10 Best Wrestlers Of 2019 (So Far)
7. Adam Cole
So much more than just the other half of an instantly iconic series, Adam Cole's 2019 can't be discussed without mention of somebody else on this list. But more in detail on him later. As for their matches though...whew.
Stepping in for the injured Tomasso Ciampa for a match initially crafted to pay off a three year story, Cole instead wrote his own one with Johnny Gargano, redrafting every wrestling headline in the process. Their TakeOver: New York 2-Out-Of-3 Falls Title match was a masterpiece of all the genres it straddled, popping the f*cking hearts out of an explosive Brooklyn crowd whilst earning Dave Meltzer's highest ever WWE/NXT star rating.
The leader of the Undisputed Era started 2019 making big promises about his group grabbing all the gold, and made good on his end of the deal with a TakeOver: XXV victory over 'Johnny Wrestling' in a match almost as good as their frenzied first. That they managed to deliver on that expectation was another unfathomable personal and professional victory.
The best character and all-round worker on the entire roster, howls for his call-up are perhaps misguided - WWE has now proven itself so dreadful at this bit of the process that it's far more satisfying to see the likes of Cole shine on this "smaller" stage than be dulled by supposedly grander ones.