Category Archives: Wrestling

The 2018 NXT Year-End Awards, Part Two

Hello again, and welcome back to the 2018 NXT Year-End Awards Prognostications and Picks Party. I hope you enjoyed the short break, but the wrestling business never sleeps, and so we must continue on with the remaining four categories before we get to NXT Match of the Year. But before we do that, let’s review the four awards I covered in the last blog and my personal votes for each:
NXT TakeOver of the Year – Chicago II
NXT Tag Team of the Year – The Undisputed Era
NXT Breakout Star of the Year – Lacey Evans
NXT Future Star of the Year – Candice LeRae

Okay. Now, on with the show…

NXT Rivalry of the Year

#GarganoCiampa (Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa)
#SaneBaszler (Kairi Sane vs. Shayna Baszler)
#AleisterAttack (Aleister Black/Johnny Gargano/Tommaso Ciampa/Nikki Cross)
#GarganoAlmas (Johnny Gargano vs. Andrade “Cien” Almas)
#ERAMoustache (Moustache Mountain vs. Undisputed ERA)
#MoonBaszler (Ember Moon vs. Shayna Baszler)
#RicochetDream (Ricochet vs. Velveteen Dream)

This might be the easiest award for me to pick in the entire list. A couple of these nominees are unimportant, so let’s eliminate Moon/Baszler and ERA/Moustache right off the hop. They were both too short and didn’t build into anything that lasted too long in 2018.

Sane/Baszler had a decent run, but aside from a brief title reign for Kairi, Baszler dominated for most of their program. Ricochet/Dream was a fun build and led up to a great match between two fabulous competitors, but afterwards, it didn’t really grow into anything more. Mostly because you can’t have two faces (wrestling lingo for “good guys”) have too long of a rivalry.

A look at the remaining options says it all, as they all involve Johnny Gargano. But as it goes, where there’s Gargano, there’s Tommaso Ciampa.

Remember in my Match of the Year blog from last year, when I basically said Gargano was one of the best NXT had to offer? This held true through the entirety of 2018. After the betrayal by Ciampa at TakeOver: Chicago 2017, Gargano went on a mission to win the NXT title. He battled Andrade “Cien” Almas four times for the championship, but on the final attempt, Ciampa made his inevitable return from injury and cost Gargano both the title and his NXT career. This rekindled the fire between the two that continues now into 2019. Gargano was reinstated after beating Ciampa in an Unsanctioned Match at TakeOver: New Orleans, but then was beaten by Ciampa in a brutal Chicago Street Fight. That was only the first half of the year for these two.

Gargano was out for a spell afterwards and Ciampa got an eventual shot at the NXT title against Aleister Black. Johnny Wrestling came back and tried to interfere to cost Ciampa the win, but he ended up hitting Black with the title on accident. Ciampa took advantage by knocking Gargano out of the ring and getting the cover for the victory. Gargano’s obsession with vengeance resulted in the worst possible outcome. Ciampa was now atop the NXT ladder.

Eventually, Black would be attacked outside the NXT Arena and an investigation would occur that revealed Johnny as the attacker, setting up a quick rivalry between the two. Of course, Ciampa couldn’t stay out of Johnny’s business and poked at his pride, getting him to agree to things like having a cage match vs. Black.

My point is this: All roads lead to Gargano and Ciampa, no matter what happens. Their deep history carries NXT to new heights every week, and no other storyline or rivalry in recent years has held a candle to the genius of their saga.

Boots’ pick for NXT Rivalry of the Year: Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa

NXT Male Competitor of the Year

#Ciampa
#Gargano
#Ricochet
#Aleister
#Velveteen
#Andrade
#AdamCole
#PeteDunne

Any one of these wrestleboys would be worthy of this award, but alas, we can only vote for one to win. But enough dilly-dallying, let’s get to it.

Andrade “Cien” Almas started 2018 as the NXT Champion and looked stronger as time went on, but he moved on to bigger things in the WWE just after Wrestlemania.

The Velveteen Dream is a 23-year-old prodigy and it shows. He hasn’t lost any momentum since his start and even current champ Tommaso Ciampa has given him high praise at recent live shows. Unfortunately, The Dream came up short in a number of his marquee matches, but he’s on this list for a reason, and will most certainly have a great 2019.

Ricochet and Adam Cole both held the newly-minted North American for a spell and had some great successes. Pete Dunne has been on a tear as the WWE United Kingdom champion and shows no signs of slowing down. Aleister Black, Gargano, and Ciampa were all involved in the NXT Title picture in a major way.

There is absolutely no wrong pick for this award, but for me, the honor goes to a man who beat 5 other men for his first North American Title, led his friends to glory in the Tag division, took part in the hellacious War Games match, and made a promise that there would be gold for his entire faction in 2019. Argue if you like, but Cole spent 2018 at or near a top-level, and there’s no disputing the man’s influence in NXT.

Boom

Boots’ pick for NXT Male Competitor of the Year: Adam Cole (Bay Bay)

NXT Female Competitor of the Year

#NikkiCross
#ShaynaBaszler
#KairiSane
#EmberMoon
#BiancaBelair

There’s no mistake that all of these women had a great 2018, but the Women’s division definitely was left needing a refresh, this past year. Ember Moon was their version of Andrade Almas with her own run as the NXT Women’s Champion, however brief it may have been. She then went up to the big leagues after Wrestlemania. Belair rose to prominence and is shining brightly, but she looks to have a much stronger 2019.

Cross and Sane both had shots at the Women’s Title, but Cross just couldn’t reach the top of the mountain in NXT. Still, her hard work paid off and earned her a WWE spot. Sane had a short two-month reign as the champion in the Fall, but lost it in her first major defense at WWE Evolution.

These four grapplers had good years, but none of them compare to the domination that Shayna Baszler inflicted in 2018. She beat Ember Moon at TakeOver; New Orleans and held it till August where she lost to Kairi Sane, but won it back 9 weeks later and hasn’t let go ever since. She battled the best competition that they could throw at her, including Lacey Evans, Dakota Kai, Moon, Sane, Cross, and whoever else decided to step up. Not only that, but her fellow Horsewomen of MMA – Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir – have recently joined her side and the trio are currently keeping the rest of the Women’s division down with brute force.

You might get your shot and you might get your licks in, but once Baszler locks in that Kirafuda Clutch, she’ll give you no other choice than to tap, nap, or snap.

Boots’ pick for Female Competitor of the Year: Shayna Baszler
Editor’s Note: You should watch WWE Evolution if you have the means to do so. The ladies crushed it at that event and it should be held in the highest regard, especially as the first-ever event of its kind for the WWE.

Now, before I move on to the final award of Overall Competitor of the Year, I’d like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to the NXT Superstars that are MIA since making the jump to the WWE. A number of them left NXT with a ton of momentum, only to see them squandered and left in limbo under Grandpa Vinny’s rule. It’s a tragedy, and I want to honor the legacies of these NXT greats before the wrestling world writes them off:
Tye Dillinger

10

Dana Brooke

Playtime is over

Tyler Breeze

Everyone loves this gorgeous face

Peyton Royce & Billie Kay, The IIconics

They are the future, and the future is IIconic

SAnitY

There is only chaos

Sasha Banks, but when she was “The Boss” and the audience gave a shit and she wasn’t trying to be “Bayley II: Bayley’s BFF.”

Any other version just isn’t a “Legit Boss”

And finally, here we go…
NXT Overall Competitor of the Year

#Ciampa
#NikkiCross
#Gargano
#Ricochet
#ShaynaBaszler
#Aleister
#KairiSane
#Velveteen
#Andrade
#EmberMoon
#AdamCole
#PeteDunne
#BiancaBelair

I’ve already covered these Superstars in their respective Male and Female lists, so I won’t get too deep into that nonsense on this one. Of course, the natural way to go on this would be to pit the Male and Female winners against each other and select the one that made a bigger impact. Bingo-bango, yadda yadda yadda, Bob’s your uncle.

But I’m not going to do that.

First off, as much as I’m a HUGE fan of the Women’s division, I can’t give this award to their candidates. As I said before, they were in a rebuilding stage for most of the year and just didn’t have the same “oomph” as their predecessors, but there’s hope with stars like Bianca Belair, Candice LeRae, Mia Yim, and many others. They’re on the verge of another big surge for 2019 and I’m looking forward to seeing what they can do.
Editor’s Note: Vince, if you waste Lacey Evans’ potential, I will never forgive you.

So it comes down to the boys, and while I gave the Male award to a great competitor in Adam Cole for his accomplishments and growth in 2018, I don’t think that earns him enough to give him the Overall honors. You gotta have something more. You’ve gotta build a legacy. You’ve gotta take the fans on a journey that is above and beyond, and make them believe in what you do. You have to take the NXT brand, strap it to your back and tell the roster “I’ve got this,” and bring them to new heights. In the past, it’s been superstars like Finn Balor, Kevin Owens, the NXT Horsewomen (Bayley/Lynch/Banks/Charlotte), and a few others.

This year, one man came out, claimed that he only needed one shot to accomplish his goals, and did the thing he promised to do, and it was all very much to the ire of the NXT fanbase. His biggest rival stepped up to face him and had the NXT Universe’s support, but aside from one match, he just couldn’t get the job done on multiple occasions. Time after time, chance after chance, rival after rival, and this man still remains the brand’s top guy.

His saga in NXT began years ago, and the fans have been enraptured with him every step of the way. Through tag team struggles and victories, through injuries, through defining moments and major successes and outright betrayals, we’ve all given him every ounce of our attention because he IS the top guy, and this IS his NXT, and when he says he is the greatest sports-entertainer of all-time, you can’t help but consider it as a possible fact, even if only for a moment.

He has the skills, the will, the attitude, and all the heart you could ask for… even if it is the blackest heart in NXT.

Boots’ pick for NXT Overall Competitor of the Year: Tomasso Ciampa

—————

There you have it, folks. That’s my roundup for eight of the nine NXT Year-End Awards for 2018. Next up will be my deep dive into the Match of the Year nominees and my final rankings for that list of fifte… FIFTEEN?!?! Jesus fuck, that’s gonna take a while. I’d better get to it, then.

Thanks for reading, everyone. Hope you enjoy my BS about wrestling and whatever else you might stumble across on this blog o’ mine. Maybe check out some of my other stuff like:
The Top Ten Games of the Xbox 360/PlayStation 3/Wii Console Generation
My 2017 NXT Match of the Year Final Rankings

…or perhaps a couple of my individual blogs about my Top Ten Video Games of All-Time:

Follow me on Twitter at @Boots_33 and you can be a dingus at me or be my friend. You get to choose which!

Have a lovely day/night. Keep it chill, everybody.

The 2018 NXT Year-End Awards, Part One

Another year has come and gone, and with it comes an urge to reminisce and reflect on what the past 365 days have brought us. Some would say that 2018 was a bit of a garbage year. I suppose it could have been depending on your persepctive, but not everything was the worst, so let’s take a look back at the year’s best and brightest in the world of professional wrestling. And by “world of professional wrestling,” I mean the NXT brand, because I don’t have time to watch everything outside of the WWE umbrella and NXT is consistently great and easily accessible via the WWE Network.

Recently, the brand released their nominees for the 2018 NXT Year-End Awards. This past year had some great moments and created a lot to build for the future, but I also felt they missed some opportunities. It seemed like 2018 was a bit of a rebuilding year for the brand. That’s not to say they didn’t have great talent or entertaining matches, but I’ll get more into that in a future blog where I’ll focus specifically on the Match of the Year candidates.

But I digress. As I said, NXT is guaranteed to satisfy week-to-week so I thought it’d be fun to take a look at the categories and make my personal picks. You might agree with me or you might think I’m higher than a giraffe’s ass but either way, we’re all watching some great wrasslin’, and that’s what matters.

Anyway, let’s stop marching around the ring and step through the ropes as we take a look at the 2018 nominees!

Remember, if you wish to vote for any of the candidates via Twitter, Please include the hashtags for the category and the nominee in your post, which will be listed below in their respective sections.
Editor’s Note: Match of the Year will be featured in its own blog post, which will follow in the weeks ahead.

NXT TakeOver of the Year


#Philly
#NewOrleans
#ChicagoII
#BrooklynIV
#WarGames

I love every TakeOver that NXT puts on, so picking a winner for this category is like a parent trying to choose their favorite child. It was a tough process cuz I legit loved every minute of these events, this year. In the end, I ended up weighing overall card strength versus my expectations versus how the results came out for each individual event.

Brooklyn IV and War Games were at the bottom of my list. Don’t get me wrong, I loved these events, but I expected more from Brooklyn as it’s been the brand’s linchpin event in the past and this year’s seemed a bit lesser than its prior chapters. Also, both involved only four matches, which is just shy of what I’d like to see.

The other three were fantastic shows, as well. TakeOver: Philly might have had a couple of the better matches this year, but as a whole, I pushed it to 3rd place because New Orleans and Chicago had a bit more intensity.

So it comes down to the Big Easy and the Windy City. These events impressed the hell out of me and I was on the edge of my seat for every match. Not only that, but I’ll be goddamned if every bit of the Gargano/Ciampa Saga isn’t the best stuff of the night, and these shows both featured MAJOR moments in their story.

But I have to pick a winner, and in my mind, TakeOver: Chicago edges out as the victor. The crowd in that town always shows up ready, and the wrestlers respond in kind. The first match alone is worth the price of admission and then some. This show also featured some different blood in the TakeOver card such as Nikki Cross, Lars Sullivan, and the team of Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan, not to mention a great bout between Ricochet and Velveteen Dream. Of course, where this event pulls ahead for me is the spectacular street fight between Ciampa and Gargano, an instant classic and a clinic in wrestling storytelling.

Even the Dream can fly

Boots’ pick for 2018 TakeOver of the Year: Chicago II

NXT Tag Team of the Year


#UndisputedERA
#WarRaiders
#StreetProfits
#HeavyMachinery
#LorcanBurch (Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch)
#MoustacheMountain

All six of these teams are a whole lot of fun to watch, and thankfully, NXT isn’t shy about giving their tag teams the spotlight. It’s a nice thing to see considering that the Main Roster’s idea of a tag team is just throwing any two people in the building together. Instead, NXT features actual teams with ACTUAL chemistry.

The War Raiders – or War Machine, if you prefer – debuted in April and haven’t lost any shred of momentum, since. They’re likely to hold the titles in the near future, if you ask me. Moustache Mountain had a brief taste of an NXT Championship reign, but injuries hampered their British Invasion throughout the year. The Street Profits suffered a similar fate early in 2018, but showed signs of a strong return in the fall. Lorcan and Burch did a number on each other throughout 2017 and decided to pair up in 2018, leading to some of their best work.

Heavy Machinery surprised me a ton, this year (haha, a “ton”) and really grew as a team. Their philosophy of “Steaks and Weights” has carried them to a number of big matches and, as of this writing, a call-up to the big-time. Let’s hope that Grampa Vincenzo doesn’t put them into relative obscurity and actually uses them to strengthen those tag divisions.

But one team stood above the rest of the NXT Tag division for the entirety of the year. Aside from a brief 2-day slip against Moustache Mountain – or 3 weeks in kayfabe time – Kyle O’Reilly, Bobby Fish, Adam Cole, and Roderick Strong held the championships for the whole of 2018. They entered the year as champs, defended against any and all comers, took home the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic trophy, and participated in their 2nd straight War Games, which was just as violent and sadistic as the last one. 2018 was just their year. Nobody else even came close.

…and that’s not only a fact, my friends.

That’s undisputed.


Boots’ pick for NXT Tag Team of the Year: The Undisputed Era

NXT Breakout Star of the Year


#BiancaBelair
#LaceyEvans
#RheaRipley
#DakotaKai
#LarsSullivan
#Ricochet
#WarRaiders
#EC3

At first glance, I had this list narrowed down to three picks. Now, as I begin this analysis, I see six that could be worthy of 2018’s Breakout Star. Like I said in the intro, this year felt like a rebuilding year for NXT, but the talent that stepped in did a great job carrying the brand. That said, a winner must be found, so let’s begin the whittling process.

EC3 entered NXT with much fanfare and was touted as one of Impact Wrestling’s brightest spots before his WWE signing, but he didn’t really do a whole lot in the grand scheme of things. I think he did good work when he got the chance, though. Dakota Kai had a good showing in the inaugural Mae Young Classic and did some good undercard work on NXT TV, but I have yet to see her really shine. Unfortunately for her, other choices for this award are just better suited to win.

I wanted to see more Rhea Ripley after the 2018 Mae Young Classic, but she was never featured on NXT TV. She’s currently the NXT UK Women’s champion, but I haven’t kept current on that program. Ricochet and the War Raiders came in hot, and they’ve lived up to expectations, but that doesn’t spell “Breakout Star,” to me. They were already over (wrestling lingo for “famous” or “well respected”) to begin with.

So it boils down to the three I started with: Bianca Belair, Lacey Evans, and Lars Sullivan.

Sullivan is a menacing presence who really came into his own, this year. His moveset is very much based in power, as his size dictates, but he often does things in the ring that you wouldn’t expect. His most underrated skill is perhaps his most powerful when he shows it, and that’s his on-mic work. For a big guy with a VERY slight speech impediment, his vocabulary and pacing is phenomenal. He’s got all the tools, and it earned him a WWE call-up.

Bianca Belair is sassy, spunky, and downright cocky, and she can back it up. She’s got power, quickness, and knows how to get things done. Not only that, but she is currently on a strong undefeated streak, has an upcoming title shot at the NXT Women’s title, and that hair whip of hers is always a great equalizer. No matter what, it’s tough to ignore the E-S-T of NXT.

Lacey Evans did the unexpected and turned her “classy pin-up” character into a total heel (wrestling lingo for “villain”), and IT PAID DIVIDENDS. Not only did it give her a character she could work with, but it gave the fans – including myself – a reason to pay attention, and that’s the most important part of a wrestler’s career. I wish she would have had better opportunities on NXT TV, but she must have done something right cuz she’s also on her way to the Big Dance of the WWE.

Again, either of those last three are solid picks, but I have to roll with the one that I think has the biggest right to win.

A woman’s right.


Boots’ pick for NXT Breakout Star of the Year: Lacey Evans

NXT Future Star of the Year


#MattRiddle
#KeithLee
#MiaYim
#ForgottenSons (Jaxson Ryker, Steve Cutler, & Wesley Blake)
#DominikDijakovic
#IoShirai
#CandiceLeRae
#DukeShafir (Jessamyn Duke & Marina Shafir)
#KonaReeves

I’m not quite sure how to go about picking this one. Do I choose who I prefer to improve and become a big star, or do I go with who I think has looked the best to-date in their NXT careers? I don’t like judging on the prospect of “potential” cuz you never know who’s going to rise to the top until they do. But I gotta make a pick, so here goes nothing.

Right off the bat, I’m ruling out The Forgotten Sons, and purely because of Wesley Blake. He once tagged with current WWE Cruiserweight champion Buddy Murphy and they held the NXT Tag titles for over 200 days. That was three years ago. I will say, however, that Jaxson Ryker looks like a guy who’ll be really good as time goes on.

I’m sure the WWE Management really want Duke and Shafir to grow so they can run that Horsewomen vs. Horsewomen angle that everyone seems to be pining for. I saw Duke wrestle live at the end of November and she looked better than I expected, and Shafir was outside the ring working the crowd in expert fashion.

Keith Lee seems like a solid competitor. That’s all I got on him.

Mia Yim participated in both Mae Young Classic tournaments and was promoted pretty well, each time. Now that she’s an official NXT signee, she seems poised to make a decent run.

Dominik Dijakovic recently had vignettes running prior to his NXT TV “debut.” I’ve seen him wrestle before and he seems fine. Obviously, he’s good enough to get production money spent on him.

Io Shirai finished 2nd in the 2018 Mae Young Classic and has been teaming with Kairi Sane on NXT’s road trips. If they end up grouping together for a while, that could give Shirai a good boost.

Candice LeRae looks tiny, but she’s a tough SOB. I think she’s got a shot at being a strong contender in the NXT Women’s division. Especially if she goes with a more aggressive personality.

Matt Riddle arrived with a lot of fanfare and so far he’s produced great results. He knows what he’s doing, and he’s only going to get better.

Kona Reeves has a gimmick that gives him genuine heat from the crowd. He could be a little better in the ring, but he hasn’t looked terrible or unsafe, and that means he can improve.

It’s really hard to make this pick with very little to base it on, so I’m gonna pick based on who I want to have a good year.


Boots’ pick for NXT Future Star of the Year: Candice LeRae

Four categories down, four more to go in the coming days, and then on to the big Match of the Year blog. Stay tuned and see what my picks are for Rivalry, Male, Female, and Overall Competitor of the Year, as well as a tribute to NXT greats of the past.

Feel free to argue with me on Twitter at @Boots_33 if you disagree with me and I’ll contemplate whether I should block or merely mute you for it. Otherwise, be nice and we can be Twitter buds.

Thanks for reading. Keep it chill, everybody.

My 2017 NXT Match of the Year Final Rankings

When NXT released their nominees for their annual awards for 2017, I wanted to seriously consider my votes, and that meant having to go back and re-watch every match on their list for Match of the Year. I knew there were a few that I wanted included and many of them are. A few of them aren’t, as well, but that’s okay. Can’t win ’em all, I suppose. It’s still a highly impressive list with a ton of top quality matches that every wrestling fan should see, and if you’re not a fan, a few of these might convince you to start watching. It’s good stuff.

For the sake of brevity, I’ll cut this intro short because some of my summaries are going to run a bit long, especially in the first half of the list. So without further adieu, let’s talk about the nominees for NXT’s Match of the Year in 2017.

————–

Johnny Gargano vs. Andrade “Cien” Almas
NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III – August 19th, 2017

Stylish Grapple Boys

There wasn’t much story leading into this opening match from this event, and I was a bit skeptical of Almas at this point. He didn’t seem to be living up to his hype, but NXT introduced Zelina Vega as his “business manager” and it appeared to be working, so if Almas was going to step up, this was his chance.

Early on, Gargano shows his stuff with some great mat wrestling and Almas stays with him. The thing with Gargano is that he never has a bad match, and you can see how good he really is in this one. The momentum shifts between the two are executed really well and felt natural. The crowd was clearly on Gargano’s side but you can sense that they respected Almas more as the match went on. Playing off the recent DIY story was a plus for the finish, which featured Almas’ new finishing move.

Looking back, this match was a great start to an angle that is about to culminate at TakeOver: Philadelphia TONIGHT (1/27/2018) as Gargano takes on Almas for the NXT Title.

Best Moment: After two failed attempts at his old finishing move, Almas gets caught in the “Garga-No Escape” for an extended time, but powers out and hits the turnbuckle knees for a very tense near-fall that lit up the crowd.

Ember Moon vs. Asuka (C) for the NXT Women’s Championship
NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III – August 19th, 2017

Asuka had been champion for a LONG time at this point, and was undefeated leading into this match. During that time, Ember Moon had been built up nicely and seemed to be Asuka’s biggest threat. Coming off of a mild shoulder injury, Moon was even more determined to win, but that didn’t seem to throw off Asuka one bit. The build-up was big with this being one of the more important Women’s Title defenses in a long time, and the WWE made a point to have Bayley, Sasha Banks, and Becky Lynch show up at ringside for this one.

Moon comes to the ring looking to fight, and Asuka puts on the best cocky swagger as only she can. Moon fires a kick to begin the match, looking to surprise Asuka early on. Some hard bumps taken by both women outside the ring, which is a testament to their toughness and ability. Asuka turned on the “dangerous” in a big way and worked on Moon’s bad shoulder for much of the bout, even mocking Becky Lynch in the process by stealing her “Dis-Arm-Her” submission move and flashing a defiant smile in her direction. Some of Moon’s comebacks felt a bit contrived and sloppy, but she still gave a great performance, especially as the two combatants transitioned into the power moves.

A very strong match to boost the always strong Women’s division in NXT. In the end, nobody, not even Ember Moon, was ready for Asuka.

Best Moments: Auska kicking out of the Eclipse, and the finish of Asuka reversing a pin attempt directly into an Asuka Lock.

Andrade “Cien” Almas vs. Drew McIntyre (C) for the NXT Championship
NXT TakeOver: WarGames – November 18, 2017

After reaching the goal of his comeback to the WWE, McIntyre didn’t really have a worthy contender after beating Bobby Roode for the NXT Title, and after giving a shot to Roderick Strong, it was unclear who would be next in line. Enter El Idolo.

Zelina Vega and Almas were finally looking like superstars, and Almas played his angle perfectly, leaving McIntyre lying on more than one occasion leading into the event. Drew seemed poised to be a fan-favorite and hold the title for an extended time, so I wasn’t sure how much I was invested into this one. That said, I was impressed with how it turned out.

Kind of a slow start to this one as it seemed to take a while for both grapplers to feel each other out but they quickly get into a fine rhythm. Vega unsuccessfully tries to make herself a factor early, but is triumphant later in the match. You could see Drew start to favor his arm a bit after a few attacks to it but it didn’t appear to hamper him. The longer the match runs, the more Almas gains momentum, and you can really see how much better and confident he’s become of late.

The finish to this one feels hella awkward, though. Not sure if the move came off smoothly but it didn’t look right. I also didn’t expect Almas to take the title. As I watch, I can’t help but speculate that it might’ve been changed mid-match. Still, a better battle than I expected, and I really like seeing Almas get rewarded for his improvement throughout 2017.

Best Moment: The finishing sequence to this one is fantastic, but instead of the best moment, I want to point out the interesting nature of McIntyre’s response to his loss. Doctors come in to check out his arm but he waves them off in obvious frustration.

I repeat… not in pain, but in frustration.

They did say McIntyre was legitimately hurt and I don’t doubt that given his initial body language after the pin, but he looks defiant in a different way than just to indicate an injury. I truly think the result was changed during the course of the contest. Hopefully this isn’t a hamper on McIntyre’s comeback.

DIY vs. The Revival vs. Authors of Pain (C) for the NXT Tag Team Championship
NXT TakeOver: Orlando – April 1, 2017

Triple “Thrat”

You’ve got the power of the Authors of Pain, the quickness of DIY, and the unmatched intelligence of The Revival, so know that this had no chance of being a bad match. DIY and The Revival have a long history of setting buildings on fire via their rivalry, and this one is no exception.

Oddly enough, the old enemies form a quick alliance to start this war, given that AoP have a huge power advantage. Since this was an elimination match, getting the big boys out would leave the other two teams remaining with no outside threat. Of course, once the chance showed itself, The Revival attempts to backstab their short-term friends and DIY repays the favor to them.

There’s a fast pace to this match, but that’s just how triple tag matches seem to go. AoP displays their power to the limit at every opportunity. Later, Ciampa builds great momentum off a hot tag that blows up the crowd. A forgotten table brought out by DIY is used later on in classic “make ’em wait” fashion. As the goal to get AoP out first hovers over the match, the smaller teams join up for a great double submission spot, but are unsuccessful.

As expected, the crowd was invested from the gun for this one. Rightfully so, since these teams could do no wrong. It’s hard to top anything involving DIY and/or The Revival, so we’ll see if any of the other matches on this list will be able to.

Best moment: Gargano and Dawson performing DIY’s knee/kick-to-the-head combo, followed up by Ciampa and Wilder doing The Revival’s “Shatter Machine.” It gives me legit goosebumps every time I see it.

Pete Dunne vs. Tyler Bate (C) for the WWE United Kingdom Championship
NXT TakeOver: Chicago – May 20, 2017

This match goes back to the WWE UK Tournament, where Bate beat Dunne in the finals to become the first-ever UK champion.

While most matches start with some mat wrestling and basic spot work, the British take it to a whole other level. I haven’t seen this kind of technicality since I watched Dean Malenko dismantle fools in the late ’90s. The exchanges that these two have early could rival with some of the best in the business.

Dunne lives up to his moniker of “Bruiserweight,” delivering moves with impact throughout the match. Bate is easily the more fresh-faced of the pair at a very young 20-years-old, but his ringwork is remarkable. The British Strong Style is in full-effect here, and everything looks as painful as advertised.

Once this match goes into high gear, it never lets up. Bate shows his strength with a couple throws that use very little body momentum, while Dunne later reverses a splash that cleverly gets Bate into a submission hold. Even a rare Airplane Spin gets utilized, and eventually the two just have a Pub Fight in the middle of the ring. Strike after strike connects from both combatants until Bate is thrown into the ropes but comes back with a powerful clothesline.

It’s so good, even the rowdy Chicago crowd couldn’t help but show their love.

Best Moment: That fistfight.

WarGames – Sanity vs. Authors of Pain + Roderick Strong vs. The Undisputed Era
NXT TakeOver: WarGames – November 18, 2017

Three teams of three. Two Rings. One steel cage.

Sit back and enjoy. This one is gonna hurt.

Originally created by the late Dusty Rhodes, this match is as brutal and as intense as its name foretells. Traditionally, two teams of four or five grapplers would choose one from each side to begin the match. After a couple short minutes, another member from one of the teams would be allowed in the rings. Minutes later, another from the other respective team would enter. This would alternate back and forth until both full teams were in the rings, and it was at this point when the real match began.

From creation in the ’80s and until its then-final use in ’97, the match would only end if a member from one of the teams expressly conceded victory. Upon this revamp, however, it was changed to include pinfalls or submissions into the mix, while also adding the stipulation that if a wrestler escaped the cage, his entire team would be forfeit from winning the match.

Got all that? No? That’s fine. Just understand that people got their bodies beat to hell in this one, and after 20 years, I was excited as all hell to see it return.

I wasn’t sure how this match would play out, honestly. The Undisputed Era was made up of three hot signees that I had no deep knowledge of, and I was curious how they’d hang in a rough match with Sanity and the Authors of Pain/Roddy Strong. Also, I missed the ceiling on the cage.

But I digress. Let’s get to the match, itself.

At the start, things are even between the three starting team members, much like the beginning of a standard Triple Threat match. I was pleased to see the Authors of Pain display their impressive power with authority. At one point, they throw every opponent from one ring to the other, then follow it up by tossing their temporary teammate Strong into the pile. AoP keeps everyone at bay for the duration of their entry period until Sanity is released from their pen. That’s when all hell finally breaks loose.

The match officially begins now. All nine competitors are in the rings. Alexander Wolfe brandishes a nightstick and starts taking out man after man, and then Killian Dane raises the bar, throwing in chairs, trash cans, chains, and Kendo sticks. The crowd lights up. They demand brutality. They demand destruction. They demand tables.

They get tables.

All that follows is carnage. Weapons are used with abandon. Bodies are thrown around like beach balls. It’s just 25 minutes of mayhem and it’s beautiful. It’s truly a match worthy of the War Games legacy that you absolutely have to watch for yourself.

Best Moment:

Nikki Cross vs. Asuka (C) – Last Woman Standing Match for the NXT Women’s Championship
NXT TV – June 28, 2017

With the Women’s Revolution™ in full-effect up in the main WWE roster, one mustn’t forget that it all started over in NXT years ago. They had the first special event with a Women’s Main Event in the company, which was also the first 30-minute Ironwoman Match in NXT. These ladies kill it night after night, and this title match was no exception.

Nikki Cross plays her (in)Sanity character to perfection, but Asuka remained undefeated in NXT at the time of this contest and showed no signs of slowing down. To make things more exciting, this was the first Last Woman Standing match in NXT history, so the stakes were raised quite significantly.

A thing I always forget is how hard Asuka hits her opponents. I am only reminded when I hear the impact of her strikes. Kudos to Cross, though. She takes them like a champ. There are a couple of spots involving piles of steel chairs that look real painful. I’m pretty sure that I wouldn’t wanna get back to my feet after either of them. Of course, since we’re in a no disqualification situation, the match naturally ends up outside the ring and all over the arena, building to a climactic end involving hardware and furniture items.

Also, on an unrelated note, this was ring announcer Mauro Ranallo’s return to WWE after being away for some time, so it was cool to have him back. He does good work.

Best Moment: Ladder. Table. Suplex.

DIY vs. Authors of Pain (C) – Ladder Match for the NXT Tag Team Titles
NXT TakeOver: Chicago – May 20, 2017

At the beginning of this ever-expanding blog, I talked about how good Johnny Gargano is. Unsurprisingly, this match is his third on this list of twelve. It’s also the Authors of Pain’s third mention, which shows how strong of a year they had in the tag division.

The ladders come into play early in this one, and in some very painful ways. In fact, Ciampa lands awkwardly from a fall about seven minutes into the match and tweaks his right knee, which was later announced as a torn ACL. Still, as wrestlers do, he stayed in the match and gave it another 20 minutes or so to finish telling the story.

Speaking of storytelling, these teams do a great job of that in this bout with plenty of recoveries, momentum swings, and inventive ladder use. Even AoP’s manager, the great Paul Ellering, does his part. The angle going into this was that it might be DIY’s last shot at getting the titles back, and they gave an effort worthy of that urgency. I won’t spoil the result of the match, but I will say that this tale goes beyond the bell.

Best Moments: A DIY double-splash off a ladder onto AoP, who were lying on ladders themselves, and that sweet, sweet aftermath of the match.

Roderick Strong vs. Bobby Roode (C) for the NXT Championship
NXT TV – July 5, 2017

Roode was the NXT champion for the better part of 2017 and a great one to boot. Conversely, Strong had always seemed on the precipice of contention, but failed to make good on multiple attempts. Eventually, he got his chance at a title shot.

This match has some really good work. Strong shows off his trademark quickness and delivers a number of punishing backbreaker maneuvers, as he does. Roode is a long-time veteran in the wrestling business, and it shows in his style of pacing and move selection. Not only that, but Roode plays his heel persona quite gloriously (heh heh), performing methodical moves to his opponent and gloating in the faces of Strong’s mother and fianceé who were sitting at ringside. We even got a false finish that is called back due to a rules technicality, which never fails to get a crowd riled up.

While a lot less spot-heavy than others on this list, both guys put in solid and consistent work worthy of championship caliber and made each other look great throughout the battle. Matches are supposed to tell a story, and this one does a simple and effective job of doing so.

Best Moment: The finish.

16-Woman Battle Royal
NXT TV – October 25, 2017

Nikki Cross hates photo day so she ditched school.

Since the title was vacated after Asuka was promoted to the WWE, NXT decided to hold qualifiers for spots in a Fatal 4-Way match at TakeOver: War Games. After three spots were filled, the final spot was to be determined in this battle royal a mere 3 days before the event.

This type of match is tough to rank. Unlike a Royal Rumble where contestants slowly enter the ring in timed increments, this one starts with everyone in the ring and is basically a mess for the first 7 minutes or so. Once a few people are cleaned out, that’s when things develop a bit more clearly.

Nikki Cross was likely a strong favorite to win, and she’s able to eliminate quite a number of women in varying fashion. Bianca Belair takes advantage of her chance and displays some great strength, as well. Overall, it’s nowhere near the best match of the year, in my opinion, but it entertained me quite a bit more than I’d expected.

Best Moment: Billie Kay is saved by a hair, then suffers the consequences of her actions.

Aleister Black vs. Velveteen Dream
NXT TakeOver: Wargames – November 18, 2017

One thing I love about NXT over the WWE main product is that their rivalries feel much more organic than their big sibling’s efforts. It never feels like anything is just thrown at the wall in the hope that it sticks, but rather, feuds feel like they’re born from actual circumstances that matter.

Now, I don’t remember when this feud began, but they took at least 6 weeks building momentum for Dream vs. Black. It was a great journey that gave actual stakes and anticipation to the match.

Now, I just want to take a moment to show my undying love for Velveteen Dream’s character. It’s like a pseudo-Prince thing that’s so fun to watch. I mean, he’s got three-eyed shades, for fuck’s sake. If that doesn’t garner a response, then you’re likely dead inside. It’s impressive to see Dream at this high of a performance level given that he’s only been wrestling for three years.

But don’t get me wrong. Black is great in his own right, and these two put on a match so good, I might be inclined to call it the best of this particular TakeOver event, and that’s saying quite a lot. Everything from the feud that led to here is addressed in this match, even down to the two of them throwing their patented taunts at each other. The ringwork is great, the momentum shifts pull you in, and the crowd is invested on another level.

Don’t miss this one. You’ll be happy you didn’t.

Best Moment: The exchanging of the taunts. Also, Velveteen Dream’s tights.

Kassius Ohno vs. Johnny Gargano
NXT TV – December 6, 2017

Hey look… another match featuring good ol’ Johnny wrestling.

I told you, the man never has a bad match. The funny thing is, he never should’ve been in this one. Velveteen Dream was originally expected to face Ohno in this one but he was left on the sidelines after suffering a minor injury in his big match against Aleister Black. At least, that’s what we were told. This is wrestling, after all.

Here’s another match with two very consistent performers that both have solid technique and a good command of the crowd. Adding to that, this match was for a spot in a Fatal 4-Way for the Number One Contendership for the NXT World Title, so both men had a reason to give their all. Ohno is known for his hard striking ability and BOY HOWDY, do we get to see it on display, here. Gargano takes advantage of his quickness and size disadvantage to great extent. Not a lot of surprises in this battle, but that’s totally okay. As with some of the later matches on this list, it’s not a bad thing to just have a strong match.

Best Moment: In the middle of the match, Ohno delivers a series of strikes to Gargano that look vicious as fuck. I winced at every one of them.

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Alright, we’ve made it through all twelve nominees, but what’s the best of the best? Who takes the crown for the entirety of the year in NXT? I’ll admit, I thought this list was very front-loaded, with 6 strong contenders right off the bat. As I made my way thru the list in my rewatches, I felt a lot of the later ones just didn’t hold my attention as much. I also realized that it was no coincidence that Johnny Gargano was in a full third of the list. He really is that good and every time he’s scheduled to go, I get legitimately excited. The Tag Team division is also really, really good and it wouldn’t be wrong to go with one of their many fantastic fights.

It was a strong year with so many strong matches, but there can only be one Top Match of 2017. The following is my final rankings, from “Least Best” to “Most Bestest.”

12 – Roderick Strong vs. Bobby Roode
11 – 16-Woman Battle Royal
10 – Kassius Ohno vs. Johnny Gargano
9 – Andrade “Cien” Almas vs. Drew McIntyre
8 – Nikki Cross vs. Asuka
7 – WarGames: Sanity vs. Authors of Pain + Roderick Strong vs. The Undisputed Era
6 – Ember Moon vs. Asuka
5 – DIY vs. Authors of Pain
4 – Johnny Gargano vs. Andrade “Cien” Almas
3 – Pete Dunne vs. Tyler Bate
2 – DIY vs. The Revival vs. Authors of Pain

And finally, YOUR NXT Best Match of 2017 is…

Aleister Black Vs. Velveteen Dream

This match is an instant classic, and one I plan to go back to regularly. Granted, I totally love everything about Velveteen Dream, but Aleister Black is growing on me. I can’t help but cheer for every minute, every knee-to-the face, every taunt that the competitors give. Their match psychology just sucks you right in and never lets go, and hearing the crowd go nuts for both competitors makes it all the more enjoyable.

I haven’t even addressed their ringwork, yet, which is next-level in this bout. Black’s strikes are vicious, and Dream makes them look even more destructive with some expert selling. of course, when Dream goes on offense, it looks brutal but in an oddly graceful way. His movements really play into his persona, and that’s a thing a lot of young wrestlers don’t get a feel for so early in their careers. At one point, Dream lays Black over his bent leg and transitions it into a high-impact DDT that looks damn near crippling.

It truly is the best example that NXT has to show off why the promotion is something special. WWE stars can attest that their time is NXT is sacred, and while the likes of Finn Balor, Sasha Banks, and Kevin Owens are no longer there, superstars like Aleister Black and Velveteen Dream are right there to continue building NXT’s legacy with remarkable matches like this one.

Say my name.

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And with that, I bid thee farewell. Stop reading my dumb words and go watch all of these matches. Pay the $9.99 (per month) and treat yo self. Or just piggyback on someone else’s WWE Network subscription. Either way, make it happen.

And that’s the bottom line, cuz… well, cuz it’s the last one I wrote.