Being an underdog in the wrestling business comes with certain perks. First of all, it's easier for fans to relate to an underdog. Secondly, the WWE Universe is known to embrace underdogs, unless it’s a character like James Ellsworth who completely forgets that he is one and goes on to attract hate from the fans. But we loved him when he went up against Braun Strowman right?
Being an underdog means that the expectations on your shoulders are less. And having such low expectations allows you to exceed them and showcase your skills in a better way.
There were such instances of Superstars exceeding expectations this year in the WWE and here’s a look at them.
Honourable Mention: Shane McMahon
When WWE announced that Shane McMahon was going to face the Undertaker, we knew that we were going to get something special from both Superstars. Shane has a reputation of pulling off daredevil stunts while wrestling, but all of that valour was on display long ago and with the possibility of ring rust after such a storied career, everyone kept expectations low.
But Shane surprised everyone when he jumped off the Cell at WrestleMania. It was a highlight reel moment for the ages and Shane doing such a move raised many eyebrows. Shane would then go on to play a crucial role in making SmackDown Live the better brand and still continues to be a driving force for the Tuesday night show.
#5 Alexa Bliss
Alexa Bliss was hands down one of the best picks of the WWE draft. Having two separate divisions for Women after the brand split was a concern for many fans. And when WWE went with Sasha Banks, Charlotte and Bayley on Raw, the faith of the SmackDown Women’s division was further questioned.
But the lack of star power came as a blessing for Alexa who got a platform to showcase her talents. She soon established herself as a top heel in a division that boasted of performers that were far more experienced and within no time, she was feuding with Becky Lynch for the title.
The icing on the cake for Alexa came when she won the Women’s Championship. She is also one of the reasons SmackDown is currently seen as a better product when compared to Raw.
#4 Braun Strowman
Braun Strowman is still pretty green when compared to other Superstars on the roster. But the improvements that Strowman made this year deserve some credit. After his separation from the Wyatt Family, no one gave Strowman a chance. He was bound to end up just like the numerous monster heels that WWE has had over the past decade.
In fact, he could reach such a point in 2017, but as for 2016, Strowman impressed. A combined impact of strong booking and his willingness to improve is what resulted in the outcome and the ongoing feud that he is currently involved in with Sami Zayn will allow him to improve further.
#3 Heath Slater
People making most out of horrible gimmicks has been common in WWE for some time. New Day probably laid out the blueprint for such success stories and Heath Slater was someone that followed this path.
He was unpicked at the drafts and this allowed Slater to appear both on Raw and SmackDown. With such an opportunity in hand, Slater flourished and turned into an entertaining name on the SmackDown roster.
Slater would then earn himself a SmackDown contract and win the WWE tag team championship with Rhyno to cap off the year. From being part of a jobber squad to becoming the reigning tag team champions on SmackDown, Slater showed a great curve this year and exceeded expectations.
#2 James Ellsworth
With all the hype that James Ellsworth got in the introduction slide, you probably saw this inclusion coming, didn’t you?
The journey of Ellsworth from a local jobber to the man that defeated AJ Styles three times in one year was a remarkable one. Some fans would cringe thinking about how WWE booked Ellsworth but the circle was completed when Styles destroyed Ellsworth recently on SmackDown Live.
Despite not having the regular WWE frame or looks, Ellsworth went on to become a lovable jobber. Later, he showcased his skills by making people hate him and turning into an annoying heel. This is only the start for Ellsworth and 2017 might be a bigger year for him at this rate.
#1 Goldberg
The return of Goldberg was one of the most memorable storylines of the year. He made his return to the promotion after a gap of more than a decade and the expectations were low. Goldberg was not known for his wrestling skills to start with and secondly, age and rustiness were considered factors as well.
When WWE booked him against Brock Lesnar, everyone was curious as to how the match would turn out. The expectations were low, once again, but Goldberg dominated completely.
He stopped Lesnar’s dominating run in a matter of minutes and even if someone did expect a lot from Goldberg’s return, no one would’ve seen him get such a dominant win over Lesnar.
Who else exceeded expectations this year? Comment below.
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