10 Biggest Wrestling Controversies Of 2016
The matches, angles and characters which BROKE wrestling this year.
The 2015 wrestling landscape was littered (unenviably, that was the operative word) with talking points.
The manner in which Seth Rollins was portrayed divided the wrestling fandom. It was rewarding to see a fresh performer pushed with such conviction, but WWE compromised that by positioning that up-and-comer Kane as his central antagonist. The presentation of Sting was equally polarising. As much of a treat as it was to see him in a WWE ring, his losses to Triple H and Seth Rollins rather deflated that initial burst of excitement for many. Kevin Owens shook the world by defeating John Cena on his main roster bow - but Cena then levelled it by emerging from their predictable trilogy as the (storyline) better man. WWE somehow contrived to both break up and revert back to the status quo, often within weeks, sparking intense debate at seemingly every turn.
2016, arguably, has generated even more debate - and to confirm, several notable talking points have been omitted from this list.
The bizarre focus on James Ellsworth; the logic behind installing The New Day as record-breaking Tag Team Champions without the benefit of relative scarcity; the scaling back of John Cena...all merited much discussion, but there was yet more controversy elsewhere...
10. The WWE United Kingdom Championship
Nobody saw the introduction of the WWE United Kingdom Championship coming. Over the weekend of January 14th and 15th, WWE will crown the inaugural champion in a single-elimination tournament...but how sound of an idea is it?
Very recent history shows that WWE's decision to create sub-divisions within its roster is a dubious approach. The Cruiserweights are almost defined by irrelevance - but they, at least, have the benefit of an inherently exciting and enduring style. With no marketable hook for viewers outside of the UK, the likes of Tyler Bate et al. are in danger of becoming even more marginalised. Is Jack Gallagher a Cruiserweight, or a contender for the UK Title? In either event, he's far from WWE Heavyweight Title contention.
Ultimately, the general feeling among the wrestlers themselves - if social media is any indication - has been positive. That has to be considered the most reliable barometer. Never has there been a more direct pipeline to WWE proper. That is a good thing; for years, the efforts of several exciting British talents have been unjustly ignored. And obviously, if a star within this new UK division becomes popular enough, they will transcend those niche confines.
Again, though, WWE's answer to too much wrestling is to give us yet more wrestling. Will enough people care - or have time to care - for this division to become relevant?