WWE Payback 2016: 10 Awesome Moments

5. Crowd Bought Into AJ Styles Phenomenal Forearm Near Fall

aj styles roman reigns payback
WWE.com

Wrestlers kicking out of finishing moves in WWE's main event matches is almost a certainty nowadays. Trading big blows, each one is often permitted to sneak a shoulder up just before the referee hits his final count. The idea is that this adds drama, allowing each respective performer to feign incredulity over what has just transpired.

Following interference from Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson, AJ Styles crawled back onto the ring apron. The announcers assessed that he maybe hadn't seen his friends beat down Roman Reigns, and he managed to find the energy to spring back into the ring with a thumping Phenomenal Forearm.

For the briefest of moments, fans around ringside allowed themselves to believe that the end was nigh. Crucially, Reigns kept his eyes away from the referee's hand slapping the mat, instead feeling the count naturally and nipping his shoulder up at just the right moment.

It was a fully convincing near fall, the best of the match. Even Styles kicking out of Roman's Superman Punch couldn't top this one.

Contributor

Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.