WWE
Top 10 Biggest WWE Moments in 2018
2018 in WWE has been a big year for better and sometimes worse. We saw the first women’s Royal Rumble, pay-per-view, and Elimination Chamber. We saw wrestlers make their in-ring return. Some wrestlers sadly had to walk away from WWE altogether. In no particular order at all, here are some of the biggest WWE moments of 2018.
Disclaimer:
These moments are not in any order. These are just ten of the biggest in 2018. These moments will be both good and bad. Not everything can be happy all the time.
Honorable Mentions:
Paige Announces her Retirement
A heartbreaking end to a promising career; Paige was forced to retire after re-injuring her back during a WWE live event. Her speech on Monday Night RAW following the event will bring anybody to tears.
The James Ellsworth Scandal
Though this didn’t happen while he was in WWE, Ellsworth was a key part on SmackDown Live for a few years. This ongoing investigation is most likely the end of his career.
Enzo Amore Attempts to Hijack Survivor Series 2018
No one should ever say Enzo is afraid of trying to get the crowd’s attention. During Survivor Series this year, he stood on his chair in the second row and recited his “My name is Enzo Amore…” catchphrase.
Female Security Guard Tackles Enzo
The same woman who tried to stop Rob Gronkowski from jumping the barricade at WrestleMania 33 is two for two in terms of doing a spectacular job. Several fans capture the famous female guard as she suplexes Enzo from atop his chair.
10: Ronda Rousey debuts
When it comes to major debuts, fans go crazy over how huge it would be for their favorite indie star to debut in WWE. But what about the most recognizable woman in MMA?
Ronda Rousey debuted at Royal Rumble 2018 after the conclusion of the Women’s Royal Rumble. Ronda, who is a former and first ever UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion, is now in the WWE. She is the current RAW Women’s Champion amid some controversy and criticism, but her part in WWE is huge.
9: Seth Rollins Sets Record for Longest Match on Monday Night RAW
65 minutes. Seth Rollins wrestled for over an hour to set a record for the longest match in WWE. The match itself was over two hours long, but Rollins’ participation before being eliminated set a new standard. Rollins surely earns the nickname “Ironman” after this match.
8: The Inaugural Women’s Royal Rumble
2018 is a year of all kinds of firsts for women in WWE. One of the, if not THE, biggest moments is the first ever Women’s Royal Rumble. This match saw legends return, NXT call-ups, dream matches teased, and old foes standing toe-to-toe once again. In the end, Asuka would walk away with the first win women in a Royal Rumble match.
7: Charlotte Flair ends Asuka’s Undefeated Streak
After Asuka won the inaugural Women’s Royal Rumble, it seemed it was now her time to claim the throne as Women’s Champion. However, in a shocking turn of events, Charlotte Flair made Asuka submit at WrestleMania 34 to retain her title.
Before losing to Flair, Asuka remained unbeaten for 914 days; The longest undefeated streak in WWE history. She is one of the longest reigning WWE champions of all time with the NXT Women’s Championship. Her loss to Charlotte showed that anybody can be beaten at any given time in WWE.
6: NXT’s Continued Rise
How can WWE’s developmental brand be more popular than its main roster? How are Superstars, who are considered “still in development”, more popular with the crowd than main roster wrestlers?
NXT’s continued popularity is taking the wrestling world by storm. With its continued growth, WWE will continue to bring in big-name talent from around the world. People like Ricochet, EC3, War Machine, and Matt Riddle are new members of the NXT roster and it will continue to grow with well-known indie stars. Gargano, Black, Ciampa, Baszler, and Sane are just some of the people that are tearing up NXT.
It says a lot when development matches are getting five-star ratings from Dave Meltzer and getting more viewership than whatever WWE pay-per-view they’re supposedly opening for.
5: Carmella Cashes in Money in the Bank
No one saw it coming. Nobody thought she’d make a good champion. Charlotte Flair was supposed to be unbeatable after defeating the unbeaten Asuka. But after an attack from the IIconics, Carmella upset The Queen and won her first Women’s Championship.
What followed the cash-in was one of the best champion heel runs we’ve seen in years. The crowd deemed her unworthy and unfit to be champion. And Carmella knew that. And she ran with it and made 2018 her year.
4: WWE’s First All Women’s Pay-per-view – Evolution
Women are finally getting the chance they deserve. Evolution, WWE’s first all-women pay-per-view, is arguably the best WWE special event of 2018. This is because of all the talented women WWE has to offer today. But, of course, none of it could be possible if it weren’t for the Female Superstars of yesterday.
3: Becky Lynch’s Change of Heart
Becky Lynch is the most talked about wrestler in wrestling today, and it all started with her change of heart at SummerSlam 2018. Lynch reinvented herself as a badass female version of “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. Her next big match looks to be against Ronda Rousey at WrestleMania 35 if all things play out correctly. Her new personality as “The Man” is one of the best things in wrestling. The way she no longer looks for friends and just focuses on being a straight fire badass is one of the greatest things.
2: Roman Reigns Announces He is Battling Leukemia
A heartbreaking announcement shook the foundation of Monday Night RAW. Though they are portrayed as real-life superheroes in the ring, we must all remember that WWE Superstars are regular people just like us.
1: Daniel Bryan makes His In-Ring Return at WrestleMania 34
The same stadium he won the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Daniel Bryan, after having to retire due to concussion complications, made his triumphant return on the “grandest stage of them all”. This led to his eventual WWE Championship win against AJ Styles, setting a new record for longest time in a Royal Rumble, and his own heel turn and re-branding of himself.
When we all thought his career was cut short, Daniel Bryan returned to the ring to show us if you fight for your dreams, anything is possible.
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