10 Most Improved WWE Superstars Of 2016
It's been a mixed year for WWE, but who made the biggest steps forward?
2016 has been a year of huge ups and downs for WWE. The Brand Split has revolutionised SmackDown but done little to wash Raw’s long-standing mediocrity away, and while NXT continues drawing plaudits from all corners, the company’s TV ratings have rarely been lower. Raw’s viewership hit an all-time low in September, and while WWE have plenty to be proud of in 2016, they’ll enter 2017 with some huge problems to deal with.
The year’s peaks and valleys are reflected on the roster. Finn Balor rose spectacularly after winning the Universal Championship less than a month after his NXT call-up, but was shot down by injury and forced to vacate the following evening.
Veterans like Kane and the Big Show have visibly regressed, meanwhile, and John Cena, the company’s franchise player, is nowhere near as important to WWE as he was at the start of the year.
WWE’s inability to create new stars remains a huge bugbear, but on the opposite side of the coin, a number of superstars have taken their performances to the next level this year. There have been countless improvements across the talent base, and while not always receiving the pushes they deserve, plenty of WWE’s wrestlers look better today than they did in January.
From resurgent company veterans to promising youngsters, here are the 10 most improved WWE superstars of 2016.
10. Heath Slater
Heath Slater started 2016 as the Social Outcasts’ de facto leader, but a stable comprised of four of WWE’s biggest losers was never going to take-off, and Slater, Bo Dallas, Curtis Axel, and Adam Rose seemed doomed to an lifetime of eternal jobbings. Rose was released in the summer, however, and the Outcasts officially went their separate ways when Bo and Axel were sent to Raw in July, and Slater went undrafted.
That’s when Slater’s rise commenced. His “free agent” story was an oddball highlight of SmackDown’s early post-draft shows, and as Slater continued his quest for a contract, his popularity slowly started growing. The One Man Band eventually found a willing tag partner in Rhyno, and after entering the SmackDown Tag Team Title tournament, Slater did the unthinkable, and became a WWE champion for the first time in five years.
Once one of the most reliable enhancement talents in the business, Slater has taken it to another level in 2016. He has raised his game as a championship-calibre midcarder, and while he still veers into comedic territory every now and then, he has become a vital cog in the SmackDown machine. A hopeless cause a few months ago, the charismatic Slater has never been in a better position than he is today.