Two-thousand-and-sixteen was a pretty wild year for World Wrestling Entertainment. They put more focus than ever on in-ring quality, pushed a bunch of guys known more for their athleticism than their six-packs, signed AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura, actively recruited more than ever from the independent scene, had a 32-man cruiserweight tournament, completely transformed their presentation of their women’s division (less Total Divas, more pro motherfucking wrestling), split the RAW and SmackDown rosters in half, put less emphasis on main event mainstays John Cena and Randy Orton, and as I write this right now have AJ Styles, Kevin Owens, and Shinsuke Nakamura as the champions of their respective brands.
But let me get something out of the way real quick: ranking wrestlers is really dumb. Some guys (see: Styles, AJ) really stand out ahead of the pack, but so many of these sports entertainers we watch every week add so many little things to the overall pro wrestling world even if at the end of the year their work might not stand out as head and shoulders above everybody else. Plus, the presentation of WWE can be weird sometimes – due to a push or booking decision, some guys can easily look worse than they probably really are and vice versa. You might see a guy so much that he doesn’t seem really impressive, and then you look over his work in 2016 and go – Jesus, guy had like 20-30 great matches. Plus sometimes the talent is injured or not used much – loved any time I saw Luke Harper and Neville this year, for instance.
So, here is what I am going to do for my first go-around of ranking WWE’s talent in 2016: I will list my overall Top 10, then separate the rest of the notable talents into categories.
Quick note – given that I only started this blog this year, you might be wondering why you should spend any time on this list.
I’ve been watching wrestling since I was a young fella – the story goes my pops was watching Superstars when I was born. My earliest wrestling memories include Jake the Snake’s snake biting Randy Savage, Shawn Michaels kicking Marty Jannetty through the barber shop window, demanding my kindergarten friend’s mom rent WrestleMania XII only to have it turned off when Sexy Boy Shawn Michaels vs. El Matador came on, and some weird Power Pro Wrestling studio TV shit I watched while eating York mints at my grandma’s.
I marked out for early 90s WWF, tolerated mid-90s WWF, fell in love again with Attitude Era WWF, vaguely paid attention to WCW and ECW, and around 2002 became a major puroresu and indy nut while continuing to enjoy Vince McMahon’s sandbox (outside of a small period in like 2005 and 2006 where Triple H and Shawn Michaels were saying Vince loves cock and I just said fuck it). I slowed down on the puro/indy watching in 2010 and nowadays I am firmly entrenched with the WWE, watching every single televised show and most of the Network originals (outside of Holy Foley… c’mon) while also catching up on all the old territory stuff and ECW/WCW that I’ve missed.
What I’m trying to say is that I am a god damn mark, and if you’re reading this you probably are too, so I hope you enjoy reflecting with me on the year that was 2016 and the performances that made it so.
The categories I am going with are as follows:
Overall Top 10 – The cream of the crop… high-end matches, consistent work, strong promos, great sports entertainment.
Good Stuff, Not Enough – Wrestlers who had quite a few good performances but just weren’t featured enough to make the top 10.
Unsung Heroes – Wrestlers who weren’t pushed very hard but quietly had really good performances and added a lot to every match they were in.
The Cruiserweights – They only showed up in the middle of the year and their presentation has ranged from great (CWC) to terrible (RAW), so I talk about them here.
Hit-And-Miss – Wrestlers who had as many disappointments as they had great matches.
The Potential Is There – Midcard guys who had fun performances and seem primed to do great stuff even if they aren’t elite talents just yet.
Part-Time Pros – Reserved to give some love to guys who were only around very briefly but did well every time.
Do Better (Shame) – Wrestlers who disappointed this year – maybe they’re overrated or maybe they just suck.
The Asuka Award – I’ll tell you why later.
OVERALL TOP 10
1. AJ STYLES
Are you shocked? HAVE I SURPRISED YOU? Go watch that back body drop through the table in the Extreme Rules match with Roman Reigns and tell me you aren’t watching the best professional wrestler in the world. AJ Styles was the easiest pick of the entire list. He’s been on another level since he made his debut, from carrying Jericho to his best matches in years and the early Miz matches, to getting himself over with not just the crowd but Vince McMahon with the Reigns matches, to The Club vs. Bloodline feud and the Cena series, to Ambrose’s best matches since the Shield days… even his random TV stuff where he worked with Kofi Kingston, Xavier Woods, Kevin Owens, Sheamus, the Social Outcasts, Crews, Enzo, Del Rio and James Ellsworth is all excellent. Everything has an extra impact to it, everybody gets brought up another level, everybody wins.
Key Performances
– WWE Tag Team Title: AJ Styles & Chris Jericho vs. The New Day [c] (RAW 3/7/16)
– AJ Styles vs. Kevin Owens (RAW 3/21/16)
– AJ Styles vs. Chris Jericho (WrestleMania 32 4/3/16)
– WWE World Heavyweight Title: AJ Styles vs. Roman Reigns [c] (Payback 5/1/16)
– AJ Styles, Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson vs. Roman Reigns & The Usos (RAW 5/2/16)
– Elimination Match: AJ Styles, Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson vs. Roman Reigns & The Usos (RAW 5/9/16)
– Extreme Rules – WWE World Heavyweight Title: AJ Styles vs. Roman Reigns [c] (Extreme Rules 5/22/16)
– AJ Styles/John Cena Confrontation (RAW 5/30/16)
– AJ Styles vs. Xavier Woods (SmackDown 6/16/16)
– AJ Styles vs. John Cena (SummerSlam 8/21/16)
– WWE World Title: AJ Styles vs. Dean Ambrose [c] (Backlash 9/11/16)
– Ladder Match – WWE World Title Shot vs. James Ellsworth’s Contract: AJ Styles [c] vs. James Ellsworth (SmackDown 11/22/16)
– TLC Match – WWE World Title: AJ Styles [c] vs. Dean Ambrose (TLC 12/4/16)
– Triple Threat Match – WWE World Title: AJ Styles [c] vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Baron Corbin (SmackDown 12/27/16)
2. THE MIZ
There was a Superstars match in January between The Miz and Dolph Ziggler that kind of sucked. I mean it wasn’t bad, but it was just such a SUPERSTARS match – ultra-basic stuff that didn’t have any soul. A couple weeks later The Miz started working with AJ Styles, and he kept up with him. Then Maryse came back and his character began to click. Then he had great matches with Zack Ryder, kept up with (and almost outclassed) Owens/Zayn/Cesaro on PPV, did an admirable job opposite Darren Young and Apollo Crews, and eventually had the Ziggler feud where everything came together – in-ring work, promos, character… it was the best feud of the year and had some of the best WWE matches of the year. What a re-vitalizing year that’s been a blast to watch. Miz is ready to carry the whole god damn company.
Key Performances
– MizTV w/ AJ Styles (RAW 2/1/16)
– The Miz vs. AJ Styles (SmackDown 2/4//16)
– WWE Intercontinental Title: The Miz [c] w/ Maryse vs. Zack Ryder (SmackDown 4/7/16)
– The Miz vs. Roman Reigns (SmackDown 4/28/16)
– Fatal 4-Way Match – WWE IC Title: The Miz [c] w/ Maryse vs. Cesaro vs. Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens (Extreme Rules 5/22/16)
– The Miz/Daniel Bryan Confrontation (Talking Smack 8/23/16)
– WWE Intercontinental Title: The Miz [c] w/ Maryse vs. Dolph Ziggler (Backlash 9/11/16)
– WWE Intercontinental Title: The Miz [c] w/ Maryse vs. Dolph Ziggler (SmackDown 9/20/16)
– The Miz’ Homecoming Celebration (SmackDown 9/27/16)
– Career vs. Title – WWE Intercontinental Title: The Miz [c] w/ Maryse vs. Dolph Ziggler (No Mercy 10/9/16)
– WWE Intercontinental Title: Dolph Ziggler vs. The Miz [c] w/ Maryse (SmackDown 11/15/16)
– The Miz promo on Daniel Bryan (TLC 12/4/16)
– WWE Intercontinental Title: The Miz [c] w/ Maryse vs. Dean Ambrose (SmackDown 12/6/16)
3. ROMAN REIGNS
Roman don’t disappoint, man. Some of his matches can be guilty of the ol’ WWE “we’re just killing time to put on a show!” kind of thing, but more of them show you that Roman does the Big Match WWE Wrestler shtick as good as anybody. When he’s on he reminds you that high expectations and forced push be damned, he is a great professional wrestler. Mania stinker with Triple H aside, his output has been great, especially his series with AJ Styles which had all-time great matches, and the series with Rusev that was booked poorly but had a couple awesome matches that felt like Bruno was back in the Garden. He did great stuff with Sheamus early in the year, had a quality match with Finn Balor for Finn’s debut, and tore down the house a couple times with Chris Jericho. He has great matches with guys who don’t always have great matches, and for a dominant lead WWE babyface he can sell his ass off too.
Key Performances
– WWE World Heavyweight Title: Roman Reigns [c] vs. Sheamus (Special Guest Referee: Mr. McMahon) (RAW 1/4//16)
– Roman Reigns Post-WrestleMania Promo (RAW 4/4//16)
– Roman Reigns vs. The Miz (SmackDown 4/28/16)
– WWE World Heavyweight Title: Roman Reigns [c] vs. AJ Styles (Payback 5/1//16)
– Extreme Rules – WWE World Heavyweight Title: Roman Reigns [c] vs. AJ Styles (Extreme Rules 5/22/16)
– WWE World Heavyweight Title #1 Contender Match: Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins (RAW 6/20/16)
– Winner Faces Seth Rollins at SummerSlam for the WWE Universal Title: Roman Reigns vs. Finn Balor (RAW 7/25/16)
– Roman Reigns/Rusev Backstage Brawl (RAW 8/15/16)
– Roman Reigns vs. Rusev w/ Lana (RAW 8/15/16)
– If Roman Wins, He Enters the Clash of Champions WWE Universal Title Match: Roman Reigns vs. Kevin Owens (RAW 9/12/16)
– Hell in a Cell – WWE U.S. Title: Roman Reigns [c] vs. Rusev w/ Lana (RAW 10/30/16)
– WWE U.S. Title: Roman Reigns [c] vs. Chris Jericho (Kevin Owens interferes) (RAW 12/5/16)
4. THE REVIVAL (SCOTT DAWSON & DASH WILDER)
It’s a little hard to rate the NXT guys since they don’t have a ton of appearances making tape, but The Revival’s work this year has been so strong that it’d be silly not to put them anywhere outside of the top 5. They had like five of the best tag team matches ever with American Alpha and #DIY along with a bunch of random fun TV squashes. Dash and Dawson brought back not just tag team wrestling, but tag team rasslin’ – double teams, cheating, shit-talking from the corner, eating shit when they need to. Their work ranks for me not just highly among current wrestling but wrestling from the past too, when the crowds were hot and cared about the rules.
Key Performances
– Dash & Dawson and Blake & Murphy w/ Alexa Bliss vs. American Alpha and Enzo Amore & Colin Cassady (NXT 2/17/16)
– NXT Tag Team Title: The Revival [c] vs. Enzo Amore & Colin Cassady w/ Carmella (Roadblock 3/12/16)
– NXT Tag Team Title: The Revival [c] vs. American Alpha (TakeOver Dallas 4/1/16)
– The Revival vs. Jeff Parker & Matt Lee (3.0) (NXT 4/27/16)
– NXT Tag Team Title: American Alpha [c] vs. The Revival (NXT TakeOver The End 6/8/16)
– 2/3 Falls – NXT Tag Team Title: The Revival [c] vs. American Alpha (NXT 7/6/16)
– NXT Tag Team Title: The Revival [c] vs. Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa (TakeOver Brooklyn II 8/20/16)
– Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic – Round 1: The Revival vs. Andrade “Cien” Almas & Cedric Alexander (NXT 10/5/16)
– 2/3 Falls – NXT Tag Team Title: The Revival [c] vs. #DIY (TakeOver Toronto 11/19/16)
5. CHARLOTTE FLAIR
Charlotte Flair has flirted with greatness since she worked Natalya in NXT, and I think around October of this year she got there. She’s had a few questionable performances in the ring and on the mic (and the Dana Brooke team just didn’t work), but when she is on she is among the best in wrestling and one of the only true heels WWE has to offer. The feud and Rumble match with Becky Lynch, the PPV matches with Natalya, the few matches with Bayley, and the angles with Ric Flair were all strong stuff. The feud with Sasha Banks meanwhile has made both top stars in the company and has had some of the best matches of the year. At this point Charlotte Flair is the top heel on RAW and I have no problem with that.
Key Performances
– Charlotte turns heel and attacks Becky Lynch; Ric Flair raises her hand (RAW 1/4/16)
– WWE Divas Title: Charlotte [c] w/ Ric Flair vs. Becky Lynch (Royal Rumble 1/24/16)
– WWE Divas Title: Charlotte [c] w/ Ric Flair vs. Natalya (Roadblock 3/12/16)
– Triple Threat Match – WWE Divas Title: Charlotte [c] w/ Ric Flair vs. Becky Lynch vs. Sasha Banks (WrestleMania 4/3/16)
– WWE Women’s Title: Charlotte [c] w/ Dana Brooke vs. Sasha Banks (RAW 7/25/16)
– Bayley vs. Charlotte w/ Dana Brooke (9/5/16)
– WWE RAW Women’s Title: Charlotte [c] w/ Dana Brooke vs. Sasha Banks vs. Bayley (Clash of Champions 9/25/16)
– RAW Women’s Title: Charlotte [c] vs. Sasha Banks (RAW 10/3/16)
– Hell in a Cell – RAW Women’s Title: Charlotte Flair vs. Sasha Banks [c] (Hell in a Cell 10/30/16)
– Falls Count Anywhere – RAW Women’s Title: Charlotte Flair [c] vs. Sasha Banks (RAW 11/28/16)
– Charlotte Flair slaps Ric Flair and attacks Sasha Banks (RAW 12/5/16)
– 30-Minute Iron Man Match – RAW Women’s Title: Charlotte Flair vs. Sasha Banks [c] (Roadblock: End of the Line 12/28/16)
6. BECKY LYNCH
Becky Lynch and Alexa Bliss did a contract signing angle leading up to TLC where things got physical, as they do, and Becky teased putting Alexa through a table. The crowd cheered, as they should – who doesn’t want a table bump!? But it was Becky who ended up going through the table, and it was in quite the spectacular fashion. Did the crowd cheer this carnage? Not at all, actually – they booed. They booed because Becky Lynch is the best babyface in the WWE. Her series early in the year with Charlotte basically saved the women’s revolution, she was the best part of the tag with Sasha against Naomi & Tamina at Fast Lane, the Mania 3-way was fun, the feud with Natalya was solid, and the feud with Alexa Bliss has been great and made Alexa a star. Her chain wrestling is amazing, most crowds actually give a shit about her, and she’s really mastered having short WWE-style matches that are still effective too.
Key Performances
– Becky Lynch challenges Charlotte to a match at the Royal Rumble (RAW 1/18/16)
– WWE Divas Title: Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte [c] w/ Ric Flair (Royal Rumble 1/24/16)
– Becky Lynch & Sasha Banks vs. Naomi & Tamina (Fast Lane 2/21/16)
– WWE Divas Title #1 Contender Match: Becky Lynch vs. Sasha Banks (SmackDown 3/3/16)
– Triple Threat Match – WWE Divas Title: Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte [c] w/ Ric Flair vs. Sasha Banks (WrestleMania 4/3/16)
– Becky Lynch & Natalya vs. Charlotte & Emma w/ Ric Flair (SmackDown 5/5/16)
– Becky Lynch vs. Summer Rae (Main Event 6/14/16)
– Becky Lynch/Alexa Bliss SmackDown Women’s Title Contract Signing (SmackDown 9/20/16)
– Becky Lynch interview (Talking Smack 9/27/16)
– SmackDown Women’s Title: Becky Lynch [c] vs. Alexa Bliss (SmackDown 11/8/16)
– La Luchadora (Becky Lynch) vs. Alexa Bliss (SmackDown 12/20/16)
– SmackDown Women’s Title: Becky Lynch vs. Alexa Bliss [c] (SmackDown 12/27/16)
7. RUSEV
Rusev is for my money the best TV performer in the company – great promos, facial expressions, and the wrestling matches are LEGITIMATE . While The League run didn’t give him a great start to the year, he was usually the best part of it. The series with Reigns over the summer had great matches, the beatdowns he is dishing to Enzo right now are epic, and he had this weird chemistry a bunch of random guys that led to all kinds of great matches with Ryback, Jack Swagger, Kalisto, Sin Cara, Titus O’Neil, and Big Cass. The Rusev and Lana act is usually an entertaining part of RAW, and when they don’t have anything for them on RAW Rusev just goes ahead and kills it on the C-shows. Love this man.
Key Performances
– Rusev vs. Ryback w/ Lana (Main Event 1/26/16)
– Rusev & Sheamus w/ Alberto del Rio and King Barrett vs. The Usos (SmackDown 3/3/16)
– Rusev and Lana #AskRusev Q&A (Extreme Rules 5/22/16)
– WWE U.S. Title: Rusev [c] w/ Lana vs. Kalisto (SmackDown 5/26/16)
– Rusev w/ Lana vs. Jack Swagger (SmackDown 6/2/16)
– Rusev w/ Lana vs. Sin Cara (Main Event 6/7/16)
– WWE U.S. Title: Rusev [c] w/ Lana vs. Titus O’Neil (Money in the Bank 6/19/16)
– WWE U.S. Title: Rusev [c] w/ Lana vs. Cesaro (SmackDown 6/30/16)
– WWE U.S. Title: Rusev [c] vs. Cesaro (RAW 8/8/16)
– Rusev w/ Lana vs. Roman Reigns (RAW 8/15/16)
– Rusev w/ Lana vs. Jack Swagger (Superstars 9/2/16)
– Hell in a Cell – WWE U.S. Title: Rusev w/ Lana vs. Roman Reigns [c] (Hell in a Cell 10/30/16)
– Rusev beats down Enzo Amore in a hotel room (RAW 12/5/16)
8. KEVIN OWENS
Ol’ KO has taken a downswing lately stuck in a very lame main event scene on RAW that’s featured a couple real stinkers on pay-per-view with Rollins and Reigns, but it’s impossible to ignore his first half of the year. Owens did downright incredible work with AJ Styles and Sami Zayn, had a bunch of fun matches with Ambrose, Ziggler, Neville and Kalisto, two awesome matches with Jack Swagger on Main Event, a fun series in September with Reigns, and a couple neat gimmick matches with Rollins. He continues to be one of the best sports entertainers in the company too. Though the Clash of Champions and Roadblock matches are big knocks against him, it’s hard to ignore that the guy is in a prominent spot every single week and it’s typically at worse pretty good.
Key Performances
– Kevin Owens vs. Neville (RAW 1/4//16)
– Last Man Standing – WWE Intercontinental Title: Kevin Owens vs. Dean Ambrose [c] (Royal Rumble 1/24/16)
– Kevin Owens vs. Jack Swagger (Main Event 1/26/16)
– Kevin Owens vs. Dolph Ziggler (RAW 2/1/16)
– Kevin Owens vs. Dean Ambrose (SmackDown 3/3/16)
– Kevin Owens vs. AJ Styles (RAW 3/21/16)
– Kevin Owens plays ring announcer (RAW 3/21/16)
– Ladder Match – WWE Intercontinental Title: Kevin Owens [c] vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Sami Zayn vs. Sin Cara vs. Zack Ryder vs. The Miz vs. Stardust (WrestleMania 4/3/16)
– Kevin Owens vs. Jack Swagger (Main Event 4/26/16)
– Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn (Payback 5/1/16)
– Fatal 4-Way Match – WWE Intercontinental Title: Kevin Owens vs. The Miz [c] w/ Maryse vs. Cesaro vs. Sami Zayn (Extreme Rules 5/22/16)
– Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn (Battleground 7/24/16)
– Fatal 4-Way Elimination Match – WWE Universal Title: Kevin Owens vs. Roman Reigns vs. Big Cass vs. Seth Rollins (RAW 8/29/16)
– If Roman Wins, He Enters the Clash of Champions WWE Universal Title Match: Kevin Owens vs. Roman Reigns (RAW 9/12/16)
– Hell in a Cell – WWE Universal Title: Kevin Owens [c] vs. Seth Rollins (Hell in a Cell 10/30/16)
– No DQ Match – WWE Universal Title: Kevin Owens [c] vs. Seth Rollins (RAW 11/21/16)
9. SHEAMUS
Sheamus continues to be one of the most underrated guys in professional wrestling. The series with Cesaro was tremendous, he’s done some fun tag stuff opposite New Day, and for a hot minute it seemed as if Sheamus of all people had gotten Roman Reigns over as a babyface. The match on Main Event with Zack Ryder is the weirdest most awesome thing that more people should see, a match that made me think everything would be fine if Orton and Cena and the Shield and Daniel Bryan never existed and it was Sheamus and Ryder main eventing all over the world. The old adage about Sheamus says that if he was working in Japan he’d be hailed as the best in the world – I tend to agree.
Key Performances
– WWE World Heavyweight Title: Sheamus vs. Roman Reigns [c] (Special Guest Referee: Mr. McMahon) (RAW 1/4/16)
– Sheamus & Rusev w/ Alberto del Rio and King Barrett vs. The Usos (SmackDown 3/3/16)
– Sheamus vs. AJ Styles (RAW 4/25/16)
– Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Sheamus vs. Sami Zayn (RAW 5/23/16)
– Sheamus vs. Zack Ryder (Main Event 6/7/16)
– Sheamus vs. Sami Zayn (RAW 8/15/16)
– Best of 7 Series – Match #1: Sheamus vs. Cesaro (SummerSlam Kickoff 8/21/16)
– Best of 7 Series – Match #5: Sheamus vs. Cesaro (RAW 9/12/16)
– Best of 7 Series – Match #7: Sheamus vs. Cesaro (Clash of Champions 9/25/16)
– Sheamus w/ Cesaro vs. Big E w/ Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods (RAW 10/17/16)
– RAW Tag Team Title: Sheamus & Cesaro vs. The New Day (Big E & Kofi Kingston) w/ Xavier Woods [c] (Roadblock: End of the Line 12/18/16)
10. SAMI ZAYN
Sami Zayn, you are pissing me off. I originally had Jericho here and Zayn in the “Hit and Miss” section, but reflecting on Zayn’s year he really has had quite a few good matches and rarely had stinkers like Jericho did. Sami’s run on the main roster vs. NXT has been something of a disappointment, and though a lot of that has to do with presentation (he rarely does anything outside of fighting Owens so the crowd isn’t super invested in him, which is important for a scrappy babyface), there is just something missing… maybe it’s a lack of fire, maybe it’s the promos, maybe it’s the dad bod. I dunno. But still – Zayn is capable of some awesome stuff, and he remains the best guy at selling on the roster. The matches with Joe I liked in that Zayn actually worked like a small guy trying to use a big guy’s momentum against him, the match with Nakamura is obviously tremendous, he had the obligatory epic matches with Owens, and some real strong stuff with Styles, Sheamus and Rollins. Plus he had a *** C-Show match with Curtis Axel, so fuck it – here’s to you, #10. Now do better.
Key Performances
– NXT Title #1 Contender Match: Sami Zayn vs. Samoa Joe (NXT 2/17/16)
– 2/3 Falls – NXT Title #1 Contender Match: Sami Zayn vs. Samoa Joe (NXT 3/9/16)
– Sami Zayn vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (debut) (TakeOver Dallas 4/1/16)
– If Zayn Wins, He is Entered into the WWE Title Match at Payback: Sami Zayn vs. AJ Styles (RAW 4/11/16)
– Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens (Payback 5/1/16)
– If Zayn Wins, He is Entered Into the Extreme Rules IC Title Match: Sami Zayn vs. The Miz w/ Maryse (RAW 5/9/16)
– Fatal 4-Way Match – WWE Intercontinental Title: Sami Zayn vs. The Miz [c] w/ Maryse vs. Cesaro vs. Kevin Owens (Extreme Rules 5/22/16)
– Cesaro vs. Sami Zayn (RAW 6/13/16)
– Sami Zayn vs. Seth Rollins (SmackDown 6/23/16)
– Sami Zayn vs. Curtis Axel (Superstars 7/15/16)
– Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens (Battleground 7/24/16)
– Sami Zayn vs. Sheamus (RAW 8/15/16)
– WWE Universal Title Qualifying Match: Sami Zayn vs. Seth Rollins (RAW 8/22/16)
– Sami Zayn vs. Titus O’Neil (RAW 10/3/16)
– If Zayn Wins, IC Title Goes to RAW – WWE Intercontinental Title: Sami Zayn vs. The Miz [c] w/ Maryse (Survivor Series 11/20/16)
– Sami Zayn vs. Braun Strowman (RAW 11/21/16)
GOOD STUFF, NOT ENOUGH
1. #DIY (JOHNNY GARGANO & TOMMASO CIAMPA)
Outside of the Revival, #DIY is my favorite tag team to watch in wrestling. Both Revival matches are amazing, but they also had some really solid short TV matches along with a pretty epic match with Noam Dar and Cedric Alexander on the CWC Finals. They also had one of the best matches of the year when they faced off in Round 1 of the CWC, and Gargano’s performance vs. TJ Perkins in Round 2 is brilliant – that Johnny Wrestling can sell his ass off. Helps that they’re super likable too. As with most NXT guys they weren’t on TV enough to rank, but any time they were it was good stuff. Plus check out the match with green boys HoHo Lun and Tian Bing in the Dusty Classic – it ain’t great, but it’s pretty awesome watching them carry it. Match with Tozawa and Tajiri in Osaka was a last-minute awesome thing too.
Key Performances
– Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa vs. Danny Burch & Rob Ryzin (NXT 5/18/16)
– Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa vs. TM61 (Shane Thorn & Nick Miller) (debut) (NXT 5/25/16)
– Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa vs. The Hype Bros (NXT 6/29/16)
– Cruiserweight Classic – Round 1: Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa (CWC 8/3/16)
– NXT Tag Team Title: Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa vs. The Revival [c] (TakeOver Brooklyn II 8/20/16)
– Cruiserweight Classic – Round 2: Johnny Gargano vs. TJ Perkins (CWC 8/24/16)
– Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa vs. Noam Dar & Cedric Alexander (CWC Finals 9/14/16)
– Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic – Round 1: #DIY (Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa) vs. HoHo Lun & Tian Bing (NXT 10/26/16)
– 2/3 Falls – NXT Tag Team Title: #DIY vs. The Revival [c] (TakeOver Toronto 11/19/16)
– NXT Tag Team Title: #DIY [c] vs. Tajiri & Akira Tozawa (NXT 12/28/16)
2. BAYLEY
Bayley is one of my favorite people to watch in the WWE but for half the year she was hidden on NXT and for the other half her use on the main roster has been very suspect. But, when it is time to wrestle – game on. Great matches with Asuka, Nia Jax’s best matches ever (outside of the Asuka one in Osaka), and fun stuff with Charlotte. An underdog character that you can’t help but root for. Hoping we get more in 2017.
Key Performances
– NXT Women’s Title: Bayley [c] vs. Asuka (TakeOver Dallas 4/1/16)
– Bayley vs. Nia Jax (NXT 5/18/16)
– Bayley vs. Alexa Bliss (NXT 7/6/16)
– Bayley vs. Nia Jax (NXT 7/20/16)
– Bayley (debut) & Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte & Dana Brooke (Battleground 7/24/16)
– NXT Women’s Title: Bayley vs. Asuka [c] (TakeOver Brooklyn II 8/20/16)
– Bayley vs. Charlotte w/ Dana Brooke (RAW 9/5/16)
– WWE RAW Women’s Title: Bayley vs. Charlotte [c] w/ Dana Brooke vs. Sasha Banks (RAW 9/25/16)
– Bayley vs. Nia Jax (RAW 10/31/16)
3. KALISTO
Kalisto is a weird one… up until Mania season he seemed like the best guy in the WWE, having great runs with Del Rio and Ryback and weirdly awesome C-Show matches with both members of the Ascension. And then he disappeared for a while. And then he came back and had awesome matches with Miz and Baron Corbin. So when he’s around, he’s good. But he wasn’t around a lot.
Key Performances
– WWE U.S. Title: Kalisto [c] vs. Alberto del Rio (SmackDown 1/14/16)
– WWE U.S. Title: Kalisto vs. Alberto del Rio [c] (Royal Rumble 1/24/16)
– WWE U.S. Title: Kalisto [c] vs. Neville (SmackDown 1/28/16)
– Kalisto vs. Rusev w/ Lana (RAW 2/1/16)
– Kalisto vs. Kevin Owens (SmackDown 2/4/16)
– 2/3 Falls – WWE U.S. Title: Kalisto [c] vs. Alberto Del Rio (Fast Lane 2/21/16)
– Kalisto vs. Konnor w/ Viktor (Superstars 3/25/16)
– WWE U.S. Title: Kalisto [c] vs. Ryback (Payback 5/1/16)
– WWE U.S. Title: Kalisto vs. Rusev [c] w/ Lana (SmackDown 5/26/16)
– Kalisto WWE Draft “Lucha Things” promo (WWE Draft Center Live 7/19/16)
– WWE Intercontinental Title: Kalisto vs. The Miz [c] w/ Maryse (SmackDown 11/22/16)
– Chairs Match: Kalisto vs. Baron Corbin (TLC 12/4/16)
– Kalisto vs. Baron Corbin (SmackDown 12/6/16)
4. CESARO
As impressive as anybody on the roster, but wasn’t around until after Mania and treaded water with the best of them. His performances were always pretty good, but sometimes it was frustrating to watch … for a guy who’s so good, something was off – Vince’s “brass ring” thing proved right. But the Sheamus series was fucking awesome and he did some great stuff with Rusev – on the August 8th RAW, he worked both guys in one night and it was great. Cautiously optimistic about the team with Sheamus.
Key Performances
– Fatal 4-Way WWE World Heavyweight Title #1 Contender Match: Cesaro vs. AJ Styles vs. Kevin Owens vs. Chris Jericho (RAW 4/4/16)
– Fatal 4-Way Match – WWE Intercontinental Title: Cesaro vs. The Miz [c] w/ Maryse vs. Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens (Extreme Rules 5/22/16)
– Cesaro vs. Sami Zayn (RAW 6/13/16)
– Cesaro vs. Alberto del Rio (SmackDown 6/23/16)
– WWE U.S. Title: Cesaro vs. Rusev [c] w/ Lana (SmackDown 6/30/16)
– Cesaro vs. Kevin Owens (RAW 7/11/16)
– Cesaro vs. Sheamus (RAW 8/8/16)
– WWE U.S. Title: Cesaro vs. Rusev [c] (RAW 8/8/16)
– Best of 7 Series – Match #1: Cesaro vs. Sheamus (SummerSlam Kickoff 8/21/16)
– Best of 7 Series – Match #5: Cesaro vs. Sheamus (RAW 9/12/16)
– Best of 7 Series – Match #7: Cesaro vs. Sheamus (Clash of Champions 9/25/16)
– RAW Tag Team Title: Cesaro & Sheamus vs. The New Day (Big E & Kofi Kingston) [c] w/ Xavier Woods vs. Cesaro & Sheamus (Roadblock: End of the Line 12/18/16)
5. TYE DILLINGER
Love Tye Dillinger, just fell victim to the NXT thing… might not even be 10 Tye Dillinger matches on tape this year. He’s one of the best hands in the company though – the perfect guy to debut vs. Almas, and his performance vs. Roode at TakeOver Toronto was tremendous. Plus, watch him and Wesley Blake make Brooklyn go apeshit with good old-fashioned SHTICK. As the year ends he’s the most over babyface in NXT.
Key Performances
– Tye Dillinger vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (NXT 4/13/16)
– Tye Dillinger vs. Andrade “Cien” Almas (debut) (TakeOver The End 6/8/16)
– Tye Dillinger vs. Wesley Blake (NXT 8/24/16)
– Tye Dillinger vs. Bobby Roode (TakeOver Toronto 11/19/16)
– 4-Way NXT Title #1 Contender’s Match: Tye Dillinger vs. Roderick Strong vs. Bobby Roode vs. Adrade “Cien” Almas (NXT 12/21/16)
UNSUNG HEROES
1. ZACK RYDER
Zack Ryder is the reason I have this category in the first place. Though often stuck in nothing singles or tag matches, Ryder stepped it up this year and started to seem like a complete WWE performer. In the lead-up to Mania he seemed like one of the only guys on the roster working his ass off for a spot, with shockingly awesome matches with Heath Slater and Tyler Breeze. Then he won the IC Title at Mania and had a great match with Miz on SmackDown. They put him with Mojo once the draft happened so he’s basically been working a lot of formula tags, but he still finds a way to look impressive in every match he’s in, and of anybody working cold Superstars or Main Event matches he usually does it best. Singles star, tag star, pushed star, star used to put guys over… whatever the job is Zack does it well.
Key Performances
– Zack Ryder vs. Heath Slater w/ Social Outcasts (Main Event 2/9/16)
– Zack Ryder vs. Tyler Breeze (Main Event 3/8/16)
– Ladder Match – WWE Intercontinental Title: Zack Ryder vs. Kevin Owens [c] vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Sami Zayn vs. Sin Cara vs. The Miz vs. Stardust (WrestleMania 4/3/16)
– WWE Intercontinental Title: Zack Ryder vs. The Miz [c] w/ Maryse (SmackDown 4/7/16)
– Zack Ryder vs. Baron Corbin (SmackDown 4/14/16)
– Zack Ryder vs. Sheamus (Main Event 6/7/16)
– Zack Ryder vs. Rusev w/ Lana (Main Event 6/21/16)
– The Hype Bros vs. Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa (NXT 6/29/16)
– SmackDown Tag Team Title Tournament – Semi Final: The Hype Bros vs. Rhyno & Heath Slater (SmackDown 9/6/16)
– Survivor Series Tag Team Qualifying Match: The Hype Bros vs. The Ascension (SmackDown 10/25/16)
2. THE NEW DAY (BIG E, KOFI KINGSTON & XAVIER WOODS)
New Day were the quiet workhorses of 2016. Sometimes they’re hilarious. Sometimes they’re a little stupid. But the in-ring stuff is consistently strong … Kofi is still impressive as hell, Big E is huge and charismatic and moves well, and Xavier is a modern-day Sean Waltman and I mean that as the highest compliment. 2016 was a big run for them … they sparred with The Rock, turned face vs. the League and did an angle with some legends at Mania, had great singles and tags with AJ Styles, weirdly good matches with The Ascension and the Outcasts, and got the tag title record. They were such a presence on weekly WWE TV that they got a little stale sometimes, but looking over it they put out one hell of a body of solid work.
Key Performances
– The New Day Funeral for Francesca the Trombone (RAW 1/18/16)
– The New Day vs. Dolph Ziggler & The Usos (SmackDown 1/21/16)
– The Rock/The New Day Confrontation (RAW 1/25/16)
– The New Day vs. Social Outcasts (Main Event 2/16/16)
– WWE Tag Team Title: The New Day (Big E & Kofi Kingston) [c] w/ Xavier Woods vs. Chris Jericho & AJ Styles (RAW 3/7/16)
– WWE Tag Team Title: The New Day (Big E & Kofi Kingston) w/ Xavier Woods [c] vs. Sheamus & King Barrett w/ Rusev (Roadblock 3/12/16)
– The League of Nations beat down The New Day (RAW 3/14/16)
– The New Day (Big E & Kofi Kingston) w/ Xavier Woods vs. The Ascension (Main Event 4/5/16)
– The New Day vs. Social Outcasts (Main Event 5/24/16)
– Kofi Kingston w/ Big E and Xavier Woods vs. AJ Styles (SmackDown 6/2/16)
– Xavier Woods vs. AJ Styles (SmackDown 6/16/16)
– The New Day (Big E & Kofi Kingston) vs. The Club (AJ Styles, Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson) (RAW 6/6/16)
– Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson attack the New Day (RAW 8/1/16)
– WWE RAW Tag Team Title: The New Day (Big E & Kofi Kingston) w/ Xavier Woods [c] vs. Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson (Clash of Champions 9/25/16)
– Big E w/ Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods vs. Sheamus w/ Cesaro (RAW 10/17/16)
– RAW Tag Team Title: The New Day (Big E & Kofi Kingston) [c] w/ Xavier Woods vs. Cesaro & Sheamus (RAW 11/21/16)
– WWE Tag Team Title: The New Day (Big E & Xavier Woods) [c] w/ Kofi Kingston vs. Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson (RAW 11/28/16)
– Triple Threat Match – RAW Tag Team Title: The New Day (Big E & Xavier Woods) w/ Kofi Kingston [c] vs. Roman Reigns & Seth Rollins vs. Kevin Owens & Chris Jericho (RAW 12/12/16)
– RAW Tag Team Title: The New Day (Big E & Kofi Kingston) w/ Xavier Woods [c] vs. Cesaro & Sheamus (Roadblock: End of the Line 12/18/16)
3. BRAUN STROWMAN
The showdown with Brock Lesnar at the Rumble was a sign of things to come. Hidden in tags for half of the year, once Braun went out on his own after the draft he slowly but surely became a must-watch part of RAW. His squashes were tremendous fun, including the epic one against The Mile-High Trio. Sin Cara gave him his first “good” match on Superstars. And now he’s working actual matches and doesn’t seem completely out of place. He’s getting a big push now right and running with the ball, and the people have started to sing.
Key Performances
– WWE World Heavyweight Title – Royal Rumble (Featuring: Braun Strowman) (Royal Rumble 1/24/16)
– Braun Strowman vs. James Ellsworth (RAW 7/25/16)
– Braun Strowman vs. Sin Cara (Superstars 9/16/16)
– Handicap Match: Braun Strowman vs. The Mile-High Trio (RAW 10/17/16)
– Braun Strowman, Seth Rollins & Chris Jericho vs. The New Day (Big E, Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods) (RAW 11/14/16)
– Braun Strowman vs. Sami Zayn (RAW 11/21/16)
– Braun Strowman attacks Sin Cara and Titus O’Neil (RAW 12/19/16)
– Braun Strowman attacks Bo Dallas, Darren Young and The Shining Stars (RAW 12/26/16)
– Seth Rollins vs. Braun Strowman (RAW 12/26/16)
4. THE USOS
Ohhhh The Usos. They were pretty stale for a while, weren’t they? At some point earlier this year I thought to myself, Yeah they’re a little stale – but they are a pretty underrated WWE babyface tag team. The formula always works, the crowd is always into it. Their work during the Club/Bloodline feud was straight-up awesome, with some real fire to go along with the tag shtick. And now they’re just getting started on the heel run… they’ve already had good matches with Rhyno & Slater and American Alpha and I want to see more.
Key Performances
– The Usos & Dolph Ziggler vs. The New Day (SmackDown 1/21/16)
– The Usos & The Prime Time Players vs. Stardust, Tyler Breeze & The Ascension (Main Event 2/2/16)
– The Usos vs. Sheamus & Rusev w/ Alberto del Rio and King Barrett (SmackDown 3/3/16)
– The Usos vs. Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson (debut) (RAW 4/25/16)
– The Usos & Roman Reigns vs. AJ Styles, Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson (RAW 5/2/16)
– Elimination Match: The Usos & Roman Reigns vs. AJ Styles, Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson (RAW 5/9/16)
– Tornado Tag Team Match: The Usos vs. Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson (Extreme Rules 5/22/16)
– The Usos vs. Breezango (Battleground Kickoff 7/24/16)
– The Usos Injure Chad Gable (SmackDown 9/6/16)
– The Usos studio interview on the crowd turning their backs on them (SmackDown 9/6/16)
– SmackDown Tag Team Title Tournament – Final: The Usos vs. Rhyno & Heath Slater (Backlash 9/11/16)
– SmackDown Tag Team Title #1 Contender Match: The Usos vs. American Alpha (SmackDown 9/20/16)
5. VIKTOR
Viktor is stuck in a pretty awful tag team but almost always does like 2 or 3 things a match that make me go “damn that guy is good.” When it’s on him to carry a match on his own it’s usually pretty good – see the singles matches with Neville and Kalisto. Plus the match with Jack Swagger he had in June is legit awesome. Not expecting a Viktor Fan Club any time soon, but I bet guys love working with him.
Key Performances
– Viktor w/ Konnor vs. Neville (Superstars 3/4/16)
– Viktor w/ Konnor vs. Kalisto (Main Event 7/19/16)
– Viktor vs. Zack Ryder (Main Event 5/31/16)
– The Ascension & Stardust vs. Neville & The Lucha Dragons (SmackDown 2/11/16)
– The Ascension vs. The Usos (Superstars 3/11/16)
– The Ascension vs. The Lucha Dragons (Main Event 3/15/16)
– The Ascension vs. The New Day (Big E & Kofi Kingston) w/ Xavier Woods (Main Event 4/5/16)
– WWE Tag Team Title #1 Contender Tournament – Round 1: The Ascension vs. Enzo Amore & Colin Cassady (SmackDown 4/14/16)
– Viktor vs. Jack Swagger (Main Event 6/14/16)
– SmackDown Tag Team Title Tournament – Round 1: The Ascension vs. The Usos (SmackDown 8/23/16)
– The Ascension vs. Rhyno & Heath Slater (Main Event 10/4/16)
– Survivor Series Tag Team Qualifying Match: The Ascension vs. The Hype Bros (SmackDown 10/25/16)
– Viktor w/ Konnor vs. Jason Jordan w/ Chad Gable (Main Event 11/8/16)
CRUISERWEIGHTS
1. CEDRIC ALEXANDER
The #1 most impressive cruiserweight since the CWC… maybe not as many peaks as a TJ Perkins or a Kota Ibushi, but the work is strong every single time, and he’s legitimately likeable – guy gets big pops every week with no story. The match with Kota is tremendous, but I might have been more impressed by the YouTube Exlusive match with Oney Lorcan. The presentation of the cruiserweights on RAW has been questionable so far but Cedric remains a highlight every time. Even his 5-minute RAW or 205 Live matches always have a couple awesome things.
Key Performances
– Cruiserweight Classic – Round 1: Cedric Alexander vs. Clement Petiot (CWC 7/13/16)
– Cruiserweight Classic – Round 2: Cedric Alexander vs. Kota Ibushi (CWC 8/10/16)
– Cedric Alexander vs. Oney Lorcan (CWC YouTube Exclusive 9/10/16)
– Cedric Alexander & Noam Dar vs. Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa (CWC Finals 9/14/16)
– Fatal 4-Way WWE Cruiserweight Title #1 Contender’s Match: Cedric Alexander vs. Gran Metalik vs. Rich Swann vs. Brian Kendrick (RAW 9/19/16)
– Cedric Alexander vs. Andrade “Cien” Almas (NXT 9/21/16)
– Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic – Round 1: Cedric Alexander & Andrade “Cien” Almas vs. The Revival (NXT 10/5/16)
– Cedric Alexander vs. Ariya Daivari (RAW 11/21/16)
– Cedric Alexander w/ Alicia Fox vs. Drew Gulak (205 Live 12/20/16)
2. TJ PERKINS
Why did they have to let him talk? By the end of the CWC, TJ seemed primed to be the next Rey Mysterio… a colorful little guy who’s magic in the ring. He was a freaking real-life video game character!!! But then they let him talk and make video game puns and everything just went to shit, with crickets for his matches. He and Kendrick really, really struggled once October and November hit. HOWEVER. His run in the CWC was phenomenal, he’s had some real strong matches with Kendrick and Swann, and even when there’s a fuck-up in a TJP match he finds some way to make it look pretty.
Key Performances
– Cruiserweight Classic – Round 2: TJ Perkins vs. Johnny Gargano (CWC 8/24/16)
– Cruiserweight Classic – Quarter Final: TJ Perkins vs. Rich Swann (CWC 9/7/16)
– Cruiserweight Classic – Semi Final: TJ Perkins vs. Kota Ibushi (CWC Finals 9/14/16)
– Cruiserweight Classic – Final: TJ Perkins vs. Gran Metalik (CWC Finals 9/14/16)
– WWE Cruiserweight Title: TJ Perkins [c] vs. Brian Kendrick (Clash of Champions 9/25/16)
– TJ Perkins vs. Brian Kendrick (RAW 10/3/16)
– TJ Perkins vs. Rich Swann (RAW 12/5/16)
– TJ Perkins vs. Rich Swann (205 Live 12/13/16)
3. KOTA IBUSHI
He was only around for a cup of coffee but man was it a good brew – everything he did, from the epic CWC matches to an awesome squash of Buddy Murphy to a fun run in the Dusty Rhodes Classic, absolutely rocked.
Key Performances
– Cruiserweight Classic – Round 1: Kota Ibushi vs. Sean Maluta (CWC 7/13/16)
– Kota Ibushi vs. Buddy Murphy (NXT 7/27/16)
– Cruiserweight Classic – Round 2: Kota Ibushi vs. Cedric Alexander (CWC 8/10/16)
– Cruiserweight Classic – Quarter Final: Kota Ibushi vs. Brian Kendrick (CWC 8/31/16)
– Cruiserweight Classic – Semi Final: Kota Ibushi vs. TJ Perkins (CWC Finals 9/14/16)
– Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic: Kota Ibushi & TJ Perkins vs. Lince Dorado & Mustafa Ali (NXT 10/26/16)
– Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic – Round 2: Kota Ibushi & TJ Perkins vs. SAnitY (Sawyer Fulton & Alexander Wolfe) w/ Eric Young and Nikki Cross (NXT 11/2/16)
4. DREW GULAK
The Unsung Hero of the cruiserweights… Gulak annoyed me at first with that damn jacket and the stupid Third Reich-looking Catchpoint pose, but once I started viewing him for what he is – the Finlay of the cruiserweights – it all clicked. Maybe not so many amazing matches, but the work is soooo solid every time – guy is there for everything, rarely fucks up, and his gritty beatdowns are my new favorite thing.
Key Performances
– Cruiserweight Classic – Round 2: Drew Gulak vs. Zack Sabre Jr. (CWC 8/24/16)
– Drew Gulak & Tony Nese vs. Lince Dorado & Kenneth Johnson (CWC YouTube Exclusive 9/12/16)
– Drew Gulak vs. Hideo Itami (NXT 9/14/16)
– Drew Gulak & Lince Dorado vs. Cedric Alexander & Rich Swann (RAW 9/26/16)
– Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic – Round 1: Drew Gulak & Tony Nese vs. No Way Jose & Rich Swann (NXT 10/19/16)
– Drew Gulak vs. Jack Gallagher (205 Live 12/13/16)
– Drew Gulak vs. Cedric Alexander w/ Alicia Fox (205 Live 12/20/16)
5. RICH SWANN
Outside of Bayley, the most purely fun babyface on WWE TV. Fun NXT work with Corbin and Balor early in the year, great CWC work with Dorado and Perkins, a really fun short-lived team with No Way Jose, and now he’s getting a real run as a top cruiserweight and it’s as good as the cruiserweights have been since they debuted on RAW.
Key Performances
– Rich Swann vs. Baron Corbin (NXT 1/20/16)
– Rich Swann vs. Finn Balor (NXT 3/23/16)
– Cruiserweight Classic – Round 2: Rich Swann vs. Lince Dorado (CWC 8/24/16)
– Cruiserweight Classic – Quarter Final: Rich Swann vs. TJ Perkins (CWC 9/7/16)
– Fatal 4-Way WWE Cruiserweight Title #1 Contender’s Match: Rich Swann vs. Gran Metalik vs. Cedric Alexander vs. Brian Kendrick (RAW 9/19/16)
– Rich Swann vs. Lince Dorado (Main Event 9/20/16)
– Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic – Round 1: Rich Swann & No Way Jose vs. Tony Nese & Drew Gulak (NXT 10/19/16)
– Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic – Round 2: Rich Swann & No Way Jose vs. The Authors of Pain w/ Paul Ellering (NXT 11/2/16)
– WWE Cruiserweight Title: Rich Swann vs. Brian Kendrick [c] (205 Live 11/29/16)
– Rich Swann vs. TJ Perkins (RAW 12/5/16)
– Rich Swann vs. TJ Perkins (205 Live 12/13/16)
HIT-AND-MISS
1. SASHA BANKS
The ultimate Hit-and-Miss for me, though she’s still one of my favorites… Sasha had some of the greatest matches of all-time this year but she also had some real stinkers both on the mic and in the ring on TV – the SummerSlam match with Charlotte was just awful too. When she’s on though, she’s a god damn superstar. Big bumps, great presence, and a shockingly awesome brawler.
Key Performances
– Sasha Banks & Becky Lynch vs. Naomi & Tamina (Fast Lane 2/21/16)
– WWE Divas Title #1 Contender Match: Sasha Banks vs. Becky Lynch (SmackDown 3/3/16)
– Triple Threat Match – WWE Divas Title: Sasha Banks vsd. Charlotte [c] w/ Ric Flair vs. Becky Lynch (WrestleMania 4/3/16)
– WWE Women’s Title: Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte [c] w/ Dana Brooke (RAW 7/25/16)
– WWE RAW Women’s Title: Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte [c] w/ Dana Brooke vs. Bayley (Clash of Champions 9/25/16)
– RAW Women’s Title: Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte [c] (RAW 10/3/16)
– Hell in a Cell – RAW Women’s Title: Sasha Banks [c] vs. Charlotte Flair (Hell in a Cell 10/30/16)
– Falls Count Anywhere – RAW Women’s Title: Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte Flair [c] (RAW 11/28/16)
2. CHRIS JERICHO
Chris Jericho was another guy who re-vitalized himself this year, moreso on the sports entertainment side than the wrestling side, but this is a sports entertainment industry after all. He had some real garbage matches with Dean Ambrose, everything he did with Sami Zayn was a disappointment, and man does he struggle any time he has to go long on PPV… but he is also one of the best TV workers in the company and had some high-end matches with Styles, New Day, Rollins and Reigns. The promos and comedy have been tremendous as well.
Key Performances
– Chris Jericho vs. AJ Styles (SmackDown 2/11/16)
– Chris Jericho vs. AJ Styles (Fast Lane 2/21/16)
– Chris Jericho & AJ Styles vs. WWE Tag Team Title: The New Day (Big E & Kofi Kingston) [c] w/ Xavier Woods (RAW 3/7/16)
– Chris Jericho vs. AJ Styles (WrestleMania 4/3/16)
– Money in the Bank Promo (RAW 6/6/16)
– Chris Jericho’s Highlight Reel w/ Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn (RAW 6/27/16)
– Chris Jericho studio interview (WWE Draft Center Live 7/19/16)
– Chris Jericho vs. Seth Rollins (RAW 9/5/16)
– WWE Universal Title Qualifying Match: Chris Jericho vs. Roman Reigns (RAW 8/22/16)
– WWE U.S. Title: Chris Jericho w/ Kevin Owens vs. Roman Reigns [c] (RAW 10/31/16)
– WWE U.S. Title: Chris Jericho vs. Roman Reigns [c] (RAW 12/5/16)
3. SHINSUKE NAKAMURA
Shinsuke’s match with Sami Zayn and some fun early squashes have made him a highlight of NXT, but his matches with Balor and Joe – though solid – really disappointed. The Osaka title switch in particular is just bad. Amazing presence, huge charisma, fun shtick, and occasionally great wrestling… but for a guy that is only around maybe once a month, he’s had some real letdowns.
Key Performances
– Shinsuke Nakamura (debut) vs. Sami Zayn (TakeOver Dallas 4/1/16)
– Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Tye Dillinger (NXT 4/13/16)
– Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Buddy Murphy (NXT 6/22/16)
– Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Finn Balor (NXT 7/13/16)
– Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Wesley Blake (NXT 7/27/16)
– NXT Title: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Samoa Joe [c] (TakeOver Brooklyn II 8/20/16)
– NXT Title: Shinsuke Nakamura [c] vs. Samoa Joe (TakeOver Toronto 11/19/16)
4. DEAN AMBROSE
The workhorse of the WWE, with a ton of strong matches but some real crap ones too – a by-the-numbers Ambrose match can be frightening. The Jericho feud took up a lot of the summer and was no good too. But, guy was around a ton, and when he was working guys he works well with it was pretty magical… Owens, Rollins, Styles, Triple H, Cena and Miz all brought some high-end stuff out of him. A true WWE main eventer, for better or worse.
Key Performances
– Last Man Standing – WWE Intercontinental Title: Dean Ambrose [c] vs. Kevin Owens (Royal Rumble 1/24/16)
– Dean Ambrose Challenges Brock Lesnar for WrestleMania (RAW 2/22/16)
– Dean Ambrose Gets Beaten Down by Triple H (RAW 2/29/16)
– Dean Ambrose vs. Kevin Owens (SmackDown 3/3/16)
– WWE Title: Dean Ambrose vs. Triple H [c] (Roadblock 3/12/16)
– WWE Title: Dean Ambrose [c] vs. Seth Rollins (RAW 7/18/16)
– WWE Title: Dean Ambrose [c] vs. Seth Rollins (SmackDown 7/19/16)
– MizTV with Dean Ambrose and Dolph Ziggler (SmackDown 8/16/16)
– WWE World Title: Dean Ambrose [c] vs. AJ Styles (Backlash 9/11/16)
– Dean Ambrose vs. John Cena (SmackDown 9/20/16)
– WWE World Title: Dean Ambrose vs. AJ Styles [c] (SmackDown 9/27/16)
– Triple Threat Match – WWE World Title: Dean Ambrose vs. AJ Styles [c] vs. John Cena (No Mercy 10/9/16)
– AJ Styles vs. James Ellsworth (Special Guest Referee: Dean Ambrose) (SmackDown 10/11/16)
– If Dean Wins, He Becomes #1 Contender for the WWE World Title: Dean Ambrose w/ James Ellsworth vs. AJ Styles (SmackDown 10/25/16)
– If Dean Wins, He Becomes #1 Contender for the WWE World Title: Dean Ambrose vs. AJ Styles (SmackDown 11/1/16)
– TLC Match – WWE World Title: Dean Ambrose vs. AJ Styles [c] (TLC 12/4/16)
– WWE Intercontinental Title: Dean Ambrose vs. The Miz [c] w/ Maryse (SmackDown 12/6/16)
5. DOLPH ZIGGLER
Dolph had some super high peaks with Kevin Owens and The Miz. Otherwise, he hasn’t been very impressive. But damn were those some high peaks.
Key Performances
– Dolph Ziggler vs. Kevin Owens (RAW 2/1/16)
– WWE Intercontinental Title: Dolph Ziggler vs. Kevin Owens [c] (Fast Lane 2/21/16)
– Dolph Ziggler vs. Triple H w/ Stephanie McMahon (RAW 3/14/16)
– Dolph Ziggler vs. Kevin Owens (Main Event 4/12/16)
– WWE Intercontinental Title: Dolph Ziggler vs. The Miz [c] w/ Maryse (Backlash 9/11/16)
– WWE Intercontinental Title: Dolph Ziggler vs. The Miz [c] w/ Maryse (SmackDown 9/20/16)
– The Miz’ Homecoming Celebration (SmackDown 9/27/16)
– Career vs. Title – WWE Intercontinental Title: Dolph Ziggler vs. The Miz [c] w/ Maryse (No Mercy 10/9/16)
– WWE Intercontinental Title: Dolph Ziggler [c] vs. The Miz w/ Maryse (SmackDown 11/15/16)
THE POTENTIAL IS THERE
1. ENZO & BIG CASS
Great tag formula, insane charisma, tremendous promos, super over. Cass’ brief run as a singles guy this year was pretty fun too. Not all there, and Enzo in-ring can be iffy, but if they both make efforts to improve it could be something special.
Key Performances
– Enzo Amore & Colin Cassady and American Alpha vs. Dash & Dawson and Blake & Murphy w/ Alexa Bliss (NXT 2/17/16)
– NXT Tag Team Title: Enzo Amore & Colin Cassady w/ Carmella vs. The Revival [c] (Roadblock 3/12/16)
– Enzo Amore & Colin Cassady (debut) promo on The Dudley Boyz (RAW 4/4/16)
– WWE Tag Team Title #1 Contender Tournament – Round 1: Enzo Amore & Colin Cassady vs. The Ascension (SmackDown 4/14/16)
– WWE Tag Team Title #1 Contender Tournament – Semi Final: Enzo Amore & Colin Cassady vs. The Dudley Boyz (RAW 4/18/16)
– Enzo Amore & Colin Cassady vs. American Alpha (NXT 4/20/16)
– Big Cass and Enzo Amore (return) promo on Enzo’s concussion (RAW 5/23/16)
– Enzo & Big Cass U.S. Presidents Promo (RAW 7/4/16)
– Enzo & Big Cass and John Cena vs. The Club (AJ Styles, Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson) (Battleground 7/24/16)
– Enzo & Big Cass vs. Chris Jericho & Kevin Owens (SummerSlam 8/21/16)
– Enzo & Big Cass No-Mic Promo (RAW 10/24/16)
– Enzo & Big Cass Woody & Buzz Lightyear Promo (RAW 10/31/16)
– Enzo & Big Cass WWE Shop Promo (RAW 11/21/16)
– Enzo Amore meets Ric Flair (RAW 12/5/16)
– Enzo Amore Meets Lana in a Hotel Room (RAW 12/5/16)
2. AMERICAN ALPHA
Alpha’s run in NXT was incredible stuff, with the epic Revival matches and some fun tags vs. Blake & Murphy and The Vaudevillains. Fun squashes too, though that’s more because I’m marking out for the Steiner Brother vibes. Jordan’s got fire, Gable’s got skills… they haven’t been used a lot since the call-up, but the shades of greatness are there. Big Cass and Jason Jordan are neck-and-neck for best hot tag in the biz.
Key Performances
– American Alpha and Enzo Amore & Colin Cassady vs. Dash & Dawson and Blake & Murphy w/ Alexa Bliss (NXT 2/17/16)
– American Alpha (Jason Jordan & Chad Gable) vs. Blake & Murphy w/ Alexa Bliss (NXT 2/24/16)
– NXT Tag Team Title #1 Contender Match: American Alpha vs. The Vaudevillains (NXT 3/16/16)
– American Alpha vs. Corey Hollis & John Skyler (NXT 3/30/16)
– NXT Tag Team Title: American Alpha vs. The Revival [c] (TakeOver Dallas 4/1/16)
– American Alpha vs. Enzo Amore & Colin Cassady (NXT 4/20/16)
– NXT Tag Team Title: American Alpha [c] vs. The Revival (TakeOver The End 6/8/16)
– 2/3 Falls – NXT Tag Team Title: American Alpha vs. The Revival [c] (NXT 7/6/16)
– American Alpha vs. The Authors of Pain w/ Paul Ellering (NXT 7/20/16)
– American Alpha (debut) vs. The Vaudevillains (SmackDown 8/2/16)
– American Alpha vs. Mikey O’Shea & Mike Vega (SmackDown 8/9/16)
– SmackDown Tag Team Title #1 Contender Match: American Alpha vs. The Usos (SmackDown 9/20/16)
– SmackDown Tag Team Title #1 Contender Match: American Alpha vs. The Wyatt Family (Bray Wyatt & Randy Orton) (SmackDown 11/29/16)
3. BARON CORBIN
Baron Corbin is the ultimate meta WWE heel … his work can be a bit of a drag, but that’s kind of the point. He did some decent stuff in NXT this year, and while it’s taking him some time to put it together in-ring, the draft to SmackDown has done wonders for him. He’s really found his character (check him bitching out Daniel Bryan on Talking Smack) and had some awesome matches with Kalisto. Plus, the Deep Six always pops me.
Key Performances
– Baron Corbin vs. Rich Swann (NXT 1/20/16)
– Triple Threat NXT Title #1 Contender’s Match: Baron Corbin vs. Sami Zayn vs. Samoa Joe (NXT 1/27/16)
– Baron Corbin vs. Austin Aries (TakeOver Dallas 4/1/16)
– Baron Corbin vs. Zack Ryder (SmackDown 4/14/16)
– Baron Corbin vs. Jack Swagger (Superstars 6/17/16)
– Baron Corbin Asks Daniel Bryan What He Has Next For Him (Talking Smack 10/18/16)
– Chairs Match: Baron Corbin vs. Kalisto (TLC 12/4/16)
– Baron Corbin interview on deserving a main event (Talking Smack 12/4/16)
– Baron Corbin vs. Kalisto (SmackDown 12/6/16)
4. ALEXA BLISS
Outside of Enzo and Cass, Alexa was the NXT call-up this year who most seamlessly adjusted to the main roster. Her act with Blake and Murphy was fun, but now she’s on her own and totally delivering. The feud with Becky Lynch has been a real eye-opener, with Alexa holding her own on promos and in the ring. Given the way SmackDown works, she doesn’t have a ton of long singles matches, but the matches with Naomi and Becky are good starts, and she does all the little things right already.
Key Performances
– Bayley vs. Alexa Bliss (NXT 7/6/16)
– Alexa Bliss vs. Becky Lynch (SmackDown 8/23/16)
– Becky Lynch/Alexa Bliss SmackDown Women’s Title Contract Signing (SmackDown 9/20/16)
– Alexa Bliss vs. Naomi (SmackDown 10/18/16)
– SmackDown Women’s Title: Alexa Bliss vs. Becky Lynch [c] (SmackDown 11/8/16)
– Alexa Bliss #Ask Alexa Q&A (TLC 12/4/16)
– Alexa Bliss interview on winning the SmackDown Women’s Title (Talking Smack 12/4/16)
– Alexa Bliss Championship Celebration (SmackDown 12/6/16)
– Alexa Bliss vs. La Luchadora (SmackDown 12/20/16)
5. MOJO RAWLEY
Mojo’s a goofball but his energy is so high that he demands you kind of like him. The brawl with Samoa Joe on NXT was great and some of the Hype Bros tags have been real solid. I can’t tell if he’s onto something or not. But that confusion makes me pay attention.
Key Performances
– The Hype Bros vs. Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa (NXT 6/29/16)
– Mojo Rawley Confronts Rusev (Battleground 7/24/16)
– Mojo Rawley Promo on Samoa Joe (NXT 8/10/16)
– Mojo Rawley vs. Samoa Joe (NXT 8/10/16)
– SmackDown Tag Team Title Tournament – Semi Final: The Hype Bros vs. Rhyno & Heath Slater (SmackDown 9/6/16)
– Survivor Series Tag Team Qualifying Match: The Hype Bros vs. The Ascension (SmackDown 10/25/16)
PART-TIME PROS
1. JOHN CENA
It’s pretty crazy that Big Match John was around so rarely in 2016 (injuries, movies and TV), though any time he was around it was high-quality stuff. It helped that he was working with AJ Styles most of the time, but still. The return promo in December is incredible too – there’s nobody bigger and nobody better.
Key Performances
– John Cena vs. AJ Styles (Money in the Bank 6/19/16)
– If Cena Wins, He is Added to the the WWE Title Match at Battleground: John Cena vs. Seth Rollins (RAW 6/27/16)
– John Cena, The New Day (Big E, Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods) and Enzo & Big Cass vs. The Club (AJ Styles, Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson) and The Wyatt Family (Bray Wyatt, Erick Rowan & Braun Strowman) (RAW 7/18/16)
– John Cena, Enzo & Big Cass vs. The Club (AJ Styles, Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson) (Battleground 7/24/16)
– John Cena vs. AJ Styles (SummerSlam 8/21/16)
– John Cena vs. Dean Ambrose (SmackDown 9/20/16)
– Triple Threat Match – WWE World Title: AJ Styles [c] vs. John Cena vs. Dean Ambrose (No Mercy 10/9/16)
– John Cena (return) Promo on the My Time Is Now Era (SmackDown 12/27/16)
2. RANDY ORTON
Randy was another guy not around until the summer due to injury, but now that he is around it’s a reminder that he’s great. He has settled into legendary status this year… he’s not having a ton of high-quality matches, but he also doesn’t have to do shit to remind you that you’re watching a professional wrestling superstar. The Wyatt Family stuff has been a blast so far too.
Key Performances
– Randy Orton RKO’s Brock Lesnar Outta Nowhere (RAW 8/1/16)
– Randy Orton vs. Brock Lesnar w/ Paul Heyman (SummerSlam 8/21/16)
– Randy Orton Attacks Bray Wyatt Puts on a Sheep Mask (SmackDown 9/27/16)
– SmackDown Tag Team Title #1 Contender Match: The Wyatt Family (Randy Orton & Bray Wyatt) vs. American Alpha (SmackDown 11/29/16)
– SmackDown Tag Team Title: The Wyatt Family (Randy Orton & Bray Wyatt) w/ Luke Harper vs. Heath Slater & Rhyno [c] (TLC 12/4/16)
3. GOLDBERG
Goldberg just stopped by for a Survivor Series cameo but the amazing return promo where he LIFTED CHILDREN ON HIS SHOULDERS and had THE GOVERNOR OF COLORADO MARKING OUT, plus the wild squash of Brock Lesnar were fun enough to net some mention.
Key Performances
– Goldberg Return Promo (RAW 10/17/16)
– Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar w/ Paul Heyman (Survivor Series 11/20/16)
DO BETTER (SHAME)
1. SETH ROLLINS
I loved Seth pre-injury and thought he was doing a great job carrying the company as top heel. He was gone for half of this year with said injury, and since the return it does seem like he’s lost a step. It hasn’t helped that for a couple months he was a heel when everybody wanted him to be a face, and now he’s an annoying Cena-like face with zero explanation. The promos range from uninteresting to terrible… no sizzle, no fire, and kind of annoying. The wrestling has taken a downswing too… there’s definitely been some good stuff (the work with Reigns, Ambrose, Zayn, and gimmick matches with Owens), but there’s been more disappointing stuff than good stuff.
Key Performances
– WWE World Heavyweight Title #1 Contender Match: Seth Rollins vs. Roman Reigns (RAW 6/20/16)
– Seth Rollins vs. Sami Zayn (SmackDown 6/23/16)
– Seth Rollins vs. Jey Uso (SmackDown 7/7/16)
– WWE Title: Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose [c] (RAW 7/18/16)
– Seth Rollins vs. Sami Zayn (RAW 8/1/16)
– WWE Universal Title Qualifying Match: Sami Zayn vs. Seth Rollins (RAW 8/22/16)
– Seth Rollins vs. Chris Jericho (RAW 9/5/16)
– Hell in a Cell – WWE Universal Title: Seth Rollins vs. Kevin Owens [c] (Hell in a Cell 10/30/16)
– No DQ Match – WWE Universal Title: Seth Rollins vs. Kevin Owens [c] (RAW 11/21/16)
2. FINN BALOR
Given that he was on NXT for the first half of the year and got injured at the call-up, maybe this isn’t fair to Finn. He’s got hops and a connection with the crowd, but the series with Joe along with the Nakamura match were weird disappointments in that they were pretty good when the build called for great. The match with Rollins at SummerSlam stunk due to an early injury, and while I dug the Rich Swann and Roman Reigns matches they weren’t enough to make me stoked for the Main Event Balor future we might be looking at upon his return.
Key Performances
– Finn Balor vs. Rich Swann (NXT 3/23/16)
– NXT Title: Finn Balor [c] vs. Samoa Joe (TakeOver Dallas 4/1/16)
– Steel Cage Match – NXT Title: Finn Balor vs. Samoa Joe [c] (TakeOver The End 6/8/16)
– Finn Balor vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (NXT 7/13/16)
– Winner Faces Seth Rollins at SummerSlam for the WWE Universal Title: Finn Balor vs. Roman Reigns (RAW 7/25/16)
3. BROCK LESNAR
Brock wasn’t around much, and kudos to him putting over Goldberg so strongly, but man did everything he touch this year kind of suck. The 3-way at Fast Lane was good but forgettable, while the stuff with the Wyatt Family was silly, the Ambrose match was a huge bummer, and the Orton match was disappointing with a brain-dead finish. Plus the Heyman promos for him just got repetitive – you can’t keep hyping something if this is all we’re getting. For a guy that’s pushed over everybody, it’s no good.
Key Performances
– Triple Threat #1 Contender Match: Brock Lesnar w/ Paul Heyman vs. Roman Reigns vs. Dean Ambrose (Fast Lane 2/21/16)
– Brock Lesnar w/ Paul Heyman vs. Randy Orton (SummerSlam 8/21/16)
– Brock Lesnar w/ Paul Heyman vs. Goldberg (Survivor Series 11/20/16)
4. BRAY WYATT
The stuff with Orton has given him a bit more to work with, but the Wyatt shtick really wore thin this year. So many promos for so much nothing, and even the promos lost a step this year – it doesn’t help that we know now they are going nowhere, but the spark seemed gone. Bray rarely works, and when he does it’s forgettable. There was some alright stuff here and there and the booking never helps, but most of the stuff Bray touched in 2016 has not been any good.
Key Performances
– Bray Wyatt vs. Dean Ambrose (RAW 3/7/16)
– Bray Wyatt/Triple H Staredown (RAW 3/7/16)
– If Dolph Loses, Bray Wyatt Becomes #1 Contender to the WWE World Title: Bray Wyatt vs. Dolph Ziggler (SmackDown 8/23/16)
– No Holds Barred: Bray Wyatt vs. Kane (Backlash 9/11/16)
– SmackDown Tag Team Title #1 Contender Match: The Wyatt Family (Bray Wyatt & Randy Orton) vs. American Alpha (SmackDown 11/29/16)
– SmackDown Tag Team Title: The Wyatt Family (Bray Wyatt & Randy Orton) w/ Luke Harper vs. Heath Slater & Rhyno [c] (TLC 12/4/16)
5. APOLLO CREWS
Apollo Crews is a guy I wanna be best friends with but he also had a disappointing run in NXT followed by a very disappointing introduction on the main roster. He’s good when a guy knows how to work around his spots (Harper, Styles, and oddly enough Bubba Dudley), but that’s not enough. He’s got hops and that’s about it. The presentation can be frustrating, but just nothing is clicking right now.
Key Performances
– Apollo Crews vs. Finn Balor (NXT 2/3/16)
– Apollo Crews vs. Bubba Ray Dudley w/ D-Von Dudley (Main Event 6/14/16)
– Apollo Crews vs. AJ Styles (SmackDown 8/30/16)
– Apollo Crews vs. Baron Corbin (Backlash Kickoff 9/11/16)
– Apollo Crews vs. Luke Harper (Main Event 11/15/16)
THE ASUKA AWARD
1. ASUKA
I finished this list after watching Asuka/Nia Jax from Osaka and was like, fuck. Asuka might only show up once every 2 months but she has an amazing match almost every time. Great squashes, great title defenses, great underdog, great ass-kicker. She’s one of the best in the world. Forgive me, Asuka – sorry I forgot you!!!
Key Performances
– Asuka vs. Santana Garrett (NXT 2/3/16)
– Asuka vs. Deonna Purrazzo (2/11/16)
– Asuka & Bayley vs. Eva Marie & Nia Jax (NXT 3/16/16)
– Asuka vs. Emma w/ Dana Brooke (NXT 3/23/16)
– NXT Women’s Title: Asuka vs. Bayley [c] (NXT TakeOver: Dallas 4/1/16)
– NXT Women’s Title: Asuka [c] vs. Nia Jax (NXT TakeOver: The End 6/8/16)
– NXT Women’s Title: Asuka [c] vs. Bayley (NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn II 8/20/16)
– NXT Women’s Title: Asuka [c] vs. Mickie James (NXT TakeOver: Toronto 11/19/16)
– NXT Women’s Title: Asuka [c] vs. Nia Jax (NXT 12/28/16)
MAKE ME FEEL SOMETHING NEXT YEAR
Samoa Joe, Luke Harper, Neville, Darren Young, Goldust, Heath Slater, Jack Swagger, Lince Dorado, Noam Dar, R-Truth, Rhyno, Sin Cara, Aiden English, Simon Gotch, Brian Kendrick, Curtis Axel, Curt Hawkins, Jinder Mahal, Kane, Karl Anderson, Luke Gallows, Konnor, Mark Henry, Titus O’Neil, Tony Nese, Fandango, Tyler Breeze, Emma, Naomi, Nikki Bella, Alicia Fox, Carmella, Dana Brooke, Natalya, Nia Jax, Big Show, Epico, Primo, Andrade “Cien” Almas, The Authors of Pain, Eric Young, Alexander Wolfe, Sawyer Fulton, Bobby Roode, “The Drifter” Elias Samson, Hideo Itami, Nick Miller, Shane Thorne, No Way Jose, Roderick Strong, Austin Aries, Wesley Blake, Buddy Murphy, Aliyah, Liv Morgan, Billie Kay, Peyton Royce, Ember Moon
