The Best WWE Matches of 2017 (Part 1)

Since we’re near the tail end of the year, it’s time to look back on all the good that 2017 gave us.

Wrestling fans got a whole heap on great in-ring action this year. The usual suspects (AJ Styles, John Cena, Seth Rollins, damn near everyone in NXT etc.) gave their all within the squared circle. Then there’s the women’s athletes who also went on to bring out the best in each other. From January all the way up until December, I made sure to keep track of the best bouts that got a repeated viewing from yours truly. Since there were so many amazing matches from the WWE roster this year, this packed list will be split up into three parts.

The list of bouts you’re about to revisit below all took place within the time span of January – May.

Sami Zayn vs. Seth Rollins – Raw (Jan. 23)

One of the earliest examples of in-ring excellence from the WWE this year took place on Raw. Sami Zayn and Seth Rollins got embroiled in a fine matchup that had huge implications – if Sami was victorious, he’d take Rollins’ spot in this year’s Royal Rumble. With stakes that high, it should come as no surprise that both men fought like their lives depended on it. Both men have faced each other in the ring countless times, but this meeting tops them all. The moves put on display here had me and the crowd on our feet at all times. Sami played his lovable underdog role well here, while Rollins tapped into his killer instinct in order to get the win. The near falls were exciting, Rollins’ Pedigree to Sami on the ring apron was jaw dropping and the shocking ending didn’t put a damper on everything that took place before it.

Roderick Strong vs. Andrade “Cien” Almas – NXT TakeOver: San Antonio

It’s easy to see why Andrade “Cien” Almas was given more of a chance to shine this year. He wasn’t catching fire with the fans like most international NXT call up’s. But the man formerly known as La Sombra could always be relied upon to deliver a breathtaking in-ring performance. When he was set up to test Roderick Strong earlier this year, greatness ensued. Strong and Almas put on the type of match that could main event any indie promotion in the country. Almas busted out all the extra maneuvers hiding within his repertoire, while Strong relied on his slick strikes and abundance of backbreakers. Thank God this match got more time than it would have gotten if it was placed within a main roster PPV spot. Strong came out on top here, but both men ended up being winners. Their in-ring prowess made them even more appreciated in the fans’ eyes and eventually pushed Almas to the top spot in NXT.

#DIY vs. The Authors of Pain – NXT TakeOver: San Antonio

You can tell that I really enjoy the NXT product. Whenever I catch a TakeOver special on the Network, it’s a safe bet to say that there’ll always be an amazing match on it. Along with the aforementioned San Antonio TakeOver match on this list, props have to be given to this hot tag team match between #DIY and The Authors of Pain. #DIY were much smaller than their massive rivals, but that didn’t stop them from landing sick knee strikes, Superkicks and even Release German Suplexes on both men. The Authors responded to their unrivaled agility with big power moves. But every time it seemed as if Gargano and Ciampa were out of their league, both men rallied together and made the crowd believe that they could defeat the Goliath to their David. The Authors of Pain eventually clobbered #DIY enough to cause them to relinquish their NXT Tag Team titles. As far as traditional tag team matches go, this one was a prime example of how great they can be.

AJ Styles vs. John Cena – Royal Rumble

Taken from Match Review: After all is said and done, history will look back fondly on the much heated rivalry between John Cena and AJ Styles. During this WWE Championship match, SD Live got represented in the best way possible. We knew things were going to get even more intense as soon as Cena stiffed AJ with a clothesline. Once the ball got rolling, both Superstars laid into each other with nasty strikes and every move included in their wide arsenal. They had us and the live crowd in the palm of their hands as they exchanged a cavalcade of counters. AJ locked John in his own STF, but John responded in kind with more stiff clotheslines and several AA’s. AJ held on long enough to land two Styles Clashes, lock in his Calf Crusher and even pull off a Phenomenal Elbow. What AJ was unable to land was his Springboard 450 Splash, which began to signal the beginning of the end. John tok advantage of AJ’s more weakened stated and captured the championship after two impressive AA’s. We’re sad to see AJ’s reign as “The Face That Runs The Place” end, but at least it concluded after another amazing match against WWE’s resident mega star.

Fatal 5-Way #1 Contenders Match – 205 Live (Feb. 7)

205 Live’s weekly showcase of Raw’s Cruiserweight Division doesn’t compare to the quality tournament we witnessed in 2016. The storylines are mundane and the matches tend to follow the same stale format. But there’s always that rare occasion when a gem of a match takes place on this Tuesday night Network special. TJ Perkins, Mustafa Ali, Cedric Alexander, Jack Gallagher, and Noam Dar were all on hand to battle it out for the right to take on Neville for the Cruiserweight Championship. All five men showed us glimpses of their Cruiserweight Classic performances in this manic Fatal 5-Way bout. The crowd actually came unglued for once during a Cruiserweight Division matchup on the main roster. This phenomenal showcase featured thrilling action, the continuation of a feud (Dar vs. Alexander), and a winner that emerged as a fresh challenger.

WWE Championship Elimination Chamber Match – Elimination Chamber

Taken from Match Review: First things first – the new look of the Chamber looks pretty as hell! So there’s that. Anyways, its been a while since we were treated to an Elimination Chamber match, so we were very much looking forward to this SD Live contest within the demonic structure. When it was clear that AJ and Cena were going to start this bout off, we knew we were in for something special. As expected, both men kicked this Chamber off on a very high note. They hit all the familiar but always entertaining notes that have been featured in all their other bouts. Ambrose entered in next and started off all the crazy moves that incorporate the Chamber. That wicked Elbow Drop off the top of the pod onto Cena was pretty cool. Cena took another scary bump when AJ punched him right off his foothold after climbing the chain link fence. Corbin’s heated entrance and spirited offense on every man also added some extra energy to this match. Him and Ambrose’s altercation told a nice mini-story that will hopefully lead to a future ‘Mania 33 IC Title match. The Miz played up his slimy heel role to a T and had the crowd reacting to his constant mocking of Daniel Bryan. But what stood out the most was AJ’s exciting offense and Bray’s combination of mind games and big moves. Bray’s massive title win at the end of this incredible main event did enough to make this SD Live event even more memorable. All six Superstars pulled off an awesome Elimination Chamber match here.

Bray Wyatt vs. John Cena vs. AJ Styles – SmackDown Live (Feb. 14)

Just two days after Bray Wyatt was crowned WWE Champion, he competed in another great match. And this time, two of the men that offered him the greatest challenge stood across the ring – John Cena and AJ Styles. Before this championship defense even began, Bray got taken out early due to Luke Harper’s pre-match beatdown. This left Cena and Styles to put on their usual offering of quality in-ring action. Once Bray revived himself though, the greatness that this match was predicted to offer finally sprung up. Cena was in fine form during this bout as he handed out multiple AA’s, but AJ was right there with him as he came flying through the air at several intervals. Bray proved to be as sneaky as he’s always been as he caught Cena off guard with a match ending Sister Abigail. In hindsight, Bray Wyatt’s WWE Championship reign was far too short. But at least this match gave him the title reign defining classic he needed.

The Authors of Pain vs. #DIY vs. The Revival – NXT TakeOver: Orlando

Tag team wrestling shined like the beacon of hope its always been in 2017. Especially in NXT, which is due in part to the efforts of these three teams. Any combination of these duos in a 2-on-2 format is a great watch, but this Triple Threat situation provided something even greater. While #DIY and The Revival had plenty of disdain for each other, they made the decision to team up and brawl with the bigger team. This led to some smart work from both teams, which led to double submissions and unlikely tag team maneuvers against the defending champs. The action just got better and better as each team outsmarted and outworked each other. One of the Authors went through a table, #DIY and The Revival locked up from time to time and there were so many nail-biting nearfalls. The Authors maintained their dominance by winning this bout, but watching them come so close to losing made this match all the more intense.

Seth Rollins vs. Triple H

Taken from Match Review: How badass was the police escort for HHH and Steph’s motorcycle entrance? And we gotta give Rollins props for his new golden ring gear and “fiery” message to “The Game.” Thankfully, those epic entrances gave led right into one of the best matches on the whole evening. Rollins and HHH fought tooth and nail during this battle between an injured Superstar and his once beloved mentor. The story of the match was all about Rollins fighting through the extreme pain caused by his injured knee. HHH cut Rollins down at every turn with steel chair strikes, painful leg submissions and other assorted moves that target the leg. But Rollins fought valiantly as he laid into HHH with big top rope maneuvers, plenty of signature moves out of his arsenal and weapon strikes. This match crescendoed into several big moments that looked like we were about to witness its end. The Pedigree countering exchange that led into Steph getting put through a table added another exclamation point to his awesome encounter. One Pedigree later and Rollins came out on the winning end of a commendable performance from both men. Go out of your way to watch this one. It was that (damn) good.

Seth Rollins vs. Finn Bálor vs The Miz – Raw (May 1)

Raw shockingly put on some worthwhile matches this year. What’s even more shocking is the fact that this match was all about being crowned the #1 Contender for the Intercontinental Championship. Since Lesnar and his Universal Championship were vacant most of the year, the IC Title became Raw’s top prize by default. Seth Rollins, Finn Bálor, and The Miz took the main event spot of Raw on May 1 and excelled. Miz was his usual slimy self as he let his two other opponents duke it out…at first. But when Rollins and Bálor finally got ahold of The Miz, this match truly kicked into a higher gear. All three men pulled out all the stops and gave me the impression that any one of them could get the W. Rollins really stepped up his game here, plus Bálor and The Miz managed to keep up with him. Even with the run-ins from Samoa Joe and Bray Wyatt, this match still stands as one of 2017’s best.

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