Ranking 2016's WWE PPV Endings From Worst To Best
5. Backlash - AJ Takes The Gold
Here's where things start getting good, and it'd be remiss not to mention AJ Styles' crowning glory towards the top end of the list. There was nothing particularly big or flashy about Backlash's conclusion, but in the context of his career as a whole, AJ Styles' WWE Title celebration is a highly significant moment.
This was the culmination of 18 years of hard work. Styles was initially passed over by WWE when Vince McMahon bought WCW in 2001, and it was clear he'd have to take the long road to the top despite his prodigious talents. That's exactly what he did, and his 11-year run with TNA not only helped put the company on the map, but established him as one of the best wrestlers on the planet.
Styles headed to NJPW in 2014, and for all the great matches he'd had in TNA, this was where he really started taking over the world. Styles soon became one of the company's most important wrestlers, and one of the most reliable big match performers in the world. World class matches with the likes of Shinsuke Nakamura and Minoru Suzuki secured his place at the top of the wrestling mountain, and he hasn't come down since.
AJ made an electric debut in this year's Royal Rumble, but it took until September for him to capture the gold. Still, his Backlash triumph over Dean Ambrose felt like one of the most deserved WWE Title victories in decades. Styles was playing the heel, but it was hard not to feel thrilled for him after such a long journey.