With the start of a new year, let’s take a look at some of the best wrestling matches of 2016 in WWE from the year behind us, and see what they mean for the future of the company.
Next weekend we will be unveiling WZ’s expert panel choice for match of the year, which includes bouts from WWE as well as other promotions, but for this weekend, here are my picks for the five best wrestling matches of 2016 offered by WWE.
The Top 5 Best Wrestling Matches of 2016 in WWE
Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Sami Zayn
Let’s start things off with a reminder of in-ring wrestling’s true storytelling ability. Debate is always back and forth when it comes to in-ring wrestling, with some people feeling story line build, character development and promos leading up to a match are much more important than the actual in-ring match itself. But in the case of Sami Zayn vs Shinsuke Nakamura at WWE NXT Takeover, the power of the in-ring art was singularly vital to the success of the match. There was no angle, no feud, no promo build, and to top it all off casual WWE fans had no idea who Shinsuke Nakamura was. But in his first match, having never cut a promo on WWE TV, him and Zayn were able to tell a perfect story based solely on in-ring wrestling. The art form was alive and well in this match, and better than most in 2016.
Read Also: Wrestlezone Year-End Awards: Most Underrated Superstar of 2016
The Revival vs. #DIY
If you’re looking for some good tag teams that rose in the 2016, your best bet would be the NXT brand. One of the best wrestling matches of 2016 in the tag team division is The Revival’s journey against #DIY which took place during the same Brooklyn event that bid Bayley farewell and confirmed Asuka as the champion. In a match to retain their championship title, Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder (better known as the Revival) defeated #DIY in an amazing match that could only be overshadowed by their rematch in Toronto. What makes the Revival so great is the fact that they are a true tag team, extremely skillful and perfectly synchronized. This is exactly what tag teams should be like, which is why these two matches in Brooklyn and Toronto are highlights of the year.
The Miz vs. Cesaro vs. Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn
The Extreme Rules event that happened back in May has one of the most memorable matches because it made a 4-way brawl look interesting and easy to follow. Matches like this can often be quite difficult to pull off, especially when all of the wrestlers are fighting for themselves, but Extreme Rules somehow managed to pull it off. While the Miz was not always a fan favorite, he’s been improving in the past few years thanks to his mic work and character development. At Extreme Rules, he was forced to defend his title against Cesaro, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, which he did in a beautifully paced match where the audience knew exactly where to focus at all times. This is an example of how 4-way brawls should be done, and also ranks up there with one of the best wrestling matches of 2016.
AJ Styles vs. John Cena
Yes, this past year’s WWE SummerSlam event may have been headlined by the bloody match between Brock Lesnar and Randy Orton, where Lesnar pretty much obliterated The Viper, but the match that made everyone gasp was the much anticipated AJ Styles and John Cena battle. The face of WWE, John Cena, didn’t realize who he was up against when he stepped inside the ring with AJ Styles. In a match where most people feared WWE would job another top star out to John Cena, who knew that WWE would book Styles so strongly against the 15-time champ, and in so doing, birth the next “face that runs the place”.
Becky Lynch vs. Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte
Wrestlemania 32 was all in the name of female wrestlers. The three-way fight between Becky Lynch, Sasha Banks and Charlotte was organized to see who would win the first WWE Women’s Championship as the old Diva title was retired. The three girls set out to make this match a true milestone and they succeeded as we got to see some exceptional wrestling on all three sides. The match ended when Charlotte managed to pin Becky and force submission, while her father, the mighty Ric Flair held Sasha Banks, preventing her from interfering. Combining all that with Snoop Dogg’s rendition of his cousin Sasha Banks’ entrance theme at the start, and you can see why this is easily one of the best wrestling matches of 2016.
Do you think there’s a match that was better than these 5 in the list? Let us know your picks for the best wrestling matches of 2016 in the comment section!
Nick was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and lived there until the age of 18, when he decided to pack his flack jacket and move to New York City.
