10 Best WWE Raw Episodes Of 2016
WWE's flagship show wasn't entirely terrible in 2016.
There is little doubt that the past few months of WWE Raw have been painful to watch, specifically September through December. The red brand's recent Roadblock: End of the Line pay-per-view was abysmal and WWE closed out the year with a mediocre final episode of 2016. But should fans hold out hope for greener pastures in 2017?
Before we look forward to the new year, it's important to first look back at the year that was 2016 on Raw. While WWE's fall and winter seasons haven't had much to offer, the flagship show was at its best during the spring and summer. It was nothing compared to the days of old, mind you, but by today's standards, Raw was more bearable than usual on a near-consistent basis from week to week thanks to the Brand Split and new faces entering the spotlight.
Believe it or not, 2016 had its highlights. Who could forget the electric return of Shane McMahon? Or Finn Bálor's memorable main roster debut? Or how about when Kevin Owens won the WWE Universal Championship with help from Triple H?
All of those monumental moments occurred on Monday nights. Terrible editions of Raw were not hard to find last year, but it was the exceptional episodes that fans might remember most about the year in WWE.
10. 19 August 2016
The Highlights: This show hosted one of the best TV matches all year when Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens, and Big Cass met in a Fatal 4-Way Elimination match to crown a new WWE Universal champion. It was a terrific match from start to finish with the exciting conclusion that saw Owens emerge victorious with help from a returning Triple H.
That alone would have made the show above-average, but the night also featured an excellent match between Chris Jericho and Neville as well as an insanely fun six-person tag team match pitting The New Day and Bayley against The Club and Dana Brooke. Unfortunately, it has been all downhill for the flagship show since then.
The Low Points: Truth be told, the rest of the episode was rather dull with Sami Zayn beating Jinder Mahal in a quick squash match and Nia Jax and Braun Strowman dominating enhancement talent. Additionally, this show might have ranked higher on the list had it not been for the awful match between Darren Young and Titus O'Neil as well as the segment where Stephanie McMahon forced Paul Heyman to pay Brock Lesnar's fine, an angle that has since been dropped.