Despite brand-exclusive events being done away with following WrestleMania 34 in April, WWE's pay-per-view schedule still boasted a whopping 15 events in 2018, which also included international events such as Super Show-Down, Greatest Royal Rumble and Crown Jewel.

With such a star-studded and diverse roster, ideally every WWE live special should feel like a historic happening. The talent is rarely to blame, and on most occasions, they make the most of the time they're allotted on these four hour-long extravaganzas and deliver the goods.

Unfortunately, WWE tends to focus far more on quantity than quality, which was evident by how many of those events fell short of meeting fans' lofty expectations. Questionable booking decisions, below-average in-ring action and a lack of memorable moments are among the most prominent factors that plagued the pay-per-views.

Despite how bad of a buildup an event may receive, execution is everything. Some shows ended up being better than originally anticipated, whether WWE planned on them being well-received by fans or not.

Although aftermath is also essential, WWE doesn't often offer strong follow-up to their events and instead quickly reverts back to the status quo. Either way, the pay-per-views have been a hot topic of conversation this year among members of the WWE Universe, and the company should strive to deliver more monumental shows in 2019.

With the obvious exception of TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs, which takes place Dec. 16, these are the five best and five worst WWE pay-per-views of the year.

5th-Worst: Super Show-Down

The sheer name of this pseudo-pay-per-view suggested to fans that WWE had no intentions of taking it seriously, and sure enough, Super Show-Down was a massive waste of time.

The entire event was built around the Last Time Ever encounter between The Undertaker and Triple H, two icons who had previously done battle in an End of an Era Hell in a Cell match in 2012. The announcers acknowledged that their marquee matchup would mark their final one-on-one meeting, which all but confirmed that a tag team affair also involving Shawn Michaels and Kane was in the works for Crown Jewel.

The main event itself was slow, plodding and riddled with interference. Fans of the Attitude Era may have enjoyed it for the nostalgia, but there was no reason for that to headline the pay-per-view over better bouts such as Samoa Joe vs. AJ Styles for the WWE Championship or The Shield vs. Braun Strowman, Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre.

Australia's own Buddy Murphy's defeat over Cedric Alexander for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship in his native Melbourne was a cool moment, but the rest of the card consisted of matches you would see at any given house show.

The IIconics vs. Asuka and Naomi was pure filler. John Cena and Bobby Lashley vs. Kevin Owens and Elias served no purpose. The women's six-man tag team match was extremely forgettable. The New Day vs. The Bar and Charlotte Flair vs. Becky Lynch were well-wrestled yet nothing special.

There were also a handful of Super Show-Down rematches on the subsequent episodes of Raw and SmackDown Live, essentially rendering the event irrelevant.

5th-Best: Money in the Bank

Money in the Bank has almost always been one of WWE's more memorable and enjoyable annual events since its inception in 2010, and this year's installment was no exception.

Although the build for the pay-per-view left a lot to be desired, the loaded card featured its fair share of stellar matchups. Of course, the night's two Ladder matches (won by Braun Strowman and Alexa Bliss) were among the best bouts of the night and successfully set the bar for future Money in the Bank bouts.

Elsewhere on the card, the long-running rivalry between AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura finally came to a head in a Last Man Standing match for the WWE Championship. It was easily the strongest of their series of matches in WWE and saw The Phenomenal One maintain his possession of the prestigious prize.

Fans expected those three matches to deliver, but it was unknown how Nia Jax and Ronda Rousey would fare when they clashed for the Raw Women's Championship. That bout had no business being as good as it was, and both women deserve credit for their spectacular showings.

It was far from a perfect pay-per-view, however. Almost everyone in the Chicago crowd enjoyed hijacking the Roman Reigns vs. Jinder Mahal match with chants for anything and everything but the competitors involved.

Sami Zayn's injuries caused his contest with Bobby Lashley to be booked like a one-sided squash, while Asuka had an abysmal outing with Carmella for the SmackDown Women's Championship. If nothing else, James Ellsworth's surprise return made for a cool moment.

4th-Worst: Greatest Royal Rumble

Similar to Super Show-Down, Greatest Royal Rumble was heavily touted for weeks by WWE as a monumental international event with major implications. Unfortunately, it ended up being nothing more than a glorified house show that had zero storyline significance.

By and large, WWE ignored that Crown Jewel was even an event on the pay-per-view calendar due to it happening so soon after WrestleMania 34. The real fallout from The Show of Shows was set to take place at Backlash nine days later, so Greatest Royal Rumble was merely a placeholder.

The makeshift show was built around a 50-man Royal Rumble match, and if that sounds like overkill, that's because it was. The crowded Battle Royal largely consisted of enhancement talent, unknown athletes from NXT and sumo wrestlers most fans have never heard of.

The inclusion of stars such as Rey Mysterio, Chris Jericho and even Hornswoggle made the match all the more random, and almost none of it was the least bit exciting. The same can be said for the rest of the event as well, which featured Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns in a Steel Cage for the Universal Championship concluding in controversy and AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura for the WWE Championship ending with a double count-out.

While Greatest Royal Rumble had no shortage of star power, John Cena vs. Triple H for the umpteenth time and The Undertaker vs. Rusev in a Casket match were hardly attractions. The Fatal 4-Way Ladder matchup was the sole saving grace of this otherwise abysmal show.

4th-Best: Royal Rumble

It's ironic that the pay-per-view titled Greatest Royal Rumble in fact featured the worst Rumble in recent history, whereas the actual Royal Rumble PPV three months earlier hosted two outstanding Rumble matches.

For the first time since 2013, the men's Royal Rumble match was held in the middle of the show. The placement of the anticipated Battle Royal hardly mattered as everyone involved had their time to shine. There were plenty of surprises, and Shinsuke Nakamura's win sent the crowd into a frenzy.

The Triple Threat Universal Championship clash between Brock Lesnar, Braun Strowman and Kane was fairly disappointing, but at least the SmackDown Tag Team and WWE Championship matches were fun while they lasted. The Bar beating Seth Rollins and Jason Jordan for the Raw Tag Team Championship was notable as well.

Fans had been longing for a women's Royal Rumble match for many years, and it came to fruition in January. In addition to all of the ladies from Raw and SmackDown Live, many familiar faces from the past as well as NXT returned for the Rumble and helped contribute to what was an entertaining main event.

Asuka emerging victorious would have been a fine way to close out the evening, but Ronda Rousey's shocking debut was merely the cherry on top of what was a newsworthy night.

3rd-Worst: Extreme Rules

WWE held the 10th installment of its Extreme Rules pay-per-view in July, but it just might have been the worst edition in its history.

Roman Reigns vs. Bobby Lashley was the featured attraction going into the event, and in their defense, the two men exceeded expectations and had a solid match. Sadly, there was nothing extreme about the outing whatsoever, and AJ Styles vs. Rusev for the WWE Championship (which was also enjoyable) suffered from the same thing.

Extreme Rules got off to a shaky start with The B-Team overcoming The Deleters of Worlds for the Raw Tag Team Championship, Finn Balor and Baron Corbin contesting a painfully mediocre match, and Shinsuke Nakamura winning the United States Championship from Jeff Hardy within seconds.

In other action, Alexa Bliss and Nia Jax rekindled their rivalry in an Extreme Rules match for the Raw Women's Championship, but Ronda Rousey's predictable interference overshadowed everything they did. It was no worse than Carmella vs. Asuka, though, as that was a total atrocity due to James Ellsworth's relentless involvement.

In a shocking turn of events, Kevin Owens scored an upset victory over Braun Strowman inside a Steel Cage, but the bout itself was more of an angle than a true match. Plus, Team Hell No's reunion fell flat despite the heavy hype it received.

Following a less-than-stellar undercard, Seth Rollins and Dolph Ziggler had the chance to salvage the show with their 30-minute Iron Man match for the Intercontinental Championship. It was a decent bout, but only the final stretch or so was remotely memorable, and the tainted finish left a sour taste in the mouths of fans.

3rd-Best: Survivor Series

Since WWE brought back the brand extension in 2016, Raw vs. SmackDown Live has been the theme of Survivor Series.

Every November, Superstars from both brands battle for bragging rights, but without anything else on the line, it's difficult for fans to care about either show reigning supreme.

However, the exceptional in-ring action made this a must-see show, starting with the first two elimination tag team matches. Seth Rollins and Shinsuke Nakamura then ripped it up in their first-ever one-on-one encounter before Buddy Murphy and Mustafa Ali raised the bar with their outstanding outing.

Then came the night's top two main events: Ronda Rousey vs. Charlotte Flair and Brock Lesnar vs. Daniel Bryan. Despite both bouts being added to the card just days before the PPV, they captured the attention and excitement of the audience in attendance with their exceptional physicality, drama and storytelling.

AOP vs. The Bar was unfortunately eclipsed by Drake Maverick wetting his pants (which had Vince McMahon's fingerprints all over it), but it wasn't enough to ruin what was a strong show.

Sure, the blue brand getting swept by Raw (with the exception of its sole win on the Kickoff show, which the company oddly opted to ignore) was questionable, but the key matches did not disappoint and that was all that mattered.

The Thanksgiving week classic redeemed itself as a worthy Big Four pay-per-view following this year's commendable effort.

2nd-Worst: Backlash

If past installments have been any indication, Backlash can usually be counted on for some solid fallout from WrestleMania and a memorable match or two. That appeared to be the case this year when the night opened with an awesome Intercontinental Championship match between Seth Rollins and The Miz, but it was all downhill from there.

In a rematch from WrestleMania, Nia Jax defeated Alexa Bliss to retain the Raw Women's Championship, but it wasn't an exhilarating contest. Jeff Hardy and Randy Orton had an enjoyable outing for the United States Championship, but the remainder of the show was poor and exposed everything that is wrong with the WWE product at the moment.

Although Big Cass and Carmella will never be mistaken for great in-ring technicians, it was believed that they would be carried to competent contests by Daniel Bryan and Charlotte Flair, respectively. Both bouts fell well below expectations but not as much as Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe did in the main event.

Reigns and Joe have always had strong in-ring chemistry, but with no stakes in their match at Backlash, the fans were quick to turn on them and leave before the event was even over. The Big Dog's victory in predictable fashion was a lackluster end to the show and only further established that no one on the roster mattered as much as Reigns.

Meanwhile, AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura had a chance to make up for their disappointing one-on-one affair from WrestleMania, but the match went to a draw before it could reach that next gear. The tag team matchup pitting Braun Strowman and Bobby Lashley against Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, on the other hand, was meaningless.

2nd-Best: Hell in a Cell

Although Hell in a Cell has never been known to be one of WWE's stronger shows of the year, the 2018 edition had the best lineup from top to bottom and featured a handful of excellent matches that left fans more than satisfied.

The night's first Hell in a Cell match between Randy Orton and Jeff Hardy was the perfect way to culminate their ruthless rivalry. The Charismatic Enigma literally ascended to new heights in an attempt to put The Viper away, only to fall short (spectacularly) and allow Orton to score the victory.

Becky Lynch's huge SmackDown Women's Championship victory kept the show rolling, along with the remarkable Raw Tag Team Championship match pitting Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre against Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose. Despite being a late addition to the card, this was tag team wrestling at its finest and the best tag title match in WWE this year.

The next two matches weren't nearly as exceptional, but the mixed tag team affair allowed The Miz to get another win over his adversary, Daniel Bryan. Ronda Rousey vs. Alexa Bliss was a significant improvement over their SummerSlam encounter the month prior.

The only true knock against this event was Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman's Hell in a Cell match for the Universal Championship. In addition to the bout never getting out of first gear, Brock Lesnar returned for the first time since SummerSlam to crash the contest and leave everyone laying, causing the show to end without a winner.

Worst: Crown Jewel

It's almost unfathomable how WWE could go from delivering one of its best pay-per-views all year in Evolution to the absolute abomination that was Crown Jewel within a matter of days.

The vast majority of WWE fans were already against the idea of the company holding another event in Saudi Arabia in the first place after the disappearance of an exiled Saudi journalist in October. This caused WWE to scrap any mention of the show being held in the country in the weeks leading up to it, essentially sending the message that it wanted to get it over with as quickly as possible.

Sure enough, the entire event was one giant train wreck. The WWE World Cup (featuring only American talent) took up most of the three-and-a-half hours, and almost all of the matches were short on time. As if the event coming down to Dolph Ziggler vs. The Miz wasn't bad enough, Shane McMahon inserted himself on behalf of SmackDown Live and won the whole thing, enraging fans in the process.

Crown Jewel continued to disappoint with the Universal Championship match between Brock Lesnar and Braun Strowman. It suffered from Roman Reigns being forced to pull out from the bout due to the return of his leukemia, and it was being booked like a complete squash with The Beast Incarnate hitting multiple F5s on his opponent to take home the title.

The main event, which saw D-Generation X reunite against The Brothers of Destruction, was an embarrassing mess. Ironically enough, the previously retired Shawn Michaels had the best performance of them all, but not even the nostalgia factor was enough to salvage it.

Best: Evolution

When it was announced that Evolution, the first-ever all-women's WWE pay-per-view, would be held days ahead of Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia, the belief among fans was that its sole purpose was to distract fans of the female wrestlers from how Crown Jewel wouldn't feature them on the show.

WWE spent months hyping up the pay-per-view as being historic and monumental, and even though it was, not enough attention was devoted to creating a compelling card. That resulted in the company waiting until the last minute to put together a PPV-worthy lineup, and only a handful of the matches looked intriguing on paper.

Despite WWE failing to build Evolution as meaningful in the weeks preceding it, the women put on an event for the ages. The seven matches ranged from good to great to amazing, and due to the different production values, the show had a unique feel that helped it stand out from your typical WWE event.

On the undercard, Trish Stratus and Lita returned to form in an entertaining outing against Alicia Fox and Mickie James, Nia Jax won a women's Battle Royal to earn a future title shot, and Toni Storm toppled Io Shirai to win the 2018 Mae Young Classic. Additionally, Sasha Banks, Bayley and Natalya also had a better-than-expected match with The Riott Squad, and Shayna Baszler regained the NXT Women's Championship from Kairi Sane.

In the main event, Ronda Rousey and Nikki Bella blew away fans' expectations with their hard-hitting affair. However, the Last Woman Standing bout between Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair was the real match of the night and arguably one of the best women's matches in WWE history.

Granted, nothing has changed with the women on WWE programming since Evolution, but considering it how well-received it was by fans and talent alike, there's no reason for it not to become an annual event going forward.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, is an Endicott College alumnus and aspiring journalist. Visit his website, Next Era Wrestling, and "like" his official Facebook page to continue the conversation on all things wrestling.