14 Ups & 14 Downs For WWE In 2018

by Michael Hamflett

1. Evolution

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WWE

Evolution was a rarity for WWE, and not just because they finally caught up with the rest of the world in having the thought and consideration to promote an event filled entirely with females. Evolution was a card that brought the company's own press-aware bullsh*t in line with a product that over-delivered on their promises.

A perfect storm (and you'd think there was some sort of natural disaster inside the building considering the rabid atmosphere it housed throughout), the card was a pro wrestling and sports entertainment spectacular, booked and paced immaculately with barely even a minor quibble to raise in the aftermath.

Nostalgia acts shone in intricately placed spotlights, Ronda Rousey and Nikki Bella assembled a powerful and worthy main event whilst Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch stole the show with a Last Woman Standing match your writer considers the best WWE singles match of the year.

The off-camera curtain call saw the entire roster celebrate together, and it was key to leaving a visual with the audience for future echoes. For all this wrestling show delivered a great wrestling show, it also rewarded every female that had fought harder than they should have had to just to get the opportunity in the first place. Kudos to WWE too - it really was better late, than never.

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Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett