7 WWE Wrestlers That Reinvented Themselves In 2016

7. The Brian Kendrick

Although The Brian Kendrick made a one-off appearance in NXT in 2015 and played a hand in training Eva Marie at his California-based wrestling school, I don't think anyone ever expected to see him back in WWE in a full-time role as an active competitior. When we last saw him at the tail-end of 2009, he was floundering without any motivation or direction as a character.

During this summer's Cruiserweight Classic, however, he demonstrated an all-new determination to return to WWE's main roster, and the only way he could do that was by winning the tournament. As a result, fans were emotionally attached to his journey, and were subsequently heartbroken when he was ultimately eliminated from the competition by Kota Ibushi.

Of course, Kendrick was brought back as part of the re-branded Cruiserweight division, and within one month, he was the WWE Cruiserweight champion after knocking off T.J. Perkins at the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view. Now, he stands tall as the division's lead heel, willing to take every shortcut possible if it means keeping his spot on the roster.

At a time where the Cruiserweights are void of any real character development, Kendrick's ability to stand out from the rest of the pack is a welcome change.