5 OMG moments from WWE Clash of Champions 2017

There was a time in 2017 when SmackDown Live pay-per-views fell way below expectations.

The disappointing Backlash event in May was followed up with the equally underwhelming Money In The Bank PPV in June, while July's Battleground show was so bad that fans were calling for the brand’s head writer to be fired.

Fortunately, things have improved a little since then, and few people can complain about the events that unfolded during the Clash of Champions event in Boston.

In this article, we take a look at five OMG moments from the final PPV of 2017.

#5 Dolph Ziggler actually won a match… and a title!

Nope, your eyes did not deceive you – Dolph Ziggler, WWE’s serial high-profile loser for the last year of his career, actually won the United States title at Clash of Champions.

Just as Baron Corbin looked set to retain with the End of Days on Bobby Roode, Ziggler connected with a Zig Zag on “The Lone Wolf” and pinned him to become a two-time US champion.

As little as two months ago, many thought “The Show Off” was set to end his career as a WWE performer, with reports suggesting his contract was up after he lost his 2 out of 3 falls match to Roode on SmackDown Live.

However, with a title around his waist again and with WrestleMania season just around the corner, perhaps Dolph will finally get his first-ever one-on-one singles match on "The Grandest Stage of Them All".

#4 Rusev received the loudest crowd reaction of the night

Once upon a time, Rusev was a despicable heel who would berate the United States at every opportunity while being heavily booed by every single crowd he performed in front of.

Fast forward to now and, ever since aligning with Aiden English, “The Bulgarian Brute” has become one of the most entertaining characters on SmackDown Live and in all of WWE.

There has never been better proof of this than at Clash of Champions, where the Boston crowd chanted “Rusev Day! Rusev Day!” before and during the Fatal 4-Way match for the Tag Team titles.

If the former United States champion’s popularity continues to increase at the rapid rate it’s going at the moment, expect huge things – and, more importantly, many Happy Rusev Days – in the months to come.

#3 Natalya hinted at retirement

Natalya’s match against Charlotte at Clash of Champions wasn’t among the best that either woman has had in 2017, and the ‘emotional’ post-match interview that “The Queen of Hearts” gave in the middle of the ring wasn’t much better.

She claimed to be one of the best female performers that the WWE Universe has seen over the last 10 years and by the tone of her voice it sounded like she was about to announce her retirement.

Instead, in a promo that made little-to-no sense when you consider that Natalya has been a heel for a while now, she began to cry and said she is “turning her back” on fans, just like they turned against her.

At age 35, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the former Women’s champion retire from the ring soon, and her promo at Clash of Champions will only further fuel speculation about a possible final match in the near future.

#2 Tyler Breeze dismantled by The Bludgeon Brothers

Rowan and Harper have been on a path of destruction on SmackDown Live ever since they re-emerged on the blue brand in November.

Now known as The Bludgeon Brothers, the monstrous duo took on Breezango at Clash of Champions in a match that was not too dissimilar to the other encounters they’ve had with tag teams in recent weeks.

Before Rowan and Harper got the win over Fandango with their trademark double crucifix powerbomb, the most brutal moment of the short match came when they viciously slammed Tyler Breeze face first into the ring apron.

It looked like it hurt. A lot.

#1 Daniel Bryan helped Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn win

The special guest referee tag match was many people’s most anticipated match of the night, not necessarily because of the calibre of Superstars involved in it but because of the high possibility that we could have seen a heel turn or two.

As it turned out, we didn’t get a full-on heel turn from anybody. Shane McMahon tried to cost Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens their jobs by only giving a two-count for a pinfall from Sami, but Daniel Bryan made up for that by helping the villainous duo win when he gave a fast three-count when Sami pinned Randy Orton.

Will D-Bry’s actions lead to an alliance with Zayn and Owens in the coming weeks? A heel turn, perhaps? Or will he and Shane work things out and learn to co-exist as authority figures once again?

Either way, if D-Bry’s fast count didn’t make you go ‘OMG’, then we don’t know what possibly did.

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