PW.C’s Best of 2018
At the end of each year, the staff of ProWrestling.Cool gets together and argues for several hours until we have our winners and runners-up for the year-end awards. This year Owen and John were joined by Trace Evans, our correspondent from Seattle, New Japan, to help us out. Each award has a winner and two runners-up, with the exception of Match of the Year which receives an ordered Top 10 list. If you’d like to hear how we got to these choices, we have a deliberations podcast. Patreon subscribers can see the full lists we worked down from here.
Best New Theme Song
Hangman Page [winner]
Young Bucks
EC3
Most Potential in the Next Year
Maxwell J. Friendman [winner]
Kacy Catanzaro
Marko Stunt
Best Show Aesthetic
WWE Evolution [winner]
NXT UK
Mae Young Classic
Most Improved
Shayna Baszler [winner]
PCO
Roderick Strong
Tommy Tallarico Presents The Cool Spot Award for (Dot) Coolest Spot
Myron Reed hits a cutter from the second ring (MLW Fusion, episode 24)
That fucked up Code Red through a pile of bullshit (PROGRESS Philadelphia) [winner]
Adam Cole’s goddamn back gets broken on those two chairs (NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia)
Dot Coolest Moment
Play Vampiro’s Fucking Music (TripleMania XXVI)
The Assassination of Matt Hardy by the Coward Smoking Joe Frazier (House Hardy Halloween)
Paige here! (WrestleMania 34) [winner]
Best Promo
“Night Night, AJ” (WWE SmackDown 09/11/18)
“My name is Joe” (WWE Raw 10/22/18)
“I’m the hero at the end of this story!” (WWE NXT) [winner]
Best Show
NXT
MLW Fusion
Being the Elite [winner]
Best Surprise
The Demon finally returns (WWE SummerSlam)
The Four Horsewomen of MMA debut (WWE Evolution)
Oh shit, it’s a Cracker Barrel (All In) [winner]
Best Special Entrance
Dreamamania Running Wild (NXT TakeOver: Chicago II) [winner]
CALL ME UP, VINCE (NXT Takeover: Brooklyn 4)
The Resurrection of Joey Ryan (All In)
Best New Gimmick
Tommaso Ciampa (the worst person in all of humanity, Tommy Entertainment) [winner]
Bianca Belair (The EST)
Becky Lynch (Ryback but a pretty lady who doesn’t delete her tweets like a total wuss, THE MAN)
Best Non-In-Ring Performer
Giancarlo Dittamo
Jado
Kevin Kelly [winner]
Tag Team/Stable of the Year
The Undisputed Era (Adam Cole, Bobby Fish, Kyle O’Reilly, & Roderick Strong) [winner]
The Lucha Bros. (Rey Fenix & Pentagon, Jr.)
Golden☆Lovers (Kenny Omega & Kota Ibushi)
Female Wrestler of the Year
Chelsea Green/Reklusa
Shayna Baszler
Becky Lynch [winner]
Male Wrestler of the Year
Tommaso “THAT FUCKING GUY” Ciampa
Shane “Swerve” Strickland/Killshot
Tomohiro Ishii [winner]
Best Feud/Storyline
AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe
Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa [winner]
Becky Lynch vs. Ronda Rousey/The World
Best Event
WWE Evolution
House Hardy Halloween
NXT TakeOver: WarGames II [winner]
Match of the Year
- Kenny Omega vs. Kazuchika Okada (c) (2 out of 3 Falls for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship) – NJPW Dominion
- Kota Ibushi vs. Tomohiro Ishii – G1 Climax 28
- The Undisputed Era (c) vs. Authors of Pain vs. Pete Dunne & Roderick Strong (Dusty Rhodes Classic Finals for the NXT Tag Team Championship) – NXT TakeOver: New Orleans
- Andrade “Cien” Almas (c) vs. Johnny Gargano (NXT Championship) – NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia
- Becky Lynch (c) vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka (Triple Threat TLC Match for the SmackDown Women’s Championship) – WWE TLC
- Kenny Omega vs. Tomohiro Ishii – G1 Climax 28
- Ricochet vs. Velveteen Dream – NXT TakeOver: Chicago II
- Aleister Black vs. Johnny Gargano – NXT TakeOver: WarGames II
- Undisputed Era vs. War Raiders, Pete Dunne, & Ricochet (WarGames Match) – NXT TakeOver: WarGames II
- Marty “The Moth” Martinez vs. Pentagon Dark (c) (Cero Miedo Match for the Lucha Underground Championship) – Ultima Lucha Cuatro
