2018 was quite the banner year for the NXT brand. Having arguably its great year and breakout performances all over the place with the future of the business, this list is hard to to do simply because NXT continually raises the bar. However, I have decided for the first time to give NXT its due and do an End of the Year edition for them. The categories will be Superstar of the Year for both the Men and Women, Newcomer of the Year, Match of the Year, Takeover of the Year and Rivalry of the Year. Hopefully, after reading this list, you’ll have a great appreciation for what a year for NXT this was. So, let’s get started.
Rivalry of the Year
Here are the nominees for who I believed had some of the best head to head matchups and storylines this year:
- Tomasso Ciampa vs. Johnny Gargano: Um, duh? This feud was absolutely perfect because it was a story that was years in the making. From the Mixed Match Challenge to their run as a tag team, to Ciampa turning on Johnny last year to them finally facing off in an organized feud, this was perfect. They had three consecutive one on one matchups on PPV, and each match was trying to outdo the barbarism of what preceded it. Arguably the greatest feud in NXT history. Most importantly, with Johnny’s heel turn, it proves Ciampa was correct all along.
- Undisputed Era vs. Moustache Mountain (Tyler Bate and Trent Seven): These two tag teams were the class of the tag division in 2018, but during the summer, they had quite the back and forth. The storytelling in their matches were outstanding, and the teaching/mentorship relationship that Moustache Mountain had made it all the more special.
- Adam Cole vs. Ricochet vs. Pete Dunne – These three fought over the coveted North American Championship all year, and every time they went out there, they simply killed it. The North American Title is just the type of title that is perfect for mid-card matches at Takeover events, and these three made it worth watching.
- Kairi Sane vs. Shayna Baszler – I wasn’t really high on Shayna early in her reign because I thought she was bland. But I think what she needed was the perfect woman to compliment her skills, and that came in the form of Kairi Sane. These two have a bit of history as well, as they fought in the Mae Young Classic.
- Johnny Gargano vs. Aliester Black – The way they set up Gargano’s heel turn couldn’t have been any better, and his promo on why he turned heel was the absolute perfect way to go about it. The hard-hitting match they had at War Games was simply outstanding to compliment everything.
And the winner is…..
Newcomer of the Year
Here are the nominees for some prominent first-year superstars for NXT:
1. Ricochet: The NXT North American Champion for most of this year, Ricochet never ceased to electrify in the ring whenever he would compete, and he has quickly emerged as one of the best all-around talents NXT may have ever signed.
2. Lars Sullivan: He didn’t win any titles and wasn’t really involved in any engaging feuds, but he earned an NXT Title match against Aleister Black, and he is already getting called up to the main roster. Some say he should remain, and maybe they’re right, but he did make the most of his opportunities when given.
3. EC3: EC3 has the kind of look that Vince McMahon drools over. He’s built like a true champion, his vignettes are crisp, and he was an overall solid performer. His feud with Velveteen Dream was also underrated if you ask me.
4. Keith Lee: Keith Lee was one of the most popular acts on the independent wrestling scenes. He has yet to compete at a Takeover, but I can sense something very special bubbling up inside of him for 2019.
And the winner is….
Superstar of the Year (Women)
Here are who I believe are the rightful nominees for NXT Female Superstar of the Year:
1. Shayna Baszler: Shayna has come quite a long way from the beginning of the year. Her matches have been far more fun to get into these days, and she’s developed tremendous chemistry with some of the women on the roster. Her aggressive style presents a unique perspective on women’s wrestling, and it makes me excited for the possibilities once she pairs up with her friends next year.
2. Kairi Sane: As stated before, Kairi Sane was the perfect foil for Shayna Baszler, and while her NXT Women’s Title reign was short, she was still a cut above the rest in terms of competing in the ring.
3. Nikki Cross: Nikki didn’t win any gold in 2018, and she probably won’t, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t an entertaining character. She did everything well, and she ended up being a major part in one of the best storylines of the year. Hopefully she doesn’t get lost in the shuffle once she gets called up.
4. Bianca Belair: Bianca also didn’t get to compete on a Takeover this year, but best believe she’s going to be one of the premiere women in the NXT Women’s Title scene next year. She had a few quality performances at Full Sail, and I’m interested to see what she can do on a bigger scale.
And the winner is….
Superstar of the Year (Men)
Here are the nominees for who had the best year on the men’s side.
1. Tomasso Ciampa: Ciampa is such a vile heel, and it’s absolutely wonderful. He plays the role absolutely well, and his NXT Title run has been extremely well done. Tomasso is the perfect guy to hate, but he embraces it, and he’s used it to improve his craft. He’s been incredible.
2. Aliester Black: Aliester Black was prime and ready for an NXT Championship run when saw him compete in the fall of last year, and he has more than reached his potential. He’s likely to get called up next year, but I think he has a few memories left to make in NXT. He’s emerged as one of NXT’s most dynamic performers, and rightfully so.
3. Johnny Gargano: What a year for Johnny. He didn’t win the NXT Championship, but he by himself could say he has about 5 match of the year contenders. What amazes me the most about him is that he’s such a believable face, but he can be equally believable as a bad guy. Just look at the way he acts in his feud against Ciampa, and then the antithesis in the feud against Black. We could very well be saying Johnny is Daniel Bryan circa 2012-2014 reincarnated.
4. Adam Cole: As the leader of the Undisputed Era, Adam Cole emerged as one of NXT’s top individual performers. Some people may call him a weak star because he lost his first ever title defense against Ricochet, but his personality carried him into some of NXT’s premiere moments this year. Bay-bay.
5. Ricochet: Ricochet has been a wonderful North American Champion, and it’ll be exciting to see where he goes with it. There’s a reason why he was one of the hottest acts in the independent scene. He’s simply electrifying in every sense of the word, and can put on a great match in his sleep.
6. Velveteen Dream: For the sake of fairness, I couldn’t leave him off of this list. Velveteen Dream has lived up to his potential with some absolutely incredible performances at New Orleans, Chicago and at War Games. Dream wants to get called up, but I think the NXT Universe desperately wants to see him take that next leap and win the NXT Title first. And why not? He deserves it.
And the winner is…
Takeover of the Year
Here is what I believe to be some of the best Takeovers this year.
1. Brooklyn IV: Every match on the card with the exception of EC3 and Velveteen Dream was at least four stars. We saw Adam Cole and Ricochet tear it apart and featured one of the best spots ever in a wrestling match with Cole kicking Ricochet mid-moonsault. The opening tag team match was also off the chain and had the Brooklyn crowd out of their seats. The women’s title match which saw Kairi defeating Shayna was great in storytelling and Ciampa/Gargano cemented a perfect trilogy of matches.
2. War Games II: I rated both Velveteen Dream/Ciampa and Black/Gargano at least ****3/4 each, and I believe they deserve it. Those were two of some of the most well worked matches I had seen. That’s not even including the War Games match which, while long, picked up the pace in a huge way in the final 10 or so minutes. The women’s title match was quality personified as well.
3. New Orleans: Talk about a show that will never have you not out of your seat. The ladder match? Insane. Gargano and Ciampa? Even more insane. Aliester Black and Cien Almas? Electric. The other two matches on the card were extremely solid. We also saw Roderick Strong turn on Pete Dunne and form The Undisputed Era as it is currently constructed. It was just a fantastic night of wrestling all around and reminded me why I fell in love with it to begin with.
And the winner is…
Match of the Year
Here are my candidates for the best match of NXT this year. Be advised there were numerous to choose from.
1. Adam Cole vs. Ricochet vs. Lars Sullivan vs. Killian Dain vs. EC3 vs. Velveteen Dream – NXT North American Championship Ladder Match (New Orleans) – I have said it before, and I will say it again. This is one of the greatest ladder matches of all time. You have a combination of NXT veterans and newcomers coming and killing themselves over for a new championship. Everyone got a chance to shine, and the match was highlighted by Ricochet getting a chance to show his high-flying prowess.
2. Johnny Gargano vs. Tomasso Ciampa (New Orleans): It’s like I said before. Johnny could easily have five entries on this list, but for the sake of fairness, I’ll only pick what I thought was his best showing, and I think this was it, with his match against Almas at Philadelphia coming in 2nd place. This match was practically perfect, told an incredible story, and was just brutal all around. The ending was just gorgeous as well.
3. Adam Cole (C) vs. Ricochet – North American Championship (Brooklyn 4): Upon first viewing, I initially wasn’t high on that match, but I’ve grown to appreciate this much more after re-watching again and again. This, of course, was when we had that absurd spot where Cole kicked Ricochet right in the neck in mid-air. This freshened up the title scene, but also validated the North American Title as a championship for the workhorses.
4. Moustache Mountain vs. Undisputed Era – NXT Tag Titles (NXT 7/11/18): I loved this match so much because of its storytelling dynamic that was displayed between Trent Seven and Bate. Tyler Bate didn’t want to throw in the towel so badly, but the Undisputed Era didn’t give him a choice. Seven begged and pleaded for Bate to take it back, but he couldn’t bear the sight of seeing his friend in danger. The best part is they played this up in the rematch at Brooklyn, and Bate was showed by Seven what to do as he put away the title and waited. But the stage for that was set here. Amazing.
5. Andrade “Cien” Almas (C) vs. Johnny Gargano – NXT Championship (Philadelphia): Okay, I said I was only going to give Johnny one match here for the sake of fairness, but at the same time, I didn’t show the first NXT Champion this year any love. In addition, this match was just too damn good for me to ignore. I loved the interference from Vega here, but what was amazing was that they managed to keep me entertained through the first 15 minutes, but they had me even more entertained in the final 15. Almas’ work was incredible and is highly underrated as a performer. They had tremendous chemistry, and I wished I could see these two in an iron man match.
And the winner is..
