Grading the 10 best wrestlers of 2017

The argument over just who is the top guy in wrestling is made all over the world by wrestling fans of all different backgrounds. Many would argue that AJ Styles is the best in the world right now, for his high flying moves and technical wizardry.

Others would say John Cena, whose wrestling exploits are often put on hold to appear in mainstream media. Most recently, he's playing a bull in the upcoming film Ferdinand. Does his cross-audience appeal and no questions asked main event status give him the edge?

We decided to check with the diligent Internet Wrestling Database and see how the wrestlers stacked up on win/loss records, both at PPVs and not. But that can't be the sole criteria by which the wrestler of the year should be judged. After all, it is sports-entertainment, and the ability to command the crowd and have them at your fingertips is surely a valid factor to consider.

Championships still matter, and having a belt automatically puts a lot of focus on you. We'll look at both the championships held and the length of their reigns.

Last but not least, we must take a look at how many people outside wrestling fandom could have heard of a particular athlete. People who have never watched pro wrestling a single, solitary day in their lives know who Hulk Hogan is, while they may not have heard of Ric Flair at all.

Without further ado, let's examine ten popular wrestlers and see which of them could claim the best 2017, in alphabetical order.

AJ Styles

The high flying, hard hitting AJ Styles should always be considered a contender for wrestler of the year, and AJ has a Phenomenal run in 2017.

One look at his win/loss record via iwc, we see that AJ had 55 wins and 63 losses in 2017. That might not seem impressive, but that's about a 50-50 split.

Win/Loss Record Grade: C

Now let's look at his titles and how long he held them. AJ entered 2017 with the WWE championship he'd captured in September of 2016. He lost it in February, and then seemed to move down to the mid-card.

He started pursuing the US title, and ended up with two reigns, which is almost one long reign because he only lost the belt for a few days. He held onto the belt from July 4 until October 8 but for that little hiccup.

Finally, he won the WWE championship for the second time on November 7 and has held onto the belt ever since.

So AJ Styles held onto gold for eight out of 12 months, and four of those were with the 'big belt.' AJ gets top marks for in this category.

Championships Grade: A

When we look at AJ's cross-media appearances, he doesn't have many. He was mentioned on the Today show by opponent John Cena and used this for an angle, but other than that, AJ has concentrated on his in-ring work. He's been mentioned by no less than Forbes magazine, so he is definitely garnering some attention.

However, the average person who doesn't follow wrestling is unlikely to have heard of AJ Styles.

Cross-Media Appeal Grade: C

Braun Strowman

The Monster Among Men has proven to be a nice fit on Raw. He's continually near the top of the card and mentioned in the same breath as such luminaries as Brock Lesnar.

Let's see how the Monster's 2017 has been so far. He clocks in, according to IWC, at 25 wins and 25 losses, an even 50-50 split. In the wrestling world, this is above average.

Win/Loss Record Grade: B

Now, when we turn to championships gold, Braun has a lot of problems. He did get two opportunities to challenge for the WWE Universal title, but came up short both times. He was also a favourite to win the Andre the Giant battle royale, but lost to Mojo Rawley.

Championship Grade: D

Braun may not have any movie roles but he was involved in one of the most talked about moments of the year when he tipped over an ambulance containing Roman Reigns. Quickly, GIFs of Braun dumping the ambulance went viral, complete with a brief reign as the king of all memedom.

However, let's face it, no one outside of wrestling really could name Braun Strowman at this point in his career.

Cross-Media Appeal Grade: D

Brock Lesnar

The current Universal Champion looks unstoppable, and has the gold to prove it. Was 2017 the year of the Beast Incarnate?

Lesnar has a PERFECT record for 2017. In all 12 of his matches, he prevailed as the victorious wrestler.

Win/Loss Grade: A

Let's look at championships. Brock won the WWE Universal championship from Goldberg at Wrestlemania 33 and has held it ever since. Nine months as champion is our current bar.

Championship Grade: A

When it comes to cross-media appeal, Lesnar is a media darling. He's appeared as the cover athlete for both WWE and UFC games, and he's known around the world to people who don't follow wrestling, or MMA for that matter.

Cross-Media Appeal: A

Cody

Wrestling's hottest free agent had a stellar -- some might say Stardust studded -- 2017, garnering wins, gold, and attention all over the globe.

Cody was a bit held back, as he had to wait for his no-compete clause to expire and wasn't able to keep his father's famous last name. Nonetheless, he persevered and earned over seven figures on his own merits, proving that wrestlers don't need WWE to be successful.

On the win/loss front, Cody had 31 wins and 15 losses. Not bad for a late start.

Win/Loss Grade: B

Cody won the ROH title in June from Christopher Daniels and held it until just recently. Spending half the year as the representative of pure wrestling is definitely a stellar performance.

Championship Grade: A

Cody is good friends with Arrow actor Stephen Amell, and the latter even joined Bullet Club in November, appearing in ring with Cody. Due to his turns on the CW superhero drama, Cody is known to a fair amount of people who have never watched wrestling.

Cross-Media appeal: B

Jinder Mahal

In one of the great comeback stories of wrestling, Jinder Mahal went from jobber disgrace to World Champion.

Impressed by his work ethic and character development, as well as his chiselled physique, WWE chose to double down on the Modern Day Maharaja. Was 2017 his year?

Looking at his win/loss record, we can see Jinder prevailed thirty times and lost a STAGGERING 90! There's only one way we can grade such a performance.

Win/Loss Grade: F

When it comes to championships, Jinder had a seven-month reign with the Smackdown 'big belt,' taking it from ring general Randy Orton. That deserves a top grade.

Championship Grade: A

Jinder Mahal turned a lot of heads in the wrestling world when he captured the gold and refined his gimmick. However, the main reason people outside of wrestling know his name is for an ignoble reason.

He caused a lot of controversy with a promo many decried as racist when he called Nakamura "Mr. Miyagi" and "Pikachu having a seizure." Still, there's no such thing as bad press.

Cross-Media Appeal Grade: C

John Cena

John Cena had a diminished role with the WWE in 2017, but still deserves contention based on his status alone.

In the win/loss department, John racked up 40 wins with only 15 losses, which is quite an achievement.

Win/Loss Grade: B

When it comes to championships...well, John had one, brief reign as WWE champion, holding the belt for roughly a month. Not the best, but at least it's a championship reign.

Championship Grade: C

Cross-Media wise, John Cena is stellar. His appearances on E's reality tv series and a -starring role in the animated movie Ferdinand cements his status as a household name. There are monks cloistered away who don't own televisions but know who John Cena is.

Cross-Media Appeal Grade: A+

Kazuchiku Okada

Okada became the talk of the town when he and Kenny Omega put on a barn burner at the beginning of the year.

The Rainmaker had 52 wins and 84 losses. Not terrible, but not really what you would expect of a world champion.

Win/Loss Grade: C

When it comes to championships, Okada is even more dominant than Lesnar. He spent the entire year as the IWGP champion.

Championship Grade: A

Okada is not really well known outside of wrestling circles in Japan, and that looks to stay the same as he continues to make wrestling a priority.

Cross-Media Appeal Grade: F

Kenny Omega

Kenny Omega and Okada became internet darlings after their five-star match early in 2017. Then rumours swirled of him jumping ship to the WWE and appearing at the Royal Rumble.

Then he re-signed with New Japan, and gained championship gold. In 2017, Kenny had 52 wins and 82 losses. Not a great grade.

Win/Loss Grade: D

When it comes to championship gold, Omega has the goods. He captured the IWGP US championship in June and has been holding onto it with a steel-gauntlet covered fist.

Championship Grade: B

Kenny Omega and Chris Jericho recently entered a feud both in the ring and social media. This combined with the 'will he or won't he' tension around his speculated Rumble appearance give Kenny good marks.

However, outside the wrestling business, it's a good bet he's obscure.

Cross-Media Appeal: C

Shinsuke Nakamura

The King of Strong Style had a busy year, first working for NXT and then transitioning to the main roster after Wrestlemania.

When we look at his win/loss record, we see that Shinsuke racked up a stunning 90 wins and only 11 losses! That's insane!

Win/Loss Grade: A++

Nakamura came into 2017 as the NXT champion, but lost the belt only a month into the year to Bobby Roode. With both men on Smackdown, Nakamura was elevated to the main event. Still, being a champion at all carries prestige.

Championship Grade: C

Nakamura has fans outside the wrestling world, both from his stint in MMA and appearances such as the video for Happy. Still, he's not quite a household name outside of wrestling circles, even if he is arguably the most beloved babyface on Smackdown.

Cross-Media Appeal: C

Roman Reigns

The Guy had a tumultuous 2017, which saw him gaining titles and allies when the Shield re-formed.

Roman racked up 79 wins and only suffered 18 losses. Top marks in anyone's book.

Win/Loss Grade: A

When it comes to championships, Roman began the year as the mid-card champion for Smackdown and ended the year as the mid-card champion for Raw. Still, a title is a title and Roman has looked dominant since the Shield reunification.

Championship Grade: B

When it comes to wrestling fans, Reigns is a polarizing figure. Much like John Cena, the young children and women love him, while most male fans boo him. Even a reunion with the Shield hasn't quite eradicated these woes. Outside of wrestling fans....*sound of crickets.* No one outside of wrestling fandom is likely to recognise Roman Reigns on sight.

Cross-Media Appeal: F

Your Wrestler of the Year: Brock Lesnar

Simply put, when we graded the wrestlers only one man came out on top: Brock Lesnar.

From his dominant performances to his constant social media buzz, Brock proves he is still the biggest deal in Pro Wrestling.

Here are how the grades broke down:

AJ Styles: C+

Braun Strowman: C-

Brock Lesnar: A

Cody: B+

Jinder Mahal: D

John Cena: B

Okada:D+

Omega: C

Shinsuke Nakamura: B+

Roman Reigns: C+

There you have it. Brock Lesnar is the most dominant wrestler of 2017!

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