The Complete A-Z Of Wrestling In 2018
WWE. NJPW. NXT. And every other letter...
Cody and The Young Bucks had the right idea with the title of their iconic independent show. 2018 was all in.
2017 was looked back on more through what it reflected compared to the decades before. 2017 had been a year of critical acclaim, much as 2007 had been about scandal, 1997 had required industry-changing instincts and 1987 celebrated Sports Entertainment original summit. 2018, like '08, '98 and '88 respectively, lived in the luxurious surrounds built by such sturdy foundations.
WWE held two of the greatest Royal Rumbles ever before literally labelling one of the worst as such. That show signalled the start of a Banter Era but the post-SummerSlam pay-per-views were choc-full of fire content to balance the seesaw.
New Japan Pro Wrestling and Independent Wrestling fans argued over how good Kenny Omega and WWE really were for their respective products, but the hits kept coming all the same with match after match branded "must-see" by feverish Twitter fans desperate for their wrestling to be the most beloved. It was all great. It was all awful. It was all everything.
It was all - thankfully, for this list at least - all condensable into 26 neatly-packaged entries.
26. A - ALL IN
ALL IN was all things to all fans.
In Cody Rhodes' chase for a title his father wore proudly, the traditions of the National Wrestling Alliance were clung to on the biggest independent wrestling event of all time. In Hangman Page's show-stealing efforts to bolster his 'Joey Killer' CV with the murder of stunt specialist Joey Janela, an apex of contemporary Sports Entertainment was reached with WWE nowhere to be found. Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks, Kazuchika Okada and others brought match quality comparable with a New Japan Pro Wrestling Classic. Chris Jericho even broke his own rule to appear for the first time on US soil outside of Vince McMahon's grip.
2019 promises much from The Elite crew. It was all made possible by the events of September 1st in Chicago.