Kyle O’Reilly – NXT 453

More of my system shocking lads. The only match on this list that’s not from a TakeOver, this is somewhat of a hidden gem in the 2018 NXT canon. Both men are renowned for their craftsmanship betwixt the ropes, and I implore you to seek this out if you don’t watch the weekly show. Both men knocked seven shades of shit out of each other. There were many knees and elbows thrown, submissions exchanged and goofy Kyle O’Reilly faces made.

The finish was a work of art. Pete Dunne simply refused to let go of Kyle’s hand, upsetting the NXT Tag Champ. Kyle would kick Pete in the head repeatedly, before removing Dunne’s mouth guard (which we all know is the source of his power). This seemed to awaken “The Bruiserweight’s” inner finger snapper, as he wrenched apart O’Reilly’s digits and followed up with a Bitter End to retain. Pete Dunne’s carried the UK division on his back for a year, and Kyle’s done the same in the tag department. Pairing them up for a match only makes sense.

 

5. Aleister Black Vs. Adam Cole – TakeOver: Philadelphia

Half the list is now populated by The Undisputed Era. I would say that I don’t make the rules, but I kind of do. NXT is known for its straight wrestling matches, so weapon-laden affairs feel truly special. Adam Cole’s snarky charisma gelled so well with Aleister Black’s stoic badassery, and it made for a match that still has me reeling almost a full year on.

There were kendo sticks, trash cans, and Adam Cole bumping like an absolute mad man. He took a fireman’s carry onto the points of multiple steel chairs and got driven neck-first through the announce table. Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly tried to get involved, but Sanity showed up to save the day and Aleister Black managed to put Cole away. Not long after this, both men would be draped in gold, and it all started with this insane war.

 

4. The Undisputed Era Vs. Danny Burch & Oney Lorcan – TakeOver: Chicago

The streak lives on! Six entries in a row for TUE demonstrates just how integral a part of NXT they’ve been in 2018. The term “sleeper hit” is reserved for matches like this. On paper, it’s a solid contest, but not an emotionally charged story of a team finding their place. ROH darlings Kyle O’Reilly and Roderick Strong were never getting booed in Chicago. Despite being the designated heels, they were treated as gods by the crowd, so Burch and Lorcan were the unfortunate sacrificial lambs.

To begin with, the journeymen challengers were booed relentlessly, and then the match happened. It was full throttle from the get-go. Many hearts entered many mouths at key points where it appeared Danny and Oney (Doney?) had grasped the gold. It was not to be, though, as they were undone by the ever devastating High and Low double team finish. After the match was done, the crowd that once booed the challengers gave the team a standing ovation. In that moment, they had proved their worth and created a classic NXT moment. This is what wrestling is all about.

 

3. Johnny Gargano Vs. Aleister Black – TakeOver: WarGames

We’re into the nitty-gritty now, people. It’s top three time. Beginning our journey is a recent clash that had been built towards for months and months. Aleister Black wanted revenge on his attacker, the newly-christened bad guy Johnny Gargano wanted to prove he’s the most dangerous man in NXT. Gargano was portrayed surprisingly strong throughout. He got in a decent chunk of offence and had us all thinking he’d solved the puzzle of defeating Aleister Black clean.

This match all built towards a masterful finish. Aleister nailed the Black Mass on Johnny, but didn’t go for the pin. His anger turned to tranquillity, as he told Gargano that he was absolving him of his sins. The next Black Mass was not done out of anger, but out of mercy. He forgave Johnny Gargano in that moment. Everyone expected this to be great, but it punched through the ceiling of the upper echelon and became a masterpiece. The fact it isn’t number one tells you the insane level NXT’s operated at in 2018.

 

2. Andrade “Cien” Almas Vs. Johnny Gargano – TakeOver: Philadelphia

Johnny Wrestling’s made an art form out of getting his arse kicked in meaningful ways. In stark contrast to the previous entry, Johnny had everyone in the building rooting for him to take the NXT Title. The moves exchanged between he and Almas were all executed with flawless precision. As we got closer to the end, Gargano kept coming within inches of tapping the champ out. He even kicked out of Andrade’s patented hammer lock DDT, invoking the ire of “Cien.”

To end proceedings, Almas hit his running double knees against the ring post, before using the same draping DDT that he used to win the title from Drew McIntyre to retain. When all was said and done, Johnny then got ambushed by a returning Tommaso Ciampa, who cracked him in the back with a crutch. This started a year that I believe made Johnny Gargano NXT’s top performer, a year that would only get better.

 

1. Johnny Gargano Vs. Tommaso Ciampa – TakeOver: Chicago

Let the controversy begin. I imagine most people’s top NXT match of the year is the unsanctioned match between these two sworn enemies at TakeOver: New Orleans. I wouldn’t argue that pick, as it was truly special. This was just bananas though. Ciampa and Gargano were able to take what they did in their first clash and inject it with pure adrenaline. They went into the crowd, threw each other into objects, Ciampa ripped off and spat on Johnny’s wedding ring. It was one part Shakespearean tale, one part episode of Robot Wars.

Between a lightsaber crutch battle and a handcuffed Tommaso Ciampa, it seemed like this battle would never cease. That was until Gargano took a draping DDT to the exposed ring canvas (he really needs to avoid draping DDTs), giving Ciampa the win that set him on course to win the NXT Title. While their match in New Orleans was stellar, this is the one that shaped the current landscape of the brand as we head into 2019. Ciampa rules the roost, Johnny has betrayed the trust of the fans, and the story’s not even over yet. I wouldn’t change a thing about this triumph of sports entertainment, and that’s why it’s our top NXT match of 2018.

What was your NXT Match of 2018? Don’t forget to let us know in the comments below and tweet us @CultVultures and @TBroomey with your answers.