NXT TV featured plenty of great matches in 2018. From the Undisputed Era’s masterpiece against Mustache Mountain to the three-way for the North American Championship, the Black and Gold Brand kept the momentum running in 2018.
Speaking of the North American Championship, the title was first introduced to the NXT fans in 2018 and became a defining feature of the Black and Gold Era. With that being said, let’s take a look at the best NXT TV matches of 2018:
Roderick Strong vs. Tyler Bate (No.1 Contender’s Match for the NXT UK Championship)
The January 31, 2018, episode of NXT TV featured Roderick Strong and Tyler Bate in the main event. Both men wanted to earn a shot at the NXT United Kingdom Championship, but neither wanted to give in.
This high-octane sprint featured some incredible action from Strong of Bate. Strong lived up to his moniker as the Messiah of the Backbreaker. Bate rallied the crowd behind him with his babyface energy.
I would’ve placed this match higher on the list if it wasn’t for the little time they got to tell their story. In the end, Strong managed to put away Bate for a shot at then-NXT United Kingdom Champion Pete Dunne.
Aleister Black vs. Tommaso Ciampa – July 25
Tommaso Ciampa was truly the most despised heel in all of NXT back in 2018. He began his heel turn by turning on his best friend, Johnny Gargano. The character change was solidified in this match against Aleister Black for the top title.
For nearly 25 minutes, both men tried to outdo each other with their in-ring prowess. Black showed some incredible strike work against the opportunistic Ciampa. The mistimed direction from Gargano led to one of the most shocking title changes on NXT TV.
Adam Cole vs. Pete Dunne vs. Ricochet
Ricochet and Pete Dunne’s match for the NXT North American Championship was cut shot by Adam Cole and the rest of the Undisputed Era. Then-General Manager William Regal inserted Cole into the match and turned it into a triple threat on the October 10, 2018, episode of NXT TV.
All three men were able to turn this TV match into a TakeOver-style affair. Cole and Dunne’s mid-air double superkick to Ricochet served a major callback to Cole and Ricochet’s superkick spot from NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn IV.
Andrade “Cien” Almas vs. Johnny (Gargano NXT Championship Match – February 21)
Andrade “Cien” Almas and Johnny Gargano gave WWE their first five-star match since 2011 at NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia. They ran it back for Almas’ NXT Championship on free television just a month later.
While not on the level of their TakeOver encounter, this match still turned out to be one of the best NXT TV matches of 2018. The crowd desperately wanted the Rebel Heart to win, but that wasn’t his night – to say the least.
The Undisputed Era vs. Mustache Mountain – July 11
Undisputed Era versus Mustache Mountain was one of the highlights of NXT and NXT UK crossover in 2018. Roderick Strong and Kyle O’Reilly met Trent Seven and Tyler Bate for the NXT Team Championship on NXT TV.
This match had no shortage of action and packed a lot into 18 minutes. Both teams delivered in front a great crowd. In the end, Strong and O’Reilly put away two-thirds of the British Strong Style to claim the tag team titles for themselves.
Also read: Best WWE SmackDown Matches Of 2018
