Well, another year has passed in wrestling history. It is hard to believe that we sit here on the eve of 2015. 2014 just flew by. For WWE fans, it was certainly a year of ups and downs, with the emotional roller coaster as full of twists and turns as any recent year, surely. Daniel Bryan's situation was as organic a story as there has been in a very long time, from the fan movement to make him a main-eventer at Mania to his unfortunate injury woes. The Streak ended. Who saw that coming? The Shield exploded into fragmented roles that did not fit the original thought process we had come to expect. Seth Rollins became the hated heel in an era where it is increasingly difficult to be a hated heel. Dean Ambrose emerged as the unsuspecting babyface on the brink of superstardom. Roman Reigns remained the man most likely to breakout despite some potential pitfalls. John Cena maintained the status quo. Brock Lesnar took the WWE Championship home to his farm and sat on it. Bray Wyatt plead his case to break modern era barriers through poetic noir on the microphone. So much has happened. WWE also gave a greater emphasis (than in recent years) to its mid-card and, thanks to WWE Network, its developmental program. As such, there is a laundry list of "must see" matches to cover before handing out the year-end award for definitive "best." Without further ado, these are the 20 best WWE matches of the year...
"The Doc" Chad Matthews has written wrestling columns for over a decade. A physician by trade, Matthews began writing about wrestling as a hobby, but it became a passion. After 30 years as a wrestling fan, "The Doc" gives an unmatched analytical perspective on pro wrestling in the modern era. He is a long-time columnist for Lordsofpain.net and hosts a weekly podcast on the LOP Radio Network called "The Doc Says." His first book - The WrestleMania Era: The Book of Sports Entertainment - ranks the Top 90 wrestlers from 1983 to present day, was originally published in December 2013, and is now in its third edition.
Matthews lives in North Carolina with his wife, two kids, and two dogs.
