Opinion

Cook’s Top 5: 2018 Wrestling Memories

Steve Cook is in the final stages of his trip down memory lane, with 2018 bringing up many not-too-distant memories!

Published

5 years ago

November 29, 2020

Steve Cook

WWE Evolution 2018 Nikki Bella Ronda Rousey

Steve Cook is in the final stages of his trip down memory lane, with 2018 bringing up many not-too-distant memories!

Now we’re getting to the part of the countdown that everybody should be able to remember everything about.

The tricky part: Not enough time has passed to tell which events in 2018 will go down in history as the most important. We’ve got a pretty good idea, but who knows for sure? All I can say is that my status in the Internet wrestling writing world remains virtually unchanged since 2018. Could be worse!

Here are the top 5 events from 2018…

5. Gargano vs. Ciampa

Tommaso Ciampa had shocked the NXT world by turning on his tag team partner Johnny Gargano in May 2017. There was a slight inconvenience, as Ciampa suffered a ruptured ACL during the match leading to the turn that would put him out of action until 2018. Once Ciampa returned, it was time for what many call the biggest & best feud in NXT history. Ciampa was the biggest bad guy in the business, while Gargano was that plucky, never say die whitemeat babyface.

Gargano temporarily lost his NXT contract in a match with Andrade that saw some Ciampa interference. Johnny got his contract back by beating Tommaso in an Unsanctioned Match at TakeOver: New Orleans. Ciampa got the edge in a Chicago Street Fight, and beat Aleister Black to win the NXT Championship. Ciampa successfully defended the title against Gargano in a Last Man Standing match, temporarily giving him the advantage in the feud. The story wasn’t quite over when 2018 was.

4. Daniel Bryan Got Cleared

You knew it wasn’t going to be the end. Daniel Bryan would do whatever he possibly could to get back in a wrestling ring. He loved it too much to step away forever, whatever the doctors told him. Once he got cleared by enough doctors, he had to convince WWE’s doctors. It took a long time, but eventually Bryan got cleared to return to a WWE ring.

The guy didn’t take it easy! Bryan lasted 76 minutes in the Greatest Royal Rumble, setting a record that likely won’t be broken anytime soon. Bryan’s in-ring highlight in 2018 came when he turned heel and became WWE Champion again. He was indeed a New Daniel Bryan. He embraced his status as the Planet’s Champion, because environmentalists are evil in WWE.

3. A Deal With The Devil

WWE had run a number of events in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia earlier in the 2010s, those mostly flew under the radar due to the fact they weren’t televised. People took notice in 2018 when WWE announced a ten year multi-platform relationship between themselves & the Saudi General Sports Authority, which would feature two WWE Network events per year, and plenty of propaganda glorifying the Kingdom & its leadership.

It wasn’t a great look for WWE from a PR standpoint. It seems to have worked out pretty well financially, though reportedly not as well as they had originally hoped. Obviously they only held one show in Saudi Arabia in 2020 due to the coronavirus, and there was a bit of a kerfuffle in 2019 where much of the crew had difficulties getting out of the country. It’ll be interesting to see what happens when things “get back to normal”.

2. Evolution

2018 saw WWE’s women doing a ton of things for the first time. The first Women’s Royal Rumble. The first Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match. This all wound up leading to the first WWE all-women’s PPV event, which was right around a time when most of WWE’s male roster was in Saudi Arabia. The Saudis weren’t too keen on having women on their shows, so it made sense to give the women a show of their own.

It made sense to have Ronda Rousey & Nikki Bella go on last. After all, Rousey brought a ton of star power with her from her UFC days, while Nikki is still a reality TV show star. In the eyes of many observers, the real main event was the Charlotte Flair vs. Becky Lynch Last Woman Standing match. Charlotte & Becky certainly thought it was the main event, and did everything they could to make sure their match was what people were talking about at the end of the night.

It was one of the best WWE events of 2018, and my personal favorite. No wonder they haven’t had another one yet.

1. All In

This might end up being the most important show ever done depending on where the wrestling business goes after 2020. Right now, it’s All Elite Wrestling’s version of WrestleMania I, except they don’t have the rights to it. AEW wasn’t a thing at this point except an image in the mind of Cody Rhodes, the Young Bucks, Kenny Omega, Hangman Page & whoever else was involved in this. It was a response to Dave Meltzer’s opinion that Ring of Honor or anybody else other than WWE couldn’t draw 10,000 fans to a building. Cody took that as a challenge, and the Bucks were on board, and they rounded up everybody they possibly could to create a card that could do big numbers on Labor Day Weekend in Chicago.

It was a damn good show! The main event got cut a little short due to satellite time, but that’s what happens when you book such a loaded card. ROH & the NWA had title matches on this show, and both went over pretty well. Everything went over pretty well, there isn’t one match on this show that I can say screwed the pooch. The seeds were laid on that night, and somebody with a large amount of money that happened to be a big wrestling fan and was able to make connections within the television industry noticed.

These boys went All In, and it paid off for them & the rest of us. Unless you’re one of those folks that only wants wrestling produced by one promotion.

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CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS

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Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!

Related Topics:2018 AEW All In Daniel Bryan Evolution Featured Featured Big Johnny Gargano NXT Saudi Arabia Steve Cook Tommaso Ciampa WWE

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Opinion

Chairshot Staff Picks: Money In The Bank

Extra, extra read all about it… Chairshot Staff picks are in!!!

Published

2 weeks ago

June 6, 2025

PC Tunney

Sing it with me… money money money money moneeeeeeeeeyeeeeee… everybody’s got a price! MONEY IN THE BANK is here!!! How money will our staff picks be?!?

AJ – Roxanne Perez
Andrew – Stephanie Vaquer – *Bubba Sparxxx Impression* I don’t tell stories, I let them tell theyself.
Dave – Guilia – A stacked field but I just like her here.
DJ – Naomi
DPP – Roxanne Perez
Jason – Alexa Bliss
Patrick – Roxanne Perez
Rey – Naomi – If Naomi loses, we riot!
Rob – Naomi
Greg – Alexa Bliss – Bliss has had huge reactions since returning and is moving a ton of merch. While I can see them wanting to build Roxanne Perez, Giulia, or Stephanie Vaquer, I think Alexa Bliss.

Tunney’s Take: Rhea Ripley – I’ll make my case short and sweet… Mami in the Bank! You can’t leave that money on the table.

Chairshot Pick – Tie – Naomi 3 & Roxanne Perez 3 (Alexa Bliss 2, Giulia 1, Rhea Ripley 1, Stephanie Vaquer 1)

AJ – LA Knight
Andrew – El Grande Americano – Feels correct given his push and the fact he’s over.
Dave – Seth Rollins – Got to push that new faction.
DJ – LA Knight
DPP – El Grande Americano
Jason – LA Knight
Patrick – Solo Sikoa
Rey – LA Knight – Looks like another push, and he does have history with Cena.
Rob – Solo Sikoa
Greg – Seth Rollins – This company is extremely high in the El Grande Americano gimmick, but this match comes down to Seth Rollins or LA Knight. Given the Rollins storyline, it’s his briefcase to win.

Tunney’s Take: El Grande Americano – Picture this: Chad Gable wins the AAA Mega Championship and El Grande Americano wins MITB! WHAT A SATURDAY in LA!!!

Chairshot Pick – LA Knight 4 (El Grande Americano 3, Seth Rollins 2, Solo Sikoa 2)

AJ – Becky Lynch – Sadly
Andrew – Becky Lynch – I still don’t care about Lyra.
Dave – Lyra Valkyria – Starting to warm up to her and Becky has a lot to do with that.
DJ – Lyra Valkyria
DPP – Becky Lynch
Jason – Becky Lynch
Patrick – Lyra Valkyria
Rey – Becky Lynch – Put some fire on the Irish Beef.
Rob – Becky Lynch
Greg – Becky Lynch – I don’t think you do a rematch here just to have Becky lose again. Unless Bayley shows up to help Lyra.

Tunney’s Take: Becky Lynch – A big part of me feels that winning this title checks off a major box for Becks in her HOF career.

Chairshot Pick – Becky Lynch 8-3

AJ – Cena & Paul
Andrew – Rhodes & Uso – Easy way for Cena to lose without eating the pinfall.
Dave – Rhodes & Uso – Get the QB back on the winning track.
DJ – Rhodes & Uso
DPP – Rhodes & Uso
Jason – Cena & Paul
Patrick – Cena & Paul
Rey – Rhodes & Uso – Heels usually lose these kinds of matches. Logan takes the pin.
Rob – Cena & Paul
Greg – Rhodes & Uso – I hope Jey isn’t an afterthought here like Cody was last fall when he was paired up with Roman. I think Cody pins Cena to set up Cody-Cena 2 at SummerSlam.

Tunney’s Take: Cena & Paul – I don’t think Cena is involved in another loss until he loses the WWE Championship. I also think Logan Paul is NOT done trying to capture Jey Uso’s World Heavyweight Championship. …Travis Scott in the house?

Chairshot Pick – 6-5 Rhodes & Uso

In closing I want to thank everyone on the panel for participating with their picks! You can follow each prognosticator/podcaster on X @ the handles below. We all enjoy Pro Wrestling so remember three things… be respectful of others, comparison is the thief of joy and HAVE FUN!

AJ – @PhenomenalAJB
Andrew – @IWCWarChief
Dave – @AttitudeAgg
DJ – @TheMindlessPod
DPP – @itsmeDPP
Jason – @JediFett
Patrick – @WrestlngRealist
Rey – @itsreycash
Rob – @rbonne1
Greg – @gregdemarco44
PC – @PCTunney
TheChairshot.com – @ChairshotMedia

prowrestlingtees.com/TheChairshot – a PLETHORA of GREAT designs…MAKES A GREAT GIFT!

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SATURDAY – The Mindless Wrestling Podcast

SUNDAY – Keeping the news ridiculous… The Oddity / The Front and Center Sports Podcast

CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS

Attitude Of Aggression Podcast & The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE’s PPV/PLE history)

TheChairshot.com PRESENTS…IMMEDIATE POST WWE PLE REACTIONS w/ DJ(Mindless), Tunney(DWI) & Friends

Patrick O’Dowd’s 5X5

Classic POD is WAR

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About Chairshot Radio Network

MONDAY - Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)

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CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS

Attitude Of Aggression Podcast & The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE's PPV/PLE history)

TheChairshot.com PRESENTS...IMMEDIATE POST WWE PLE REACTIONS w/ DJ(Mindless), Tunney(DWI) & Friends

Patrick O'Dowd's 5X5

Classic POD is WAR

Chairshot Radio Network Your home for the hardest hitting podcasts... Sports, Entertainment and Sports Entertainment!

All Shows On Demand

Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!

Opinion

Chairshot Staff Picks: Backlash St. Louis

Chairshot Staff picks!!!

Published

1 month ago

May 9, 2025

PC Tunney

May is upon us and with that, so is Backlash from St. Louis! What does the first PLE after WrestleMania have in store for the WWE Universe? Let’s see if the Chairshot Staff can properly interpret the crystal ball of rasslin’ future.

AJ – Pat MacAfee – Gunther has to start losing control and who better than an announcer.
Andrew – Pat MacAfee – Goldberg getting involved does seem correct here.
Dave – Gunther – He’s not losing to a broadcaster.
DJ – Gunther – Pat is sent to the shadow realm until football season is over.
DPP – Gunther – Post match beat down leads to Pat time off.
Jason – Gunther – One massive spot and or bump from Pat.
Patrick – Gunther
Rey – Gunther – RIP MacAfee, t’was a good life.
Rob – Gunther
Greg – Pat MacAfee – Why? Goooooldbeeerrrrrgggggg!

Tunney’s Take: Gunther – Seems like the right pick here. Pat may be getting some time off and Gunther needs more heat.

Chairshot Pick – GUNTHER 8-3

AJ – Lyra Valkyria – Becky’s hopefully putting her over, still mad about Dakota.
Andrew – Becky Lynch – I have no real interest in Lyra currently.
Dave – Becky Lynch – Lyra is boring AF!
DJ – Lyra Valkyria – Bayley interferes.
DPP – Becky Lynch – Becky cheats and steals the title.
Jason – Lyra Valkyria – Bayley costs Becks.
Patrick – Becky Lynch
Rey – Becky Lynch – Story needs to jump up a bit, Becky Charlotte’s Lyra.
Rob – Lyra Valkyria
Greg – Becky Lynch – It’s been fun, Lyra. (It kinda hasn’t)

Tunney’s Take: Lyra Valkyria – Bayley’s interference should set up some type of program with Becky as we head towards Summer(Slam).

Chairshot Pick – BECKY LYNCH 6-5

AJ – Jacob Fatu – Great way to put him over w/ two former WHCs and LA Knight.
Andrew – Jacob Fatu – He’s Jacob Fatu!
Dave – Jacob Fatu – Too soon to pull the belt off him.
DJ – Jacob Fatu – Priest and LA can’t decide who’s is bigger.
DPP – Jacob Fatu – Your hardcore match, tables and chairs involved.
Jason – Jacob Fatu – The Champ retains due to or in spite of Solo.
Patrick – Jacob Fatu
Rey – Jacob Fatu – All gas. No brakes. Ain’t losing.
Rob – Jacob Fatu
Greg – Jacob Fatu – Someone from The Samoan Dynasty ain’t winning a title just to drop it.

Tunney’s Take: Jacob Fatu – Uncle Mo is on Fatu’s side and other than Knight, I don’t see Drew or Priest holding the US title in the current circumstances of this title’s landscape.

Chairshot Pick – JACOB FATU 11-0

AJ – Dominic Mysterio – Judgement Day shenanigans just leading up to Finn turning on Dom later.
Andrew – Penta – Dom’s fine having a short reign, could also work for pushing AAA.
Dave – Dominic Mysterio – He’s probably more over than Penta.
DJ – Dominic Mysterio – Dirty Dom takes home the gold and the girl.
DPP – Dominic Mysterio – Big Head helps Dom pull out the win.
Jason – Dominic Mysterio – By hook and crook.
Patrick – Dominic Mysterio
Rey – Dominic Mysterio – Latino Heat keeps burning. Finn gets closer to the edge.
Rob – Dominic Mysterio
Greg – Dominic Mysterio – Someone from The Guerrero Dynasty ain’t winning a title just to drop it.

Tunney’s Take: Dominic Mysterio – That belt looks good with the king of chicken tendys. I can see Penta and Rey reforming as a tag team sooner than later.

Chairshot Pick – DOMINIC MYSTERIO 10-1

AJ – John Cena – Why? Cena wins, lol.
Andrew – John Cena – Shenanigans ensue so it’s not a clean win.
Dave – John Cena – The last time is now.
DJ – John Cena – Randy hears voices telling him he needs an Attitude Adjustment.
DPP – John Cena – Cena tries to cheat but the ref doesn’t call for a DQ.
Jason – John Cena – Nefarious means, Randy not ready for Evil John Cena.
Patrick – John Cena
Rey – John Cena – Cena just counting down the dates. Should be fun though.
Rob – John Cena
Greg – John Cena – You know they want Cody to be the hero in the end.

Tunney’s Take: Randy Orton – Once upon a time Randy got himself intentionally disqualified and it cost John. Saturday, history repeats itself with a 180-degree twist. Cena retains via Orton DQ victory. This time, Travis Scott’s appearance takes care of that task.

Chairshot Pick – JOHN CENA 10-1