10 Most Improved WWE Superstars Of 2016

1. The Miz

The Miz Maryse
WWE.com

The Miz felt like he’d ran his course at the start of the year, and fans had grown sick of the sight of him a long time ago. Miz’s main event days were dead and buried, and in 2016’s first quarter, he was little more than an unwanted spot-filler in the Intercontinental Title division.

Miz won the belt in April, but he stuck-out like a sore thumb when competing against guys like Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens. He held onto the belt for a good few months, but after a quiet start to life under the Brand Split, The Miz erupted on August 23rd.

His infamous Talking Smack rant kicked-off a huge turnaround. Fans were suddenly invested in The Miz again, and he displayed drastic improvements across the board. Though always talented on the microphone, Miz’s character work suddenly went for the roof, and he became SmackDown’s most hated villain.

In the ring, Miz looks better than ever. He’s always been considered a pretty basic wrestler, but he’s working harder today than at any other point in his career, and his adoption of some of Daniel Bryan’s signature spots works well for his persona.

Maryse’s impact can’t be understated either. Since returning in April, Miz’s wife has been note perfect in her heel manager role, and her regular involvement in Miz’s matches have helped him screw many a popular babyface over. The duo are currently one of WWE’s most important acts, and if you’d said that to someone at the start of 2016, they’d have called you insane.

In this post: 
The Miz
 
Posted On: 
Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.