10 Reasons WWE Was Great In 2016
4. Awareness And Acknowledgement Of Other Organizations
WWE is the big leagues and has always made it a point to never mention other companies or previous accolades by superstars in other promotions. This year, WWE has become more willing to acknowledge that other places exist, which makes the product more believable to me.
When AJ Styles appeared in the Royal Rumble, he was given legitimacy (his talent speaks for itself but this was still nice to hear) when JBL flat out said AJ was a former IWGP Champion. Later on, it was also mentioned that Styles was a former NWA champion. I love seeing this from WWE. Superstars who come to WWE from other places need to have their runs acknowledged. More on this later.
Another example is the mentioning of TNA multiple times on the WWE Network. Another AJ Styles moment here as while a guest on The Stone Cold Podcast, "The Texas Rattlesnake" and "The Phenomenal One" went back and forth about AJ's time in TNA. They even showed pictures! This is crazy to think about as WWE likes to live in their own bubble and act as if they are all that matter. To an extent, this is true, but it is nice to see they are lightening their stance on the wrestling world as a whole.
We all benefit from a WWE that acknowledges and respects other promotions, wrestlers, and histories. Kudos WWE for being comfortable enough in your spot to respect the genre of professional wrestling.