10 Must-See Matches That ALREADY Make 2018 Wrestling’s Greatest Ever Year

A vitally important return to form for the company's most beloved gimmick as it stared down potential ruination, the Royal Rumble parked several dispiriting efforts this decade with a blockbuster exhibition of intricate battle royal booking.

For the first time in a long time, Rumble tropes were well observed - justifying their very reason for being tropes in the first place. Iron Man Finn Bálor gutted his way through 57:38 gruelling minutes (suggesting why he has those abs instead of a gut...) to pair up with fellow long-stayer Shinsuke Nakamura for a clash-of-ages closing showdown with Roman Reigns and John Cena. 'The King Of Strong Style' was a worthy winner long before he became better known for ball-shots and blocking Renee Young's line of questioning, getting genuine rub from chucking WrestleMania main event banker Roman Reigns a few months before he became the industry's biggest loser.

Elsewhere in the clash, Heath Slater's failure to even make it to the ring made for some great early-match comedy and even paid itself off when the 'One Man Band' managed to surprise Sheamus with an elimination. Far funnier than Titus O'Neil's 'Greatest' Royal Rumble blown spot (and substantially less destructive), WWE highlighted how scripted comedy within pro wrestling still outstrips a rather unfortunate botch.