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With WWE Summerslam 2017 just a few days away, we're fast approaching a dual brand pay-per-view featuring WWE Superstars from both Monday Night Raw and Smackdown Live. It is the event that will set up the final leg of the 2017 WWE calendar and fans are excited to see what goes down.
This makes this a really good time to look back on the seven months prior to this and assess the performances of different WWE Superstars this year. We already did a list of 5 WWE Superstars who have exceeded expectations in 2017 and now it's time to look at the other end of the spectrum.
Which men and women on the WWE roster failed to live up to their potential in 2017? There were a number of superstars who had high expectations from the WWE Universe and they just did not deliver the goods when it mattered the most. These 5 WWE Superstars will be looking to end the year on a high and turn their fortunes around.
So, without any further ado, here are 5 WWE Superstars who have failed to live up to expectations in 2017:
#5 Finn Balor
This one seems a bit harsh considering that it's not Finn Balor's fault he finds himself in the position he's in today. At last year's WWE Summerslam 2016, The Demon King was on top of the world after becoming the first man to win the WWE Universal Championship against Seth Rollins. Unfortunately, an injury he sustained in that match kept him out for months on end.
Expectations around the Irishman's return were immensely high but unfortunately, his timing meant that there were no significant programs and he missed Wrestlemania 33. After that, it has been more of the same, with very little high-profile action but hopefully, things are going to change for the latter half of 2017.
Now embroiled in a major feud with Bray Wyatt, this could be the rivalry that rejuvenates Balor's floundering career and earns him a shot at the Universal Championship he never lost.
#4 Dean Ambrose
When Dean Ambrose became WWE World Heavyweight Champion at WWE Money in the Bank 2016, it seemed like he was destined for great things. Fast forward to WWE Summerslam 2017, and things are looking very bleak for The Lunatic Fringe.
He dropped the title to AJ Styles last year after a lacklustre run as WWE Champion and has been blowing hot and cold ever since. Ambrose has been involved in a number of angles for the WWE Intercontinental Championship with The Miz which were decent, but he is a far cry from the main event star he was expected to become.
Luckily for Dean, it seems like his recent Shield reunion with Seth Rollins could be just what the doctor ordered. If the pair wins the WWE Raw Tag Team Championships at WWE Summerslam 2017, a renaissance could be on the cards.
#3 Randy Orton
Randall Keith Orton. Where do we even start with Mr RKO Outta Nowhere? The man is a 14-time World Champion and one of the most well-known WWE superstars in the world, yet he finds himself on this list because of what seems like nothing more than sheer laziness.
It has been years since we've seen The Viper at his best and in a year that started off with a second career Royal Rumble match victory at WWE Royal Rumble 2017, Orton really should have done better.
His year was marked by disappointing lows such as the WWE Championship match against Bray Wyatt, the House of Horrors match, and the horrendous title program with Jinder Mahal. It doesn't look like it's going to get any better unless Randy changes things up drastically and freshens up his act.
#2 Bayley
What a difference there is between the Bayley who ruled NXT and the Bayley who got booed out of the arena during an episode of Monday Night Raw where she announced that she was going to miss Summerslam due to an injury.
In a classic case of "What works in NXT doesn't always work on the main roster", The Hugger has suffered badly during her time on the WWE's flagship show. And, all this despite a strong start to life where she even ended Charlotte Flair's pay-per-view streak to become the WWE Raw Women's Champion.
Unfortunately for her, everything she has done post-Wrestlemania 33 has been abhorrently bad with bad booking decisions leading to the WWE Universe turning their backs on her. While there was a shot at redemption at WWE Summerslam 2017, an injury has put a stop to that and one can only wonder how her career can be salvaged now.
#1 Bray Wyatt
Bray Wyatt started the year 2017 on fire, dominating the WWE Smackdown Live landscape and then pinning both John Cena and AJ Styles in an Elimination Chamber match to become the new WWE Champion. It seemed like things were finally looking up for the perennially overlooked Eater of Worlds.
And, then it all came crashing down around him. He lost the title to Randy Orton at WWE Wrestlemania 33, was a part of the laughably bad House of Horrors match, and then transferred over to Monday Night Raw where he has been a mid-card superstar doing nothing noteworthy with his time.
It's a sad state of affairs that what was supposed to be the best year of his career has become an absolute parody - just like his character at this point.
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