2016 has been quite the year for WWE. Fans have seen many great matches and witnessed insane moments all year long. The brand extension was brought back for the first time in five years. The Women’s Division is seeing its best days, creating history as it progresses.
Overall it had been a pretty successful year, despite the usual head-scratchers fans have grown used to.
But 2016 was also the year of the new era (I’m still waiting on an official name). Many superstars have evolved and grown through the year, and their hard work has paid off. For me, there wasn’t just one most improved Superstar. There have been several, and each improved in their own way.
I hope that the trend will continue to improve with 2017 is on the horizon.
There has been more focus on match quality, and it was most noticeable in the Women’s Division. Pro-wrestling continues to change over time and it most definitely reflects in the company today. Independent stars making their way in also plays a big part in everyone stepping up their game.
With that said there are five Superstars who improved the most, and while it was hard to narrow them down, this is the final result.
#1 Roman Reigns
I probably lost a lot of cool points with this one, but hear me out here. Even though Reigns continues to receive sabotage booking, fans can’t deny that he has continuously put 110% into his matches. Reigns has put on great performances with Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose and even AJ Styles.
I was a big fan of his feud with Rusev. Rusev took Reigns to the limit, and that was one of the most vulnerable moments we have seen from the Samoan Superman, since his Shield days. There is always room for improvement, and with Reigns, he has definitely become a lot better, especially with the intensity he is capable of bringing.
If there is anything he needs to focus on more, it is his selling. While he can’t help the way he is booked, making fans believe he’s fought for it will help his case more.
#2 Nikki Bella
This time last year, I would never have put Bella anywhere near this list. However, recently, I find that I thoroughly enjoy her feud with Carmella. While I hate seeing Superstars injured, it is apparent that Bella has been doing her homework in the several months she was away from the ring.
Bella’s ring work looks so much better compared to last year. The tension between her and Carmella sells the feud, and this is a good example of not having to be in the Championship picture just to be a focal point on the show.
Bella will more than likely be Smackdown Women’s Champion, sometime within this next year. I was pretty vocal about her Divas Championship reign, but if Bella continues this run, then I would probably sing a different tune. Bella has clearly been putting in the effort inside the ring, living up to the accomplishments she has gotten over time.
#3 Charlotte Flair
If I had to choose who this year’s most improved Superstar is, Charlotte Flair has got my vote. I have become a big fan of her, this year because she has progressed leaps and bounds from where she was before. Flair has owned her role as the top heel in the Raw Women’s Division.
Being the top heel, she has exemplified that in the ring, both with her dominance and storytelling.
Her feud with Sasha Banks is going down as one of the best feuds the Women’s Division has seen. This history making feud took them both to the main event of both Raw and Hell in a Cell. Flair’s dominance at Hell in a Cell solidified her as the one to beat in the Raw Women’s Division. Her overall performance speaks for itself.
#4 Rusev
Rusev was someone I didn’t particularly care for when he first debuted onto the main roster two years ago. His beautiful bride Lana has done a tremendous job of selling the Bulgarian Brute all this time and fans are now seeing the fruits of his labour.
As I said, the feud with him and Reigns is perhaps one of his best.
Allowing Rusev to establish dominance over the likes of Reigns and even John Cena, speaks volumes of where he is going on the Raw roster. His recent altercation with Goldberg is a pretty good indication of that. Rusev’s look screams dangerous and intense, and he proved that this year.
Even his mic-skills have gotten better, and I am excited to see what 2017 brings him. I would be 100% on board with Rusev in the Universal Title Picture in the coming months if it were to happen.
#5 The Miz
I think The Miz is one of the most underrated Superstars today. His career-making moment with Daniel Bryan on Talking Smack was stellar, to say the least. He is one of the best heels in WWE today, and with the beautiful Maryse by his side, he continues to gain the ire of fans everywhere. The Miz is a great heel and has owned that for quite a long time.
The Miz knows how to get under the skin of fans, and whether it’s in the ring or on the microphone, he is on top of his game. He has completely taken advantage of the heat and embraces it. That translates into the ring, which is why he’s a six-time Intercontinental Champion.
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