13 Best WWE Matches Of 2016 (So Far)

5. Intercontinental Championship Match: Dean Ambrose Vs. Kevin Owens - Royal Rumble

The Intercontinental Championship was at the center of a heated rivalry between Dean Ambrose and Kevin Owens as the Royal Rumble emanated from the Amway Arena in Orlando, Florida in January.

After months of waging war, even trading the prestigious title back-and-forth, the Superstars set out to settle their differences in a brutal Last Man Standing match. Ambrose utilized his Dirty Deeds finisher twice, including one on a steel chair, but was unable to keep the stubbornly defiant Owens down for the count of 10. He followed up with an elbow through a table and even that did not finish off the Canadian.

Instead, Owens fought back into the bout with a fisherman buster through a table that looked to have him in position for the win. Instead, Ambrose beat the count. He walked right into a Popup Powerbomb but, again, made it to his feet just before the referee could count him out. With so much over-the-top violence dealt by the two competitors, the only conceivable conclusion was an incredible high spot and bump by one Superstar.

That came when Owens crashed through a stack of tables. Having nothing left to give on that particular night, the proud wrestling villain stayed down and Ambrose successfully retained his title, much to the delight of the crowd and fans of hard-hitting, hardcore wrestling who had just witnessed their first real Match of the Year candidate.