30 WWE Images That Defined 2016

James Ellsworth grimaces in pain having shoved ally Dean Ambrose off a ladder, thereby allowing AJ Styles to retain his WWE Championship at TLC.

The emergence of James Ellsworth was certainly the most bizarre push of 2016. He started off as the victim of a brief squash match against Braun Strowman, before riding a wave of fan support to SmackDown Live - where he secured the unlikeliest of contracts after defeating AJ Styles (with a lot of help from Dean Ambrose).

At TLC, the diminutive newcomer then turned on his only friend, sending the Lunatic Fringe toppling from a ladder with victory in his grasp - allowing Styles a clear path to retaining his WWE Championship. Ellsworth's reason? He felt as though he had AJ's number, and therefore stood more a chance of taking the title from him, having bested him over the previous few weeks (almost entirely thanks to Ambrose's interference, I hasten to add).