Even though 2018 may have been the worst year for WWE regarding creative performance, the performances of many wrestlers have made an impact on the best parts of this year.
From dream matches to highly anticipated rematches, WWE has produced many spectacular wrestling matches this year. But how many of those matches did you expect to see in 2018? As many of WWE’s biggest matches, this year was totally unimaginable.
#1 John Cena vs Triple H
Triple H and John Cena are two of wrestlings greats, and while many thought their in-ring days with each other have ended, WWE threw a curve ball at us, as these two men battled each other at the Greatest Royal Rumble event.
Even though the event was a failure in the eyes of many WWE fans, it was clear that Triple H and Cena had the best match of the night as fans were fully invested in the action. While this was a match that no one really wanted to see, it was still a surprise at that point in those two legends careers.
#2 Daniel Bryan vs AJ Styles
Daniel Bryan retired in 2016 due to his consistent injury problems, but after two years as the GM of Smackdown Live, Bryan shocked the world when he announced his return to the ring, so it was obvious that any match he competed in was totally expected.
So WWE gave fans the unexpected, as a slew of dream matches followed, and the one match that everyone wanted to witness was Bryan vs AJ Styles.
This programme between Styles and Bryan really did wonders for the WWE Title, Smackdown Live and even Bryan himself, as he needed to move on from the yes movement which had lost a lot of steam over the year, so WWE came up with the solution of turning the man heel and handing him the WWE Championship.
And that seemed to work as Bryan is truly well-realised heel, and his wars with Styles will go down as classics in Smackdown Live history.
#3 Undertaker vs Rusev
The Undertaker is one of the greatest superstars in wrestling history, and when he supposedly returned at Wrestlemania 33 against Roman Reigns, fans were emotionally affected but were somewhat satisfied with the way he went out, as the credibility he gave to Reigns was a good way to go out.
But WWE had no intentions of letting the Undertaker retire as he returned the following WrestleMania to take on John Cena in a terrible squash match. Moreover, no one would expect that The Undertakers next opponent after Cena would be a midcard act who was being held back by the glass ceiling - Rusev.
Rusev had the opportunity to be one of the few men that faced the Undertaker in the last few matches of his career, so his loss to the legend should be looked at with a silver lining.
#4 Charlotte vs Ronda Rousey
The fact that Ronda Rousey and Charlotte Flair met on a pay-per-view not named Wrestlemania this year is truly shocking, as many pegged this matchup to be one of the candidates for next year’s Wrestlemania main event.
And when this match was all set and done at the 2018 Survivor Series pay-per-view, it was easy to see why these superstars are the biggest names in WWE’s women’s division.
This match was brutal, intense and most of all entertaining. Moreover, it is a more of a shocker that this match saw Charlotte switch up her character to a become a heel and destroy Rousey.
While it is certain that the war between Rousey and Flair is not over by a long shot, rumours suggest that Becky Lynch and Asuka are Rousey and Flair’s respective Wrestlemania opponents, so when these two stars will cross paths down the road again is a mystery.
#5 Daniel Bryan vs Samoa Joe
Daniel Bryan and Samoa Joe are two of the most recognizable Ring of Honor wrestlers in WWE today, as both these men had wrestled countless classics for the promotion back in the day, and while they have taken each other to the limit many times, seeing them do it in a WWE ring seemed impossible.
But thanks to Bryan’s return we got to see this classic tale brought to the WWE. While their matches this year were not apart of a bigger narrative, it was still fun to see these two age-old rivals tear it up on Smackdown Live.
#6 Kane in a World Title match
Kane is a future Hall of Famer, and while fans don’t respect the character anymore, there is no denying that back in Kane’s prime, he was a no-nonsense monster.
But seeing Kane in a World Title match this year was more out of the blue than one would imagine, as many fans didn’t expect the big red machine to get a chance at the gold again.
While Kane was just in the Universal Title triple threat match to get pinned by Brock Lesnar, it was still surprising to see him in there, as he had not even been on TV for a while for WWE to build him up again as this untouchable threat to Lesnar’s reign.
#7 Randy Orton vs Jeff Hardy inside the Hell in a Cell
Jeff Hardy and Randy Orton are two superstars who rose to prominence in the 2000s, and it was only a matter of time before they started becoming the main eventers in the company, while Orton did it as a heel, Hardy did it has a babyface.
But that was ten years ago when these two men were at the top of the WWE food chain respectively, and a lot can change in a decade. That is why the sight of these two men inside the Hell in a Cell was so surprising it was awesome, as the narrative crafted for Hardy and Orton was so well done by WWE, it became a hit with fans.
Moreover, the car crash action these men provided us with is surely appreciated by fans, as this rivalry proved that the stars of the ‘ruthless aggression’ era can still craft a damn good match.
#8 DX vs Brothers of Destruction
DX vs Brothers of Destruction has an Attitude Era vibe written all over it, as these four men are the most decorated athletes to ever step inside a WWE ring, but the problem with this match is that it’s 2018, not 1998, and these four legendary stars are truly past their prime.
But the fact that this match was even possible was truly shocking, as Shawn Micheals coming out of retirement is a sight you never thought you would see. But at the end of the day, these men put on a good match for their capabilities, and for what its worth, nostalgia is good in small doses.
#9 Daniel Bryan vs Brock Lesnar
Daniel Bryan vs Brock Lesnar is a match that most never thought they would see even if Bryan returned to the ring, as Lesnar has been built up as such an immovable force in WWE, that it is almost hard to imagine what would be the result of Lesnar going up an injury prone superstar like Bryan.
But Lesnar is a fantastic wrestler, and Bryan is a great worker, so the match between these two men was absolutely unbelievable. This was a match that many expected to see at Wrestlemania 31, but that was not WWE plans at the time, and now that WWE actually gave us the match, it was worth waiting for.
Even with Bryan losing, this match proved a few things, that WWE can book proper narrative if they actually cared, Bryan is still the workhorse he was back in the day, and Lesnar is still a fantastic wrestler.
#10 John Cena vs Finn Balor
John Cena is truly underrated in the eyes of wrestling fans, and while many tagged him as overrated, the opposite is true, as Cena’s presence on Raw and Smackdown Live is truly beneficial to the show’s success. When he returns next year it will be fun to see what WWE has in store for him.
But just looking back at the matches Cena had this year is unbelievable, it’s like almost every Cena match this year has been a dream match. But the one that stands out the most is his bout with Finn Balor. When fans saw Cena shaking Balor’s hand after winning the NXT Title in 2015, they knew these two would meet in the ring.
But after the whirlwind of a career, Balor has had on the main roster it was far-fetched to imagine him and Cena in a one on one match, considering Cena’s limited schedule in WWE due to his Hollywood commitments. But WWE gave us this dream match, and while many believe that Cena buried Balor, at least we got see these two do battle.
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