The 10 Best WWE Matches of 2017

December is now upon us, and all of the major WWE pay-per-views are now behind us. The lone remaining PPV of the year, Clash of Champions, of a developing card that doesn't look like it has much potential for a match of the year candidate, the best matches of 2017 have come into focus. It's very unlikely anything will top these in the next month, which looks like a semi-hibernation leading into WrestleMania season.

While the lows were very low this year, 2017 has arguably had the best programs and matches in years. Exactly what defines a good match is open to interpretation. It's not just the work rate or pace of action - if that were the case, the often lifeless cruiserweight matches would automatically become some of the best of the year.

Rather, the work rate needs to be combined with "the moment." A good match should have an electric atmosphere, something that's difficult to describe but lets you know you're seeing something special. All 10 of these matches delivered on that. Though no one will ever agree entirely on a list like this, I believe, in principle, most would have chosen the lion's share of these matches for a list of "top 10 of 2017."

Before we get into the best of the best, let's acknowledge some honourable mentions:

Tyler Bate vs. Pete Dunne (UK Tournament Final)
Kevin Owens vs. Roman Reigns (Royal Rumble)
Bray Wyatt vs. Seth Rollins vs. Roman Reigns vs. Finn Balor vs. Samoa Joe (Extreme Rules)
Asuka vs. Nikki Cross, Last Woman Standing match
The Usos vs. The New Day (Summer Slam)
Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins vs. Sheamus and Cesaro (SummerSlam)
Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins vs. Sheamus and Cesaro (No Mercy)
The Authors of Pain vs. SAnity vs. the Undisputed Era (NXT TakeOver: War Games)

#10 The Usos vs. The New Day (Hell in a Cell)

Usos vs. New Day Hell in a Cell — A Hell in a Cell match done right.

The Usos and the New Day carried SmackDown throughout its dismal summer and early fall. No match they had disappointed. Every segment they had delivered. Both teams proved they were the two best in the world. Yet, no team seemed to be able to gain a decisive advantage over the other.

The SmackDown Tag Team Championships changed hands numerous times and though a game of hot potato with the title is usually a bad thing, this time it wasn't as both teams were just that damn good. The Hell in a Cell match would act as it should this time around - the ultimate end to a blood feud.

The action kicked into high gear immediately as both teams left the ring to retrieve some toys. Each would have some adrenaline-pumping spots and the brutality would rage back and forth in a painful war of attrition. Big E dropped Xavier Woods with a chain wrapped around his fist? The Usos would respond by throwing a chair in the latter's face when he was on the top rope sometime later.

We also saw the use of entirely innovative weapons in this match. Trombones would be used as clubs and break apart spectacularly. Cowbells would appear. Kendo sticks became an entirely new kind of weapons system when both sides used them in conjunction with the cell to imprison their foes.

Handcuffs would later be used for that same purpose, with the Usos confining Xavier Woods in a manner that almost looked like a crucifixion, beating him with kendo sticks to make the similarity more complete. Big E would ultimately save him, only to take a flurry of superkicks.

The cell itself also saw liberal use as a weapon, with spears, body splashes, and shoulder tackles against its cold steel a frequent occurrence.

A still handcuffed Xavier Woods tried to turn the tide, taking another kendo stick beating for his efforts and receiving a Double Uce with a chair atop his body at the climax, giving the Usos the win and proving them the undisputed best tag team of 2017.

#9 Shane McMahon vs. Kevin Owens (Hell in a Cell)

SmackDown's programming looked bleak as fall began. With a gloomy Jinder Mahal title reign that still had no end in sight, the blue brand desperately needed a kick in its rear following a dismal summer. The Shane McMahon vs. Kevin Owens program was that kick in the rear.

Unfortunately, we were showed the weakness of having a set date for Hell in Cell matches once again this time, as the feud could have used a bit more buildup before going to the climax that a Hell in a Cell match should be. That didn't stop the match from being very good though, with the appropriate ending.

The match did last a bit longer than it needed to, but it was full of great spots that made it a roller coaster. Whenever it seemed to lull, there was a sudden spike in adrenaline that kept the crowd invested in it. We saw Kevin Owens go through a table by way of his own missed cannonball on Shane McMahon, then a Coast to Coast from Shane onto a downed Kevin Owens, crushing a garbage can into his face, but the most brutal spots in the match were still to come.

The appearance of bolt cutters signified that the action was heading outside the cell, and that's always where Hell in Cell matches become their most exciting and dangerous. Both men found themselves fighting on the roof of the cell for an extended period, and even though it's now been nearly 20 years since the infamous Undertaker/Mankind match, its ghost lingers strongly. You thought that somehow, someway, the cell roof would break with all the bumps that came on top of it, but after all the teases, it didn't come to pass. Your momentary letdown was short-lived however, as you saw two big bumps coming off the cell. The first came when Shane McMahon rammed Kevin Owens' head into the steel from a bit more than halfway up, sending him crashing through the announce table below. Shane by all rights had the match won at that point, but this was so personal that he wasn't finished delivering punishment.

Shane put Kevin Owens on the second announce table and went to the top of the cell. He jumped off, getting ready to drop an elbow through Owens' heart...only to find nothing but the announcer's table to fall through.

At the last second, Sami Zayn saved Kevin Owens' from Shane's most wrathful attack of the night, rolling Owens on top of the heap that had once been the SmackDown commissioner for the pinfall. In the last bit of excellent storytelling, we saw Kevin Owens leaving on his feet with assistance, but Shane McMahon being carried out on a stretcher.

Sami Zayn's heel turn that night was shocking, but it's given him a much-needed second wind in the closing period of the year. Gone from doing nothing, he's become one of SmackDown's most prominent acts. A good match should create long-term ripples and this one succeeded in doing that.

#8 The Authors of Pain vs. #DIY vs. The Revival (NXT TakeOver: Orlando)

It was only logical that the three best tag teams in NXT would collide before the Revival got called up to the main roster. We got a treat on their way out.

The question early on was whether the Revival and #DIY could set aside their differences and team up against the much more formidable threat in the Authors of Pain. That seemed to be the case when the bell rang, as each team went after Akam and Rezar, respectively. Yet, once those two were down temporarily (and a table was set up for good measure), the alliance quickly broke down.

Though this was a triple threat tag team match, only two people could be in the ring at once, which added an element of suspense to the match. It was pure chaos, as each member of each team was a moving part that could (and did) hit hard at any time. One very notable spot had both members of #DIY struggling to powerbomb Rezar through the table they'd set up. The Revival ran across the ring to help them, pushing the big man off the apron into the powerbomb. The crowd exploded. Suddenly, Akam was facing four men. He seemed to do a good job and quickly got Ciampa in trouble, but he tagged in the Revival, who in turn double teamed Akam. The big man soon found himself facing a reverse Figure Four and the Gargano Escape at the same time!

The other two men kept a returning Rezar away as long as they could, but the big man was just too powerful, charging through them to break up the submission. Rezar would soon find himself on the end of a double superkick courtesy of Dawson and Gargano for his efforts. The Revival hit their finisher on Akam, but both Authors of Pain rolled out of the ring. Suicide dives would follow them. Then came a superplex from Dawson to Ciampa which took out everyone.

Unfortunately for #DIY and the Revival, the Authors of Pain would recover first, and they hit the Last Chapter on Ciampa, taking #DIY out of the match. From there, the Authors of Pain demolished the Revival to walk out of Orlando still the NXT Tag Team Champions, much to the chagrin of the crowd. At least they got their money's worth in seeing this war.

#7 AJ Styles vs. Shane McMahon (WrestleMania 33)

In a twist of sorts, this time the boss was the hero and his antagonist, AJ Styles, the villain, even though the crowd was completely on AJ's side.

The bout began surprisingly, with Shane McMahon putting on something of a technical show, while AJ Styles threw strikes, only to find himself outclassed in that area. AJ responded with a baseball slide that sent Shane McMahon tumbling over the announcer's table. Taking his boss back inside the ring, AJ then went to work, with Shane McMahon rallying after countering a Phenomenal Forearm attempt.

Shane's rally looked to be stopped when AJ put him into the Calf Crusher, but it was countered into a rear naked choke, then an armbar, then another hold that looked like but wasn't quite the Rings of Saturn. When both men got to their feet, they took each other down with clotheslines. AJ seemed to recover faster and tried a 450 splash, but it was countered into a triangle choke, which was really cool to see. It followed with another awesome counter when AJ somehow got the Styles Clash, but it was only with one arm, so it was only good for a two count!

After Shane got the better of an exchange of blows when the competitors got to their feet, AJ accidentally took the referee out with an enziguri. Taking advantage of the situation, he brought a couple of trash cans into the ring and attempted a Coast to Coast on Shane with one in front of his face, but the SmackDown commissioner countered by hitting AJ in the face when he was coming in for landing! Shane would then show his nemesis how it was done by doing the move properly, just as the referee was stirring.

And yet, AJ kicked out at two! The crowd was going crazy! Shane wasn't about to stop there, as he put AJ on the announcer's table and went for an elbow drop from the turnbuckle, only for AJ to move away, leaving him with nothing but the table collapsing underneath him.

Once both men returned to the ring, AJ would attempt a Phenomenal Forearm, only to be countered into a DDT, but Shane's Shooting Star Press failed, which left him wide open to another Phenomenal Forearm, leaving AJ with the victory.

By far the best match at this year's WrestleMania, what made it even more incredible is that it was put on by a 40 year old and a 47 year old.

#6 Brock Lesnar vs. Braun Strowman vs. Samoa Joe vs. Roman Reigns (SummerSlam)

Brock Lesnar vs. Braun Strowman vs. Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe — This war shook the Barclays Center on its foundations.

After the depressing WWE Championship match between Jinder Mahal and Shinsuke Nakamura, this all-out war was exactly what SummerSlam needed. Along with the two tag team title matches, it saved the show. It was the culmination of a red hot program that had lit RAW's main event scene on fire all summer long. The only thing that hindered the build was the stipulation that Brock Lesnar would leave WWE if he lost. It made it a bit too obvious, sprinkled with some catnip for those fans who like to talk about backstage goings-on (with the idea that Brock may want to fight in the UFC again, in this case). Whatever. At least we got the war. Corey Graves said it best: "this thing may flatten the entire city!"

Brock Lesnar established dominance early on, suplexing Samoa Joe and Roman Reigns. Then came the confrontation we were waiting for, as Lesnar and Braun Strowman faced off. Roman Reigns and Samoa Joe came back to spoil the moment the fans wanted so badly, but were quickly swatted away, leaving us back with the Beast and the Monster. The Monster got the better of the exchange, throwing Lesnar out of the ring, and then total chaos descended on the Barclays Center.

Samoa Joe put Brock Lesnar into the Coquina Clutch, only for Roman Reigns to spear the Beast through the barricade, with Joe avoiding the attack. After some more bumps outside, Braun Strowman powerslammed Brock Lesnar through the furthest announce table, and the crowd went wild. After Roman temporarily took Braun out of action and Joe dived through the ropes onto him, the Monster responded by throwing one of the announcer's chairs at both of them, then powerslammed Brock Lesnar through the second announcer's table.

The mob viciously chanted for "one more table," but Braun Strowman surprised even them by flipping over the third table and dumping it onto Lesnar instead. That's when the Beast was temporarily taken out of action by EMTs. Braun mocked it all, beat Joe and Roman with the steel ring steps, then threw them over 20 feet into the ring for good measure.

Unfortunately, that's when things began to slow down a bit...by the standards of this match, anyway. We still did get a ton of high impact offense, including a double chokeslam by Braun on Roman and Joe. Brock Lesnar came back shortly afterward and more offense was traded, including a really horrible looking spear by Roman on Lesnar. Roman followed this with a general spam of Superman Punches that got somewhat tiresome, and the match in general saw a big trading of signatures and finishers at this point. Ultimately, it ended with Brock Lesnar delivering the F5 to Roman Reigns for the pin, which was surprising, as many thought Joe would take the fall.

Braun Strowman was the star of the match. It established him without doubt as a bona fide main eventer. Though the subsequent No Mercy match with Brock Lesnar was a big disappointment, this match was not only great, it helped to elevate a new talent permanently to the main event picture. That's what a great match should do.

#5 Brock Lesnar vs. AJ Styles (Survivor Series)

The WWE faithful have increasingly grown tired of Brock Lesnar as the years have passed since his big return to the squared circle. While he brings a big fight feel to all his feuds, ably assisted by his humble advocate Paul Heyman, his ring work has been very hit or miss. Very disappointing bouts over the years with the likes of Dean Ambrose and Braun Strowman had many leery that, while this was a dream match, it wouldn't be able to live up to the hype. Yet, to everyone's pleasure, it did. The match also established without a doubt that AJ Styles is the greatest in-ring performer in the world.

At the beginning, it looked like it could be yet another Suplex City match. Shades of the infamous SummerSlam 2014 squash of John Cena weren't far from mind. Michael Cole said himself what we were all thinking.

And yet it all proved to be a ruse, because AJ Styles exhibited one of the most exciting comebacks of the year. He countered an F5 attempt, and the offense mounted from there. Smartly going for Brock Lesnar's knees to take his legs out from under him, AJ followed with everything he had at his disposal - pele kicks, a moonsault, a 450 splash, shoving Lesnar's aching knee into the steel steps, and several Phenomenal Forearms, including one to the outside.

Brock would still have his spots that showed his power, halting AJ's momentum...but only temporarily. Whenever Brock Lesnar attempted the F5, AJ Styles found a way out, including the most thrilling moment of the match when he countered it into the Calf Crusher. The crowd was going crazy and Lesnar's selling was top notch - for a moment, you actually believed he might tap out. It was not to be, as he thrashed AJ Styles to break the hold, but was soon met with another Phenomenal Forearm for a near fall, only the second pin attempt in the match to that point.

The next Phenomenal Forearm attempt was finally met with an F5 for the victory.

Sure, everybody knew Brock was going to win, but AJ Styles made that crowd start to feel otherwise throughout his scrappy comeback. It was an underdog story told in the best way, one which WWE has so often failed at these days, and compared to the catastrophe we would have gotten with the originally scheduled Brock Lesnar vs. Jinder Mahal bout, this was a true miracle match.

#4 Asuka vs. Ember Moon (NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III)

Many people expected Asuka to join the main roster after WrestleMania, so they thought she'd drop the NXT Women's Championship to Ember Moon at TakeOver: Orlando. That didn't happen, and in the subsequent months, she both surpassed Goldberg's undefeated streak and became the longest reigning WWE champion of any kind in the modern era. With those accolades under her belt, her rematch against Ember Moon had even more people anticipating that this could be "it," as surely, there wasn't anything left for her to do in NXT and the main roster beckoned. That turned out to be the case...but there was a twist.

The program was built well. In addition to the records looming over the match, Asuka had cheated to beat Ember Moon in Orlando, and then deliberately inflicted an injury on her to keep her out of action at TakeOver: Chicago. Now was the time for Asuka to pay. Added to this was a seemingly freakish coincidence - the "great American eclipse" would take place only two days later. All of these things came together with a brilliant promo and electric atmosphere to catch lightning in a bottle.

It started on fire, with Ember taking the fight to the champion as soon as the bell rang. A second rope cannonball to Asuka on the outside let you know right away that this wasn't going to be a slowly-worked match. It was going to be hard-fought throughout, adding even more adrenaline to the eruption we were all expecting.

Ember's advantage didn't last long, as Asuka drove her previously injured shoulder into the steel steps and then into the ramp with a suplex. That shoulder would be a target throughout. A series of vicious holds essentially took it from Ember's arsenal, but that didn't stop her by itself. Ember used her other arm, her legs, and anything else available.

Both competitors tried to get the Asuka Lock, and Asuka seemed to finally succeed...but never took her opponent to the floor, so Ember just slammed the champion on her back. Then, like a lion in an ambush, Asuka snapped into another Asuka Lock attempt on her seated opponent, but Ember reversed it into a pin, forcing the champ to let go. A running elbow by Ember evened it all up again. Offense was traded back and forth as Ember slowly began to take control, all the way till she hit an Eclipse out of nowhere. This was the exclamation point that had been building for months! The streak was over!

...Yet, Asuka kicked out, and the crowd exploded. It was going to take more than one Eclipse, no matter how potent the finisher was, it seemed! We then got a rewind from Orlando, when Asuka used the referee for protection from another Eclipse, but this time Ember was ready. She tried a crossbody, but Asuka reversed it into a rollup, only for the referee to spot her cheating by grabbing Ember's trunks!

The two false finishes made you believe it was anyone's game...again, all the way to the end. Ember immediately connecting with a superkick put the exclamation point on that. Unfortunately for her, Asuka played possum, lured her into the Asuka Lock, and her streak continued.

This match showed that while the "women's revolution" has been reduced more to a talking point than a fact on the main roster this year, NXT can always be relied upon to keep that torch lit.

#3 Aleister Black vs. Velveteen Dream (NXT TakeOver: War Games)

We all knew that this had the potential to steal the show in Houston the night before Survivor Series, but never did I expect that it would come close to stealing the entire year!

The feud leading into Houston was one of the best of the year. It was a clash of polar opposites, with the flamboyant Velveteen Dream demanding recognition from the stoic, serene, and mysterious Aleister Black. The character work by both men was superb, but it all would have fallen flat if the match disappointed. We knew that was unlikely and were proven right.

Before the bell even rang, Velveteen Dream let us know that this thing would be on fire when he revealed Rick Rude-style tights embroidered with Aleister Black's face on one leg and his own on the other. You had to burst out laughing from that alone.

The match began on an odd note, with Aleister Black attempting to outwrestle the bigger Velveteen Dream instead of utilizing his greatest strength in his striking ability.

What really set this match apart, however, was the psychological warfare between the two men, which was the best I can ever remember seeing in an actual wrestling match. Both men tried desperately to get inside each others' heads, with Black stoically sitting and paying little heed to Velveteen Dream's flamboyant mannerisms in the ring right next to him. Later, we saw Aleister Black imitating Dream's flamboyance to his astonishment, which was another moment you couldn't not laugh along with. Not to be outdone, Velveteen Dream would also flip the table, imitating Black's stoicism. Never have I seen taunts so weaponized as in this match.

Interspersed through this exchange of psychological shots, both competitors delivered their big moves. A wonderful DDT variation from Velveteen Dream saw a near fall, as did his signature Death Valley Driver. Never had Aleister Black looked as threatened as he did in this match.

Eventually, in a smart reversal stemming from the build, Aleister Black wound up tying Velveteen Dream within the ropes, and as he escaped, smashed him with the Black Mass for the pin.

Finally, after defeat, Aleister Black sat stoically beside the fallen Velveteen Dream who, even though downed, was still struggling for attention. In a showing that might have actually bordered on respect, Aleister Black remarked: "Enjoy infamy...Velveteen Dream."

Thus, Aleister Black said his name, giving Velveteen Dream everything he wanted in the first place.

This match did everything it should have - it made a star of Velveteen Dream while still keeping Aleister Black the most intimidating force in NXT.

#2 AJ Styles vs. John Cena (Royal Rumble)

AJ Styles and John Cena already had two encounters worthy of the "dream match" moniker that so many had fantasized about for so long, but this one surpassed even those. Adding the title to the fact that Styles had already beaten Cena twice, and questions of whether he had it anymore, made for a sizzling atmosphere, and the crowd, over 50,000 strong, was on fire.

The action started off a bit slow, with the commentary team annoyingly arguing about "what John Cena has to do" to win for too long, but both men began to pick up the pace with a series of reversals. It was a high-impact affair throughout. The work rate was a bit slow, but the moves that landed were big, neither man gaining a clear advantage for the longest time. It was anyone's game. Both the Attitude Adjustment and the Phenomenal Forearm failed. The selling by both men as the match went on was fantastic. You really felt them hurting after each big move.

Things really began to pick up when the Styles Clash attempt was countered into an Attitude Adjustment try, to then be countered into the Calf Crusher, only to again be countered into the STF, with John Cena dragging his opponent to the end of the ring to make sure it was locked in nice and tight. The suspense really began to grow, which was heightened even more with another AJ Styles reversal into a pin attempt, then an STF of his own!

We then saw a sequence where John Cena powered out of the STF, stood up with AJ on his shoulders, and attempted another Attitude Adjustment. This was reversed into a hurricanrana attempt, which was reversed again into the Figure Four. The Ric Flair symbolism wasn't lost on anyone, and it added even more to the match. The Figure Four was of course, reversed (you expected that, I'm sure) into an armbar, which John Cena then reversed into a powerbomb. He went to the top rope, only to then be countered into the Styles Clash, which he kicked out of, and the crowd was going nuts. Yet, John Cena was still in it enough to put his knees up to AJ's stomach when he went for his 450 splash, then connected with a sunset flip powerbomb.

John Cena's advantage still didn't seem to be enough to put AJ away, as he would go on to kick out of the super Attitude Adjustment, and the crowd's roar of disbelief echoed from San Antonio to the Gulf of Mexico. AJ Styles proved he was still in it by hitting a Styles Clash, but his attempt at a Phenomenal Forearm was in vain, as Cena, perhaps in a bit of bad selling (but no one noticed with the euphoric mood they were in) countered into two consecutive Attitude Adjustments to finally pick up the win.

How do you know this was amazing from top to bottom? The crowd had a mixed reaction to Cena as usual when it began. After it ended, Cena received a unanimous, thunderous ovation.

"We have witnessed absolute greatness by both performers," JBL convincingly remarked. Unfortunately, the WWE Championship picture in 2017 would be all downhill from here, the decline being perhaps the steepest for a championship in WWE history.

#1 Tyler Bate vs. Pete Dunne (NXT TakeOver: Chicago)

It's not often that the sequel surpasses the original, especially when it's as high in quality as the UK Tournament final between Tyler Bate and Pete Dunne was. This time, we saw the exception, and boy was it a treat.

The electricity was palpable even before the match began with the addition of JR on commentary. The Chicago crowd was overjoyed to see him.

The action started a bit slow with some technical wrestling, but these were no boring re-holds, as Bate managed a series of creative reversals. Things picked up rapidly when the action went outside, with a series of stiff shots from both men until Dunne hit a vicious suplex on the apron. From there, Dunne took control. His small joint manipulation just looked particularly nasty, adding to the gritty atmosphere the match had already taken on. Tyler Bate then tanked some vicious blows from Dunne to come back with a suplex, only then collapsing in pain. The psychology was good, adding yet more grittiness to the encounter.

Then came a series of blows and reversals ending with Pete Dunne reversing a standing shooting star press into an armbar/triangle choke, with some added punches to the joint and head for good measure. I erupted in laughter when first seeing it - never had I seen such a reversal! But it didn't take because Tyler Bate just showed off his strength and delivered a powerbomb.

For once, chants of "this is awesome" reflected reality.

A series of high-impact moves and reversals from both followed until we got what was the best exchange of blows in a WWE match I've ever seen. Both men's punches looked stiff to the max. Bate got the better of the exchange, but that wasn't enough to end it either, as we saw beautiful impacts and reversals, including both men escaping each other's finishers. The crowd was going nuts.

The game may have been given away when Dunne kicked out even after taking a moonsault and a 450 corkscrew from Bate, but no one seemed to mind. I didn't. Dunne soon hit the Bitter End for the win.

The greatness didn't even end after the pinfall, as you really felt for Tyler Bate after taking such a loss, much as you felt for Pete Dunne during his victory.

Tyler Bate vs. Pete Dunne was everything that a great match should be, and it showed that it isn't necessary to have endless finisher kick-outs to have a compelling contest. It was in many ways what things used to be - guys going all out and avoiding their opponents' finisher until one of them finally pulled the move off. Other contests should take note of this.