In the first part of this list, we looked at the matches ranked from 101 to 61, all of which were excellent, and in this part we get even deeper into the wonderful year that was 2018.
60. Will Ospreay vs Hiromu Takahashi (IWGP Jr Heavyweight Title) - NJPW New Beginning In Osaka
This match was pretty much what you would expect from two of the best high fliers of this generation. They went all out and produced a highly entertaining, rapid paced match. If you didn't like Ospreay before this match, and there are many who don't, this will do absolutely nothing to change your mind. It was high octane and the execution was super crisp.
59. Kazuchika Okada vs SANADA (IWGP Title) - NJPW New Beginning In Osaka
There was really nothing between this and the previous match in terms of quality but obviously the structure of the two matches was vastly different. It says a lot that this a match of this quality was pretty much the base standard for an Okada title defense. SANADA once again proved that he could very well be a consistent main eventer and Okada showed again that he is the most consistent high level performer in wrestling.
58. Hiromu Takahashi vs Dragon Lee (IWGP Jr Heavyweight Title) - NJPW G1 Special In San Francisco
This match was fucking nuts. Too nuts it turns out as Takahashi took a horrible bump and suffered a serious injury, from which he has yet to return. That aside, it was a superb match, as has been become customary between these two. Some of the things they do are outrageous and they are pushing wrestling to its limit.
57. Bandido vs Rey Fenix - PWG Smokey And The Bandido
This match was exactly the type of spectacular craziness that you would expect from two of the most prominent high fliers on the planet. These two do things that other mortals aren't capable of and it is a constant joy to behold. If you enjoy creative, high flying wrestling, this is for you.
56. Tommaso Ciampa vs Velveteen Dream (NXT Title) - NXT Takeover: WarGames II
I wasn't sure how well this match was going to play out when it was announced but the personalities of both men made this into an excellent title match that became more intense throughout and built to a superb finishing stretch. Both men gave their all in both ring work and storytelling. It's matches like this that highlight just why NXT is so fucking good.
55. Jay White vs Juice Robinson (IWGP US Title) - NJPW G1 Special In San Francisco
This was a superb match. White had been hit and miss since the switch in gimmick but he was excellent here as the dickhead heel and that allowed Juice to be the super babyface, a role he is near unparalleled at. They worked a match that was slightly overbooked but it never took anything away from the story and it was wonderful to see Juice finally win the big one.
54. Will Ospreay vs Marty Scurll vs KUSHIDA vs Hiromu Takahashi (IWGP Jr Heavyweight Title) - NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 12
Considering that New Japan isn't renowned for its 4-way matches they managed to pull this one off brilliantly. This match was a spectacle that maintained a great pace throughout. It is a mix of fast paced wrestling and crazy spots, such as the sunset bomb to the floor, and the closing stretch was a joy to behold. An excellent match.
53. Will Ospreay vs Hiromu Takahashi (IWGP Jr Heavyweight Title) - NJPW Dominion
This was a great match, especially down the finishing stretch, where they really really pushed it. These two are at the forefront of revolutionary wrestling and they are willing to do whatever it takes to entertain, even if that comes at the expense of their own bodies. I do worry about their long-term health though as I would like to enjoy their matches for many years to come.
52. Kento Miyahara vs Naomichi Marufuji (Champion Carnival Final) - AJPW Champion Carnival Day 15
This is the first of three matches from the Champion Carnival. Miyahara is superb here, and it really helps push the match along. Marufuji isn't in quite as good form but he does play his part to tell the story of the new ace of AJPW against the former ace of NOAH. It is well worth a watch for the superb Miyahara performance alone.
51. Charlotte Flair vs Becky Lynch (Smackdown Women's Title, Last Woman Standing) - WWE Evolution
I went into Evolution with a fair amount of trepidation but I needn't have been worried as it was a great show, and this was a large reason why. They left nothing at all in the tank here. They used kendo sticks, chairs, tables, ladders and whatever else they could get their hands on. There were a ton of great spots and the intensity remained high throughout, meaning it felt like they really hated each other. This was spot on.
50. Ricochet vs Pete Dunne vs Adam Cole (North American Title) - NXT 10th October
This might be the best match that has ever taken place on NXT TV. The pace was quick throughout and the match was as smooth as silk, as you would expect from three wrestlers of this calibre. The finishing stretch of the match was inferno hot too, and it also continued the storyline builds. A perfectly done TV match.
49. Undisputed Era vs Moustache Mountain (NXT Tag Titles) - NXT Takeover: Brooklyn 4
Well, this was fucking delightful, wasn't it. Every time that it seems that the NXT tag division is going to take a step back they find a way to produce something wonderful. Both of these teams are amazing so the fact that this match almost stole the show is no surprise. It speaks to the quality of matches on offer in 2018 that a match of this standard ranks this low.
48. Zack Sabre Jr vs Tetsuya Naito - NJPW G1 Climax Night 18
This was a rematch from their NJ Cup match earlier in the year and much like that match, it was pretty fucking great. Even better than that match in fact. The story they told was really good too, with Zack finally managing to hit the Zack Driver that he had been teasing throughout the tournament. It was all excellent stuff.
47. Kento Miyahara vs Zeus (Triple Crown) - AJPW Summer Action Series Night 11
Miyahara is a wonderful wrestler and I am confident he would appear in these lists more if I had more of a vested interest in AJPW. Even without that, this was a superb piece of all-around wrestling. From an in-ring perspective, this match started a bit jittery but developed into something great. From a storytelling perspective, it was even better, with Zeus fighting for the title in his hometown. This was a terrific match that I assume would be even better to an All-Japan die hard.
46. Becky Lynch vs Charlotte Flair vs Asuka (Smackdown Women's Title, TLC Match) - WWE TLC
This was an absolute fucking banger. For 20 minutes these three women beat the shit out of each other without ever letting the intensity levels drop. It had all the bumps that you would expect from this type of match, and the work they did furthering the storylines was great. This was a superb main event.
45. Travis Banks vs Will Ospreay (PROGRESS Title) - PROGRESS Chapter 60: Unboxing Live! 2
This is how you return to a company. Ospreay had been gone from PROGRESS for 10 months but this was his surprising return. The match was fantastic too with both men going all out to provide the crowd with something special. It is a perfect example of just how good Will Ospreay is, and the finishing stretch is fantastic. This was the best match of Banks' title reign and one I highly recommend checking out.
44. Ringkampf vs Ilja Dragunov & Shingo Takagi - PWG Battle Of Los Angeles Night 1
The main events of the first two nights of BOLA are usually some kind of dream match and this one was something I hadn't even thought about until it was announced. This was Dragunov's first match outside of Europe and he nailed it. This was one of my favourite tag team matches this year, containing some great wrestling, hard strikes, and superb near falls. Excellent stuff all around.
43. CIMA, Dezmond Xavier & Zachary Wentz vs Bandido, Flamita & Rey Horus - PWG Battle Of Los Angeles Night 2
This was Night 2's main event, and it managed to be as good as Night 1 while being a near polar opposite in terms of style and structure. This match felt like it had the speed turned up by 50%, all without missing a beat or misjudging a single move. Some of the moves these guys do are out of this world and if this is a style you enjoy, this is one of the best examples of it this year.
42. Jun Akiyama vs Naomichi Marufuji - AJPW Champion Carnival Day 13
Akiyama may be 48 years old but the legend is still capable of putting together an incredible match given the chance. This was a very hard-hitting affair that once again showed that while Marufuji hasn't necessarily hit the heights he could have he can definitely be dragged to something spectacular against someone as brilliant as Akiyama.
41. WALTER vs Tyler Bate (PROGRESS Title) - PROGRESS Chapter 76: Hello Wembley
This may not have been the main event that this show was scheduled to have but WALTER is physically incapable of having bad matches so this was always likely to be great. They told the story that WALTER believed that Bate was a boy while he was a man. It helped push the match forward into something that ended up being really special. It was a fitting end to the company's biggest show ever.
40. Shingo Takagi vs Shuji Ishikawa - AJPW Champion Carnival Day 14
I have long been vocal about my love of big bastards throwing bombs at each other, and this was certainly that. Of course, that matters very little if there is no drama or urgency to it, but this match delivered on that too. Up to this point Shingo mostly wrestled in Dragon Gate and was used to being the biggest guy there, so it was great to see him in a different role here, and he nailed it. The crowd was fully on board too, and they help push this even further towards greatness.
39. Kazuchika Okada vs Zack Sabre Jr (IWGP Title) - NJPW Sakura Genesis
This match was excellent, which is to be expected really. What was great about this Okada title reign was how easily he adapted to every opponent. He gets into a hold for hold submission war here, before realising that he will get ruined if he keeps doing that. Both men looked superb here and Sabre Jr did a great job of showing that he belongs in the main event scene in NJPW.
38. Tommaso Ciampa vs Johnny Gargano (NXT Title, Last Man Standing) - NXT Takeover Brooklyn 4
This is the first appearance for this combination in this list. While this was the weakest of their three matches in 2018, that is splitting hairs really. It was still a near perfect end to their trilogy. They continued to throw in a bunch of callbacks to their previous matches and carried on telling an engrossing story mixed with brutality.
37. Kenny Omega vs Rey Fenix - NEW Redemption
A dream match. This match was structured very much like an IWGP Title match, albeit one that took place on a small indy show in New York. This had all the high intensity wrestling and great false finishes that you would expect from two of the world's best, played in front of a crowd that was delighted to have a match of this quality at their show. You can check out the match here, and you definitely should.
36. Zack Sabre Jr vs Hiroshi Tanahashi (New Japan Cup Final) - NJPW New Japan Cup Finals
Sabre Jr completes his tournament of outstanding matches by beating the ace of the company to earn a title shot and cement his place in the upper card. Tanahashi pushed Sabre to the limit but Sabre had a counter for everything and was able to best him on this day. Wonderful stuff.
35. Men's Royal Rumble Match - WWE Royal Rumble
For my money, this was the best Royal Rumble match in a long time, definitely the best since 2008 and quite possibly the best since 2001. It had absolutely everything that makes a Rumble great, a cracking ironman performance from Finn Balor, some great surprise entrants, well thought out wrestler placements, a final four that were all believable winners, genuine emotional investment from the fans and a winner people actually wanted to see. Tremendous.
34. Will Ospreay vs Jordan Devlin - PROGRESS Chapter 72: Got, Got, Need
Jordan Devlin has become someone that can be entrusted to put on great matches with whatever names you have. This was probably the best match of his career until this point, but it wouldn't be for long. Sure, it was a spotfest but it was one hell of an entertaining one. There are some sequences that are mind blowing on offer here and it really is a must see match.
33. Cedric Alexander vs Buddy Murphy (WWE Cruiserweight Title) - WWE 205 Live 29th May
This match was tremendous. This is exactly the sort of thing that I was hoping for from 205 Live when it started. Murphy was on another level since moving to the cruiserweight division and, even though he didn't win here, it was a great barometer of things to come. This was the best cruiserweight match since the classic and the best main roster match of the first 5 months of 2018. The wrestling was top notch and they told a story that got the crowd really invested. Superb.
32. Ricochet vs EC3 vs Velveteen Dream vs Adam Cole vs Lars Sullivan vs Killian Dain (NXT North American Title, Ladder Match) - NXT TakeOver: New Orleans
This match was balls to the wall, it started fast and it never really slowed down at any point. You would be forgiven for thinking this would be a spotfest that was devoid of any real psychology and storytelling, but it wasn't. Every wrestler got their chance to shine and not a single person came out looking worse than they entered. This was one of the best ladder matches of the last few years.
31. Ilja Dragunov vs WALTER (wXw Title) - wXw True Colors
Just over a year removed from their superb match in the final of the 2017 16 Carat Gold tournament, these two put on another belter. Much like their last match, it was brutally stiff too. WALTER always brings out the best in Dragunov. Dragunov once again got chopped raw but kept fighting. It was only the false finish that stopped this from being even higher on this list.
30. Buddy Murphy vs Mustafa Ali (No DQ) - WWE 205 Live 3rd July
Buddy Murphy put in excellent performances basically every time he went out there, and the same could be said of Ali. This was my favourite WWE main roster match of 2018 and the stipulation only added to the enjoyment. At this stage, I would love to see Murphy mix it up on Smackdown to see how good he can really be. It has worked for Ali so far.
29. Will Ospreay vs KUSHIDA (IWGP Jr Heavyweight Title) - NJPW Dontaku Night 2
This was an excellent match. These two have put on great matches numerous times before so it wasn't really a surprise, but it is always lovely to watch. KUSHIDA worked over Ospreay's neck and back and Ospreay sold it brilliantly, something he doesn't always do. The action was great and the storytelling followed along with it. Delightful stuff from two of the best jr heavyweights in the world.
28. Ilja Dragunov vs WALTER (wXw Title) - wXw Superstars of Wrestling
Yet another great match between these two. Dragunov is fantastic and WALTER is possibly wrestling's best big man at this point. The way the matches between these two usually go is that Ilja decides to go head to head with WALTER and ends up suffering for it but here he played it more methodical, working over the arm until the submission became an inevitability. This was a hair better than their True Colors match and was another example of the great work these two produce together.
27. Johnny Gargano vs Aleister Black - NXT Takeover: WarGames II
This was the culmination of Gargano having the greatest year of Takeover matches we have ever seen. Whether he is playing the sympathetic babyface or the cocky heel he does it brilliantly, which means there is always investment from the crowd. Some of the exchanges in this match were of the very highest calibre and they threw in some innovation and quality storytelling to top it off. This was spectacular stuff.
26. Zeus vs Kento Miyahara (Triple Crown) - AJPW Raising An Army Memorial Series Day 11
These two have wonderful chemistry and this sits well next to their match from earlier in the year and was a fantastic piece of title match wrestling. They brilliantly conveyed the importance of the match through their actions in the ring and gave us another match that hearkened back to the heyday of AJPW. Much like the GHC Title match from earlier in the list, this may well be rated higher if I watched more of the product.
25. Hirooki Goto vs Tomohiro Ishii - NJPW G1 Climax Night 6
Well, this was a fucking war. They beat the living piss out of each other for nearly 20 minutes and the super hot crowd just helped this reach an even higher level. These two have styles that are very similar and it just creates some of the stiffest wrestling you could ever hope to see. It's an absolute joy to behold. I will never tire of seeing matches like this.
24. WALTER vs Will Ospreay (OTT Title) - OTT 4th Anniversary Show
OTT hit it out of the park with their main events in 2018, and this was certainly no exception. These two are among the very best wrestlers on the planet and they put together a wonderful David vs Goliath style match here, complete with wonderful near falls and false finishes. The final few minutes, in particular, are a thing of beauty. You should definitely go out of your way to watch this match, which luckily is available on YouTube here.
23. Jordan Devlin vs WALTER (OTT Title) - OTT Wrestlerama 2
This match features one of the best pre-match hype videos I have seen in quite a while. This match felt like a big deal, with Devlin having not lost a singles match in the best part of 2 years in OTT, and WALTER being the monster that he is. All of this made the crowd rabid for everything that happened and they were given a wonderful match in return. The finishing stretch was a thing of beauty and the sense of shock when WALTER picked up the win was palpable. Check this match out.
22. Kazuchika Okada vs Tetsuya Naito (IWGP Title) - NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 12
This match starts off slow but builds wonderfully throughout and has a finishing sequence that could be put up against any that have come before it. At the time there was a bit of backlash about Naito losing but the match fairs really well on second viewing. Superb stuff.
21. Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Minoru Suzuki (IWGP IC Title) - NJPW New Beginning In Sapporo Night 1
These two had an all time classic in 2012 and while this match wasn't quite at that level, it was still a fucking great match. Suzuki is in full on nasty prick mode here, wearing down Tanahashi's injured leg until the referee is forced to stop the match. Suzuki even had the chance to win by pinfall after hitting the Gotch piledriver but didn't even make the cover, as he wanted to break Tanahashi. A great match that told an engaging story.
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