10 Best Wrestling PPVs Of 2019

9. NXT TakeOver: XXV

Dustin Rhodes Cody
WWE.com

Considered one of the lesser TakeOver events, since the brand reached the heights of fawning critical acclaim, that this was still so good is testament to the formula Triple H has built: at two hours and 38 minutes, the show was an incredibly easy watch, and a largely incredible exhibition of modern pro wrestling.

Matt Riddle Vs. Roderick Strong was a unifying force of a pro wrestling match. Surely, nobody could have disliked it, but that's not to say it was broad, or safe: this wince-inducing sprint was a propulsive, relentless quest for legitimacy. The Fatal 4-Way Ladder match made expert, enterprising use of the bland and the untested by constructing a story of the Street Profits' spirit to overcome the chicanery of the Forgotten Sons, all of which was underpinned by a bravura, committed performance on the part of Kyle O'Reilly.

Tyler Breeze's experiment as a Serious Wrestler didn't land, but Shayna Baszler Vs. Io Shirai sure as sh*t did. This was a tremendous performance on Baszler's part; she strategised around Shirai's risk-based offence to craft an immersive, believable story that furthered her aura as a killer.

Johnny Gargano Vs. Adam Cole II wasn't as transformative as the original, but it was still an incredible back-and-forth mirror match that used themes of familiarity and exhaustion to put it over, to the highest level, as a dramatic war between two super athletes determined to out-last the other.

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 surefire Undisputed WWE Universal 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!