WWE NXT Match of The Year : 2018

Yet again, wrestling fans have spent the past twelve months enjoying an array of excellent matches over in the WWE’s developmental brand, NXT. From the likes of Johnny Gargano, Aleister Black, Velveteen Dream, Adam Cole, Tommaso Ciampa and so many more we have witnessed some of the best bouts arguably in the history of the WWE and in today’s blog post we are going to be looking back at the standout matches of the year officially naming my twenty eighteen NXT match of the year. With so many standouts over the last twelve months, I have also added a few extra matches at the very end so make sure to check them out also!

The Undisputed Era vs Danny Burch & Oney Lorcan

Yet again, the NXT tag team division has done a fantastic job in providing fantastic content and the best work from the WWE tag teams. There were so many bouts that stood out but for me, it was the NXT tag team championship contest between the Undisputed Era and Danny Burch & Oney Lorcan that just had to make the list! A hard-hitting and totally gripping bout Burch and Lorcan proved to be a united team understanding each other well and working excellently as a cohesive team.  The match was action-packed, intense, and a showcase of some of the best wrestling the WWE has to offer proving that tag team wrestling, in particular, can indeed still steal the show if done correctly!

North American Ladder Match

One of the early favourites this year came from the North American Championship ladder match set to crown the first ever champ. The Velveteen Dream, Adam Cole, Lars Sullivan, EC3, Ricochet, and Killian Dane provided fans with what has easily gone down as one of the best WWE ladder matches not only in recent years but in WWE history. A strong variety of different styles, superstars of different images, and characters this was a special night. We had debuts, NXT favourites, epic moments, as well the rise of Lars Sullivan, the Dream further proving himself and a satisfying ending that saw Adam Cole make history and take home the win! There wasn’t a weak link at all and everyone stepped up to the plate to provide a near perfect ladder match that will go down as an all-time great!

War Games

The return of War Games only last year had fans excited and maybe a little confused however, the second time around the standards were raised even higher with action taking place stunning the NXT universe even more! Going back to traditional rules this was a lengthy contest that provided fans with everything you could want in a wrestling match. Completely entertaining from the get-go it was impossible to take your eyes off the screen for a single second for fear of missing something completely spell bounding. Again, it was an excellent showing of some of the best wrestlers in the WWE and the world today and in what was one of the most fun and exciting contests of the entire year this is a bout that has gone down in history as one of the most entertaining and must see.  It was the night we saw the War Raiders climb to the top and show they are championship worthy while the undisputed era along with Pete Dunne and Ricochet raised the bar even higher and put a greater spotlight on themselves showing exactly why they hold gold!

 Ricochet vs Pete Dunne vs Adam Cole

On another episode of NXT fans sat back and witnessed a huge triple threat that was destined to be a standout of the year from the moment it was announced! Ricochet, Pete Dunne, and Adam Cole were all set to do battle in a huge contest that left the NXT universe completely invested and stunned. As three of the biggest stars on the roster the match was a major attraction and expectations were high and when the bout rolled around these three stars of the future did not disappoint! An action-packed contest there wasn’t a single dull moment with bodies flying everywhere and a series of high flying monoverse, technical skill, and wrestling at its finest on show there was something for everyone and with the booking done so well this was a bout that showcased the future of the WWE amazingly well but also proving NXT is the home of some of the best wrestling in the world. 

Aleister Black vs Johnny Gargano

Both Aleister Black and Johnny Gargano have stood out as two of the best all-around performers of the year and this contest was a total show stealer going down as one of the strongest of the entire year. The story of who attacked Aleister Black was hands down one of if not the strongest storylines of the year going down as an all-time great in NXT history. The reveal of Gargano being the attack was a huge surprise and further proof that black and yellow brand know exactly how to pull of the perfect story. Their collision at NXT takeover War Games saw both men showcase their incredible talent! Evenly matched it was difficult to tell who would walk away with the victory but throughout we saw so much character, a strong story being told, and a sheer excellent wrestling match leaving fans completely hooked from start to finish showcasing the best of the best in NXT and the WWE.

Pete Dunne vs Ricochet

Just like every other year, there has been an array of standout matches on the weekly NXT product. Despite only having an hour every week fans are left totally entertained and one of the best matches to come from the show this year was a champion vs champion bout between Pete Dunne and Ricochet. With so much on the line and with these two superstars being so massively popular amongst the NXT universe this was a huge must-see match that had fans completely invested from the start. Dunne and Ricochet completely tore the house down in this huge episode proving that the future of the WWE is in very safe hands! The involvement of Adam Cole made for a perfect ending that would lead to another standout of the year this time being massive triple threat that also had the NXT universe buzzing!

Velveteen Dream vs Tommaso Ciampa

Now, my number three entrant may just be a little higher in the list than some would have expected but I have to be honest and say this was by far one of my favourite matches of the entire year and it just had to make the top three; I, of course, am talking about the NXT championship contest between Velveteen Dream and Tommaso Ciampa. Now, both these superstars have been standout performers of the entire year and seeing them compete for the NXT championship was a huge deal! Now I was backing the Dream in this one but after such an epic matchup it was impossible to be disappointed with the end result. The Dream proved once and for all he is championship material while Ciampa cemented himself as the top NXT star today In a classic one on one that has truly raised the bar across the WWE world.

Johnny Gargano vs Tommaso Ciampa

Okay, so this may be cheating but I have decided to include all three matches between Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa in today’s blog post. This was not only the rivalry of the year or the best rivalry in NXT history, but this will go down as one of the best in WWE history. The realistic feel, the chemistry, the backstory, the build and of course the quality of each and every single bout. A personal favourite for me was the second contest we saw between the two but it must be said that there wasn’t one match we saw from Ciampa and Gargano that didn’t totally steal the show, that didn’t have everyone hooked, and that didn’t keep the whole NXT universe entertained.

Andrade Cien Almas vs Johnny Gargano

And finally, taking the number one spot is the five stars matchup between Johnny Gargano and Andrade Cien Almas. There were truly so many bouts that could have taken the top spot this year and I did struggle but, in the end, there really wasn’t a contest that quite was able to top this classic from back in January. Competing for the NXT championship, Gargano looked to finally get his hands on the most prestigious prize on the black and yellow brand, however, despite an incredible performance Almas was still able to keep hold of the gold. The match was a total standout and from the get-go was the bout everyone looked to top throughout the year. We had an excellent story kept basic but entertaining between the typical heel and babyface. We also had perfectly timed involvement from Zelina Vega and Candice LeRae and the shock post-match actions from Tommaso Ciampa allowed this NXT title match to become an all-time great in the WWE.

And those were my two thousand and eighteen NXT matches of the year! As I said in the intro, it was very difficult narrowing the list down to such a small number and so there are other matches I wanted to mention as standouts also including:

Johnny Gargano vs Velveteen Dream

Mya Yim vs Bianca Belair

War Games

Ricochet vs Velveteen Dream

Adam Cole vs Aleister Black

I, of course, would love to know what your NXT match of the year has been and what you would have added to the list so feel free to leave a comment below or tweet me over at @TezangiVictoria. 

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