Wrestling’s Top 10 Matches of January: A Month of Heartbreak
By Matt Seese
For wrestling, the month of January brought fans some incredible matches, and here, we will find out which ones were the best.
After the amazing year for wrestling that was 2017, 2018 is already off to an equally promising start. From Wrestle Kingdom where finding a bad match is like trying to find Waldo, to three PROGRESS chapters with great matches scattered all over, and to Royal Rumble weekend with a historic TakeOver and two terrific Rumble matches, 2018 has had it all.
Plus, EVOLVE had a pair of really good shows with Sabre Jr. and WALTER clashing in a rematch from their epic PWG encounter, but what was good enough to make the Top 10? Let’s find out. HERE is a quick spoiler warning.
Photo Source: WWE.com
This year’s Royal Rumble was terrific. From the way it was laid out to its surprise winner, 2018’s Royal Rumble will be one to remember for a long time. Being there live, it was an amazing experience to soak in, and for Nakamura to get that big break many had been waiting for, it made the moment that much sweeter.
NXT stars like its champion Andrade “Cien” Almas and Undisputed Era leader Adam Cole getting a shot in the Rumble was a great introduction for them, but seeing the legends of my childhood like the Hurricane and especially Rey Mysterio helped wrap this Rumble up in a nice, nostalgia-filled bow.
Within the match itself, Finn Bálor was the perfect choice for the ironman. He had been getting a very solid push for a couple months now, and lasting over 57 minutes in a Rumble is an achievement few others hold.
The old guard of Rey, Cena, and Orton facing off against the new guard in Nakamura, Reigns, and Bálor was an amazing moment. However, Nak standing in the ring with Reigns and Cena, two men who, if they had won, would’ve caused a riot in Philadelphia, was an all-time great Rumble moment. The tension created through uncertainty throughout the final three was so thick, you could cut it with a knife. When Nakamura eliminated Cena, the tension thickened. As a result, when Nakamura flipped Reigns over the top rope and won, the Wells Fargo Arena erupted in one of the loudest roars I’ve ever heard first hand, concluding one of the best Royal Rumbles ever.