Welcome to the first-ever 1053 Ridge Year-End Awards, based off of Dave Meltzer’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter year-end awards.
I should note before you spend any time reading these that there is a clear tilt towards WWE as that’s most of what we consume. I know, I know – Chris Hero is great. Matt Riddle is great. Okada is sometimes great and sometimes a disappointment. I know. I KNOW!! It’s just not anything any of us are super educated on. We also didn’t do any awards we wouldn’t know much about or care much about… no box office, no bookers, no MMA, no DVDs, no books.
Participating in these are I, Dum Dum Daniels, alongside The Joshening, The King, and………… Craig. Each of us listed a top 3 of the year in each category. A first place ranking got 3 points, second place got 2, and third place got 1. All the points combined get us our overall rankings. Keep in mind, even if a match is just an Honorable Mention, that meant at least one of us thought it deserved placement in our top 3 of the year.
Without further ado…
LOU THESZ/RIC FLAIR AWARD (Overall Wrestler of the Year)
1. AJ Styles (11)
There really should not be any doubt. The only comparable debut years in the last 20 years I can recall would be Brock Lesnar, The Shield, and maybe Charlotte. But none have been as impressive wrestling-wise than AJ Styles. And what sets him apart more is that his wrestling, promos, and character form a complete package that carries any brand he is with on his back.
2. Roman Reigns (4)
Though he has the most unfortunately forced top good guy push was gone for 30 days for a suspension, Roman Reigns is a top guy in WWE and almost always delivers. The feuds with Sheamus, AJ, and Rusev had a bunch of great wrestling and angles, and he really brought it all together in the ring this year too.
2. The Miz (4)
The Miz is a guy that not only put everything together in and out of the ring this year, but he is a guy that undeniably makes anybody working with him into a bigger deal. Of course, WWE usually screws it up after that, but Miz always does his best – Ryder, Crews and even Darren Young had solid feuds with him, Dolph Ziggler looked like the best wrestler in the world working him, and I still contend that it was Miz and not Jericho who got AJ Styles over in the WWE.
Honorable Mentions: Chris Jericho (3), Dean Ambrose (2)
MOST OUTSTANDING WRESTLER
1. AJ Styles (10)
So many guys had their best matches this year with AJ Styles – Jericho, Reigns, Ambrose, Cena… most of the Social Outcasts. Almost every thing this guy did was good.
2. Scott Dawson (4)
The Revival had like five or six of the best tag matches ever this year and though they only showed on TV a handful of times, it was almost always spectacular. Though Dash is great himself, Scott Dawson was the star of this team – bumping, selling, cheating, being an ass, talking shit, doing tag shtick… this guy rocked it this year.
3. Chris Jericho (3)
The Gift of Jericho only appeared on one list, but a number 1 vote gets him here. I thought Jericho struggled a bit, especially with his PPV matches, but the Styles series, some great TV matches with Rollins and Reigns, and solid work tagging with Owens were definite highlights of the year.
Honorable Mentions: The Miz (2), Kevin Owens (2), Cesaro (2), Cedric Alexander (1)
FEUD OF THE YEAR
1. Dolph Ziggler vs. The Miz w/ Maryse (September – December) (7)
This is Example A of what makes a great wrestling feud. It had actual stakes, re-established a championship, brought back a nostalgia act, had amazing matches and promos, and got two guys more over.
2. Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens (2016) (4)
This is the feud that never ends, it just goes on and on my friends. After having a strong candidate for Feud of the Year in NXT in 2015, Zayn and Owens brought their battle to the WWE’s main roster with Zayn making his debut at the Royal Rumble and eliminating Owens. From there they had an on-again/off-again war, wrestling in a lot of fun multi-man matches and having a bunch of great singles matches, including epic ones at Payback and Battleground. I am going to guess that this one’s not over.
3. AJ Styles vs. John Cena (June – August) (3)
In which AJ Styles revealed his desire to… BEAT UP JOHN CENA! A wild collision, with Indy God AJ Styles vs. WWE God John Cena. Fun 6-man tags and two strong singles matches, a Dream Feud that actually lived up to the hype and established AJ as a major player.
Honorable Mentions: AJ Styles and The Club vs. Roman Reigns and The Usos (April – May) (2), American Alpha vs. The Revival (March – June) (2), #DIY vs. The Revival (June – November) (2), Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Samoa Joe (August – December) (2), Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte (January), The Miz vs. Daniel Bryan (August – Now)
TAG TEAM OF THE YEAR
1. The Revival (9)
An incredible run this year for The Revival, with some of the best tag matches ever against American Alpha and #DIY and some really fun squashes on NXT TV. So awesome to see old school tag team wrestling done right by World Wrestling Entertainment.
2. American Alpha (6)
The feud early in the year with The Revival was incredible and at that point they really were like a top 3 most over act in the company. Gable’s chain wrestling and selling plus Jordan’s fire and suplexes are a tremendous combination. They haven’t been used a lot since the call-up to SmackDown, but knowing what these guys are capable of makes me think 2017 is going to be a fun ride.
3. The New Day (4)
Being the anchor of the struggling RAW tag team division has its’ disadvantages, but New Day remains one of the most fun acts on the show and their record-setting tag title run puts it over the top that they belong here. When put in a position to actually wrestle, New Day can be great – their matches with Y2AJ, The Club and even the Social Outcasts were great, and all 3 guys seem poised to do something bigger at any time.
Honorable Mentions: #DIY (Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa) (2), Enzo & Big Cass (2), The Usos (1)
MOST IMPROVED
1. Braun Strowman (8)
BRAAAAUUUUNNNN!!! Braun Strowman went from a guy blowing spots with Bubba Ray Dudley and standing behind Bray Wyatt to a guy having some of the best squash matches in years and someone ready to tear up the RAW main event scene. Braun’s got a presence and is scary good for a guy that probably hasn’t worked 100 matches yet.
2. The Miz (4)
Miz was always a good talent, outside of the weird face run they tried to do. But maaaaaan did he step it up this year, and having Maryse at his side injected some real life into his character. At the start of the year Miz was working Superstars; by the end of it he had several of the best matches and promos of the year and seems ready for another main event run.
3. Heath Slater (3)
Heath has always been a solid hand but this year he got to run with an actual gimmick and for a little window became the most over guy in the company. The “I’ve got kids!” gimmick is great stuff and Heath ran with it like the professional who has been waiting a decade to be given the damn ball that he is.
3. Cedric Alexander (3)
Sometimes you just need a shot. Cedric Alexander went from nondescript heel in Ring of Honor to a guy that seems like he could be a major superstar in WWE. His run in the Cruiserweight Classic opened up a lot of eyes to just how impressive this guy is and it’s very telling that he’s one of the only cruiserweights who gets pops for his entrance.
Honorable Mentions: Dolph Ziggler (2), Tye Dillinger (2), Baron Corbin (1), The Revival (1)
BEST ON INTERVIEWS
1. Enzo Amore (12)
This was the only category where there was complete uniformity with all three rankings. Smacktalker Skywalker was just untouchable on the mic this year with his consistently original material, laugh-out-loud funny lines, and complete control of any crowd he is in front of.
2. The Miz (8)
The epic Talking Smack promo on Daniel Bryan after Bryan called him out for working a “safe style” might be enough to get him here, but MizTV, his banter with Maryse, promos with Ziggler, and ability to get any average good guy more over really puts it over the top.
3. Chris Jericho (3)
Jericho started the year off by awkwardly dropping catchphrases like “rooty tooty booty” but eventually re-vitalized his career by going back to what made him great in the first place: being a complete goof. Once the summertime hit, the shtick just kept coming: the scarves, the Gift of Jericho, The List, and “It”, all done with impeccable timing and general hilariousness. Drink it in, maaaan.
Honorable Mentions: None
MOST CHARISMATIC
1. Shinsuke Nakamura (8)
Though he works so little he almost qualifies for Best Non-Wrestler, Nakamura is a guy who just jumps off the screen any time he’s on it. His entrance is magical, his squashes are a hoot, and the general mystique around him is undeniable.
2. Enzo Amore (7)
Loud-mouthed and rude, colorful and crude – Enzo Amore oozes professional wrestling charisma and takes over any exchange he’s a part of. As close 2016 got to having a guy like The Rock running around.
3. Roman Reigns (3)
Roman Reigns had that Cena thing going this year where despite a large amount of the WWE audience (sorry, Universe) rejecting him, they’re still reacting to him like nobody else. The run-up to Mania was rough, but otherwise not many matches in WWE this year had that Big Fight Feel like a Reigns match.
3. Kevin Owens (3)
Kevin Owens continued to run his mouth this year right into a (tied) third place spot. Not many elude the presence of a total asshole like KO.
Honorable Mentions: AJ Styles (2), Chris Jericho (1)
BRYAN DANIELSON AWARD (BEST TECHNICAL WRESTLER)
1. AJ Styles (8)
This award ended up being a mix of Best Technical Wrestler / Former Indy Guy Favorite, so no surprise that AJ Styles tops another one. Before all the spectacular moves, not many have a crowd as transfixed when working holds like Allen Styles.
2. Cesaro (4)
Though THE MAN kept Cesaro out of the spotlight for a lot of this year, it was still a total pleasure to see him do his thing. As impressive as a pure professional wrestler as there is.
2. Sami Zayn (4)
Sami is a smooth-ass operator working the mat and did some great stuff this year with KO, Styles, Cesaro, and even Curtis Axel.
Honorable Mentions: Zack Sabre Jr. (3), Seth Rollins (2), Becky Lynch (1), Scott Dawson (1), Samoa Joe (1)
BRUISER BRODY MEMORIAL AWARD (BEST BRAWLER)
1. Sheamus (8)
Sheamus is why this award exists: he’s not the flashiest guy out there, but nobody embodies being a MAN like the Celtic Warrior. With the barn-burners with Cesaro and Reigns, along with some hard-hitting stuff against Styles and Zayn, Sheamus continued to be in-your-face motherfucker who deserves more credit.
2. Samoa Joe (4)
The wars with Balor and Nakamura (both in the ring and out of the ring) along with that wild brawl he had with Mojo freaking Rawley in August made Joe a strong contender. He hasn’t had the greatest in-ring year, but when you want a match that’s a throwback to when you really thought the guy in that ring could beat the shit out of you along with people ten times stronger than you… Joe is your guy.
3. Kevin Owens (3)
The hockey fights he had with Sami Zayn alone made him a contender, but the No DQ Match with Rollins along with his ability to bring a smash-mouth style to any number of multi-man matches he was involved in earlier in the year guaranteed placement.
3. Brock Lesnar (3)
He only showed up a few times but there are not many guys as legit as Brock. The Orton, Goldberg, and even Ambrose matches were pretty wild deals that would make Brody proud.
Honorable Mentions: Rusev (2), Cesaro (2), Roman Reigns (1), Sasha Banks (1)
BEST FLYING WRESTLER (BEST CRUISERWEIGHT)
1. Cedric Alexander (7)
With the debut of the cruiserweights this year, this almost becomes a Rookie of the Year-type award. The Ibushi match and moment with Triple H made him a star, and any time Cedric Alexander has shown up on RAW he’s made the most of the few minutes they’ve given him. A guy who’s ranked at #1 not just for his performances but for the pure oozing potential.
2. Kota Ibushi (6)
For a guy who’s had under 10 WWE matches, Kota Ibushi made a mark. The NXT cameos were fun, but the CWC work (vs. Cedric, vs. Kendrick, vs. Perkins) was downright astounding.
3. TJ Perkins (4)
TJ’s work in the CWC was tremendous… him against Gargano, Swann, Kota and Metalik were all awesome and completely different matches that rank highly among the best of the year. He’s struggling right now on the main roster and it’s unfortunate they decided to have him talk a bunch, but he remains impressive to watch in the ring.
Honorable Mentions: Lince Dorado (3), Gran Metalik (3), Brian Kendrick (2)
MOST OVERRATED
1. Charlotte (5)
A very, very divided award here… this is like when a few political parties knock each other out out and elect a weird candidate. I personally think Charlotte started to put everything together towards the end of this year, but the first part of the year was certainly a suspect performance from the lady presented as the greatest women’s wrestler of all-time.
2. Samoa Joe (3)
All three of the tied #2’s here were ranked number one by one person and not ranked by anybody else – how about that? Samoa Joe was my personal pick and though I’ve loved Joe in the past, his run as the top guy in NXT has overseen a declining brand. His big matches (Balor, Nakamura) rarely deliver and though his promo output is pretty good, it hasn’t been enough to carry two six-month-long feuds.
2. Roman Reigns (3)
Roman Reigns continued push as the face of the WWE has certainly irked the King of 1053 Ridge. Reigns’ promo work along with the fact that a very vocal majority of the WWE’s audience outright rejects him makes their choice to continue to feature him in stories that position him as the guy you’re supposed to root for very confusing. Really, what’s the payoff to a Roman Reigns feud at this point?
2. Big Cass (3)
“Craig” voted for Big Cass as Most Overrated due to his weakness on the mic, awkwardness in the ring, and the quick Monday Night RAWing of the Enzo and Cass shtick.
Honorable Mentions: Brock Lesnar (2), Sasha Banks (2), Bray Wyatt (2), Austin Aries (2), Dean Ambrose (1), James Ellsworth (1)
MOST UNDERRATED
1. Sami Zayn (10)
For a guy who was the living breathing soul of NXT as they climbed to great heights, Sami Zayn’s run since the main roster call-up in January has been very strange. He’s had the expected feud and matches with Kevin Owens, but outside of that… nothing.
2. Neville (9)
Almost the exact same thing can be written for Neville, including the Owens matches. He wasn’t doing much early in the year, got injured before Mania, and after returning in the summer they waited until freaking DECEMBER to feature him anywhere but WWE Superstars. For a spectacular guy in the prime of his career, that is downright criminal.
3. “The Drifter” Elias Samson (2)
HERE YE, HERE YE! THE KING DEMANDS MORE OF THE DRIFTER. For a monarch who called early on for a push of Skip Sheffield, you should probably listen to his decree.
Honorable Mentions: Rusev (1), Tyler Breeze (1), Xavier Woods (1)
BEST WEEKLY TV SHOW
1. SmackDown Live (11)
SmackDown for the first part of the year was where you went for a “normal” show when RAW caused you motion sickness. Since the draft in July, it has become far and away the best WWE TV show with interesting characters, simplified storytelling, long-running feuds that are actually interesting, and Daniel Bryan (a good guy!) as GM, as well as AJ Styles and The Miz.
2. The Cruiserweight Classic (5)
WWE presentation of a straight wrestling show treated seriously with minimal sports entertainment bullshit. I would say it was a success. This 10-week tournament introduced a bunch of new characters, had some of the best and most unique matches on WWE TV in years, and had Mauro Ranallo and Daniel Bryan on commentary flipping out for it all. Plus, IT WAS PURPLE!
2. NXT (5)
It’s refreshing to be able to sit back and take in an easily digestible hour of wrestling TV where guys aren’t overexposed and the TV builds to a big show that comes only once every few months. Plus it’s the only place you can see Shinsuke Nakamura, The Revival, No Way Jose and The Drifter.
Honorable Mentions: WWE RAW (2), Talking Smack (1)
MATCH OF THE YEAR
1. Sami Zayn vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (NXT TakeOver: Dallas 4/1/16) (9)
The Dream Match that completely lived up to expectations. Beyond the high drama, spectacular moves, and insane crowd, this all at once immediately established Nakamura as NXT’s ace, reminded you how good Sami can be, and felt like a blowoff to a long-running main event feud. It was a once-in-a-lifetime collision of an incoming/outgoing superstar that completely delivered.
2. WWE World Heavyweight Title: Roman Reigns [c] vs. AJ Styles (Payback 5/1/16) (3)
My #1 pick, hence its’ placement here with 3 points. This match was the result of a rare-for-WWE layered story of Reigns as the top face that the crowd’s not buying, AJ as a new potential top face who wants to prove himself, and Gallows and Anderson backing up AJ and maybe possibly bringing him to the dark side. It’s really an incredible match that isn’t just a “hey y’all we’re the WWE and we’re gonna give you a show!” type of match, but one that actually built on the story they were telling. AJ Styles’ performance here is one of the greatest of all time, a guy out to prove himself to the world – every strike he hit was harder, every bump he took was bigger. A taste of what WWE could be like if they treated their wrestling matches seriously… two big stars fighting over a championship, and that Big Fight Feel they always say they have but usually don’t.
2. 2/3 Falls – NXT Tag Team Title: The Revival [c] vs. #DIY (NXT TakeOver: Toronto 11/19/16) (3)
One of the greatest tags of all the times… tag team rasslin, old school feel, complex wrestling sequences, hot crowd, great characters, great story, drama, championships, and a fairytale ending. Fuck yeah, wrestling.
Honorable Mentions: Cruiserweight Classic – Round 2: Kota Ibushi vs. Cedric Alexander (Cruiserweight Classic 8/10/16) (2), John Cena vs. AJ Styles (SummerSlam 8/21/16) (2), TLC Match – WWE World Title: AJ Styles [c] vs. Dean Ambrose (TLC 12/4/16) (2), Career vs. Title – WWE Intercontinental Title: The Miz [c] w/ Maryse vs. Dolph Ziggler (No Mercy 10/9/16) (1), NXT Tag Team Title: The Revival [c] vs. Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa (NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn II 8/20/16) (1), NXT Tag Team Title: The Revival [c] vs. American Alpha (NXT TakeOver: Dallas 4/1/16) (1)
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR (NEW TO WWE)
1. No Way Jose (10)
Filled with charisma, a great match with Austin Aries, fun tags with Rich Swann … No Way Jose is a guy with a fun gimmick that seems primed for bigger things.
2. Cedric Alexander (7)
Cedric Alexander is what I’m going to think of now when I hear the phrase “burst onto the scene.”
3. Jack Gallagher (3)
He hasn’t been around a ton but the CWC performances and his ability to immediately get over, given that his shtick is unique in WWE and he plays it up perfectly, is reason enough for his inclusion.
Honorable Mentions: Rich Swann (2), Tony Nese (1), Lince Dorado (1)
BEST NON-WRESTLER
1. Paul Heyman (8)
The maestro strikes again. Was it his relentless hype of Brock Lesnar? Taking a spear from Goldberg? Crying after Brock lost to Goldberg? Maybe, despite repetitive material, it’s just being the best actor in the company.
2. Daniel Bryan (5)
Daniel Bryan as a babyface General Managed has breathed new life into SmackDown Live, and his stuff on Talking Smack is legitimately the most fun stuff the WWE is producing right now. Plus, the heartbreaking retirement speech was only back in February.
3. Maryse (4)
Maryse as a valet for The Miz has helped make him a main event player, and she’s also been a key part of all the awesome Miz/Ziggler stuff.
Honorable Mentions: Shane McMahon (2), William Regal (2), Renee Young (2), Paul Ellering (1)
BEST TELEVISION ANNOUNCER
1. Corey Graves (10)
I think if we’ve learned anything over the past few years it’s that it is hard to be a commentator with Vince McMahon in your ear. But Corey Graves adds a fun, credible dynamic to RAW, and his work on NXT is the finest in the business. Great one-liners too – always important.
2. Tom Phillips (5)
His NXT team with Corey is great, and his work on the main roster basically boils down to this: if WWE commentary is going to be what it is going to be, then Phillips’ laid-back professional act isn’t half bad.
2. Mauro Ranallo (5)
Mauro added a breath of fresh air to SmackDown earlier in the year and his team with Daniel Bryan on the CWC made that tournament a lot more fun. I know all his pop culture and Japanese references can get a little silly, but guys! There’s a nerd on commentary! We did it!!!
Honorable Mentions: Michael Cole (4)
WORST TELEVISION ANNOUNCER
1. JBL (10)
A guy who this year at best added nothing to the show on commentary and at worse actively took away from it. The blowhard act was a lot better ten years ago.
2. David Otunga (7)
The reviews are in, and they are… not good. At this point David Otunga’s continued presence has to be them playing the long game on a Jennifer Hudson cameo that will never happen.
3. Byron Saxton (4)
Byron Saxton by all accounts is a great guy, but on commentary he is the living embodiment of Vince McMahon’s quest to eventually replace his commentator’s with AI.
Honorable Mentions: Jerry Lawler (2), Mauro Ranallo (1)
BEST MAJOR WRESTLING SHOW
1. NXT TakeOver: Dallas (4/1/16) (10)
With two incredible matches in Nakamura/Zayn and Alpha/Revival, a star-making debut for Nakamura, a solid debut for Austin Aries, Asuka and Bayley tearing the house down en route to Asuka winning the NXT Women’s Title, Balor vs. Joe being a solid match before the feud got really stale, and the WrestleMania weekend atmosphere… TakeOver: Dallas might go down as the last truly great TakeOver.
2. NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn II (8/20/16) (3)
TakeOver: Brooklyn II tried though. Nothing in the WWE has that extra special TakeOver atmosphere, and this one had a great opener between No Way Jose and Austin Aries, Bayley’s swan song vs. Asuka, and the amazing Revival/#DIY tag match. The Ember Moon and Bobby Roode debuts along with the Joe/Nakamura main event were real fun too.
2. Royal Rumble 2016 (1/24/16) (3)
Top-to-bottom this was a heck of a card and its’ placement here is no surprise, even if it feels so long ago. Great Ambrose/Owens (Last Man Standing) and Charlotte/Becky Lynch matches were the non-Rumble highlights, while Kalisto/Del Rio and New Day/Usos were strong as well. And then the Rumble was the best in years, with the massive debut of AJ Styles, the re-debut of Sami Zayn, Brock Lesnar going at it with the Wyatt Family, Chris Jericho going the distance, The New Day and Social Outcasts bringing the fun, and a well-done finish between Reigns, Ambrose, and Triple H.
2. Backlash 2016 (9/11/16) (3)
A sign of things to come for the SmackDown brand… this was nothing fancy but was just such a solid top-to-bottom card. Crews vs. Corbin was a great Kickoff match, Becky Lynch began her run as SmackDown women’s ace, The Hype Bros faced the freshly turned Usos, the first amazing Ziggler/Miz match happened, Kane and Bray Wyatt had themselves a ball in a No Holds Barred Match, Heath Slater got his fairytale ending, and the night ended with an epic AJ Styles/Dean Ambrose match where AJ won the WWE World Title. The more I think about this show the more I like it.
Honorable Mentions: Money in the Bank 2016 (6/19/16) (2), TLC 2016 (12/4/16) (1), NXT TakeOver: Toronto (11/19/16) (1), Battleground 2016 (7/24/16) (1)
WORST MAJOR WRESTLING SHOW
1. SummerSlam 2016 (8/21/16) (8)
In which WWE revealed they are not very good at putting on a 4-hour PPV proceeded by a 2-hour Kickoff. Maybe dial it back a little, yeah? Weak Kickoff (Zayn/Neville vs. The Dudleys!?), disappointing Women’s Title match, disappointing Miz match, disappointing Balor/Rollins match, disappointing Ambrose/Ziggler match, stupid use of Jon Stewart, stupid Lesnar/Orton finish, restless crowd. Styles/Cena was good but not good enough.
2. Roadblock: End of the Line 2016 (12/18/16)
Though this show still freshly stings, I can’t see how it couldn’t be here. Crap Rusev/Cass match, crap Zayn/Braun match, crap Rollins/Jericho match, crap cruiserweight match, crap Owens/Reigns match, crap booking, crap crowd. It was shit.
3. WrestleMania 32 (4/3/16)
Another long WWE show that just didn’t deliver. There was good stuff – the Ladder Match, Jericho/Styles, the Women’s Title match and even Taker/Shane – but the Kickoff show with a dead crowd (since the arena wouldn’t let anybody fucking in), gross feeling of the Austin/Michaels/Foley getting the rub over New Day, and crushing disappointment of Brock/Dean damaged all the good surrounding it. And then the show just limped to a close with a battle royal, that stupid fucking Rock/Cena vs The Wyatt’s segment, and Reigns over HHH in the most stupid, sanitized, stay-the-course match of all-time. A stinker.
3. NXT TakeOver: The End (6/8/16)
A show ultimately hurt by the high expectations set before it, but it still wasn’t very good – lots of OK matches that you’d hope would be more than that. Revival/Alpha ruled, Asuka/Jax was fun… the rest just wasn’t very memorable.
Honorable Mentions: NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn II (8/20/16) (1)
BEST WRESTLING MANEUVER
1. Sami Zayn’s Blue Thunder Bomb (5)
A surefire way to give a match a fucking peak and an impressive feat of strength no matter who his opponent is.
2. The Revival’s Shatter Machine (4)
An awesome tag team finisher that looks like death, and Dash and Dawson all year took to finding different ways to set it up too. Always a fun way to end a match, whether it’s a squash or epic title match.
3. American Alpha’s Grand Amplitude (3)
The other great double team finish in the WWE, this is just such a straight-up cool move – I’m always impressed by the timing, strength and trust required to hit this thing, and it’s another one that’s a great finish for a squash or big time match.
3. Sami Zayn’s Code Red (3)
There are a few versions of the Code Red that pop up from time to time in WWE, but no one does it better than ol’ Sami Zayn.
3. Big Cass’ Empire Elbow (3)
To round out the 3-way tie, The King decrees that Big Cass’ Empire Elbow has placement. Professional wrestling would be better off with more elbow drop finishes.
Honorable Mentions: Bray Wyatt’s Sister Abigail (2), Brian Kendrick’s Burning Hammer (2), Baron Corbin’s Deep Six (1), Gran Metalik’s Metalik Driver
MOST DISGUSTING PROMOTIONAL TACTIC
1. TNA (8)
The Broken Matt Hardy stuff has been fun, but… come on. Aron Rex? Billy Corgan? Stop it.
2. WWE’s Use of The Warrior Award (6)
“Philanthropy is the future of marketing, it’s the way brands are going to win.” – Stephanie McMahon’s Twitter, quoting Biz Stone with more abbreviations so she could fit it into 140 characters.
Hey guys I’ve got an idea – the Ultimate Warrior said in his Hall of Fame acceptance speech that he wanted there to be an award for the unsung heroes of the WWE, the guys working on merchandise or setting up the ring, and then he died the next day, so let’s name an award after him, but let’s use it as a cheap promotional tactic so we can get some fucking buzz on the Today Show, all in the name of cancer awareness. Ready, set, go!!!
3. Brock Lesnar KO’s Randy Orton at SummerSlam (4)
I am equal parts fascinated and angry when WWE reveal themselves to be the ultimate marsk. A confusing, stupid finish that legitimately injured a guy all in the name of… what? To get people talking for a day or two? Who did it put over? What did it move forward? What the fuck were you thinking?
3. WWE Runs the Shield Triple Threat Match as a Throwaway (4)
Once upon a time, WWE had an ultimate Dream Match that they themselves had built up with guys who hadn’t been around for 20 years. The Shield Explodes (hi, fanfic Google searches)!! It could have main evented a Mania. Or at least a SummerSlam. But, nah. Let’s just run it on… what? I had to look it up. Battleground. In July. And Roman Reigns was suspended for the entire build, so they didn’t even really build it up as the big time match it is. Like… what. C’mon.
Honorable Mentions: WWE Goes Back on WrestleMania 32 Undertaker/Shane Stipulation (2)
WORST MATCH OF THE YEAR
1. No DQ Match – WWE World Heavyweight Title: Triple H [c] w/ Stephanie McMahon vs. Roman Reigns (WrestleMania 32 4/3/16) (6)
Maybe not technically the worst match all year, but this main evented WrestleMania and was a complete pile of trash. Nobody wanted it, nobody cared, and it happened anyways. The desperate addition of the No DQ Match stip was the cherry on top of this shit sundae.
2. Asylum Match: Chris Jericho vs. Dean Ambrose (Extreme Rules 5/22/16) (3)
This lasted like half an hour and was terrible. It wasn’t old man Jericho having himself a fight; it was old man Jericho trying to simulate a wrestling match. Lazy, lifeless cage match.
2. WWE Divas Title: Charlotte [c] w/ Ric Flair vs. Brie Bella (Fast Lane 2/21/16) (3)
A match that was unnecessary in the first place, shoehorned in because Brie was retiring after they had a hot tease for Charlotte/Sasha. Didn’t help that the match sucked and Brie didn’t win anyways so WTF.
2. No Holds Barred Street Fight: Brock Lesnar w/ Paul Heyman vs. Dean Ambrose (WrestleMania 32 4/3/16) (3)
A match that could have made a star; instead it was an extended, lifeless Brock Lesnar squash with some props.
2. Knockouts Gauntlet Qualifier: Rebel vs. Shelly Martinez (TNA One Night Only: Knockouts Knockdown 2016 4/22/16) (3)
Not surprised that it is because of Craig that the phrase “Knockouts Knockdown 2016” will forever appear on this website. I heard this match wasn’t any good. I’ll trust what I heard.
Honorable Mentions: WWE Cruiserweight Title: TJ Perkins [c] vs. Brian Kendrick (Hell in a Cell 10/30/16), Cruiserweight Classic – Round 2: Noam Dar vs. Ho Ho Lun (Cruiserweight Classic 8/17/16), No Disqualification Match: Dolph Ziggler vs. Baron Corbin (Extreme Rules 5/22/16), Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar w/ Paul Heyman (Survivor Series 11/20/16)
WORST FEUD OF THE YEAR
1. Triple H vs. Roman Reigns (WrestleMania) (8)
The go-home show for WrestleMania ended with the crowd chanting “YOU STILL SUCK!” at the top babyface. feud so bad that they had to introduce Dean Ambrose as a surrogate for Roman midway through.
2. Charlotte vs. Natalya (April – June) (3)
After it seemed that The Four Horsewomen had firmly established themselves at the top of WWE – Bayley disappeared, Sasha got injured, and Charlotte splintered off into a feud with Natalya. The matches were alright, but the feud ranged from uninteresting to bad.
2. The New Day vs. The Club (July – September) (3)
This feud brought us The Old Day and the term “Ringpostitis.” It was not a great start for the RAW tag team division.
Honorable Mentions: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Samoa Joe (August – December), The New Day vs. The League of Nations (WrestleMania), Darren Young with Bob Backlund vs. Titus O’Neil (August – September), Seth Rollins/Roman Reigns vs. Kevin Owens/Chris Jericho (September – December) (1), Finn Balor vs. Samoa Joe (January – June)), The Undertaker vs. Shane McMahon (WrestleMania), Billy Corgan vs. TNA (Ongoing)
BEST GIMMICK
1. “The List of” Chris Jericho (7)
Somehow, 2016 might go down as the year Chris Jericho cemented himself as an all-time great. The in-ring work has been hit-or-miss, but he completely re-invented himself by going back to what made him great in the first place: catchphrases, shtick, actually funny jokes, and just being a total goofball under the guise of being a very serious WWE heel. “You just made the list!” is the greatest WWE catchphrase in a generation.
2. Uber-Babyface and Hugger Bayley (6)
No matter how terrible the booking for Bayley might get, she is almost bulletproof with the character established in NXT. She’s a smiling, hugging, superhero role model for little girls who can kick ass when she needs to.
3. “The A-Lister” The Miz (4)
Like Jericho, Miz established himself this year as an all-timer… from the out-of-touch-celebrity stuff to a guy obsessed with proving his critics wrong, THE MIZ is the man.
Honorable Mentions: “Broken” Matt Hardy (2), “Lifts Children on His Shoulders” Goldberg (1), “The Face That Runs The Place” AJ Styles (1), “The Drifter” Elias Samson (1)
WORST GIMMICK
1. “Doctor” Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson (6)
The doctor skits were awful, stupid, unfunny comedy made all the more sad that Talkin’ Shop says these two brothers are a pair of funny fellas.
2. Stephanie McMahon (5)
The only redeeming thing about Stephanie McMahon this year (outside of the Mania 32 promo and a Shane segment or two) is that she’s seemingly disappeared for the last couple months. Her tweener act as head of RAW physically hurts to watch. She has been a great performer in the past, but whatever they have been trying to do with her this year is not working at all.
3. The Shining Stars (3)
They’re selling you timeshares! And they’re Puerto Rican!! Silly, un-over gimmick.
3. Dana Brooke (3)
Dana Brooke as Charlotte’s annoying heater just never clicked.
Honorable Mentions: The Young Bucks (2), Nikki Bella (2), Goldberg’s Shirtless Kid (1), The Vaudevillains (1)
