10 Unexpected WWE Standouts Of 2016
6. Dolph Ziggler
Whatever your opinion of Dolph, there's little doubt that The Showoff had a miniature resurgence in 2016.
Ziggler has always been seen as a midcarder, and he was in several feuds over the Intercontinental and WWE World titles this year, but he never felt like a credible threat early on. Dolph has received a reputation as a great worker, but one who comes with much injury risk. None of us thought WWE gave Mr. Ziggles much of a chance anymore, so we didn't either.
That all changed after the Brand Split.
Dolph headlined the SmackDown portion of SummerSlam in a World Title feud with Dean Ambrose, that put Ziggler's mic skills to work, cutting passionate promos aplenty leading towards the match, then, due to SmackDown's shallow roster and unproven young talent, he was slotted with the Miz in an IC title program. The collective audience groaned.
Little did we know that this would become one of the year's best feuds, with Dolph pouring his heart and soul into his promos and matches, creating high drama and making the WWE audience tune in and believe in him all over again. He won the title in one of the year's most cathartic triumphs at No Mercy with his career on the line. Although he would lose it in quick fashion, there's no denying Dolph's role in one of the year's most unexpectedly amazing programs.