Wait, kayfabe is dead and everything is real you say? Damn.
Anyway, it's been a year, WHICH MEANS IT'S TIME FOR THE ANNUAL WRESTLING RANT AWARDS!
With the year coming to an end in a few hours, its time for me to honour the good, the bad and the intriguing moments, matches and wrestlers that have stormed to the forefront in WWE this past year with the sixth annual running of these awards. While my awards do focus on Vince McMahon's Connecticut based worldwide juggernaut, if something from another promotion can outstage them in a category, I will not forget to honour them (as long as I've seen it of course).
Without further ado, we have twenty-eight award to get through and present, so lets get started on sifting through this gargantuan lot.
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"IN THE NEWS" STORY OF THE YEAR:
WWE Hall Of Famer Donald Trump is elected President Of The United States
Just when I think another wrestling death will take this award, something came along that was so seismic, that not even wrestling could escape it. To have Chyna's death, an event that was covered in most mainstream news outlets be usurped by something, it had to be big. The use of that word is the understatement of the decade, as wrestling and normality managed to blur the lines of reality and fiction on November 8th when Donald Trump was elected President Of The United States. Due to how massive this was and how it connects into wrestling in more ways than one, there's no way I could deny 'The Donald' another trophy to his ridiculous repertoire considering the title he is about to receive.
It seems quite insane to believe that the man who hosted WrestleMania's IV & V, shaved Vince McMahon's head bald at WrestleMania 23, bought RAW then sold it back after a successful commercial free episode and was inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame will become the 'Leader Of The Free World' next year. While many around the world and within the United States can't stand the fact that the election of such a dislikable man politically and socialogically managed to happen, it's a story that overtook wrestling and gave Vince McMahon's fictitious Hall of Fame a sense of 'unexpected class' to have a future President sit within it. On top of it, former WWE CEO Linda McMahon was appointed head of the Small Business Administration, finally achieving substantial political clout after her failed attempts of trying to get into the Senate. When you add that into proceedings, it makes this news stories impact on wrestling even more.
Trump said to Jesse Ventura while sitting at ringside at WrestleMania XX in 2004 that 'its time we put a wrestler in the White House'. While he did so expecting Ventura himself to run, I don't think us as fans or even Trump himself ever expected twelve years down the line that a WWE Hall Of Famer, no matter which wing of it he's in, would be at the top of the world's political ladder. It's arguably the biggest story of the year, and to have it involve WWE at all is a minor miracle... bringing the insanity and unpredictability that makes wrestling great full circle right within this real world of ours. With Rhyno being elected to the Michigan State Legislature on the same day, wrestling and politics finally managed to make a wave, however thanks to Trump it ended up being a tsunami, and with Booker T running for mayor of Houston i 2019, we could see even more wrestlers running themselves over the bureaucratic ropes. Whether Trump's presidency proves to be a deadly one however, will have to be judged once he ascends to his position in January.
It seems quite insane to believe that the man who hosted WrestleMania's IV & V, shaved Vince McMahon's head bald at WrestleMania 23, bought RAW then sold it back after a successful commercial free episode and was inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame will become the 'Leader Of The Free World' next year. While many around the world and within the United States can't stand the fact that the election of such a dislikable man politically and socialogically managed to happen, it's a story that overtook wrestling and gave Vince McMahon's fictitious Hall of Fame a sense of 'unexpected class' to have a future President sit within it. On top of it, former WWE CEO Linda McMahon was appointed head of the Small Business Administration, finally achieving substantial political clout after her failed attempts of trying to get into the Senate. When you add that into proceedings, it makes this news stories impact on wrestling even more.
Trump said to Jesse Ventura while sitting at ringside at WrestleMania XX in 2004 that 'its time we put a wrestler in the White House'. While he did so expecting Ventura himself to run, I don't think us as fans or even Trump himself ever expected twelve years down the line that a WWE Hall Of Famer, no matter which wing of it he's in, would be at the top of the world's political ladder. It's arguably the biggest story of the year, and to have it involve WWE at all is a minor miracle... bringing the insanity and unpredictability that makes wrestling great full circle right within this real world of ours. With Rhyno being elected to the Michigan State Legislature on the same day, wrestling and politics finally managed to make a wave, however thanks to Trump it ended up being a tsunami, and with Booker T running for mayor of Houston i 2019, we could see even more wrestlers running themselves over the bureaucratic ropes. Whether Trump's presidency proves to be a deadly one however, will have to be judged once he ascends to his position in January.
WRESTLING MEME OF THE YEAR:
#BeatUpJohnCena
#BeatUpJohnCena
Last year, he swamped videos around the internet proclaiming his name in a move that cemented his pop culture status. Then against all odds, the Cenation Superman has done it again, this time it was instigated by a person you'll be hearing a lot of in this article: AJ Styles. The Club proclaimed on the 4th July episode of RAW that nothing is more fun than beating up John Cena, listing off the occasions and things they would do alongside beating up WWE's franchise player, from there the internet went mad with it, turning Cena into an image macro icon, despite him not featuring in all but name in them.
Whether it was LeBron James post-NBA title win, Yugi Motoh post-stutter or a parody of the already huge Straight Out Of Compton title card memes, this image macro never got old from its inception. The promo itself was funny enough, to not have the creativity of its usage not outstay it's welcome. Although it may have petered out in popularity as a meme once its invaded and became a purveyor of Styles' gimmick, it is still the biggest one to shake the internet up. While Unexpected Cena's are still going around, as long as Styles continues to reference it, this meme will not die quietly.
PPV THEME SONG OF THE YEAR:
'No Mercy' - Kit (No Mercy 2016)
'No Mercy' - Kit (No Mercy 2016)
Not since SummerSlam 2015's award winning song last year has a seen a theme song that fits itself so well. Unlike most of the WWE's chosen themes for PPV's, Kit's 'No Mercy' is dark, intense and anthemic, making you feel the blood coursing through your veins as you can't wait to see Smackdown's more driven and emotional rivalries come to a head off the heels of what BackLash gave us. While the event itself ended up being disappointing due to booking issues and a lack of cohesion throughout, this song still holds a menacing but fun aspect to it where even months after the PPV ended, it stays in my mind. It was the first true rock song that was a PPV theme this year and it proved why it is the genre of choice for them.
I will be keeping an eye on Kit's music in the future, as this is a good indication of what quality he can give. He even followed me on Twitter following my praise for this song, which was a lovely gesture. Hopefully he can continue to provide songs as good as this, and can return with a PPV theme that could be next years winner. Lets hope that becomes a reality.
INSPIRATIONAL WRESTLER OF THE YEAR:
Daniel Bryan
His retirement due to injury was a bittersweet pill to swallow, as we saw the career of technically the best wrestler of his generation come to an end at the prime of his career. However it ensured that we'd not have to suffer through another Benoit Tragedy due to it, which is a saving grace we can agree on. All in all, Bryan's position was an untenable one, but he's still here, entertaining us and allowing his knowledge to be passed down for generations. He has opened the doors for so many within WWE, to become a superstar, and for that they will thank him. For fans who struggle to believe in themselves, they can look at what Bryan has achieved and find solace in that anything is possible.
That, ladies and gentlemen, is an inspiration if I've ever heard one. Daniel Bryan and the resounding YES! Movement he created rightly deserves this award. In his role as SmackDown GM he can continue to entertain and surprise us, even though he's not wrestling anymore. As a human being, we all want to strive to be him, and that's something no one can take away from him.
COMEBACK OF THE YEAR:
Zack Ryder
Zack Ryder
A comeback in WWE is something that thanks to the second Brand Extension, can be attributed to many as the wrestlers who were forgotten about for years on RAW and SmackDown have been given a chance or two to make a name for themselves. Sadly, many have failed, while a person like The Miz took their 'brass ring' and made themselves well known again. However, instead of rewarding The Miz here, I've decided to give this award to a wrestler who went from nowhere, to stardom and then into a semi-prominent role in the company and found stability that he hadn't had for long time before. That wrestler is Zack Ryder.
Before WrestleMania, we'd not see Ryder for ages, as he'd been spending his minimal time on RAW being squashed by heels, and plying his work in NXT's tag team division alongside Mojo Rawley as part of The Hype Bros. Following Neville's injury a week before the biggest PPV of the year, a wrestler was needed to be inserted into the Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match, and Ryder's name was chosen. Many saw him to be a small part in the match and would achieve nothing, but it was that proven wrong as he ended up winning the whole thing. Against all logic and odds, Ryder had gotten his WrestleMania moment. It was sublime, and even though he lost the title a night later to The Miz, he was still prominent on RAW for the next few months, getting mid-card championship opportunities on RAW and PPV's while regaining an audience that left him after his mix-up with John Cena in 2012. Since being drafted to SmackDown alongside a debuting Rawley, he's found a place in their Tag Team Division, where even though he's not found much immediate success, he's still on TV most weeks and winning matches more often than he has in years. He is all in all happy with where he is in the company, which comes a long way from almost quitting last year due to underutilisation, to where his hard work since has been given its just rewards.
While Miz's accomplishments since the turn of the year are worthy of this award, to come back from absolute zero to WrestleMania triumph and roster solidity through hard work and determination makes Ryder's 2016 story much more empathetic and brilliant. Miz was still somewhat prominent thanks to movie roles, great gimmick and mid card status; for Ryder to make the moves he did this year was quite great to see and showcased that WWE through its injury hit year needed to use its lower talent and make them credible. As a result, he wins this award with my utmost pleasure.
RISING STAR OF 2017:
Rusev
After five years of cursed winners, The Rising Star Award finally had its first success with Kevin Owens winning the Universal Title in late August. It makes me feel relieved that the award for 'wrestler that is destined for major success in the next year' finally got a winner to live up to that promise. Now however, I have to scour WWE's talent pool for someone else to take that mantle.
While Bayley, Braun Strowman, Cesaro, Baron Corbin and Big Cass spring to mind, only one name sticks out more and that's Rusev.
The Bulgarian Brute has had a 2016 to forget as he's been lost in the shuffle on RAW, featured as part of the disorganised League Of Nations and fought with WWE's now reluctant golden boy in Roman Reigns in a hard hitting but losing effort to re-establish himself. While he won the US Title for a second time, he still hasn't been treated like the threat we know he could be. He's incredibly athletic and knows how to talk on the mic, his matches while formulaic have intrigue and against the right opponent with the right build, he makes them work. However, while he is a sublime heel, his work in recent times against Roman Reigns gave off the aura of a patriotic babyface that made him more sympathetic than his opponent, gaining a lot of support from WWE fans wanting to see the Patriotic Face gimmick be swerved on its head and be given a new lease of life. If WWE were to take advantage of that and spearhead the juggernaut forward, he could be a viable threat to the top of the company. Would it be good to say that a trade to SmackDown could be the rocket up the backside he'd need to grow in that role? Who knows. All I know, is that Rusev has more potential than Corbin, Strowman and Cass, the big men who Vince likes in making a superstar out of himself.
Whatever Rusev has done, he's tried his damnedest and put his heart into it to make it work, and has the ability to make his programmes worth watching simply by being there, even if they're not good. He's better than WWE's other big men and has the potential to finally, after three years of solid yet inconsistent build, make an impact and win the big one at some point in 2017. Lets hope he can, as time may be running out for the man, as competition continues to rise while he flounders. Lets hope WWE makes the right decision, as I'd hate to see a man of Rusev's talents go to waste.
MAIN ROSTER ROOKIE OF THE YEAR:
AJ Styles
Calling AJ Styles a 'rookie' sounds like an insult, but it shouldn't be. This is an award for the best of those who have debuted on the main roster this year. While Finn Balor, Alexa Bliss, Enzo & Cass and even James Ellsworth have made splashes this year, it doesn't compare with the tsunami that Styles caused to the main roster, cementing himself as WWE's best all-round performer in the process.
In the eleven months since his debut, he's won the WWE World Championship, had most of his PPV efforts be Match Of The Year contenders and had great feuds with John Cena, Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns and Chris Jericho. All in all, if you're looking at WWE's MVP over the last year, Styles is most definitely deserving of that title. Therefore as a result, it's a formality for him to be given this award.
Much like Kevin Owens last year, Styles made a massive statement and took to mainstream WWE life like he'd been there for years. Sure, many years in TNA and New Japan helped prepare him for it, but it still doesn't dampen the impact he's made since debuting in the Royal Rumble match, from there, he's just soared and its amazing to see.
NON-WRESTLER OF THE YEAR:
Daniel Bryan
When Daniel Bryan retired from active competition in February, many were wondering whether we'd see him again in a WWE ring. It took all of five months for him to come back to the ring, as Shane McMahon's General Manager on SmackDown. Utilising his connection with the fans and close association with WWE's current product, Bryan ensured that the role felt legitimate and his authority was unquestionable, which is something that Mick Foley, his RAW counterpart couldn't match.
Vince McMahon, Stephanie McMahon and Paul Heyman had off years where even their presence didn't hold the same effect. Bob Backlund didn't help Darren Young become great again, Ric Flair while starting off brightly lost his way and vanished from television. Mick Foley often missed the mark where being overshadowed by Stephanie lost him credibility, and if Shane McMahon hadn't been in the ring at WrestleMania and Survivor Series, he could've been in contention. All in all when looking at the non-wrestlers of the year there were basically none to fall back on outside of the G.O.A.T. for support.
Saying Daniel Bryan's retirement was a great thing due to this wouldn't be the best thing to say, however it did mean that thanks to it, we were allowed a trump card that makes SmackDown a must watch show most weeks. Unlike Foley and the rest of his fellow on-screen authority counterparts, Bryan is someone you can listen to and find confidence in with this type of position. To have that in modern WWE is rare, and as such, I welcome it with open arms.
COMMENTATOR OF THE YEAR:
Mauro Ranallo (SmackDown/Cruiserwight Classic/205 Live)
Since the Brand Extension started back in July, WWE's usual loathsome commentators got split up and reconfigured, allowing for new pairings and a surge of good quality to come out of the most derived part of WWE's programming outside the writing staff for the first time in years. While they aren't the most consistent of standard bears for quality, there has been one man who has defined what a good wrestling commentator should be like, and his name is Mauro Ranallo.
Ranallo is no stranger to combat sports having been a boxing commentator, MMA analyst and the former English voice of New Japan, so coming into WWE seemed a natural progression for him. He debuted earlier this year as SmackDown's new play-by-play man and has re-energised the position by doing exactly what a good play-by-play man does, talk about the matches. He calls the moves correctly, reflects the history of not just the competitors but of the business with much vigour and excitement, to where the fakeness of Michael Cole's scripted drivel is more clear to see and hear week after week. While having JBL, David Otunga and more recently Tom Phillips by his side may hinder some, but Ranallo's professionalism has allowed those three to feel at home and work off the seasoned pro to make SmackDown's commentary worth the time even if it is overloaded. Then we come to the NXT Takeover pre-show panels, that when Ranallo's appears, we are treated to his enthusiasm and dedication to using the history of wrestling for his predictions, makes his opinion carry legitimacy and make the panel feel like an actual analysis programme that other televised sports utilise, something that Booker T, Lita and Jerry Lawler struggled to convey regularly on PPV nights. Not to mention, his Cruiserweight Classic commentary was sublime as well, with that same authenticity making it an insanely fun watch.
While Corey Graves work on NXT, RAW and 205 Live have been the shining lights of their respective shows, Ranallo's beacon shone brighter. One day, Ranallo will usurp Cole's place as the voice of wrestling on WWE programming and it will be done if he continues on the run he's been on, by making me not want to mute anything he's on.
"EL STUPIDO AWARD" for STUPIDEST WRESTLING MOMENT OF THE YEAR:
Fans complain about the Universal Championship design, ruining Seth Rollins VS Finn Balor at SummerSlam 2016
The 'El Stupido' Award is my favourite of the Wrestling Rant Awards collection, where I take the stupidest thing I find in the wrestling world and give it the hairdryer treatment it deserves. This year's award has been the most hotly contested I've ever had, with a myriad of nominees coming to light. Jim Cornette's ripping apart of Lucha Underground as not being 'wrestling', that idiot who threw the beach ball around the crowd on the post-WrestleMania RAW, and Kevin Dunn's volume control over the WrestleMania main event were contenders but thankfully for the the King Of Big Teeth, he has been usurped by the fans he's been muting for most of the last year as they decided they could ruin a match all on their own, thanks in the most part to the design of a new championship.
The Finn Balor/Seth Rollins match at SummerSlam was highly anticipated, with many fans wanting to see a hard-fought bout between two of the worlds finest wrestlers. With it being for a brand new championship, the intrigue for the match increased ever more with the fans wondering what the new strap would look like and more importantly whose waist it would end up being wrapped around. Before the match began, RAW Commissioner Stephanie McMahon and GM Mick Foley unveiled the belt, a red strapped, gold and black version of the WWE World Championship belt, and the fans in Brooklyn erupted in boos. They then proceeded to pepper the much awaited championship bout with jeers and chants of 'That. Belt. Sucks' in the style of New Day Rocks, 'This Title Sucks' in tune with Cena's theme song, 'Hey, we want a new belt' in the style of Hey We Want Some Bayley, and the modified version of the Sheamus staple, 'that looks stupid'. As a result, a match that should've been of at maximum four star quality, dissolved and descented into under two star mediocrity as thanks to that crowd, it didn't have the energy it needed, with the wrestlers hard work being ignored as the fans decided to vent at WWE creative instead of investing in a marquee attraction. Seth Rollins and Mick Foley noted their displeasure on Twitter and Facebook in the following days, criticising the Brooklyn crowd for letting them, the match and the belt down. It was just insanity that the fans could be that fickle and stupid. Their outburst was even more irritating when the SmackDown Women's and Tag Team belts were revealed to be differently coloured copies of their RAW counterparts, but instead of being derided, they were WELL RECEIVED by the fans. On top of it all, even though the newly announced United Kingdom Championship is just the WWE Championship with a new centre plate, people are happy with it because it's not red. Talk about hypocrisy.
Four months later, the belt looks fine, but the memory of that statement of fan displeasure didn't leave my head. Unlike last year, where a fan revolt at Roman Reigns winning the Royal Rumble Match was denied this award by Sunny's racist Facebook tirade, I'm not going to sidestep the derision and give these types of smart wrestling fans the humiliation they deserve. The 2015 Royal Rumble outburst and riot may have been worse in comparison, but this was just depressing and amongst a year of sizeable stupid moments, it feels right to give the worst of the self-clamouring wrestling audience the award which has avoided them for so long. If you're reading this, and you were amongst that SummerSlam crowd, I hope you understand what petty thing you did, and ensure no repetition of it happens again.
WORST FEUD OF THE YEAR:
Dolph Ziggler VS Baron Corbin
There have been a few feuds this year that have left me feeling somewhat irritated. Darren Young VS Titus O'Neil, Charlotte VS Natalya and Gallows & Anderson VS The New Day spring to mind. However, the winning feud had FOUR months to do the simple job and get the heel over, but thanks to a horrible combination of indecisive 50/50 booking and poor PPV card placement, the bad taste that Ziggler VS Corbin left in my mouth is still felt well after it finished.
Straight off surprisingly winning the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania 32, Corbin set his sights on destroying Dolph Ziggler on the post-Mania RAW to ensure his destructive in-ring style would be used effectively in what looked like his first stride towards a mid-card title. The feud had some crowd heat and enough intrigue for its first PPV encounter to be a worthwhile but hopefully one-sided watch. Sadly, it was put it on the pre-show and Ziggler won with a flukey roll-up. From there, both men did little on RAW or SmackDown to increase the intensity from week to week, with Corbin gaining his victory in a poor No DQ Match on the Extreme Rules pre-show, so when Corbin's feud winning victory came at on the main Money In the Bank card, it felt inconsequential and worth absolutely nothing. It impacted to much that when Corbin arrived on SmackDown post-Brand Extension, he had little to do while Ziggler, who I may remind was the LOSER in this feud ended up fighting for the WWE World and Intercontinental Championship on the same brand for the rest of the year.
While Baron Corbin has been clawing his way back up the card with his rivalry with Kalisto, it's taken him a long time to recover from what this feud did to him and while Ziggler has risen far above his Worst Superstar Of The Year winning status that bestowed him last year, the unnecessarily strong booking of him in this feud and the irritation it caused are what keeps him in a Worst Feud Of The Year award winning position for the second year in a row. That is quite sad, but this feud shows how embarrassing 50/50 booking is, and serves as a reminder that sometimes with some wrestlers and their storylines, you should strike while the iron is hot instead of waiting for a time to serve both men equally.
FEUD OF THE YEAR:
John Cena VS AJ Styles
John Cena being in the Feud Of The Year with arguably the best wrestler on the roster for the second year running? Considering what made Cena VS Owens so good was replicated with Cena VS Styles, it seems a no brainer that I had to give it to 'Big Match John' for showing up and delivering the goods.
It was the long-awaited dream match, Mr. WWE versus Mr. TNA. A battle that many had waited for since both men debuted in the early 2000's on opposite sides of the United States wrestling spectrum. They were finally paired together for the showdown of a lifetime when the stars finally aligned. Styles turned heel, lambasted everything that Cena had done in his career, with the 15-time champ biting back with some venom in ripping apart Styles accomplishments and his fellow New Japan alumni in Gallows & Anderson as they set stage for the first battle at Money In The Bank. It was superb, with Styles winning thanks to interference, they then battled in a six-man tag team match at Battlegroud which Cena, Enzo & Cass won. What followed was a titanic rematch at SummerSlam, and with no interference, Styles got the rub that no 'new' WWE wrestler had gotten for years, which was a big match, big-four PPV win against the titan that props up Titan Towers. They re-visited the feud in the acclaimed Triple Threat Match at No Mercy, throwing a volatile Dean Ambrose into the mix and it was made even better. It was an entertaining and sublime rivalry, that may not be finished just yet with Cena's impending return on the horizon.
These two showed why they are considered, alongside Daniel Bryan and Seth Rollins, the best American wrestlers of their generation and put on a feud for the ages, with sublime matches, supplemented by realistic and gritty mic work and a great sense of storytelling having Styles come out on top. While we may have another battle between the two coming in the next year to settle it, what they put on this year was a great showcase of what a sheer battle of one-upmanship looks like. For the second year in a row, a future world champion got put over by 'Big Match John'. However, unlike Owens, Styles got the better of the perennial poster boy over the three bouts, something that will stay in the mind long after their rivalry is over. Nonetheless, while other feuds like Miz VS Ziggler and Rollins VS Owens & Jericho tried their hardest, none would be able to come close to this barnstormer that truly lived up to its Dream Match tag by giving us the most consistently good quality material this year.
"SHELTON BENJAMIN AWARD" for UNDERRATED WRESTLER OF THE YEAR:
The Miz
Last years inaugural winner of the 'Shelton Benjamin Award' was Cesaro, a man whose in-ring skills are lauded but unrewarded and while his mic skills are acceptable, are never given the time to be improved upon. Overall, he was a worthy winner. This year, a similar story has been found in The Miz, a man who is respected for his mic ability, but hasn't had the chance to showcase it for the longest time, and his wrestling ability is not talked about or mocked whenever it is. As a result, even though Miz has won the Intercontinental Championship and revitalised his career since the Brand Extension, he still isn't getting the respect he deserves for how good of a wrestler he is, which is why he deserves winning this award a lot more than the man who got it last year.
He may not be the 'flips and kicks' highlight reel that proffesional wrestlers are nowadays, but much like the best on WWE's roster, he can tell a story and play his character superbly whenever he's on screen. I stated in my Survivor Series PPV Review that Ric Flair giving Miz the Figure Four lock a few years ago made sense because he was the modern day incarnation of The Nature Boy, and when you look at that claim in comparison with Miz himself, it makes sense. His wrestling skills are grounded and realistic, fuelled by the hatred and energy of his character to where you want to see people beat him up, only for him to come out on top and make the story even more maddening for the viewer watching. While that may not lead to the best of matches, when put with the right opponent, Miz showed that he's a master at proving you don't need to be the most athletic wrestler in the world to be successful in today's incarnation of the sport. Also, considering he had Match Of The Year performances against Dolph Ziggler at No Mercy and TLC alongside the Fatal-4-Way at Extreme Rules and Ladder Match at WrestleMania 32, he has proven his worth despite how underrated that in-ring work is. As for his mic work, similar to Flair, when given the platform to be as blunt and truthful as possible, he made himself the centre of attention and reminded us why such an easily hateable gimmick is a joy to watch in a WWE where most of the heels are loved for similar actions. His Talking Smack tirade against Daniel Bryan was a piece de resistance example on how to be a bad guy and draw the audience in.
All in all, while I could've given this to Roman Reigns for proving his in-ring work and mic skills are better than many say, having The Miz showcase that in a more emphatic way without receiving the attention is a more justifiable reason as to why The A-Lister is worthy of the award. His gimmick may have gotten him into a high-profile position on SmackDown, but it's been his in-ring and mic skills that have kept him there, even if they haven't been the most consistent over the past year. While that may be the case, when looking at the broader picture, Miz has proven that he deserves better opponents and storylines going forward to ensure his abilities are heightened and exposed more. He's shown this year what he can do when supplied with them, lets hope they continue to where the name of 'The Miz' isn't a joke, but respected for what he can give.
WORST GIMMICK OF THE YEAR:
The Golden Truth
GIMMICK OF THE YEAR:
"Broken" Matt Hardy (TNA)
All in all, this is just surreal, and it rightfully should be. No one expected the 'Broken' Matt Hardy character to work, but by all sorts of miracles and great presentation on TNA's front, it has. While the company has gone through a lot of financial and creative worries this year, to where the television product lacks any semblance of stability, if there's one thing that will get us to tune in, it's the story of one crazed North Carolinian and his random as hell family. Hell, if WWE are pressured by your popularity to copy it with The Wyatt Family, then you know you've done well. So congratulations Matt on gatecrashing this award and taking it home, hopefully I won't be DELETED by you as a result.
TAG TEAM OF THE YEAR:
The Revival (NXT)
WWE's Tag Team Division has been bolstered by the additions of NXT call-ups The Vaudevillians, American Alpha and Enzo & Cass while NJPW arrivals Gallows & Anderson, the newly revitalised heel Uso's and perennial favourites The New Day have seemingly made the main rosters divisions across two brands look to have names that make it stand out. While that all sounds good on paper, in actuality none of those teams have really impressed with poor matches, feuds or in most cases bland promo skills that don't satisfy. As a result, I don't consider any of them to be worthy of this award, even with New Day's record breaking run finally coming to fruition. Instead, I've decided to go to NXT and choose Dash Wilder & Scott Dawson, colloquially known as The Revival as this years winners.
I haven't watched too much of NXT this year, but there's one thing I'm sure of, whenever I have and these two have been involved, it has been a worthwhile experience. Their brutality, simple psychological in-ring style and their no holds barred and blunt mic work make them thoroughly entertaining. They're easy to hate and are a true showcase of what a well executed team looks like in the modern era. They became the first ever two-time NXT Tag Team Champions in 2016, rebounding after their loss with venom and intensity, which had them winning the belts again, showcasing themselves as a team unlike many former Tag champions, as they didn't rest on their laurels and continued to make their presence felt across the brand. Their matches have been great, their promos were simple but effective and they've proven to be the best and most-well rounded team in WWE today, something that even Jim Cornette agrees with.
These two will most-likely be called up to the main roster once their programme with DIY ends, and they will hopefully inject some intensity into the main roster scene which despite its name value, doesn't hold up as strongly as the burgeoning NXT scene seems to, even with many of its key names leaving.
WORST PPV EVENT OF THE YEAR:
Hell In A Cell (3.25/10)
NOTE: NXT Takeover events and other Network specials are ineligible for this award.
At the beginning of the year, with most of the PPV's achieving solid ratings, I didn't think I'd see a 'poor' show all year. Sadly, post-Brand Extension, we saw how limiting the concept could be as the writing teams on both shows with a limited talent pool delivered a series of poor shows from October through December. Survivor Series and TLC were the anomalies, with the latter being consistent with the best of the first half of the year but both brands showcased how little care was done to ensure the matches mattered outside of a few cases. No Mercy despite having two of the best Matches of the Year, faltered everywhere else and scored a 4 out of 10 rating, while Roadblock: End Of The Line, lumbered through its night with the Women's Iron Man Match at the Tag Team Title match proving its lone highlights, however its score of a 3.5 out of 10 was summilarily beaten in October, as Hell In A Cell showcased that even with great matches making the gimmick stand tall, the rest of the card failed to deliver any semblance of quality.
The New Day VS Sheamus & Cesaro, while being good at Roadblock, felt incredibly flat two months earlier, with no sense of intensity, urgency and quality as the supposed best team in the company and two of its best mid card wrestlers were made to look incompetent. Perkins VS Kendrick despite a nice title change was a slow and plodding mess that couldn't decide what identity the match wanted, Bayley VS Dana Brooke while executing some great psychology faltered everywhere else, while Enzo & Cass VS Gallows & Anderson infuriated as its momentum and attempts to keep both teams strong neutered the eventual win and made the crowd die with it. I will give credit to Rollins, Jericho, Banks & Flair for making the Hell in A Cell Matches worth their time as physical and violent contests, that even with their problems propped the show up with a ***½ and **** rating respectively, but when you have Reigns VS Rusev prove to be an anti-climactic and frustrating watch despite its intensity, by the end of the night despite being entertained somewhat, I left the show angry that the matches on hand were squandered so easily, like the writers and wrestlers couldn't co-operate in making this PPV's quality feel worth its time.
While I am happy that the gimmick held itself up on its own eponymous PPV event for the first time in a long time, it came at the price of quality on the rest of the undercard. While I understand that the main matches make a PPV worthy of our time, if the undercard falls on its face so consistently, how am I as a reviewer and a fan supposed to care? Sometimes the WWE creative team have to understand that all matches matter, and while both brands realised that they faltered at this towards the years end, it became apparent that it was a bigger problem on RAW despite a bigger talent pool and more time to develop stories. Overall Hell In A Cell 2016 while an exercise in rejuvenation on the outside, felt like it was rotting on the inside, seemingly incapable of delivering an entertaining night of wrestling, and is fully deserving of winning the Worst PPV Of The Year award. All in all, this style of event is something that needs to be rectified if the extra Brand Exclusive shows are going to warrant the fans attention going into the New Year. Maybe they should have months alternate between RAW and SmackDown PPV's like they did in the original brand extension? Maybe then they'd be given room to breathe and have the storylines develop where the fans care, but alas, I don't think this will happen.
PPV EVENT OF THE YEAR:
Payback (7.75/10)
NOTE: NXT Takeover events and other Network specials are ineligible for this award.
The first half of the year was a strong one for WWE's PPV product, with Royal Rumble, WrestleMania and Battleground all getting a 6 out of 10 rating, with SummerSlam getting a 5.5 out of 10. Those events all had GREAT matches, but fell flat in places that stopped them from reaching a higher echelon. There was however one show that surpassed all expectations and delivered on the post-WrestleMania hype, and it was Payback.
In recent years the post-Mania PPV is usually one that falls flat as it continues Mania's feuds but doesn't add enough venom into them to ensure they feel like worthy bouts once off the main stage. Thankfully, due to some smart booking, this show got itself to be arguably the most consistent night of booking in WWE this year, even with WrestleMania, Rumble and even SummerSlam having better matches on them. However, it started out horribly with the accidental concussion suffered by Enzo Amore in the opening contest that caused the #1 Contenders Tag Team bout to be stopped. From there though, the night was incredibly solid, with three of the remaining five matches scoring the average of **1/2, with Charlotte and Natalya putting on a solid contest for the Women's Title, Jericho and Ambrose settled their animosity for the first time and The Miz and Cesaro showcased their skills in an entertaining bout. The two big matches, Owens VS Zayn (***1/2) and more importantly Reigns VS Styles (****1/2) brought massive flair to proceedings, showing immense storytelling and risky moves that brought the crowd to life and ensure that both meant something, with the main event becoming a contender for Match Of The Year in the process.
While the bigger shows in the early part of the year had bigger and better matches on them, I felt their events weren't the most consistent of wrestling shows to watch and lumbered through some awful things to drag them down. For Payback, throughout the event I felt entertained, I felt like all the matches meant something and the were all being booked to where people looked strong but could also have their feuds built upon. Outside of the opening contest ending unexpectedly, this event across the board was the best show of the year with no matches going below the average mark, which is something in modern WWE that for my rating scale is rare to find. While the bigger shows of the year were fun to watch, no WWE wrestling show on PPV managed to thrill me like Payback did and if the Tag Team bout had gotten a **1/2 at least, we'd have been looking at an 8 out of 10 showing, even if it looked flat with such consistency on show. All in all, this night was one that surprised the most and delivered the most on what their matches were offering, making it a deserving PPV Of The Year winner.
WORST PPV MATCH OF THE YEAR:
The Rock VS Erick Rowan (WrestleMania 32, ZERO)
NOTE: Matches from NXT Takeover events and other Network specials are ineligible for this award.
I began reviewing WWE on YouTube six years ago, and for most of that time, this award was usually quite hotly contested as the matches on show outside of a few gems, were average to poor most of the time. However, due to the increase in the quality of the matches on WWE's PPV product, the amount of ZERO matches given in 2016 was the lowest in some time. I've only given the dreaded ZERO rating out six times this year, with one of the times, the match only got the rating due to Enzo Amore's concussion stopping the match before it got going. Looking at the contenders, it's easy to see why they ended up here. Swann VS Kendrick VS Perkins at Roadblock while technically sound was damp squib of a contest that failed to interest anyone, The New Day VS Sheamus & Cesaro at Hell In A Cell and The Miz VS Darren Young at Battleground were uninspiring messes, while R-Truth VS Curtis Axel at Fastlane was a last minute addition that bogged down an event that didn't need it. In similar vein, this years winner was an unannounced match that damaged the look of the event and buried a stable in the process.
Erick Rowan VS The Rock was booked just so there could be a 'historic moment' on the show, as it lasted eight seconds and broke the record for the shortest match in WrestleMania history. It served no legitimate purpose other than to give The Rock a more prominent role on the show, and serve for John Cena to make a surprise appearance. For the casual viewing audience, it was a nice surprise and made them all feel blessed to have put their time into WWE's over six-hour extravaganza, however for die-hard fans, the story being told was quite different. For them, to see The Wyatt Family, a stable of undoubted quality be subjected to the biggest of humiliations ruined their credibility, which had already been damaged after years of mismanaged feuds and poor booking decisions. Sure, to have Erick Rowan, the least remarkable of the group to suffer the fall meant that it didn't feel all that negligent, but to have Rock and a still on the shelf Cena go to town on Bray & Luke Harper was just overkill. To casual viewers who decided to stick around on RAW the next night and the months that followed, they'd not be able to look at Wyatt and co. without feeling contempt towards how inadequate they were on the biggest stage of them all, and if you're trying your damnedest to make your current roster look legitimate, this wasn't the right decision to go with.
While the impact of this match and its subsequent fallout didn't effect The Wyatt Family too much due to them being taken off TV until the Summer, the ramifications of what this match did to them is still felt strongly now. However, in a turn of good fortune, thanks to a Tag Team Title run on SmackDown and the introduction of Randy Orton to the clan, the Wyatt's are seen as not only dominant again, but for the first time since their call-up from NXT in 2013, they're on the right path to success. All in all, this match didn't need to happen and I'm thankful WWE hasn't put on one of these 'last minute' additions to a PPV card since, because this showed why that practice ruined the shows they were shoehorned onto.
PPV MATCH OF THE YEAR:
Team RAW Men VS Team SmackDown Men (Survivor Series 2016, *****)
NOTE: Matches from NXT Takeover events and other Network specials are ineligible for this award.
When looking at the number of ****+ quality matches this year on WWE's PPV offerings, it amazes me. Usually, a WWE calendar year would have at least five or six of them, but nothing more, but to have SIXTEEN matches go above that threshold is not only refreshing but astounding in terms of how consistently booked the matches were and how good the wrestlers were in creating them. The best of the rest were all worthy of winning this award, with the Fatal-4-Way Intercontinental Championship Match at Extreme Rules, Cena VS Styles at SummerSlam and the Triple Threat WWE Championship Match at No Mercy nearly hitting the zenith at ****3/4 apiece, all providing their PPV's and the calendar year with bouts that we will remember for their technical proficiency, risk taking moves, storytelling and crowd reaction. However, if you want a to see a match that wasn't just an absolute tour de force of psychology but also the absolute highlight of the Brand Extension rivalry to this point, then look no further than the Team RAW Men VS Team SmackDown Men Elimination Match from Survivor Series to have delivered on all cylinders to be a worthy winner.
From the moment the match began, it was an intense battle for supremacy with all the wrestlers being given a chance to showcase themselves, while it was filled with some many jaw-dropping moments that no matter how slow it got, it was difficult to keep your eyes off it. It took sixteen minutes for the first elimination, with AJ Styles helping eliminate his own teammate in Dean Ambrose, James Ellsworth helped eliminate Braun Strowman which resulted in him being thrown off the stage, Shane McMahon concussed himself getting speared in mid-air by Roman Reigns, The Shield reunited and took out AJ Styles, Owens and Jericho helped eliminate each other, and despite fighting to the end, Seth Rollins couldn't stand up to the newly rejuvenated Wyatt Family as Bray managed to win a big PPV match for the first time in a long time to cap off the insanity. Everything that happened in the match mattered, and it was a slow burner, increasing the heat to where the crowd by its end could do nothing else but stand up and applaud.
With the match clocking in at over fifty-two minutes in length, you'd expected to be a lumebering contest that couldn't substantiate itself on the big stage, however it was quite the opposite. It was a gargantuan bout but it never felt boring, as through its progressively increasing pace and momentum shifting, it told many stories, showcased many spots and risk taking moves from all considered, kept the crowd invested and showed what a major bout of this nature can achieve when everything makes sense and it all weaves together to create something quite fantastic. I gave it a ***** rating because it was pro-wrestling theatre at its finest, with all aspects of high-flying, hardcore and technical wrestling showcased within a mammoth timeframe and making me stay on the edge of my seat for its entirety unsure of who will win through its great storytelling and feud progression. It was scintillating to watch and is more than deserving of being the third five-star match I've given in the last three years, and just when I thought that WWE weren't going to produce one despite coming so close, they waited until the last 'big' stage to remind us why a Survivor Series Elimination Match can be enthralling viewing and a great example of quality wrestling that has rejuvenated the match types importance after years of mundanity. Well done to all who participated, you unknowingly created a classic and I couldn't be happier to call it PPV Match Of The Year.
WORST ON-SCREEN MOMENT OF THE YEAR:
Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson present "The Old Day" (5/9/16 edition of RAW)
I say this most years, that it usually takes something absolutely horrendous for me to want to call it the Worst Moment of the Year. This year, there have been a few of them that have made me quite ill, and most of them were in-ring entities. Enzo Amore's concussion at Payback, Finn Balor relinquishing his freshly won Universal Title the night after SummerSlam, the atmosphere and quality of Triple H VS Roman Reigns at WrestleMania and the crowd during the match that Balor injured his arm in while winning that Universal Title all stuck in my mind. However, there was one moment after SummerSlam that showed how dated and terrible WWE's programming can look and be. Surprisingly, it came from two of WWE's most accomplished wrestlers, who provided a moment so heinous, that they haven't been able to escape from it since.
To have to men of Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson's intense calibre be reduced to comedic roles to go on equal footing with The New Day was acceptable depending on the circumstance. It was funny at times and it added personality to a team of bald men who showed little else outside of ass kickings. I could get behind that, but on the 5th September edition of RAW, they decided to further their 'retirement specialist' schtick and bring out older versions of Woods, Kingston and Big E and try to crack jokes at their frail expense. It bombed, quite badly. So badly in fact, that not long after this, the humour on TV from these two stopped for good, because as was evident by the crowd and the reaction to those at home that it fell flatter than a flatfish on a Flat Face shirt. While Anderson & Gallows given the right material and opponents, can be quite entertaining, but to see them be reduced to pulling along such a tired and boring segment with 'comedy' elements not seen in many years in WWE, it didn't make the Big Bald Men from The Club look menacing and threatening, but a team who just didn't know what to do to get inside their opponents head. That, was WWE Creative fault for doing.
While The New Day came out, as bemused as we were, they couldn't save this segment from bombing and proving that what McMahon finds funny doesn't fully resonate anymore. I'm sure he got a kick and thrill out of this segment, but the audience were left dissatisfied as their time was wasted, and a team were left a laughing stock in its aftermath. Hell, they didn't even win the titles at the end of this prolonged feud. So all in all, it was done for nothing. While I could've easily put New Day's 'Time Machine' segment from the 16th May edition of RAW into this position for its equally bad execution, this one stank up the joint more, and I'm thankful due to how serious in nature WWE television has gotten in the last few months, that they will have hopefully learned that unless it is executed better, comedy doesn't always work in professional wrestling.
ON-SCREEN MOMENT OF THE YEAR:
Kevin Owens wins the WWE Universal Championship with a major assist from Triple H (29/8/16 edition of RAW)
To have the Best and Worst Moment of the Year to occur within a WEEK of each other is quite a surreal occurrence. Not as insane as having Seth Rollins be part of BOTH of them last year, but still, it's pretty weird. Nonetheless, the Moment Of The Year had some very strong contenders, with Miz's Talking Smack tirade, AJ Styles winning the WWE Championship, Goldberg's defeat of Brock Lesnar, Shane McMahon's return to RAW post-Fastlane and his subsequent jump off Hell In A Cell at WrestleMania 32 all proving they could be viable winners. However as the year went on, and the shock from them all wore off, and there was one moment where the that spine-tingling feeling still permeated through. It was a moment that left my jaw on the floor for not just the next 24 hours, but many weeks later, to the point where even now, it still generates a reaction whenever I see it. That moment was Kevin Owens winning the Universal Title in the Fatal-4-Way Elimination Match on the 29th August edition of RAW, and it was utterly fantastic, deserving its place at the top of 2016's insane ladder.
This moment was one that like a few of the other nominees, wasn't seen coming, but thanks to the sudden turn by Triple H, it had a shockwave that still permeates. It also managed to break the curse of the Rising Star Award, which only made it resonate more in my mind, and finally it was a moment that reassured me that ANYTHING can happen in WWE, something that felt lost in the last few years. It was something so unpredictable that even the most disillusioned of fans couldn't believe their eyes. While Goldberg VS Lesnar held that shock factor better because of how absurd it was, the match that preceded this moment was better, and the reaction from the commentators in my opinion was better to drive home how crazy it all was. Even the usually composed Michael Cole was freaking out at seeing not only Owens win, have Triple H turn on Seth Rollins but also seeing The Game screw Roman Reigns out of the belt too. I was freaking out at the insanity of this moment on the night, as the unthinkable happened, my favourite current WWE wrestler actually achieved the biggest win when many were expecting Roman to waltz back into the title picture following his post-suspension punishment.
There may have been bigger moments this year in comparison, but in terms of personal enjoyment, there was no moment that stands as tall as this one. It was madness unfolding in front of my eyes, as the landscape of RAW changed starkly in front of us. Kevin Owens became 'The Man' that I knew he was going to be, Seth Rollins turned babyface, Roman Reigns was pushed out of the main event scene for more months and Triple H planted the seeds for a storyline that some four months later, is only just starting to grow out of the ground. This moment puts a smile on my face every time I see it and while it came about due to the unfortunate forfeiture of the Universal Title by Finn Balor, it proves that sometimes those moments organised in chaos can be the sweetest of them all.
WORST FEMALE SUPERSTAR OF THE YEAR:
Natalya
FEMALE SUPERSTAR OF THE YEAR:
Charlotte
This years Female Superstar Of The Year Award was a straight up fight between the two best women in the company: Charlotte Flair and Sasha Banks. These two brought NXT's best women's wrestling to the main roster and finally after a stuttering start last year, showed why they garnered the acclaim that was bestowed upon them. They main-evented RAW's and PPV's, fought in superb Hell In A Cell, Falls Count Anywhere and Iron Man Matches and put on some of the best segments and matches of the year. However, picking the best of the two proved to be a challenging undertaking, and as you can see, Charlotte came out on top, but not by much.
When comparing the two, The Boss was on television less due to nagging injures and as a result had the better percentage of quality PPV matches in comparison with The Queen. Charlotte's mid-year feud against Natalya and her teaming with Dana Brooke post-Mania does make her look worse, however when taking everything into account it was the quality of Charlotte's mic work that won her in this category. While Sasha connects with the crowd, Charlotte's supreme holding as the biggest heel on RAW was something that always shone through while using great psychology to back it all up as well. Even when her matches aren't up to par, they were entertaining from a traditional standpoint to some degree, much like her esteemed father often did. Through that, it has made her staying power at the top of the division ever more special, as she didn't need to be the flashiest of wrestlers to establish herself, unlike her competition. Charlotte could chase and fight to defend her belt brilliantly and made herself enjoyable even in her worst moments, something that Sasha in my opinion still struggles to do.
While many will say that Sasha deserved this award more, I can see that argument and its validity. However, this is based on which woman I believe had the biggest impact as a whole this year and when you look at who has won the majority of her PPV matches, produced quality mic work and was the one who against some stiff competition still managed to remain on top of the Women's Division and define herself as one of the best ever, Charlotte has successfully fulfilled that criteria with a flourish to boot. As a result, she wins this award for the second year running, only this time with more clout and authority to her name.
WORST SUPERSTAR OF THE YEAR:
Brock Lesnar
It's crazy what a year can do to a wrestler's reputation. The Beast Incarnate has gone from Superstar Of The Year nominee last year to the winner of one of the most dubious award I can offer one year later. It seems completely out of place, but the reasoning behind it falls foul of the similar reasons that helped Dolph Ziggler win last year, and its quite simple: the booking of Lesnar's matches and gimmick are now stale and uninspired.
While Ziggler's programme with The Miz following his drafting to SmackDown improved his stock massively, Lesnar's stock tanked faster than the Peso post-Trump's election. His match with Dean Ambrose at WrestleMania should've been a Match of The Year contender but instead came across as a one-sided and uninspiring mess that despite its moments didn't improve either man's standing and his match against Randy Orton at SummerSlam was again one-sided and offered little we haven't seen before. His rematch against Goldberg at Survivor Series while shocking and being better than their WrestleMania XX encounter, wasn't really all that great when it improved on a ZERO rating by a quarter of a star, which is just pathetic. All but two of his five PPV matches this past year ranked at ** or lower, which may not sound too bad, but when you consider that those two matches are both multi-men matches at Royal Rumble and Fastlane respectively, it's not a bountiful return when looking at what Lesnar brought to the table in the other three. When you factor in Paul Heyman's promos lacking the bite they used to have and Lesnar's seeming lack of interest in WWE following his return to the UFC and his subsequent drug ban, he isn't considered at least by me to be the big money attraction that WWE thinks he is.
A 'big money' attraction in wrestling isn't just meant to be there to increase buyrates and shift merchandise, they need to show their qualities as in-ring performers and highlight why they get paid their extortionate salary in the first place. While over the last couple of years Lesnar has lived up to that billing, 2016 has been the first time chinks in his seemingly impenetrable armour have appeared, and they aren't being smoothed over by having him look so infallible to the point where no one could beat him. In the end, he lost to Goldberg, which makes that perception look pathetic when you realise it meant nothing in the end. While there have been wrestlers who have appeared on WWE TV more this year and done worse such as R-Truth who could deserve this award, there's something about Brock Lesnar's decline in 2016 that is so stark and unforgettable that it couldn't be denied. He hasn't got a purpose now he's gone and done all he could, so what's next for The Beast? Whatever it is, I just hope it's better than what we've seen this year, because it's been more irritating than entertaining.
SUPERSTAR OF THE YEAR
It's time for the main event, for a wrestler to join the an illustrious class of wrestlers and claim the most prestigious award on offer: The Superstar Of The Year Award. Past winners have included CM Punk (2010, 2011 & 2012), Daniel Bryan (2013), Seth Rollins (2014) and Kevin Owens (2015). Combined, they are a who's who of recent wrestling royalty, and here are the nominees looking to join them, and why they have been selected:
KEVIN OWENS
Last years' reigning champion is looking to retain his crown, and even though his 2015 was phenomenal, his 2016 wasn't too shabby either. He won the Intercontinental Championship for a second time, won the Universal Championship in the match that spawned the Moment Of The Year, participated in five ****+ matches on PPV, including the Match Of The Year. His team with Chris Jericho provided some of the most entertaining segments of the year and helped solidify his place at the top of the card following a meteoric rise out of NXT last year. His promo work was scathingly blunt and incredibly consistent, his in-ring work has been intense and clever as always, and he's never shied away from the spotlight over the course of the year. All in all, a good haul from the 2015 Superstar Of The Year if I say so myself.
AJ STYLES
Where do I start with 'The Champ That Runs The Camp'? I said last year that Kevin Owens rise was similar to Brock Lesnar's 2002 debut, however when looking at that comparison, Styles has replicated The Beast Incarnate but with sublime quality rather than brute force. Many weren't sure how TNA's former poster boy would fare in WWE, but he's exceeded all expectations and is the number one guy going into the new year. He has had only ONE PPV match go below ***, with NINE of his twelve matches being above **** MOTY candidates including the overall winner, which is just insane. He won the WWE World Title in his first nine months on the roster, competed in the Feud Of The Year with John Cena, created the Meme Of The Year and showcased time after time why he is considered the best wrestler in the world, with remarkable in-ring work and promo skills. Winning Main Roster Rookie Of The Year was a no-brainer, and based on these accolades, it would be truly phenomenal not to consider him the favourite for this one.
JOHN CENA
While WWE's stalwart poster boy had to miss most of the year due to a combination of injuries and outside commitments, he's definitely made an impact when he's been around. Three of his four PPV matches were MOTY candidates that got above ****½, his feud against AJ Styles won Feud Of The Year and his promo work became the most biting it's been in years, creating scintillating tension with whomever he squared off against. While he was involved in the Worst PPV Match Of The Year, thankfully he didn't actually partake in it officially, or he may not have made it on here. Outside of that moment, whenever Cena has been on TV in 2016, it has been must-see and considering he missed THREE of the Big Four PPV events this year, that's saying something. Normally a wrestler who misses this much action wouldn't even come close to being nominated, but 'Big Match John' has certainly lived up to this moniker and earns his place because of it.
DEAN AMBROSE
The Lunatic Fringe's rise to the top of the WWE ladder has been finally realised in 2016. He's not been the most consistent in terms of quality matches on PPV, but when he gets given the chance to shine, he runs with it. He participated in six ****+ matches, including the Match Of The Year, won the WWE World Championship for the first time, has consistently delivered funny yet intense promos and has been in the heart of the main event scene all year, with his feud with AJ Styles being a Feud Of The Year contender. His character continues to blur the lines as a tweener, making it difficult to predict his next move and thanks to his role in the whole James Ellsworth angle, continues to intrigue and entertain despite being surrounded by mostly superior talent on the roster. All in all, Ambrose has had a rollercoaster few years since The Shield split up, and he's thankfully, finally found his feet, earning his second consecutive nomination through good hard graft.
THE MIZ
The A-Lister hasn't been on the front of many wrestling fans minds in the past couple of years, even with a successful tag team run with Damien Sandow giving spotlight to his Hollwood Egotist gimmick. Unfortunately, that feud burned out when it wasn't capitalised on and he returned to the doldrums. However, in complete contrast, he's arguably been on the best run of his career since winning the Intercontinental Championship the night after WrestleMania 32. It's gained his character a new lease of life and with his wife Maryse by his side, through stellar in-ring work and sublime promos he is now the must-see attraction he proclaims to be. He participated in four MOTY contenders at WrestleMania, Extreme Rules, No Mercy and TLC respectively, won the IC title twice, his Talking Smack outburst was one of the Moments Of The Year and his feud with Dolph Ziggler over the IC strap was a contender for Feud Of The Year. Hell, he even made The Spirit Squad relevant again, which takes some doing. The Miz may not seem like 'Superstar Of The Year' material in conjunction with his other nominees, but that's why he won the Underrated Wrestler Of The Year Award earlier. Based on what he's done this year, he's done a lot more than many others in similar positions on the main roster, which is why he's deserving of this nomination.
Without further ado, with all considered, there can only be one winner and it is...
AJ STYLES
It couldn't have been anyone else, could it?
While the other nominees had done pretty well this year, Styles blew them out of the park simply by being the absolute best and proving it night after night. When looking at what Styles accomplished in his ONE YEAR spell in WWE, it's truly staggering. We often look at Brock Lesnar and Kurt Angle for doing similar things in their first year, but neither of them had the consistency that Styles brought to the table. Lesnar and Angle both arrived with success falling into their laps, but neither of them did it with the incredible match quality that Styles supplied. 2016's PPV events for the most part had his match as the best, and every feud he was in was must-see entertainment. He won this award by doing what Kevin Owens did last year but better. He overshadowed everyone else, made an impact and forced the mainstream wrestling world to wake up and smell the beautifully prepared coffee, all while winning as many awards as possible here today to top it all off.
Congratulations Mr. Styles. While I was never the biggest fan of your TNA work, your NJPW and WWE work has finally conveyed to me what many have thought for some time, you are truly one of the best wrestlers on the planet, and are truly deserving of Cena's moniker of "The Face That Runs The Place". In all fairness, he has been exactly that, and that's all it took to win the 2016 Superstar Of The Year Award, and he did it with a superb record to boot. He now joins CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, Seth Rollins and Kevin Owens in what is becoming quite an illustrious group indeed.
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I've been Freddy Thomas, you've been people reading. This has been the 2016 Wrestling Rant Awards for The CC Network Blog and I'll see you next time.
Before WrestleMania, we'd not see Ryder for ages, as he'd been spending his minimal time on RAW being squashed by heels, and plying his work in NXT's tag team division alongside Mojo Rawley as part of The Hype Bros. Following Neville's injury a week before the biggest PPV of the year, a wrestler was needed to be inserted into the Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match, and Ryder's name was chosen. Many saw him to be a small part in the match and would achieve nothing, but it was that proven wrong as he ended up winning the whole thing. Against all logic and odds, Ryder had gotten his WrestleMania moment. It was sublime, and even though he lost the title a night later to The Miz, he was still prominent on RAW for the next few months, getting mid-card championship opportunities on RAW and PPV's while regaining an audience that left him after his mix-up with John Cena in 2012. Since being drafted to SmackDown alongside a debuting Rawley, he's found a place in their Tag Team Division, where even though he's not found much immediate success, he's still on TV most weeks and winning matches more often than he has in years. He is all in all happy with where he is in the company, which comes a long way from almost quitting last year due to underutilisation, to where his hard work since has been given its just rewards.
While Miz's accomplishments since the turn of the year are worthy of this award, to come back from absolute zero to WrestleMania triumph and roster solidity through hard work and determination makes Ryder's 2016 story much more empathetic and brilliant. Miz was still somewhat prominent thanks to movie roles, great gimmick and mid card status; for Ryder to make the moves he did this year was quite great to see and showcased that WWE through its injury hit year needed to use its lower talent and make them credible. As a result, he wins this award with my utmost pleasure.
RISING STAR OF 2017:
Rusev
While Bayley, Braun Strowman, Cesaro, Baron Corbin and Big Cass spring to mind, only one name sticks out more and that's Rusev.
The Bulgarian Brute has had a 2016 to forget as he's been lost in the shuffle on RAW, featured as part of the disorganised League Of Nations and fought with WWE's now reluctant golden boy in Roman Reigns in a hard hitting but losing effort to re-establish himself. While he won the US Title for a second time, he still hasn't been treated like the threat we know he could be. He's incredibly athletic and knows how to talk on the mic, his matches while formulaic have intrigue and against the right opponent with the right build, he makes them work. However, while he is a sublime heel, his work in recent times against Roman Reigns gave off the aura of a patriotic babyface that made him more sympathetic than his opponent, gaining a lot of support from WWE fans wanting to see the Patriotic Face gimmick be swerved on its head and be given a new lease of life. If WWE were to take advantage of that and spearhead the juggernaut forward, he could be a viable threat to the top of the company. Would it be good to say that a trade to SmackDown could be the rocket up the backside he'd need to grow in that role? Who knows. All I know, is that Rusev has more potential than Corbin, Strowman and Cass, the big men who Vince likes in making a superstar out of himself.
Whatever Rusev has done, he's tried his damnedest and put his heart into it to make it work, and has the ability to make his programmes worth watching simply by being there, even if they're not good. He's better than WWE's other big men and has the potential to finally, after three years of solid yet inconsistent build, make an impact and win the big one at some point in 2017. Lets hope he can, as time may be running out for the man, as competition continues to rise while he flounders. Lets hope WWE makes the right decision, as I'd hate to see a man of Rusev's talents go to waste.
MAIN ROSTER ROOKIE OF THE YEAR:
AJ Styles
In the eleven months since his debut, he's won the WWE World Championship, had most of his PPV efforts be Match Of The Year contenders and had great feuds with John Cena, Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns and Chris Jericho. All in all, if you're looking at WWE's MVP over the last year, Styles is most definitely deserving of that title. Therefore as a result, it's a formality for him to be given this award.
Much like Kevin Owens last year, Styles made a massive statement and took to mainstream WWE life like he'd been there for years. Sure, many years in TNA and New Japan helped prepare him for it, but it still doesn't dampen the impact he's made since debuting in the Royal Rumble match, from there, he's just soared and its amazing to see.
NON-WRESTLER OF THE YEAR:
Daniel Bryan
Vince McMahon, Stephanie McMahon and Paul Heyman had off years where even their presence didn't hold the same effect. Bob Backlund didn't help Darren Young become great again, Ric Flair while starting off brightly lost his way and vanished from television. Mick Foley often missed the mark where being overshadowed by Stephanie lost him credibility, and if Shane McMahon hadn't been in the ring at WrestleMania and Survivor Series, he could've been in contention. All in all when looking at the non-wrestlers of the year there were basically none to fall back on outside of the G.O.A.T. for support.
Saying Daniel Bryan's retirement was a great thing due to this wouldn't be the best thing to say, however it did mean that thanks to it, we were allowed a trump card that makes SmackDown a must watch show most weeks. Unlike Foley and the rest of his fellow on-screen authority counterparts, Bryan is someone you can listen to and find confidence in with this type of position. To have that in modern WWE is rare, and as such, I welcome it with open arms.
COMMENTATOR OF THE YEAR:
Mauro Ranallo (SmackDown/Cruiserwight Classic/205 Live)
Ranallo is no stranger to combat sports having been a boxing commentator, MMA analyst and the former English voice of New Japan, so coming into WWE seemed a natural progression for him. He debuted earlier this year as SmackDown's new play-by-play man and has re-energised the position by doing exactly what a good play-by-play man does, talk about the matches. He calls the moves correctly, reflects the history of not just the competitors but of the business with much vigour and excitement, to where the fakeness of Michael Cole's scripted drivel is more clear to see and hear week after week. While having JBL, David Otunga and more recently Tom Phillips by his side may hinder some, but Ranallo's professionalism has allowed those three to feel at home and work off the seasoned pro to make SmackDown's commentary worth the time even if it is overloaded. Then we come to the NXT Takeover pre-show panels, that when Ranallo's appears, we are treated to his enthusiasm and dedication to using the history of wrestling for his predictions, makes his opinion carry legitimacy and make the panel feel like an actual analysis programme that other televised sports utilise, something that Booker T, Lita and Jerry Lawler struggled to convey regularly on PPV nights. Not to mention, his Cruiserweight Classic commentary was sublime as well, with that same authenticity making it an insanely fun watch.
While Corey Graves work on NXT, RAW and 205 Live have been the shining lights of their respective shows, Ranallo's beacon shone brighter. One day, Ranallo will usurp Cole's place as the voice of wrestling on WWE programming and it will be done if he continues on the run he's been on, by making me not want to mute anything he's on.
"EL STUPIDO AWARD" for STUPIDEST WRESTLING MOMENT OF THE YEAR:
Fans complain about the Universal Championship design, ruining Seth Rollins VS Finn Balor at SummerSlam 2016
The Finn Balor/Seth Rollins match at SummerSlam was highly anticipated, with many fans wanting to see a hard-fought bout between two of the worlds finest wrestlers. With it being for a brand new championship, the intrigue for the match increased ever more with the fans wondering what the new strap would look like and more importantly whose waist it would end up being wrapped around. Before the match began, RAW Commissioner Stephanie McMahon and GM Mick Foley unveiled the belt, a red strapped, gold and black version of the WWE World Championship belt, and the fans in Brooklyn erupted in boos. They then proceeded to pepper the much awaited championship bout with jeers and chants of 'That. Belt. Sucks' in the style of New Day Rocks, 'This Title Sucks' in tune with Cena's theme song, 'Hey, we want a new belt' in the style of Hey We Want Some Bayley, and the modified version of the Sheamus staple, 'that looks stupid'. As a result, a match that should've been of at maximum four star quality, dissolved and descented into under two star mediocrity as thanks to that crowd, it didn't have the energy it needed, with the wrestlers hard work being ignored as the fans decided to vent at WWE creative instead of investing in a marquee attraction. Seth Rollins and Mick Foley noted their displeasure on Twitter and Facebook in the following days, criticising the Brooklyn crowd for letting them, the match and the belt down. It was just insanity that the fans could be that fickle and stupid. Their outburst was even more irritating when the SmackDown Women's and Tag Team belts were revealed to be differently coloured copies of their RAW counterparts, but instead of being derided, they were WELL RECEIVED by the fans. On top of it all, even though the newly announced United Kingdom Championship is just the WWE Championship with a new centre plate, people are happy with it because it's not red. Talk about hypocrisy.
Four months later, the belt looks fine, but the memory of that statement of fan displeasure didn't leave my head. Unlike last year, where a fan revolt at Roman Reigns winning the Royal Rumble Match was denied this award by Sunny's racist Facebook tirade, I'm not going to sidestep the derision and give these types of smart wrestling fans the humiliation they deserve. The 2015 Royal Rumble outburst and riot may have been worse in comparison, but this was just depressing and amongst a year of sizeable stupid moments, it feels right to give the worst of the self-clamouring wrestling audience the award which has avoided them for so long. If you're reading this, and you were amongst that SummerSlam crowd, I hope you understand what petty thing you did, and ensure no repetition of it happens again.
WORST FEUD OF THE YEAR:
Dolph Ziggler VS Baron Corbin
Straight off surprisingly winning the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania 32, Corbin set his sights on destroying Dolph Ziggler on the post-Mania RAW to ensure his destructive in-ring style would be used effectively in what looked like his first stride towards a mid-card title. The feud had some crowd heat and enough intrigue for its first PPV encounter to be a worthwhile but hopefully one-sided watch. Sadly, it was put it on the pre-show and Ziggler won with a flukey roll-up. From there, both men did little on RAW or SmackDown to increase the intensity from week to week, with Corbin gaining his victory in a poor No DQ Match on the Extreme Rules pre-show, so when Corbin's feud winning victory came at on the main Money In the Bank card, it felt inconsequential and worth absolutely nothing. It impacted to much that when Corbin arrived on SmackDown post-Brand Extension, he had little to do while Ziggler, who I may remind was the LOSER in this feud ended up fighting for the WWE World and Intercontinental Championship on the same brand for the rest of the year.
While Baron Corbin has been clawing his way back up the card with his rivalry with Kalisto, it's taken him a long time to recover from what this feud did to him and while Ziggler has risen far above his Worst Superstar Of The Year winning status that bestowed him last year, the unnecessarily strong booking of him in this feud and the irritation it caused are what keeps him in a Worst Feud Of The Year award winning position for the second year in a row. That is quite sad, but this feud shows how embarrassing 50/50 booking is, and serves as a reminder that sometimes with some wrestlers and their storylines, you should strike while the iron is hot instead of waiting for a time to serve both men equally.
FEUD OF THE YEAR:
John Cena VS AJ Styles
It was the long-awaited dream match, Mr. WWE versus Mr. TNA. A battle that many had waited for since both men debuted in the early 2000's on opposite sides of the United States wrestling spectrum. They were finally paired together for the showdown of a lifetime when the stars finally aligned. Styles turned heel, lambasted everything that Cena had done in his career, with the 15-time champ biting back with some venom in ripping apart Styles accomplishments and his fellow New Japan alumni in Gallows & Anderson as they set stage for the first battle at Money In The Bank. It was superb, with Styles winning thanks to interference, they then battled in a six-man tag team match at Battlegroud which Cena, Enzo & Cass won. What followed was a titanic rematch at SummerSlam, and with no interference, Styles got the rub that no 'new' WWE wrestler had gotten for years, which was a big match, big-four PPV win against the titan that props up Titan Towers. They re-visited the feud in the acclaimed Triple Threat Match at No Mercy, throwing a volatile Dean Ambrose into the mix and it was made even better. It was an entertaining and sublime rivalry, that may not be finished just yet with Cena's impending return on the horizon.
These two showed why they are considered, alongside Daniel Bryan and Seth Rollins, the best American wrestlers of their generation and put on a feud for the ages, with sublime matches, supplemented by realistic and gritty mic work and a great sense of storytelling having Styles come out on top. While we may have another battle between the two coming in the next year to settle it, what they put on this year was a great showcase of what a sheer battle of one-upmanship looks like. For the second year in a row, a future world champion got put over by 'Big Match John'. However, unlike Owens, Styles got the better of the perennial poster boy over the three bouts, something that will stay in the mind long after their rivalry is over. Nonetheless, while other feuds like Miz VS Ziggler and Rollins VS Owens & Jericho tried their hardest, none would be able to come close to this barnstormer that truly lived up to its Dream Match tag by giving us the most consistently good quality material this year.
"SHELTON BENJAMIN AWARD" for UNDERRATED WRESTLER OF THE YEAR:
The Miz
He may not be the 'flips and kicks' highlight reel that proffesional wrestlers are nowadays, but much like the best on WWE's roster, he can tell a story and play his character superbly whenever he's on screen. I stated in my Survivor Series PPV Review that Ric Flair giving Miz the Figure Four lock a few years ago made sense because he was the modern day incarnation of The Nature Boy, and when you look at that claim in comparison with Miz himself, it makes sense. His wrestling skills are grounded and realistic, fuelled by the hatred and energy of his character to where you want to see people beat him up, only for him to come out on top and make the story even more maddening for the viewer watching. While that may not lead to the best of matches, when put with the right opponent, Miz showed that he's a master at proving you don't need to be the most athletic wrestler in the world to be successful in today's incarnation of the sport. Also, considering he had Match Of The Year performances against Dolph Ziggler at No Mercy and TLC alongside the Fatal-4-Way at Extreme Rules and Ladder Match at WrestleMania 32, he has proven his worth despite how underrated that in-ring work is. As for his mic work, similar to Flair, when given the platform to be as blunt and truthful as possible, he made himself the centre of attention and reminded us why such an easily hateable gimmick is a joy to watch in a WWE where most of the heels are loved for similar actions. His Talking Smack tirade against Daniel Bryan was a piece de resistance example on how to be a bad guy and draw the audience in.
All in all, while I could've given this to Roman Reigns for proving his in-ring work and mic skills are better than many say, having The Miz showcase that in a more emphatic way without receiving the attention is a more justifiable reason as to why The A-Lister is worthy of the award. His gimmick may have gotten him into a high-profile position on SmackDown, but it's been his in-ring and mic skills that have kept him there, even if they haven't been the most consistent over the past year. While that may be the case, when looking at the broader picture, Miz has proven that he deserves better opponents and storylines going forward to ensure his abilities are heightened and exposed more. He's shown this year what he can do when supplied with them, lets hope they continue to where the name of 'The Miz' isn't a joke, but respected for what he can give.
WORST GIMMICK OF THE YEAR:
The Golden Truth
The WWE haven't been short of terrible gimmicks this year. The Shining Stars as Puerto Rico timeshare salesmen, Bob Backlund trying to 'Make Darren Young Great Again', Titus O'Neil as the head of the 'Titus Brand' and the conflicted nature of Gallows & Anderson 'Funny Ass Kickers' made this a difficult category to decide upon. However, one immense piece of gimmick rubbish came to light, and it was The Golden Truth.
The eccentric Goldust is entertaining enough on his own, but as shown fourteen years ago, his tandem with Booker T was hilarious yet awkwardly cringeworthy at the same time. To have that be gimmick be reprised with a less charismatic R-Truth in place of the 2013 Hall Of Fame just makes it all seem like a massive farce and a waste of time to be seen every week. They've had feuds and teases of break-ups that don't matter or materialise, meaning they're kept on TV for no reason and everytime they show up I want to change channel.
While their initial rebuttals to become a tag team were fine, where it has gone from there has been awful and serving no purpose at all minus a bit of comedic relief and a way for heels to lose surprisingly to fuel bigger feuds. It's just a waste of two good wrestlers, who deserve better.
"Broken" Matt Hardy (TNA)
WWE this year has only produced two gimmick changes worthy of my time, The Miz and Maryse's 'Hollywood IT-couple' and Chris Jericho's self-inflated List and bromance with Kevin Owens. Thanks to WWE's meagre offerings, it has allowed a TNA gimmick to come along and crash the party, one that even with its most outlandish and maddening moments actually prolonged itself and got into the hearts of many, including me. Who'd have thought that Matt Hardy would be the talk of the wrestling world in the second half of the year? You can thank the 'breaking' for that.
From the outset, Matt Hardy outshining his more popular brother with some of the most insane wrestling television we've seen in years may sounds crazy to imagine let alone see happen, however when you look into it, it's quite sublime. Matt has never been the most interesting of characters without his brother, where even his Version 1.0 gimmick or feud with MVP didn't hit the heights expected when he was at his best. By having full creative control over the presentation of his own persona however, the Cult Of Broken Matt has exploded, where his borderline psychotic actions, insane matches and the story of him taking his brother out for good, turning him and slowly taking TNA on his families' self-aggrandising merry-go-round turned many fans into believers that TNA had finally done something so mad, that even WWE wouldn't even hold a candle to them. The Final Deletion and The Great War, alongside all of the segments with Queen Reby, Prince Maxel, Señor Benjamin, Brother Nero and Vanguard One suddenly became must watch material even if they were bad, they felt so very good, and a change from the norm. I may have been bemused with it all at first, but by giving Matt Hardy time to produce such an outlandish gimmick, he's made himself the hottest property not in the WWE or New Japan. In the second biggest wrestling company in America, he is king, and an oddball one at that.
All in all, this is just surreal, and it rightfully should be. No one expected the 'Broken' Matt Hardy character to work, but by all sorts of miracles and great presentation on TNA's front, it has. While the company has gone through a lot of financial and creative worries this year, to where the television product lacks any semblance of stability, if there's one thing that will get us to tune in, it's the story of one crazed North Carolinian and his random as hell family. Hell, if WWE are pressured by your popularity to copy it with The Wyatt Family, then you know you've done well. So congratulations Matt on gatecrashing this award and taking it home, hopefully I won't be DELETED by you as a result.
TAG TEAM OF THE YEAR:
The Revival (NXT)
I haven't watched too much of NXT this year, but there's one thing I'm sure of, whenever I have and these two have been involved, it has been a worthwhile experience. Their brutality, simple psychological in-ring style and their no holds barred and blunt mic work make them thoroughly entertaining. They're easy to hate and are a true showcase of what a well executed team looks like in the modern era. They became the first ever two-time NXT Tag Team Champions in 2016, rebounding after their loss with venom and intensity, which had them winning the belts again, showcasing themselves as a team unlike many former Tag champions, as they didn't rest on their laurels and continued to make their presence felt across the brand. Their matches have been great, their promos were simple but effective and they've proven to be the best and most-well rounded team in WWE today, something that even Jim Cornette agrees with.
These two will most-likely be called up to the main roster once their programme with DIY ends, and they will hopefully inject some intensity into the main roster scene which despite its name value, doesn't hold up as strongly as the burgeoning NXT scene seems to, even with many of its key names leaving.
WORST PPV EVENT OF THE YEAR:
Hell In A Cell (3.25/10)
At the beginning of the year, with most of the PPV's achieving solid ratings, I didn't think I'd see a 'poor' show all year. Sadly, post-Brand Extension, we saw how limiting the concept could be as the writing teams on both shows with a limited talent pool delivered a series of poor shows from October through December. Survivor Series and TLC were the anomalies, with the latter being consistent with the best of the first half of the year but both brands showcased how little care was done to ensure the matches mattered outside of a few cases. No Mercy despite having two of the best Matches of the Year, faltered everywhere else and scored a 4 out of 10 rating, while Roadblock: End Of The Line, lumbered through its night with the Women's Iron Man Match at the Tag Team Title match proving its lone highlights, however its score of a 3.5 out of 10 was summilarily beaten in October, as Hell In A Cell showcased that even with great matches making the gimmick stand tall, the rest of the card failed to deliver any semblance of quality.
The New Day VS Sheamus & Cesaro, while being good at Roadblock, felt incredibly flat two months earlier, with no sense of intensity, urgency and quality as the supposed best team in the company and two of its best mid card wrestlers were made to look incompetent. Perkins VS Kendrick despite a nice title change was a slow and plodding mess that couldn't decide what identity the match wanted, Bayley VS Dana Brooke while executing some great psychology faltered everywhere else, while Enzo & Cass VS Gallows & Anderson infuriated as its momentum and attempts to keep both teams strong neutered the eventual win and made the crowd die with it. I will give credit to Rollins, Jericho, Banks & Flair for making the Hell in A Cell Matches worth their time as physical and violent contests, that even with their problems propped the show up with a ***½ and **** rating respectively, but when you have Reigns VS Rusev prove to be an anti-climactic and frustrating watch despite its intensity, by the end of the night despite being entertained somewhat, I left the show angry that the matches on hand were squandered so easily, like the writers and wrestlers couldn't co-operate in making this PPV's quality feel worth its time.
While I am happy that the gimmick held itself up on its own eponymous PPV event for the first time in a long time, it came at the price of quality on the rest of the undercard. While I understand that the main matches make a PPV worthy of our time, if the undercard falls on its face so consistently, how am I as a reviewer and a fan supposed to care? Sometimes the WWE creative team have to understand that all matches matter, and while both brands realised that they faltered at this towards the years end, it became apparent that it was a bigger problem on RAW despite a bigger talent pool and more time to develop stories. Overall Hell In A Cell 2016 while an exercise in rejuvenation on the outside, felt like it was rotting on the inside, seemingly incapable of delivering an entertaining night of wrestling, and is fully deserving of winning the Worst PPV Of The Year award. All in all, this style of event is something that needs to be rectified if the extra Brand Exclusive shows are going to warrant the fans attention going into the New Year. Maybe they should have months alternate between RAW and SmackDown PPV's like they did in the original brand extension? Maybe then they'd be given room to breathe and have the storylines develop where the fans care, but alas, I don't think this will happen.
PPV EVENT OF THE YEAR:
Payback (7.75/10)
The first half of the year was a strong one for WWE's PPV product, with Royal Rumble, WrestleMania and Battleground all getting a 6 out of 10 rating, with SummerSlam getting a 5.5 out of 10. Those events all had GREAT matches, but fell flat in places that stopped them from reaching a higher echelon. There was however one show that surpassed all expectations and delivered on the post-WrestleMania hype, and it was Payback.
In recent years the post-Mania PPV is usually one that falls flat as it continues Mania's feuds but doesn't add enough venom into them to ensure they feel like worthy bouts once off the main stage. Thankfully, due to some smart booking, this show got itself to be arguably the most consistent night of booking in WWE this year, even with WrestleMania, Rumble and even SummerSlam having better matches on them. However, it started out horribly with the accidental concussion suffered by Enzo Amore in the opening contest that caused the #1 Contenders Tag Team bout to be stopped. From there though, the night was incredibly solid, with three of the remaining five matches scoring the average of **1/2, with Charlotte and Natalya putting on a solid contest for the Women's Title, Jericho and Ambrose settled their animosity for the first time and The Miz and Cesaro showcased their skills in an entertaining bout. The two big matches, Owens VS Zayn (***1/2) and more importantly Reigns VS Styles (****1/2) brought massive flair to proceedings, showing immense storytelling and risky moves that brought the crowd to life and ensure that both meant something, with the main event becoming a contender for Match Of The Year in the process.
While the bigger shows in the early part of the year had bigger and better matches on them, I felt their events weren't the most consistent of wrestling shows to watch and lumbered through some awful things to drag them down. For Payback, throughout the event I felt entertained, I felt like all the matches meant something and the were all being booked to where people looked strong but could also have their feuds built upon. Outside of the opening contest ending unexpectedly, this event across the board was the best show of the year with no matches going below the average mark, which is something in modern WWE that for my rating scale is rare to find. While the bigger shows of the year were fun to watch, no WWE wrestling show on PPV managed to thrill me like Payback did and if the Tag Team bout had gotten a **1/2 at least, we'd have been looking at an 8 out of 10 showing, even if it looked flat with such consistency on show. All in all, this night was one that surprised the most and delivered the most on what their matches were offering, making it a deserving PPV Of The Year winner.
WORST PPV MATCH OF THE YEAR:
The Rock VS Erick Rowan (WrestleMania 32, ZERO)
I began reviewing WWE on YouTube six years ago, and for most of that time, this award was usually quite hotly contested as the matches on show outside of a few gems, were average to poor most of the time. However, due to the increase in the quality of the matches on WWE's PPV product, the amount of ZERO matches given in 2016 was the lowest in some time. I've only given the dreaded ZERO rating out six times this year, with one of the times, the match only got the rating due to Enzo Amore's concussion stopping the match before it got going. Looking at the contenders, it's easy to see why they ended up here. Swann VS Kendrick VS Perkins at Roadblock while technically sound was damp squib of a contest that failed to interest anyone, The New Day VS Sheamus & Cesaro at Hell In A Cell and The Miz VS Darren Young at Battleground were uninspiring messes, while R-Truth VS Curtis Axel at Fastlane was a last minute addition that bogged down an event that didn't need it. In similar vein, this years winner was an unannounced match that damaged the look of the event and buried a stable in the process.
Erick Rowan VS The Rock was booked just so there could be a 'historic moment' on the show, as it lasted eight seconds and broke the record for the shortest match in WrestleMania history. It served no legitimate purpose other than to give The Rock a more prominent role on the show, and serve for John Cena to make a surprise appearance. For the casual viewing audience, it was a nice surprise and made them all feel blessed to have put their time into WWE's over six-hour extravaganza, however for die-hard fans, the story being told was quite different. For them, to see The Wyatt Family, a stable of undoubted quality be subjected to the biggest of humiliations ruined their credibility, which had already been damaged after years of mismanaged feuds and poor booking decisions. Sure, to have Erick Rowan, the least remarkable of the group to suffer the fall meant that it didn't feel all that negligent, but to have Rock and a still on the shelf Cena go to town on Bray & Luke Harper was just overkill. To casual viewers who decided to stick around on RAW the next night and the months that followed, they'd not be able to look at Wyatt and co. without feeling contempt towards how inadequate they were on the biggest stage of them all, and if you're trying your damnedest to make your current roster look legitimate, this wasn't the right decision to go with.
While the impact of this match and its subsequent fallout didn't effect The Wyatt Family too much due to them being taken off TV until the Summer, the ramifications of what this match did to them is still felt strongly now. However, in a turn of good fortune, thanks to a Tag Team Title run on SmackDown and the introduction of Randy Orton to the clan, the Wyatt's are seen as not only dominant again, but for the first time since their call-up from NXT in 2013, they're on the right path to success. All in all, this match didn't need to happen and I'm thankful WWE hasn't put on one of these 'last minute' additions to a PPV card since, because this showed why that practice ruined the shows they were shoehorned onto.
PPV MATCH OF THE YEAR:
Team RAW Men VS Team SmackDown Men (Survivor Series 2016, *****)
When looking at the number of ****+ quality matches this year on WWE's PPV offerings, it amazes me. Usually, a WWE calendar year would have at least five or six of them, but nothing more, but to have SIXTEEN matches go above that threshold is not only refreshing but astounding in terms of how consistently booked the matches were and how good the wrestlers were in creating them. The best of the rest were all worthy of winning this award, with the Fatal-4-Way Intercontinental Championship Match at Extreme Rules, Cena VS Styles at SummerSlam and the Triple Threat WWE Championship Match at No Mercy nearly hitting the zenith at ****3/4 apiece, all providing their PPV's and the calendar year with bouts that we will remember for their technical proficiency, risk taking moves, storytelling and crowd reaction. However, if you want a to see a match that wasn't just an absolute tour de force of psychology but also the absolute highlight of the Brand Extension rivalry to this point, then look no further than the Team RAW Men VS Team SmackDown Men Elimination Match from Survivor Series to have delivered on all cylinders to be a worthy winner.
From the moment the match began, it was an intense battle for supremacy with all the wrestlers being given a chance to showcase themselves, while it was filled with some many jaw-dropping moments that no matter how slow it got, it was difficult to keep your eyes off it. It took sixteen minutes for the first elimination, with AJ Styles helping eliminate his own teammate in Dean Ambrose, James Ellsworth helped eliminate Braun Strowman which resulted in him being thrown off the stage, Shane McMahon concussed himself getting speared in mid-air by Roman Reigns, The Shield reunited and took out AJ Styles, Owens and Jericho helped eliminate each other, and despite fighting to the end, Seth Rollins couldn't stand up to the newly rejuvenated Wyatt Family as Bray managed to win a big PPV match for the first time in a long time to cap off the insanity. Everything that happened in the match mattered, and it was a slow burner, increasing the heat to where the crowd by its end could do nothing else but stand up and applaud.
With the match clocking in at over fifty-two minutes in length, you'd expected to be a lumebering contest that couldn't substantiate itself on the big stage, however it was quite the opposite. It was a gargantuan bout but it never felt boring, as through its progressively increasing pace and momentum shifting, it told many stories, showcased many spots and risk taking moves from all considered, kept the crowd invested and showed what a major bout of this nature can achieve when everything makes sense and it all weaves together to create something quite fantastic. I gave it a ***** rating because it was pro-wrestling theatre at its finest, with all aspects of high-flying, hardcore and technical wrestling showcased within a mammoth timeframe and making me stay on the edge of my seat for its entirety unsure of who will win through its great storytelling and feud progression. It was scintillating to watch and is more than deserving of being the third five-star match I've given in the last three years, and just when I thought that WWE weren't going to produce one despite coming so close, they waited until the last 'big' stage to remind us why a Survivor Series Elimination Match can be enthralling viewing and a great example of quality wrestling that has rejuvenated the match types importance after years of mundanity. Well done to all who participated, you unknowingly created a classic and I couldn't be happier to call it PPV Match Of The Year.
WORST ON-SCREEN MOMENT OF THE YEAR:
Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson present "The Old Day" (5/9/16 edition of RAW)
To have to men of Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson's intense calibre be reduced to comedic roles to go on equal footing with The New Day was acceptable depending on the circumstance. It was funny at times and it added personality to a team of bald men who showed little else outside of ass kickings. I could get behind that, but on the 5th September edition of RAW, they decided to further their 'retirement specialist' schtick and bring out older versions of Woods, Kingston and Big E and try to crack jokes at their frail expense. It bombed, quite badly. So badly in fact, that not long after this, the humour on TV from these two stopped for good, because as was evident by the crowd and the reaction to those at home that it fell flatter than a flatfish on a Flat Face shirt. While Anderson & Gallows given the right material and opponents, can be quite entertaining, but to see them be reduced to pulling along such a tired and boring segment with 'comedy' elements not seen in many years in WWE, it didn't make the Big Bald Men from The Club look menacing and threatening, but a team who just didn't know what to do to get inside their opponents head. That, was WWE Creative fault for doing.
While The New Day came out, as bemused as we were, they couldn't save this segment from bombing and proving that what McMahon finds funny doesn't fully resonate anymore. I'm sure he got a kick and thrill out of this segment, but the audience were left dissatisfied as their time was wasted, and a team were left a laughing stock in its aftermath. Hell, they didn't even win the titles at the end of this prolonged feud. So all in all, it was done for nothing. While I could've easily put New Day's 'Time Machine' segment from the 16th May edition of RAW into this position for its equally bad execution, this one stank up the joint more, and I'm thankful due to how serious in nature WWE television has gotten in the last few months, that they will have hopefully learned that unless it is executed better, comedy doesn't always work in professional wrestling.
ON-SCREEN MOMENT OF THE YEAR:
Kevin Owens wins the WWE Universal Championship with a major assist from Triple H (29/8/16 edition of RAW)
This moment was one that like a few of the other nominees, wasn't seen coming, but thanks to the sudden turn by Triple H, it had a shockwave that still permeates. It also managed to break the curse of the Rising Star Award, which only made it resonate more in my mind, and finally it was a moment that reassured me that ANYTHING can happen in WWE, something that felt lost in the last few years. It was something so unpredictable that even the most disillusioned of fans couldn't believe their eyes. While Goldberg VS Lesnar held that shock factor better because of how absurd it was, the match that preceded this moment was better, and the reaction from the commentators in my opinion was better to drive home how crazy it all was. Even the usually composed Michael Cole was freaking out at seeing not only Owens win, have Triple H turn on Seth Rollins but also seeing The Game screw Roman Reigns out of the belt too. I was freaking out at the insanity of this moment on the night, as the unthinkable happened, my favourite current WWE wrestler actually achieved the biggest win when many were expecting Roman to waltz back into the title picture following his post-suspension punishment.
There may have been bigger moments this year in comparison, but in terms of personal enjoyment, there was no moment that stands as tall as this one. It was madness unfolding in front of my eyes, as the landscape of RAW changed starkly in front of us. Kevin Owens became 'The Man' that I knew he was going to be, Seth Rollins turned babyface, Roman Reigns was pushed out of the main event scene for more months and Triple H planted the seeds for a storyline that some four months later, is only just starting to grow out of the ground. This moment puts a smile on my face every time I see it and while it came about due to the unfortunate forfeiture of the Universal Title by Finn Balor, it proves that sometimes those moments organised in chaos can be the sweetest of them all.
WORST FEMALE SUPERSTAR OF THE YEAR:
Natalya
While members of the continuing Women's Revolution such as Charlotte, Sasha Banks and Bayley on RAW alongside Becky Lynch, Alexa Bliss and Carmella on Smackdown are driving women's wrestling into a new territory of quality, there are some within the division who just aren't hitting the mark. While I could single out Alicia Fox for her seldom seen appearances, Nikki Bella's 'Super-Cena' booking and Paige's unbelievable career meltdown for this award, there has been no woman on WWE's roster to have continued a decline on television like Natalya has this past year.
While the year started bright, with the Queen Of Harts challenging Charlotte for the then Divas Championship at RoadBlock in a stellar effort, it steadily went downhill for the proud Canadian as her role on television diminished. She did get more shots at Charlotte post-WrestleMania but the matches were beyond dull, and her minor feud with Becky Lynch in the spring didn't deliver anything that reminded me of how supreme of a wrestling talent she is, on top of it, much like the abomination of her 'farting' gimmick that dogged her for the last few years, she started singing song lyrics in promos as 'inspirational messages' so she could be seen as a mentor to SmackDown's eager but stubborn Women's Division, only making her seem more out of place and archaic on a brand full of burgeoning talent.
While Natalya hasn't lost her athletic step, the way in which she has been used on WWE programming despite her prominence doesn't reflect on her abilities and it has shown that as the Women of WWE have grown to become equals akin to the men, she has seemingly been rooted in her spot, being there to give some Hart Family legitimacy to proceedings but offer little else. Her mic work and 'acting' have been atrocious and she offers little to feuds she's part of. It's disappointing to see, as I've been a fan of Natalya since her debut in 2008, especially during the Hart Dynasty and Divas Of Doom days where she was at the height of her drawing powers. Nowadays, I feel she just holds the Hart Family name on the conscience of the company for those tuning in to something familiar and offers nothing more. Then again, if Tyson Kidd didn't suffer his spinal injury, maybe she'd still have a purpose, who knows. All in all, I wish Natalya all the best but it's up to WWE to figure out how to use her because 2016 has been a year to forget for this once proud wrestler.
FEMALE SUPERSTAR OF THE YEAR:
Charlotte
When comparing the two, The Boss was on television less due to nagging injures and as a result had the better percentage of quality PPV matches in comparison with The Queen. Charlotte's mid-year feud against Natalya and her teaming with Dana Brooke post-Mania does make her look worse, however when taking everything into account it was the quality of Charlotte's mic work that won her in this category. While Sasha connects with the crowd, Charlotte's supreme holding as the biggest heel on RAW was something that always shone through while using great psychology to back it all up as well. Even when her matches aren't up to par, they were entertaining from a traditional standpoint to some degree, much like her esteemed father often did. Through that, it has made her staying power at the top of the division ever more special, as she didn't need to be the flashiest of wrestlers to establish herself, unlike her competition. Charlotte could chase and fight to defend her belt brilliantly and made herself enjoyable even in her worst moments, something that Sasha in my opinion still struggles to do.
While many will say that Sasha deserved this award more, I can see that argument and its validity. However, this is based on which woman I believe had the biggest impact as a whole this year and when you look at who has won the majority of her PPV matches, produced quality mic work and was the one who against some stiff competition still managed to remain on top of the Women's Division and define herself as one of the best ever, Charlotte has successfully fulfilled that criteria with a flourish to boot. As a result, she wins this award for the second year running, only this time with more clout and authority to her name.
WORST SUPERSTAR OF THE YEAR:
Brock Lesnar
While Ziggler's programme with The Miz following his drafting to SmackDown improved his stock massively, Lesnar's stock tanked faster than the Peso post-Trump's election. His match with Dean Ambrose at WrestleMania should've been a Match of The Year contender but instead came across as a one-sided and uninspiring mess that despite its moments didn't improve either man's standing and his match against Randy Orton at SummerSlam was again one-sided and offered little we haven't seen before. His rematch against Goldberg at Survivor Series while shocking and being better than their WrestleMania XX encounter, wasn't really all that great when it improved on a ZERO rating by a quarter of a star, which is just pathetic. All but two of his five PPV matches this past year ranked at ** or lower, which may not sound too bad, but when you consider that those two matches are both multi-men matches at Royal Rumble and Fastlane respectively, it's not a bountiful return when looking at what Lesnar brought to the table in the other three. When you factor in Paul Heyman's promos lacking the bite they used to have and Lesnar's seeming lack of interest in WWE following his return to the UFC and his subsequent drug ban, he isn't considered at least by me to be the big money attraction that WWE thinks he is.
A 'big money' attraction in wrestling isn't just meant to be there to increase buyrates and shift merchandise, they need to show their qualities as in-ring performers and highlight why they get paid their extortionate salary in the first place. While over the last couple of years Lesnar has lived up to that billing, 2016 has been the first time chinks in his seemingly impenetrable armour have appeared, and they aren't being smoothed over by having him look so infallible to the point where no one could beat him. In the end, he lost to Goldberg, which makes that perception look pathetic when you realise it meant nothing in the end. While there have been wrestlers who have appeared on WWE TV more this year and done worse such as R-Truth who could deserve this award, there's something about Brock Lesnar's decline in 2016 that is so stark and unforgettable that it couldn't be denied. He hasn't got a purpose now he's gone and done all he could, so what's next for The Beast? Whatever it is, I just hope it's better than what we've seen this year, because it's been more irritating than entertaining.
SUPERSTAR OF THE YEAR
KEVIN OWENS
AJ STYLES
JOHN CENA
DEAN AMBROSE
THE MIZ
Without further ado, with all considered, there can only be one winner and it is...
AJ STYLES
While the other nominees had done pretty well this year, Styles blew them out of the park simply by being the absolute best and proving it night after night. When looking at what Styles accomplished in his ONE YEAR spell in WWE, it's truly staggering. We often look at Brock Lesnar and Kurt Angle for doing similar things in their first year, but neither of them had the consistency that Styles brought to the table. Lesnar and Angle both arrived with success falling into their laps, but neither of them did it with the incredible match quality that Styles supplied. 2016's PPV events for the most part had his match as the best, and every feud he was in was must-see entertainment. He won this award by doing what Kevin Owens did last year but better. He overshadowed everyone else, made an impact and forced the mainstream wrestling world to wake up and smell the beautifully prepared coffee, all while winning as many awards as possible here today to top it all off.
Congratulations Mr. Styles. While I was never the biggest fan of your TNA work, your NJPW and WWE work has finally conveyed to me what many have thought for some time, you are truly one of the best wrestlers on the planet, and are truly deserving of Cena's moniker of "The Face That Runs The Place". In all fairness, he has been exactly that, and that's all it took to win the 2016 Superstar Of The Year Award, and he did it with a superb record to boot. He now joins CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, Seth Rollins and Kevin Owens in what is becoming quite an illustrious group indeed.
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I've been Freddy Thomas, you've been people reading. This has been the 2016 Wrestling Rant Awards for The CC Network Blog and I'll see you next time.
