Every WWE PPV Of 2016 Ranked From Worst To Best
4. Backlash
Though we’d already seen it happen (and un-happen) before, the Brand Split did feel like a much needed wake up call for a company that was growing ever more stale with each passing month. While the cards were thoroughly stacked against Smackdown Live, they came out of the gates far stronger than their colleagues in red.
Their inaugural PPV show crowned several new champions, including the well deserving Becky Lynch as Women’s Champ, as well as the bizarrely enjoyable pairing of Heath Slater and Rhyno as tag team champs. Most importantly, Backlash saw AJ Styles dethrone Dean Ambrose as WWE Champion, after a fairly uninspiring run. It was a bold move, but one that has paid dividends in the months since.
The Miz and Dolph Ziggler also put on the surprise hit of the year, on a card wherein the only major disappointment was Bray Wyatt losing to Kane, following an Orton injury. Backlash proved that strong storytelling trumps a stacked roster every time.