10 Best Wrestling PPVs Of 2019

1. NXT TakeOver: New York

Dustin Rhodes Cody
WWE.com

The WhatCulture list editor doesn't allow for amendments to numbering, so please be advised that this wasn't the second-best show of the year. It was the joint-best - the 1 or the A to AEW's Double Or Nothing.

One of the greatest nights in the history of professional wrestling, NXT TakeOver: New York was the greatest ever illustration of the black-and-gold brand's power: perceived by some as a soulless big-budget PWG reboot, this scintillating, all-killer show was loaded with emotion. Ricochet and Aleister Black stood on the verge of tears following defeat in the opener. This was their send-off, and clearly, they didn't want to go anywhere.

And why would they?

Their blistering match with the War Raiders made perfect use of their characters to inform the next chapter of NXT's tag division, though Vince McMahon turned that page much too quickly. When the colossal Rowe and Hanson somehow levelled up to the risk, pace and athleticism of their maverick opponents, this awesome burst of sequencing doubled as bravura storytelling.

Matt Riddle and the Velveteen Dream confidently obliterated any murmurings of a styles clash by crafting an exquisite tale of legitimacy versus audacity settled by Riddle's copycat over-confidence. Pete Dunne and WALTER constructed a gripping, detailed slow-burner that paid itself off with an explosion of congruous, jaw-dropping big spots that put over the epic nature of Dunne's UK Championship reign. The Women's four-way was very good and well-judged, at 15 sprinting minutes, and in the main, Adam Cole and Johnny Gargano delivered an all-timer.

So dramatic, well-worked and emotional that it transformed an entire crowd, this was Bret Hart Vs. Steve Austin for the modern era.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!