Top 10 Wrestlers of 2016

So many incredible matches, so many thrilling promos: This year saw pro wrestling elevated to great heights as every promotion redefined itself, producing quality action with spellbinding storytelling. You could argue that many wrestlers claimed 2016 as their year, which is tremendous for the health of the industry.

Here are my Top 10 Wrestlers of 2016:

10) Ricochet

Criss-crossing the globe with breathtaking assaults, Ricochet cemented his reputation as one of the best talents on the indy scene. His match with Will Ospreay at the 2016 Best of the Super Juniors tournament spurred universal debate over the definition of pro wrestling as their athletic exhibition resembled gymnastics more than the traditional collar-elbow tie up. Also in Japan, he teamed up with fellow high flyer Matt Sydal to capture the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship on two occasions,  and then adding Satoshi Kojima and later David Finlay to win the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship. As Prince Puma, his moniker in Lucha Underground, he was the focal point of season three, winning the company’s title before ultimately losing to Pentagon Dark in an impromptu challenge, ending his Lucha Underground career.

9) Sasha Banks

The Boss debuted on WWE TV in July of 2015, but she truly came to power this year. From the moment she crashed Charlotte’s victory celebration at the Royal Rumble, Sasha Banks has been in the conversation regarding women’s wrestling. Her rivalry with Charlotte, who she’ll forever be attached to the hip with ala Hart/Michaels, transformed traditional bathroom breaks into must-see TV. She won the Women’s Championship three times and all in spectacular fashion: the first Raw post-brand extension, the first Raw main event to feature women since 2004 and in a Match of the Year contender no holds barred match in Charlotte’s hometown.

8) The Revival

As cohesive a unit as Penn & Teller, Dash and Dawson perfected tag team wrestling this year. The “Top Guys” stole many a show in NXT, clashing with American Alpha in the first half of 2016 before facing #DIY in two Match of the Year contenders in the second half. Their in-ring technique, crowd psychology, facial mannerisms and believable interviews combined into the complete package of tandem greatness. They’re so good it’s tough to boo them, but then they find a way to infuriate you and the cycle continues.

7) Samoa Joe

Joe made NXT his bitch this year. The Samoan Submission Machine main evented every NXT TakeOver event, emerging victorious in two of them. Furthermore, he became the first two-time NXT Champion, shocking the world by defeating Finn Balor at a live event in April and then shocking again by beating Shinsuka Nakamura in November. It’s just a matter of time until the vicious mauler crashes WWE’s main roster, unleashing his wrath upon all who dare to cross him.

6) Will Ospreay

When Paul Heyman says you’re the next big thing, you must be. England’s greatest export had a breakout year as fans from all over the world took notice of the Aerial Assassin. Aside from Ricochet, Will Ospreay outshone everyone in the 2016 Best of the Super Juniors, becoming the youngest winner in the history of the tournament. His momentum rolled through the summer as he engaged in a social media war with Vader, culminating in a strange brawl between the several-generations-apart grapplers. Ospreay would go on to captivate American audiences with a couple of great matches in Evolve and then by winning the ROH World Television Championship in his debut match with the company. Unfortunately, he’d lose the title two days later, but that was just a minor blip on Ospreay’s banner year.

5) Charlotte

If this was a list of the top 10 women wrestlers of the year, Charlotte would easily lead the pack. But because of the work Sasha and she have done in breaking the gender barrier, Charlotte deserves equal billing with the boys. Since turning heel in January, The Queen has dominated the women’s division, turning back every challenge to her throne. Although she had her father’s help in the first half of 2016, she certainly carried the rest of the year by herself. She’s the bridge between the politically-incorrect Divas’ Championship and the revamped, finally respected Women’s Championship. While she’s revolutionizing women’s wrestling with credible action, she’s also a throwback to legitimate villains as the cocky benefactor of nepotism who bit the hand that fed her.

4) Kevin Owens

How fitting that AJ Styles and Kevin Owens end 2016 as world champions when it was Owens who eliminated Styles at his debut in the Royal Rumble. That set the course for K.O.’s year – ruining exciting moments for popular stars. He ended Dean Ambrose’s Intercontinental Title reign prematurely in February, and prevented Sami Zayn from winning the gold in the ladder match at WrestleMania 32. Although he lost to Zayn in their supposed “final match” at Battleground, he’s picked up victories over his ex-best friend in subsequent matches on Raw.

Most importantly, he screwed Seth Rollins out of the Universal Championship with assistance from Triple H. Clearly The Authority’s chosen one, Owens has successfully turned Monday nights into the Kevin Owens Show.

3) Chris Jericho

Even though he’s wrestled at WWE live events since 2014, this year felt like a comeback for Chris Jericho. The Ayatollah of Rock n’ Rolla reinvented himself yet again, adding gimmicks to his ensemble like expensive scarves and the feared List of Jericho, somehow making common household objects into popular aspects of the show. Those gimmicks weren’t distractions of his in-ring work, though: Y2J had tremendous matches with Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns and Sami Zayn in between turning on AJ Styles and absorbing 69 thumbtacks from Dean Ambrose. Of course, Jericho’s year will be most remembered for his alliance with BFF Kevin Owens as the Canadian duo blended villainy and humor in perfect proportion.

2) AJ Styles

No one has achieved more in their first year in WWE than AJ Styles. While Kurt Angle and Brock Lesnar dominated in their rookie years, Styles had more than 15 years of experience before entering McMahonland. Captivating the WWE Universe immediately as the No. 3 entry at the Royal Rumble, the Phenomenal One has gone on to steal almost every show. From his series of matches with Chris Jericho, to his wild brawls with Roman Reigns, to dethroning John Cena as the face that runs the place, to winning the WWE World Championship from Dean Ambrose, to closing out the year with one of the greatest TLC matches ever, Styles has been money.

While James Ellsworth has been a thorn in his side, temporarily derailing the momentum of the champion, Styles has enough credibility with the fans and confidence in his own ability to overcome potentially demeaning storylines because at the end of the day, he wins everyone over where it matters: in the squared circle.

1) Broken Matt Hardy

Only one man this year evoked such interest in me that I bought a ticket to watch him perform. He single-handedly revitalized TNA, creating an original persona with fun catchphrases and a unique look. Broken Matt Hardy’s aura is so powerful; he developed an entourage of amusing side characters including his wife Reby and son Baby Maxwell. His feud with Brother Nero transcended the cynic culture surrounding TNA, propelling lapsed fans to reengage with the product due to the social media hype of Final Deletion.

Broken Matt revitalized himself from a relic of the Attitude Era into the most compelling character in the industry. Most importantly, he made pro wrestling fun again.

Styles had the best matches, Jericho had the funniest moments, Ospreay had the cult following.

But 2016 will be remembered as the year of deletion.