Johnny Gargano vs Andrade ‘Cien’ Almas – NXT Takeover: Philadelphia (NXT Championship)
2018 started with Johnny Gargano and Andrade ‘Cien’ Almas putting on a classic for the NXT Championship at NXT Takeover: Philadelphia which many feel is the Match of the Year in WWE.
It was a technical masterpiece for nearly 30 minutes as both the wrestlers put on an exhibition on pro-wrestling and storytelling. If these weren’t enough, Almas’ manager Zelina Vega’s heel antics throughout the match added more spice which led to Johnny’s wife, Candice Le Rae, who was watching the match front row, making her NXT debut in a bid to take Zelina out of the equation.
Amidst the confusion outside the ring, Almas came out victorious with a double knee smash followed by an elevated hammerlock DDT on Gargano. This match became the first WWE match after six years to get a 5-Star rating from Dave Meltzer, whose ratings are regarded as the pinnacle for matches in pro-wrestling.