It’s action, it’s excitement, and it’s an absolute thrill to watch athletes of WWE Smackdown take flight and take each other down every week in matches that are designed to incite carefully staged riots and all out mayhem. To most fans it doesn’t matter if the show is scripted or if the kind of “damage” done to the athletes is about as real as fake crab, it’s just a lot of fun to watch. Throughout the entirety of 2016 the WWE was shaken up again and again as it welcomed in several new members in ways that simply defied the imagination as well as the laws of physics in some cases. Out of all the groundbreaking moments it’s hard to really pin down just a few, but in the interest of picking the most innovative moments, here are the top five selections that left fans begging for more.
5. Reigns Unleashed – March 24th, 2016
It’s widely known that the Dudley Boyz are some of the dirtiest and nastiest players in the game, but when they’re pitted up against the Big Dog, better known as Roman Reigns, it seems as though they’ve met their match. In this match crowning moment came outside the ring when Reigns, who’d already been hammered and beaten at the hands of Bubba Ray, was just about to receive a face full of the Smackdown announce table when he showed his limitless physical reserves, stopping Bubba Ray cold before turning the tables. Having already suffered a reconstructive nose injury at the hands of Triple H a short while before, Reigns had no intention of getting beaten in such a fashion again. Instead, he reversed the hold and began to savage Bubba Ray so forcefully that the bell was soon rung to end the match. This didn’t stop Reigns however as he continued to hammer away at the table using Bubba Ray’s skull as his tool of choice.
4. No Escape for KO – March 24th, 2016
In a tag team bout featuring the Miz and Kevin Owens versus Sami Zayn and Dolph Ziggler, Kevin Owens decided that he’d had enough and was quick to gather his Intercontinental title and simply walk off. This wasn’t the first time he’d bailed on the Miz, but it would certainly be the last. KO didn’t even make it up the ramp as his upcoming opponents for the Money In The Bank ladder match came out to meet him. Zack Ryder, Sin Cara, and Stardust were all on hand to keep KO from running away, but it was only when the Miz came roaring up the ramp to blindside KO that things really got heated. The Miz would hammer his tag team partner all the way back to the ring before rolling him back under the ropes, where he set him up beautifully for a super kick from Dolph Ziggler. If that wasn’t bad enough, the Miz even finished him off with a skull-crushing finale, his signature move.
3. Fear the Spear – May 5th, 2016
There was no denying the tension that could be felt in the arena when The Club came to WWE. While Luke Gallows had made an appearance in the WWE previously, he was now in the presence of two of his best friends and peers in AJ Styles and Karl Anderson. The trio soon took the WWE by storm and began laying waste to any superstar that crossed their path, including the Uso’s and their cousin, Roman Reigns. Needles to say, the members of the Anoa’i family tree did not take kindly to being bullied. In this match the twins and their hard-hitting cousin went to war with The Club and shook the ring with their thunderous blows and high-flying skills that mesmerized the crowd.
Only when the end seemed near however did fans seem to anticipate that something momentous was about to happen. Sure enough when Karl Anderson whipped Reigns into the corner near the end of the match an explosion happened that many had seen coming. Reigns surged out of the corner, powering forward with such tremendous momentum that Anderson was nearly folded in half as Reigns hit with the spear, taking his opponent to the mat with a thunderous boom. It was enough for the 1-2-3, giving the Anoa’i family the win.
2. Failed Sneak Attack – June 23rd, 2016
During a heated confrontation between “The Boss” Sasha Banks and Charlotte Flair, Charlotte exited the ring, seeking a reprieve from Banks’ ire. Little did Banks realize that Charlotte was setting her up for her protege, Dana Brookes, to come racing into the ring from behind. Or so Brookes believed. Even as Sasha turned around she was loading up, swinging hard for Brooke’s jaw as she hammered her would be attacker to the mat. As Charlotte fled she watched as Banks quickly took control of Brookes, dropping her with a backstabber before rolling Brooke’s right into the Bank Statement, her finishing move. As Charlotte watched from the outside Dana Brooke’s wailed in pain as she pounded the mat, trying to get Sasha to release the hold.
1. The Back and Forth – Aug. 30th, 2016
Some matches tend to go all over the arena, others stick close to the ring as the chaos seems to churn and consume the entire area without fail. While in a match against the imposing Baron Corbin, then WWE Champion Dean Ambrose was being carefully watched by his upcoming challenger, AJ Styles. The two had been exchanging words and more for some time before this match, and during a crucial moment AJ decided to pick his spot. While on the ropes with Corbin, Dean Ambrose almost fell victim to a vicious kick to the head. The kick managed to hit Corbin instead when Ambrose moved aside. This would force the referee to call for the bell due to interference, but the mayhem wouldn’t end there. As Ambrose went over the ropes he landed squarely on AJ, taking them both to the floor.
Upon regaining their feet AJ would then send Dean flying over the announce table, only to have Dean come rushing back at him to pin him against the apron. Corbin would then come racing up from behind, ambushing Dean before tossing him back in the ring. From there Dean took his shot and gave Corbin his finishing move, executing the dirty deeds DDT before noticing that Styles had climbed the ropes attempting to use the phenomenal forearm. That was where things slowed down however as Ambrose kicked the ropes at the worst possible moment, racking AJ Styles on the ropes before standing next to him, saying a few words that were less than apologetic.
Conclusion
Most everyone has their favorite moments that come from the WWE, but seeing as how WWE Smackdown has been itching to catch up to its much more popular rival, RAW, when it comes to ratings, it stands to reason that the bar must be raised. In order to do that, the matches, and the moments, must by necessity be as out of control and chaotic as possible.
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