The Silver Report: January 2019

As has become tradition, January starts the new year with high drama and excitement. Great matches, interesting storylines, and big news all seem to happen within January's 31 days. This January, in particular, has felt even more exciting. Thanks to the introduction of All Elite Wrestling (which I will get to in just a moment), wrestling fans are clamouring for information as rumours fly about wrestlers looking to branch out from WWE and news of major signings become a daily occurrence.

To summarize, it's a great time to be a wrestling fan as promotions jockey for your time and money by putting on the best product they possibly can. It's an even better time to be a fan of the inner workings of this industry as companies fight tooth-and-nail to secure talent and solidify their place in this new wrestling landscape.


No matter what side of pro wrestling you enjoy, we're in an exciting time as the industry stands on the precipice of another boom period.

Going All Elite

In late 2018, rumours surfaced that the Young Bucks and Cody were looking to start a new wrestling promotion off the heels of All In's success. With the financial backing of Tony Khan, co-owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars and long-time wrestling fan, this new promotion would be called All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and had trademarks set for a number of potential shows.

While these rumours were swirling, an interesting storyline was playing out on Being the Elite. One by one the cast found a mysterious timer on their phone; a timer that looked to run out on New Year's Day. Originally believed to be WWE courting the cast members, that possibility was thrown out when the Bucks denied the offer with a superkick to Triple H lookalike.

So when the clock struck midnight on New Year's, a special episode of Being the Elite was uploaded to YouTube. The episode saw the Bucks, Cody, and Hangman Page meet in front of the Tokyo Dome as the timer ran out. Once time expired, the logo for AEW appeared on the Bucks' and Cody's phones while Page revealed a logo for an event called Double or Nothing, which was rumoured to be the follow-up to All In.

Despite the sparse reveal, wrestling fans only had to wait eight days for more information as the company held a press conference in front of TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville. At the conference, Cody, Brandi, and the Bucks gave some insight into their vision for AEW including equal pay for all employees no matter gender and wins/losses having weight. Plus, the likes of Britt Baker, So Cal Uncensored, Joey Janela, PAC, and Chris Jericho were revealed as AEW's first signings.

While there are still a lot of unknowns at this very moment, the introduction of AEW into the current wrestling landscape is incredibly exciting. With the financial backing of the Khan family — who is worth more than the McMahons — AEW looks to be more than willing to spend top money on their talent, production, and marketing. Add in the fact that key parts of the company, such as the booking and talent relations, are being handled by wrestlers that know the business, it truly feels like something special is brewing in All Elite.

Source: WhatCulture

Trouble for New Japan?

When it comes to Wrestle Kingdom, New Japan knows how to deliver an incredible show. From unpredictable results to awe-inspiring matches, this year's offering was four-plus hours of wrestling bliss, bookended by two early match of the year candidates. Every title changed hands, the Elite was completely shut-out — most likely indicating the end of their working relationship with New Japan — four foreign stars got big wins, and Hiroshi Tanahashi completed his comeback by becoming the first G1 winner to successfully cash-in their title shot for heavyweight championship gold.

Despite an incredibly newsworthy Wrestle Kingdom, New Year's Dash was a rather tame show. Unlike previous years, there were no big angles or major shake-ups to the status quo. The only real surprise to speak of was Yoshi-Hashi's return from injury. Although new feuds were set in motion for February's New Beginning tour, everything felt like an extension of what was happening at the end of 2018. In all honesty, that isn't a bad thing as New Japan's booking builds over the months and years — it just felt weird.

Instead of building on the big upswing of momentum that was Wrestle Kingdom 13, New Japan feels like they're in the middle of a transition. With the Elite on their way to AEW, Kota Ibushi currently out with a concussion, Kushida leaving for WWE, and Chris Jericho's future with the company up the air, New Japan's roster has taken a considerable hit. While New Japan might be hurting at the moment, they are building for the future, especially with their foreign talent. Gedo has four men selected to be New Japan's big foreign stars in Jay White, Juice Robinson, Will Ospreay, and Zack Sabre Jr. Considering each of them had huge wins at Wrestle Kingdom and are all set to be permanent fixtures in the upper mid-card and main event scenes for the foreseeable future, they will eventually fill the current void. It will just take time.

Source: New Japan Pro-Wrestling

Must-See Matches of January

1/4/2019
Wrestle Kingdom 13
Kota Ibushi vs. Will Ospreay
Chris Jericho vs. Tetsuya Naito - No DQ Match
Kenny Omega vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi

1/5/2019
New Year's Dash
Will Ospreay, Tomohiro Ishii & Hirooki Goto vs. Jeff Cobb, Kushida & Yuji Nagata

1/12/2019
NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool
Mustache Mountain vs. Zack Gibson & James Drake

1/15/2019
Smackdown
Andrade vs. Rey Mysterio

1/23/2019
NXT
Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch vs. Marcel Barthel & Fabian Aichner

1/26/2019
NXT TakeOver: Phoenix
Johnny Gargano vs. Ricochet
Tommaso Ciampa vs. Aleister Black

1/27/2019
Royal Rumble
Women's Royal Rumble Match
Brock Lesnar vs. Finn Balor
Men's Royal Rumble Match

Best Matches of 2018

Source: WWE

It's that time of year again. Time to look back at the past year and determine which matches were the best of the best.

Personally, I'm finding it harder and harder to whittle down the list since there is so much high-quality wrestling readily available. I only regularly follow WWE and New Japan, which is just a small piece of this enormous pie that is professional wrestling. There are great matches happening everywhere — and some aren't even televised!

What I'm trying to say is don't take this or any other "Best of 2018" as the be-all end-all. It's all subjective since we all like and dislike different things. Use these lists to get a feel for matches you may have missed or gain a new appreciation for the matches you already love.

So without further ado, here are my favourite matches from 2018 in chronological order. If you are looking to check any of these bouts for yourself, I highly recommend subscribing to the WWE Network, NJPW World, and/or the Global Wrestling Network.

Kazuchika Okada vs. Tetsuya Naito 

NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 12

While Kenny Omega vs. Chris Jericho gets all the attention from fans and critics, it's the main of Wrestle Kingdom 12 that does it for yours truly.

Going into this match, both men wanted a chance to redeem their underwhelming IWGP Heavyweight Championship match from four years prior. Suffice to say, they did just that and more. In fact, Okada and Naito put on one of the slickest matches of the year as they kept the fast and dramatic pace you see in the closing minutes of most New Japan matches going for nearly 30 minutes.

Despite falling short of fulfilling his destiny of winning the Heavyweight Title in the Tokyo Dome, Naito proved to the critics and the world that he can deliver when the lights are the brightest.

Andrade "Cien" Almas vs. Johnny Gargano 

NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia

With how many phenomenal NXT TakeOver matches that happened in 2018, it can be easy to forget that arguably the best year in NXT history all started with this bout.

As the first match by WWE to receive five stars from Dave Meltzer in over six years, Almas vs. Gargano was nothing short of special. Looking at this match technically, it's a master class in wrestling. Both men weaved together moves and counters in a way that was much more than a combat sport — it was pure artistry.

Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa

NXT TakeOver: New Orleans

Nothing last year could touch the feud between Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa. From their beloved partnership as #DIY to Ciampa's heartbreaking betrayal, the NXT faithful watched this feud bubble in the background for two years before it was brought front and center for NXT TakeOver: New Orleans.

Unlike Gargano's wrestling clinic with Almas, this Unsanctioned match was all about storytelling. The match slowly built over the course of its 40-minute runtime by making some ingenious callbacks to their match at the Cruiserweight Classic, Gargano's sacrifice in the ladder match against the Authors of Pain, and Ciampa's attacks with the crutch. After an emotionally draining 40 minutes, this slow burn hit its climax as Gargano used Ciampa's own knee brace — from the knee injury that led to Ciampa's betrayal — for the submission victory.

Kazuchika Okada vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi

NJPW Wrestling Dontaku Night 2

To newer fans of New Japan brought in by the likes of Okada, Omega, Naito, and Ibushi, Hiroshi Tanahashi felt like a relic of a bygone era. Although the Ace was key in leading New Japan to its current success, many — myself included — believed his position at the top of the company had been passed to the new crop of main event talent.

Well, we were all wrong as Tanahashi used 2018 to prove to his critics that he is still one of the best wrestlers on the planet. And this meeting with Okada at Wrestling Dontaku was the match that made everyone take notice.

Despite falling short of stopping Okada's record-breaking title reign, Tanahashi put on an unbelievable performance that saw the Ace hit Okada with everything from his signature Slingblade and High Fly Flow to Okada's own Tombstone Piledriver and Rainmaker lariat.

Hiromu Takahashi vs. Taiji Ishimori 

NJPW Best of the Super Jr. 25 Finals

Rather than being a spectacle of high flying and fast-paced action that the Junior Heavyweights are known for, the finals between Hiromu Takahashi and Taiji Ishimori blended the disparate styles showcased throughout the Best of the Super Jr. tourney into one epic match-up.

The match was mostly a technical affair where both men worked over different body parts. Fast-paced action segments and huge spots were used as brief flourishes, heavy hitting strong style strike exchanges emphasized the physical toll of the match, and quick move-countermove sequences conveyed their intense desperation to win.

All-in-all, this is the absolute best of New Japan's Junior division putting on a 34-minute wrestling clinic. Enough said.

Kazuchika Okada vs. Kenny Omega 

NJPW Dominion 2018

Talk about an emotional rollercoaster. The fourth meeting between Kenny Omega and Kazuchika Okada — their third for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship — was easily the tensest match of 2018.

This match was so tense that every move felt monumental. The swings in momentum made your heart skip a beat, especially if you were cheering for Omega. Each fall in this two out of three fall affair built to an incredible crescendo as Omega hit the One-Winged Angel for the final three count to the soundtrack of Don Callis repeatedly screaming "Hook the leg!"

As the culmination of Kenny Omega's two-year journey to the top of New Japan, this match is as perfect as you can get in this sport. I know that I couldn't hold back the tears when the final fall was recorded — and a match that can move one to tears is indeed special.

Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa

NXT TakeOver: Chicago II

Did you think this feud was over with the Unsanctioned match at TakeOver: New Orleans? Well, think again.

The deep-seated hatred between Gargano and Ciampa boiled over into a Street Fight reminiscent of the old-school hardcore matches from the late 90s and early 2000s. As such, both men tried to maim each other with anything they could get their hands on — even ripping up the ring to reveal the wooden boarding underneath! Every strike, grapple, and weapon shot escalated the tension of the match until it was all released through the incredible and highly emotional climax.

While I've gone into detail on it before, the final five to 10 minutes of this Street Fight skyrocketed it to legendary status. Seeing Ciampa pull Gargano down to his level by making Johnny Wrestling snap felt like watching the fall of a once great superhero. It unleashed demons within Gargano that have gone onto mold him into something darker and arguably better.

Moustache Mountain vs. Undisputed Era 

NXT 7/11/2018

Considering the consistently excellent quality of NXT TakeOvers, people have forgotten how good matches on NXT TV can be.

During 2018, NXT TV played host to a whole bunch of matches that could've easily stolen the show at a TakeOver. Although I don't have enough room to highlight them all here — that's what the Silver Report's Must-See Matches section is for — there's one match that deserves to be showcased on this list. That match is Moustache Mountain vs. Undisputed Era from the July 11 edition of NXT.

Looking at this match on a base level, it's a textbook tag team match. The heels (Undisputed Era) isolate a member of the face team (Moustache Mountain) and work over a body part until the faces get the hot tag. What makes this match special is how it slightly subverts this formula to elicit a passionate response from those watching.

Most of the Undisputed Era's offense is spent dissecting Trent Seven's leg in order to set up the impassioned finish. After Tyler Bate accidentally falls into Seven for a tag, the injured Seven puts up a valiant fight only to be caught into a devastating heel hook from Kyle O'Reilly. Blocked from breaking up the submission by the referee, Bate struggles with the decision of whether to throw in the towel or not. As Seven screams worsen, Bate caves, thus ending Moustache Mountains' NXT Tag Title reign but saving his partner and mentor for further injury.

Pentagon Jr. vs. Sami Callihan

Impact Slammiversary XVI

2018 was a major year for Impact Wrestling. After years of rampant mismanagement, laughable storylines, and horrendous wrestling, nobody thought the former Total Nonstop Action would ever turn things around. To the surprise of everyone, Impact, with the help of Don Callis and Scott D'Amore, did just that and Slammiversary XVI was the event that solidified their new place in the industry.

The one match on the card that — quite literally — hammered home Impact's bold new lease on life was Pentagon Jr. vs. Sami Callihan, Mask vs. Hair. While both men showcased some great technical wrestling throughout, it was the sheer brutality and gruesome violence that etched this match into the minds of wrestling fans.

I will admit I may be a little bit biased since I saw this match live. But in all honesty, being there live to hear the ting of metal as both men hammered each other with railroad spikes and experience the crowd lose it when Callihan kicked out of a Penta Driver through two chairs was the best birthday present this wrestling fanatic could ever ask for.

Aleister Black vs. Johnny Gargano

NXT TakeOver: WarGames II

Johnny Gargano's slow descent into villainy was easily the best storyline of 2018. What made this storyline even better was that Gargano still believed he was the hero — that he was only doing what was absolutely necessary to get rid of evil incarnate, Tomasso Ciampa. Unfortunately, one of Gargano's "heroic" actions made an enemy of Aleister Black.

Much like Gargano's other matches on this list, the ensuing bout was nothing short of phenomenal. In a match that stole the show at TakeOver: WarGames II, Black and Gargano held nothing back. Black brought the stiff strikes and cracking kicks while Gargano brought the smooth chain wrestling and high-flying offense.

Although the wrestling was top notch, the story of Gargano trying to play both sides of the face/heel coin as Black cut through the shenanigans in order to get his revenge made this match feel incredibly significant to development both wrestlers. Plus, Black absolving Gargano of his sins before hitting the final Black Mass for the win was the cherry on top of this delicious match.