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Counting down the WWE’s top 15 matches from 2016.
Say what you want about the year of 2016 in the WWE. Call it boring, call it repetitive, call it frustrating, heck, call it a disappointment. But one thing that can undoubtedly be said about the company in this last year is that in-ring wise, these guys and girls can really wrestle. I would go as so far to say that the WWE currently has it’s best roster in the way of in-ring entertainers that it’s ever had.
Gone are the days of the Great Khali, Ryback, and Santino Marella and we are now welcomed with a core of superstars committed to quality professional wrestling. The WWE has made a concerted effort to bring in top-flight talent from all over the globe and it’s paid off in spades. Since the beginning of 2014 the company has signed, Samoa Joe, AJ Styles, Finn Balor, Kevin Owens, Asuka, and Shinsuke Nakamura, and that’s just to name a few. Group these stars in with the caliber roster that had already been compiled and you have a recipe for some terrific wrestling matches.
2016 got a slew of these tremendous bouts, so much so that it was actually difficult to narrow down a top 15. But we gave it a shot.
Ahead we count down WWE’s top 15 matches from 2016.
Credit: WWE.com
Honorable Mentions
Just a few more matches that were really close and deserve some credit.
Kota Ibushi vs Brian Kendrick – Cruiserweight Classic Quarterfinals
Shinsuke Nakamura vs Finn Balor – NXT #204
Shinsuke Nakamura vs Austin Aries – NXT TakeOver: The End
AJ Styles vs Dean Ambrose – Backlash
Johnny Gargano vs Tommaso Ciampa – Cruiserweight Classic First Round
Source: WWE.com
15. Team RAW vs Team Smackdown – Survivor Series
Kicking off the top 15 was this gem from Survivor Series. This was undoubtedly the best elimination match since the 2003 event when Team Bischoff took on Team Austin. When a match goes on for close to an hour but can still keep a viewer glued to edge of their seat the entire time, you know something special is going on.
This was just a master-class in elimination wrestling as both sides weaved their current feuds and rivalries into the bout while still fighting valiantly against their opponents. Every member of this match had shining moments, even Shane McMahon, the wild card, was able to throw in a couple of his patented high spots. And it was overly satisfying to see Bray Wyatt get such a massive win, as he and Randy Orton were the lone survivors in the midst of their brilliant partnership program.
Quick stat. Between the wrestlers in this match, there were 26 WWE world championships between them. No surprise that they pulled off the type of match that they did. It’s not easy to make sure that 10 guys can all look strong in one match, as so many other editions of this type of match have seen some wrestlers look invisible. But every single guy played his part perfectly on this night in November. Even James Ellsworth played a role, although things didn’t turn out nicely for him in the end. Smart booking, great psychology, and outstanding in-ring wrestling highlight number 15 from 2016. Shouldn’t it always be this easy?
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14. Money in the Bank Ladder Match – Money in the Bank
It seems like very year the Money In The Bank ladder match brings out the best in its competitors. It makes sense, though. Pitting 6 of the top title contenders in a match stocked full of tables, ladders, and chairs with the main prize being an almost guaranteed world championship hanging above the ring, fireworks almost always ensue. This years version was no different.
The grouping of 6 this year was just perfect. Between Cesaro, Alberto Del Rio, Dean Ambrose, Chris Jericho, Kevin Owens, and Sami Zayn, all these guys know full well how to entertain. This was an especially violent affair, more than most MITB matches, quite reminiscent of the Wrestlemania 21 match that saw Edge massacre his foes. Only this time, everyone played the role of anarchist. Especially Alberto Del Rio, who had an absolute stand-out performance which now can remind fans about how badly he’d been misused by the company. Everyone walked out of this match looking strong and outside of Del Rio, went on to have a very successful rest of 2016.
In the end, it was Ambrose who snatched the case and wasted little time cashing in later in the night against his former Shield partner, Seth Rollins. And man, did Dean earn it. He, like the rest of the supporting cast, all took massive punishment and proved once again just how great the Money In The Bank match can really be and just how important it is for every wrestler’s career.
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13. Dean Ambrose vs Kevin Owens – Last Man Standing Match – Royal Rumble
About 5 months before Dean Ambrose and Kevin Owens were to step into the aforementioned MITB match, they clashed in yet another ultra-violent affair at the The Royal Rumble. Just when you thought that it’s too difficult to have a great Last Man Standing match in the PG era, these two bucked that trend in a major way, this time battling over the Intercontinental title.
Coming off matches against each other at the previous 2 pay per views which saw Dean winning both, including one for the IC title at TLC, the two warriors put the feud to rest in a major way at the Rumble. If you look at the indy resumes of Owens and Ambrose you’ll see that they’re no strangers to savagery and they channeled their youths during this 20 minutes of mayhem. An argument can be made that this was the best last man standing match of all time.
It was paced perfectly and both guys looked like world beaters in this show-stealing performance. The high spots were brutal, no more than the match ending sequence of Owens going through two tables before being counted out. A match like this not only elevates a secondary title but does wonders for the futures of both combatants. Case in point, within 8 months after this match, Ambrose and Owens were both world champions.
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12. Roman Reigns vs AJ Styles – Extreme Rules Match – Extreme Rules
I, like many others, have voiced my reservations about Roman Reigns. Call him boring, call him cheesy, say he can’t wrestle, the list goes on and on. But one thing was for sure at Extreme Rules, he and AJ Styles tore the roof off the Prudential Center in Newark that night in May. Battling over the WWE Championship, Styles and Reigns put on one of the better main events of the year and proved that when Reigns is matched correctly, he can shine.
It’s very difficult to explain just how good Styles is. He resume speaks for itself. He’s the first wrestler to ever win IWGP Championship, TNA Championship, and WWE Championship while establishing himself globally as one of the all times greats. His signing by the WWE was a landmark deal and since arriving in the company, has helped everyone raise the bar. Reigns was unquestionably the biggest beneficiary of Styles brilliance as they battled at EC and Payback the month before.
This was the classic bruiser versus high-flyer that included huge high spots and major league drama. The sold out crowd was fully invested in all 22 minutes of battle and although the end was marred by some outside interference, it didn’t stop the encounter from being an instant classic. Say what you want about Reigns, but he brought the goods against The Phenomenal One here and the program helped bail out a title reign that was destined to fail from the outset.
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11. TJ Perkins vs Kota Ibushi – Cruiserweight Classic Semi-Finals
Make no mistake, Kota Ibushi is one of the best wrestlers in the world. He’s a 14 year veteran of the sport and made his mark primarily in Japan. So when he was added to the Cruiserweight Classic, many people speculated that he’d win. After conflicting reports about a full-time WWE contract, Ibushi blasted through the first 2 round but then ran into the buzz saw that was TJ Perkins.
Ibushi and Perkins, the eventual tournament winner, delighted Full Sail University in this semi-final battle. Having less than 15 minutes to work, the two cruisers managed to jam pack a lifetime’s worth of action into a small window of time. Instead of having just a spot-fest the two engaged in a physical chess match with Perkins trying to take out the legs of Ibushi thus neutralizing his brutal kicks. Ibushi on the other tried his best make TJ one-dimensional, attempting to ground the high-flier. Both strategies were effective so what unfolded was technical mastery mixed with fast paced action and a molten-hot crowd.
Perkins commitment to the lower limbs of Ibushi finally paid off as he forced to the Japanese standout to tap from the TJP Clutch. The two warriors got a massive standing ovation from the Full Sail crowd and Perkins used the momentum to win the tournament and the Cruiserweight belt. A terrific match in a tournament that was was chalk full of them. The best part? It was only the second best match from The Cruiserweight Classic. But I’ll get back to that later.
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10. The Revival vs American Alpha – NXT TakeOver: The End
On April 1st The Revival clashed with American Alpha at NXT TakeOver: Dallas in an all-action battle that saw Jordan and Gable take the belts and very nearly make the top 15 on this list. It was about the halfway point in the feud between two of the best teams in all of WWE and just 2 months later they’d do battle again at NXT TakeOver: The End. This time The Revival took the straps back and in doing so earned their second title and pulled off one of the best tag matches of the year.
The in-ring chemistry with these two teams is undeniable. They have the perfect ying and yang of the ultra-athletic, high octane duo versus the powerful, deliberately vicious heel tandem. This match played out just like that, with Dash and Dawson doing everything in their power to keep the pace slowed but being matched by the raw intensity of AA. The Revival taking the belts back was a bit of a surprise but it prompted the promotion of Gable and Jordan while solidifying The Revival as the best tag team in NXT history so far.
It’s only a matter of time before The Revival heads to the main roster and their fans are praying they don’t get The Ascension treatment. But with AA already there, the prospect of these two teams meeting up again is vastly intriguing. Let’s hope we see them tangle again soon.
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9. Dolph Ziggler vs The Miz – No Mercy
The sheer intensity between The Miz and Dolph Ziggler’s match at No Mercy in October was main event worthy. Ziggler had spent the previous couple of months chasing The Miz and his Intercontinental title around, proving unsuccessful each time. But that lack of success did not come without asterisks as every single one of Miz’s triumphs over The Show-Off came with some type of trickery and a bend of the rules. At Backlash the previous month, The Miz’s fiance, Maryse, sprayed a substance into his Dolph’s eyes which produced a heel victory.
So by the time No Mercy rolled around, Ziggler was at his wits end. So much so that he offered his career as a way to get one more crack at the title. With the idea of ending Ziggler’s career to appetizing to pass up, Miz agreed. The drama that led up to the match manifested itself inside the squared circle as it appeared Ziggler was fighting for his life and the crowd was right with him. After kicking out of two Skull-Crushing Finales as well as fighting off Maryse and The Spirit Squad, Ziggler finally hit pay dirt with a superkick for the 1-2-3.
As incredibly dramatic and awe-inspiring as both parties performances were, it’s a downright shame that Dolph dropped the belt just 8 days later back to The Miz. No matter how many he times he shines, he just can’t seem to break through. Miz on the hand continues to be the best pure heel in the company and has clearly proved that hes deserves another main event run. Matches like this can only help with both men’s future endeavors.
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8. Charlotte vs Sasha Banks vs Becky Lynch – Wrestlemania 32
At Wrestlemania 32 the future of women’s wrestling got a chance to shine on the biggest stage possible and shine they did. On a card that featured the likes of Chris Jericho, AJ Styles, Brock Lesnar, and The Undertaker, the 3 women on the card absolutely stole the show by a landslide. Charlotte, Banks, and Lynch went to war in and out of the ring and somewhat saved what should be considered one of the worst Manias of all time.
The three used thrilling, and unique pinning combos, hard-hitting strikes, and an aerial attack that dazzled the crowd for the better part of 16 minutes. With the pressure on the line of proving that the women’s division not only belongs on the big shows, the 3 women brought the goods and delivered a triple threat match that was as good as any of it’s kind over the past five years.
It’s been said for awhile that women’s wrestling in the WWE is the best it’s ever been and this match WM 32 match is a microcosm of that. Since this night, the division has only gotten better. So much so that 2 women (Banks and Charlotte) even main evented a pay per view. It makes sense. When you perform at the level that these 3 athletes did in Arlington that night in front of millions of viewers, people are bound to notice. It’s matches like this that make the dream of an all female Wrestlemania main event a reality.
Source: WWE.com
7. AJ Styles vs John Cena – SummerSlam
On paper, this was just a dream feud. A 15-time WWE champion against arguably the best wrestler on the planet for the last decade and a half going toe to toe over the course of three months. Wow, this was something that was unthinkable just 2 years ago. They first did battle on pay per view at Money In The Bank, with Styles emerging victorious, albeit with some help from Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows. Cena then gained a modicum of revenge defeating the trio in 6-man tag match with Enzo Amore and Big Cass at Battleground. The first match was good, the second one, not so much, but the third at SummerSlam blew the first two away.
SummerSlam, the WWE’s second biggest event of the year has always been seen as “the big stage”. Well Cena and Styles took that idea very seriously and over the course of 23 minutes put on a breath taking display of professional wrestling that stole the show at the Barclays Center in New York. Everything they provided this night was smooth and perfect, like two consummate pros putting on a wrestling clinic. With close to 40 years of experience and over 50 championships between them, that was no surprise.
Say what you want about Cena but the guy can entertain in the ring just as much as outside of it. Look no further than his matches over the years with CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, and Edge. And in putting Styles over at SummerSlam, he sent the Phenomenal One on a path to become WWE Champion, a feat he’d accomplish 3 weeks later at Backlash. Now that’s a productive victory. And with Cena returning to Smackdown before the year’s end, expect a few more classics between these two warriors.
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6. The Miz vs Cesaro vs Sami Zayn vs Kevin Owens – Extreme Rules
Simply put, this was the greatest fatal 4-way match of all time. It’s close but this match at Extreme Rules was slightly better than the John Cena/Edge/Randy Orton/Shawn Michaels match at Backlash 2007 as well as the Bret Hart/Steve Austin/Undertaker/Vader bout from In Your House in 1997. However, the stakes in this match were different from the two aforementioned. This time it was for the Intercontinental title but from the intensity shown here, you would think it was for the top prize in the company.
From start to finish this match was brilliantly chaotic. At times it was difficult to keep up with everything going on yet tantalizing to try. Previous story lines were played out perfectly with Cesaro looking to capture the belt he came so close to winning a month earlier at Payback and of course the on-going Zayn-Owens hatred was on full display. This war had no off-switch, with the action never slowing down for any of the 18 minutes and the finishing move ending sequence was just brilliant.
It’s hard to pick an MVP from this match because each guy had such a huge role in pulling off this masterpiece. And like many of the matches so far on this list, the crowd was a major factor, as the Prudential Center crowd was on fire. It seemed like they didn’t care who won because they just knew they were a part of something special and when The Miz finally came away with the victory, they got to groan over the smug heel reigning supreme, a favorite past time for wrestling fans. If there ever was fatal 4-way that screamed perfection, it was this one.
Credit: WWE.com
5. Kota Ibushi vs Cedric Alexander – Cruiserweight Classic Round 2
Not only was the match between Ibushi and Alexander a top 5 match in 2016, it contained possibly the best moment of the year as well. In all the years I’ve watched pro wrestling I truthfully can’t remember a match that has a more beautiful, slow build that manifested into such fast paced action. And wow, this was a stiff affair, with kicks, punches, and chops echoing throughout the Full Sail arena. These guys clearly wanted to show that they meant business.
Now as noted before, Ibushi is one of the best in the world, but Cedric matched him in every category from start to finish. His suicide senton dive, springboard clothesline, and standing brainbuster were moments that could be included on any WWE highlight reel for the next decade. And wow, did the NXT crowd love Cedric? They were insane over his performance, giving him a standing ovation and chanting. Cedric, overcome with emotion openly wept at the response as this was clearly the biggest moment of his young career. For any wrestling fan, it truly was a tear-jerker, especially when Triple H came out. Check it out:
I don’t want to take anything away from Ibushi because he was his normal, brilliant self. But on this night in Winter Park, Florida, the WWE discovered a star. Within 3 months, he was signed to a WWE contract and proved that winning isn’t everything in the wrestling business. But hard work, dedication, and love of the sport is the crux of what really gets you to the top.
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4. The Revival vs Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa – NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn II
Have I mentioned before that I think that the The Revival is the best tag team in the entire WWE? Well let me reiterate. Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson are not only the best tag team in the company, but with the right booking have the potential to be the best team the WWE has ever had. And if you ever want a shining example of the superiority look no further than this match against DIY at TakeOver: Brooklyn.
Now as good as Dash and Dawson were in this match, this was also the night that Gargano and Ciampa stood out. Not to say that either one of them hadn’t shined before, quite the contrary. But as a tag team this was their breakout performance and in going toe to toe so evenly with The Revival it proved that they are two of the brightest young stars in the company. Even in defeat, DIY looked like future champions.
It was absolutely thrilling to watch a match with such a basic tag team formula turn out so good. The Revival used the run of the mill heel teamwork to wear down Ciampa while Gargano begged and pleaded with the referee in an attempt to get the hot tag. And when he did, the pop from the crowd was electrified. The baby faces came so close, so many times, only for Dash and Dawson to destroy Gargano’s left knee eventually forcing him to tap from a modified figure four. I was out of breath just watching. But as good as it was, believe it or not, they’d do it even better 3 months later.
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3. Sami Zayn vs Kevin Owens – Battleground
Is it possible for these two guys to have a bad match against each other? Granted they’ve been warring with each other in the WWE and the indy wrestling scene for the past 7 years and have battered each other in every type of match you can think of, but still. At Battleground in July the two engaged in just a regular-old singles match and proved that no matter what setting they wrestle each other in it’s always going to be a classic.
2 months prior to this match, the two beat the tar out of each other as members of the aforementioned fatal 4-way with The Miz and Cesaro. In fact, their utter disdain for each other was the reason neither won that night as they couldn’t focus on the task at hand with blind hatred in their eyes. So when they finally met up again on PPV, they took every emotion the past 7 years had built up and let it loose. Owens was surgical, dissecting Zayn’s arm after after Sami had fallen awkwardly on a botched flip to the outside. Zayn was just as vicious, suplexing KO on the apron and delivering two massive Helluva Kicks for the victory.
At one point, the two stood in the middle of the ring delivering simultaneous punches to each other’s heads. It was like the embodiment of this storied rivalry. And although this was the “blow-off” match in 2016, it would be a shame and a shock if this feud is not reignited some time soon. Ranking number 3 in 2016, it was still the best match that the main roster produced and one that is capable of being a main event on any show, regardless of the stage.
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2. Sami Zayn vs Shinsuke Nakamura – NXT TakeOver: Dallas
When this match was signed for TakeOver: Dallas, everyone pretty much knew that it had the potential for a 5 star classic. Zayn, in what would be his last match in NXT taking on Nakamura making his debut, have both shown throughout their respective careers that they’re both incapable of having a bad match. You could pair up these two guys against the Bushwackers in a tag team match and they’d find a way to create magic.
Nakamura the NJPW standout stepped into the NXT ring and put on what could possibly be the best debut in the history of WWE. There was lot of hype behind The King of Strong Style and any doubt about his talent was erased over the course of 20 electrifying minutes. It was stiff, violent and beautiful all at once and the NXT crowd ate it up with numerous chants of “Fight Forever!” This match was devoid of all close 2 counts and over the top highlight reel moves. It was just pure, unadulterated professional wrestling performed by two absolute geniuses of the mat.
Zayn, in his NXT finale let it all hang on and showed pretty convincingly that he’s the best seller in the business. In doing so, he passed the torch to the new star for Full Sail University and put his stamp on Nakamura as the next big thing. After Nakamura got the pin, he graciously left the ring to let Sami have a teary goodbye to his gracious NXT fans. What most believed would be brilliant, was that and more and when it was all said and done two men proved that the future of the WWE is in great hands.
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1. The Revival vs Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa – NXT TakeOver: Toronto
To be perfectly honest, I grappled for days over numbers 1 and 2 for this list. But at the end of the day, my love of professional wrestling is the reason I chose the rematch between DIY and The Revival. On paper, Nakamura versus Zayn might have had the better technical match, but I cannot remember the last time a match has had me so glued to the edge of my seat the way these two teams did that November night in Toronto.
It was a perfect storm at TakeOver. On one side you had one of the hottest teams the NXT universe had ever seen in Gargano and Ciampa taking on a heel duo of Wilder and Dawson who’s heat with the fans was thermonuclear. Add to the fact that DIY had come so desperately close 3 months earlier at TakeOver: Brooklyn II and the intervening months had been marred by verbal and physical assaults by The Revival, when this night finally rolled around it had the NXT crowd whipped into a frenzy. And for the next 22-plus minutes the near 13,000 fans in attendance cheered at every move and groaned at every near 3 count. It truly was an astounding sight to see.
The emotions of this match alone worked almost as a time machine, bringing wrestling fans back to the drama of the days of old in the business. Everything about it was just perfect. The build-up, the story, the joy, the despair, and the triumph of 2 independent wrestling scene sweethearts who finally made good on the big stage. The Revival deserves just as much credit as Gargano and Ciampa as their style much like The Minnesota Wrecking Crew were perfect fodder for what took place in the ring that night. Back and forth warfare, perfect pacing, numerous near falls, and an overall lust to be champion is what made this what it was.
And what was it? The best match of 2016.
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