The 10 Best WWE Matches of 2017

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

Brock Lesnar sold that Calf Crusher like a champ!

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.