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WWE Superstars list for the 2016 roster of wrestlers from Raw, SmackDown, NXT, 205 Live and more!

This archived page tracks the World Wrestling Entertainment roster for 2016, including WWE Superstars, brand assignments, free agents, developmental wrestlers, managers, authority figures, releases and other on-screen roster changes from that calendar year.

LEGEND:

🎓 indicates an NXT, developmental or WWE recruit call-up to a higher roster level during 2016.

★ indicates a brand-new WWE signing, recruit, developmental prospect or first-time official/on-screen WWE roster member for 2016.

⇄ indicates a Raw/SmackDown brand trade, draft move or roster transfer during 2016.

🪃 indicates a returning WWE Superstar who came back to the company during 2016.

👔 indicates a notable role change during 2016, with the role transition listed inline.

⏳ indicates a WWE signing, recruit or developmental prospect who had not debuted on WWE television by the end of 2016.

🏷️ indicates a wrestler or on-screen personality who changed their WWE ring name, gimmick name or on-screen name during 2016.

This historical roster list reflects WWE roster trades, the 2016 WWE Draft, WWE releases in 2016, developmental call-ups, free agents and other movement from the year.

2016 WWE MONDAY NIGHT RAW ROSTER LIST:

Below is the complete WWE Raw roster for 2016 as of December 31, including the Raw men's and women's divisions featuring all active male and female WWE Superstars assigned to the red brand.

WWE RAW MEN'S ROSTER 2016:

• Big Cass 🎓⇄
• Big E ⇄
• Big Show ⇄
• Bo Dallas ⇄
• Braun Strowman ⇄
• Brock Lesnar ⇄
• Cesaro ⇄
• Chris Jericho ⇄
• Curtis Axel ⇄
• Darren Young ⇄
• Enzo Amore 🎓⇄
• Epico ⇄
• Finn Balor 🎓⇄
• Goldust ⇄
• Jinder Mahal 🪃
• Karl Anderson ★⇄
• Kevin Owens ⇄
• Kofi Kingston ⇄
• Luke Gallows 🪃⇄
• Mark Henry ⇄
• Primo ⇄
• R-Truth ⇄
• Roman Reigns ⇄
• Rusev ⇄
• Sami Zayn ⇄
• Seth Rollins ⇄
• Sheamus ⇄
• Sin Cara ⇄
• Titus O'Neil ⇄
• Xavier Woods ⇄

WWE RAW WOMEN'S ROSTER 2016:

• Alicia Fox ⇄
• Bayley 🎓
• Charlotte Flair ⇄
• Dana Brooke 🎓⇄
• Nia Jax 🎓⇄
• Paige ⇄
• Sasha Banks ⇄
• Summer Rae ⇄

2016 WWE SMACKDOWN LIVE ROSTER LIST:

Below is the complete WWE SmackDown Live roster for 2016 as of December 31, including the SmackDown men's and women's divisions featuring all active male and female WWE Superstars assigned to the blue brand.

WWE SMACKDOWN MEN'S ROSTER 2016:

• Aiden English 🎓⇄
• AJ Styles ★⇄
• Apollo Crews 🎓⇄
• Baron Corbin 🎓⇄
• Bray Wyatt ⇄
• Chad Gable 🎓⇄
• Curt Hawkins 🪃
• Dean Ambrose ⇄
• Dolph Ziggler ⇄
• Erick Rowan ⇄
• Fandango ⇄
• Heath Slater ⇄
• Jack Swagger ⇄
• James Ellsworth ★
• Jason Jordan 🎓⇄
• Jey Uso ⇄
• Jimmy Uso ⇄
• John Cena ⇄
• Kalisto ⇄
• Kane ⇄
• Konnor ⇄
• Luke Harper ⇄
• The Miz ⇄
• Mojo Rawley 🎓⇄
• Randy Orton ⇄
• Rhyno 🎓⇄
• Simon Gotch 🎓⇄
• Tyler Breeze ⇄
• Viktor ⇄
• Zack Ryder ⇄

WWE SMACKDOWN WOMEN'S ROSTER 2016:

• Alexa Bliss 🎓⇄
• Becky Lynch ⇄
• Carmella 🎓⇄
• Eva Marie ⇄
• Maryse 🪃⇄
• Naomi ⇄
• Natalya ⇄
• Nikki Bella ⇄

2016 WWE NXT ROSTER LIST:

Below is the complete WWE NXT roster for 2016 as of December 31. Wrestlers called up to the main roster are listed under their final main roster section instead of being duplicated here.

WWE NXT MEN'S ROSTER 2016:

• Akam ★
• Alexander Wolfe ★
• Andrade "Cien" Almas ★
• Angelo Dawkins
• Austin Aries ★
• Bobby Roode ★
• Buddy Murphy
• Dan Matha ★
• Dash Wilder
• Elias Samson
• Eric Young ★
• Hideo Itami
• Johnny Gargano ★ (signed in 2016; previously made NXT appearances in 2015)
• Kona Reeves 🏷️ (formerly Noah Kekoa)
• Nick Miller ★🏷️ (formerly Michael Nicholls)
• No Way Jose ★
• Oney Lorcan ★🏷️ (formerly Biff Busick; signed in 2015; made his WWE television debut in 2016)
• Otis Dozovic ★🏷️ (formerly Nikola Bogojevic) 
• Patrick Clark ★ (signed in 2015; made his NXT television debut in 2016)
• Rezar ★🏷️ (formerly Gzim Selmani)
• Riddick Moss ★ (made his NXT television debut in 2016)
• Roderick Strong ★
• Samoa Joe
• Sawyer Fulton
• Scott Dawson
• Shane Thorne ★🏷️ (formerly Shane Veryzer)
• Shinsuke Nakamura ★
• Steve Cutler
• Tian Bing ★
• Tino Sabbatelli ★ (made his NXT television debut in 2016)
• Tommaso Ciampa ★ (signed in 2016; previously made NXT appearances in 2015)
• Tucker Knight
• Tye Dillinger
• Wesley Blake

WWE NXT WOMEN'S ROSTER 2016:

• Aliyah
• Asuka
• Billie Kay
• Daria Berenato ★
• Danielle Kamela ★
• Ember Moon ★
• Liv Morgan
• Mandy Rose ★ (signed in 2015; made her NXT television debut in 2016)
• Mickie James 🪃
• Nikki Cross ★
• Peyton Royce
• Ruby Riott ★⏳

WWE DEVELOPMENTAL / PERFORMANCE CENTER MEN'S RECRUITS 2016:

• Alvin Abitz ★⏳
• Babatunde Aiyegbusi ★⏳
• Big Damo ★⏳
• Demitrius Bronson ★⏳
• Kassius Ohno 🪃⏳ (returned to WWE in 2016; still yet to redebut on WWE television by the end of the year)
• Terrance Jean-Jacques ★⏳
• Theophilus Agbi ★⏳
• Tommy End ★⏳

WWE DEVELOPMENTAL / PERFORMANCE CENTER WOMEN'S RECRUITS 2016:

• Carolyn Dunning ★⏳
• Bianca Blair ★⏳
• Macey Estrella ★⏳
• Sarah Bridges ★⏳
• Taynara Melo de Carvalho ★⏳
• Victoria Gonzalez ★⏳

2016 WWE 205 LIVE ROSTER LIST:

Below is the WWE 205 Live roster for 2016 as of December 31. The cruiserweight division launched late in the year following the Cruiserweight Classic and 205 Live premiere.

WWE 205 LIVE MEN'S ROSTER 2016:

• Akira Tozawa ★ ⚠️ (announced for 205 Live in 2016; made his 205 Live debut in 2017)
• Ariya Daivari ★
• The Brian Kendrick 🪃
• Cedric Alexander ★
• Drew Gulak ★
• Gran Metalik ★
• Gurv Sihra ★
• Harv Sihra ★
• HoHo Lun ★
• Jack Gallagher ★
• Lince Dorado ★
• Mustafa Ali ★
• Neville ⇄ (Raw roster member → cruiserweight division member)
• Noam Dar ★
• Rich Swann ★
• Tajiri 🪃
• TJ Perkins ★
• Tony Nese ★

NO BRAND / INACTIVE / NON-EXCLUSIVE WWE FREE AGENTS IN 2016:

The following WWE Superstars were signed to the roster as of December 31, 2016, but were not cleanly assigned to Raw, SmackDown Live, NXT, 205 Live or another specific brand due to part-time status, injury, inactivity, storyline free agency, draft status or special attraction appearances.

2016 WWE FREE AGENTS / INACTIVE TALENT - MEN'S DIVISION:

• Batista
• Goldberg 🪃
• The Rock
• The Undertaker
• Triple H

2016 WWE FREE AGENTS / INACTIVE TALENT - WOMEN'S DIVISION:

• Beth Phoenix
• Emmalina 🏷️ (formerly Emma; Raw vignettes began in 2016, but the full in-ring return came in 2017)
• Lita
• Rosa Mendes (maternity leave / inactive)
• Tamina (injured / inactive)
• Trish Stratus

WWE OTHER ON-SCREEN CHARACTERS 2016 LIST:

2016 WWE MANAGERS & VALETS LIST:

• Bob Backlund (manager of Darren Young)
• Lana (manager of Rusev)
• Maryse 🪃 (manager of The Miz)
• Paul Ellering 🪃 (manager of The Authors of Pain)
• Paul Heyman (manager of Brock Lesnar)
• Ric Flair (manager of Charlotte Flair until May 2016)

2016 WWE AUTHORITY FIGURES LIST:

• Daniel Bryan 👔 (retired wrestler → SmackDown Live General Manager)
• Mick Foley 👔 (WWE Hall of Famer / occasional on-screen legend → Raw General Manager)
• Mr. McMahon (WWE Chairman / on-screen authority figure)
• Shane McMahon 🪃👔 (returning on-screen authority figure → SmackDown Live Commissioner)
• Stephanie McMahon 👔 (on-screen authority figure → Raw Commissioner)
• Triple H (WWE COO / occasional on-screen authority figure)
• William Regal (NXT General Manager)

LIST OF WRESTLERS & SUPERSTARS RELEASED OR DEPARTED FROM WWE IN 2016:

The following WWE Superstars were released, quit, retired, had their contracts expire, or were otherwise moved off the active WWE roster during 2016.

WWE RELEASES / DEPARTURES 2016 - MEN'S DIVISION:

• Adam Rose
• Alberto Del Rio
• Alex Riley
• The Brooklyn Brawler
• Bubba Ray Dudley
• Bull Dempsey
• D-Von Dudley
• Damien Sandow
• Daniel Bryan (retired from in-ring competition; stayed as SmackDown Live General Manager)
• El Torito
• Hornswoggle
• Hugo Knox
• Josh Woods
• King Barrett / Wade Barrett
• King Konstantine
• Magno
• Marcus Louis
• Peter Howard
• Ryback
• Santino Marella
• Stardust / Cody Rhodes
• Sting (retired from in-ring competition, not released)
• Sylvester Lefort
• Tom Kingdon
• Zeb Colter
• ZZ Loupe

WWE RELEASES / DEPARTURES 2016 - WOMEN'S DIVISION:

• Brie Bella (stepped away from full-time competition, not released)
• Cameron
• Carolyn "CJ" Dunning
• Sara Lee

WWE RELEASES / DEPARTURES 2016 - OTHER ON-SCREEN TALENT / PERSONNEL:

• Alex Reyes (announcer)
• Eden Stiles (ring announcer)
• Joey Styles (announcer / digital executive)
• Kyle Edwards (broadcaster)
• Rich Brennan (announcer)

Am I missing any information? If so, leave a comment below!