8 Best WWE Pops of 2016
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.
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.
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: