How To Watch The WWE In A Focused, Fun Manner Whether You're New Or A Long Term Fan, 18: Worlds Collide

2019 was a banner year for wrestling. There were bleak days on the horizon, but 2019 brought us Evil Daniel Bryan and Kofimania, Becky Two Belts, The Undisputed Era's total dominance over NXT, Impact wrestling started to return to form, ROH sent their wrestlers on a Jericruise, NXT UK introduced us to Gunther (as Walter) and Imperium, we even get an episode of Evolve (the NXT to WWE's NXT), and finally AEW arrives on the scene at the end of the season with a couple of banger first episodes.

Many seasons, I close things out with the end of an era, a retirement, or a Match Of The Ages. This season, we close with a familiar face returning to debut a new character. Sadly, the character never quite lived up to its concept and introduction, but Oh Man did it look like it was going to be fun.

Season 18:
​Worlds Collide

Starring Kofi Kingston, Becky Lynch, Daniel Bryan, Shayna Baszler, Ronda Rousey, Seth Rollins, AJ Styles, Malakai Black, Jay Briscoe, Asuke, Adam Cole, Johnny Gargano, Charlotte Flair, Iyo Sky, Tessa Blanchard, Velveteen Dream, Brock Lesnar, Tyler Bate, and Riddle

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1801. Everybody Gets The Shamrock Snaps, 2018

Daniel Bryan's triumphant return to wrestling feels pretty triumphant here as he has a pair of matches against AJ Styles, and one against The Beast Incarnate. We also get a 205 Live match, and some long form storytelling in the womens' division that's going to keep going all the way through Wrestlemania!

Announcers: Michael Cole, Byron Saxton, Corey Graves, Nigel McGuinness, Tom Phillips, Percy Watson, Renee Young, Vic Joseph, Greg Hamilton, Jojo

1. AJ Styles (WWE Champ) vs Daniel Bryan
2. Buddy Murphy (WWE Cruiserweight Champ) vs Mustafa Ali
3. Rhonda Rousey vs Charlotte Flair
4. Brock Lesnar (WWE Universal Champ) vs Daniel Bryan (WWE Champ)
5. Charlotte Flair vs Asuke
6. Daniel Bryan (WWE Champ) vs AJ Styles
7. Becky Lynch (WWE Smackdown Womens Champ) vs Charlotte Flair vs Asuke in a TLC Match

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1802. More Games, 2018

NXT established a top tier New Guard last season, and they're sticking around. Everyone in this episode is a current, former, or future champion, and it shows.

Announcers: Nigel McGuinness, Mauro Ranallo, Percy Watson, Kayla Braxton

1. Shayna Baszler (NXT Womens Champ) vs Kairi Sane 
2. Aleister Black (as Malakai Black) vs Johnny Gargano
3. Tomasso Ciampa (NXT Champ) vs Velveteen Dream
4. Mustache Mountain vs Grizzled Young Veterans for the NXT UK Tag Team Championship

5. Undisputed Era vs Pete Dunne, Ricochet & Viking Raiders in a War Games Match

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1803. Returning Glory, 2018



1. Allie (Impact Knockout Champ) vs Su Yung
2. Ray Fenix vs John Morrison vs Petey Williams vs Taiji Ishimori
3. Tessa Blanchard (Impact Knockout Champ) vs Taya Valkerie
4. LAX vs OGz in a Concrete Jungle Match
​5. Austin Aries (Impact Champ) vs John Morrison

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1804. Jericruise: Sea Of Honor, 2018

It's the first ever Jericruise where Ring of Honor wrestlers gathered for a singles tournament on a cruise ship where the winner would face Jay Lethal for the ROH Championship. Followed by Alpha Club (Chris Jericho and the Young Bucks) vs Bullet Club (Kenny Omega, Cody Rhodes, and Marty Scurrl).

Announcers: Colt Cabana, Jay Lethal, SoCal Val

1. Christopher Daniels vs Dalton Castle
2. Marty Scurrl vs Flip Gordon
3. Jay Briscoe vs Cheeseburger
4. Mark Briscoe vs Hangman Page
5. Dalton Castle vs Flip Gordon
6. Mark Briscoe vs Jay Briscoe
7. Jay Briscoe vs Flip Gordon
8. Alpha Club vs Bullet Club

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1805. Back On Land, 2018

The ROH women's division has never been as entertaining or as visible as Impact or WWE's, so it's nice to see a couple of great matches here. The rest of the card is mostly familiar ROHers who will soon jump ship to AEW, but who will frequently return to the ROH ring.

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1. Sumie Sakai (ROH Womens Champ) vs Madison Rayne vs Kelly Klein vs Wendy Choo
2. Jeff Cobb (ROH TV Champ) vs Hangman Page
3. Jonathan Gresham vs Zack Sabre Jr
4. SoCalU (ROH Tag Team Champs) vs Young Bucks vs Briscoes in a Ladder Match
5. Mayu Iwatani (ROH Womens Champ) vs Kelly Klein
6. Jay Lethal (ROH Champ) vs Matt Taven

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1806. Takeover Phoenix, 2019

The Gargano/Ciampa/Black/Undisputed Era...era of NXT continues to be just some of the best wrestling in the industry. Plus, we get our first glimpse at the EST, Bianca Belair.

Announcers: Shawn Michaels, Nigel McGuinness, Mauro Ranallo, Percy Watson, Vic Joseph, Kayla Braxton

1. Undisputed Era (NXT Tag Team Champs) vs Viking Raiders (as the War Raiders)
2. Ricochet (NXT North American Champ) vs Johnny Gargano
3. Shayna Baszler (NXT Womens Champ) vs Bianca Belair
4. Tomasso Ciampa (NXT Champ) vs Malakai Black
5. DIY & Adam Cole vs Ricochet, Malakai Black & Velveteen Dream

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1807. The Rumble Lynchpin, 2019

There are a couple of weird wins this season with someone not technically in the Royal Rumble winning the Royal Rumble, then someone technically not in the Money In The Bank match climbing the ladder and becoming the MITB contract holder but we also have some delightful undercard matches here, and two killer women's title matches. 

Announcers: Michael Cole, Byron Saxton, Corey Graves, Beth Phoenix, Mike Rome  

1. Rey Mysterio & Mustafa Ali vs Andrade & Samoa Joe
2. Rey Mysterio vs Andrade in a 2/3 Falls Match
3. Buddy Murphy (WWE Cruiserweight Champ) vs Akira Tozawa vs Hideo Itami vs Kalisto
4. Asuke (WWE Smackdown Womens Champ) vs Becky Lynch
5. Ronda Rhousey (WWE Raw Champ) vs Sasha Banks
5. Womens Royal Rumble
Lacey Evans, Natalya, Mandy Rose, Liv Morgan, Mickie James, Ember Moon, Billie Kay, Nikki Cross, Peyton Royce, Tamina, Xia Li, Sarah Logan, Charlotte Flair, Kairi Sane, Maria Kanellis, Naomi, Candice LeRae, Alicia Fox, Kacy Catanzaro, Zelina Vega, Ruby Riott, Dana Brooke, Io Shirai, Rhea Ripley, Sonya Deville, Alexa Bliss,Bayley, Becky Lynch, Nia Jax,  Carmella

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1808. The Phoenix Rumble, 2019

Both the 2018 Men's and Women's Rumble were tough acts to follow, and neither of them really lived up to their predecessors, but this was still a fun, if somewhat predictable match. We skipped over Shane McMahon winning Best Wrestler In The World because it was a travesty but it did lead to the fun frienemy tag team of Shane McMahon and the Miz who spend time at the top of the division in this episode. Plus Lesnar and Balor have a classic David vs Goliath battle over The Universal Championship, and FTR gets their hands on some WWE gold.

Announcers: Jerry Lawler, Michael Cole, JBL, Byron Saxton, Corey Graves, Renee Young

1. The Bar (WWE Smackdown Tag Team Champs) vs Miz & Shane
2. Brock Lesnar (WWE Universal Champ) vs Finn Balor
3. Men's Royal Rumble Match
Elias Raw, Jeff Jarrett Shinsuke Nakamura, Kurt Angle, Big E, Johnny Gargano, Jinder Mahal, Samoa Joe, Curt Hawkins, Seth Rollins, Titus O'Neil, Kofi Kingston, Mustafa Ali, Dean Ambrose, No Way Jose, Drew McIntyre, Xavier Woods, Pete Dunne, Andrade, Apollo Crews, Aleister, Shelton Benjamin, Baron Corbin, Jeff Hardy, Rey Mysterio, Bobby Lashley, Braun Strowman, Dolph Ziggler, Randy Orton, Nia Jax

4. Chad Gable & Bobby Roode (WWE Raw Tag Team Champs) vs FTR (as The Revival)
5. Miz & Shane (WWE Smackdown Tag Team Champs) vs The Usos

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1809. Worlds Collide, 2019

A fun cross-promotion tournament between NXT, NXT UK, and 205 Live gives us some matches we won't see in any other wrestling organization. The event is kicked off by a fifteen man battle royal to determine the draw for the tournament. I've stripped the tournament down to only the best matches, most of which were in the first round, so you only get one quarterfinal match, and no semifinal matches, but the final match makes the tournament totally worth it.

Announcers: Nigel McGuinness, Byron Saxton, Tom Phillips, Vic Joseph, Greg Hamilton, Mike Rome, Sarah Schrieber

1. Drew Gulak vs Mark Andrews
2. Keith Lee vs Travis Banks
3. Adam Cole vs Shane Thorne
4. Tyler Bate vs Cedric Alexander
5. Velveteen Dream vs Tony Nese
6. Adam Cole vs Keith Lee
7. Velveteen Dream vs Tyler Bate

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1810. Kofi's Gauntlet, 2019

This is kind of a bummer of an episode but it's full of great matches that are all leading to even bigger moments. We reach the expected turn in the Shane & Miz storyline but the real stories are Daniel Bryan's evolution into the evil vegan heel who has proclaimed himself "The Planet's Champion." He's also moved on from his feud with AJ Styles just in time to get caught up in the sudden and welcome surge of Kofimania. 

1. Gauntlet Match
Kofi Kingston vs Daniel Bryan
Kofi Kingston vs Jeff Hardy
Kofi Kingston vs Samoa Joe
Kofi Kingston vs AJ Styles
AJ Styles vs Randy Orton

2. Buddy Murphy (WWE Cruiserweight Champ) vs Akira Tozawa
3. The Usos (WWE Smackdown Tag Team Champs) vs The Miz & Shane
4. WWE Championship Chamber Match
Daniel Bryan vs Samoa Joe vs Randy Orton vs AJ Styles vs Kofi Kingston vs Jeff Hardy

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1811. Takeover New York, 2019
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Once again, NXT absolutely destroys. Ricochet and Aleister (Malakai) Black bow out of NXT before joining the main WWE rosters. Velveteen Dream and Riddle have an absolute scorcher. Future superstar Gunther debuts for us as Walter and annihilates everyone. And, due to an injury Tomasso Ciampa has vacated the title, and Johnny Gargano and Adam Cole vie to make it theirs.

Announcers: Nigel McGuinness, Mauro Ranallo, Percy Watson, Vic Joseph, Kayla Braxton

1. Viking Raiders (as War Raiders) (NXT Tag Team Champs) vs Ricochet & Malakai Black
2. Velveteen Dream (NXT North American Champ) vs Riddle
3. Pete Dunne (WWE UK Champ) vs Gunther (as Walter)
4. Adam Cole vs Johnny Gargano for vacant NXT Championship

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1812. Kofimania, 2019

Kofi finally gets his flowers after going through a very similar to journey to Daniel Bryan's Yes Movement. Plus, the final probably ever SHIELD match, and the blowoff to the Miz/Shane McMahon storyline.
 
Announcers: Michael Cole, Byron Saxton, Corey Graves, Tom Phillips, Renee Young, Greg Hamilton, Mike Rome 

1. Brock Lesnar (WWE Universal Champ) vs Seth Rollins
​2. Roman Reigns vs Elias
3. Daniel Bryan (WWE Champ) vs Kevin Owens vs Mustafa Ali
4. The Miz vs Shane McMahon

5. Gauntlet Match
Kofi Kingston vs Sheamus
Kofi Kingston vs Caesaro
Kofi Kingston vs Eric Rowan
Kofi Kingston vs Samoa Joe (WWE US Champ)
Kofi Kingston vs Randy Orton
Kofi Kingston vs Daniel Bryan (WWE Champ)

6. The Shield vs Bobby Lashley, Drew McIntyre & Baron Corbin 

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1813. Double Or Nothing, 2019

The first actual AEW event set some high standards. Jim Ross returned to announcing professional wrestling, Bret Hart shows up (though he got cut for time here, as he didn't wrestle)

Announcers: Jim Ross, Excalibur, Alex Marvez, Allie, Justin Roberts

1. Casino Battle Royal
2. SoCalU vs Strong Hearts
3. Awesome Kong vs Britt Baker vs Nyla Rose vs Kylie Rae
4. Hikaru Shida, Riho & Ryo Mizunami vs Aja Kong, Emi Sakura & Yuka Sakazaki
6. Young Bucks (AAA Tag Team Champs) vs Lucha Bros
​7. Chris Jericho vs Kenny Omega

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1814. Becky Two Belts, 2019

Announcers: Michael Cole, Byron Saxton, Corey Graves, Tom Phillips, Renee Young, Greg Hamilton, Mike Rome 
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1. Rhonda Rousey (WWE Raw Womens Champ) vs Charlotte Flair (WWE Smackdown Womens Champ) vs Becky Lynch

2. Daniel Bryan (WWE Champ) vs Kofi Kingston
3. Seth Rollins (WWE Universal Champ) vs AJ Styles
4. Becky Lynch (WWE Raw Womens Champ) vs Lacey Evans
5. Becky Lynch (WWE Smackdown Womens Champ) vs Charlotte Flair
6. Kofi Kingston (WWE Champ) vs AJ Styles vs Sami Zayn in a No DQ Match 

6. Money In The Bank Ladder Match
Brock Lesnar, Randy Orton, Finn Balor, Drew McIntyre, Ricochet, Baron Corbin, Mustafa Ali, Andrade

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1815. We Get It, You're Taking Over, 2019

We're still very much in the midst of the ROH Alumni era of NXT (many of whom will go on to AEW instead of WWE) but we do get a fun throwback with Tyler Breeze's return from his Who's That Guy Again run on the main roster, and future WWE star Iyo Sky gets some revenge on still not quite a WWE star but an absolute killer in NXT, Shayna Baszler. This episode is straight up just NXT Takeover XXV with the ads removed.

Announcers: Nigel McGuinness, Mauro Ranallo, Beth Phoenix, Alicia Taylor

1. Roderick Strong vs Riddle
2. reDRagon (as Undisputed Era) vs Street Profits vs Forgotten Sons vs Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch for vacant NXT Tag Team Championship

3. Velveteen Dream vs Tyler Breeze
4. Shayna Baszler (NXT Womens Champ) vs Iyo Sky
5. Johnny Gargano (NXT Champ) vs Adam Cole

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1816. United We Stand, 2019

Impact starts to resurge here, mostly through the Knockouts and Tag Team Divisions. Yea, the Heavyweights are heavy hitters. Sure, the X Division still has some amazing acrobatics but LAX and The Lucha Bros put on a series of spectacular matches, and Tessa Blanchard and Taya Valkyrie are just beginning their journeys to the top of the wrestling world in this episode.

Announcers: Josh Matthews, Don Callis, McKenzie,  Jeffrey Scott

1. LA Knight (as Eli Drake) vs Abyss in a Monster's Ball Match
2. LAX (Impact Tag Champs) vs Lucha Bros
3. Tessa Blanchard (Impact Knockout Champ) vs Taya Valkyrie
4. LAX (Impact Tag Champs) vs Promociones Dorado
5. John Morrison (Impact Champ) vs Brian Cage
6. LAX (Impact Tag Champs) vs Lucha Bros in a TLC Match
7. Tessa Blanchard vs Joey Ryan
8. Lucha Bros vs RvD & Sabu in an Extreme Death Match

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1817. Evolve 131, 2019

Evolve is like PREXT for the WWE. You train there, then you get moved up to NXT, then if you're lucky, it's Raw and/or Smackdown. This is going to be our only look at Evolve in this chronology, as their crop of up and coming stars go head to head with Evolve Alumni, most of whom were in NXT at the time. This is our fist glimpse at Shotzi and Austin Theory, one of whom will be a constant presence in the near future, the other will have a couple of moments in the sun.

Announcers: Lenny Leonard, Paul Heyman, 

1. Arturo Ruas vs Anthony Henry
2. Brandi Lauren vs Shotzi
3. The unWanted (Evolve Tag Team Champs) vs AR Fox & Leon Ruff
4. Riddle vs Drew Gulak
5. Austin Theory (Evolve Champ) vs JD Drake (WWN Champ) in a Unification Match
6. Adam Cole (NXT Champ) vs Akira Tozawa

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1818. Takeover Cardiff

1. Caesaro vs Ilja Dragunov
2. The Grizzled Young Veterans (NXT UK Tag Team Champs) vs Gallus vs Mark Andrews & Morgan Webster

3. Mia Yim vs Bianca Belair vs Iyo Sky vs Candace LeRae
4. Toni Storm (NXT UK Womens Champ) vs Alba Fyre (as Kay Lee Ray)
5. Riddle vs Killian Dane
6. Gunther (as Walter) (NXT UK Champ) vs Tyler Bate

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1819. Fyter Fest For The Fallen

Cody and Goldust have a brotherly battle for the ages, that everyone assumed would have eventually happened in the WWE. Later, they team up to fight The Young Bucks in an excellent match. Both Dean Ambrose (as Jon Moxley) and Kenny Omega are in this episode but, surprisingly, given the end of the last episode, they're in separate fantastic matches.

Announcers: Jim Ross, Excalibur, Alex Marvez, Goldenboy, Tony Roberts

1. Cody Rhodes vs Goldust
2. The Elite vs The Lucha Bros & Laredo Kid
3. Dean Ambrose (as Jon Moxley) vs Joey Janella
4. Kenny Omega vs Cima
​5. Young Bucks vs Rhodes Brothers

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1820. The Firefly Funhouse

A ton of great matches here amongst a scattering of episodes of Firefly Funhouse and the debut of Bray Wyatt as The Fiend! Also, another intergender tag team match as real life couple Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch take on two midcarders desperate to rise to the top. Plus, Brock Lesnar gets goofy for the first, but thankfully not last, time.

1. The Undertaker & Roman Reigns vs Drew McIntyre & Shane McMahon in a No Holds Barred Match

2. Caesaro vs Malakai Black (as Aleister Black)
3. Daniel Bryan & Eric Rowan (WWE Smackdown Tag Team Champs) vs New Day vs Heavy Machinery

4. Becky Lynch (WWE Raw Womens Champ) vs Natalya
5. Charlotte Flair vs Trish Stratus
6. Seth Rollins (WWE Universal Champ) & Becky Lynch (WWE Raw Womens Champ) vs Baron Corbin & Lacey Evans

7. Samoa Joe (WWE US Champ) vs Finn Balor

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