2016 has been a mixed year for fans of pro wrestling so far. We witnessed the largest Wrestlemania in history,re-experienced the brand split, and got some really exciting and memorable wrestling moments on the one hand; but also some terribly boring and cringeworthy moments on the other, all through the year.
However, day in and day out, WWE Superstars have made their presence felt, and it gives us great pleasure to pick our top wrestling superstars this year. Read on...
#10 Seth Rollins
Seth Rollins is so far down the list simply because he missed most of the year thanks to an injury he had sustained last year, and only returned to action at Extreme Rules. And while he would regain his title at Money in The Bank, he would lose it moments later to Dean Ambrose.
Though he’s been in the title picture since his big return, we feel WWE is more focused on building new stars at the moment. Seth Rollins still remains a top superstar on Raw, and is going to play a big role through the rest of the year.
#9 Roman Reigns
True, Roman Reigns has been demoted to the mid card now. But don’t forget that he did main event the biggest Wrestlemania in history with Triple H. And also that he successfully defended his title on two consecutive occasions against A.J. Styles since then.
The fans haven’t been accepting of Reigns, but he has still given it his all night after night. Sadly, we don't believe in pushing Reigns as much as McMahon does, and thus, he only makes it to Number 9.
#8 Shinsuke Nakamura
Some of you may be wondering who this man is. Well, for those of you who don’t know, Shinsuke Nakamura is definitely a future WWE champion. Ever since he made his debut at NXT: Takeover Dallas on Wrestlemania weekend, Nakamura has taken the NXT Universe by storm.
And this is close on the heels of a Match of the Year contender with A.J. Styles at Wrestle Kingdom 10. All hail The King of Strong Style, and our No.8 pick.
#7 Sasha Banks
Sasha Banks is living her dream. After months of dispelling myths associated with Women’s Wrestling, Sasha Banks is carrying the Women’s Revolution into a new era. From featuring in what was the best match at Wrestlemania 32, to winning the Women’s Title in the first Raw since the brand split, the Boss is here, and the Boss is out to prove a point.
#6 Kevin Owens
The longest reigning Universal Champion in WWE history has had quite a year. He has always delivered in big matches, and finally, a few weeks ago, he earned the top spot during a Fatal 4-Way on Raw. The Kevin Owens show has just begun, and it’ll be interesting to see where he goes from here.
But honestly speaking, whether it has been in his classic matches with Sami Zayn, or on commentary, or even in backstage interviews...Owens has delivered every time.
#5 Finn Balor
Finn Balor carried the NXT brand on his shoulders until he was called up to Raw recently. And the push that he was given was immense and immediate. So much so that he became the first ever Universal Champion on Raw, before he had to bow out with an injury.
But rumors abound about Balor making a return at The Royal Rumble. Will he go on to main event Wrestlemania then?
#4 A.J. Styles
A.J. Styles made his debut at the 2016 Royal Rumble and has been a major main event player ever since. Be it wrestling Chris Jericho at Wrestlemania 32, wrestling for the title in back-to-back PPVs, or even defeating ‘The Face That Runs The Place’ at Summerslam, A.J. Styles looks all set to become a future world champion.
Maybe even as early as Backlash this weekend.
#3 The New Day
The New Day have held the W...W...E....World...Tag...Team...Championships through 2016. And have feuded with literally everyone in their path, remaining current, relevant and bootylicious. Plus, they look all set to break Demolition’s tag team reign. Also, who can forget their Wrestlemania entrace? Who? Who?
#2 Charlotte
Charlotte has taken women's wrestling to new heights. She's appeared in more consecutive PPVs than any woman in history and always tears the house down, when she steps into the ring. Little wonder then, that when the Diva's Championship was renamed the Women’s Championship, she was chosen as the woman to carry it into a new era.
Genetically superior and our Number 2 pick.
#1 Dean Ambrose
While Ambrose has his fair share of critics, he is probably the most 'over’ babyface to be World Champion since Daniel Bryan. Don't forget that he's wrestled important matches in every PPV, and this year, he played the underdog before he cashed in at ‘Money in the Bank’.
He was world champion heading into the brand split. How long he holds the title is something we can only guess.
