1) KUSHIDA: For years now, I've been a huge Alex Shelley fan. I loved the Motor City Machine Guns, but when they left TNA, I kind of lost track of Shelley. When I found out that he was part of the Time Splitters, I had to see them for myself. I've grown to like KUSHIDA, though I admit I haven't seen as much of him as I'd like. He had a breakthrough this week by winning NJPW's Best of the Super Juniors and earning a shot next month against Kenny Omega. Also, while it was pre-recorded, he did win the opener on ROH's first episode to air on Destination America. It's nice to see KUSHIDA getting some solo shine, as this was the most notable week of his career from what I can tell. Hopefully, it continues as I really like the guy.
2) Kevin Owens: Fresh off cleanly defeating John Cena, Kevin Owens continued to shine. He cut a great promo on Raw, which was a highlight of the entire show. Cena came out to interrupt but after mentioning a kid with cancer in the crowd, Owens couldn't really combat that. He wasn't on NXT this week, but on Smackdown, held the NXT Title Open Challenge. The promo he cut beforehand was one of the best in recent memory. Hell, it was probably the best I've seen since CM Punk was around. He is nailing this character perfectly. Zack Ryder answered the challenge and lost. Not only was it a big win for Owens, but it also marked the first time that the NXT Title was defended outside of NXT, making it a rather historic moment as well. It's pretty much Kevin Owens' world right now and we're just living in it. As long as creative doesn't botch it in the coming weeks.
3) Angelico, Ivelisse and Son of Havoc: There is a lot to like about Lucha Underground. However, my favorite thing is the partnership between Angelico, Ivelisse and Son of Havoc. The Trios Champions have so far had my favorite match in Lucha Underground history and continue to deliver each time they are asked to. This week, they defended those titles against Big Ryck, Cage and Delavar Daivari. It wasn't as good as their best stuff this year, but they deserve this nod in a relatively slow week. Do yourself a favor and check these three out because they are phenomenal.
4) Roman Reigns: A lot of people still dislike Roman Reigns but he's been impressive. After the Royal Rumble debacle, he's managed to pull out some impressive matches. This week, he wrestled three times on Raw. Had this been January, I would have groaned loudly. Granted, I'd rather not see most guys work three times in a night, but these were fine. He beat Bad News Barrett in a fine match, went over Mark Henry via countout and beat Bray Wyatt. Obviously, he should have pinned Henry clean and not Wyatt, but still. He got to look pretty dominant and is the favorite heading into Money in the Bank. He also worked Sheamus on Smackdown but that was nothing to really write home about. This spot is more based on his performance on Raw.
5) Kyle O'Reilly: Considering who finished first this week, this is a lovely bookend isn't it? Kyle O'Reilly was who KUSHIDA defeated to win the Best of the Super Juniors. While he lost, he was impressive throughout the tournament and maybe this could be parlayed into a singles run. I've been a fan of the guy for a while as he gives me vibes of the next breakout indy guy. This was a big showing for him and his star is on the rise for sure. There were a few guys that could have taken this spot including the Prime Time Players, Jack Evans, Bobby Roode and Austin Aries, but I went with O'Reilly as the Best of the Super Juniors was the biggest news this week.
