What's the story?
WWE superstar AJ Styles has been announced as the 2016 Wrestler of the Year in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter's annual awards. Styles wins the accolade courtesy of a fantastic debut year in the company, which included winning his first ever WWE Championship.
In case you didn't know...
The yearly awards by Wrestling Observer Newsletter always create a great deal of debate among fans, with some believing that there's always too much favouritism towards New Japan Pro Wrestling. A lot of the awards are wrestling based, however, some mixed martial arts-based entries have started popping up over the last few years.
The heart of the matter
Styles was announced as the winner, with the award being voted for by wrestling personalities and fans alike. Below is the full top ten from this year's voting.
1. A.J. STYLES (462) 2.9202. Kazuchika Okada (285) 2,6373. Tetsuya Naito (190) 2,6104. Kenny Omega (79) 1,5305. Kento Miyahara (10) 1896. Hiroshi Tanahashi (5) 1457. Chris Hero (3) 1348. Volador Jr. (16) 1259. Kevin Owens (2) 9910. Shinsuke Nakamura (3) 73
What's next?
Styles will likely continue to steal the show on a weekly basis in WWE for as long as he sees fit. The Phenomenal One has been a revelation in the company and has far exceeded the expectations of many who thought he'd just be stuck in a mid-card role. Given his quality, it seems unlikely that this result will create as much controversy as usual.
Sportskeeda's take
A lot of the results from WON's awards are pretty sigh-inducing, but some of them make sense - and this is one of them. AJ Styles is the best in the world right now and it's been that way for quite some time, and we hope and pray that this current WWE run lasts for at least a few more years to come.
If he can follow in the footsteps of Jericho, then there's no reason to believe that he won't be around for WrestleMania 34 and beyond.
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