Best Major Wrestling Show: NXT TakeOver: Dallas
Runners-Up: Wrestle Kingdom X, NXT TakeOver: Toronto, Total Nonstop Deletion
Top to bottom, NXT TakeOver: Dallas came off as a major show despite having only five matches. Each match had its own charm, story, and psychology about it, allowing the audience to be fully immersed in the matches they saw.
The crowd was white hot throughout the show, especially during that fantastic Zayn/Nakamura match that not only stole the show but outdid everything seen on WrestleMania two days later.
Wrestle Kingdom X, NJPW’s premier show of 2016, was another stellar affair. It featured some of the best matches New Japan had to offer and was rightfully treated like a critical event. Top to bottom, it had one of the best cards in recent memory, with the final three matches, in particular, being must-watch contests.
NXT TakeOver: Toronto was another excellent event with a stacked card. The tag team match between DIY and the Revival was absolutely spectacular, stealing the show in the process. They really set the bar very high for Survivor Series the following night.
Finally, a special mention should go to the episode of Impact dubbed ‘Total Nonstop Deletion’, which was filmed at the Hardy compound in front of a live audience of only 50 people. Despite that small live audience, this was easily the most hysterical wrestling show of the entire year.
From the debut of Matt Hardy’s 1-year-old son Maxel to drone Vanguard 1 acting as a referee, to a ‘volcano’ erupting in North Carolina, to countless over-the-top wrestling jokes, this is without a doubt, one wrestling show everyone must see, regardless of how cheesy it is.
