WWE SummerSlam 2016: Power Ranking Every Match from PPV

The 2016 incarnation of SummerSlam was a show devoted to some of the top rivalries and stories in professional wrestling, but it was one ultimately defined by quality that should have been higher and booking decisions that damned it to overall mediocrity.

There were still outstanding matches, including one that served as the culmination of a rivalry and featured the most unexpected finish in recent memory.

Then there were those matches that failed to make an impression, leaving fans to wonder why they were apart of the second-most significant show of the year.

With 12 matches on the card, not including the Roman Reigns vs. Rusev bout that never happened, the show was a jam-packed, four-hour marathon.

Which bouts emerged as the best of the show, standing head and shoulders above the others on the card? And which fell short of meaningfulness and quality befitting the grandeur of the event?

Take a look for yourself with these power rankings of the night's matches.

12. Naomi, Carmella and Becky Lynch vs. Natalya, Nikki Bella and Alexa Bliss

Nikki Bella slid into the vacant spot left open by Eva Marie's suspension, but her presence did nothing to elevate what was an overly long, often disjointed match that never kicked out of first gear.

Both Carmella and Alexa Bliss looked nervous at times, the enormity of their first pay-per-view appearance overwhelming them.

Nikki was rusty, and Natalya's role was limited. Naomi was fine, in spots, but her involvement was relatively short-lived.

This left Becky Lynch to work the majority of the match, especially off of the hot tag late.

With no real narrative to speak of and an ice-cold crowd slumbering through it, the match suffered tremendously, earning the bottom spot on this countdown.

11. Apollo Crews vs. The Miz

Apollo Crews' first big pay-per-view opportunity came Sunday in the form of an Intercontinental Championship match against The Miz.

Unfortunately, a shortened match that never excelled past that of a typical Raw or SmackDown bout hampered his ability to make the most of the moment.

That fans openly cheered the champion, arguably the best heel in all of pro wrestling, rather than the babyface did him no favors.

By night's end, one would not be hard-pressed to find a fan who forgot the match even took place.

10. 12-Man Tag Team Match

The opening match of the night was a mangled mess of 12 tag team specialists who were unfortunately and unjustly thrown out before 800 fans to wrestle a match before the arena had a chance to brim with enthusiastic fans.

The result was a bout where effort was never in question but one that did not have the opportunity or ability to play off the crowd. The steady build throughout lacked the rabid fan reaction at the end to properly pay it off.

While the booking was solid, what with the ignition of an American Alpha-Usos program, that alone does not make up for the lack of energy the contest likely would have thrived with.

9. Sami Zayn and Neville vs. The Dudley Boyz

The pre-show match pitting Neville and Sami Zayn against The Dudley Boyz made no sense and had no purpose on the card, but the Superstars involved still worked hard and presented a smart match.

The old-school psychology presented by Bubba Ray and D-Von was evident, while Zayn and Neville exploded with their frenetic energy.

The finish was the right call since the heels were on their way out and the babyfaces are more integral to the future of Raw.

While the contest was hardly what anyone would confuse with exciting, it was a perfectly serviceable match in a night full of them.

8. The New Day vs. Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson

The storytelling behind The New Day vs. Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson leading into the SummeSlam pay-per-view was enough to turn any fan off, the badass members of The Club reduced to comedic doctors making never-ending penis jokes.

Thankfully, the ringing of the bell put an end to all of the nonsense that preceded the contest and allowed Gallows, Anderson, Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods to have the match everyone knows they are capable of having.

Was it flawless? No. Was it anything fans would not witness on a typical Monday night? Of course not, but the quality of Raw matches are at an all-time high thanks to the time the Superstars have to work with.

Still, it was a fun match that played on the story that accompanied it and featured the return of Big E.

The disqualification finish allows the story to proceed while ensuring The New Day makes history with a year-long championship reign.

7. Dean Ambrose vs. Dolph Ziggler

One of the most anticipated matches of the SummerSlam card was Dean Ambrose's defense of the WWE Championship against Dolph Ziggler.

Questionable positioning on the card and a lack of compelling story created a silence in the arena that was both discomforting and disappointing.

With the response they were hoping for, Ambrose and Ziggler appeared to be on different pages. When they did work together, everything they accomplished felt a half-step off from their typical crispness.

Instead of the epic encounter that re-established Ziggler as a top star, the match was a glorified squash that killed any and all momentum he may have built for himself over the last month.

On a night where AJ Styles catapulted to the top of the SmackDown mountain by way of a clean victory over John Cena, Ziggler and Ambrose did more to hurt the blue brand's legitimacy that strengthen it.

6. Enzo Amore and Big Cass vs. Jeri-KO

Enzo Amore, Big Cass, Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens kicked off Sunday's pay-per-view with an explosive tag team match that captivated fans and left them excited about the remainder of the night's action.

Amore was a nonstop ball of energy. Even as he was isolated from Big Cass, he would make a wild swing with his right hand that would come close to connecting but never did. Owens practiced incredible in-ring psychology, telling his partner, "Don't let him tag the big one in. He hits hard."

The match sprinted toward its conclusion, wrapping up with Owens tossing Amore in the air and Jericho catching him with the Code Breaker.

Though the outcome may have been questionable, the Superstars maintained the incredible energy of the Barclays Center crowd throughout and delivered a tag team match that has fans wanting more out of the pairing.

5. Cesaro vs. Sheamus

There is nothing about Cesaro and Sheamus' feud even remotely compelling. Neither character has been evolved, nor have they moved enough up or down the card to strike a chord with fans. Instead, they have been wasted, left to wallow in midcard hell while others leap ahead of them on the depth chart.

The recent revelation of a best-of-seven series did nothing to increase interest, largely because the spurt of matches is WWE Creative's lazy reaction to the realization that they have nothing better for either man to do.

The creative wasteland both Cesaro and Sheamus find themselves in did not deter them from trying to deliver the best match of the night.

During the pre-show, they produced a hellishly stiff and high-impact match that ended when Sheamus delivered The Brogue Kick for the three-count.

The match featured The Celtic Warrior working over the injured shoulder of his opponent, then sending Cesaro should-first into the ring post to set up the fall. It was smart, featured hard work from all involved and proved that great wrestling can be a Band-Aid for poor booking.

4. Randy Orton vs. Brock Lesnar

Brock Lesnar sent Randy Orton to Suplex City on Sunday night, suplexing him several times before sending him back-first onto an announce table.

The Viper recovered and delivered an RKO onto the Raw announce table, then added another RKO that appeared to slay The Beast. Unfortunately for the third-generation star, that was not the case.

Lesnar mounted Orton and delivered a series of elbow strikes to the head that left him bloodied. Little did fans realize it at the time, but that was the finish of the bout—a TKO due to blood loss.

The finish aside, Orton and Lesnar delivered an intense and heated match that played up the animosity between them.

There was a sense of realism about the contest that others on the card did not have, resulting in a novelty of a match that may have worked even better further down the card.

3. Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte

The ferocity that both Sasha Banks and Charlotte approached their WWE Women's Championship match with helped elevate it past a simple singles match and into the stratosphere of a hated grudge match between two mortal enemies.

There was a recklessness in the match that may have been a danger to both competitors but also lent credibility to the disdain that existed between them.

Charlotte worked over the back and neck of Banks, hoping to put her away, but the resilient champion fought through it all and was in position to win via The Bank Statement.

Unfortunately, Charlotte's cerebral attack was enhanced by her wherewithal. Shifting her weight, she rolled up Banks and reclaimed the title she lost just weeks earlier.

The match felt very much like the old battles between Shawn Michaels and Vader from 1996 or, more recently, the series of matches between Chris Benoit and Kane from 2004. Charlotte played the invincible and dangerously intelligent brute, while Banks kept finding ways to stay alive, frustrating her opponent.

Unlike the heels in those aforementioned matches, though, Charlotte used her cunning to secure the win, providing a new take on the old formula.

2. Finn Balor vs. Seth Rollins

Despite chants referring to the appearance of the WWE Universal Championship, Seth Rollins and Finn Balor delivered a superb wrestling match.

The risks they took to overcome the early stumbles not only elevated its quality but also enhanced the value of the new title.

The powerbomb from Rollins to Balor, into the guardrail, was violent and barbaric. It was also all too real, as Balor wound up tearing his shoulder up in the process.

Despite his debilitating injury, Balor fought back and put Rollins away with The Coup de Grace in a match that built slowly but finished with a flurry of near-falls and excitement.

Unfortunately, the injury suffered by the new champion forced him to relinquish his title on Monday's edition of Raw. 

1. John Cena vs. AJ Styles

John Cena and AJ Styles nearly stole the show at Money in the Bank with a match that, while outstanding, never quite achieved Match of the Year status.

Sunday at SummerSlam, the rematch stole the show and made it impossible for any bout following it to live up to its quality.

Like a prizefight featuring two heavyweights, they unloaded their biggest blows and maneuvers over the course of the 20-plus-minute match.

With Styles Clashes, Calf Crushers, Attitude Adjustments and STFs running rampant, it would be the Phenomenal Forearm from Styles that would put Cena down for the count.

It was a rarity in WWE—a clean loss suffered by the biggest star in the industry. In the process, it created a bona fide franchise player in Styles, whose in-ring work has been undeniable and whose performances in big-match situations in 2016 has been staggering.