2018 Ongoing MOTY List: Gargano v. Almas

1. Johnny Gargano v. Andrade "Cien" Almas NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia 1/27

PAS: I have been a Sombra and Gargano skeptic for quite a while, but there was no denying this match. It maybe the apex of the current juniors inspired 2018 wrestling style, it isn't a style I loved, and it is a style that has taken over wrestling, but I can't imagine it will be done better then this. It had big moves, lots of nearfalls, but what really separated this from your random Seth Rollins main events was the excellent individual emotional performances by both guys.

Almas was in classic rudo mode, using every shortcut he could, and constantly being upended. All the Gargano reversals in this match felt less like dance moves and more like a guy finding ways around traps set by movie villain. I loved the Gargano dive to the back, right into the Vega rana into the stairs, just great timing, and a perfect set up to Candace leaping from the crowd which was an awesome bit of babyface wrestling, it felt like a moment you would see in a classic 80s match and it turned a terrible Philly chanting smark crowd into the Greensboro coliseum in 1985. I totally bought into the finally Garagano submission attempt, felt like the moment where the underdog would finally get over the top, and the toe on the rope was a great bit of crowd deflating storytelling. Things don't always work out, and the good guy doesn't always win. That double knees into the LED board combined with Gargano's glassy eyed selling was such a great killshot. I imagine Gargano will get the belt eventually and that will be a huge moment, but I felt let down here, good to see that wrestling can still do that.

ER: This kind of match is the reason we watch pro wrestling. This match is the pinnacle of modern "know your opponent's moveset" counter wrestling, executed to perfection. This match is what New Japan fans see when they watch a New Japan main event. This match had high end emotion, a build that wouldn't quit, four people who perfectly understood their roles, and all executed perfectly. This match was special. Going into this match I had no dog in this fight. I've never been a big Gargano guy, but the story hooked me. Everybody involved in this match hooked me, and by the end - even though I had already seen Almas with the belt at the Rumble - I still wanted Johnny to win. The match was so good that even though I knew Gargano wasn't holding the title the next night, I still sat there saying "But what if..." The nearfalls were laid out so well that they got me thinking that any result was possible. Maybe Johnny wins and the result somehow gets held up. All I know is that by the end of this I was fully on board a Gargano title win. I wanted it. Every single part of this match worked for me.

We start with an early struggle over moves, fast mat exchanges, Almas going for the hammerlock DDT, Gargano squirming out, Gargano going for the crossface, Almas squirming out, all good stuff. And the pace never really slows down. The execution was excellent, and they took several played out scenes and made them fresh again. We had an actual interesting elbow exchange, with Almas firing off left right combos to stagger Gargano, and Gargano returning fire, that sounds rote when written out, but the devil is in the details and they made it seem right; the sequence with a couple of double clotheslines leading to both men slapping each other down was one of the coolest, meanest mirror sequences I've seen; the learned moveset stuff can come off dance-y and cute, here I thought it looked exactly as intended: two guys working at breakneck speed barely able to anticipate what was coming next. We get tons of great reversals leading to great nearfalls, like Almas catching a Gargano spear and dropping a knee into his chest, then locking on a reverse tornado DDT, or Almas missing a double stomp and getting tossed into the buckles. But every match these days has reversals of reversals, and the key here is both guys selling them off the charts, making the moves look like they deserve these nearfalls, and not getting far ahead of themselves. They never hit a series of match ending spots in the middle and then continue to work for 20 minutes, they built this all perfectly, making each pin seem like a plausible match finish. But the little things were great! Almas holding Gargano's arm before going for the stomp, Gargano rubbing at his back after a pin, Almas missing a sharp downward stike to set up the turnbuckle dropkick, dried blood on Gargano's lips, missed moves that looked like they didn't think they would miss, the camera angle of Vega storming at Gargano and seeing LeRae emerge in front of the camera, Almas slumping onto Gargano after the hammerlock DDT didn't win it, the crowd erupting when Gargano kicked out of that DDT. It was all there.

Vega and LeRae involve themselves at the perfect time, the timing was excellent. Vega breaking the Escape was huge, it felt like the potential finish and her breaking it really felt like it crossed a line. Right after and Gargano hits a mean tope to the back of Almas' head, plastering him into the wall, and the second the Younger's back is turned Vega is on the apron, dishing an awesome rana on Gargano that sends him into the ringsteps. All match long we had seen LeRae sitting front row, including a great early moment when Gargano splats off the apron right in front of her, missing a somersault senton. Finally she jumps the barricade and unloads on Vega, throwing hard mounted punches and chasing her to the back. With Vega gone I was convinced Almas was toast. It felt like the final tide shift needed for Gargano. And the Escape rope break was heartbreaking, with Gargano looking over his shoulder to see Almas' boot on the ropes. Johnny looked like he knew that was it. The Almas knees were used great, the first one into Gargano's face, the next one that looked like it missed with the full force of Almas' body, and of course that devastating killshot into the LED ringpost. The loss was devastating. The loss felt like an actual heartbreaking sports loss. It meant something. Little things made this match, big things made this match, everything made this match. This match is everything.


2018 MOTY MASTER LIST