10 Best Years To Be A WWE Fan
9. 2016
Rarely is a major change within WWE an actual change, but 2016's roster split was the most significant shift for the show since the first Brand Extension in 2002. And for about six months of the year, it was as though an old idea had given the company a new lease on life.
SmackDown in particular felt enlivened by the split and move to Tuesdays, with a roster boosted by NXT call-ups, some old hands such as The Miz, The Usos and Natalya finding fantastic new form and Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon becoming the first authority figures in years not to be total tw*ts.
On Bryan - his heartbreaking retirement at the start of the year was made a little easier to stomach thanks to his dazzling presence on the wonderful Talking Smack. The sister show allowed performers to cut loose and do what remains today to be some of their best work.
Raw wasn't half bad either. A Sasha Banks/Charlotte Flair carried the brand for the second half of the year, as did Braun Strowman's squashes and the ongoing adventures of Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens. The latter in particular made for a very welcome comedic inclusion away from the ordinarily super-serious feuds over the top title.