The Best WWE Matches of 2017 (Part 2)

Welcome to the second part of my listing for the best WWE matches of 2017. These bouts took place from May until December.

Tyler Bate vs. Pete Dunne – NXT TakeOver: Chicago

All praises due to our true wrestling Lord and savior, Triple H! Due to his old-school mentality and appreciation for great in-ring talent, he helped put the UK Championship tourney together. The two men to make it to the final match got the chance to butt heads again during NXT TakeOver: Chicago. Tyler Bate and Pete Dunne’s amazing chemistry with each other resulted in this 5-star classic. Both men started out with some technical wrestling wizardry. Then the action spilled to the outside, which is when those stiff strikes and big suplexes began being dished out. After that, Bate and Dunne beat each other silly with everything in their arsenal (and more!). “The Bruiserweight” laid in some wince-inducing elbow shots, float over suplexes and painful submissions. Bate countered all that with a beautiful Shooting Star Press, a sick Tiger Driver and some nasty strikes of his own. After Dunne finally laid out Bate with the Bitter End, I was left in awe of what I just witnessed – an amazing, hard fought match from two of the UK’s biggest stars.

Nikki Cross vs. Asuka – NXT (Episode 399)

Nikki Cross is the madwoman who runs alongside Eric Young and his stable of anarchists. Asuka once reigned as the most unstoppable force the NXT Women’s Division had ever seen. When it came time for these ladies to settle their beef, it took place during a Last Man Standing contest. I expected this one to be good, but it ended up exceeding my expectations. Asuka went crazy with kicks as she punished Cross while she was stuck in a trash can. Cross answered back with several Swinging Fisherman Neckbreakers in the ring. Their brawling got even greater once they both took some severe punishment to their backs after landing on numerous steel chairs. The two standout moments from this match came when Cross Powerbombed Asuka into a bunch of chairs on the outside and when Asuka planted Cross through the announce table with a Superplex. Eventually, Asuka ended up being the Last (Wo)Man Standing. I can’t wait to see these women go to war once again.

Johnny Gargano vs. Andrade “Cien” Almas – NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III

Johnny Gargano and Andrade “Cien” Almas have to be considered NXT’s MVPs for 2017. They’ve faced each more than once this year, but I have to consider this one their finest performance. Almas still had a bit of that “Tranquilo” attitude around this time, but his new female valet was starting to steer him in the right direction. Johnny took advantage of Almas’ “too cool for school” nature at one point by Superkicking him while he hung between the ropes. Once Almas began taking things more seriously, the intensity level of this match went sky high. Johnny ate a particularly nasty Powerbomb into the corner and got fed Almas’ stiff knees to boot. But he came back to life later on to throw Almas like a lawn dart into the corner and deliver two Superkicks. The emotional ending to this bout (which saw Johnny lose focus after acknowledging a #DIY shirt) capped off this hard-fought battle.

Ember Moon vs. Asuka – NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III

I knew this one would be amazing once Ember Moon wasted no time in dropkicking Asuka after the bell rang. Things started off hot and continued to be that way all the way through. What we got here was the story of Ember giving Asuka her hardest challenge to date. Ember looked great in the beginning, but Asuka found a weak point (Ember’s arm) and went to work wearing it down. Once Ember started making her comeback, things got a whole lot more interesting. Ember reached into her well of suplexes and kicks to weaken the champ. Asuka would have none of it as she used her knees and a German Suplex into the corner to stay in control. The biggest near fall of all came when Asuka became the first woman in NXT to kick out of Ember’s Eclipse finisher. The catchphrase “NO ONE IS READY FOR ASUKA!” rang true after Asuka flipped out of a pinning predicament and forced Ember to submit to the Asuka Lock. The ladies of NXT showcased their excellence once again.

The Usos vs. The New Day – SummerSlam

Taken from Match Review: This might be the first time in Kickoff Show history where the crowd was caught chanting “THIS IS AWESOME!” And I have to agree with everyone who yelled that inside the Barclays Center. Both these teams have incredible chemistry with each other, which was evident during their excellent Battleground match. They put on another amazing performance here that felt a bit fresher thanks to some innovative tag team moves from Woods and Big E. The Usos shocked me and the live crowd with something just as cool (I legit hopped off my couch when Woods got thrown to the outside and then destroyed with a Samoan Drop). This match was built up efficiently and by the time it got into the middle portion, the crowd began losing their minds (and so did I). Big E’s destruction via a double Superkick/Superfly Splash and the shocking result makes this one of the standout matches from this year’s summerSlam. Can we get a 2-out-of-3 Falls rematch next?

Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe vs. Braun Strowman – SummerSlam

Taken from Match Review: You know those Kaiju battles that are still all the rage? WWE gave us one tonight. Four of the most dangerous behemoths in the company gave us one of the most entertaining opening moments of a match…EVER! This was filled with balls-to-the-wall action, especially when Strowman manhandled Lesnar. This was one of those rare times where Lesnar got beaten and beaten badly. Strowman was already a star, but now he’s even more credible since he was the one that got medical personnel to take Lesnar out on a stretcher. Joe and Reigns had their jaw dropping moments too and helped lend more great action to an explosive main event. The middle portion was fun, but Lesnar’s return sent this match into overdrive. Multiple Running Powerslam’s, F5’s, Superman Punches and Kokina Clutches were doled out as the crowd lost their shi…minds. The final F5 given to Reigns ended one of the best SummerSlam matches and one of the better contests of 2017.

Shane McMahon vs. Kevin Owens – Hell in a Cell

Taken from Match Review: Shane might need WWE’s MVP Award for 2017. He put on one of the best matches at WrestleMania 33 against AJ Styles. Then he participated in a bout that blended in masterful storytelling with wild hardcore antics. From the opening brawl on the outside all the way up until the insane finish, Shane and Owens tore it up. Owens increases his levels of savagery by beating Shane up in front of his kids and Powerbombing him onto some steel steps. Shane responded to Owens’ brutality with plenty of strikes, broken table smashes to the back and a successful Coast to Coast attempt. The live audience (and your’s truly) held out hearts and breathed nervously as both men took their fight to the top of the HIAC. Both men looked as if they were going to break the top portion of the cell with their bodies at several points. But luckily, that scary moment didn’t come to pass. This grudge match met its end after some truly shocking moments. Owens fell off the cell and crashed through a table beneath him. Shane then climbed to the top and tried to land his patented elbow drop through Owens, who was laid atop another table. But Sami Zayn of all people save Owens’ life and left Shane to come crashing don onto the table! This HIAC match shocked the wrestling world. Owens, Shane and Sami deserve a ton of credit for closing out this year HIAC show on a high note.

Aleister Black vs. Velveteen Dream – NXT TakeOver: WarGames

When the storyline elements of an impending match is top notch, anticipation levels are high. For weeks, the Velveteen Dream tormented Aleister Black. All the Dream wanted Black to do was acknowledge his existence. Black wouldn’t budge, though. He maintained his calm yet menacing demeanor and went into this match all the same. Velveteen Dream and Aleister Black brought their feud’s best elements into one of 2017’s most surprisingly good matches. Black tore into his flamboyant opponent for the majority of this bout, but the Dream had his moments too. When he gyrated his hips and mimicked Black’s cross-legged sitdown pose, the crowd came unglued. Afterwards, both men clocked each other with nasty strikes. The Dream dished out a pretty awesome DDT that made me believe that Black would actually take the loss. But it was all for naught once the Dream came to an end after eating a Black Mass kick. The Dream proved himself as a formidable foe, Black looked as great as he’s always been plus the Dream finally got the props he so desperately fought for.

Andrade “Cien” Almas vs. Drew McIntyre – NXT TakeOver: WarGames

What a redemption story for both of these men. Andrade “Cien” Almas was languishing in NXT for the longest time. Even though he competed in great matches, he never got any higher on the totem pole. As for Drew McIntyre, he finally made his way back into WWE and became the man who defeated Bobby Roode for the NXT Championship. Almas got his NXT Championship title shot against Drew and made good on his promise of becoming better than his previous self. This spirited encounter has everything – a hot crowd, impactful maneuvers, outside interference, breathtaking nearfalls, and high-flying assaults. Drew was the more powerful of the two as he threw his foe all around the ring and even prevented Zelina Vega from dropping him with a Hurricanrana. Almas kicked into another gear as he dished out his running double knee smash and plenty of DDT’s. The final DDT Almas delivered to Drew was the one that helped him realize his dream of becoming the new NXT Champion. Drew may have sustained an injury that put him on the shelf, but at least he fought valiantly during this match before going on a hiatus.

The Authors of Pain & Roderick Strong vs. SAnitY vs. The Undisputed Era – NXT TakeOver: WarGames

The return of a Dusty Rhodes/NWA-WCW staple was requested for years. Not only did it come back this year, it got revived on the NXT brand! Six men were locked into animal cages while their assorted partners battled it out in the double cage. The action on display during the starting moments was decent enough, but everything went up a notch when The Authors of Pain ran in. They launched their own man plus their rivals all over the ring and landed dual Death Valley Drivers into the ring corners. Once Eric Young’s remaining army entered the fray, all those “foreigns objects” came into play. Props definitely go out to Killian Dain, who looked like a true star from his entrance into the match until its violent end. There’s so many moments to look back on – Kyle O’Reilly’s steel chain assisted armbar, the dual Tower of Doom, Alexander Wolfe sacrificing himself by landing a German Suplex through a table, Roderick Strong’s Superplex off the top of the cage to Adam Cole etc. It took so long for WarGames to come back, but thankfully it got brought back to life in this incredible cage brawl.

Brock Lesnar vs. AJ Styles – Survivor Series

Taken from Match Review: I love David vs. Goliath matches like this one. Lesnar entered this bout as the unstoppable monster he’s always been against the smaller but durable AJ Styles. At first, Lesnar completely decimated Styles with stiff knee strikes and suplexes. Styles was treated like a rag doll for several grueling minutes until he dodged a flying knee strike from Lesnar. At that point, this match got all the more intense. Styles switched his focus to Lesnar’s now injured knee and used everything in his arsenal to further weaken “The Beast.” The crowd (and me included) went nuts as Styles landed Phenomenal Elbows, a Pele, DDT’s and a Calf Crusher on his larger foe. The story being told here was simple but oh so effective. Styles fought hard to keep Lesnar on his knees, while Lesnar relied on his brute strength to cut through the WWE Champion. While it hurt to see Styles eat that final F5, I was none too disappointed with the match as a whole. This interbrand Champion vs. Champion match delivered in spades!

Johnny Gargano vs. Pete Dunne – NXT (Episode 422)

After witnessing this match go down when it initially aired, I fell in love with it. Imagine if this one had taken place during NXT TakeOver: WarGames instead of being filmed beforehand. Nevertheless, Johnny Gargano vs. Pete Dunne for the United Kingdom Championship featured smart storytelling, painful limb work on behalf of Dunne and Gargano’s penchant for always getting the crowd on his side. Dunne pulled out all the stops as he dropped Gargano with some painful suplexes (the one given to Gargano on the ring apron made me flinch pretty hard). Gargano suffered for a good while thanks to Dunne’s submissions and masterful brawling skills. Gargano had some fun comeback moments, like the one where he flipped out of Dunne’s finisher and spiked him with a DDT. I truly thought Gargano had the match won when he Superkicked Dunne while his mouthpiece was left laying on the mat. Dunne soon recovered, landed a stiff elbow shot on Gargano and then proceeded to finish him with Bitter End. Dunne and his UK Championship reign shined once again during this bout.

Kassius Ohno vs. Johnny Gargano – NXT (Episode 424)

It feels so good to see the knockout artist formerly known as Chris Hero back in WWE. Ever since his return to NXT, Kassius Ohno has constantly competed in solid to great bouts against everyone he’s pitted against. When it came time to determine who’d be a part of the Fatal 4-Way match to determine the next NXT Championship contender, KO got a shock – he’d be facing Johnny Gargano. Ohno clocked Gargano with a bevy of Burning Elbow’s and big boots during the majority of this bout. Gargano may have faced a ton of punishment here, but he proved to be extra resilient while facing a larger opponent. Even after dealing with a bevy of vicious strikes from KO, Gargano recovered and laid in some big moves of his own. Gargano finally claimed victory after making KO submit to his patented Gargano Lock. These two indie wrestling greats showed the NXT faithful just how amazing their chemistry continued to be while competing in WWE’s developmental territory.

Tyler Bate vs. Pete Dunne – NXT (Episode 426)

THEY DID IT AGAIN! Triple H really needs to get that show dedicated to all the UK talent off the ground. If it features Tyler Bate vs. Pete Dunne every week, then count me all the way in! This match definitely closed out the year on a high note. These destined rivals even went as far as topping their encounter in Chicago. Dunne seemed to have upgraded his “Bruiserweight” style a bit during this bout as he pulled Bate’s nose several times and even suplexed Bate on the outside off the steel steps. Bate got the worst of Dunne’s offense, but he tapped into his well of Exploder Suplexes, knockout punches and Deadlift Powerbomb’s. After the big Airplane Spin spot, this match kicked into a higher gear. Bate and Dunne included elements from their previous matches and even threw in some things we’ve never seen before. At the end of it all, Bate and Dunne showed the wrestling world that they can repeat greatness.

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