Why November Has Been WWE's Strongest Month of 2016 So Far

Wrestling is such a tumultuous business that every company will have its ups and downs, and WWE is no different.

But while there have have been some lean months in terms of real highlights in 2016 for the company, November is an exception to the rule.

In fact, it's been the company's best month of the year so far, with only December standing a chance of usurping it.

There have been shocks, twists, the emergence of some new talent and some creative storylines that leave the company in a good place to capitalize on the success in 2017. 

Here are just a few reasons why November has been the best month of 2016 for WWE.

The Undertaker's Imminent Full-Time Return

November has, broadly speaking, been a month of surprises in WWE.

Goldberg beating Brock Lesnar was the biggest of them all, but there was a swerve in NXT (more on that later), as well as the return of The Undertaker, who could have a more permanent schedule in WWE.

It may be a stretch to call it a full-time return, but he'll be more active than in recent years—which is a huge boost for the company.

SmackDown has quickly established itself as the land of opportunity for Superstars to make names for themselves, but it's fair to say that it is a fraction short on star power, especially when you factor in big names like Lesnar and Goldberg showing up on Raw.

So The Deadman's return adds balance to the rosters of both shows and gives the blue brand a legitimately huge name to build a massive storyline—perhaps with AJ Styles—around. 

It's been one of the biggest positives of the month and a huge reason why November has been so strong for WWE.

Storyline Depth in the Women's Division

Since the brand split, the women's division in WWE has been about two main feuds—Alexa Bliss vs. Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair vs. Sasha Banks.

But in November, talent has emerged, new feuds have been born and the division is stronger than it's ever been.

This is good news for WWE. Although those two aforementioned rivalries have been great, there's now much more to talk about, and the Survivor Series pay-per-view gave fans an exciting glimpse into the future.

Flair is now in a rivalry with Bayley, with Banks looking set to feud with Nia Jax. That might not please the army of Banks fans, but if Jax is to be taken seriously in WWE, she needs a big name to wrestle. Banks is a solid start.

Natalya has also stepped out of the shadows on SmackDown, and it looks like she could end up feuding with Nikki Bella. 

For the first time in a while, there could be a couple of women's matches on both shows, and the storylines would stand up and keep fans interested. That's been a big plus for WWE.

NXT's Newest Stars Have Come of Age

When a raft of big names departed NXT for the main roster earlier this year, it was always going to take time for the next crop of stars to emerge. 

But NXT TakeOver: Toronto confirmed that the brand is still as strong as ever.

There was a major swerve in the main event, with Samoa Joe bucking the trend and becoming the first-ever two-time NXT champion. Sure, Shinsuke Nakamura may get the belt back in Japan next month, but their feud is as hot as ever.

But below that, the fans in Toronto were entertained. The Revival vs. DIY was one of the best tag matches in a long time, The Authors of Pain emerged victorious in the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, and the tag division in NXT looks incredible.

Sanity is beginning to emerge as a serious threat to the rest of the roster, Tye Dillinger still looks to have bags of potential and Bobby Roode continues to become more and more glorious. The likes of Finn Balor may have left NXT, but the brand overall is in a good spot.

However, one question mark may still linger over the women's division in NXT. Asuka is on a tier of her own above the rest of the field. Expect WWE to correct that situation by having the likes of Ember Moon build momentum, but right now, that is the one blemish on the card for NXT.

Chris Jericho-Kevin Owens Friendship Keeps Building to Something Huge

If there's one reason to tune into Raw right now, it's to see what's next for Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens.

Their relationship looked like it had reached a boiling point following Team Raw's loss at Survivor Series, but WWE fans were well-served on Raw this past week.

Jericho is as entertaining as he's ever been in his WWE career. Owens is a worthy sidekick and also bounces off his fellow Canadian, but fans know there is going to be a moment when it all explodes.

When will that be? Following Raw this past week, the honest answer is that nobody knows. That can only be a good thing, as it makes you want to tune in each and every week.

It's a stretch to say the two guys are holding Raw's main event scene up, but the Jericho-Owens dynamic is as hot as it's ever been.

We know there's going to be a turn at some point. But for now, it's just entertaining to watch Jericho do his thing.