In the year of 2017, the WWE gave us several new faces, new feuds and loads of new storylines. Whether all that was translated into an entertaining year of wrestling is for you to decide. Most of us will decide whether we liked a pay-per-view or not, depending on the main event. Main events are what pay-per-views are built and promoted around.
But don’t let WWE billing fool you, it’s only the match that closes the show that’s truly the main event of a PPV. And in 2017, we were treated to a variety of sixteen main events ranging from a Hell in a Cell match to a Royal Rumble match.
As we near the end of 2017, it’s time for us to critically analyse those main events the WWE gave us this year. Consider this a post-Christmas treat, as we’re going to remind you of the best main events of 2017.
Here are the best PPV main events of 2017.
#5 TLC: 5-on-3 Tables, Ladders & Chairs Handicap Match
TLC 2017 was billed as the return of the Shield, but when Roman Reigns went down with a virus, we got something much better; the return of the Olympic gold medallist, Kurt Angle. Such was the last-minute nature of this match that a couple of spots seemed out of place and rushed. But overall, the main event delivered to its high billing.
The Shield’s reformation brought the hype and Kurt Angle’s return duly delivered. This main event will stand out as the night that one of the all-time greats returned to a WWE ring after 11 long years. The match will also be remembered as the night the Miz took his Miztourage to a pay-per-view main event. Let that sink in.
#4 Extreme Rules: Fatal 5-way to determine the No. 1 contender for the WWE Universal Championship
As Samoa Joe burst onto the scene and Finn Balor re-emerged from an injury, RAW’s main event scene looked incredibly healthy right after WrestleMania. And what better way to capitalise on that new-found stardom than to have a fatal 5-way with extreme rules. The competitors Roman Reigns, Bray Wyatt, Seth Rollins, Finn Balor and Samoa Joe left it all out in the ring, giving us several memorable spots.
The fact that all these high calibre talents gave their absolute all in this match just for a shot at the title, made the title look like a big deal. And with a part-time champion, that degree of importance was vitally needed.
This 5-star match was eventually won by Samoa Joe, fully establishing him as a main event star. Roman Reigns was obviously the gambler’s favourite, while many also expected Finn Balor to be the one facing Brock Lesnar. But Joe’s win presented us a fresh new prospect for the title picture.
#3 Roman Reigns vs Braun Strowman: Payback
Roman Reigns vs Braun Strowman was undoubtedly the feud of the year. These two took intensity and physicality to a new level, constantly raising the bar in each one of their matches. As Reigns came into this match already injured, many wanted to see how highly the WWE rated Braun Strowman. If Reigns were to be able to defeat the monster whilst carrying an injury, it’d show us that Braun was viewed as just another big man with no real value.
However, not only would Strowman go on to pick up a clean win, he’d decimate Reigns from start to finish, including after the match. We could have picked any one of their other matches to be on this list, but the fact that Braun Strowman won this one cleanly gives it that extra likeability.
#2 Elimination Chamber: WWE Championship Chamber match
This match was special for a number of reasons, not only did it see the return of the Elimination Chamber match, but also resembled the dawning of a new era. A star-studded line-up of John Cena [c], AJ Styles, The Miz, Baron Corbin, Bray Wyatt and Dean Ambrose gave us a worthy main event. This main event will forever be remembered as the night the WWE finally pulled the trigger on the eater of worlds, Bray Wyatt.
The Wyatt Family patriarch would win the match, stunningly pinning both John Cena and AJ Styles in the process. Wyatt literally never ever gets the ‘big win’ and his booking since this match pays testament to that. So, it was nice to see one of the most undervalued superstars on the roster have THEIR moment.
#1 Fatal 4-Way for the WWE Universal Championship at Summerslam
What do you get when you put the beast, the "Monster Among Men", the castaway Samoan and the face of the company into one match? An absolute show-stealer. Summerslam was billed as a seven-hour spectacle, but in reality, it was a drag that needed a stellar main event to save it.
This main event had everything, including Brock Lesnar wrestling more than a ten-minute match. In this match, each one of these four performers validated their status as main eventers. Of course, with four heavyweights present, technical wrestling was never going to be on the menu, but what we did get was an all-out brawl of physicality. Credit must be given to the champion as he allowed the other three competitors to have their shine, momentarily leading to him being stretchered out. Such destruction allowed everyone to look a million bucks, as no one was made to look weak.
In the end, the Beast would retain the championship by hitting Roman Reigns with an F5, further planting seeds for their inevitable bout at Wrestlemania 34.
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