By now, you’ve probably caught on to this little project I’ve been working on here at the SoBros Network. But, hey – if not, BREAKING NEWS: I’ve spent the last week documenting the best programs of the WWE in 2016. Links to the top five are below, but for now, let’s honorably mention some quality programs that didn’t quite make the cut.
Finn Balor vs. Samoa Joe – Aside from Charlotte vs. Sasha Banks, this definitely felt like the longest program of 2016. It felt heated, personal, and intense, and the two had some good matches together. But, for some reason, the two never really seemed to click and reach their full potential.
Cesaro vs. Sheamus – If we hadn’t already seen Cesaro vs. Sheamus several times before, this program would be in the top five. Why? It was fresh. The two revived the best-of-seven series, and despite getting limited mic time, sold the story of two frustrated superstars itching to get back into a championship hunt in the ring. When Mick Foley opted to give them both a title shot – as a tag team, against the New Day – a unique little twist was added to the program. It’s been a fun ride ever since.
The Miz vs. Dolph Ziggler – Boy, who saw the year The Miz has had coming? Outside of his WWE Championship run that saw him headline Wrestlemania, this has unquestionably been his best year. Part of that came in the fall when he resurrected a feud with Ziggler. The two should have main evented No Mercy, but that spot went to Bray Wyatt vs. Randy Orton. Like Sheamus-Cesaro, if we hadn’t already seen Miz-Ziggler a thousand times before, it probably makes the cut.
Alexa Bliss vs. Becky Lynch – I’m kind of surprised by how much I’ve enjoyed this program. It seemed to start as nothing more than a filler rivalry to give Lynch an easy first rivalry win. However, it’s turned into a full-on showcase of the heart of Lynch combatting the cunning of Bliss. Bliss is definitely one of the breakout superstars of 2016, and apparently WWE thinks so too, as she was rewarded with Smackdown’s Women’s Championship.
American Alpha vs. The Revival – From a pure wrestling standpoint, these are the two best teams on the planet right now. If DIY didn’t come along and outshine Alpha against The Revival later in the year, this program from early Spring NXT would definitely qualify for a top five spot.
Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Samoe Joe – The angle involving Joe going around beating up NXT superstars until he earned a match against Nakamura was great, but the matches haven’t been that special.
AJ Styles vs. Dean Ambrose – I wasn’t sold on this program until the bout at TLC. When it seemed that crazy, hardcore Ambrose had returned, it was met with the elite athleticism and killer instinct of Styles. Both men conveyed a sense that they would do whatever it took to win the match, and sold it.
Rusev vs. Roman Reigns – Kind of the opposite of the Nakamura-Joe rivalry – Reigns and Rusev delivered some awesome, physical matches, but all of the build-up and promos just felt like filler.
AJ Styles vs. Chris Jericho – It had a great start and provided Styles with a credible first opponent. Though, overall, the match was above average, I just can’t get over the botched Codebreaker at Wrestlemania.
Triple H vs. Roman Reigns – Sure, the big match came up short in the main event slot at Wrestlemania. It doesn’t erase the treacherous lengths that Triple H went to to screw Reigns over at every turn. Almost a year later, and I still say this was the best WWE could do in a tight spot, dealing with so many injuries. The story was great – the crowd just wasn’t ready to get behind Reigns in such an underdog role.
Titus O’Neil vs. Rusev – LOLJK
Stoney Keeley is the editor of the SoBros Network, Tennessee Titans Featured Analyst for Pro Football Spot, Contributor to FanSided’s Bama Hammer, and covers the WWE for WrestlingNews.co. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley, @PFSpot, @WrestlingNewsCo, @Bama_Hammer
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