15. STEPPED UP: SHEAMUS. FROM A TECHNICAL STANDPOINT, IT COULD BE ARGUED
THAT SHEAMUS KIND OF SUFFERED A DOWNSLIDE THIS YEAR. THE MULTIPLE TIME FORMER WWE CHAMPION
IS NO LONGER TAKING ANY MAIN EVENT SPOTLIGHT, AND BY THE END OF 2017, IT LOOKED LIKE HE
PROBABLY WOULDN’T BE BACK IN SUCH POSITION FOR QUITE SOME TIME. ON THE OTHER HAND, THIS
WAS ALSO THE YEAR HIS TAG TEAM WITH CESARO, THE BAR, WENT FROM A RANDOM MISHMASH OF PARTNERS
WITH NOTHING IN COMMON INTO ONE OF THE HOTTEST ACTS IN WRESTLING TODAY. WHILE THE TEAM’S
ORIGINS AS FEUDING PARTNERS WAS PRETTY OLD HAT, THEIR GRADUAL DEVELOPMENT AS VICIOUS
YET CHIC EUROPEANS BROUGHT NEW LIFE IN SHEAMUS, CAUSING THE CELTIC WARRIOR TO APPEAR BETTER
IN THE RING THAN HE HAS IN YEARS. HE MIGHT BE STUCK IN THE TAG TEAM DIVISION FOR A LITTLE
BIT, BUT THAT MIGHT BE THE POSITION HE DESERVES RIGHT NOW.
14. JOKE: JASON JORDAN. SOMETIMES, THE WORST THING VINCE MCMAHON CAN
DO TO A WRESTLER IS PUSH THEM INTO THE SPOTLIGHT BEFORE THEIR READY. MOST OF THE TIME THESE
DAYS, FANS BRING THIS FACT UP IN RELATION TO ROMAN REIGNS AND WHY CROWDS REJECTED HIM.
HOWEVER, THERE’S ANOTHER PERFORMER PROVING WHY THIS IS SUCH A BAD IDEA, AND HE’S KURT
ANGLE’S IMAGINARY ILLEGITIMATE SON, JASON JORDAN. IN FAIRNESS, JORDAN IS DECENT IN THE
RING, AND HE HAD SOME PRETTY GREAT MATCHES AS PART OF THE TAG TEAM AMERICAN ALPHA IN
NXT. UNFORTUNATELY, THE KID IS ALSO A VACUUM OF CHARISMA, AND SLOTTING HIM INTO AN EXTREMELY
HIGH PROFILE ANGLE MADE THIS INCREDIBLY CLEAR TO EVERYONE WHO WATCHES HIM TRY AND CUT A
PROMO. WITH THE CROWD UNABLE TO ACCEPT JORDAN AS A NOTEWORTHY SUPERSTAR, IT’S HARD FOR
HIS MATCHES TO MATTER ALL THAT MUCH EITHER, AND THUS EVERY SOLO MATCH HE’S HAD HAS FALLEN
SIGNIFICANTLY SHORT OF HIS NXT OUTPUT. 13. STEPPED UP: CODY RHODES.
FOR ALL VINCE MCMAHON DOES TO TRY AND CONVINCE THE WORLD WWE IS THE BE ALL END ALL OF SPORTS
ENTERTAINMENT, TIME AND AGAIN, SELECT WRESTLERS HAVE PROVEN THE EXACT OPPOSITE MAY BE THE
CASE. IN 2017, NO ONE HAS DONE MORE TO FOSTER THE IDEA WWE IS THE ONLY GAME IN TOWN THAN
CODY RHODES, WHO WRESTLED FOR MCMAHON FROM 2006 TO 2016, WHICH HE DECIDED WAS LONG ENOUGH.
SINCE THEN, CODY HAS BEEN APPEARING IN JUST ABOUT EVERY NOTEWORTHY INDEPENDENT PROMOTION
AROUND, AND IRONICALLY, IT’S NOW MORE THAN EVER THAT HE LOOKS LIKE A TRUE SUPERSTAR.
WHEREVER CODY GOES, HE’S INSTANTLY SLOTTED INTO THE MAIN EVENT AND CHALLENGING FOR TOP
TITLES, INCLUDING THE ROH CHAMPIONSHIP THAT HE NOW HOLDS. SOME MIGHT ARGUE THIS DOESN’T
MATTER, BECAUSE WWE OFFERED HIM MORE MAINSTREAM VISIBILITY, BUT RHODES HIMSELF SHATTERS THAT
NOTION BY POINTING OUT HE’S ALSO MAKING MORE MONEY THAN EVER BEFORE, SO EXPOSURE ITSELF
DOESN’T REALLY MATTER. BEING A GREAT WRESTLER DOES, THOUGH, AND THAT’S WHAT CODY’S BEEN
DOING THIS YEAR. 12. JOKE: TRIPLE H.
ON THE ONE HAND, IT PROBABLY FEELS A LITTLE BIT UNFAIR TO INCLUDE TRIPLE H AS ONE OF THE
WRESTLERS WHO DECLINED THE MOST OVER THE PAST YEAR. THE GAME ONLY WRESTLED TWO TELEVISED
MATCHES PLUS A HANDFUL OF HOUSE SHOW APPEARANCES, AND IT’S NOT LIKE HIS FACE WAS ALL OVER
THE TV THE SAME WAY IT HAS BEEN IN THE PAST. HOWEVER, THE MERE FACT THE WWE COO CONTINUES
TO UNNECESSARILY INSERT HIMSELF INTO MAIN EVENT STORYLINES AS HIS POWER INCREASES BACKSTAGE
IS NOT A GOOD SIGN. IT’S ALSO WORTH NOTING THAT THOSE TWO MATCHES HE HAD ON SCREEN WEREN’T
THAT GOOD. FIRST, HE WRESTLED SETH ROLLINS IN A NON-SANCTIONED MATCH AT WRESTLEMANIA
33 TO LITTLE ACCLAIM, FOLLOWED BY A HIGHLY MALIGNED SURVIVOR SERIES MATCH, EARNING SPECIAL
CRITICISM FOR THE FACT HE PUT HIMSELF OVER THE ENTIRE ROSTER BY WINNING THE DAMN THING
BASICALLY ON HIS OWN. BOTH TIMES, FANS HAD THEIR FINGERS CROSSED HOPING IT WOULD BE GAME
OVER, YET IT UNFORTUNATELY DOESN’T LOOK LIKE THAT’S THE CASE JUST YET.
11. STEPPED UP: ALEXA BLISS. WHEN WWE STARTED PROMOTING THE IDEA OF A WOMEN’S
WRESTLING REVOLUTION, SUPERSTARS LIKE SASHA BANKS, CHARLOTTE FLAIR, PAIGE, AND BAYLEY
WERE SELECTED TO LEAD THE CHARGE. IN 2017, THOUGH, IT SEEMS LIKE THE WWE WOMAN OF THE
YEAR MAY WELL HAVE BEEN THE FIVE FEET OF FURY WHO CALLS HERSELF ALEXA BLISS. DESPITE HER
SMALLER STATURE, BLISS WON THE SMACKDOWN WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP SHORTLY AFTER HER ARRIVAL IN
2016, AND ONE YEAR LATER, SHE’S SINCE JUMPED TO RAW AND WON THAT BRAND’S WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP,
AS WELL. IT ALSO FEELS LIKE BLISS IS GETTING BETTER ON THE MICROPHONE PRACTICALLY EVERY
WEEK, WITH HER FACIAL EXPRESSIONS AND CHARISMA IMPROVING WHENEVER SHE’S ON CAMERA. OF COURSE,
THE MATCHES ARE INCREASING IN QUALITY AS WELL, SHOWING SHE’S COMPLETELY DESERVING OF THIS
EXTRA SPOTLIGHT. WWE STILL ISN’T BOOKING ITS LADIES ALL THAT WELL IN GENERAL, BUT WITH
WOMEN LIKE LITTLE MISS BLISS HANDLING THE MATERIAL, WE HAVE FAITH THEY’LL START GETTING
IT RIGHT SOON ENOUGH. 10. JOKE: RANDY ORTON.
AT THE BEGINNING OF 2017, THERE WAS A RUMOR VINCE MCMAHON MADE A GRANDSTANDING ANNOUNCEMENT
THAT RANDY ORTON WOULD BE THE FACE OF HIS COMPANY FOR THE NEXT YEAR. FOR AT LEAST SIX
MONTHS, THAT VERY MUCH SEEMED TO BE THE CASE, AS ORTON WON THE ROYAL RUMBLE AND THEN WENT
ON TO REIGN AS WWE CHAMPION FOR THE NINTH TIME AFTER DEFEATING BRAY WYATT AT WRESTLEMANIA
33. THE DOWNSIDE IS THAT MCMAHON PICKED A PRETTY TERRIBLE WRESTLER TO REPRESENT THE
WWE UNIVERSE, AND HE’S BEEN MAKING THE EXACT SAME HORRIBLE MISTAKE FOR OVER A DECADE NOW.
TO MANY FANS, RANDY ORTON HAS ALWAYS BEEN OUTRAGEOUSLY BLAND AND BORING IN THE RING,
WITH ABSOLUTELY NO CHARISMA OR UNIQUE RING SKILLS TO BACK UP HIS TOP LEVEL POSITION.
SURE, ORTON HAS A GOOD PHYSIQUE, AND HIS RESUME LOOKS IMPRESSIVE, BUT THE GUY HAS BORED THE
HELL OUT OF FANS FOR OVER A DECADE AND JUST KEEPS GETTING WORSE. FORGET ROMAN REIGNS;
IT’S ORTON WHO VINCE MCMAHON NEEDS TO GIVE UP ON ALREADY.
9. STEPPED UP: THE AUTHORS OF PAIN. IT WAS BARELY OVER A YEAR AGO THAT AKAM AND
REZAR APPEARED OUT OF NOWHERE AT NXT TAKEOVER: THE END TO ATTACK FORMER NXT TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS,
AMERICAN ALPHA. IN A MOVE THAT SEEMS JUST A LITTLE UNFAIR IN RETROSPECT, THE MANY ARMCHAIR
WWE CRITICS ON THE INTERNET WERE VERY QUICK TO CAST ASIDE THESE TWO NEW GIANTS AS SLOW
AND UNCOORDINATED. IT IS TRUE THAT THE AUTHORS OF PAIN LOOKED A LITTLE OUT OF PLACE IN THE
MODERN WWE UNIVERSE, THEIR LOOK AND DESTRUCTIVE ATTITUDE MAKING THEM LOOK LIKE THEY SHOULD
HAVE BEEN AROUND BACK IN THE 1980S. THEIR FIRST FEW MATCHES FURTHER FOSTERED THIS IDEA,
AS THEY WERE SHORT, SUCCINCT CHARGES WHERE THEY DIDN’T LOOK ALL THAT SPECIAL. HOWEVER,
THEY STARTED GETTING IT TOGETHER DURING THE DUSTY RHODES TAG TEAM CLASSIC, AND HAVE ONLY
CONTINUED IMPROVING SINCE WINNING THE TITLES THEMSELVES IN JANUARY. THEY’VE GONE ON TO
HOLD THOSE BELTS FOR ALMOST A FULL YEAR NOW, WITH NOW END TO THEIR DESTRUCTION IN SIGHT,
AND THE MATCHES JUST KEEP GETTING BETTER, TOO.
8. JOKE: THE BIG SHOW. HAVING BEEN IN THE WRESTLING SPOTLIGHT MUCH
LONGER THAN THE AVERAGE SUPERSTAR, IT’S QUITE POSSIBLE THE BIG SHOW HAS BEEN THE FOCUS
OF MORE “SURPRISE COMEBACKS” THAN ANY OTHER SUPERSTAR IN HISTORY. THAT SAID, HIS
EARLY 2017 COMEBACK WAS GENUINELY ONE OF THE MOST SHOCKING YET, DUE LARGELY TO THE FACT
HE LOST AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF WEIGHT AND WAS SPORTING IMPRESSIVE ABDOMINAL MUSCLES
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HIS CAREER. THEN AGAIN, SO WHAT THE GIANT HAPPENED TO HAVE ABS? HE
STILL TOTALLY SUCKS INSIDE THE RING, AND WORKING HIS WAY TO A SIX PACK DIDN’T MAKE THE VERY
BLAND GIANT FORMULA THAT HAS SHAPED EVERY MATCH HE WRESTLED HIS ENTIRE CAREER. BECAUSE
HE’S STILL VERY BIG AND VERY TALL, THOUGH, VINCE MCMAHON KEEPS PUSHING THE EMBODIMENT
OF ALL THINGS LARGE INTO THE MAIN EVENT, ALLOWING HIM TO DRAG DOWN NEW SUPERSTARS LIKE BRAUN
STROWMAN WITH REPEAT WEAK MATCHES. 7. STEPPED UP: KENNY OMEGA.
EVEN WRESTLING FANS WHO ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY WATCH WWE SHOULD BE WELL AWARE OF NEW JAPAN
PRO WRESTLING’S RISING NEW STAR, KENNY OMEGA. THE SELF-PROCLAIMED CLEANER EARNED A SECOND
NICKNAME AS THE BEST BOUT MACHINE THROUGHOUT 2017, WRESTLING NOT ONE BUT THREE MATCHES
AGAINST IWGP WORLD CHAMPION KAZUCHIKA OKADA THAT EARNED AN UNPRECEDENTED SIX STARS OR
MORE FROM WRESTLING CRITIC DAVE MELTZER. THERE WAS ALSO A 5 ¾ STAR MATCH AGAINST TETSUYA
NAITO, AND IN EVERY MATCH, IT WAS OMEGA WHO HELD THE CROWD IN THE PALM OF HIS HAND. OBVIOUSLY,
HIS OPPONENTS WERE NO SLOUCHES, YET OMEGA’S SHOWMANSHIP AND FLASH IS TRULY SOMETHING SPECIAL,
A QUALITY HE’S SLOWLY BEEN DEVELOPING IN JAPAN AND ON AMERICAN INDIES FOR OVER A DECADE
NOW. THE CRAZY THING IS, OMEGA STILL HAS PLENTY OF POTENTIAL TO GET EVEN BETTER, AS HE’S
ONLY JUST RECENTLY STARTED TO SHOW US HOW TALENTED HE IS.
6. JOKE: BRAY WYATT. HOO BOY. THERE’S “GETTING WORSE” AND
THEN THERE’S A WRESTLER COMPLETELY DESTROYING HIS OR HER OWN CAREER. UNFORTUNATELY FOR ALL
THE “FIREFLIES” IN THE WWE UNIVERSE, THEIR CULT LIKE LEADER BRAY WYATT SUFFERED THE SECOND
FATE BEFORE 2017 WAS EVEN HALFWAY OVER. THE IRONY IS THAT THIS LOSS OF REPUTATION WAS
DIRECTLY RELATED TO WYATT WINNING HIS FIRST AND THUS FAR ONLY WWE CHAMPIONSHIP, AND GOING
ON TO WRESTLE ONE OF THE ABSOLUTE WORST MATCHES OF THE YEAR WHEN LOSING IT. WYATT’S ENSUING
FEUD WITH RANDY ORTON, WHO DEFEATED HIM FOR THE GOLD, WAS EMBARRASSING EVERY STEP OF THE
WAY, ESPECIALLY THEIR MUCH MALIGNED HOUSE OF HORRORS MATCH AT PAYBACK. PERHAPS BECAUSE
THE AUDIENCE WAS SO UNIVERSAL IN THEIR REJECTION OF WYATT’S PERFORMANCES IN THE RING, HIS
INTERVIEWS HAVE LARGELY DESCENDED INTO ABSOLUTE PURE NONSENSE, A FAR CRY FROM THE PSYCHOLOGICAL
MIND GAMES HE WAS CAPABLE OF NOT THAT LONG AGO. GIVEN THE WAY BRAY’S YEAR WENT, IT’S
HIGHLY DOUBTFUL HE’LL EVER HOLD THE WWE CHAMPIONSHIP AGAIN.
5. STEPPED UP: ANDRADE CIEN ALMAS. THANKS TO THE INTERNET AND VARIOUS WRESTLING
INSIDERS SOMEHOW REPORTING ON VIRTUALLY EVERY THOUGHT TO PASS THROUGH VINCE MCMAHON’S
MIND, IT’S VERY RARE ANYTHING GENUINELY UNEXPECTED CAN HAPPEN IN THE WWE UNIVERSE.
FOR THIS REASON, IT WAS AN ESPECIALLY FEEL GOOD MOMENT WHEN ANDRADE CIEN ALMAS PULLED
OFF A MASSIVE UPSET AND DEFEATED DREW MCINTYRE FOR THE NXT CHAMPIONSHIP AT NXT TAKEOVER:
WAR GAMES. ALMAS HAS BEEN DELIVERING GREAT PERFORMANCES IN THE RING FOR NXT, AND HE WAS
A STANDOUT IN NEW JAPAN PRO WRESTLING AND MEXICAN PROMOTION CMLL FOR QUITE SOME TIME
BEFORE JUMPING TO WWE. STILL, ALMAS WASN’T EXACTLY PRESENTED AS A MAIN EVENT LEVEL TALENT
UP TO HIS BIG WIN, SEEN MORE AS A STEADY HAND IN THE MIDCARD WHO COULD ALWAYS DELIVER AN
ENTERTAINING PERFORMANCE. THAT HE MANAGED TO CAPITALIZE ON THAT AND BECOME CHAMPION
IS A GOOD SIGN FOR HOW NXT REWARDS THE HARD WORK OF ITS EMPLOYEES, AND HOPEFULLY IT WILL
TRANSLATE TO THE MAIN ROSTER PRETTY SOON. 4. JOKE: JINDER MAHAL.
HEY, THE WHOLE JASON JORDAN THING WASN’T ALL THAT GREAT, BUT AT LEAST IT DIDN’T DESTROY
THE MOST RESPECTED ACCOLADE IN THE WWE UNIVERSE. THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED WHEN JINDER
MAHAL WON THE WWE CHAMPIONSHIP, THOUGH, AND DESPITE EVERYTHING TRIPLE H AND VINCE MCMAHON
HAVE BEEN SAYING IN CANDID INTERVIEWS, IT’S BECAUSE THE CAREER JOBBER DIDN’T IMPROVE
IN THE SLIGHTEST UPON WINNING THE GOLD. IF ANYTHING, HE GOT A WHOLE LOT WORSE, WITH THE
ONE THING MAHAL ADDED TO HIS CHARACTER WORK AFTER BECOMING CHAMPION BEING GOLD OLD FASHIONED
RACISM. AS IF THAT WEREN’T HORRIBLE ENOUGH TO DISQUALIFY HIM ALREADY, THERE’S ALSO
THE ISSUE MAHAL HAS ALWAYS BEEN TERRIBLE IN THE RING, AND FORCING HIM TO WORK 20+ MINUTE
SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT SPECTACULAR MAIN EVENTS ISN’T HELPING MATTERS IN THE SLIGHTEST.
EVERY SECOND OF AIR TIME WWE GIVES MAHAL HE GETS A LITTLE BIT WORSE, AND THE MERE FACT
HE BUFFED UP HIS PHYSIQUE HAS DONE NOTHING TO CHANGE THIS.
3. STEPPED UP: THE VELVETEEN DREAM. THE FIRST TIME PATRICK CLARK WALKED DOWN THE
NXT AISLE AND STEPPED INTO A WRESTLING RING WEARING HIS PRINCE INSPIRED GEAR AS THE VELVETEEN
DREAM, REACTIONS SPANNED FROM MOCKERY TO LAUGHTER TO DISGUST TO A COMBINATION OF ALL THREE.
WHILE THE WWE AUDIENCE WAS MOST CERTAINLY INVOLVED IN THIS RESPONSE, THE LOUDEST VOICE
OF ALL GRADUALLY BECAME ALEISTER BLACK, A FELLOW NXT TALENT WHO FELT DREAM’S FLASHY
FLAMBOYANCE WAS AN INSULT TO THE SPORT. AS SUCH, BLACK REFUSED TO EVEN SAY THE DREAM’S
NAME, LEADING TO AN INCREDIBLE CAREER-DEFINING MATCH BETWEEN THE TWO AT NXT TAKEOVER: WAR
GAMES. ALTHOUGH DREAM LOST THE MATCH, IT WAS HIS INCREDIBLE RESILIENCE AND REFUSAL TO QUIT
THAT COMPLETELY STOLE THE SHOW. IN JUST ONE MATCH, DREAM WENT FROM A QUESTIONABLE JOKE
TO A SERIOUS THREAT, AND ODDLY ENOUGH, IT’S THE DUALITY OF THOSE TWO PERCEPTIONS THAT
SHOULD MAKE HIM A HUGE STAR IN THE NEAR FUTURE. 2. JOKE: KANE.
BY THIS POINT, WHENEVER KANE APPEARS ON WWE TELEVISION IT FEELS LIKE THE ENTIRE COMPANY
IS GETTING DRAGGED INTO HELL—AND NOT IN THE GOOD WAY. QUITE FRANKLY, THIS HAS BEEN
THE CASE SINCE AT LEAST 2011, AND IF ONE WAS TO ASK A MORE CYNICAL FAN, THEY MIGHT DIAL
THAT ALL THE WAY BACK TO 1999 OR SO. KANE’S CHARACTER HAS LITERALLY DONE EVERYTHING AT
THIS POINT, AND ONLY A VERY SMALL FRACTION OF IT WAS ENTERTAINING IN ANY MANNER OTHER
THAN THE CAR CRASH VARIETY. THIS PAST YEAR IN PARTICULAR HAS BEEN ATROCIOUS, AS KANE
NO LONGER HAS ANY PURPOSE OR RIGHT TO BE IN A RING ANYMORE. THE DUDE IS RUNNING FOR MAYOR
OF KNOX COUNTY FOR GOODNESS SAKE, ISN’T HE TOO BUSY FOR THIS STUFF? IN ANY EVENT,
WE PROBABLY WOULDN’T BE COMPLAINING IF HIS MATCHES WERE DECENT OR THE ANGLES PUT OVER
YOUNG STARS. UNFORTUNATELY, THE OPPOSITE IS TRUE IN BOTH CASES, AS ALL KANE DOES ANYMORE
IS STINK IT UP WITH WRESTLERS WHO SHOULD BE GETTING GROOMED FOR THE FUTURE.
1. STEPPED UP: BRAUN STROWMAN. OF ALL THE NAMES ON THIS LIST, THERE’S REALLY
NO DOUBT THAT BRAUN STROWMAN HAD THE BEST 2017 FROM A CAREER PERSPECTIVE. VINCE MCMAHON’S
LATEST AND GREATEST MONSTER HAS BEEN SLOWLY CLIMBING UP THE CARD SINCE SPLITTING WITH
THE WYATT FAMILY IN 2016, AND A NUMBER OF KEY MOMENTS OVER THE PAST 12 MONTHS HAVE SOLIDIFIED
HIM AS A TOP NAME FOR YEARS TO COME. FIRST, THERE WAS HIS INCREDIBLE BACKSTAGE ATTACK
ON ROMAN REIGNS THAT CULMINATED IN HIM DESTROYING AN AMBULANCE WITH THE BIG DOG INSIDE. LATER
ON, STROWMAN WRESTLED A NUMBER OF SIGNIFICANT MATCHES AGAINST WWE UNIVERSAL CHAMPION BROCK
LESNAR, INCLUDING DELIVERING THE STANDOUT PERFORMANCE IN THE FATAL FOUR WAY MAIN EVENT
OF SUMMERSLAM. THE ONLY DOWNSIDE OF STROWMAN’S BREAKOUT YEAR IS THAT VINCE MCMAHON HAS BEEN
RETICENT TO TRULY CAPITALIZE ON IT, AS THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF CHANCES FOR HIM TO WIN
THE WWE UNIVERSAL CHAMPION WHERE HE CAME UP SHORT. STILL, THERE’S A GOOD CHANCE HIS
DAY WILL STILL COME IN THE NEAR FUTURE, AND HE MAY JUST KEEP GETTING BETTER UNTIL IT DOES.