With the year nearly at its end, it’s time for wrestling fans to consider the all-important question–what was the greatest match of 2016? WWE had its ups and downs, but an influx of extremely talented new wrestlers ensured that in terms of in-ring action, this was one of the greatest years the company had ever had.
A new collection on the WWE Network offers 20 of the year’s greatest matches, and while you might scratch your head at a few of the picks, there’s some damn good wrestling on display here. So let’s take a trip down (short-term) memory lane and relive the best action WWE produced in 2016. Check out the highlights below, and the full matches on WWE Network!
Is your favorite match listed? Got a WWE match in mind that they didn’t pick? Or is there a Ring of Honor or New Japan match you can’t stop watching? Let us know here or on Facebook!
Dean Ambrose vs. Kevin Owens – Last Man Standing for the Intercontinental Championship (Royal Rumble)
American Alpha vs. the Revival – NXT Tag Team Championship Match (NXT TakeOver: Dallas)
Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Sami Zayn (NXT TakeOver: Dallas)
Charlotte vs. Becky Lynch vs. Sasha Banks – Triple Threat for the Women’s Championship (WrestleMania 32)
AJ Styles vs. Kevin Owens vs. Chris Jericho vs. Cesaro – #1 Contender’s Fatal Four-Way Match (Raw 4/4)
The Miz vs. Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens vs. Cesaro – Fatal Four-Way for the Intercontinental Championship (Extreme Rules)
Roman Reigns vs. AJ Styles – WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match (Extreme Rules)
Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens (Battleground)
Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa (Cruiserweight Classic)
Cedric Alexander vs. Kota Ibushi (Cruiserweight Classic)
The Revival vs. #DIY – NXT Tag Team Championship Match (NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn II)
Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Samoa Joe (NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn II)
John Cena vs. AJ Styles (SummerSlam)
Seth Rollins vs. Finn Balor – WWE Universal Championship Match (SummerSlam)
Kevin Owens vs. Big Cass vs. Seth Rollins vs. Roman Reigns – Fatal Four-Way for the WWE Universal Championship (Raw 8/29)
AJ Styles vs. Dean Ambrose – WWE World Championship Match (Backlash)
Kota Ibushi vs. TJ Perkins (Cruiserweight Classic)
Cesaro vs. Sheamus – Final in the Best-of-Seven Series (Clash of Champions)
Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte – Raw Women’s Championship Match (Raw 10/3)
Dolph Ziggler vs. the Miz – Career vs. Title Match for the Intercontinental Championship (No Mercy)