5 Wrestlers We Were Happy To See Prove Us Wrong In 2015

We’ve always promoted StillRealToUs.com as site that’s by the fans and for the fans. With that being said, as fans we’re passionate, we’re opinionated and sometimes we get heated. But the thing that you have to understand is, the reason why we get so heated with our opinions at times is because we’re just passionate about professional wrestling

Wrestling is a unique form of entertainment and sometimes the line gets blurred when your criticize a performer. Are you criticizing the actual performer, their skills or the way their booked? Sometimes it’s hard to tell.

In any case, there were quite a few wrestlers that proved us wrong this year and we’re happy they did. These are the wrestlers they exceeded our expectations in 2015.

#5 – Sheamus

For years Sheamus has been “spinning his wheels” in WWE. That’s not just a quote we’re throwing out there, Sheamus has said as much about himself before in interviews. When Sheamus first debuted he was a hot prospect and he won the WWE Championship in no time at all. But after losing it, the years that followed were less than eventful for Sheamus.

This year he won the Money in the Bank briefcase which prompted many wrestling fans to say “WTF…like why? Seriously why?” We wondered the same thing. Even when Sheamus cashed in his briefcase and won the WWE Championship, something about it still didn’t feel right.

But then he went on to feud with Roman Reigns and form the League of Nations. Sheamus proved that he was worthy of being in the spot he was placed in. Unfortunately for Sheamus, he ended up being a transitional champion this time around. However, that’s a position Sheamus accepted with pride and he did his part to get Roman Reigns over. After months of mixed reactions from crowds, Sheamus was finally able to help push Roman Reigns towards a more favorable reaction from the WWE fanbase.

Sheamus might not get the credit he deserves for the work he put in this year, but there’s no doubt about it, he deserves some praise for the work he put in towards the end of 2015.

#4 – Roman Reigns

Man, oh man, we really talked a lot of trash about Roman Reigns in 2015 didn’t we? But here we are and the year is almost over and Roman Reigns will be closing out 2015 as the WWE Champion. Despite all of our doubts, all of the jokes we cracked, it seems to be working.

It was an awkward year for Roman Reigns. He kicked things off with a big Royal Rumble win that no one seemed to be happy about. Then he went on to the WrestleMania main event and had to take a loss. Reigns then spent most of 2015 paying his dues and trying to earn some credibility with his haters. We can’t speak for everyone, but from where we’re standing, he earned it.

Roman took grenades in the trenches of the professional wrestling landscape for most of the year, but he remained humble through it all. Many of his supporters cried out saying that it wasn’t Roman himself that was awkward, it was the way he was being booked. For months on end anything involving Roman Reigns seemed forced and well, not to overuse the word, but things were “awkward.” WWE told us that this guy was a star but they didn’t give us a reason to believe that he actually was. 

Roman Reigns’ push felt a lot like WWE was trying to shove a square block in a circle hole. In other words, it just wasn’t working. But finally they found a way to make get the majority of the fanbase on board. When he finally won the WWE Championship for the second time it felt less like something WWE officials wanted to happen and more like something that he actually deserved. Roman finally got his moment and the fans got on board.

Roman Reigns isn’t the all star, goody two shoes role model they tried to portray him as for most of 2015. He’s a guy who just wants to rage against The Authority. When WWE finally gave Roman Reigns the chance to be himself, we got a version of Roman Reigns that seemed much more natural than anything we had seen before.

Is Roman Reigns the superstar that WWE wants us to believe he is? The answer to that question remains to be seen. However it’s refreshing to finally see the real Roman Reigns now that WWE has loosened up the reigns a little bit (no pun intended). He’s still got a ways to go before he reaches that superstar status. But he’s become much more enjoyable to watch now that he’s on the right path.

#3 – Ethan Carter III

When EC3 first debuted in TNA we made a few less than flattering jokes about him. But, he absorbed the criticism, refined it and used it as a weapon in 2015. He didn’t just turn it into any weapon either, he turned it into a deadly weapon.

Years from now when people look back at EC3’s career, 2015 will be recognized as the year that he proved all of his doubters wrong. He captured the TNA World Championship and he carried it like a boss. In an era where heels get cheered, EC3 wasn’t afraid to reach for those boos. He wasn’t afraid to be truly hated.

The fact that Ethan Carter III took all of the doubt that’s ever been thrown his way throughout his wrestling career and used it as motivation to prove everyone wrong, is inspirational to say the least. When EC3 made it to main event status he had a chip on his shoulder, and he used that to make himself better. Where some would crack under the pressure, EC3 became a lump of coal that transformed into a diamond. Above all else, Ethan Carter III proved this year that when it comes to his career, the best is yet to come.

#2 – The New Day

Remember when the New Day first debuted and nobody could figure out what the heck they were supposed to be? It was very confusing. Were they preachers? Were they religious? Were they supposed to be a new version of The Nation? Nobody knew.

Here we are at the end of 2015 and WWE is having a tough time keeping New Day socks and New Day unicorn horns in stock. The New Day is not just one of the most popular groups in WWE, they’re one of the most popular groups in all of wrestling.

The New Day is a nice reminder that WWE Superstars are always at their best when they’re allowed to let their personalities shine through. Week after week The New Day have been one of the highlights of WWE programming. Finally we get to see some personality from Big E, Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods and it’s been a lot of fun. Still, we’re not really sure if they’re supposed to be heels. But really does it matter? They’re one of the best things about WWE programming nowadays and we’re just happy to be entertained.

#1 – John Cena

For years John Cena was one of the most hated figures in all of professional wrestling. But step outside your hate towards John Cena for a second, and ask yourself, who really had better matches than John Cena in 2015? If you answer that question honestly you can see that the list is short.

When it came to matches with Cesaro, Dean Ambrose, Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens and more, John Cena more than proved his worth in 2015. John Cena has been pushed as “the guy” for a decade now and for the first few years it was fun. But the “Cena Wins LOL” era became tough for a lot of fans to swallow.

In 2015 Cena jumped back into the fight with his US Open Challenges and he proved something that a lot of fans still aren’t willing to accept. John Cena isn’t just a WWE Superstar, John Cena is a wrestler and he’s a good one at that. Sure people will say “Oh, well (insert awesome wrestler here) carried him to a great match.” But the truth is, it takes two to tango and Cena rose to the occasion on almost every Monday night this year.

So as cheesy as we once thought the salute he makes during his entrance was, we’ve got say, for your efforts in 2015 John Cena, we salute you. Thanks for keeping us on the edge of our seats.

P.S. the John Cena vines certainly didn’t hurt his case either. Let’s just enjoy all of their glory via the compilation below.