We’re gonna party like it’s Nineteen-Ninety-Nine!

It isn’t just the end of 2019, it’s the end of a DECADE! Join Renee Young, Booker T and Christian in reliving WWE’s best from 2019!

Renee runs down the schedule!

We are moments away from a new decade! Before turning to 2020, turn back the clock and count down to the New Year with the Best of 2019!

The final WWE Backstage of 2019 and the DECADE!

Renee has Booker T and Captain Charisma, both dressed their best for New Year’s Eve. Pose for pictures. Now there were breakthroughs and legendary runs, which is why last week was about awarding the best of 2019.

Just the Highlights!

Bray Wyatt was best male superstar, the Kabuki Warriors were best women’s tag team, Becky Lynch was best female superstar, and the New Day were best men’s tag team. Street Profits got best breakout, and Kofimania was THE best moment! Everyone was honored to have the very first round of Cleaties (Cleatus was the model for the trophies) but that’s not even it! There are the TOP FIVE MATCHES of 2019 to be named! And first up, we go all the way back to January 15th on SmackDown Live!

Number 5 WWE Match of the Year – SmackDown Live, 1/15/19, Rey Mysterio VS Andrade Almas!

Back then, El Idolo still officially had his full name. Backstage just gives part, but the entirety is of course available here at the Chairshot.

Both luchadors have amazing chemistry with each other, even as early as this match. Booker knows Mysterio is a true ring general, and Almas is more experienced than people know. Almas is finally getting to show that talent to the world. There’s always that one younger guy who wants to test everyone and himself, and that’s Almas now. Christian agrees, and knows that Mysterio is a singular name. People all know “Rey.” There are just certain wrestlers that you have better chemistry with than others, but everyone can find that chemistry with Mysterio because he’s everyone’s dream match. Almas is underrated but not for long. 2020 will be Almas’ year. Renee asks for specifics on that, and Booker says Almas is writing his own story. He just needs to produce and perform. Many talk the talk, but Almas walks the walk.

There’s plenty to come from both lucha libre masters, surely they’ll be back on this list next year. But what are the other four top matches of 2019? Find out after the break.

WWE Backstage returns and heads for #4!

After slaying the Beast, The Architect set the bar high on himself. So why not face the Phenomenal One at Money in the Bank 2019?

Number 4 WWE Match of the Year – Money in the Bank, 5/19/19, WWE Universal Championship: Seth Rollins VS AJ Styles!

The Architect and the Phenomenal One, a dream match for sure. As talented as Styles is, Seth Rollins would once again #BurnItDown and retain that title! Will there be another match on this list involving these two? Or will they both have to wait until next year?

Daniel Bryan has had a roller coaster year, one of the biggest ups being returning to in-ring action, only for the big down to be losing his WWE World Championship at WrestleMania 35. But now The Fiend is after him, so WWE thought it’d be good for him to try therapy.

Wrestling with Your Feelings with Rachel Bonnetta!

A still long-locks Bryan goes to Rachel’s office and is very nervous. She starts by asking that if there’s a “New” Daniel Bryan, what was so wrong with the “Old” Bryan? The Old Bryan cared a lot about making sure the WWE Universe was happy. But being happy didn’t actually help anyone improve or be better, the fans are all just wasting their lives. Rachel gets a text and Bryan is upset. He hates the over-saturation of technology in our lives and how it interrupts us from actually living our lives. Rachel needs him to say that again. But it all just sounds like he needs a hug. What? That’s all he gets? He already got enough hugs from “a grown man with a mask who’s electrocuted someone’s testicles,” and it only made Bryan crazier! Um, okay, keep going.

Yes, he will keep going! He needs more time to rant about the people that are too busy texting rather than paying attention- Where did she go!? Why is no one listening to the New Daniel Bryan!? He calms down when he sees Rachel’s busts of Aristotle and Homer. There are finally people smart enough to understand Bryan in “deep conversation.”

The panel discusses this bit of nostalgia.

Renee misses Team Hell No. And Bryan’s long locks. But at least Rachel’s busts helped Bryan make progress. Booker says Rachel needs new sweaters. Oof, Booker, relax. This isn’t Promo School.

Moving on, the Elimination Chamber match is one always full of huge moments and heavy impacts. That was no different than the Elimination Chamber match that was held on the Road to KofiMania!

Number 3 WWE Match of the Year – Elimination Chamber, 2/17/19, WWE World Championship Elimination Chamber Match!

The then Planet’s Champion, the New Daniel Bryan, defended his completely organic and biodegradable title against not just Kofi Kingston but Randy Orton, Jeff Hardy, AJ Styles and Samoa Joe! Bryan and the Samoan Submission Machine would start this match, followed by Kofi, Styles, Hardy and finally Orton. In the end, it would come down to Bryan and Kofi, and everyone was hoping for the rise of Kofi right here. But in the end, one miscalculation and Bryan would capitalize with a KNEE PLUS!

As we know, Kofi would come back for one more chance at WrestleMania, but this was an incredible showing by Kofi, Bryan and all the men in this vicious match. But what will be the top two matches of WWE in 2019?

“2019 could be very accurately called The Year of The Man,” Becky Lynch. Becky main-evented Mania, but it is her Raw Women’s Championship defense against The Boss that earns second place on the countdown!

Number 2 WWE Match of the Year – Hell in a Cell, 10/6/19, Raw Women’s Championship Hell in a Cell Match!

The red cell contained The Man and The Boss in a match that would settle the score between them, but Sasha Banks had a sinister plan to go after Becky before the bell even rang. The two would get very creative in how brutal they could be, but it would backfire a few times for The Boss. After putting it all on the line, and even being put through a table, Becky would make Sasha tap and keep the title.

Becky is still on Raw but Sasha is on SmackDown now, so this was an amazing conclusion to their rivalry, for now. But what does everyone feel is in store for them in 2020?

Booker feels Becky is doing her thing and “wrote her own ticket.” Booker learned to kick it in gear and that’s what Becky has done. Sasha is trying to find her footing again after time off. Time off can be your worst enemy, but that Hell in a Cell match showed that both women could get it to that next gear. Christian feels Sasha needs to get the reps but she hasn’t really lost too much. Performing with a chip on your shoulder can help, and that is what both women are doing. Booker knows Sasha was “The Boss,” but Becky as “The Man” may have shook everyone.

And of course, just moments away from the new decade, we will learn what match is considered THE BEST of WWE in 2019!

Well, isn’t it obvious? The in-ring action and storytelling combined in the perfect way! Pop a bottle for Kofi and Bryan, THE KofiMania match takes the gold!

THE WWE Match of the Year – WrestleMania 35, 4/7/19, WWE World Championship: Daniel Bryan VS Kofi Kingston!

Kofi won Best Moment of the Year, so how could his match that culminated 11 years of patience, dedication and perseverance be anything but the Number 1? It wasn’t the main event of the night, that would go to the Winner Takes All match of Becky, Charlotte Flair and Ronda Rousey. It wasn’t even second-to-last, that was the WWE Intercontinental Championship match of Bobby Lashley VS “The Demon” Finn Balor. But this was certainly the biggest match, the most wanted match, and the most beloved match because it was two fan favorites battling as hard as they ever had in their careers, and the fairy tale ending came true! The WWE Universe celebrated, the New Day celebrated, the rest of the WWE roster celebrated! Kofi’s family even got to celebrate live on camera!

The rise to the title was perhaps something no one saw when 2019 started, but it happened, and it happened organically. And Christian feels there was no one better suited for Kofi to go against than Bryan. Bryan is an amazing talent, can have a great match with anyone, and the story couldn’t have written itself better. Bryan found himself in the same position of organic popularity and “being held back” by authority. Things turned around and Bryan became the villain to say the same things to Kofi, and in the end, Kofi and the New Day overcame. Booker pretends to be emotional, but in seriousness, that is not a moment you can fake. Kofi is a great talent and a great person, he put in hard work even before The New Day formed. Kofi was seen as the least likely yet the most organic choice for that moment.

Kofi has Match of the Year Cleaty and says, “Obviously it takes two to tango.” Kofi gives credit to Bryan. He may not say this to Bryan personally, but Bryan is one of the greatest ever. That match wouldn’t have been as awesome without Bryan. Bryan being in that role just like Kofi, it made things even greater. Kofi could go on and on but he says “thank you” on behalf of himself, Bryan and just everyone.

Backstage again shares the 2019 Just the Highlights!

Ronda Rousey also joined the WWE, and had a truly epic rivalry with both The Man and The Queen! Their brawl backstage with police cars and subsequent WrestleMania main event will go down in history. Speaking of WrestleMania, Kofi Kingston had his crowning achievement when he finally became WWE World Heavyweight Champion! Brock Lesnar and Bayley both became Money in the Bank winners to cash in and take the titles, Sasha Banks returned blue and badder than ever, Braun Strowman and Tyson Fury felt the fury, Kurt Angle retired at WrestleMania, and perhaps biggest of all… “I’m in remission, y’all.” Roman Reigns defeated leukemia and was back!

The WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships came into reality, being first won by Sasha Banks and Bayley at Elimination Chamber, then taken from them by the IIconics at WrestleMania! Nikki Cross and Alexa Bliss would get them next, and now Asuka and Kairi Sane hold them as very dominant Kabuki Warriors. More history was made in the Women’s Division as Lacey Evans and Natalya broke down barriers by being Saudi Arabia’s first-ever women’s match! Lesnar brutalized Mysterio and his son, Kevin Owens crushed Shane McMahon while Becky SLAPPED Stephanie, Lana left Rusev for Bobby Lashley, Bayley went bad, and for a time, the NEW Daniel Bryan held a new take on the world title.

Bayley got the title back, Ricochet had the US Championship, the Good Brothers are the Best Tag Team in the World but The Viking Raiders rule over Raw’s Tag Team Division, and NXT truly took over! The 24/7 Championship has quite literally been non-stop, all over the world, in places and scenarios you would never have pictured. Seth Rollins beat The Beast twice, but could only survive so long against The Fiend! YOWIE WOWIE!

But with 2019 closing, we need New Year’s Resolutions!

Renee says the “Mother lover” AJ Styles needs to show up to Backstage and maybe even have The Viper, Randy Orton, too! Booker will put in the call. Booker’s resolution would be, as a historic tag team specialist, he wants to see the WWE Tag Team Division getting “crunk!” Book might even manage The Street Profits. What about the challenge thrown down by The Revival? Oh Book and big brother Stevie Ray are working on that #OneLastMatch! Christian’s resolution is to remain the #1 Contender to the Intercontinental Championship! What? Well he never got that title match, so he’s still a contender. But honestly, can the Brock Party come back for 2020? Well here goes… 6! 5! 4! 3! 2! 1! HAPPY NEW YEAR! 2020 BABYYYY~! See you in the new decade!

My Thoughts:

Well that sure was a fun episode. And halfway to copypasta. The New Bryan going to therapy was a good segment. Though it’s clear between this and the Bayley skit that these were all taped at the start of the Backstage season. The five matches chosen for the countdown were of course really great choices, but I feel like the Fatal 4 Way for the United States Championship involving Mysterio, Almas, Samoa Joe and R-Truth was way better than just Mysterio VS Almas. But I suppose with limited time to talk, they wanted to focus on Mysterio and Almas, which is fine. Rollins VS Styles was probably the best match either of those two had this year, so that was a natural choice.

And it was really great to see Kofi, Bryan and Becky each getting moments on this list. They all deserved it, they were amazing parts of WWE’s year, and WWE would’ve been unbearable without them. Here’s to 2020 being much, much better thanks to them and many more stars WWE has yet to truly utilize.