Heck of a month – the Top 20 are keepers.
1. WWE Title: Daniel Bryan [c] vs. AJ Styles (TLC 12/16/18)
This was sublime pro wrestling – heel Bryan is a trip to watch, one of the only guys in WWE lately that doesn’t feel like he’s just running through his shit but is actually building on his character as he wrestles. He was awesome here, whether he was running through sweet wrestling sequences or just lurking around and applying holds. AJ’s nasty leg work and Bryan’s selling had the crowd going crazy for the potential of Bryan almost tapping out to a half crab of all things. Great match, and bonus points for feeling unique in the WWE environment.
2. Triple Threat TLC Match – SmackDown Women’s Title: Becky Lynch [c] vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka (TLC 12/16/18)
What a wild match, a perfect capper to a phenomenal year for women in WWE and especially for The Man, Becky Lynch. For the first time in a while, a TLC Match leaned into the chaos of the stipulation and the tables ladders and chairs felt less necessary gimmicks and more weapons used to hurt people. It didn’t hurt that there were chops and slaps being thrown in between that might’ve hurt just as bad. Also, KENDO STICKS!
3. WWE U.S. Title: Shinsuke Nakamura [c] vs. Rusev w/ Lana (SmackDown 12/25/18)
Rusev feels like the only guy on the roster that Nakamura respects and Rusev the only guy on the roster who “gets” Nakamura in-ring. These two basically had a G1 Climax Night 5 main event with more working of the hard cam. They threw strikes and took their time and got dueling Nakamura/Rusev chants. Wild finish too, highlighted by not one but two epic Macha Kicks.
4. Gran Metalik vs. Buddy Murphy (205 Live 12/12/18)
Buddy Murphy and Gran Metalik had a decent but disappointing match earlier in the year and here they had what was basically the PPV match – Metalik got his shit in including a crazy hurricanrana off the top, while Murphy again freaked people out with his insane suplex catch. They did some hot near falls near the end including a Metalik Driver kickout, and the crowd was eventually buying everything these two were selling. It felt like a BOSJ semi final or something – great stuff.
5. Mustafa Ali vs. Daniel Bryan (SmackDown 12/11/18)
Witness Mustafa Ali introduce himself to the SmackDown audience with a massive somersault plancha and then sell for Daniel Bryan’s return to vicious bastard heel. This is a fun pairing of two great wrestlers from different generations but also a classic dynamic of heel champion vs. newcomer underdog babyface that ruled. And it ended with a LEGLOCK. Awesome.
6. Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka (SmackDown 12/11/18)
This wasn’t the Mania match and it ended in a DQ, but it was another great match between these two. The men are all flying around these days, but the women are working holds and doing deadlifts and throwing elbow strikes. It’s awesome. I loved Asuka’s palm strikes while she had Charlotte in submissions, and the Codebreaker counter of the spear was sweet.
7. RAW Women’s Title: Ronda Rousey [c] vs. Nia Jax w/ Tamina (TLC 12/16/18)
The magical chemistry of Ronda Rousey and Nia Jax on Pay-Per-View continued with this match. Wrestling becomes real when these two are struggling against each other, so real that an armbar that had to actually be real is the only thing that can finish Jax. I am willing to publicly admit that I bought the Samoan drop near fall too. Heated, exciting – heck of a wrestling match.
8. Mark Andrews vs. Fabian Aichner (NXT UK 12/5/18)
This is one of the best matches of the NXT UK run so far. Aichner is a complete wrestling freak, just this insane athlete who pulls off jaw-dropping power spots so easily he practically smiles through them. Andrews meanwhile hasn’t been paired with a guy like this on WWE TV in a while too and he was ready to play. The Aichner suplex lift into a powerbomb catch countered with an Andrews rana was incredible.
9. RAW Women’s Title: Ronda Rousey [c] vs. Natalya (RAW 12/24/18)
Ronda Rousey and Natalya worked holds for 10 minutes and I loved it. Rousey matches have this credibility to them that brings already good solid action way up. There were some awesome spots here, including Natalya throwing a hellacious dropkick that saw Ronda just collapse on impact. Ronda might throw a bad clothesline, but she will also sell a vertical suplex like DEATH. Respect.
10. RAW Tag Team Title: Bobby Roode & Chad Gable [c] vs. The Revival (RAW 12/24/18)
This right here is proof that The Revival never really lost it as they spent 2018 being a couple dorks. It was so cool seeing them and Gable do their thing together again. Gable is a freak here and the finish is tag team wrestling perfection.
11. Tag Team Street Fight: Brian Kendrick & Akira Tozawa vs. Drew Gulak & Jack Gallagher (205 Live 12/19/18)
This was a wild match with less high-flying spots and more guys choking each other with wire and microphone shots to the head. Tozawa’s chucking chairs at guys heads, Gulak is getting tied up and taking chops, Gulak is rolling Tozawa in an office chair into a Gallagher boot, and we are all having a good time. There were also a lot of screams of agony and instances of guys just charging into another to save their partner.
12. Miracle on 34th Street Fight: Elias vs. Bobby Lashley w/ Lio Rush (RAW 12/24/18)
A masterclass in the Keep in Simple, Stupid principle – fun babyface/heel match with Elias firing up and Lashley being a cock. Plus Christmas trees and presents used as weapons and whatnot. Lashley also take a bump onto a bunch of Legos.
13. Triple Threat Match: Finn Balor vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Drew McIntyre (RAW 12/24/18)
Pretty ideal TV Triple Threat match – everything flowed well, they all got their shit in, and Drew got over. Mission Accomplished.
14. NXT Tag Team Title: The Undisputed Era (Roderick Strong & Kyle O’Reilly) [c] vs. Heavy Machinery (NXT 12/26/18)
Solid tag match with an epic O’Reilly & Strong performance – Heavy Machinery feels like more a 5-minute TV match main roster act but here’s Undisputed Era going 15 with them and kind of crushing it. They were bumping big, they were logically trying to take the big boys down. Beyond that Otis did a hot tag and Tucky hit a moonsault. Good stuff.
15. Mustafa Ali vs. Andrade “Cien” Almas (SmackDown 12/25/18)
These guys rule and provided a fun 8 minutes of TV here. Almas did his incredible back elbow. Ali took an insane bump to the floor. I loved the way Ali’s leg dangled after taking a double stomp, and Almas took a satellite DDT towards the end like a complete psychopath.
16. Dakota Kai vs. Shayna Baszler w/ Marina Shafir and Jessamyn Duke (NXT 12/5/18)
Shayna Baszler busts up Dakota Kai’s arm. One-armed Dakota tries to kick her way to a possible upset. Glorious, wonderful TV professional wrestling.
17. Finn Balor & Elias vs. Drew McIntyre & Bobby Lashley w/ Lio Rush (Tribute to the Troops 12/20/18)
Very fun tag team contest designed in a lab for maximum crowd pleasure. This had no surprises but the big crowd heat didn’t just bring a good basic match up a notch, it seemed to motivate everybody into ripping it up on the finish. The crowd BOOOO’d as Elias got knocked off the apron before the in-peril Balor could tag him, and they WHOAAAA’d as Balor hit a big time tope con hilo. Plus Lio got smacked around for the finish.
18. Triple Threat Tag Team Match – SmackDown Tag Team Title: The Bar [c] vs. The New Day (Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods) w/ Big E vs. The Usos (TLC 12/16/18)
Nothing new really happened and the Triple Threat stipulation doesn’t lend itself to classic tag wrestling like a 2-on-2 was, but this was a good time with everyone hitting alllll their good stuff.
19. NXT North American Title: Ricochet [c] vs. Tyler Breeze (NXT 12/12/18)
A fine Indy Dream Match with Breeze getting to live out his fantasy of hitting a reverse hurricanrana on WWE television. Ricochet as per usual busts out some wild stuff too.
20. AJ Styles & Mustafa Ali vs. Daniel Bryan & Andrade “Cien” Almas (SmackDown 12/18/18)
Great line-up, great match. It’s formula stuff but four great wrestlers are doing that formula. Almas and AJ killed it, Ali took heat, Bryan and AJ killed it. Tremendous.
21. Cedric Alexander vs. Tony Nese (205 Live 12/12/18)
A very good match with some hot near falls and sweet spots, though also not super memorable so basically par for the course with these two.
22. TLC Match – WWE Intercontinental Title: Seth Rollins [c] vs. Baron Corbin (RAW 12/10/18)
Baron Corbin isn’t the best guy to lumber around and setup ladder spots, but Seth is a pro here, flying around to give everyone a Good Time.
23. Seth Rollins vs. Baron Corbin (RAW 12/24/18)
Another match with Seth just completely transparently busting his ass to make this good. It mostly worked. Corbin is a blank slate at this point but has stuff that can be worked into a fun match, including the Deep Six which is always cool.
24. Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch vs. The Mighty (NXT 12/12/18)
Short but fun little match – nobody brings the chaos like Oney Lorcan. Lots of really really hard slaps are thrown here.
25. Seth Rollins & AJ Styles vs. Daniel Bryan & Dean Ambrose (Tribute to the Troops 12/20/18)
Fast-paced, high energy, good shit. Not the insane dream match it is on paper but its still three pros and whatever Dean Ambrose is these days doing a WWE formula tag.
Honorable Mentions: Dolph Ziggler vs. Drew McIntyre (RAW 12/10/18), SmackDown Women’s Title: Asuka [c] vs. Naomi (SmackDown 12/18/18), Trent Seven w/ Tyler Bate vs. Joe Coffey w/ Wolfgang and Mark Coffey (NXT UK 12/12/18), Triple Threat Match: Xavier Woods w/ Big E and Kofi Kingston vs. Jey Uso w/ Jimmy Uso vs. Cesaro w/ Sheamus (SmackDown 12/4/18), Bomber Dave Mastiff vs. “Wild Boar” Mike Hitchman (NXT UK 12/5/18), Matt Riddle vs. Punishment Martinez (debut) (NXT 12/5/18)Jeff Hardy vs. Samoa Joe (SmackDown 12/25/18), Mark Andrews vs. Marcel Barthel (NXT UK 12/26/18), NXT Women’s Title #1 Contender Fatal 4-Way Match: Io Shirai vs. Mia Yim vs. Bianca Belair vs. Lacey Evans (NXT 12/26/18)
Becky Lynch & Charlotte Flair vs. Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville (Tribute to the Troops 12/20/18), Mixed Match Challenge – Semi Final: The Fabulous Truth (R-Truth & Carmella) vs. Awe-ska (The Miz & Asuka) (MMC 12/11/18), Charlotte Flair & Asuka vs. Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville (SmackDown 12/4/18), Dolph Ziggler vs. Drew McIntyre (RAW 12/3/18), AJ Styles vs. The Miz (SmackDown 12/4/18), Travis Banks vs. Joe Coffey w/ Wolfgang and Mark Coffey (NXT UK 12/19/18), Jeff Hardy & Rusev w/ Lana vs. Shinsuke Nakamura & Samoa Joe (SmackDown 12/11/18), Brian Kendrick w/ Akira Tozawa vs. Drew Gulak w/ Jack Gallagher (205 Live 12/5/18), Steel Cage Match: Dolph Ziggler vs. Drew McIntyre (RAW 12/31/18)
