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2017 has been a year of great change. We have had Superstars come and Superstars go. We have also witnessed a vast improvement in the overall in-ring performances by several WWE Superstars. In fact, some have emerged from the very bottom of the roster, to eventually become Champions.
In today's column, we will take a look at 5 WWE Superstars who were the most improved, in regards to their in-ring skills.
#5 Baron Corbin
Baron Corbin entered a professional wrestling career after a failed run in the NFL. Many have speculated that Baron's attitude was the primary reason for his demise as a pro football player. In fact, even after signing his WWE contract, there were multiple reports of his egotistical flare-ups, which didn't settle too well with WWE officials. Thus the reason for an extended stay in Orlando with Team Yellow.
Something happened with Corbin, mentally, which resulted in not only his jump to the main roster but his overall improvement inside the ring. Even after making his way to the main roster, Corbin was struggling with his in-ring performances. For whatever reason, Baron just couldn't put the pieces together completely. But, that all began to change as Corbin seemed to have found whatever it was that was holding him back and when he did, his entire career took a change...for the better.
The last half of 2016 was a pivotal time in Baron's career. Things appeared to start clicking and before you knew it, more and more opponents were falling to the fate of the End of Days. Baron has spent the entire year of 2017 in the fast lane. He has improved leaps and bounds compared to what he once was. No longer is Corbin a question mark when he steps foot in the ring, but rather a tremendous asset to the main roster and in a short time from now, you can start looking for Corbin in a major title picture, whether it be the Universal or the WWE Championship.
#4 Nia Jax
Unless you have been living under a rock for the past few years, you are well aware that WWE officials have really put a ton of effort into revamping the overall perception of females in the sport of professional wrestling. At one time, women were looked at as nothing more than a sex symbol all throughout the industry. Needless to say, there was very little emphasis placed on actual in-ring performing.
Fast forward to where we are now and things are completely different. While the ladies of WWE are still absolutely stunning, their outward aesthetics have taken a backseat to what is really important, which is their ability to perform inside the squared-circle.
Nia Jax is one of those very women who has been at the forefront of the Women's Revolution. Nia is currently one of the most dominate in-ring performers, but she wasn't always this confident.
Confidence is the one thing that appeared to get in the way of Nia's progression. However, 2017 has been a breakout year for Jax. It's hard to believe Nia has only been a professional wrestler for a few years because now she has jolted to the top of the women's division.
There are big things on the horizon for the ladies of WWE, starting with January's Royal Rumble. As of this moment, Nia Jax stands as my firm favorite to win the Rumble and go on to Wrestlemania where she could very well become the new Women's Champion.
#3 Elias
Arguably one of the biggest surprise stories of 2017 has been the evolution of Elias. Prior to joining the RAW roster earlier in the year, Elias was on an NXT path of semi-obscurity. Sure he was known and had an occasional match on NXT TV, but there was still a lot of unknown's surrounding this superstar.
Since finding his way onto the main roster, Elias has really stepped his game up and it shows in his complete body of work. From his persona and ability to generate quick heat to his impressively improved ring-work, Elias has evolved into a true performer, in every sense of the phrase.
2017 could prove to be a catalyst year for Elias, so long as he continues to hone his craft and keeps improving on a consistent basis. If he does, in fact, stay the course, we could very well see Elias in the hunt for one of the mid-card titles.
#2 Braun Strowman
If there was one superstar who left his huge footprint all over the WWE roster this year, it was certainly Braun Strowman. The man who was once the third wheel for the Wyatt Family has suddenly emerged as one of the top talents in the entire company.
When Braun Strowman arrived in NXT, there was a lot of doubt surrounding the former power-lifter turned pro wrestler. Needless to say, Strowman was more-or-less an experiment. In fact, Braun was known more for his time as a "Rosebud" long before his in-ring career ever took flight.
Strowman's career truly began to take shape when he broke away from Bray Wyatt and began focusing on himself and concentrating on making the most of his singles run and ultimately, gearing towards a future title run.
Watching Braun Strowman come full circle this year has been a blast. Strowman has not only gained the respect and trust of WWE officials, but he has also gained the respect and adoration of the WWE Universe, which is not always that easy.
Many fans even credit Roman Reigns as being responsible for Strowman's vast improvement in the ring. In fact, in interviews, Strowman himself credited Roman for his improvement and even went on to call Roman Reigns one of, if not the best wrestler on the planet.
What Strowman has done in 2017 is simply amazing. It's also worth mentioning that Braun is still in his early 30's, which gives fans hope that the best is still yet to come and we have only scratched the surface of what is potentially going to be a long road, full of great things to come.
#1 Jinder Mahal
When Jinder Mahal was released in mid-2014, it really came as a surprise to no one. Mahal, along with Heath Slater and Drew McIntyre were the whipping children of the company, known collectively as 3MB. They were that faction that when they came out, you could take a quick bathroom break, or maybe a cat-nap. Regardless, 3MB was good for the occasional laugh, but aside from that, they really had nothing more to offer. This was unfortunate because all 3 members had much more potential than what they were being allowed to display.
Fast forward to the summer of 2016 and suddenly, Jinder Mahal has returned. Mahal was back and the first thing we all noticed, was the dramatic change in his physical appearance. Jinder was chiselled to the gills. It quickly became obvious that his new physique had boosted his confidence, which also impacted his in-ring performance.
2017 was the year when Jinder Mahal morphed into an entirely different performer. Not only was he a big, chiselled heavyweight, but he could move like a cruiserweight. Suddenly, Mahal had become a complete performer and a darn good one at that. The evolution of Jinder Mahal culminated at the 2017 Backlash pay-per-view when he defeated 'The Viper' Randy Orton to become the new WWE Champion.
Jinder carried the WWE Championship for a total of 170 days until AJ Styles defeated him during a taping of Smackdown Live in Manchester, England.
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