Welcome to the half-year review of 2018. This is by no means a comprehensive, end-all be-all look at the year. This is merely my opinion and observations on the best of the first six months of 2018.
I think it is fair to say that wrestling is going through the biggest boom in its popularity since the closing of WCW and ECW in 2001. This amount of awareness of wrestling promotions other than WWE has been unmatched in the last 17 years. The popularity of the Bullet Club and the Young Bucks has contributed to not only a HOT TOPIC deal and a Funko Pop deal but also to the biggest independent wrestling show in American wrestling history with All In. Companies like New Japan are increasing their presence in America with multiple shows in the country along with having talent tour with partner company Ring of Honor. Both ROH and NJPW have also added tons of content to their own streaming services to increase their exposure in today's consumer economy. And then consider the recent deals with Fox for WWE and the continued growth of its international presence with a new NXT UK brand along with major events in places like Saudi Arabia and Australia. And that's not even getting into the discussion of the increased in-ring quality felt in all three promotions by the dynamic talent available. It is a great time (perhaps the best) to be a wrestling fan, and it looks to continue into the next couple years.
Best Wrestler
1. Kazuchika Okada- Great year of matches so far with matches against Naito, Sabre Jr. , SANADA, Ospreay, Tanahashi, and the all-time classic against Omega; his body of work speaks for itself.
2. Seth Rollins- Monday Night Rollins couldn't be more accurate for Rollins who is on fire for WWE right now. The guy you can rely on night after night for great wrestling on an otherwise bad brand.
3. Kenny Omega- The Best Bout Machine has had a decent few months with matches against Jericho, The Young Bucks, Cody, and the classic against Okada.
4. Hiromu Takahashi- This has been a break out year for Hiromu. Great matches with Ospreay, Ishimori, winning the Best of the Super Jrs. tournament, and El Desperado. Broken trophy or not, and with or without Daryl, Hiromu is the shining star of Los Ingobernables de Japon right now.
5. AJ Styles- Another guy who WWE can depend on for quality matches, if nothing else; AJ is the cornerstone of Smackdown Live and ended up being on the cover of WWE 2K19.
6. Daniel Bryan- What a great story of Daniel Bryan coming back from retirement to have quality matches with several of WWE's biggest stars. Bryan was able to carry Big Cass to passable matches, went over an hour and ten minutes in the Greatest Royal Rumble, and has rejuvenated a WWE audience with the Yes Movement! Expect big things from Daniel Bryan through the rest of the year.
7. Will Ospreay- Ospreay was on fire for these few months: winning a great 4 way match for the Jr. Heavyweight Championship, having great matches with Scurll, Kushida, and Takahashi in individual matches, and bringing out the best in 52 year old Jyushin Thunder Liger. Even though he's no longer champion, I hope we see more from Ospreay.
8. Adam Cole- Whenever Adam Cole is involved, you know you are going to get a solid, enjoyable match. As part of The Undisputed Era, Cole has been part of some excellent tag team matches against opponents like British Strong Style. As an individual performer, he's had great matches with Aleister Black and five other men in the North American Heavyweight Championship match. Even in throwaway matches, Cole finds a way to shine. I expect big things from him for the rest of this year.
9. Shinsuke Nakamura- I debated whether to put Nakamura on this list. He won the Royal Rumble and was put in several main event matches against AJ Styles. But only one of those matches truly delivered what fans were expecting: the recent Last Man Standing match. But his new heel character has stolen a lot of Smackdown Live TV shows. And it's clear that Nakamura is having a blast.
10. Chris Jericho- Jericho is only this low because he has only wrestled twice. However, both of those matches were excellent brawls. Jericho is so brilliant at what he does that he can yell at a turtle and get it over. That's not hyperbole; he actually did that! Jericho is about to throw a huge Rock N Rager Wrestling Cruise in October (which I wish I could go to). So, he's going to end up higher on the year-end list for even getting that off the ground. Spoiler alert.
Top 10 Matches So Far
1. Omega vs. Okada- Dominion 2018- An absolute classic and perhaps one of my favorite matches of all time.
2. The Golden Lovers vs. The Young Bucks- Strong Style Evolved March 2018- An absolutely great tag team match that demonstrated a great mix of storytelling and in-ring action.
3. North American Championship Ladder Match- NXT Takeover New Orleans- One of the better Ladder matches in recent memory with six men having moments to shine and stand out.
4. Johnny Gargano vs. Tomasso Ciampa- NXT Takeover New Orleans- As much as I think the Gargano/Ciampa feud is overhyped and not as great as people make it out to be, this match was legitimately great. It wasn't nearly as overbooked and ridiculous as Chicago was in spots, and it should have ended the feud.
5. Gauntlet Match- Raw (February 2018)- The best 2 hours in Raw in a LONG time, the Gauntlet match showcased all the entrants in the Raw Elimination Chamber match in a way that actually overshadowed the match itself. Seth Rollins going over an hour wrestling three opponents in the process was something to behold and put Rollins on the path he's been on ever since.
6. Takahashi vs. Ishimori- Best of the Super Jrs. Final 2018- An absolute classic Jr. Heavyweight match. They fought all over the hall and did some sick spots. Then, they came back into the ring and wrestled a great, back and forth match in which you didn't know who was going to win one moment from the next.
7. Alpha vs. Omega - Wrestle Kingdom 12- Chris Jericho brought out a new side of Kenny Omega. This wasn't a great wrestling match. But it was a great hardcore fight style match in which Jericho and Omega went at it with tables, chairs, flying dives... Jericho even started beating up the referee's son at ringside! It was complete chaos in all the best ways. For 35 minutes, fans got what was promoted and then some. NJPW Jericho is insane, crazy, and a jerk. And he's proving why he's a better wrestler than you ever gave him credit for.
8. Jay Lethal vs. KUSHIDA- ROH Best in the World 2018 - A very recent addition to this list. I had to think about what matches deserve to be on the list and which shouldn't. To me, this makes it because KUSHIDA and Jay Lethal brought everything into the match and delivered a great back and forth match. Trading dives, kicks, submission moves, and mocking handshakes throughout, they brought out the best in each other for about 20 minutes.
9. Shinsuke Nakamura vs. A.J. Styles- Money in the Bank 2018- The Last Man Standing match was the match that FINALLY earned the hype between Styles and Nakamura. They had decent encounters, but they failed to meet the standard that was set at NJPW's Wrestle Kingdom 10 a couple years prior. This met that standard fans were expecting. Back and forth action in and around the ring. Nakamura kept coming closer and closer to winning, but Styles dug in finally unleashing the type of anger and determination fans had been wanting from him for months. The result put Nakamura in a bad position as a character, but the match itself was great while it lasted.
10. Rhonda Rousey/Kurt Angle vs. Triple H/Stephanie- WrestleMania 34- This makes the list for me since it completely OVER-delivered what was expected out of them. Going into this, no one thought that Ronda Rousey would hang in and produce a good match. Boy, were we all wrong?! Rousey, Angle, Triple H, and (yes) Stephanie all did their work very well to produce the best match that evening at WrestleMania. For that, it rises above some other great matches throughout this first part of the year.
Honorable Mentions
Tanahashi vs. Suzuki- New Beginning 2018
Velveteen Dream vs. Ricochet- NXT Takeover Chicago
Zach Sabre Jr. vs. Tomohiro Ishii- Rev Pro (April 2018)
Adam Cole vs. Aleister Black- NXT Takeover Philadelphia
Takahashi vs. El Desperado- Kizuna Road 2018
Best Major Event of 2018 So Far
1) NJPW Dominion 2018- Entertaining from beginning to end, it barely gets the nod over another incredible show.
2) NXT Takeover New Orleans- Best NXT TakeOver from beginning to end perhaps ever.
3) ROH Best in the World 2018- A very well executed event with several high quality matches.
4) NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 12- Multiple great matches and a couple not-so-great ones (Tanahashi vs. White)
5) NXT TakeOver Philadelphia- Two great matches including another overhyped (but still very good) Gargano main event.
6) NJPW Strong Style Evolved (March 2018)- 2-3 of these matches were very good, classic main event, several forgettable matches in undercard.
7) WWE Royal Rumble 2018- Rumbles delivered, rest of the card forgettable
8) NXT Takeover Chicago- Gargano/Ciampa was good; Tag Team Title match and Dream/Ricochet were better. Still not up to par with previous shows
9) WWE Money in the Bank 2018- Several good matches. Several were not that great looking back.
10) WrestleMania 34- Very good matches on here (Charlotte/Asuka, IC Title, Mixed Tag). Several disappointments (Styles/Nakamura, Braun's partner, Undertaker/Cena being 3 minutes). Plus Lesnar-Reigns may have been the worst moment in the history of WrestleMania main events ever... which any fan with a read on the situation could have told you once Vince decided Roman was facing Brock despite fan disinterest in that match.
Predictions for the Rest of 2018
- I expect a big second half of the year for Adam "Hangman" Page. I think he will do very well in the G1. And when he gets back to do full-time work for ROH, the program with Punishment Martinez is likely to continue in my opinion.
- Bold Prediction: Brock Lesnar will be stripped of the Universal Championship as he will simply walk out on his deal with WWE. Or at least, I think that's a likely ending to all this. If Brock takes a fall before going to UFC, fake sport or not, it will damage the Brock Lesnar brand in the eyes of anyone looking to mock him anyways for his involvement in WWE.
- Chris Jericho will either be working a program with Naito or Okada going into Wrestle Kingdom 13.
- Kota Ibushi wins the G1, setting up a Golden Lovers Civil War at Wrestle Kingdom.
I hope you all have enjoyed this. Agree? Disagree? Share your thoughts below.
Until next time, take care of yourselves and spread some awesomeness.
I think it is fair to say that wrestling is going through the biggest boom in its popularity since the closing of WCW and ECW in 2001. This amount of awareness of wrestling promotions other than WWE has been unmatched in the last 17 years. The popularity of the Bullet Club and the Young Bucks has contributed to not only a HOT TOPIC deal and a Funko Pop deal but also to the biggest independent wrestling show in American wrestling history with All In. Companies like New Japan are increasing their presence in America with multiple shows in the country along with having talent tour with partner company Ring of Honor. Both ROH and NJPW have also added tons of content to their own streaming services to increase their exposure in today's consumer economy. And then consider the recent deals with Fox for WWE and the continued growth of its international presence with a new NXT UK brand along with major events in places like Saudi Arabia and Australia. And that's not even getting into the discussion of the increased in-ring quality felt in all three promotions by the dynamic talent available. It is a great time (perhaps the best) to be a wrestling fan, and it looks to continue into the next couple years.
Best Wrestler
1. Kazuchika Okada- Great year of matches so far with matches against Naito, Sabre Jr. , SANADA, Ospreay, Tanahashi, and the all-time classic against Omega; his body of work speaks for itself.
2. Seth Rollins- Monday Night Rollins couldn't be more accurate for Rollins who is on fire for WWE right now. The guy you can rely on night after night for great wrestling on an otherwise bad brand.
3. Kenny Omega- The Best Bout Machine has had a decent few months with matches against Jericho, The Young Bucks, Cody, and the classic against Okada.
4. Hiromu Takahashi- This has been a break out year for Hiromu. Great matches with Ospreay, Ishimori, winning the Best of the Super Jrs. tournament, and El Desperado. Broken trophy or not, and with or without Daryl, Hiromu is the shining star of Los Ingobernables de Japon right now.
5. AJ Styles- Another guy who WWE can depend on for quality matches, if nothing else; AJ is the cornerstone of Smackdown Live and ended up being on the cover of WWE 2K19.
6. Daniel Bryan- What a great story of Daniel Bryan coming back from retirement to have quality matches with several of WWE's biggest stars. Bryan was able to carry Big Cass to passable matches, went over an hour and ten minutes in the Greatest Royal Rumble, and has rejuvenated a WWE audience with the Yes Movement! Expect big things from Daniel Bryan through the rest of the year.
7. Will Ospreay- Ospreay was on fire for these few months: winning a great 4 way match for the Jr. Heavyweight Championship, having great matches with Scurll, Kushida, and Takahashi in individual matches, and bringing out the best in 52 year old Jyushin Thunder Liger. Even though he's no longer champion, I hope we see more from Ospreay.
8. Adam Cole- Whenever Adam Cole is involved, you know you are going to get a solid, enjoyable match. As part of The Undisputed Era, Cole has been part of some excellent tag team matches against opponents like British Strong Style. As an individual performer, he's had great matches with Aleister Black and five other men in the North American Heavyweight Championship match. Even in throwaway matches, Cole finds a way to shine. I expect big things from him for the rest of this year.
9. Shinsuke Nakamura- I debated whether to put Nakamura on this list. He won the Royal Rumble and was put in several main event matches against AJ Styles. But only one of those matches truly delivered what fans were expecting: the recent Last Man Standing match. But his new heel character has stolen a lot of Smackdown Live TV shows. And it's clear that Nakamura is having a blast.
10. Chris Jericho- Jericho is only this low because he has only wrestled twice. However, both of those matches were excellent brawls. Jericho is so brilliant at what he does that he can yell at a turtle and get it over. That's not hyperbole; he actually did that! Jericho is about to throw a huge Rock N Rager Wrestling Cruise in October (which I wish I could go to). So, he's going to end up higher on the year-end list for even getting that off the ground. Spoiler alert.
Top 10 Matches So Far
1. Omega vs. Okada- Dominion 2018- An absolute classic and perhaps one of my favorite matches of all time.
2. The Golden Lovers vs. The Young Bucks- Strong Style Evolved March 2018- An absolutely great tag team match that demonstrated a great mix of storytelling and in-ring action.
3. North American Championship Ladder Match- NXT Takeover New Orleans- One of the better Ladder matches in recent memory with six men having moments to shine and stand out.
4. Johnny Gargano vs. Tomasso Ciampa- NXT Takeover New Orleans- As much as I think the Gargano/Ciampa feud is overhyped and not as great as people make it out to be, this match was legitimately great. It wasn't nearly as overbooked and ridiculous as Chicago was in spots, and it should have ended the feud.
5. Gauntlet Match- Raw (February 2018)- The best 2 hours in Raw in a LONG time, the Gauntlet match showcased all the entrants in the Raw Elimination Chamber match in a way that actually overshadowed the match itself. Seth Rollins going over an hour wrestling three opponents in the process was something to behold and put Rollins on the path he's been on ever since.
6. Takahashi vs. Ishimori- Best of the Super Jrs. Final 2018- An absolute classic Jr. Heavyweight match. They fought all over the hall and did some sick spots. Then, they came back into the ring and wrestled a great, back and forth match in which you didn't know who was going to win one moment from the next.
7. Alpha vs. Omega - Wrestle Kingdom 12- Chris Jericho brought out a new side of Kenny Omega. This wasn't a great wrestling match. But it was a great hardcore fight style match in which Jericho and Omega went at it with tables, chairs, flying dives... Jericho even started beating up the referee's son at ringside! It was complete chaos in all the best ways. For 35 minutes, fans got what was promoted and then some. NJPW Jericho is insane, crazy, and a jerk. And he's proving why he's a better wrestler than you ever gave him credit for.
8. Jay Lethal vs. KUSHIDA- ROH Best in the World 2018 - A very recent addition to this list. I had to think about what matches deserve to be on the list and which shouldn't. To me, this makes it because KUSHIDA and Jay Lethal brought everything into the match and delivered a great back and forth match. Trading dives, kicks, submission moves, and mocking handshakes throughout, they brought out the best in each other for about 20 minutes.
9. Shinsuke Nakamura vs. A.J. Styles- Money in the Bank 2018- The Last Man Standing match was the match that FINALLY earned the hype between Styles and Nakamura. They had decent encounters, but they failed to meet the standard that was set at NJPW's Wrestle Kingdom 10 a couple years prior. This met that standard fans were expecting. Back and forth action in and around the ring. Nakamura kept coming closer and closer to winning, but Styles dug in finally unleashing the type of anger and determination fans had been wanting from him for months. The result put Nakamura in a bad position as a character, but the match itself was great while it lasted.
10. Rhonda Rousey/Kurt Angle vs. Triple H/Stephanie- WrestleMania 34- This makes the list for me since it completely OVER-delivered what was expected out of them. Going into this, no one thought that Ronda Rousey would hang in and produce a good match. Boy, were we all wrong?! Rousey, Angle, Triple H, and (yes) Stephanie all did their work very well to produce the best match that evening at WrestleMania. For that, it rises above some other great matches throughout this first part of the year.
Honorable Mentions
Tanahashi vs. Suzuki- New Beginning 2018
Velveteen Dream vs. Ricochet- NXT Takeover Chicago
Zach Sabre Jr. vs. Tomohiro Ishii- Rev Pro (April 2018)
Adam Cole vs. Aleister Black- NXT Takeover Philadelphia
Takahashi vs. El Desperado- Kizuna Road 2018
Best Major Event of 2018 So Far
1) NJPW Dominion 2018- Entertaining from beginning to end, it barely gets the nod over another incredible show.
2) NXT Takeover New Orleans- Best NXT TakeOver from beginning to end perhaps ever.
3) ROH Best in the World 2018- A very well executed event with several high quality matches.
4) NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 12- Multiple great matches and a couple not-so-great ones (Tanahashi vs. White)
5) NXT TakeOver Philadelphia- Two great matches including another overhyped (but still very good) Gargano main event.
6) NJPW Strong Style Evolved (March 2018)- 2-3 of these matches were very good, classic main event, several forgettable matches in undercard.
7) WWE Royal Rumble 2018- Rumbles delivered, rest of the card forgettable
8) NXT Takeover Chicago- Gargano/Ciampa was good; Tag Team Title match and Dream/Ricochet were better. Still not up to par with previous shows
9) WWE Money in the Bank 2018- Several good matches. Several were not that great looking back.
10) WrestleMania 34- Very good matches on here (Charlotte/Asuka, IC Title, Mixed Tag). Several disappointments (Styles/Nakamura, Braun's partner, Undertaker/Cena being 3 minutes). Plus Lesnar-Reigns may have been the worst moment in the history of WrestleMania main events ever... which any fan with a read on the situation could have told you once Vince decided Roman was facing Brock despite fan disinterest in that match.
Predictions for the Rest of 2018
- I expect a big second half of the year for Adam "Hangman" Page. I think he will do very well in the G1. And when he gets back to do full-time work for ROH, the program with Punishment Martinez is likely to continue in my opinion.
- Bold Prediction: Brock Lesnar will be stripped of the Universal Championship as he will simply walk out on his deal with WWE. Or at least, I think that's a likely ending to all this. If Brock takes a fall before going to UFC, fake sport or not, it will damage the Brock Lesnar brand in the eyes of anyone looking to mock him anyways for his involvement in WWE.
- Chris Jericho will either be working a program with Naito or Okada going into Wrestle Kingdom 13.
- Kota Ibushi wins the G1, setting up a Golden Lovers Civil War at Wrestle Kingdom.
I hope you all have enjoyed this. Agree? Disagree? Share your thoughts below.
Until next time, take care of yourselves and spread some awesomeness.
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