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2017 has been a great year for pro wrestling as a whole as well as for the WWE. As the year draws to a close, let's take a look at which Superstars had the best 2017.
Note: Brock Lesnar isn't being considered a part of this list because even though he is Universal Champion, a handful of appearances and matches doesn't make him eligible for this list. That is entirely my opinion though, and you can choose to agree or disagree.
10: Pete Dunne
In my opinion, Pete Dunne is WWE’s breakout star of 2017. After the massive success of the WWE UK Tournament, Dunne was left disappointed to lose out to Tyler Bate in the finals. Dunne has since gone on to rack up an incredible body of work this year, eventually beating Tyler Bate for the WWE UK Championship at NXT TakeOver: Chicago which is on WWE’s list for matches of the year.
Since then, Dunne has made a victorious RAW debut where he beat WWE Cruiserweight Champion Enzo Amore and defended his UK title, including an excellent match against Tyler Bate on NXT television.
In 2018, I’d like to see the Bruiserweight in contention for the NXT Championship.
9: The Usos
The Usos have been functioning on a different level on 2017I was never a fan of colourful babyface Usos but as heels, they’ve really come into their own. They’ve been the top tag-team on SmackDown in 2017 and their series of matches with the New Day elevated the tag-team division.
The Usos end the year as the SmackDown Tag-Team Champions and I can see them right at the top of the SmackDown tag-team division in 2018. Down since Day One-ish.
8: Asuka
Asuka still hasn’t been pinned in WWE and would have been higher on this list if her main roster debut had led to more significant storylines.
Asuka started 2017 undefeated as NXT Women’s Champion and beat Ember Moon twice before relinquishing the championship and moving to RAW. Since then she has remained undefeated and was the sole survivor at Survivor Series 2017 for the women’s RAW vs SmackDown match.
WWE is now teasing and angle against Absolution and we can definitely expect big things from the ‘Empress of Tomorrow’ in 2018.
7: Alexa Bliss
Alexa Bliss entered 2017 as SmackDown Women’s Champion before being drafted to RAW during the Superstar Shake-up to RAW. She won a Fatal-4-Way to become #1 contender the week after, prior to beating Bayley to become to RAW Women’s Champion at Payback.
Bliss dropped the title to Sasha Banks at SummerSlam before winning back the title eight days later, a title she still holds. Despite the setback of losing to Charlotte at Survivor Series in a champion vs champion match, Alexa will enter 2018 as the RAW Women’s Champion and the future is bright for ‘Five Feet of Fury’.
6: The Bar
2017 has been the year for the revival of Sheamus and Cesaro. Ever since they put their differences aside to team together, the duo has established themselves as an elite level tag-team. The Bar entered 2017 as RAW Tag-Team Champions before losing them at the Royal Rumble to Gallows & Anderson.
They went on the put that behind them to win the RAW Tag-Team Championship twice more and almost entered 2018 with the belts around their waists but lost the titles to Seth Rollins and Jason Jordan on the last RAW of 2017.
Despite rumours of Sheamus’ spinal stenosis, we can expect a good 2018 from The Bar. I expect The Bar to win the belts back soon.
5: Kevin Owens
Kevin Owens could and should have been higher on this list but for a couple of baffling booking decisions – namely Golberg demolishing him and his current weak booking on SmackDown.
Despite these setbacks, Owens has had another incredible year. Starting off the year as WWE Universal Champion, he lost it to Goldberg soon after the Festival of Friendship, which was one of the best-booked segments on WWE TV this year. Owens went on to beat Chris Jericho at WrestleMania before exchanging it with him a couple of more times.
Owens lost the US Championship to AJ Styles at a house show in Madison Square Garden before winning it back at Battleground. Owens has since done well for himself on SmackDown despite losing the US Championship again on an episode of SmackDown. He had a high-profile segment with Vince McMahon where he headbutted the chairman of the board and busted him open. That led to a Hell In A Cell match with Shane McMahon which he won with the help of Sami Zayn and has since aligned himself with Zayn.
KO and Sami are currently engaged in a long-running storyline with Shane McMahon and that will hopefully lead to bigger things in 2018.
4: The Miz
The Miz has had an incredible year. He’s established himself as one of the greatest Intercontinental Champions in WWE history this year and with Maryse at his side, went from strength to strength. Miz lost his Intercontinental Championship on the first SmackDown episode of 2017 and moved onto a high-profile feud with John Cena and Nikki Bella which led to an inter-gender tag-team match at WrestleMania with Maryse at his side.
Despite losing the match, Miz and Maryse got an incredible reaction from the fans in the stadium.
After getting drafted to RAW, Miz won back the Intercontinental Championship, his seventh, at Extreme Rules. The Miz played his part in the return of The Shield as a faction along with Cesaro and Sheamus before teaming up with the latter (and Braun and Kane) to headline TLC 2017 against Rollins, Ambrose and the returning Kurt Angle.
Miz lost the IC Championship to Roman Reigns before going off WWE TV to film The Marine 6. Did we mention that he’s also having his first child with Maryse?
3: Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns has had another incredible year. Roman’s year has been defined by 4 things. Him beating Undertaker at WrestleMania and ‘retiring’ him, his incredible back and forth feud with Braun Strowman, the Shield reunion and finally winning the Intercontinental Championship.
With 2018 on the horizon, Roman goes in as Intercontinental Champion, feuding with Samoa Joe. It still looks like Roman will be the one to finally beat Brock Lesnar to bring the WWE Universal Championship back to our televisions on a weekly basis.
2: Braun Strowman
Braaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaun! 2017 has been the year Braun Strowman announced his arrival as one of WWE’s biggest stars. As aforementioned, Braun’s feud with Roman Reigns was incredible. He’s established himself as a merciless destroyer and is now a de-facto babyface.
The Fatal-4-Way match at SummerSlam against Brock, Roman and Joe saw Braun do some incredible things, including taking Brock to his limit. Although he didn’t win the title that night, he cemented his position at the top of RAW’s card.
His matches with the Big Show were actually pretty incredible and he should have beaten Brock for the Universal Championship.
Despite that minor setback, Braun has been continually booked as a monster. He destroyed Triple H after the RAW vs SmackDown Survivor Series match.
With 2018 on the horizon, Braun is set to challenge for the Universal Championship for the third time against Brock Lesnar and Kane.
1: AJ Styles
2017 has been the year of AJ Styles. He walked into 2017 as WWE Champion and he leaves it with the belt still on his capable shoulders. He lost the title to John Cena at the Royal Rumble in one of WWE’s best matches of the year. The following month, he lasted till the final two at the Elimination Chamber.
Styles moved on to a feud with SmackDown commissioner Shane McMahon which led to a match at WrestleMania 33, where AJ led Shane to one of the best matches of the latter’s career.
After Mania, Styles moved on to a feud with US Champion Kevin Owens, winning the title on July 7th at a house show in Madison Square Gardens. Styles lost the title to Owens at Battleground before winning it back a couple of days later in a triple threat that also involved Chris Jericho.
Styles retained the title at SummerSlam but lost it to Baron Corbin in a triple threat match that also involved Tye Dillinger at Hell In A Cell.
Styles then made an appearance at the RAW exclusive PPV TLC in a dream match against Finn Balor, which he lost. Styles then faced WWE Champion Jinder Mahal less than two weeks before Survivor Series on an episode of SmackDown in Manchester, England. Styles won the match to become the new WWE Champion, the first time the WWE Championship had changed hands on SmackDown since 2003.
Styles heads into 2018 with the WWE Championship around his waist and an incredible 2017 behind him. SmackDown Live really is the show AJ Styles built.
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