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More than half way through 2017, as we hurtle headlong into The Biggest Party of the Summer -- WWE Summerslam 2017, we figured it would be a good idea to analyse which WWE superstars have made the most of their opportunities so far this year -- to meet and surpass the expectations that fans had for them.
There are, of course, some Superstars such as AJ Styles who could never possibly exceed expectations seeing the hype around them is just so high. But, there are others who have gone well and truly over what they were meant to achieve this year.
These men and women have increased their value in the world of professional wrestling many times over with their great work -- be it on the mic, in the ring, or both -- and they will be looked at as Superstars with the potential to become all-time greats in Vince McMahon's madhouse of professional wrestlers.
So, without any further ado, here is our list of 5 WWE superstars who have exceeded expectations in 2017:
#5 Neville
When Neville first made the jump from NXT to the main roster, there was a lot of buzz around The Man that Gravity Forgot. He was an outgoing NXT Champion and was incredibly over with fans in WWE's developmental territory. Unfortunately, he made no real impact on the main stage.
That is until he returned from injury in early 2017. Adopting a new no-nonsense heel persona, the Englishman took absolute control of the WWE's Cruiserweight Division after winning the WWE Cruiserweight Championship and proclaiming himself as "The King of the Cruiserweights".
He has held the belt for the better part of a year, having defeated all comers including the likes of Austin Aries and Gentleman Jack Gallagher.
It was one of the biggest shocks when he lost the title to Akira Tozawa on Monday Night Raw, but that doesn't take away from the fact that he's had an unbelievable 2017.
#4 Alexa Bliss
When The Brand Extension Draft happened last year, Alexa Bliss was picked at the bottom of the list. She was just another female wrestler who was there to make up the numbers and there were no expectations when she headed over the Smackdown Live. Since then, things have changed dramatically.
"Little Miss Bliss" worked hard to establish herself as an integral member of the WWE Smackdown Live Women's division mainly through incredible skill on the mic. She also showed that she could back up her talking with in-ring victories and soon became the WWE Smackdown Live Women's Champion.
And, when the Superstar Shakeup hit after WWE Wrestlemania 33, there were once again fears that she would get lost in the shuffle. Instead, she has gone from strength to strength over on the red brand.
She became the first woman to hold both the Smackdown Live and Raw Women's titles and remains WWE Raw Women's Champion going to WWE Summerslam 2017.
#3 Samoa Joe
When Samoa Joe didn't make his much-awaited main roster debut at the WWE Royal Rumble 2017, I think it's safe to say that people were not pleased.
But, luckily he appeared the next night on Monday Night Raw to take out Seth Rollins -- although there was a legitimate injury involved when he locked in the Coquina Clutch on "The Architect".
This led to fears among professional wrestling fans that Joe wasn't going to be given the opportunity to showcase his talents because of the injury caused to Rollins as well as his large frame.
Despite a slow start, "The Destroyer" has become a top star on Monday Night Raw having taken Brock Lesnar to the limit during their WWE Universal Championship match at WWE Great Balls of Fire 2017.
This man is the same guy who was released in 2001 for not being the WWE's type, only to return in 2016 and become NXT Champion and get a Universal title shot against Brock Lesnar. Well deserved!
#2 Braun Strowman
Last year, Braun Strowman was just another extremely large dude who couldn't talk or wrestle to save his life. He was a failing member of the Wyatt Family and looked lost for direction.
This year, he is the biggest threat to Brock Lesnar's reign as WWE Universal Champion and the one man who has constantly gotten the better of Roman Reigns.
Ever since the Brand Split of 2016, "The Monster Among Men" has gone from strength to strength. Not only has he been booked strongly, he has dramatically improved every aspect of his skillset to become a fearsome presence in the ring.
If you want to know how to establish someone as a credible monster in the WWE, look no further than Braun Strowman.
#1 Jinder Mahal
If anyone had told me during Wrestlemania 33 that the next WWE Champion after Randy Orton was going to be Jinder Mahal, I would have laughed them out of the building, the neighbourhood, the city, the state, the country, and the entire planet. And yet, here we are.
After being drafted over the Smackdown Live during the WWE Superstar Shakeup, Jinder not only became the new No. 1 Contender for the WWE Championship, he beat "The Viper" to pick up "The Biggest Prize in Sports Entertainment".
Now, say what you will about the reasons why Jinder was given this monster push, there is no escaping the fact that there is nobody else in the entire world of professional wrestling who has exceeded expectations quite like Jinder Mahal.
