The 10 best WWE matches of 2019

#9 Ricochet vs. Johnny Gargano (NXT TakeOver: Phoenix)

Johnny Gargano started his 2019 vowing that he was going to be about "wins and championships." His 2018 had been a brutal affair. He could never win "the big one." Setting his sights on singles gold, he wanted Ricochet's North American Championship. Ricochet was happy to take the challenge and wanted to teach the confused Gargano a lesson.

In Phoenix, the encounter started surprisingly slow, but then evolved into a quick chess match. There were some insane spots on the apron, and none of them ultimately helped Gargano.

As the match went on "Johnny TakeOver" started showing his darker side, exposing the concrete a la Tommaso Ciampa. At first, he opted not to use it, but after he fell short of defeating Ricochet, again and again, he finally gave in to the dark voice within him, slamming Ricochet on the concrete and then, muttering, "I win," put him away in the ring to become North American Champion.

This match stood out both for its wrestling and its storytelling.