'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
WWE gave us some lacklustre matches and some bad segments in 2017, but this year also had its fair share or great wrestling including some of their main events.
Many fans praise NXT for their consistency and excellence when it comes to their Takeover Specials and this year proved that with many of the best main events coming from the developmental brand.
Also read: Ranking every WWE pay-per-view main event from 2017 - Part 1
The United Kingdom shows also produced some fantastic wrestling and gave us one of the best feuds of 2017; Tyler Bate vs Pete Dune.
As far as the main roster goes, there were some fantastic main events on some of their B-Shows and the main event of one Big 4 pay-per-view was the personification of fast-paced, hard-hitting action.
For all the bad main events WWE gave us, there was also some great wrestling as well. So, this article will rank the better main event matches from 2017.
In the previous article, we looked at some of the worst WWE main events from 2017, but it only gets better with this list.
#12 Great Balls of Fire – Brock Lesnar(c) vs Samoa Joe (Universal Championship)
After winning the No.1 Contender’s Match at Extreme Rules, Samoa Joe earned the opportunity to face Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship. The buildup to the match was fantastic and made Joe look like a monster who would use anything and everything to win the title.
Before the match began, Joe launched a sneak attack on the champion and laid him out with an uranage through the announcement table. The actual match lasted about six minutes but was another action-packed bout similar to the match between Lesnar and Goldberg from WrestleMania 33.
The biggest drawback in this match was Lesnar winning with one F-5, but the match was still fun to watch.
#11 Money in the Bank – AJ Styles vs. Baron Corbin vs. Dolph Ziggler vs Kevin Owens vs Sami Zayn vs Shinsuke Nakamura
The main event of the Money in the Bank pay-per-view was the 19th Money in the Bank Ladder match in WWE history between some of the biggest stars on the SmackDown brand. All of the participants in the match were feuding with each other at one point or another, which ultimately made for a more interesting contest.
Baron Corbin started the match in a big way by assaulting Shinsuke Nakamura during his entrance and keeping the match at five men until The King of Strong Style returned and had his first confrontation with AJ Styles.
The highlights of the match were Sami Zayn hitting Owens with a tope con hilo, Zayn launching Owens from the top rope to a ladder, Zayn driving Dolph Ziggler to the mat with a sunset flip powerbomb from the top of the ladder, Styles knocking Zayn off the ladder with a Phenomenal Forearm, Styles dropping Owens onto a ladder on the outside and Nakamura returning and laying waste to everyone.
Zayn was the MVP of the match, but briefcase would end up in Corbin’s hand - who sadly went on to lose his Money in the Bank cash-in match.
#10 TLC – Kurt Angle & The Shield vs The Miz, Kane, Braun Strowman, Cesaro & Sheamus
After weeks of antagonization from The Miz, Cesaro & Sheamus, The Shield reunited and declared they could take on anyone and everyone. The Miz used this to recruit Braun Strowman and Kane to make their match at TLC a handicapped match, but the biggest change would be made two days before the show when Roman Reigns was replaced by Kurt Angle.
The biggest drawback from the match was when Angle was “injured” by Strowman and missed a majority of the bout. Until Angle’s return, most of the match was The Miz and his team overpowering The Shield until Kane betrayed Strowman.
The highlights of this match were Ambrose and Rollins jumping from off the top of the ladders and driving Kane and Strowman through the announcement tables, Strowman driving Angle through a table with a Running Powerslam, Kane putting Strowman through a table via a Chokeslam, the trifecta of finishers from Angle & The Shield to The Miz, and the Triple Powerbomb to The Miz to win the match.
#9 WWE UK Championship Special – Tyler Bate(c) vs Mark Andrews (UK Championship)
Months after the WWE crowned the first-ever UK Champion in Tyler Bate, the company followed up their UK Championship Tournament with Bate defending the title against Mark Andrews at the UK Championship Special.
Andrews showed his skills as a high-flyer during the UK Championship Tournament, but the match started with Andrews showing that he could counter Bate’s athleticism and technical prowess with his own.
The biggest match highlights were the flurry of offence both men demonstrated around the 10-minute mark, Andrews countering the Tyler Driver with a hurricanrana for a near fall, Andrews delivering a standing slice bread #2 on the edge of the ring, Andrews countering a suplex with a stunner.
Another great showcase of talent from the UK who we’ll hopefully see more of in 2018
#8 Extreme Rules – Bray Wyatt vs Finn Bálor vs Samoa Joe vs Seth Rollins vs Roman Reigns
As WWE prepared for Brock Lesnar’s first title defence at Great Balls of Fire, an Extreme Rules Fatal 5 Way match was booked between Bray Wyatt, Finn Bálor, Samoa Joe, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns to determine a No. 1 Contender.
The match was a battle of dominance primarily between Reigns, Joe, and Wyatt, but everyone got a showcase in this match and looked like a viable contender.
The best moments were Bálor hitting a tope con hilo, Joe and Wyatt delivering running sentons with chairs onto Bálor, Reigns hitting Bálor and Joe with a Spear through the barricade, Rollins hitting Wyatt with a frog splash through the announcement table and the flurry of signatures and finishers that ended with Joe choking out Bálor with the Coquina Clutch to win the match.
Despite not doing much to live up to the Extreme Rules stipulation, this match was still highly entertaining.
#7 Hell in A Cell – Kevin Owens vs Shane McMahon
After Kevin Owens lost his United States Championship rematches to AJ Styles with Shane McMahon serving as the special guest referee, the Prizefighter sought revenge against the SmackDown Commissioner. The match would be made by Vince McMahon for Hell in a Cell and lead to Owens brutally attacking the Chairmen, making it much more personal for Shane.
The match started with Shane assaulting Owens on the outside of the cage, but the match would return to the inside of the Hell in a Cell with Owens showing off his brutality.
The highlights of the match were Owens countering a triangle choke with a powerbomb onto the steel steps, Shane hitting Coast-to-Coast on Owens, Owens and Shane trading blows on the top of the Hell in a Cell cage, Owens falling from the side of the cage through the announcement table and Shane McMahon missing an elbow drop from the top of the cell to the announcement table due to interference by Sami Zayn.
#6 WWE UK Tournament Finale – Tyler Bate vs Pete Dunne (UK Championship)
WWE kicked off 2017 with a tournament of wrestlers from all around the United Kingdom. Michael Cole and Nigel McGuinness provided commentary for the shows as wrestlers from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales showed their skills in a two-day tournament.
The finals of the tournament would come down to Tyler Bate and Pete Dunne and the match both men put on was short but packed with fantastic wrestling. Bate’s shoulder injury came into play during the match but didn’t stop Bate from showcasing his technical prowess.
The highlights of the match were Bate countering the Bitter End into a small package pin, Bate hitting a tope con hilo and immediately following it up with a 450 Splash and Bate countering an armbar with a brainbuster.
Their match at NXT Takeover: Chicago is considered by many to be the WWE match of the year, but this was a great way to end an entertaining tournament and kick off their feud.
#5 NXT Takeover: Chicago – The Authors of Pain(c) vs DIY (NXT Tag Team Championships)
After DIY lost the NXT Tag Team Championships to The Authors of Pain, Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa made one last attempt at regaining their titles in a tag team ladder match.
This match was a highlight reel of high flying, weapon shots and power moves. The best moments of the match were Gargano diving through a ladder to hit a suicide dive, Gargano and Ciampa hitting simultaneous splashes to drive Akam & Rezar through the ladders, Akam & Rezar ramming the ladder into Gargano’s neck and Ciampa driving Rezar through a ladder in the corner with a German Suplex from another ladder.
The match ended with The Authors of Pain retaining the titles, but the post-match assault and betrayal of Ciampa capped off an amazing match with an amazing heel turn.
#4 NXT Takeover: Brooklyn III – Bobby Roode(c) vs Drew McIntyre (NXT Championship)
Bobby Roode dominated most of 2017 as the NXT Champion, but his biggest challenge would come in the form of Drew McIntyre at Takeover: Brooklyn III. The former Intercontinental Champion was referred to as “The Chosen One” in his previous WWE run but didn’t get to live up to that name until Brooklyn III.
The highlights of the match were Roode hitting McIntyre with a flying neck breaker to the outside, McIntyre launching Roode off the top rope with a suplex, Roode countering a top rope Celtic Cross into a powerbomb, McIntyre hitting a tope con hilo, and Roode countering a tilt-a-whirl maneuver into a Glorious DDT for a near fall.
McIntyre emerged victoriously and finally a major player in WWE, but his spotlight would be stolen by the debut of the Undisputed Era.
A great main event to close out what some consider the best NXT Takeover special of all time.
#3 NXT Takeover: War Games - The Authors of Pain & Roderick Strong vs Sanity vs The Undisputed Era
The debut of The Undisputed Era created chaos in NXT between themselves Sanity, The Authors of Pain and Roderick Strong. General Manager William Regal decided that the only way to control the chaos of all three factions was to let them do battle in one of the greatest match stipulations of all time, War Games.
However, WWE’s version of War Games was much different than the matches from WCW. Taking away the cage ceiling and adding pinfalls to the match made this bout closer to TNA’s Lethal Lockdown, but the athleticism and ability of the competitors made the match work.
The biggest moments of the match were The Authors of Pain launching Strong over the top ropes and into their opposition, Killian Dain hitting a crossbody from the top turnbuckle, the dual towers of doom, Alexander Wolfe driving Akam through two tables with a super German Suplex, Dain hitting Coast to Coast on Kyle O’Reilly, and Strong hitting Adam Cole with a superplex from the top of the cage.
#2 Elimination Chamber – John Cena(c) vs AJ Styles vs Bray Wyatt vs Baron Corbin vs Dean Ambrose vs The Miz (WWE Championship)
After winning his 16th world title by defeating AJ Styles, Cena would defend his WWE Championship in an Elimination Chamber match against Styles, Dean Ambrose, The Miz, Baron Corbin and Bray Wyatt.
The match started off with Cena and Styles picking up where they left off from the Royal Rumble and continued to get better as more competitors emerged from their pods.
Some of the match highlights were Ambrose's elbow drop to Cena from the top of the pod, the exchange of signatures between Ambrose, Cena and Styles, the tower of doom with Ambrose, Styles and Wyatt, and Cena’s double crossbody to Styles and Wyatt.
The chains and the floor of the Elimination Chamber were changed from previous cage matches. As a result, there was a lack of impact and intensity for a lot of spots outside the ring. But aside from those changes, this was one of the greatest Elimination Chamber matches in recent memory.
#1 SummerSlam – Brock Lesnar(c) vs Braun Strowman vs Roman Reigns vs Samoa Joe (Universal Championship Match)
Following Brock Lesnar’s victory against Samoa Joe at Great Balls of Fire, Roman Reigns and Braun Strowman would request a Universal Championship opportunity, which leads to Kurt Angle making the match at SummerSlam a Fatal 4-way.
Each participant could’ve believably walked away with the title which greatly added to the atmosphere of the match. Every man got a chance to look dominant, but Strowman felt like the biggest star of this chaotic main event and lived up to his moniker as the “Monster Among Men.”
There were too many highlights to name in this match, some of them were Reigns hitting the Spear and driving Lesnar through the barricade, Strowman’s Running Powerslams to Lesnar through the announcement tables, Strowman throwing an announcer’s chair at Reigns and Joe, and Lesnar countering Reign’s Spear with an F-5 for the win.
The only thing that hindered the match was the overused trope involving Lesnar being taken temporarily out the match due to injury - a troupe WWE should use far less.
That being said, this match was an epic clash between four of WWE’s biggest stars and was the greatest main event match of 2017.
