10 Reasons WWE Was Great In 2016
2. Signing Worldwide Talent (And The Use Of Their Names)
WWE is the big leagues of professional wrestling. They have the history and resources to sign just about anyone they please, if the offer is right. WWE also has had a penchant for changing the names of wrestlers upon arrival to the promotion for years due to naming rights and licensing purposes. That seems like sound business doctrine and is all well and good but that is not what is best for the superstar nor the fans.
However, WWE showed this year that they, for the first time, realize other places exist and these stars have fans that will follow them here and that name recognition means something. WWE has signed some of the best available talent in the world over the past year or so and placed them into main event spots in both NXT and on the main roster. In addition, most of these stars have been able to keep their names as a result. This new process by which WWE operates (not for all stars but for the big stars) really takes me back to the old days before Vince became obsessed with licensing when a star would come into the WWE and continue to assume their normal gimmick and name.
Dusty Rhodes, Roddy Piper, and Ric Flair, among others, all came to WWE with well established characters and followers. They were all top talent and WWE made sure to get them when available. The fact that WWE has signed the likes of AJ Styles, Shinsuke Nakamura, Samoa Joe, Bobby Roode, and Austin Aries shows that they are in tune with what fans want to see in the ring> Additionally, it shows they are committed to letting the talent be the characters they have spent years crafting, which is a treat for the fans and a real testament to the faith WWE is placing in these stars moving forward.