WWE's 10 best matches of January 2019

#9 Buddy Murphy vs. Akira Tozawa vs. Kalisto vs. Hideo Itami (Royal Rumble)

This was a wild way to get the crowd amped up for the main card to come, and in truth, it felt like it should have been on that main card. It compared favorably to most of the matches on that card.

There were four fast-moving parts to this match, though Hideo Itami stayed outside the ring to open the match, smartly allowing his three competitors to gas themselves out before he got involved. That's what he tried, anyway. He soon found himself embroiled in the chaos.

From there, we saw some unhinged attacks that sent guys flying. The finishing sequence saw each competitor land stiff, nasty looking strikes that got the crowd crackling with energy. Eventually, Murphy was able to put Itami away in what would turn out to be his last match in the WWE.