10 Things We Learned From WWE In 2016
For better or worse, it was an educational year.
With 2016 almost at a close, it's a good time to look back at WWE's output during the calendar year. It's certainly been a notable time - from the largest drawn house in company history to the return of the brand split, things have rarely slowed down (except during three-hour Raws, of course). It's been newsworthy from start to finish,
Unfortunately, what 2016 may end up best known for is the incredible discrepancy between in-ring action and booking. Some of the greatest workers in the world have debuted and thrived in WWE during the year, but the creative team has still fumbled the ball on so many angles and storylines. Case in point: Roman Reigns was still the most-pushed star over the course of the past year, and he's going to be challenging for the title again in two weeks.
Nevertheless, and throughout all of the good and bad, it's been a very educational year for fans of the company. We've learned a lot about how WWE's priorities have changed and how they've stayed the same. We've also learned which of our favorite superstars can deliver and which are starting to wear thin. Some of this information may let us know what to expect in 2017.
Here are 10 things we learned from WWE in 2016:
10. Chris Jericho Is As Relevant As Ever
Chris Jericho only made a handful of appearances on WWE TV in 2015, but on the very first Raw of 2016, he returned to the company full time. Unfortunately, he immediately picked a feud with The New Day, and in their interplay, it was clear how far Jericho had fallen. While The New Day were cutting edge and entertaining, Jericho seemed like a lame old man making terrible jokes.
It turned out it was all by design. Two months later, Jericho would turn heel on tag team partner AJ Styles, and after a feud with "The Phenomenal One," Y2J would once again prove why he's the most innovative superstar in wrestling history. In a program with Dean Ambrose and beyond, he slowly metamorphosed into the character we see today - a parody of the brilliant heel he played in 2008, a walking meme, a stupid idiot who constantly calls other people stupid idiots, a man who can get anything over.
With 2016 set to close, it's hard to argue that anyone has been as purely entertaining this year as Jericho, and the hottest ticket on the Raw brand looks like a feud between Y2J and current best friend Kevin Owens. Wrestling's ultimate chameleon has done it once more, and if you don't agree, you may have just made the list.