There was a range in quality when it came to WWE’s PPVs in 2018, with some being enjoyable, while others offered there best attempts at being the worst events of all time. With WWE’s talented roster at the time, there were several solid shows with good in-ring action, even if storylines and booking weren’t perfect.
There were fifteen PPVs during 2018, which was arguably too much, and this no doubt damaged the quality of some shows.
15 Crown Jewel
Not only was this the worst show of the year but it's arguably the worst in WWE history. The tragic main event between D-Generation X and The Brothers of Destruction was comical in how terrible it turned out.
The WWE World Cup took place at this show, with Shane McMahon’s win making a mockery of the tournament, and Brock Lesnar won the Universal Title in a glorified squash of Braun Strowman, destroying his momentum.
14 Backlash
This show, for the lack of a better term, was boring. Aside from the opener between The Miz and Seth Rollins, every match was below average, with the notable duds being Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe, and Carmella vs. Charlotte Flair.
The WWE Title rematch between AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura ended in terrible fashion, as they wrestled to no contest in a No Disqualification match.
13 Elimination Chamber
Both Elimination Chamber matches had decent moments but were too predictable to gain any sort of true heat.
The middle three matches on the card offered no substance, with The Bar battling Titus Worldwide, Asuka fighting Nia Jax, and Bray Wyatt going against Matt Hardy.
12 Extreme Rules
The AJ Styles vs. Rusev match was fun, and the ending spot of the Kevin Owens/Braun Strowman Steel Cage match is severely underrated, but the rest of the show was poor, with a distinct lack of “extreme.”
Carmella vs. Asuka was awful, with yet another terrible finish further destroying Asuka’s aura, and the main event between Seth Rollins and Dolph Ziggler turned into a joke, as the crowd hijacked the Iron Man countdown clock.
11 Greatest Royal Rumble
WWE’s first Saudi Arabia event had some okay moments, with an entertaining Intercontinental Title Ladder match, and a fun opener between John Cena and Triple H. The 50-man Royal Rumble was too long and full of too many lower card names to ever feel exciting, even with the format.
AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura had an underwhelming double countout, and Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns battled in a boring Steel Cage match.
10 Super ShowDown
At times, this felt like a glorified house show, which it was. However, at other times, it felt like a big deal given the massive stadium it was in. Wins for The IIconics and Buddy Murphy were wholesome moments.
Even with some decent matches like AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe, the show never really wowed at any point. Triple H and The Undertaker battled in a long match, which was fine, but nothing compared to their past encounters.
9 Fastlane
Fastlane felt like a slightly above-average episode of SmackDown, with nothing aside from the main event six-pack challenge feeling like a true PPV match.
The action was all decent, with Shinsuke Nakamura and Rusev having a great opener, and Charlotte Flair defeating Ruby Riott in a decent title match.
8 SummerSlam
The opener between Seth Rollins and Dolph Ziggler was strong, AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe was hard-hitting until a poor finish, and the crowd went crazy for Becky Lynch attacking Charlotte Flair, but even with these highlights, this didn’t have a “big four” feel.
Roman Reigns defeated Brock Lesnar in uninspiring fashion, The Miz vs. Daniel Bryan didn’t live up to expectations, and the squash match between Braun Strowman and Kevin Owens was a slap in the face to the latter.
7 Money In The Bank
Both ladder matches were entertaining, even if the winners of Alexa Bliss and Braun Strowman weren’t the best choices, but unfortunately the rest of the card was a mixed bag. Daniel Bryan took Big Cass to a decent opener, just as Seth Rollins did with Elias.
AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura had the best match of their series, and Ronda Rousey vs. Nia Jax was better than expected. Roman Reigns vs. Jinder Mahal and Carmella vs. Asuka were both poor, dragging the card down.
6 TLC
There were several matches on this card that weren’t great, such as Natalya vs. Ruby Riott, Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose, and the Mixed Match Challenge finals.
However, other matches delivered, with the triple threat TLC match between Asuka, Becky Lynch, and Charlotte Flair and the Daniel Bryan vs. AJ Styles match each offering candidates for match of the year.
5 WrestleMania 34
WrestleMania always manages to elevate bad cards, although this show had some highlights. The opening triple threat was entertaining, Ronda Rousey’s debut was stellar, Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka had great in-ring action despite a poor finish, and Daniel Bryan’s return produced a good moment.
However, this show had some bad. Braun Strowman’s mystery partner was wasted on a cheap joke, the “dream match” between AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura was a let-down, and the main event between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns was a horrible finisher fest.
4 Survivor Series
By 2018, the Raw vs. SmackDown concept was getting old, however, aside from The Bar vs. AOP, every match on this show was good. Seth Rollins vs. Shinsuke Nakamura was a gem, and the main event between Brock Lesnar and Daniel Bryan surpassed even the highest expectations.
The elimination matches were decent, and even with a DQ finish, the Charlotte Flair vs. Ronda Rousey match was excellent.
3 Hell In A Cell
The finish for the main event was a disaster, however, the rest of the card delivered in a big way. Randy Orton vs. Jeff Hardy, Charlotte Flair vs. Becky Lynch, and AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe were all good to great, and Dean Ambrose/Seth Rollins vs. Drew McIntyre/Dolph Ziggler was outstanding.
Other fine matches such as The Miz and Maryse vs. Daniel Bryan and Brie Bella, and Ronda Rousey vs. Alexa Bliss helped to complete a great undercard overall.
2 Royal Rumble
The two Royal Rumble matches on this show were brilliant. The men’s match had great moments, big names, and a popular winner, while the women’s match was historic, paying homage to the history of women’s wrestling.
The rest of the card was decent, with AJ Styles taking on Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, and Brock Lesnar clashing with Braun Strowman and Kane in a crazy triple threat.
1 Evolution
Not only was this show historic for being WWE’s first and only all-female PPV, but it was the best card all year from top to bottom. The opener saw Trish Stratus and Lita return to action, with other standout matches including Toni Storm vs. Io Shirai, Shayna Baszler vs. Kairi Sane, and Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair, which was match of the night.
The battle royal was fun, the six-woman tag was full of non-stop action, and while the main event between Ronda Rousey and Nikki Bella wasn’t anything special, it did the job it was supposed to do.