WWE's 2017 All-Stars: Top 7 Superstars of the year

It has been one heck of a ride for WWE fans and Superstars alike in 2017. We have witnessed a plethora of surprise returns, title changes and compelling stories to keep us on on the edge of our seats.

While there has been a lot of WWE Superstars who appear to have been held back by WWE's questionable booking decisions, there has also been a select group of superstars that have excelled in more ways than one and have come out of 2017 looking like a true star.

In this, the final article of 2017 for me, we take a look back at the top seven WWE Superstars that have held things together for everyone and have made this year one of the most compelling and surprising years on record.

Here's a look at your WWE All Stars for 2017...

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#7 Baron Corbin

"The Lone Wolf" arrived in 2017!

Baron Corbin came into the sport of professional wrestling as a lifelong football player who had a failed stint in the NFL. Even after signing with WWE, Corbin immediately became known for being the new guy with a bad attitude. For whatever reason, Baron felt as if things should have been handed to him easier and quicker than everyone else. He would soon learn that the road to becoming a WWE Superstar is much more difficult than he would ever anticipate.

Baron would spend more time on the NXT roster than he probably initially expected, but that was his own fault, a testament to the enormous chip on his shoulder. While confidence is a good thing to have in this business, Corbin would soon learn that there is a fine line between confidence and immaturity.

After finally getting all of the pieces together, Baron Corbin was called to the main roster and the improvement is astounding. Corbin has certainly turned a new leaf and has become a legitimate top-tier WWE Superstar. In 2017, Corbin witnessed the results of his changes by winning the WWE United States Champion and becoming a weekly fixture on WWE television.

#6 Brock Lesnar

This "part-timer" is worthy of the privilege.

There is and will forever be those who criticize Superstars who don't work a full-time schedule. Fans hated it when The Rock did it, Goldberg got away with it a little bit and throughout time, there have been a few others who work lighter schedules, yet get top spots. The bottom line remains, there is simply a place for this unique type of talent.

Brock Lesnar is a main-event attraction. His name on any card will pretty much guarantee a sellout. In other words, Brock Lesnar equals money. When you have someone who can demand such a response, you have to be thankful to even have the guy on your payroll at all. Brock could easily drift off into retirement, or even jump back into MMA and forget all about the wrestling world. Lesnar is one that at this moment, it's worth negotiating with.

In 2017 Brock Lesnar continued his Suplex City Tour, making stops in towns all across America and defending his WWE Universal Championship at the occasional pay-per-view event. With the Goldberg feud behind him, Brock went back to his dominant winning ways, making sure that the Universal Title is not only the top title in the company but the most secure one at that.

#5 Sheamus & Cesaro

The Bar became a huge success in 2017!

Cesaro and Sheamus are two WWE Superstars who have proven over time that they are more than capable of handling their own inside of any wrestling ring. Both have had fairly successful runs as singles competitors, but 2017 offered a unique opportunity for the two stars.

Sometimes it's easy to see that WWE's creative team is struggling to find a place for a certain Superstar and that became apparent with Cesaro and Sheamus were first paired together in late-2016. At first, the unlikely duo sincerely appeared to be headed for a short-term run together, which would likely end in a predictable rivalry against one another. However, these guys had different plans in store for themselves, as well as the WWE Universe.

Sheamus and Cesaro shocked the entire world as they not only figured out how to work well and get along with one another but by how they completely took over RAW's tag team division. In a world where thrown-together tag teams never last, Sheamus and Cesaro are showing absolutely no signs of slowing down as we head into 2018!

#4 Alexa Bliss

Don't let the size fool ya!

If there was only one surprising story to come out of the WWE Women's division in recent memory, it's got to be the story of Alexa Bliss.

Standing 5 foot nothing and weighing as much as the average family dog, Alexa Bliss doesn't necessarily look like your typical "women's wrestler." In fact, if you think back just a couple of years ago, you will probably recall a time in which Bliss was not wrestling at all. Instead, she was the valet for NXT Tag Team 'Blake & Murphy,' which happens to be the same team that her fiance, Buddy Murphy, is a part of.

Towards the end of her time with NXT, Alexa began to show signs of who she would eventually become. She was competing at the highest level and was showing the fans that she could hold her own both in and out of the ring.

Since arriving on the main roster, Alexa Bliss has completely taken the women's division over. No other women's wrestler in recent years has accomplished as much as Bliss has, in such a short amount of time.In just a matter of less than 2 full years, Alexa Bliss has managed to win the Smackdown Women's title twice, as well as the RAW Women's title twice. It's also worth noting that she currently still holds said RAW Women's Championship.

#3 Jinder Mahal

"The Modern Day Maharaja" Jinder Mahal!

When Jinder Mahal was released in mid-2014, it's probably safe to say that hardly anyone really expected to see him inside a WWE ring ever again. But rather than go home and sulk in his failures, Jinder hit the road and set out on a mission to reinvent himself. Taking every booking opportunity that came his way, Mahal did, in fact, reinvent himself and became a brand new performer.

While Jinder was travelling the world in a quest to reinvent himself, he started turning heads everywhere he went. People recognized the name, but the individual behind the name was someone we had never known before. Needless to say, Vince and crew noticed the changes that Mahal had made and they then reached out, hoping to bring him home, which they did indeed.

Jinder Mahal owned 2017, despite the constant criticism from his defectors around the world. For some reason, there are some who simply refuse to accept Jinder Mahal as a top-tier talent, let alone WWE Champion. Nonetheless, it is time to get over that. Jinder Mahal carried the WWE Championship for 170 days strong. Don't be surprised when "The Modern Day Maharaja" captures the title once again.

#2 The Miz

The Miz is WWE's true showman!

When his career is over, fans and critics alike will look back at his career with the utmost reverence, realizing that The Miz is someone who had a dream as a child and never allowed anything, nor anyone to detour him from achieving that very goal. That goal was to become a WWE Superstar and Mike Mizanin is a perfect example of a true self-made WWE Superstar.

Early in his career, there was a lot of doubt, understandably so. After all, the only thing fans knew about him was that he was some loud-mouthed jerk from an MTV reality television show. But as his career progressed, The Miz began to improve his in-ring work and his persona became increasingly entertaining. When the dust finally settled, the fans discovered that there was a legitimate star emerging from that inflated ego.

Fast forward to 2017, The Miz has accomplished way more than anyone, including himself, could have ever anticipated. The Miz is now a 7-time Intercontinental Champion, 6-time tag team champion, former WWE Champion, 2-time United States Champion and so on. Not to mention The Miz is also WWE Triple Crown winner, as well as a WWE Grand Slam winner.

#1 AJ Styles

What a PHENOMENAL year for AJ Styles!

They said it would never happen. The thought of AJ Styles jumping to the dark-side was something that many thought would always be a "what-if" story where fans contemplated the thought of what life in the WWE would've been like had Styles ever signed with the company. Thankfully for us, the WWE Universe, that very dream actually became a reality in January of 2016 when AJ made his WWE debut at the 2016 Royal Rumble.

Kurt Angle and AJ Styles held the TNA World Tag Team Championship once

Since arriving, AJ Styles has been going full-speed ahead, running through any Superstar who dares to try him.

As WWE Champion, AJ Styles has set a new standard by which future champions should go by. AJ is currently enjoying his second title reign and it seems as if he gets better with every passing title defence.

We can only imagine what the future holds for AJ Styles and even though he is now 40 years young, Styles still has enough fuel in the tank to carry him for years to come and WWE fans should be over-the-top grateful to have him.