1. WWE Male Wrestler of the Year
1. AJ Styles [36%]
Other Votes: Kevin Owens, Enzo Amore, Seth Rollins, Braun Strowman, The Miz
This year could really only belong to one man, and that man was and is phenomenal!
There is very little AJ Styles has not achieved in his short time with the company, but it already seems like he is the main attraction - and so he should be.
This is a man who, this year alone, has held the WWE Championship twice (unheard of when you consider his hush hush TNA history,) the United States Championship and has even dragged a sub par Jinder Mahal to decent matches! Hell, even their match at Clash of Champions 2017 was good, making Jinder look a lot better than he is - this is the magic of Styles.
Put with this the fact that RAW shipped Styles over for an impromptu match at TLC 2017 with Finn Balor - a match he had to fly 18 hours to attend, had little to no time to prepare for and was suffering from severe jet lag - which could easily be in WWE’s top 5 matches of the year, and that he is as over as any superstar in WWE history, then you can understand why AJ Styles has been voted the best WWE Male Superstar of the Year - you see, there really was no other option, he is just that damn good!
There is very little AJ Styles has not achieved in his short time with the company, but it already seems like he is the main attraction - and so he should be.
This is a man who, this year alone, has held the WWE Championship twice (unheard of when you consider his hush hush TNA history,) the United States Championship and has even dragged a sub par Jinder Mahal to decent matches! Hell, even their match at Clash of Champions 2017 was good, making Jinder look a lot better than he is - this is the magic of Styles.
Put with this the fact that RAW shipped Styles over for an impromptu match at TLC 2017 with Finn Balor - a match he had to fly 18 hours to attend, had little to no time to prepare for and was suffering from severe jet lag - which could easily be in WWE’s top 5 matches of the year, and that he is as over as any superstar in WWE history, then you can understand why AJ Styles has been voted the best WWE Male Superstar of the Year - you see, there really was no other option, he is just that damn good!
2. Worst WWE Male Wrestler of the Year
1. Enzo Amore [26%]
Other Votes: John Cena, R-Truth, Brock Lesnar, Noam Dar, James Ellsworth, Kalisto, Elias, Jinder Mahal, Andrade Cien Almas
To say that 2017 has been a polarising year for Mr. Amore would be an understatement! In April, his reception to WrestleMania 33 alongside Big Cass was deafening and proved that he was part of one of the most over Tag Teams in the company.
Come June time however, WWE inexplicably broke up the Tag Team in order to push Big Cass as a singles star, thus the wheels fell off for Enzo.
His inability to wrestle was painfully highlighted in every match he was in - he was utterly destroyed by Big Cass in a feud that went nowhere and entertained absolutely no-one - and his character seemed directionless and annoying. Ironically, this seems to be what the locker room thought aswell! He was booted off of the WWE tour bus and made to get changed in the toilets of venues, was fed to The Miz in one of the most agonisingly one-sided promo battles in recorded history, and was then battered by Braun Strowman for no storyline reason at all.
It got to the point where fans of the product were genuinely concerned that Enzo was being buried with no way of coming back; the WWE’s answer was to put him on 205 Live (the show where the superstars pride themselves on their high risk and technically perfect wrestling) and to give him the title despite the fact that he was nowhere near able to hold his own in the division! This infuriated purist fans even more as he was arrogant for no reason at all, which led to an awful feud with Kalisto, bringing us to the current day.
Enzo’s run with the Cruiserweight Championship hasn’t been atrocious, and it must be said that he has improved marginally in the ring (so long as we don’t mention his abomination of a finishing move) but the feeling is that him having the title is halting the progress of some of the genuine technical stars on the 205 Live roster, stars that are struggling to get TV time anyway.
Yes we may be seen as ‘a cuppa haters’ but for his lack of wrestling ability, as a champion, Enzo deserves his spot atop this poll, and we hope that he either improves fast, or drops the title to a more worthy competitor!
Come June time however, WWE inexplicably broke up the Tag Team in order to push Big Cass as a singles star, thus the wheels fell off for Enzo.
His inability to wrestle was painfully highlighted in every match he was in - he was utterly destroyed by Big Cass in a feud that went nowhere and entertained absolutely no-one - and his character seemed directionless and annoying. Ironically, this seems to be what the locker room thought aswell! He was booted off of the WWE tour bus and made to get changed in the toilets of venues, was fed to The Miz in one of the most agonisingly one-sided promo battles in recorded history, and was then battered by Braun Strowman for no storyline reason at all.
It got to the point where fans of the product were genuinely concerned that Enzo was being buried with no way of coming back; the WWE’s answer was to put him on 205 Live (the show where the superstars pride themselves on their high risk and technically perfect wrestling) and to give him the title despite the fact that he was nowhere near able to hold his own in the division! This infuriated purist fans even more as he was arrogant for no reason at all, which led to an awful feud with Kalisto, bringing us to the current day.
Enzo’s run with the Cruiserweight Championship hasn’t been atrocious, and it must be said that he has improved marginally in the ring (so long as we don’t mention his abomination of a finishing move) but the feeling is that him having the title is halting the progress of some of the genuine technical stars on the 205 Live roster, stars that are struggling to get TV time anyway.
Yes we may be seen as ‘a cuppa haters’ but for his lack of wrestling ability, as a champion, Enzo deserves his spot atop this poll, and we hope that he either improves fast, or drops the title to a more worthy competitor!
3. WWE Female Wrestler of the Year
1. Alexa Bliss [48%]
Other Votes: Asuka, Sasha Banks, Charlotte
When Bliss arrived on the main roster as part of the brand split back in July 2016, I’ll be honest I was incredibly sceptical. This was a woman who had made her name for a relatively short time in NXT as a valet after all without winning any belts.
However, as I sit in December 2017, I can honestly say I have been humbled and proved astonishingly wrong at every turn by The Goddess of WWE.
Her 2017 has been phenomenal by all accounts. Not only becoming the first woman to hold both SmackDown and RAW Women’s gold, but to hold them in the same calendar year and hold the current record for longest reign with the RAW Women’s Championship belt is, quite frankly, unbelievable. To top it all off of course, Bliss made history alongside Sasha Banks when they became the first WWE women to perform in Abu Dhabi - another notch in the bedpost of an outstanding year!
Her in-ring skills are ever improving as she proved in an excellent match against Sasha Banks at Summerslam, and her promos, despite being excellent anyway, have continued to improve to the point where very few in the division can touch her on the mic!
When you consider Asuka broke the undefeated streak in WWE and held the NXT Title for a whopping 500+ days in the year of 2017 and the votes still rained in for Bliss, it really does prove just how good of a year she has truly had!
However, as I sit in December 2017, I can honestly say I have been humbled and proved astonishingly wrong at every turn by The Goddess of WWE.
Her 2017 has been phenomenal by all accounts. Not only becoming the first woman to hold both SmackDown and RAW Women’s gold, but to hold them in the same calendar year and hold the current record for longest reign with the RAW Women’s Championship belt is, quite frankly, unbelievable. To top it all off of course, Bliss made history alongside Sasha Banks when they became the first WWE women to perform in Abu Dhabi - another notch in the bedpost of an outstanding year!
Her in-ring skills are ever improving as she proved in an excellent match against Sasha Banks at Summerslam, and her promos, despite being excellent anyway, have continued to improve to the point where very few in the division can touch her on the mic!
When you consider Asuka broke the undefeated streak in WWE and held the NXT Title for a whopping 500+ days in the year of 2017 and the votes still rained in for Bliss, it really does prove just how good of a year she has truly had!
4. Worst WWE Female Superstar of the Year
1. Dana Brooke [24%]
Other Votes: Tamina, Alicia Fox, Summer-Rae, Liv Morgan, Natalya, Bayley, Lana, Mickie James
You know you have had a bad year when the thing you are remembered for in 2017 is a meme of you running away during a siege by the opposite brand, but that really has been the only high point for Brooke this year!
The fact of the matter is, is that Dana has really done nothing of any impact whatsoever during 2017. She has been nowhere near the Women’s Gold this year and has served only to be the fall person in multi-woman matches.
When she has had a chance to shine, the results have been less that impressive, epitomised through the botched Michinoku Driver she delivered to Alicia Fox - a move that is supposed to be her finisher - on RAW.
Unfortunately, since the split from Charlotte afforded her the opportunity to fly solo, she really has not grasped it in any way and is now at a huge risk of sliding further down the card with the influx of female talent after the Mae Young Classic. 2018 NEEDS to be better for Dana, from a creative and an in-ring perspective!
The fact of the matter is, is that Dana has really done nothing of any impact whatsoever during 2017. She has been nowhere near the Women’s Gold this year and has served only to be the fall person in multi-woman matches.
When she has had a chance to shine, the results have been less that impressive, epitomised through the botched Michinoku Driver she delivered to Alicia Fox - a move that is supposed to be her finisher - on RAW.
Unfortunately, since the split from Charlotte afforded her the opportunity to fly solo, she really has not grasped it in any way and is now at a huge risk of sliding further down the card with the influx of female talent after the Mae Young Classic. 2018 NEEDS to be better for Dana, from a creative and an in-ring perspective!
5. WWE Tag Team of the Year
1. The Usos [70%]
Other Votes: The New Day, Seth & Dean, The Bar, Authors of Pain
The sheer distance by which The Usos have won the WAMMY for WWE Tag Team of the Year 2017 shows just how good they have been this year.
From boring, directionless faces who danced around wearing face-paint breifly succumbing to nothing more than Roman Reigns' lackies, it was looking very bleak for the sons of Rikishi.
However, with the brand split in 2016 came a new direction and seemingly a new lease of life as the pair turned heel, dropped every semblence of their previous gimmick and instead transitioned into legitimate badasses who delivered promos that made you sit up and think 'Who are these and where have they been?'
This was in 2016, but in 2017, they have gone from strength to strength and have almost single-handedley carried the tag division on the blue brand.
Even after the arrival of The New Day in the post-WrestleMania Superstar Shake-Up, The Usos still worked hard to be the best tag team on SmackDown, and this led to a feud that was genuinley unlucky not have been voted the feud of the year.
Three matches these teams had, on consecutive PPVs, and each one was better than the last, to the point where their Hell in a Cell encounter stole the show entirely. It's not often The New Day can be upstaged, but The Usos repeatedly did so, not only in their aforementioned matches, but also in the outstanding rap battle that the two teams partook in, absolute gold.
However, it wasn't just against The New Day that The Usos showed how much they have impoved. When it came to Survivor Series this last November, the pair faced off against The Bar and showed once more how fantastic they are and how under-valued they are as a team by putting on another outstanding clinic of Tag Team wrestling.
The fact of the matter however, is that you cannot repeatedly put on this calbire of mtches, be that strong on the microphone, be a part of at least 4 matches that deserve to be in WWE's list of Match of the Year candidates and not expect to be our Tag Team of the Year, and that is exactly what Jimmy and Jey have done. Completely deserved for a stellar year.
From boring, directionless faces who danced around wearing face-paint breifly succumbing to nothing more than Roman Reigns' lackies, it was looking very bleak for the sons of Rikishi.
However, with the brand split in 2016 came a new direction and seemingly a new lease of life as the pair turned heel, dropped every semblence of their previous gimmick and instead transitioned into legitimate badasses who delivered promos that made you sit up and think 'Who are these and where have they been?'
This was in 2016, but in 2017, they have gone from strength to strength and have almost single-handedley carried the tag division on the blue brand.
Even after the arrival of The New Day in the post-WrestleMania Superstar Shake-Up, The Usos still worked hard to be the best tag team on SmackDown, and this led to a feud that was genuinley unlucky not have been voted the feud of the year.
Three matches these teams had, on consecutive PPVs, and each one was better than the last, to the point where their Hell in a Cell encounter stole the show entirely. It's not often The New Day can be upstaged, but The Usos repeatedly did so, not only in their aforementioned matches, but also in the outstanding rap battle that the two teams partook in, absolute gold.
However, it wasn't just against The New Day that The Usos showed how much they have impoved. When it came to Survivor Series this last November, the pair faced off against The Bar and showed once more how fantastic they are and how under-valued they are as a team by putting on another outstanding clinic of Tag Team wrestling.
The fact of the matter however, is that you cannot repeatedly put on this calbire of mtches, be that strong on the microphone, be a part of at least 4 matches that deserve to be in WWE's list of Match of the Year candidates and not expect to be our Tag Team of the Year, and that is exactly what Jimmy and Jey have done. Completely deserved for a stellar year.
6. Worst WWE Tag Team of the Year
1. The Hype Bros [35%]
Others Votes: The Colons, The Ascension, The Vaudevillians, The Good Brothers, The Usos, The Revival, Titus Worldwide, Shelton Benjamin & Chad Gable
Legitimatley, what can we say that isn't negative about the team of Mojo Rawley and Zack Ryder? The fact that the most fascinating thing they have done this year is break up really does speak volumes about the pairing doesn't it?
Look back before TLC 2016 and it looked like the team might be getting a push and a legitimate shot at The Wyatt Family's Tag Team titles, but unfortunatley Ryder hurt his knee and was out for 6 months, leaving Rawley to fend for himself.
It started well, Rawley used his friend Rob Gronkowski to win the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal and seemingly gain momentum in preparation for his inevitable singles push...that never came. WWE never capitilised on Rawley winning the Andre the Giant trophy, and far from giving him a singles push, relegated him to ridiculous backstage segments where he would show tour groups of children his trophy.
This carried on until Ryder finally made his return from injury, where the two were paired off and then...nothing. Seriously, there was just nothing in place for them, and once again the two were relegated to jobber status.
Eventually the WWE began to tease a split between the two, which lasted from August until just before Clash of Champions in December with little to no story progression on SmackDown, and the two's blow off after Rawley finally turned on Zack ending up on the pre-show of a PPV that only had 6 matches on it. It doesn't look terribly good for either of them does it?
It's almost unfortunate that the pairing recieve this award this year, as it's not necessarily their fault. Both are okay in the ring (I've always been a fan of Ryder, not so much Mojo) but their booking has been atrocious, to the point where you just feel sorry for the two. What was the point of giving Rawley the win at WrestleMania if not to capitilise? Why not keep the pairing as a tag team and legitimise them, instead of turning them into singles stars that never get any TV time like Tye Dillinger?
Look back before TLC 2016 and it looked like the team might be getting a push and a legitimate shot at The Wyatt Family's Tag Team titles, but unfortunatley Ryder hurt his knee and was out for 6 months, leaving Rawley to fend for himself.
It started well, Rawley used his friend Rob Gronkowski to win the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal and seemingly gain momentum in preparation for his inevitable singles push...that never came. WWE never capitilised on Rawley winning the Andre the Giant trophy, and far from giving him a singles push, relegated him to ridiculous backstage segments where he would show tour groups of children his trophy.
This carried on until Ryder finally made his return from injury, where the two were paired off and then...nothing. Seriously, there was just nothing in place for them, and once again the two were relegated to jobber status.
Eventually the WWE began to tease a split between the two, which lasted from August until just before Clash of Champions in December with little to no story progression on SmackDown, and the two's blow off after Rawley finally turned on Zack ending up on the pre-show of a PPV that only had 6 matches on it. It doesn't look terribly good for either of them does it?
It's almost unfortunate that the pairing recieve this award this year, as it's not necessarily their fault. Both are okay in the ring (I've always been a fan of Ryder, not so much Mojo) but their booking has been atrocious, to the point where you just feel sorry for the two. What was the point of giving Rawley the win at WrestleMania if not to capitilise? Why not keep the pairing as a tag team and legitimise them, instead of turning them into singles stars that never get any TV time like Tye Dillinger?
7. WWE Match of the Year
1. Pete Dunne vs. Tyler Bate
[NXT Takeover: Chicago] [45%]
Other Votes: Asuka vs. Ember Moon [Takeover Brooklyn III], Tyler Bate vs. Pete Dunne [United Kingdom Championship], Enzo & Cass vs. The Bar vs. The Club vs. The Hardy Boyz [WrestleMania 33], AJ Styles vs. John Cena [Royal Rumble], Kevin Owens vs. Shane McMahon [Hell in a Cell], Authors of Pain vs. #DIY vs. The Revival [Takeover Orlando]
This match is utterly brilliant.
It’s fantastic for so many reasons, the storylines, the move-sets, the spots, it truly is a spectacle to behold.
Taking place at Takeover Chicago, the match pitted United Kingdom Champion Tyler Bate against Pete Dunne. The pair had already had already put on a fantastic match in the final of January’s United Kingdom Tourney, but what the pair would do here would eclipse even that!
Despite only going a shade of 15 minutes, the two crammed so many spots and so much action into it, that it didn’t seem logically feasible! Bate especially spent more time flying through the air than he did on his feet.
And it was this that would prove his undoing as he tried one high spot too many, missing on the outside. Dunne rolled him back in, hit him with The Bitter End and stood proud as the new champion - but both men could be seen as champions after this performance.
Add this to the fact that their trilogy of matches this year might be the best thing WWE have done this year, with their recent third match on NXT being another barnstormer, it makes it even more mind boggling that WWE seem disinclined to do anything with UK division.
This match showed that Bate and Dunne, who are both disgustingly young (20 and 24 respectively) have it about them to be future main event players and could both be brought up to main. A truly stellar match I urge you to check out!
It’s fantastic for so many reasons, the storylines, the move-sets, the spots, it truly is a spectacle to behold.
Taking place at Takeover Chicago, the match pitted United Kingdom Champion Tyler Bate against Pete Dunne. The pair had already had already put on a fantastic match in the final of January’s United Kingdom Tourney, but what the pair would do here would eclipse even that!
Despite only going a shade of 15 minutes, the two crammed so many spots and so much action into it, that it didn’t seem logically feasible! Bate especially spent more time flying through the air than he did on his feet.
And it was this that would prove his undoing as he tried one high spot too many, missing on the outside. Dunne rolled him back in, hit him with The Bitter End and stood proud as the new champion - but both men could be seen as champions after this performance.
Add this to the fact that their trilogy of matches this year might be the best thing WWE have done this year, with their recent third match on NXT being another barnstormer, it makes it even more mind boggling that WWE seem disinclined to do anything with UK division.
This match showed that Bate and Dunne, who are both disgustingly young (20 and 24 respectively) have it about them to be future main event players and could both be brought up to main. A truly stellar match I urge you to check out!
8. Worst WWE Match of the Year
1. Bray Wyatt vs. Randy Orton [WrestleMania 33] [35%]
Other Votes: Bray Wyatt vs. Randy Orton [Payback], Braun Strowman vs. Kalisto [Dumpster Match], Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Jinder Mahal [Summerslam], The Shield & Kurt Angle vs. The Bar, The Miz & Braun Strowman [TLC], AJ Styles vs. Kevin Owens [Money in the Bank], Jinder Mahal vs. Randy Orton [Battleground], Enzo Amore vs. Neville [No Mercy], Alexa Bliss vs. Bayley [Extreme Rules], Goldberg vs. Kevin Owens [Fastlane], Asuka vs. Dana Brooke [27/11 RAW]
This match makes me sad. It makes me sad for many reasons. Mostly though, it makes me sad for Bray Wyatt, not just because of this absolute car-wreck of a match, but also because of what followed.
After a feud that threatened to become interesting at many points, Orton, a previous member of The Wyatt Family in 2016 and 2017 Royal Rumble winner, faced former mentor and then WWE champion Bray Wyatt in what was repeatedly told to us would be the main event of WrestleMania 33, but in reality was not even the semi-main event!
What followed was an utter disgrace. 10 minutes of Wyatt ‘making things appear on the ring mat’ in attempt to prove he has mystical powers, when in fact it merely came across as a college Media Studies project, with Tom Phillips doing his absolute best to put this match across as a spectacle to behold.
The entire way through this match, all we as fans collectively hoped for was that Orton wouldn’t win the title with one RKO and then carry it is as an uninspired face, burying Wyatt after only 40 days as champion.
Of course that happened - this is WWE!
Fast forward to the current day, the only thing we remember from Orton’s title reign is that he was the man to drop it to Jinder Mahal, and Bray Wyatt is buried in the midcard of RAW wearing a shawl and masquerading as a lady called Abigail.
I blame this match, and Randy Orton, for this diabolical fall from grace.
After a feud that threatened to become interesting at many points, Orton, a previous member of The Wyatt Family in 2016 and 2017 Royal Rumble winner, faced former mentor and then WWE champion Bray Wyatt in what was repeatedly told to us would be the main event of WrestleMania 33, but in reality was not even the semi-main event!
What followed was an utter disgrace. 10 minutes of Wyatt ‘making things appear on the ring mat’ in attempt to prove he has mystical powers, when in fact it merely came across as a college Media Studies project, with Tom Phillips doing his absolute best to put this match across as a spectacle to behold.
The entire way through this match, all we as fans collectively hoped for was that Orton wouldn’t win the title with one RKO and then carry it is as an uninspired face, burying Wyatt after only 40 days as champion.
Of course that happened - this is WWE!
Fast forward to the current day, the only thing we remember from Orton’s title reign is that he was the man to drop it to Jinder Mahal, and Bray Wyatt is buried in the midcard of RAW wearing a shawl and masquerading as a lady called Abigail.
I blame this match, and Randy Orton, for this diabolical fall from grace.
9. WWE Feud of the Year
1. Braun Strowman & Roman Reigns [41%]
Other Votes: The Usos & The New Day, Kevin Owens & Shane McMahon, John Cena & The Miz, Sasha Banks & Alicia Fox, Seth Rollins & Triple H, Chris Jericho & Kevin Owens
As we as WWE fans are cripplingly aware, Roman Reigns must be pushed at all costs. This, quite understandably to begin with, led to fans completley turning on the ex-Shield man. Nowadays though, he is met with something approaching acceptance by the WWE Universe, but why is this? Why the sudden change of heart? What has happened? Well, put simply...
Braun Strowman happened.
The feud between the Monster Among Men and The Big Dog has been booked damn near perfectly and has left both men approaching 2018 in the best shape of their career.
The bouts from the start of this year to Summerslam have been some of the best RAW has produced all year, and it truly has brought us to some of the WWE moments of the year. Thrown desk chairs, ambulances being thrown over, ‘I’m not finished with you,’ and the word ‘Garbage’ have all been popularised via this feud, and it has genuinley made a main event star of Strowman and cemented Roman as a true face of the company.
Braun Strowman happened.
The feud between the Monster Among Men and The Big Dog has been booked damn near perfectly and has left both men approaching 2018 in the best shape of their career.
The bouts from the start of this year to Summerslam have been some of the best RAW has produced all year, and it truly has brought us to some of the WWE moments of the year. Thrown desk chairs, ambulances being thrown over, ‘I’m not finished with you,’ and the word ‘Garbage’ have all been popularised via this feud, and it has genuinley made a main event star of Strowman and cemented Roman as a true face of the company.
10. Best WWE PPV of the Year
1. WrestleMania 33 [57%]
Other Votes: Elimination Chamber, TLC, Hell in a Cell, Great Balls of Fire, NXT Takeover Chicago, NXT Takeover War Games
After the utter shambles that was WrestleMania 32, we were owed a good one, and WWE certainly delivered that in Orlando this year.
We were treated to a spectacle, which is exactly what WrestleMania should be. To the point in fact, where even the pre-show was exceptional viewing. Austin Aries and Neville put on a great match for the Cruiserweight Title which arguably should have found its way onto the main card, whilst The Andre the Giant Battle Royal was bafflingly won by Mojo Rawley via Gronk - another thinly veiled attempt at media crossover.
The main card was full of gems, started by AJ Styles pulling Shane McMahon to not just a serviceable match, but Shane O Mac’s best Wrestling match in his time with the company. The Hardy Boyz returned after 7 years to the most earth-shattering pop of the last 12 months, Goldberg and Lesnar put on a decent match to end their feud and Jericho and Owens left it all in the ring to tie off their stellar storyline.
Sure there were some duds, WWE unfortunately very rarely if ever put on a perfect card: Wyatt and Orton was a raging hurricane of crap, the SmackDown Women’s match’s placement was non-sensical and the Intercontinental Championship Match was sub par to say the least, but the goods for this event far surpassed the bad at every turn.
But it was for none of these reasons that this PPV will be remembered. That honour goes to what it looks like might be The Undertaker’s retirement match. The match itself was nothing special whatsoever, in fact, it was a fairly botchy bout in fairness, but the scene of The Undertaker taking off his hat and coat, folding them and leaving them in the ring, breaking kayfabe in order to kiss his wife and then descending - arm raised - into the staging after his loss to Roman Reigns, is one that will live long in the memory, and one that brought a tear to more than one Wrestling fan’s eye that night!
As I’ve already stated, this event had everything, and this final segment topped it off beautifully. A great PPV, and a great final segment!
We were treated to a spectacle, which is exactly what WrestleMania should be. To the point in fact, where even the pre-show was exceptional viewing. Austin Aries and Neville put on a great match for the Cruiserweight Title which arguably should have found its way onto the main card, whilst The Andre the Giant Battle Royal was bafflingly won by Mojo Rawley via Gronk - another thinly veiled attempt at media crossover.
The main card was full of gems, started by AJ Styles pulling Shane McMahon to not just a serviceable match, but Shane O Mac’s best Wrestling match in his time with the company. The Hardy Boyz returned after 7 years to the most earth-shattering pop of the last 12 months, Goldberg and Lesnar put on a decent match to end their feud and Jericho and Owens left it all in the ring to tie off their stellar storyline.
Sure there were some duds, WWE unfortunately very rarely if ever put on a perfect card: Wyatt and Orton was a raging hurricane of crap, the SmackDown Women’s match’s placement was non-sensical and the Intercontinental Championship Match was sub par to say the least, but the goods for this event far surpassed the bad at every turn.
But it was for none of these reasons that this PPV will be remembered. That honour goes to what it looks like might be The Undertaker’s retirement match. The match itself was nothing special whatsoever, in fact, it was a fairly botchy bout in fairness, but the scene of The Undertaker taking off his hat and coat, folding them and leaving them in the ring, breaking kayfabe in order to kiss his wife and then descending - arm raised - into the staging after his loss to Roman Reigns, is one that will live long in the memory, and one that brought a tear to more than one Wrestling fan’s eye that night!
As I’ve already stated, this event had everything, and this final segment topped it off beautifully. A great PPV, and a great final segment!
11. Worst WWE PPV of the Year
1. WWE Battleground 2017 [42%]
Other Votes: Fastlane, Money in the Bank, Backlash, Summerslam, Extreme Rules
In stark contrast to WrestleMania in April, SmackDown's exclusive PPV for July - WWE Battleground - epitomised everything that was wrong with the ailing blue brand at the time. It really does speak volumes about the quality of the product we were enduring in the middle of this year that, when put to the vote, three consecutive SmackDown exclusive PPVs were nominated; Backlash, Money in the Bank and this, Battleground.
Harkening from Philadelphia, with the exception of another stellar inclusion in the catelogue of great matches that The Usos and The New Day put on this year, there were absolutley no positives to take from this PPV. It felt infinately longer than any PPV should, and the word bandied about on most Wrestling forums was 'boring' and it really is hard to argue with that description.
Contrived finish after contrived finish seemed to mar the quality and ending of most of the matches, and a lack of decent storytelling during the weekly product highlighted how paper thin the roster was.
Nakamura beat Corbin after a low blow from nowhere that halted what could have been a decent match whilst Natalya somehow came through a 5 way elimination match to be the new number one contender to the SmackDown Women's title after lightly tapping Charlotte's head against the turnbuckle. All of this of course after we had to endure Lana's inabilities in the ring.
A botched finish baffled and angered a large number of fans after Kevin Owens overcame AJ Styles to capture the United States Championship in another installment in their underwhelming series, despite not even the referee being sure what was happening, and John Cena inevitably went over Rusev in a God-awful flag match that not one soul in the crowd appeared bothered about.
A Sami Zayn and Mike Kanellis match happened, with the latter losing his first PPV match in forgettable circumstances before the main event ruined everyone's week.
A stipulation that no-one had missed since it was quietly filed away in the WWE's 'Never to Use Again' drawer, the Punjabi Prison match was brought back as a desparate attempt to inject some life into Jinder Mahal's already flailing title run. Instead, we were subjected to nearly half an hour of half obscured viewing, whilst Randy Orton and Jinder locked up in a match that, despite the stipulation, was as forgettable as the Mike Kanellis and Sami Zayn match prior. A special mention should be made however for Samir Singh, who ended up being launched from the prison through an announce table, which looked awfully uncomfortable.
Then, the largest (literally) moment of utter, head-scratching ridiculousness arrived with The Great Khali arriving, choking Orton until Jinder finally escaped the cage to retain the title.
We wouldn't have minded, as much, if Khali was to be a part of the WWE roster again in some way, however after this night he was never seen again, and his reason for interfering was never given.
The PPV itself seemed worryingly poorly thought through, with the emphasis on contrived and weird finishes making it a genuine chore to sit through. After such an outstanding start to the brand split in 2016, SmackDown was looking worryingly medicore as we made our way toward Summerslam.
Harkening from Philadelphia, with the exception of another stellar inclusion in the catelogue of great matches that The Usos and The New Day put on this year, there were absolutley no positives to take from this PPV. It felt infinately longer than any PPV should, and the word bandied about on most Wrestling forums was 'boring' and it really is hard to argue with that description.
Contrived finish after contrived finish seemed to mar the quality and ending of most of the matches, and a lack of decent storytelling during the weekly product highlighted how paper thin the roster was.
Nakamura beat Corbin after a low blow from nowhere that halted what could have been a decent match whilst Natalya somehow came through a 5 way elimination match to be the new number one contender to the SmackDown Women's title after lightly tapping Charlotte's head against the turnbuckle. All of this of course after we had to endure Lana's inabilities in the ring.
A botched finish baffled and angered a large number of fans after Kevin Owens overcame AJ Styles to capture the United States Championship in another installment in their underwhelming series, despite not even the referee being sure what was happening, and John Cena inevitably went over Rusev in a God-awful flag match that not one soul in the crowd appeared bothered about.
A Sami Zayn and Mike Kanellis match happened, with the latter losing his first PPV match in forgettable circumstances before the main event ruined everyone's week.
A stipulation that no-one had missed since it was quietly filed away in the WWE's 'Never to Use Again' drawer, the Punjabi Prison match was brought back as a desparate attempt to inject some life into Jinder Mahal's already flailing title run. Instead, we were subjected to nearly half an hour of half obscured viewing, whilst Randy Orton and Jinder locked up in a match that, despite the stipulation, was as forgettable as the Mike Kanellis and Sami Zayn match prior. A special mention should be made however for Samir Singh, who ended up being launched from the prison through an announce table, which looked awfully uncomfortable.
Then, the largest (literally) moment of utter, head-scratching ridiculousness arrived with The Great Khali arriving, choking Orton until Jinder finally escaped the cage to retain the title.
We wouldn't have minded, as much, if Khali was to be a part of the WWE roster again in some way, however after this night he was never seen again, and his reason for interfering was never given.
The PPV itself seemed worryingly poorly thought through, with the emphasis on contrived and weird finishes making it a genuine chore to sit through. After such an outstanding start to the brand split in 2016, SmackDown was looking worryingly medicore as we made our way toward Summerslam.
12. WWE Most Improved Act
1. Braun Strowman [53%]
Other Votes: Alicia Fox, Ember Moon, Jinder Mahal, The Miz, Neville, Enzo Amore, Breezango
Braun is incredible.
There is no two ways about it, since the draft in 2016 and his split from The Wyatt Family, Braun has done no wrong!
Sure, some would argue that in 2016 Strowman made more noticeable improvements to his character - from lumbering green giant to a legitimate threat, but I’m afraid this year has seen Braun improve even further!
Look at the feuds Braun has been a part of this year, not only has he been part of potential feuds of the year against Roman and Brock, but he’s never looked out of place, or indeed starstuck from being in the main event picture. Even his mini-feud with The Miz where he appeared from a garbage truck and then appeared - horror movie style - driving the Miztourage’a limo. Fantastic stuff.
It’s got to the point now that he is possibly the biggest face on Monday Night RAW and is the superstar that all fans wait to see. Hell, he gets the biggest pop when he appears and consistently leaves the fans exhilarated. Not bad when you consider how poor he used to be in 2016!
Finally, his match at Summerslam. Brock does not bump for anyone and often runs through main event contenders with a disdainful efficiency. Not here though! Brock was put through 2 announce tables and was taken out of the match on a stretcher after having the third announce table slammed onto him.
Yes Brock walked away from this match the winner and remains the Universal Champion, but it was Braun everyone left talking about! To come from lumbering, talentless Wyatt giant to someone who is main eventing Summerslam and is having Brock Lesnar put him over is a journey that rightly lands Strowman this award!
There is no two ways about it, since the draft in 2016 and his split from The Wyatt Family, Braun has done no wrong!
Sure, some would argue that in 2016 Strowman made more noticeable improvements to his character - from lumbering green giant to a legitimate threat, but I’m afraid this year has seen Braun improve even further!
Look at the feuds Braun has been a part of this year, not only has he been part of potential feuds of the year against Roman and Brock, but he’s never looked out of place, or indeed starstuck from being in the main event picture. Even his mini-feud with The Miz where he appeared from a garbage truck and then appeared - horror movie style - driving the Miztourage’a limo. Fantastic stuff.
It’s got to the point now that he is possibly the biggest face on Monday Night RAW and is the superstar that all fans wait to see. Hell, he gets the biggest pop when he appears and consistently leaves the fans exhilarated. Not bad when you consider how poor he used to be in 2016!
Finally, his match at Summerslam. Brock does not bump for anyone and often runs through main event contenders with a disdainful efficiency. Not here though! Brock was put through 2 announce tables and was taken out of the match on a stretcher after having the third announce table slammed onto him.
Yes Brock walked away from this match the winner and remains the Universal Champion, but it was Braun everyone left talking about! To come from lumbering, talentless Wyatt giant to someone who is main eventing Summerslam and is having Brock Lesnar put him over is a journey that rightly lands Strowman this award!
13. WWE Golden Prospect Award
1. Aleister Black [28%]
Other Votes: Street Profits, Pete Dunne, Adam Cole, Velveteen Dream, The Undisputed Era, Johnny Gargano, Tyler Bate
With NXT being the developmental brand as opposed to a third brand, it has the unfortunate duty of a having a consistently rotating roster as superstars are sent up to either RAW or SmackDown. It also has the duty of preparing us for these superstars, and 9 times out of 10 it does a fantastic job of this. With Aleister Black, they haven’t just done this, they have literally smashed it out of the park.
Not since the arrival of Finn Balor have such rumblings escaped NXT about a single superstar, but we are getting it with Black!
Everything about him from his aura, to his packaging, to his hard hitting move set and instantly iconic finisher, to his theme music and stunning entrance has stirred the WWE Universe up into a ridiculous, expectant frenzy.
Couple this of course with outstanding matches with Hideo Itami and Velveteen Dream and it is plain for all to see that the company has got something huge in Black; a potential World Champion and WrestleMania headliner at least!
Let’s just hope the WWE don’t ruin it as they have an awful tendency to do with NXT call ups at the moment! I do not want to see him in a Tag Team with Goldust in a years time calling themselves Black and Gold!
Not since the arrival of Finn Balor have such rumblings escaped NXT about a single superstar, but we are getting it with Black!
Everything about him from his aura, to his packaging, to his hard hitting move set and instantly iconic finisher, to his theme music and stunning entrance has stirred the WWE Universe up into a ridiculous, expectant frenzy.
Couple this of course with outstanding matches with Hideo Itami and Velveteen Dream and it is plain for all to see that the company has got something huge in Black; a potential World Champion and WrestleMania headliner at least!
Let’s just hope the WWE don’t ruin it as they have an awful tendency to do with NXT call ups at the moment! I do not want to see him in a Tag Team with Goldust in a years time calling themselves Black and Gold!
14. WWE Most Under-utilised Talent
1. Rusev [16%]
Other Votes: Becky Lynch, Neville, R-Truth, Luke Harper, Randy Orton, Curtis Axel, Austin Aries, Tye Dillinger, Emma, Mike Kannellis, Finn Balor, Paul Heyman, The Good Brothers, Shinsuke Nakamura
We covered the baffling lack of airtime for Rusev before on this website and with good reason.
The man is a legitimate badass with a great moveset and an even better character, but if you look at his career trajectory this year, it has been far from great.
Starting the year on RAW having lost out in a United States Championship feud with Roman Reigns, he was rapidly shunted down the card, placed into an awful feud with Enzo Amore, who attempted to seduce Lana whilst apparently being the face in the feud, before teaming with Jinder Mahal and becoming the laughing stock of RAW as they were trotted out and beaten by everyone.
Fastlane was the epitome of this, when both Mahal and Rusev were beaten handily in impromptu matches against Cesaro and Big Show. Rusev needed a change.
And in fairness, he got it, a move to SmackDown - the land of opportunity! He was rumoured to not only be in the Money in the Bank Ladder Match, but to win it or to even have a main event feud with Shane McMahon. Both of these would have been preferable to what actually happened...nothing!
None of the above materialised and in fact, he wasn’t even on the Money in the Bank PPV, nevermind in the ladder match. The main event spot that was supposedly saved for him, went to Jinder Mahal, leaving Rusev to job out to Randy Orton in 9 seconds at Summerslam, and then again at Hell in a Cell.
It’s been a dreadful year for the Bulgarian Brute, with WWE infuriatingly using him as a glorified jobber, but there is some light at the end of the 2017 tunnel:
RUSEV DAY!
Rusev, through sheer determination and charisma, has managed to get this simple turn of phrase over to the point where even Aiden English is over. To the point where at Clash of Champions in December, the pop for the pair was deafening. To the point where the ‘Happy Rusev Day!’ shirts are the number 1 merch seller on WWE shop!
2018 looks a lot brighter for Rusev, if only the WWE can utilise him and his potential to its fullest. We can dream can’t we? It is Rusev Day after all!
The man is a legitimate badass with a great moveset and an even better character, but if you look at his career trajectory this year, it has been far from great.
Starting the year on RAW having lost out in a United States Championship feud with Roman Reigns, he was rapidly shunted down the card, placed into an awful feud with Enzo Amore, who attempted to seduce Lana whilst apparently being the face in the feud, before teaming with Jinder Mahal and becoming the laughing stock of RAW as they were trotted out and beaten by everyone.
Fastlane was the epitome of this, when both Mahal and Rusev were beaten handily in impromptu matches against Cesaro and Big Show. Rusev needed a change.
And in fairness, he got it, a move to SmackDown - the land of opportunity! He was rumoured to not only be in the Money in the Bank Ladder Match, but to win it or to even have a main event feud with Shane McMahon. Both of these would have been preferable to what actually happened...nothing!
None of the above materialised and in fact, he wasn’t even on the Money in the Bank PPV, nevermind in the ladder match. The main event spot that was supposedly saved for him, went to Jinder Mahal, leaving Rusev to job out to Randy Orton in 9 seconds at Summerslam, and then again at Hell in a Cell.
It’s been a dreadful year for the Bulgarian Brute, with WWE infuriatingly using him as a glorified jobber, but there is some light at the end of the 2017 tunnel:
RUSEV DAY!
Rusev, through sheer determination and charisma, has managed to get this simple turn of phrase over to the point where even Aiden English is over. To the point where at Clash of Champions in December, the pop for the pair was deafening. To the point where the ‘Happy Rusev Day!’ shirts are the number 1 merch seller on WWE shop!
2018 looks a lot brighter for Rusev, if only the WWE can utilise him and his potential to its fullest. We can dream can’t we? It is Rusev Day after all!
15. WWE Best Promos of the Year
1. The Miz [14%]
Other Votes: John Cena, Roman Reigns, Kevin Owens, Paul Heyman, The Usos, The New Day, Chris Jericho
The Miz really does have it all when it comes to captivating an audience. This is no mean feat, as today’s wrestling fans are a smarky bunch, and if a promo is not just right, or is clearly scripted as so many are, then the air is soon filled with either ‘what’ chants or even ‘CM Punk’ chants, it can be a tense time.
Not for The Miz however. This man has not only held almost every wrestling audience possible in the palm of his hand, but has also managed to hang with John Cena on several occasions, verbally bash Roman Reigns on several occasions, as well as completley obliterating Enzo Amore during a promo in which he compared Enzo to himself from back in the day - it was simply beautiful.
It is through these well crafted and heartfelt promos that The Miz has not only gotten himself over to the point where at one point he was the only thing holding RAW together, but he has also performed wonders yet again in elevating the Intercontinental Championship through his promos, it has been a beauty to behold.
Not for The Miz however. This man has not only held almost every wrestling audience possible in the palm of his hand, but has also managed to hang with John Cena on several occasions, verbally bash Roman Reigns on several occasions, as well as completley obliterating Enzo Amore during a promo in which he compared Enzo to himself from back in the day - it was simply beautiful.
It is through these well crafted and heartfelt promos that The Miz has not only gotten himself over to the point where at one point he was the only thing holding RAW together, but he has also performed wonders yet again in elevating the Intercontinental Championship through his promos, it has been a beauty to behold.