10 Best WWE Matches Of 2016
WWE's women just had their greatest year ever...
2016 was a remarkable year for women's wrestling, especially in WWE. For the first time in history, women were in the main event slot of a main roster pay-per-view, the tired Divas tag was shelved, and females in the company produced numerous sparkling matches. This year belonged to the likes of Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks, and Becky Lynch.
Obviously, the female contingent of the roster weren't the only ones to give us great matches in WWE this year. The men go under the microscope here, examining a plethora of pay-per-view events to find the most must-see matches of the past 12 months.
Those favouring a negative outlook on 2016 should remember WWE made real progress this year. Not only did women shine brighter than ever before, AJ Styles also became a genuine headliner in the company. Further, names like Kevin Owens left their mark on wrestling's biggest promotion in a way few could have predicted.
From January's Royal Rumble to November's Survivor Series and beyond, here are the absolute best WWE matches of 2016. Let the debate commence...
(Note: this list does not include NXT bouts. That's a whole separate article!)
10. Dean Ambrose Vs. Kevin Owens (Royal Rumble)
By their very nature, Last Man Standing bouts should be dramatic, tense affairs. Kevin Owens and Dean Ambrose are the kind of talents who can whip up drama in a regular singles match, meaning they excelled when the spotlight was on them with the Last Man Standing gimmick at Royal Rumble.
Then the WWE Intercontinental Champion, Ambrose would enjoy an excellent start to the year against Owens. KO himself had burst onto the main roster in 2015, and this was very much a battle between men looking upwards on the card rather than settling for what they had. The match reflected that.
WWE's very first pay-per-view scrap of the year was also one of the best. Using tables, steel chairs, and other distractions, Ambrose and Owens put together a brawl not topped until the titular 30-man Rumble match later in the show.
2016 has been a banner year for the Intercontinental Title, largely thanks to the work of The Miz, and this was a rip-roaring start. Ambrose wouldn't be able to re-capture this magic during his WWE Title run in the summer.