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With the wealth of talent that WWE has on its roster at present, it is impossible to please everyone with a 'Top Ten’ Superstars of the Year countdown, and then pick the winner. Currently, WWE has a roster packed with probably the best in-ring talent in history and is also the greatest era for women’s wrestling.
Needless to say, there's a great possibility that your favourite WWE Superstar did not make it to this list. The procedure for this activity is simple. We conducted a poll on our Facebook page, and also considered the opinion of our writers.
After adding the scores, we have a winner.
Honorable Mention: Chris Jericho
With the exception of maybe Broken Matt Hardy, no Superstar has reinvented himself this year like Chris Jericho has. A fan favourite, he almost made it to our countdown but just missed out. But every time his music hits and Chris Jericho comes out to the ring, we truly are entertained. He makes it to a very close 11th spot.
#10 Dean Ambrose
Even though Dean Ambrose is the top babyface on SmackDown Live, 2016 hasn’t been the best year for him. His much hyped Wrestlemania 32 match against Brock Lesnar was a dud, as was the first ever ‘Ambrose Asylum’ match against Chris Jericho.
However, Ambrose would go on to win the 2016 Money in The Bank Prize, cash it in the same night, and become WWE World Heavyweight Champion, heading into the brand split. He has, since then, had a string of good matches against AJ Styles, and taken few clean pinfalls.
It is clear he has a big role to play in the future of WWE. Let’s see what the future holds for the lunatic.
#9 Charlotte
The only reason Charlotte Flair is so low in our countdown is because she received shockingly few votes in our Facebook poll. Charlotte is probably the most protected talent in the company. She has a string of victories on pay-per-view and has been carrying the Women’s Championship for the majority of the year.
She is durable and hardly ever gets injured. Not only did she participate in the first ever Women’s Hell in a Cell Match, she’s also going to be part of the first ever Iron Woman match in the main roster. The Queen reigns supreme at Number 9.
#8 John Cena
John Cena has missed most of 2016 with commitments outside the WWE. It is being rumoured that he may never wrestle full time again. However, his return at Wrestlemania 32 got a pop that gave us all goosebumps. Moreover, his rivalry with AJ Styles has been truly phenomenal, no pun intended.
What is not well documented is the fact that house show numbers also went up, with Cena’s return. A well-deserved Number 8 position.
#7 Kevin Owens
Much like with Charlotte Flair, we were surprised that Kevin Owens did not receive too many votes. Transitioning successfully from the mid card to the top of the card, Kevin Owens has come a long way. His ‘best friendship’ with Chris Jericho has been one of the highlights on WWE Television this year.
Each one of his matches has, without exception, delivered. We suppose, somehow deep down, everyone knows that Owens is just a placeholder Champion for other Vince McMahon favourites.
#6 Seth Rollins
After carrying WWE on his shoulders for the duration of 2015, Seth Rollins injured himself. Rollins only made his big comeback at Extreme Rules this year (which explains why he did not score higher in our poll). Since then, he has been the MVP of brand Raw and was also the Number 1 draft pick by Stephanie McMahon and GM Mick Foley.
It helps that Rollins is one of the best in-ring workers in the brand as well. WWE has a lot invested in ‘the man’, and we’re sure he’ll have a big role, come 2017!
#5 Goldberg
Goldberg’s wrestled all of one match this year. A match that did not even go two minutes. In this duration, he has taken the wrestling world by storm, attracting many casual wrestling fans back to the product.
Every single appearance of his, accompanied by his iconic music, is big news indeed. The iconic ‘Goldberg’ chants that engulf the arena with his entrance are deafening indeed. WWE has finally figured out a way to book Goldberg right, this time around. One of the highest scorers in our Facebook poll!
#4 Brock Lesnar
Another man who makes limited appearances, but makes headlines every time he appears, is the ‘Beast Incarnate’ Brock Lesnar. While none of his matches have been 5-star classics, Brock Lesnar was squashing full-time wrestlers until he hit a brick wall in Goldberg.
Facebook poll results indicate that despite his limited showings, Lesnar is still a fan favourite. The Goldberg- Lesnar feud is unresolved, and it’ll be interesting to see how it eventually pans out at the Royal Rumble and beyond.
#3 Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns was the World Champion at the start of the year until he lost his title to Triple H at the Royal Rumble. He reclaimed his Championship at Wrestlemania, amidst a chorus of boos. Thereafter, Roman Reigns and AJ Styles had some of the best matches this year.
Roman Reigns is never out of the mix at the top of the card. Despite overwhelming negative fan reaction for the duration of the year, Roman Reigns is a good hand and always delivers in the ring. Heck, he’s improved on the microphone as well now. With a high score in our Facebook poll, Roman Reigns captures the third spot in our WWE Superstar of the year countdown.
#2 Sasha Banks
Women’s Wrestling has never been this epic. And the most popular woman in WWE right now is ‘The Boss’ Sasha Banks. From main eventing Raw, to being part of the first ever women’s Hell in a Cell match, to capturing the Women’s Championship from Charlotte on multiple occasions; Sasha Banks has made us proud.
A role model for many girls who wish to be wrestlers someday, The Boss reigns at Number 2.
#1 AJ Styles
Nobody expected a TNA original with a strong Southern accent to be the MVP of WWE someday. But AJ Styles can do things in the ring that one cannot even fathom. Not only did he lead our Facebook poll; the difference between first and second place was immense.
Congratulations to the best in-ring worker in the business. May you continue to rule wrestling!
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