10 Biggest Wrestling Controversies Of 2016

6. The Brand Split

When WWE announced their intention to split the roster earlier this year, much discussion ensued.

The first brand extension made perfect sense in 2002; WWE had bought out WCW, and had more main event acts than it knew what to do with. Fast forward 14 years, and WWE has a handful - if that - of established money-drawing brands. WWE's roster was similarly bloated in spring, but those who comprised it were treading water, almost drowning in irrelevance. If anything, it seemed WWE was going to dilute the already depleted reservoir.

However, rather than highlight the dearth of true stars, the split galvanised those who had faded. The Miz, in particular, would not have had the unexpectedly triumphant year he did without a sparse platform on which to excel.

This time last year, even reading the SmackDown! spoilers was a chore, much less sitting through the show itself. As mediocre as it was inconsequential, it repeated the same storyline beats as RAW with none of its FOMO (i.e. only) appeal. Ultimately, the decision to split the roster has resulted in SmackDown! becoming relevant, James Ellsworth or no. If nothing else, that alone renders it a success.