7 biggest and best moments in professional wrestling from September 2017

Throughout the course of the past month, a number of different moments stood out in the WWE that captured the attention of pro wrestling fans.

Whether they emerged on social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter or on televised events such as pay-per-views, these moments stood out and had wrestling fans buzzing.

Among the stories that became a focal point this past month was a former world champion who continued to share his desire to return to the ring, another former world champion who may have said goodbye to active competition for some time, a special event that has occurred in the lives of a couple of current WWE couples, and a recent pay-per-view closed the door on some rivalries, while opening the door on new ones.

Who did these stories involve, and who could be the most affected moving forward? Which stories caught fans' attention? Here are the six biggest and best moments in professional wrestling for September 2017.

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#7 Daniel Bryan reaffirms his desire to return to the ring

Will Bryan return to the ring? If so, where will it be?

In what appears to not be a publicity stunt and has not been promoted by WWE or its social media department, Daniel Bryan has said he wants to return to active competition. In an Instagram post by his wife Brie Bella, it was made clear that Bryan has continued to explore different options that could make returning to the ring a possibility.

After seeing several doctors and receiving a clean bill of health from them and continuing his pursuit of alternative methods of treatment, Bryan has said that he wants to return and has expressed a desire to compete for the WWE.

However, he has also made it clear that he wouldn't be opposed to competing elsewhere in the world if he is still not cleared by WWE. Bryan has mentioned that he would have loved to step into the ring with Shinsuke Nakamura. He could explore opportunities with companies such as New Japan Pro Wrestling or Ring of Honor — where he initially became a star.

#6 Kevin Owens attacks Vince McMahon

Owens beatdown of the chairman was surely huge moment this past month

On the heels of Shane McMahon's suspension from his role as Smackdown Live commissioner, Kevin Owens was confronted by Vince McMahon. The week after being suspended, Owens and Vince McMahon discussed why Shane was suspended and what the consequences of Shane's suspension would be… for Owens. The Chairman stated that the reason Shane was suspended because he didn't finish the job during his attack of Owens.

Owens agreed to the stipulation because Vince made him aware that after all his legal expenses were used, there would be nothing left to resolve it and have "The Prizefighter" awarded the winner of his ‘lawsuit' against the WWE.

After Vince agreed that Owens could beat down a McMahon senseless if provoked, which resulted in an attack that was cringe-worthy. Owens headbutted the Chairman which led to him being bloodied almost immediately. What followed was a superkick and frog splash onto the chairman of the board that has certainly set the tone for the McMahon/Owens match against one another at Hell in a Cell.

#5 Misogyny in wrestling won't be tolerated

Wrestlers band together and stand up against misogyny in wrestling

The results of #GiveDivasAChance movement and the ensuing Women's Revolution have been nothing short of extraordinary. Having moved beyond pillow fights and matches held in pudding or mud, women wrestlers in WWE have been allowed a true opportunity to show their worth, and thus have continued to prove that they are just as capable as their male counterparts.

This past month, social media featured a heated discussion when some voiced the opinion, most prominently a successful independent promoter, that women shouldn't be given the same opportunities, and that their best role is something other than wrestling.

A number of talented wrestlers, male and female, stood up against these misogynistic views and made clear that these didn't reflect all wrestling fans, but just a minority who are out of touch with the current climate among wrestling fans. Performers like Jimmy Havoc, Deonna Purrazzo, Aleister Black and others, not only didn't stand for such a view, but made it clear that this type of behaviour is not welcome in the business.

#4 Pregnancies in the WWE (The Miz/Maryse, Maria/Mike Kanellis)

Both Raw and Smackdown Live rosters families will be increasing by at least one

We're not sure if there is something in the water or in something that the talent has been eating at catering, but pregnancies in WWE appeared to be big news this past month. During an edition of Miz TV, Maryse stated that she and her husband Mike ‘The Miz' Mizanin were expecting their first child.

Maryse has said in the past that children were something she and The Miz have wanted and discussed, mentioning this during an appearance she made on an edition of Table for 3. Congratulations to the Mizanin family.

They aren't the only members of the WWE roster expecting. Maria and Mike Kanellis, who are part of the Smackdown Live brand, also announced that they were expecting their first child, announcing this via social media.

The couple has been off television for several weeks for a variety of different reasons. We aren't sure what the future holds for other couples in WWE, but it appears the roster could be expanding, however differently or unintentionally.

#3 No Mercy

What were the results and fall out from this Raw only pay-per-view?

As No Mercy came and went, a number of different matches took place that ended some rivalries and potentially built new ones. We saw The Miz get the better of Jason Jordan, and even though Jordan lost, that doesn't necessarily mean it is over between them. Jordan's showing was impressive, and since The Miztourage became an issue we could anticipate Kurt Angle may do something to even the odds.

What will Neville do to Enzo to prove how he was completely robbed? It appears fans on social media are in agreement that Neville did not deserve to lose the match or his championship.

We also saw Roman Reigns cement his role and move forward by defeating the cornerstone of WWE, John Cena. Where does Reigns go from here? Does he reunite with the current WWE Raw tag team champions, Ambrose and Rollins, to reform the Shield? We also saw Brock Lesnar retain his WWE Universal championship by defeating Braun Strowman. Where do both men go from here? No Mercy answered some questions but left the door open for new ones to be asked.

#2 John Cena says goodbye

What will John Cena's role be now moving forward after his defeat to Roman Reigns?

On Sunday, September 24th, John Cena, and Roman Reigns culminated their month-long feud with a match that told a story of passing the torch. Cena was defeated by Reigns in a finish that fans could probably see coming for some time now.

Reigns isn't the most refined on the microphone, but that is also because of the exorbitant amount of pressure, and the overwhelming amount of jeers, he faces every week.

However, during Raw Talk after the pay-per-view, Cena addressed the match and Reigns' performance.

Cena gave Reigns a glowing endorsement for all that he did in the match and stated how positive he is about the promotion's future. Maybe it was for the benefit of the cameras, but Cena appeared to become emotional as he contemplated his role in the future.

Fans can anticipate that Cena will walk away for now, as he does have some film commitments that will tie him up for the near future. As for when he will return, we can hope there will be feuds with other talents he has yet to engage with.

#1 The announcement of Starrcade

The iconic WCW event now appears to be brought back for only a live event and not a pay-per-view for Smackdown Live

It was announced that the historic WCW PPV, Starrcade, is being attached to a November Smackdown Live house show. However, for as many compliments there may have been, there has also been criticism about the revival of the name.

The criticism was justified when current Ring of Honor World champion Cody voiced his displeasure, not that the event is taking place, but that his brother wasn't booked for the event.

As Starrcade is a Smackdown Live event and Goldust, Cody's brother, is on Raw, the likelihood of him being on the event is low, and that felt like a direct shot fired at the Rhodes family. The reality is that Starrcade was a creation of the late Dusty Rhodes, but neither one of his sons is booked to be a part of it.

While this may not have been by design, the disappointment felt by Cody is completely justified. Whether or not something changes and Goldust gets involved, or an invitation is extended by Michael Hayes to Cody for a one-night-only appearance, remains to be seen.