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Anytime someone gets to hold a championship, it is undoubtedly and rightfully marked as a successful year for that WWE Superstar. Forever after, they will be known and cemented as a former champion, a moniker reserved for some of the greatest athletes and performers that the sports entertainment industry has ever produced. From AJ Styles to Alexa Bliss, 2017 was a year of unmatched in-ring excellence with microphone skills that can inspire emotions of hate or love in the WWE Universe.
And while we had a lot of champions this year, we want to know which champion had the best 2017 out of the bunch. Was it Kevin Owen's and his stint as "the new face of America?" Was it Goldberg's final (maybe) title run? How about Mike "The Miz" Mizanin?
Let's take a look at the top 5 winning percentages for WWE champions this year to determine which WWE titleholder had the best 2017.
#5 Roman Reigns: 81.7 Win Percentage
Do you ever hear old school WWE fans talk about how "Roman Reigns is being shoved down our throats?" It's easy to equate this to a mere generational gap, or a complete craving for something new and unpredictable after leaving (yes, we're leaving) the John Cena era of WWE, but statistics show, Roman Reigns wins. Roman just doesn't win, Roman Reigns wins A LOT.
So far this year, Roman Reigns has fought 126 times, winning 103 of those matches, for a whopping 81.7% win percentage. This is the fifth best for anyone in the WWE who has held a title this year - meaning that perhaps the squared circle IS the Big Dog's yard.
With rumors swirling about a Reigns vs. Lesnar Wrestlemania battle forthcoming, we think 2018's win percentage will be even higher.
#4 Neville: 81.8 Win Percentage
Just edging out Roman Reigns by .1%, the fourth most successful WWE titleholder this year was Cruiserweight high-flyer (and tear, former WWE Superstar), Neville.
Not a lot of folks in the division got on the "Neville Level" this year, with the Superstar racking up 90 wins in 110 matches, equaling an 81.8 win percentage. It was undoubtedly a successful year for the Superstar, who for 11 months carried the entirety of the Cruiserweight Division on his back.
Ask any passing fan to name a Cruiserweight and you were likely only to get "Neville" as a response as he consistently wowed fans with his acrobatics and sheer athleticism. Anything but "sawft," Neville's eventual loss to Enzo Amore made for one of the greatest injustices of 2017.
#3 Dean Ambrose: 84.8 Win Percentage
No good Dean goes unhinged? The man definitely isn't punished by WWE brass as Dean Ambrose, the resident "lunatic fringe", racked up one of the most successful win percentages of the year, and ranks third on our list of most successful champions of 2017.
Thank god he wraps his fists, because Ambrose competed more often than anyone else on this list, totaling 128 wins out of 151 matches for a win percentage of 84.8%, good enough for third on the list.
Ambrose's successful 2017 was undoubtedly aided by two separate title runs, a 152-day title reign as Intercontinental Champion and a Shield Reunion tour that has resulted in him and Seth Rollins taking home the tag team titles for a 78-day reign. Ambrose has spent most of the year as some sort of champion, making it no surprise that he lands on our list.
#2 Naomi: 86.8 Win Percentage
If you were to ask most of the WWE Universe, they would argue that Alexa Bliss has had the most successful 2017 out of any WWE Women's Superstar. Unfortunately, while Bliss has held gold on both Smackdown Live and Raw, her win percentage from 2017 (41.2%) holds much to be desired.
In fact, it is Naomi, the former WWE Smackdown Women's Champion, who holds the second best win percentage in 2017 out of anyone to hold a title in WWE this year. Naomi has competed in 112 matches, with her hand being raised 97 times for an 86.6% win percentage.
After her apparent injuries at the hand of the Riott Squad, it appears Naomi will be away from the squared circle for some time. With that win percentage, we argue that she deserves it.
#1 Brock Lesnar: 92.9 Win Percentage
Part-timer or not, you have to admit that Brock Lesnar has had a pretty remarkable return to WWE, and his 2017 proves his worth to the company. Lesnar, through sheer presence, makes every competition he is in "major league."
The WWE Universal Champion has only competed for 14 times this year. 13 victories put Brock's win percentage at an unfathomable 92.9%. Do you want to know who those 13 victories are against?
The WWE Universal Champion has only competed 14 times this year. 13 victories put Brock's win percentage at an unfathomable 92.9%. Do you want to know who he beat for the title or defended it against?
- Goldberg
- Roman Reigns
- Samoa Joe
- Braun Strowman
Big time matches, indeed! We expect Brock to continue his championship-caliber performances all the way to Wrestlemania 34, where the 5th member to make our list, Roman Reigns, will conquer the best and begin his own dominant run as WWE Universal Champion.
