5 dream matches WWE gave away on TV in 2017

Over the years, WWE has been constantly increasing their amount of content, and with the strain of filling more than five hours of weekly television, it is hard to find fresh matches and feuds to keep the fans intrigued. But to WWE’s credit, they have produced some stellar rivalries that culminated in some exceptional matches.

However, most of the matches which have been presented on Smackdown Live and Raw this year would’ve been a perfect fit for one of WWE’s major pay-per-views. These are matches that could’ve resulted in big money programmes for WWE in 2017.

---

#1 The Shield vs The Hardy Boys

A true dream match

The day WWE booked a historic showdown between of The Shield vs The Hardy’s Boys, it should have been presented on a major pay-per-view. The hottest team from the beloved Attitude Era versus the most successful faction in the modern era of WWE deserved an extensive, layered build.

Instead, WWE had the two teams put on an excellent display on a throwaway episode of Raw. With Jeff Hardy’s injury and The Shield’s disbanding on the horizon, this could’ve been one of the biggest missed opportunities in WWE history, to present an actual "passing of the torch" moment.

#2 John Cena vs Braun Strowman

A dream match that didn't even have a definite conclusion

The main event of Wrestlemania might have been the only place that could’ve handled this colossal meeting of past vs future, but WWE threw this historic showdown into the 3-hour shuffle on Raw.

While this blockbuster match was used to continue Strowman’s scorching hot build to No Mercy 2017, this blockbuster showdown should have been saved for the Royal Rumble or Summerslam 2018.

With Cena’s Hollywood career becoming his primary focus and his wrestling career taking a back seat, the one night that Strowman monster handled “The Franchise” might have been the first and last time these two megastars meet in the ring.

#3 Samoa Joe vs Roman Reigns

WWE should’ve waited until 2018 to give us the Samoan Submission Machine vs The Big Dog.

Samoa Joe had a truly unforgettable main roster debut in 2017. “The Destroyer” had a scorching hot introduction on Raw by literally destroying Seth Rollins' injury-prone knee. Joe was clearly held in high regard by management, as he was able to bulldoze his way through former World Champions in a short time span.

And one of those instances of WWE’s faith in Joe was his shocking victory over Roman Reigns in his first match on the main roster. While this was an excellent introduction for him, a fresh rivalry with Reigns could have headlined any pay-per-view on the WWE calendar in 2018.

#4 Randy Orton vs AJ Styles

A rivalry that could have carried the blue brand through 2017

This dream clash was a mere pit stop on Orton's road to his disappointing Wrestlemania match with Bray Wyatt. A meeting of two distant worlds, The Apex Predator versus The Phenomenal One should have been the rivalry that the blue brand was built around in 2017.

From a disappointing Backlash, to a critically panned Battleground, the blue brand’s 2017 pay-per-views were some of the worst the company had produced all year. This untouched rivalry easily could’ve been the saving grace for the blue brand. Instead, the excellent match these two legends had crafted will be a distant memory in the near future.

#5 Shinsuke Nakamura vs John Cena

A match that should have taken place at Summerslam 2017

From battling forgettable matches at Wrestlemania 33 to being a shocking afterthought at Survivor Series this year, 2017 could’ve been the most uneventful year in John Cena’s entire WWE career. Although Cena could only make limited appearances this year, there were a few golden chances WWE had to utilise his star power. One of those rare chances was embroiled in his history-making bout with Shinsuke Nakamura.

Although “The King of Strong Style” and “The Face that Runs the Place” had contested a hard-hitting match, it could've certainly been placed on the somewhat disappointing Summerslam card.

Summerslam was an unsatisfactory affair for both competitors, as Baron Corbin ended Cena’s streak of excellent matches, and Nakamura was squashed by Jinder Mahal. Therefore, WWE presenting this match on an episode of Smackdown Live, was a huge mistake.