Top 10 Wrasslin’ Feuds of 2016

Despite WWE PPVs every other week and the Brand Extension dividing the roster, the company managed to sustain heated and entertaining feuds throughout the year. Although TNA, Ring of Honor and other independent organizations don’t have that same stability due to rotating rosters and inconsistent television, those companies also managed to create some riveting grudges. All of the feuds mentioned below evolved from conflict greater than the standard 50/50 booking demanding a rubber match.

Without further ado, here are the Top 10 Feuds of 2016:

10) Vader vs. Will Ospreay

At 61 years old, Big Van Vader can still work a crowd. After British superstar Will Ospreay and Ricochet (Lucha Underground’s Prince Puma) wrestled a controversial match at the Best of the Super Juniors in Japan, Vader blasted the two athletes on Twitter, complaining that it was too similar to a gymnastics routine. Ospreay responded by insulting the former heavyweight champion, performing his trademark Vader Bomb which his opponents would shrug off.

The social media war led to Revolution Pro booking a match between the two in August, which Vader somehow won.

9) Hardys vs. Decay

A feud inside a feud, Decay’s battle with the Hardy brothers intruded upon Broken Matt’s assault of brother Jeff. After deleting his brother and becoming sole owner of the Hardy brand, Matt transformed Jeff into Brother Nero, an underling of his “Broken Brilliance.” The duo became the #1 contenders to the Tag Team Titles, and earned the ire of Rosemary’s Crazzy Steve and Abyss.

In what ECW on Sci-Fi only hoped to be, the Hardys invited Decay to their North Carolina compound for “Delete or Decay,” a mind-blowing brawl that words can’t do justice. The feud carried on until Bound for Glory when the Hardys defeated Decay in “The Great War,” a conclusion to the Final Deletion trilogy of cinematic pro wrestling.

8) AJ Styles vs. Chris Jericho

Dream match turned reality, AJ Styles and Chris Jericho stole many a show between Royal Rumble and WrestleMania 32. Y2J immediately targeted Styles as the new kid on the block with plenty of hype, reminiscent of when Jericho entered WWE in 1999. After trading wins on Raw and Smackdown, Styles took the rubber match at Fastlane.

Seemingly impressed with the Phenomenal One, Jericho offered a truce in the form of a tag team affectionately referred to as “Y2AJ”. The duo went on to defeat New Day twice, earning a title shot in the process. When they failed to win the gold, Jericho snapped on Styles, hitting several Code Breakers and burning a “Y2AJ” shirt in the ring.

At WrestleMania, Jericho surprised everyone by defeating Styles clean. But AJ got the last laugh by pinning Jericho the next night in a fatal four way to become #1 contender to Roman Reigns’ WWE Championship. And AJ hasn’t looked back since.

7) Jay Lethal vs. Adam Cole

Ring of Honor turned up the heat this year as The Bullet Club invaded and took over ala NWO. Jay Lethal, ROH World Champion, was the main target. During the main event of Global Wars, Colt Cabana challenged Lethal in a technical matchup which came to a screeching halt as the Young Bucks superkicked the ref and tossed Bullet Club shirts to the combatants. Then the lights went out, and when they flickered back on, Adam Cole stood in the ring as the newest member of the Club.

The Young Bucks, the Guerrillas of Destiny and Cole destroyed everyone in and around the ring, with Cole zip tying Lethal to the ropes and repeatedly superkicking him. Then one day after Best in the World, Cole and the Young Bucks again attacked Lethal, this time shaving him bald. Finally, Cole challenged Lethal at Death Before Dishonor XIV, ending his championship reign at 427 days. Throughout the rest of the fall, Lethal sought revenge against Cole and his brethren.

6) Miz vs. Daniel Bryan

Will there ever be a blow off? Probably not, but Miz and Daniel Bryan have hated each other since D-Bry entered WWE in 2010. It’s a classic rivalry of WWE vs. indy: a reality-TV star who bypassed years in high school gyms and state fairs to become not only a WWE Superstar, but a WWE Champion vs. a skinny, small kid who paid his dues around the world, honing his craft and earning critical acclaim, finally reaching the big time.

Miz mentored Bryan in NXT, a giant middle finger to knowledgeable wrestling fans outside the WWE Universe. Then Bryan defeated Miz to win the U.S. Title, his first championship of many in WWE. They would wrestle each other over the next few years, Miz toiling in the midcard while Bryan exploded as the most popular force in the company.

Of course, Bryan’s career ended early, and now he’s in charge of Smackdown. Miz is one of his biggest stars, begrudgingly so. They’ve exchanged heated words, and they’ll continue to do so, teasing the fans that Bryan will come out of retirement to finally shut up Miz. Until then, Miz will break all of Bryan’s rules, steal all of his moves and cause as much torment as possible because he simply can.

5) Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens

When a crowd chants “FIGHT FOR-EV-ER”, you’re witnessing something special. The Zayn/Owens story is one of former friends and tag partners turned bitter enemies, over and over again. Their rivalry has carried them from ROH to NXT to this year, WWE.

As soon as Zayn entered the Rumble, he sought after Owens and eliminated him. They brawled again in the ladder match at WrestleMania 32, where Zayn prevented Owens from retaining his Intercontinental Championship. They went one-on-one at Payback, where Owens pinned Zayn. Then they entered a fatal four way at Extreme Rules, where they costed each other the Intercontinental Title yet again.

Finally, at WWE Battleground, Zayn and Owens let it all hang out in a Match of the Year contender which saw Zayn defeat Owens once and for all…until a few weeks later when Owens avenged the loss on Raw.

No matter what stipulation WWE promotes, these two really will fight forever.

4) AJ Styles vs. John Cena

Every time AJ Styles refers to himself as “the face that runs the place,” you get the feeling that this feud isn’t over. Hell, it’s arguable that this feud won’t end until John Cena beats Styles for his 16^th world title. Although that feat will surely never happen, I’ll always be excited for Mr. WWE colliding with Mr. TNA.

When Cena returned to WWE TV in the summer, it appeared that he would help Styles battle estranged friends The Club. But it was all part of Styles’ master plan to sucker Cena in, and then beat out his hustle. Their initial match at Money in the Bank left a bad taste in fans’ mouths due to The Club interfering, but their 5-star classic at SummerSlam cemented the Phenomenal One as a legitimate WWE main eventer.

3) Matt Hardy vs. Jeff Hardy

TNA owes the Hardys for not only keeping the company alive this year, but making it relevant for the first time in ages. It all started when Matt Hardy brainwashed Tyrus to turn on EC3, aiding Hardy in winning the TNA World Heavyweight Championship. Jeff Hardy took umbrage with his brother’s devious plot and challenged him, which Matt accepted. However, Jeff was assaulted by Eric Young and Bram, and when Kurt Angle ran out for the save, Matt commanded Tyrus to intercept him.

Matt eventually lost the title to Drew Galloway, but blamed his brother for the loss. They fought in an I Quit match, Six Sides of Steel and Full Metal Mayhem. These barbaric brawls took their toll on Matt, whose hair began growing out and whose speech adopted an unidentifiable accent. Over time, Matt claimed to be mentally broken, and the most original character in recent history evolved.

Their feud climaxed in the revolutionary Final Deletion, an epic battle at the Hardy compound in North Carolina involving lasers, a dilapidated boat, a fiery mountain and a drone. Matt defeated Jeff, becoming the owner of the Hardy brand as a result, and forcing Jeff to change his name to Brother Nero. The broken brothers then teamed up to earn a Tag Team Title shot against Decay, which took place at Bound for Glory. In another wild, cinematic brawl, titled “The Great War,” Matt allowed Brother Nero to indulge in his “spot monkey” cravings, commanding Jeff to Swanton off a ladder for the victory.

The moral of the story is a descent into madness cleanses the soul.

2) Miz vs. Dolph Ziggler

Despite wrestling each other ad nauseam, these two former world champions-turned midcard stalwarts reinvigorated their matches (as well as careers) with a deeply personal feud. After Ziggler failed to win the WWE World Championship from Dean Ambrose at SummerSlam, he suffered an identity crisis, acquiescing to his critics and questioning whether he could ever make it back to the main event. Miz flamed that self-conscious fire, and defeated Ziggler twice in Intercontinental Title defenses with the help of Maryse and hairspray.

Descending into maximum desperation, Ziggler challenged Miz for more title shot, this time putting his career on the line. Miz accepted and tormented Ziggler for weeks, ridiculing his decade-long run in WWE, chastising his family and even bringing back the Spirit Squad to attack their former member. In the most emotional match of the year, Ziggler overcame all obstacles and won the title from Miz.

As Miz immediately reminded us on the next Smackdown, the war was far from over. Just a few weeks later on the 900^th episode, Miz won back the title from Ziggler after Maryse interfered again.

1) Sasha vs. Charlotte

These two pillars of the NXT Four Horsewomen have surpassed the standard set by Lita and Trish Stratus. Ever since Sasha Banks challenged Charlotte at Royal Rumble, these warriors have been attached at the hip. They stole the show (with Becky Lynch) at WrestleMania 32, main evented RAW twice, tore each other apart inside Hell in a Cell, and traded the Women’s Championship back and forth.

Their rivalry goes deeper than the championship. It goes deeper than Sasha scratching and clawing her way to stardom while nepotism has afforded Charlotte every opportunity. It even goes deeper than determining who is the better wrestler.

Sasha vs. Charlotte is about feminism, gender equality and breaking a century’s old stigma. They’ve redefined women’s wrestling, transforming traditional bathroom breaks into must-see TV. They’re not pulling hair and slipping in gravy bowls – they’re executing precise maneuvers, risking their bodies with insane dives and most importantly, capturing the fans’ emotional investment.

We’re not witnessing Flair vs. Steamboat or Austin vs. Rock. Sasha and Charlotte have changed the conversation: we’re witnessing Sasha vs. Charlotte, and we’re witnessing greatness.