10 MAJOR Improvements WWE Have Already Made In 2018
8. NXT's Main Event Scene
NXT's main event scene has rarely been anything less than "good." For the most part, TakeOver's top bout always delivers fun action, and fans are rarely sent home disappointed, regardless of who's fighting. That being said, the scene has experienced considerable improvements in 2018.
Your mileage may vary on Dave Meltzer's match rating system, but that NXT was able to score two ***** scores in three months seven years after WWE last hit that mark speaks volumes. Johnny Gargano's bouts with Tommaso Ciampa and Andrade 'Cien' Almas compare favourably with any in the brand's history. Each was an instant classic, and while Bobby Roode and Drew McIntyre's NXT Title reigns both yielded good matches, neither was able to muster anything on this level.
Much of this is down to the calibre of athlete. Gargano, Ciampa, and the now departed Almas are prodigious between the ropes. Their positioning, coupled with NXT's expert storytelling, has created an environment in which world-class matches are no longer an pipe dream, but an expectation. This places a great deal of pressure on the performers themselves, but it's incredibly exciting for the audience.