10 Unexpected WWE Standouts Of 2016

There have been many attempts over the last decade to return the Intercontinental Championship to its former prestige level. Those who have tried include Cody Rhodes, Wade Barrett, Rey Mysterio, Chris Jericho, Dean Ambrose, Kevin Owens, and Daniel Bryan. Now imagine me telling you at the start of this year, that the person who would bring the title back from the void of irrelevance would be The Miz. You would've laughed your head off. Fast forward to the end of 2016, and not only is Miz a great IC champion, he's the number two heel on SmackDown, and cutting scathing promos on rapid fire.

When he won the title from Zack Ryder after WrestleMania, few would've predicted this. Sure, he was putting on OK matches with Cesaro, Kevin Owens, and Sami Zayn, but after duds against Darren Young and Apollo Crews, few thought that Miz was any good for the belt's reputation.

Then came his verbal confrontation with Daniel Bryan on Talking Smack, which subsequently lit a fire under the Miz, both on the mic and, surprisingly enough, in the ring. His feud with Dolph Ziggler was one of the best, if not thee best, of the year, and he came out of it looking like a proper heel.

Now, with Maryse back in his corner, and the IC title over his shoulder, Miz's 2016 career resurgence sends him headlong into the new year.