With it coming up to the end of 2016, it’s only right and fair that we take a look at some of the things that stood out for me over the last 12 months – the Highlights of WWE in 2016.
No mucking about, let’s get straight to it. Strap in, buckle up and let’s do this my friends!
AJ Styles Debuts at the Royal Rumble – January 2016
On one cold January night at the beginning of the year, at the start of the road to WrestleMania, WWE made AJ Styles a bigger star in 30 seconds than TNA did in over a decade. Despite claiming him as their own star, they never pushed him that way. If anything, they always seemed hesitant to pull the trigger with the man who truly does live up to his nickname – the Phenomenal One.
You can’t truly appreciate just how amazing AJ Styles is until you’ve seen him live. He is a world-class, truly outstanding professional wrestler. He is the total package.
I was lucky enough to see him at the SmackDown taping in Glasgow about 6 weeks ago. Sitting 10 rows from ringside, it was the perfect view. The main show started, and finished, with Styles. Then after the taping, Styles and Dean Ambrose went balls to the wall for 20-25 minutes in a dark match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Both guys put on a tremendous show and the match was just excellent.
He’s had countless 3-4 star matches this year alone, with opponents like Chris Jericho, Roman Reigns, John Cena and Dean Ambrose. There’s something really scary about someone who’s this good. Is it too good to be true? Not in Styles’ case. And the thing is, they’ve barely scratched the surface with him. He’s truly the face that runs the place and for the foreseeable future, there’s nobody that can, or will, even come close to matching AJ. He’s thriving right now, and finally where his undeniable talent deserves to be – on the biggest stage of them all.
The Women’s Revolution – Throughout 2016
You’d have to have been living under a rock to not know who any of these 4 supremely talented women are, but in case you don’t – above you’ll see Becky Lynch, Bayley, Charlotte and Sasha Banks.
FINALLY, those of us who have been long-time fans of women’s wrestling have got what we’ve been clamouring for. Not just hot women. Hot women who can work. Hot women who can cut promos. Hot women who can wrestle. And tell outstanding professional wrestling stories.
Sasha Banks and Charlotte have had the best feud of 2016 – period. The only thing that even comes close is the Revival/DIY in NXT. The rest all pale in comparison to these women. They’ve done it all.
Stealing the show as 2/3 of the triple-threat at WrestleMania, then revisiting it throughout the summer and late 2016 – main-eventing RAW countless times, exchanging title switches, main-eventing a PPV inside Hell in a Cell, a Falls Count Anywhere match and the coup de grace – the IronMan match at this past week’s Roadblock PPV. The sky is the limit for these 2 ladies and the only thing that can stop them is themselves.
It’d be wrong just to focus on just Sasha and Charlotte though. Bayley’s had a hell of a year too – starting in NXT and her feud with Asuka which brought out a physical side in her that few of us thought she had. Since coming to the main roster, she’s had to re-establish herself to a new audience but in 2017, she’ll have a stellar year. She’s proven it before.
Then over on SmackDown, Becky Lynch gets the chance to be a star in her own right, instead of being overshadowed by the other ladies. SmackDown needed a leader for their own division, and Becky was the captain. She’s been really good in the babyface role, but when she turns, and by God she will, hold on to your hats. This girl is BEXCEPTIONAL!
All of the other established women on the main roster have been given a new lease of life too. The whole division feels fresh and the future’s bright. It’s about damn time!
Jericho Reborn – Spring 2016 onwards
I’ll make no bones about the fact that in my opinion, Chris Jericho is in the top 5 workers in the business – EEEVVERRR. He’s just incredible. Everything he does is gold. There’s not another professional wrestler alive who could get the following things over more than 80% of the roster are –
- “STUPID IDIOT!”
- “…IT!”
- Clicking a pen
- A clipboard
- A list
Jericho is a marvel, and does what every pro-wrestler should aspire to do – reinvents himself in fear of growing stale. Whether it’s his look, his character, the way he delivers his promos, Jericho’s like a goddamn wrestling chameleon. Always changing, and always fitting in. You could argue that his current run is the best of his career. I wouldn’t, because his entire career has been outstanding, and this is like the cherry on top of the cake.
Teaming Jericho with Kevin Owens has made for outstanding TV – from ripping interviewers, to GMs, to Commissioners, fans and wrestlers alike – Team Kevin and Chris took over from the New Day as the most entertaining thing on RAW. For all our sakes, let’s hope it doesn’t end any time. Jericho’s not going to be around forever, so we should make the most of him whilst we can. In the great man’s own words – drink it in maaaaannnn!
NXT’s Emergence as WWE’s competition – Throughout 2016
A wrestling fan might be embarrassed to say he’s only ever been to 2 WWE shows. But that’s me I’m afraid. Both shows have been in the last year, and both were at the Hydro in Glasgow – the aforementioned SmackDown taping a few weeks ago and last December, I saw an NXT house show.
At that point, you could see what NXT had become, and was destined to be – WWE’s own competition. It’s a strange phrase to type, say and even understand. How can a promotion owned by WWE be it’s own competition? Well, it’s simple.
NXT is what wrestling fans of a certain vintage – myself, Tyberius, AOB etc – have been wanting for a long time. Hell, it’s what we wanted TNA to be. A viable alternative to the generally mundane RAW/SmackDown shows of the last decade. A show that tells wrestling stories. A show that doesn’t feel like a chore to sit through. A show that mixes young, up-and-coming talent, with established veterans who can help to develop the stars who are already there.
If you’ve read any of my work before, you’ll know I’ve not (and never have been) a huge HHH fan. The man’s TV persona, and some of the things I’ve heard from legends at local shows about him, just rub me up the wrong way.
HOWEVER, what he has created in NXT is astonishing. Genuinely astonishing. He has aggressively pursued not only his vision of what wrestling can be, but who he wants to help him achieve that.
It should tell you everything you need to know about NXT that now, instead of workers choosing to work in TNA or other indy promotions, they’re drawn to NXT. There’s one reason for that – and it doesn’t just come down to cold, hard cash. It’s down to the passion of everyone involved – crew, writers, workers, announcers, fans and the NXT office.
You should remember that NXT isn’t on TV in the US, Canada or the UK – their biggest markets. It’s truly a Network exclusive show and the fact that they can sell out 10-20,000 seat arenas on the back of what’s essentially a webshow is a remarkable achievement. Kudos to HHH, William Regal, Robbie Brookside and all those involved for creating a place where fans old and new can enjoy what brought WWE to the dance – wrestling.
The Brand Split – Summer 2016
For the last 6 or 7 years (give or take), WWE’s two main shows had been more or less the same. RAW was the priority, SmackDown was the ginger stepchild. If anything halfway decent happened on SmackDown, they’d redo the match on RAW and more often than not, the outcome would be the same. The same wrestlers would go at it time after time, and nothing felt fresh.
Fast-forward to February 2016 and the return of the prodigal son – Shane-O-Mac. If ever a “HOLY S**T!” chant was truly deserved, that moment was it. No-one had predicted, hell, even hoped for it. But here he was. Back. And to a thunderous ovation. The biggest pop for anyone in years. If you ignore the nonsense that was the whole Undertaker/Shane feud – Shane could only stick around if he won, a pointless endeavour for all involved – Shane’s return has been a breath of fresh air.
After a bit of sibling rivalry and bickering, good ol’ Vinnie Mac decided to split the brands again in the summer – Stephanie on RAW and Shane on SmackDown. They’d choose GMs and their own rosters. Simple, effective, refreshing. And the reboot that both brands needed in all honestly.
Since then, despite the best efforts of Team Kevin and Chris, the New Day baaaybeeee, and Gallows/Anderson, RAW has kind of stumbled. It’s stuck to the same old, tired formula – authority figures are the stars of the show, corny jokes at every turn and just more of the same.
SmackDown however, has been revitalised under Shane-O-Mac and D-Bry. Guys like Ziggler and Miz have been given a new lease of life, with Miz getting back to his very, VERY best in particular, Heath Slater’s become relevant again and new guys like Baron Corbin and American Alpha giving a new feel to proceedings. Shane-O and D-Bry aren’t involved in every segment. The focus of the show is what it should be – the wrestlers.
Under normal circumstances, I’m a red man. Especially when it comes to my football. As can b
e seen in this exchange on the right with a good brother of mine earlier this week.
Let’s be clear – the only team in Liverpool is Liverpool. The Red men. The mighty Reds. I could go on. My good brother, and a vast percentage of his friends and family might disagree, but it’s true. But I digress. This is about WWE, not football.
Right now, SmackDown has it. And it’s not even close. The last 6 months have been terrific and now that the crew, writers and roster are finding their groove, 2017 could be a huge year for SmackDown.
A potential draft sometime after WrestleMania could do the same for some RAW guys that it’s done for the likes of Ziggler and Miz this year – I’m particularly thinking of Cesaro and Sami Zayn here. Two guys who deserve the chance to let their ability shine through, and right now, the only place that’ll happen is on SmackDown.
That’ll wrap things up for this edition folks. Muchos gracias for reading. For my friends down near Stanley Park who might be feeling a little blue, don’t worry. There’s a jolly red man about to visit, and he’s just around the corner.
[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNupWLjRj1E[/embedyt]
SLTD Wrestling's resident Scottish Nightmare. Some of my content may not be suitable for younger readers or those who are easily offended!
Recent Comments