10 Best Wrestling Storylines Of 2018
9. The Aleister Black Attack: Whodunnit?
Here's what was so brilliant about the Aleister Black attack storyline even if the twist p*ssed you off or Nikki Cross' acting veered too far into the "playing" she always seems to be banging on about; nobody - nobody - was thick as f*ck. Furthermore, like many NXT feuds, this wove itself into another (more on that later) and delivered a blinding TakeOver match for a payoff.
WWE's main roster asks so often for you to ignore plot holes big enough for Hiroki Sumi to fall into, particularly if the babyface in question has no problem overlooking the obvious issues. This entire storyline spoke to the creativity, togetherness and cohesiveness of the entire NXT product, and deserves huge credit as a result.
Black's carpark assault was only written in to storylines because of an unexpected injury. He needed to be down and out, but who on the roster would be capable of such an atrocity? Well, as it turned out; everybody. In a magnificent bit of wrestling television, the entire roster were called in to work for brilliant one-shot of William Regal trudging through his entire roster (rendering them all guilty until proven innocent) as he responded to the panicked call about Aleister's attack.
The reveal was equally redemptive before it was heart-wrenching. Black bulldozed through that very locker room upon his return, taking down many that had - in his mind - feigned ignorance or indifference back when Detective Regal was on the hunt, before broken down babyface Johnny Gargano (the very first to pass Regal on the fateful night and furthest away from the scene) owned up with a fresh assault.