Roundtable: Best Of 2018 (Part 2)

You can find part 1 here.

What was the best promotion of 2018?

Gelfand: NXT had another great year. NXT is just wrestling done right. They have an array of distinct characters, strong promos, great announcing and fantastic matches.

Gladen: I think each promotion has been the best at one point or another this year and certainly have been the best at the same time. I think the most impressive promotion this year has been MLW coming out of nowhere and uploading their matches to YouTube to start the year and premiering a weekly live television broadcast to end the year. The future is bright for the small promotion.

Leigh: This is tough because there are burgeoning stars all over the world, but one single promotion hasn’t jumped to the forefront. Revolution Pro has been on fire this year, though, so if I must narrow it down, they deserve the shine!

Gibb: MLW.

Corrigan: Impact. I don’t miss an episode, as a matter of fact, I actually look forward to them. I even bought front row seats to Bound For Glory, the ultimate vote of confidence considering my frugality. The roster constantly evolves with fresh talent and familiar faces, the matches are always captivating and the storylines are rich and meaningful, something you’d see on a network drama.

Bautista: Impact Wrestling – an answer no one would’ve expected two years ago. Over the course of a year, the company has built upon continuous momentum, starting with Redemption and running through Bound for Glory. Impact is fun to watch again.

Jackson: On my profile for the website, I am listed as the ROH Expert. However, this year, I feel ROH has been quite run-of-the-mill in a lot of areas, as have its partner promotions NJPW and CMLL. This pick will probably surprise a lot of people, but my promotion of the year is Championship Wrestling from Arizona. After discovering it late this year, I have been glued to the product. The roster is brilliant: classic pro wrestling, with a modern twist for everyone to enjoy!

Mahalis: NXT. Rarely lets you down the way Raw and SmackDown consistently do.

Goodwillie: It should be noted that with the exception of Monday Night Raw, it was actually a really good year for wrestling. That said, I don’t know how you can’t say NXT had the best year top to bottom. To me, the Takeover cards were all B+ material at WORST and the latest one, NXT Takeover War Games II, (the one thing I attended during Survivor Series weekend in LA, mind you), was probably its best ever. The roster is stronger than ever, too. As you’ll see in my draft, I ended up taking several current NXT stars, but you have to consider the roots. Riddle was a PWG guy. Dunne worked the UK indies for years. Adam Cole was RoH/NJPW. Drew McIntyre took his own path through NXT and Andrade Cien Almas came from Mexico. THEN you’ve got a guy like Velveteen Dream who is almost entirely a Performance Center creation. Because of this, NXT is really pro wrestling booking made easy because it’s constantly able to give the fans things they haven’t seen before, and that to me is why it was my favorite promotion of 2018.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ticiwJUyzAw

What was the best wrestling event of 2018?

Gelfand: NXT TakeOver: New Orleans was a great card from top to bottom featuring a tremendous ladder match to open the show, Shayna Baszler and Aleister Black both winning the NXT Women’s and Heavyweight Championships respectively and the epic first match in the Johnny Gargano/Tommaso Ciampa feud.

Gladen: All In was the best wrestling event of 2018. It proved that WWE does not have a stranglehold on American wrestling.

Leigh: I’m torn between All In and WWE Evolution. Both shows were labors of love; slaved over and painstakingly fought for. Both were the products of a new generation of pro wrestler who is hungry…who sees where the business is currently, and knows where it must go. Both were fantastic, but the edge goes to All In. They were able to shine a light on independent wrestling, both men and women, and at the same time, revitalized the NWA World Title. I can’t wait to see what the guys behind All In will do next!

Gibb: WWE Evolution.

Corrigan: PretzelMania II. A hilarious take on wrestling’s biggest show of the year, hosted by World-1 Wrestling in Morganville, New Jersey, Matt Tremont battled Travis Lee in the first Pretzel Deathmatch! Check out my live report.

Bautista: All IN. It was the first time in a while that wrestling fans just showed up to have fun and enjoy the show. The event itself exceeded expectations with great matches highlighted by Cody Rhodes winning the NWA World Title.

Jackson: NXT TakeOver: New Orleans is one of the greatest pro wrestling shows in history. It delivered more than anyone expected and needs to be seen to be believed! Honorable mentions are: ALL IN, Bound for Glory 2018 and NJPW Dominion 2018.

Mahalis: NXT Takeover Philly. I am definitely biased because I was in attendance, but man was that a great show. Adam Cole and Aleister Black was terrific, followed up by the best match I have ever seen live in Gargano vs. Alamas.

Goodwillie: NXT Takeover War Games II. Yes, I was there, did I mention that? But in truth, I saw two of the best wrestling matches I’ll probably ever see in Black vs. Gargano and Dream vs. Ciampa. Then you’ve even got some people who preferred the War Games match to both of those! That says a lot about this card. It ran about two and a half hours, the perfect length for a wrestling show. Even the best WWE shows probably can’t exceed a B-, just because there will be points where I either tune out, fall asleep or just get burned out from watching. That’s not a problem with NXT, which is like the best of modern wrestling meeting the best of old school wrestling.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7zrAfIsjjM

What was the best moment/angle of 2018?

Gelfand: Daniel Bryan returning and unretiring was my favorite moment. It was inspirational to see how hard Bryan fought to get back in the ring and continue his dream.

Gladen: The best moment actually happened recently on NXT 483 when they teased a DIY return.

Leigh: Becky Lynch turns on Charlotte and takes over as “The Man.” Long adored by fans, but long stuck counting the lights while others (mainly Charlotte) continued to shine and be given opportunities that others like Becky deserved. Finally after winning the SmackDown Women’s Title in a great match, Becky made her statement with a thorough beat down! What followed was the zenith of Becky’s career, thus far.

Gibb: Shane Strickland foils Pentagon Jr.’s MLW World Heavyweight Championship hopes and white-suited Salina de la Renta ends up covered in red mist.

Corrigan: Sami “The Slugger” Callihan smashing Eddie Edwards’ face with a baseball bat. Whether it was an accident or intentional is still up for debate, but it certainly changed the careers of both men. Callihan played to the conjecture that he was an unsafe worker, now brandishing a bat with him wherever he goes. Edwards descended into madness, gaining some much-needed personality and emerging as a beloved lunatic. And Impact Wrestling gained plenty of buzz from one of its hottest feuds of the year.

Bautista: Flip Gordon getting in All In. In an era where companies fail to place importance on just being placed on a PPV card, The Elite found a creative way to establish that importance.

Jackson: Looking at everything in fine detail, it is probably when the Bullet Club fell apart at NJPW G1 Special in San Francisco. It was something I knew was going to happen, but I just didn’t know when!

Mahalis: This will be unpopular, but the best moment was Roman Reigns finally beating Brock Lesnar. It was long, long overdue and I just felt good for Roman. Plus, it led to a brief, yet fun Shield reunion.

Goodwillie: Roman Reigns opening up to the fans about his leukemia. In no more than 10 minutes, Reigns became triple the babyface WWE could have ever hoped to make out of him. We got to know a side to him that had we known before, would have made a lot of people think differently of him in the wrestling sense. Still, you have to commend Roman (Joe) for opening up about a personal issue such as that, and his openness really brought the wrestling fans (a group of very polarizing thinkers) together in a way we haven’t seen in some time. There’s no doubt I hope he comes back stronger than ever and I believe he can. Andrew McMahon kicked leukemia’s ass and went on to have continued success with Jack’s Mannequin and later Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness. I believe Roman’s future will hold much of the same fortune if he can beat this thing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46F-rgU0Y8w

What was the best match of 2018?

Gelfand: Chris Jericho vs. Kenny Omega. This is going back to the very beginning of the year, but it was an incredible spectacle seeing Chris Jericho in New Japan, and he and Kenny Omega tore down the house. The match was violent, had athleticism and told a great story.

Gladen: The heavyweight title match from Ultima Lucha Quatro between Marty “The Moth” Martinez and Pentagon Jr. where Jake Strong turned in his Gift of the Gods Championship to claim the title.

Leigh: Absolutely NOTHING tops Becky Lynch and Charlotte’s Last Woman Standing battle at WWE Evolution. From tables and chairs to Figure 8s in a ladder, these two left no stone unturned. A match is truly special if long after I’ve watched it, I still get a certain intangible feeling, and every time I discuss this match I feel so proud for them and excited for women’s wrestling. They went into that match with something to prove, and they proved that women can tear the house down, too!

Gibb: Okada vs. Omega at Dominion.

Corrigan: Moose vs. Eddie Edwards from the November 8th episode of Impact. If you were disappointed that they ended up in a tag team match at Bound For Glory, you got what you wished for here. Moose and Edwards brawled all over the Melrose Ballroom, incorporating the fans in a throwback to the old days. Then they brought the action inside the ring, ripping each other’s flesh with blistering chops fitting of a grudge match. And then the finale, which if you watch the footage you’ll see my jaw drop, as Moose powerbombs Edwards from the ring to the entrance ramp, sending his former friend crashing spine first onto the steel grate.

Bautista: Kenny Omega vs. Okada at Dominion. It had to live up to expectations of previous matches, while also completing the story of Kenny’s chase for the title and the end of Okada’s dominant reign on top.

Jackson: LAX vs. DJZ and Andrew Everett for the Tag Team Championships on Impact. That match was just something else and the chemistry the teams had was just fantastic. I love understated matches which deliver in a big way, and boy this sure did.

Mahalis: As good as Gargano and Ciampa were, and as good as the ladder match for the North American Title was, I have to go Gargano/Almas. It was an incredible match and watching it happen live just made it all the better. (Full disclosure, I have yet to see this year’s War Games.)

Goodwillie: I could easily go with Charlotte vs. Becky at WWE Evolution here, and some people might and I love it! But the name of the game is suspending my disbelief and the mark of a good match goes beyond the moves and the athletic ability. For me, it’s a.) was this awesome enough on a level I can show people and go, “hey, check this shit out!” And b.) Were they able to suspend my disbelief to the point that I believed it to the fullest extent? Personally, that match was Ciampa vs. Dream. For as green as Velveteen Dream is, and for as long overlooked as Tommaso Ciampa has been, those two guys made the capacity crowd in the Staples Center believe they were getting a new champion that night. Honestly, had they known they’d have succeeded on that level, maybe Triple H and co. would have pulled the trigger?

Who was the greatest wrestler of 2018?

Gelfand: This may come as a surprise to some people, but Tommaso Ciampa has been on another level this year when it comes to character work, promos and match quality. 2018 has been the year of Ciampa.

Gladen: I think the most consistently entertaining wrestler of 2018 has been Rey Fenix. Between AAA, ROH, MLW and Lucha Underground, “Holy Shit” chants have followed him around the world.

Leigh: For the guys? The Miz. He has done nothing but improve, grow and improve over the last few years. For my money, he is one of the very best promos in the business. I feel like he gets taken for granted and is constantly relegated to the Intercontinental Title picture. While he absolutely has done some incredible work with the IC Title, he deserves to be elevated into the world title picture in 2019. For the women? This was the year of “The Man.” Becky Lynch hit it big late in the year, but ABSOLUTELY NOBODY has had the fan support and momentum she’s had.

Gibb: AJ Styles.

Corrigan: Before he had a mental breakdown at Bound For Glory, I would have said Austin Aries. But he’s been MIA since then, so I’ll go with Tommaso Ciampa. He has delivered fantastic matches every time he’s entered the ring, whether it’s a street fight with Johnny Gargano or a pretty clean back-and-forth with Velveteen Dream. He also has been killing it on the mic, honing his sinister character and becoming a true heel in an age where the lines are completely blurred.

Bautista: Kenny Omega, the current, reigning and defending IWGP Heavyweight Champion.

Jackson: This is such a hard question, as there are so many possible candidates for best wrestler in 2018. But when all is said and done, no one can compare with the year Kenny Omega has had in NJPW. His constant match quality, incredible storytelling, glass ceiling-breaking feud with Kazuchika Okada, as well as reforming the Golden Lovers and creating the Golden Elite, puts him top of the pro wrestling world.

Mahalis: Johnny Wrestling. The guy put on a ton of memorable performances this year. You could easily go with AJ, Daniel Bryan, Becky Lynch or even Adam Cole, Riccochet or Velveteen Dream, but I think Gargano deserves it. Obviously, I know there are great wrestlers outside of WWE, but I rarely watch any other promotions.

Goodwillie: I believe last year I went with AJ Styles for wrestler of the year with Kenny Omega as a close second. It’s funny that Okada does not get more love than he does and I do not know why that is. But I think for Kenny, closing the book on the Okada trilogy, finally winning the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, his role at All In and the Jericho Cruise and now on the verge of headlining the Tokyo Dome with Hiroshi Tanahashi, has to make him Wrestler of the Year. I liked the latest Okada bout. It is certainly not for everyone, but you can’t help but admire the work the two guys put into that match and it only spiked his resume further. I imagine Seth Rollins will top out a lot of the answers for this. Don’t get me wrong, Seth stepped up in a big way, but I’m beginning to see a pattern to his matches: the big move-big move-big move WWE formula that can be stifling, especially to those who are as naturally gifted as he is. I would like to see him be a little more relatable as a babyface. If he can do that, along with the New Daniel Bryan, he may be a favorite for Wrestler of the Year 2019.