There really is nothing like a pop in wrestling. Hearing the crowd go nuts when a return, a debut or a title win happens, is one of the best parts of being a wrestling fan, and that is especially true in WWE. Considering the passion of WWE fans, the biggest pops in wrestling are usually heard at WWE events, and this is the case with 2016.
Despite the continual poor booking of the product, there have been some incredible moments in WWE for 2016, and some that we thought we would never see in Vince McMahon’s company. These moments have sent fans wild, with some absolutely huge reactions being heard from WWE crowds this year.
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But, before we move onto the top eight, here are some honourable mentions that could not be included; Cesaro’s return Raw April 4th, Goldberg beating Brock Lesnar at Survivor Series, Bayley’s Debut at Battleground, John Cena and Stone Cold’s returns at Wrestlemania 32, DIY winning the NXT Tag Team Titles at Takeover Toronto, and AJ Styles beating John Cena at Summerslam.
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Now that those omissions have been addressed, here are the 8 Best WWE Pops of 2016.
#8 Nakamura rises to the top of NXT: Takeover Brooklyn IISH
NXT crowds are some of the loudest in wrestling today, and this has led to a number of massive reactions, especially at Takeover events. When Shinsuke Nakamura signed with WWE, many fans doubted if he would find success.
However, after an explosive debut at Takeover: Dallas, Nakamura immediately became one of the most popular stars in the entire company, and WWE capitalised on this popularity with a quick rise to the top of NXT. Just six months after his debut, Nakamura faced off against Samoa Joe for the NXT Championship.
Winning the title after two brutal Kinshasas; the Brooklyn crowd erupted when Nakamura captured the gold. Embracing the King of Strong Style during his rise to the top, the NXT Takeover crowd in Brooklyn were more than happy to generate one of the best WWE pops of 2016, when Nakamura finally won the title.
Check out the reaction here at the 1:30 mark:
#7 Triple H Returns, Fatal-Four Way Universal Title, Raw August 29th
After Roman Reigns beat him at Wrestlemania 32 for the WWE World Championship, nobody knew when Triple H would re-appear, and nobody guessed that it would be during the Universal title match on the August 29th edition of Raw.
This meant that the surprise factor was strong, and the crowd went absolutely crazy when ‘The Game’ showed up unannounced. Although other pops in 2016 were individually louder, Triple H managed to generate two massive pops in a matter of minutes.
Not only did the crowd pop huge when he initially showed up to take out Roman Reigns, but they popped even bigger when he turned on Seth Rollins, aiding Kevin Owens for the win. Although the return has lost a lot of lustre from fans since Triple H hasn’t appeared after that, at the time it was a spectacular moment that led to two of the best WWE pops of 2016.
Check out the return here:
#6 Dean Ambrose wins the big one, Money in the Bank 2016
While his popularity has somewhat faltered in recent months, Dean Ambrose was arguably the top babyface in the company earlier this year. While WWE tried to force Roman Reigns upon fans, Dean Ambrose was the one who was gaining incredible popularity, and fans were eager to see him win the big one after multiple failed attempts.
When he won the Money in the Bank Ladder match, fans (especially those in attendance) were ecstatic, and couldn’t wait to see him cash in. Luckily, they didn’t have to wait. Cashing in at the end of the main event between Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins, Ambrose finally won the gold after two years of failures.
When that third count hit the mat, the Las Vegas crowd erupted, showering Ambrose in cheers as he finally reached the top of the mountain. Although his actual title reign wasn’t as good, his cash-in was an awesome moment, and it produced one of the best WWE pops of 2016.
Check it out here at the 8:20 mark:
#5 Dolph Ziggler finally overcomes the odds, No Mercy 2016
Much like Dean Ambrose, WWE fans had grown eager to see Dolph Ziggler finally win a big match after numerous failures. Consistently losing to the Miz due to interference and underhanded tactics, Ziggler needed a huge win.
When he put his career on the line for his match against Miz at No Mercy, many fans were worried that this might be the end of the Showoff in WWE. This only made it that much more memorable when he overcame all the odds at the PPV.
Ziggler’s heart and determination throughout the match added more anticipation for his win, with the Showoff kicking out of two Skull-Crushing Finales and overcoming interference from Maryse and the Spirit Squad.
By the end of the match, fans were dying to see Ziggler capture the gold, and when he pinned the Miz, the Sacramento crowd exploded. Ziggler’s win sent fans into a frenzy, and the entirety of the crowd was on their feet in joy. While his reign would end up being lacklustre, Ziggler’s incredible win here led to one of the best WWE pops of 2016.
Check out the massive pop for Ziggler’s win here:
#4 Daniel Bryan returns as Smackdown GM
When Daniel Bryan retired from in-ring competition in February, fans were extremely upset. One of the best and most natural babyfaces of the modern era, Bryan became one of the most popular Superstars in WWE history as a performer.
When he was forced to stop performing, fans wanted Bryan back on WWE TV, even if it was in a non-wrestling capacity. A few months later, in July, the brand split returned, and GMs were set to be announced for each show, alongside Commissioners Shane and Stephanie McMahon.
Everyone wanted Daniel Bryan, and he seemed a perfect fit alongside Shane O’ Mac. Even with rumoured leaks of Bryan getting the role before it was officially announced, fans were on the edge of their seats for the announcement on the July 18th edition of Raw.
When Bryan’s music hit, the crowd in attendance exploded in a flurry of cheers and ‘Yes!’ chants, embracing the former Superstar with a massive reaction upon his return. Although it is usually active in-ring Superstars’ returns who get the biggest pops, Bryan’s incredible popularity led to one of the best WWE pops of 2016, when he returned to WWE TV.
Check out the reaction to Bryan’s return at the 1:01 mark:
#3 Shane McMahon returns, Raw February 22nd
When Shane McMahon left WWE in 2009, it was a sad moment. Shane O’ Mac was and is the only truly likeable member of the McMahon family, and his departure just meant more Vince and Stephanie on our TV screens.
He was gone completely from the company for seven years, and nobody ever thought 2016 would be the year he returned. This surprise factor made it even better when Shane showed up on an episode of Raw to confront his father and sister, as fans lost their minds seeing Shane O’ Mac show up unannounced.
The crowd in attendance went crazy for ‘The Prodigal Son’, and although the initial pop was huge, the prolonged reaction of the crowd is why this ranks so highly. Showering him in extremely loud cheers and chants, the fans in attendance gave Shane O’ Mac an incredible ovation.
The fans in attendance and at home were truly ecstatic upon seeing Shane McMahon back in WWE, and this led to the third best WWE pop in 2016.
Check out the huge reaction for Shane O-Mac’s return here:
#2 AJ Styles Debuts, Royal Rumble 2016
After years of serving as the face of WWE’s biggest competition, TNA, nobody thought it was likely that Styles would ever join WWE. He could and did work for ROH and NJPW, sure, but Vince McMahon’s company? Nope.
To quote McMahon’s classic theme song, fans thought there was ‘No Chance in Hell’ that the ‘Phenomenal One’ would join WWE. When Styles quit NJPW in January 2016, however, rumours ran rampant, and with the Royal Rumble coming up, it was speculated that he had signed with the company and would debut at the PPV.
Even with the predictability, fans were on the edge of their seats to see Styles debut in WWE, especially the Orlando crowd in attendance. When the words ‘I Am Phenomenal’ were displayed on the titantron, fans went absolutely crazy; realising Styles was finally making his debut in WWE.
The noise was absolutely thunderous in the Amway Center, and it will go down as one of the greatest debut ovations in WWE history, and the second best WWE pop of 2016.
Check out the incredible reaction to Styles’ debut here:
#1 Seth Rollins Returns, Extreme Rules 2016 and the Raw after
When Seth Rollins tore his ACL and MCL at a house show in Dublin, Ireland in November 2015, fans were absolutely devastated. Rollins was WWE World Champion at the time, and fans were beginning to grow on ‘The Man’ as his title reign continued.
Therefore, fans were incredibly eager for his return, especially with the Roman Reigns on top of the company in Rollins’ place. After Reigns kicked out of two Styles Clashes and hit one Spear to retain over AJ Styles at Extreme Rules, fans were rightfully unhappy, and it seemed likely that another WWE PPV would go off the air with a jeered Reigns holding the WWE title up high.
Instead, Seth Rollins returned, sneaking up behind Reigns and planting him with a Pedigree. The Newark crowd jumped out of their seats, cheering as loud as they could for the returning Rollins. The fact that he was targeting Reigns only made the fans cheer even louder, as Rollins produced one of the best shock returns in years.
The crowd literally didn’t stop cheering for a full two minutes, as Rollins held the title he never lost up high. The crowd the next night on Raw were just as happy to see ‘The Man’, producing another huge pop when his music hit to open the show.
Although WWE would wrongly keep him as a heel soon after, these two massive pops for Rollins combine to rank as the best WWE pop/s of 2016.
Check out the huge pop for Rollins on the Raw after Extreme Rules here:
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