Sportskeeda WWE Awards 2017: Match of the Year

#3 Braun Strowman vs. Roman Reigns - Ambulance Match at Great Balls of Fire

Leading a new generation.

This year's feud between Braun Strowman and Roman Reigns might have been a million miles from Austin vs. Rock, or even Cena vs. Orton, but given time, the two could end up forming the signature WWE New Era rivalry. Vince clearly has a lot invested in the pair and provided they stay healthy and avoid wellness policy violations, we could be seeing a lot more of them in the coming years.

Like every great wrestling rivalry, things have to start somewhere, and 2017 was a pretty decent start indeed. Going in as the heel, Strowman eventually won round the WWE Universe, mainly as he managed to bring people together in their rejection of Reigns. With both men now playing the role of a face, it's uncertain when they will meet again as opposing forces, but let's hope it happens sooner rather later.

For our money, the apex of their feud came at the Great Balls of Fire PPV. The two were engaged in an Ambulance match, where the only way to win is to incapacitate your opponent so that you can throw them in the ambulance and close the door.

The action was high-impact from the start, demonstrating that wrestling can still be about two larger than life monsters going to war with each other. For anyone who still claims that Reigns can't put on a decent match, they should really try giving this one a watch.

The brilliance of the bout came at the very end with some clever booking decisions the likes of which WWE doesn't demonstrate nearly enough in 2017. Given the fact that Reigns is Vince's new poster boy and would likely be going on to face Brock Lesnar at Wrestlemania 34, he couldn't really afford to lose this signature match.

That being said, Strowman was being billed as a true monster, so a clean loss for him would have taken a lot of wind from his sails at a very crucial time. What eventually happened was pure genius. Strowman officially lost the match after trying to charge the "Big Dog" who managed to stand aside just at the right time, sending the "Monster Amongst Men" into the vehicle.

Reigns then went about trying to end Strowman's life and career by reversing the ambulance into a solid wall. This was a huge character development for Roman, as fans were demanding to see more of his ruthless side. Strowman, for his part, managed to literally walk away from the attack. By the end of the PPV, both men looked like real heavyweights ready to lead the company forward into the future.