Top 10 WWE Matches of the Year 2016: Part 2
5) Charlotte VS Sasha Banks (RAW July 25)
Women's wrestling really did reach an all-time high in two thousand and sixteen. After seeing the division go down hill for so long over the past few years we have seen improvements finally take place with women finally beginning to feel equal to men and as much of a big deal. This year we got to see women compete in a huge match at Wrestlemania, main event both RAW and Smackdown and not only compete in the first ever women's hell in a cell match but main event the pay per view. There have been so many standout matches in the division this year but none quite stick out as much as my number five entry in this year's top ten matches of the year. Of course, I'm talking about the one on one championship match between Charlotte and Sasha Banks that took place on the July twenty-fifth episode of Monday night RAW. Throughout twenty sixteen we saw these two women face off on a number of different occasions and every single time they have delivered to a high standard. None of their matches however quite been able to top this one. As the first episode of Monday night RAW after the brand split the WWE were keen to show changed coming and the women stealing the show was one of them. A huge championship between Banks and Charlotte completely stole the show and while they may not have been the main event of the night they sure did feel like the main event. This match had everything you could possibly have asked for. The crowd were completely hooked and into the action all the way through and I remember not being able to move my eyes from the screen. Anyone that has followed these two and their careers knows all too well that they are knowing for delivering some of the greats women's matches in NXT history and with this being their first one on one championship match against one another on the main roster I was very very excited hoping that they would be given the time to deliver something to the standard that we witnessed during their time in NXT. It's safe to say these women did not disappoint. Hooked from the very start to the very end these two women completely stole the show putting on the match of the night without question. While the wrestling in this match truly was brilliant with outstanding high-risk manoeuvres and spots that had me on the edge of my seat clapping at my TV the story telling is what sent this match from a ten to a one hundred. These two women of course know each other very very well and that was clear with their fantastic in ring chemistry but these two took story telling in the women's division to a whole new level proving the girls can do exactly what the men can do. The ring psychology was just fantastic. With Sasha honouring Eddie throughout the match, Dana getting sent to the back, and the all round brilliant story being told was brilliant. Throughout the night Charlotte wanted to make it clear to Sasha that she couldn't beat her but it was those final words that tipped the Boss over the edge with close call after close call it took one last Banks statement for Sasha to force the champ to tap out crowning Sasha Banks the new WWE Women's Champion. It was an emotional moment and with the crowd chanting Yes chants and you deserve it, Sasha was left pretty much in tears and the moment itself was something that will be highlighted as one of the best of the year and the true start of the era of women's wrestling on the main roster.
4) The Miz VS Dolph Ziggler
A match I honestly have not been able to stop talking about is the one on one out between the Miz and Dolph Ziggler back from the No Mercy pay per view. I have mentioned a lot over the past few months or so that the Miz has been one of the most entertaining superstars of twenty sixteen. He has been one of the superstars I have not stopped talking and writing about and I'm pretty sure you are all more than bored of reading about him here on my blog and over on twitter, but he really has been amazing and his feud with Dolph Ziggler was not only one of the best feuds of the year but one of the best feuds we have seen for both men. The brand split itself was exactly what both Ziggler and the Miz needed. We were not only able to see just how fantastic the Miz is but we were able to see another side to Ziggler we just haven't seen over the years. He was more passionate than we have ever seen him and his promo's were unlike anything we have seen from him. He genuinely had me hanging on his every word and every promo/segment between these two only made me more interested in their story. The build up to their match a hell in a Cell was simply brilliant and come the No Mercy pay per view I could not wait to see what was going to go down. It was easily the match I was most looking forward to on the night and it felt like the real main event of the night without a fail. Now on the line was not only the Intercontinental championship but Dolph Ziggler's career and because I genuinely had no idea who was going to be walking away with the win I was really left on the edge of my seat completely hooked. The action in this match was simply brilliant. The story telling was fantastic, the wrestling was outstanding and altogether this was just perfect match up. As one of my favourite storyline's of the year and one of my favourite matches of the year this just had to feature in today's blog post and the top five!
3) Dean Ambrose VS AJ Styles (Backlash)
The Backlash main event between AJ Styles and Dean Ambrose was easily one of the strongest match on the year. Yes, it did have a build focusing mainly on male genitals but it was a match that promised two brilliant superstars to collide in what was sure to be a must-see bout. I personally found it really difficult to choose a side. Not only am I a huge fan of both of these men but with there being so many story opportunities for both superstars as champion it made this one of the most unpredictable matches of the night and of course that meant I was on the edge of my seat glued to the action from start to finish. What grabbed my attention very very early on in this match last night was the character from AJ Styles. I mentioned in my Highlights post last week that Styles has been impressing me so much during his time working as a heel and last night he was just on his A game proving exactly why he has been impressing me so much and standing out the way he has been. From backstage work to his entrance to how he held himself throughout the championship match Styles played a perfect heel in his own Style (excuse the pun) and I loved every single second. It was great to see someone equally as character based entertaining as Ambrose in the match with him. AJ also took control of this match pretty early on also focusing on the throat of Ambrose during a crucial part of this match. Throughout you could see and hear that the crowd was very split and they really did translate online also and the match itself only grew more unpredictable and I still halfway through had no idea who to root for. Ambrose and Styles really very different in ring performers and that showed throughout this match last night yet they worked so amazingly well together that in the early stages it was clear this was going to be a stand out match and a highlight one on one match up for Smackdown LIVE. This was also my favourite title defence match from Ambrose since he won that WWE World Championship. This really did turn into a back and forth bout and the longer it went on the more difficult it became to pinpoint a clear winner. With Styles changing the pace of the match and Ambrose showcasing amazing strength not to mention both going up to this was an exciting, action pack main event I'm so glad I stayed up to watch. There were so many spots that just looked brutal and so so so well executed. There was not a dull moment and after so many close calls and killer moments, it was AJ Styles who picked up the huge victory after a low blow followed up by a Styles clash. I know I said I wasn't backing anyone over the other but deep down I was hoping to see Ambrose retain. However, despite that fact, I wasn't mad about seeing Styles walk out as the new champ. He pushed Ambrose to his limits and really did bring out the best in him making this one of Deans greatest matches so far. The feud has a whole was one of the standouts of Ambrose's career and has established him as a huge huge star.
2) Shinsuke Nakamura VS Sami Zayn
I know it's a popular choice and I know every single person has noted this as one of if not their favourite match of two thousand and sixteen but there really is no another match that tops Shinsuke Nakamura VS Sami Zayn at NXT Takeover Dallas and therefore this year it takes the number one spot for the twenty sixteen NXT Match of the year. I debated with myself as to what match I was going to put first and despite how much I absolutely loved several tag team matches we saw throughout the year this one on one between Nakamura and Zayn really was just unbeatable. Not only is this a potential match of the year candidate but this is without a doubt one of my favourite matches of all time. It has everything you could possibly ask for. In the week leading up to this live special, the WWE hyped the debut of Japanese sensation Shinsuke Nakamura with Sami Zayn set to be his huge opponent. There really was no better pairing here. We have two outstanding performers and wrestlers both big big fan favourites. Shinsuke's entrance had me in complete awe. The reaction he got from the live crowd was insane and really did add to the excitement. And then we have the match itself and you really are short of words when you talk about this match. From the start all the way throughout these two just killed it. We had "fight forever" chants and so right too. I could have easily had sat there throughout the rest of the show just watching those two go at it. Every single second had me glued to the TV screen. Fantastic spots, great story telling, so much character and charisma and so much energy from the crowd. It was a truly epic wrestling match and one that we all will be talking about for many many years to come.
1) The Revival VS #DIY (NXT Takeover Toronto)
Up next we have more tag team action as the Revival were set to to defend their NXT Tag Team Championship against DIY once again. We last saw these two teams go head to head in the summer at the NXT Takeover Brooklyn two show where they provided us with not only one of the best matches of the year but one of the best tag team wrestling matches I have sene in years! Because of the standard and the expectations being set and raised so high thanks to their previous match the four superstars were under immense pressure to deliver to the same standard and provide fans with a match even better than their last. Before the match started we saw a brilliant video package that really did show how much this match meant to DIY as they pushed the idea that this was their last chance to capture those championships and the whole thing just felt like such a huge deal and a true must see, there really was no wrestling fan that would have wanted to have missed out on this match and trust me when I say these guys did not disappoint at all. I did actually completely forget that this was a two out of three falls match and so when I realised I was ten times more excited and I made sure to make myself comfortable as I knew I was in for a very special match. What I couldn't do however was mentally prepare for just how brilliant this match was. We have seen Gargano and Ciampa take this
So that is my list and my official top ten WWE matches of the year done! (keep in mind this post was pre posted and since then there have been plenty of amazing matches). Now, there were so many other matches I wanted to include in this post but because it was only a top ten I just couldn't fit them in. These matches include Kevin Owens VS Seth Rollins at Hell in a Cell which would have featured in my top five, Sasha Banks VS Charlotte, and many many more. As always you can let me know what was your match of the year by leaving a comment bellow or by dropping me a tweet a @TezangiVictoria.
Recent Blog Posts:
Top 10 Male Superstars of 2016 Part One
Top Five NXT Superstars of 2016
Top 10 WWE Matches of the year Part one
Most Improved WWE Superstars of 2016
Top Five Female Superstars of 2016
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