10 Best Wrestling Storylines Of 2018
7. Nothing Special
Adam Cole had just enough rationale to believe his own bullsh*t in a storyline brilliant in its simplicity ahead of a North American Championship match at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn IV.
The idea was as straightforward as Ricochet's offence wasn't. Cole worked to undermine 'The One And Only' by suggesting he was actually just like all the rest. That he was nothing special. That nothing he could do was a threat to the mental gymnastics the Undisputed Era leader had proven supreme at during his first year on the developmental brand.
The very belt Cole wore around his waist was supposedly evidence of this. Victorious in a New Orleans ladder match that featured Ricochet (and also Velveteen Dream - tellingly the last to also doubt the high flyer), Cole had snuck up a ladder to grab the prize rather than spend time painfully crashing down from it. As he saw it, his brain was the ultimate key to victory rather than the challenger's super-human body.
All that remained was for the babyface to prove the heel wrong. In a beautiful and brutal encounter at the August spectacular, Cole backed his words up by doing just enough to barricade the door. A superkick counter from a Ricochet moonsault attempt was one of the best spots of the year and deliciously worthy in context.
The match concluded as the story had begun - with misplaced arrogance. Cole simply left the ring to dodge further futuristic offense. But Ricochet was special. Before the Champion had time to patronisingly tap his temple, the Challenger leaped at him with a hurricanrana to the floor.
Spectacular as it was laser-focused, the killshot put a bullet through Cole's title reign, and his misguided mind games.