The WWE Network's
Ten Best Matches of 2017
For the third year in a row, I've written up my favorite matches from this past calendar year. On with the list...
BUT FIRST...
In a close race, Rusev vs. Randy Orton from SummerSlam 2017 edged out this year's Survivor Series main event, the Breezango/Ascension match from Money in the Bank 2017, and the Big Show/Big Cass match (also from SummerSlam) to earn the unwanted recognition of 2017's Worst Match of the Year. Non-congrats to the severely underrated Rusev!
The Velveteen Dream vs. Aleister Black - NXT Takeover: WarGames
In 2017, Aleister Black arrived in NXT to a ton of hype. I was unfamiliar with the European indy vet and criticized his derivative gimmick in my review of his debut. Then, in August, he and Hideo Itami almost stole the show with a super stiff slugfest that left Black with a bloody nose. At WarGames, Black had an even better showing against the comparatively inexperienced Velveteen Dream. The Dream's Prince-inspired gimmick is goofy, but the juxtaposition with The Dutch Destroyer's black metal dude character resulted in an undeniably great clash of personalities and styles. Everything these two did before, during, and after the match served the story, elevating this from typical midcard filler to a deeply personal, high-stakes affair.
Shane McMahon vs. Kevin Owens - Hell in a Cell 2017
I should've hated this match. Shane McMahon's previous Hell in a Cell match, against The Undertaker at WrestleMania 32, was my least favorite match of 2016 and this match wasn't all that dissimilar. However, the differences were important enough to win me over. For starters, unlike the supernatural Deadman, Kevin Owens is the most "human" Superstar in the WWE, a bully but not a super-athlete, not a highly-trained grappling specialist, not a 7' foot monster or a high-flying, lightning-quick cruiser. Owens is a gruff-and-tough Everyman, which means that seeing him sell for Shane doesn't require nearly as much suspension of disbelief as it did to believe the untrained 45 year-old businessman could go toe-to-toe with the WWE's mythical Phenom. Plus, unlike his MMA-cosplaying at WrestleMania 32, Shane O-Mac kept the poorly-applied submission moves to a minimum here, saving the audience from having to see him try to win a blood feud with a Sharpshooter. The obligatory minutes spent atop the cage added to the central conflict and felt justified too, another glaring difference between this match and the WrestleMania 32 debacle.
Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman - Payback 2017
Anyone puzzled by why a growing portion of internet wrestling fans came around on Roman Reigns in 2017 owes it to themselves to watch (or re-watch) this match. Hovering around the 10 minute mark, its also the most digestible matches on this list. Just as his Royal Rumble 2007 performance against Umaga helped John Cena silence his harshest critics, Reigns' tremendous selling and fiery flurries of offense in this match were pitch perfect. This is how a top babyface performs. Meanwhile, Strowman is Strowman here - the WWE's first real Next Big Thing since their last real Next Big Thing.
10. Cena v. Styles v. Ambrose v. Wyatt v. Corbin v. The Miz - Elimination Chamber 2017
Unlike your typical cage match, the Elimination Chamber's awkward physical structure and equally awkward match structure puts a bit of a ceiling on the stipulation's potential. This year, though, the WWE wisely hedged their bets, opening the match with the company's aces, John Cena and AJ Styles, running through a greatest hits before the brand-mates were introduced. A match like this relies on constant barrages of signature offense delivered in rapid succession and, fortunately, Wyatt, Corbin, Miz, and Ambrose all have recognizable, crowd-popping arsenals at their disposal. In large part thanks to yet another captivating performance by Styles and the gutsy-in-hindsight decision to give Wyatt the strongest showing possible, this match was deservedly hailed as the best Elimination Chamber in company history.
9. AJ Styles vs. Brock Lesnar - Survivor Series 2017
A few years back I participated in a Greatest Wrestler Ever Poll on the ProWrestlingOnly forum, a more nerdy hive of wrestling dweebs one could not find in this or any galaxy. The posters at "PWO" put my WWE/WCW-centric wrestling knowledge to shame. Required to rank 100 wrestlers to even have their ballot counted, you were in the minority if Kurt Angle found a spot in your top 75. These are fans that can talk the intricacies of obscure lucha and Japanese wrestling from 20 years ago like it happened last week.
I, meanwhile, put Brock Lensar somewhere around #5 and ranked Diamond Dallas Page at #27. To put it in cinematic terms, that's like arguing Gone Girl deserves to be in the same conversation as The Treasure of Sierra Madre.
I include this detail only to say that tasked with writing a new list, I'm not sure where Lesnar would rank - but his work since 2015 would likely push him out of my top 10. His matches against the Wyatt Family, Dean Ambrose, and Randy Orton were underwhelming and gimmicky. The guarantee that he'd be taking his opponents to "Suplex City" was a terrific selling point in three years ago, but is a tired trope now. While his WrestleMania match against Goldberg was a fun sprint and his matches against Samoa Joe and Braun Strowman showed shades of past glories, Lesnar's legacy as the must-see performer of his era needed some rehabilitation going into Survivor Series.
Enter AJ Styles, the WWE's resident miracle worker, capable of pulling career matches out of just about anyone (save for maybe Kevin Owens). Like his bouts against Reigns, Ambrose, and Corbin, Styles brought out the best in his opponent here, bumping with gusto and delivering arduous, strategic offense in return. If the outcome, like most every Lesnar match, was never in question, Styles refused to let that limit his performance or the story that could be told. While not quite long enough to be called a timeless epic, its brevity may be the only valid criticism one could levy against it.
8. Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman - Great Balls of Fire!
At Payback 2017, Reigns and Strowman gave us a truncated version of a 92' Sting/Vader classic. Reigns played the vulnerable babyface and Strowman the dominant monster. It was fantastic.
Two months later, though, the roles had shifted a bit. Braun came into the awfully-titled (but otherwise excellent) Great Balls of Fire! show with more credibility, while Reigns was no longer in just survival mode. Their Payback match benefitted from a tried-and-true framework (injured face valiantly battles monster heel), while this one was saddled with one of the harder stipulations to pull off, the Ambulance Match gimmick that, to my knowledge, has never yielded a match as entertaining as this one.
With the use of weapons legal and the goal of the match to shove your opponent into the back of an ambulance, it was unavoidable that this "wrestling contest" would break down into a wild brawl. Still, without adequate escalation of violence, wild brawls don't always equate to thrilling matches. Reigns and Strowman (and whoever the agent was for this match) wisely build the suspense and intensity by bringing the match to new settings, introducing fresh firepower, and refusing to stop the chaos even after the victor's arm has been raised.
7. Reigns vs. Lesnar vs. Joe vs. Strowman - SummerSlam 2017
In a year full of very fun multi-man matches from the WWE, this one was the best of the bunch. If you're looking for nuanced storytelling and a slow burn, look elsewhere, but what this match does do incredibly successfully is give the audience moment after moment of intriguing pairings and hard-hitting action. The physicality between Lesnar and Reigns nods to their unfinished business from WrestleMania 31 while Strowman and Lesnar's segments point to the still-untapped potential of a months-long rivalry between the behemoths. Samoa Joe takes a bit of a backseat, but he's subtly brilliant as the spoiler throughout, the dark horse picking his spots, practically salivating at the chance to lock in his Clutch knowing it's his best and only chance to leave with the Universal Championship.
The added bonus was that, going into the event, there was a question mark hovering over The Beast, rumored to be returning to the Octagon at the time. While the behind-the-scenes Lesnar drama certainly helped make the match less predictable, re-watches hold up thanks to a star-making performance out of Strowman, Lesnar's undeniably excellent selling, and a red hot Brooklyn crowd.
6. Tyler Bate vs. Pete Dunne - NXT Takeover: Chicago
Full disclosure: I didn't watch the WWE's UK Tournament. I also didn't watch the Mae Young Classic or the Cruiserweight tournament in 2016 either. A look at my blog posts reveal its not that I didn't have the time to watch these universally lauded events, I just chose to watch shit like WCW Capitol Combat 90': Return of Robocop instead.
So, Tyler Bate and Pete Dunne were nobodies to me when they came out for their grudge match at NXT Takeover: Chicago. Fortunately, the rabid Chicago crowd let me know early on that I should keep my eyes on the ring. They start things off with a dazzling sequence of mat wrestling before proceeding to put on absolute clinic of every other style imaginable. These two fought like their careers were on the line, refusing to have anything less than the best match of their careers. Bridging the gap between "indy spotfest" and WWE main event style, this match earned a warranted "Fight Forever" chant before it was all said and done. The fact that the WWE didn't immediately push Pete Dunne to the moon after this show was one of the great mysteries of 2017.
5. Asuka vs. Ember Moon - NXT Takeover: Brooklyn III
One of the smartest worked matches of the year, Ember Moon arrived with a clear strategy to do the impossible against the undefeated Asuka, this through line lending the match a story structure impossible to not get sucked in by. Unable to score a quick fall early, Moon went for broke at every turn and, wisely, worked intensely to avoid Asuka's deadly kicks. As I noted in my original review, there were some questionable moments, but instead of getting disoriented, the slight miscues seemed to inspire both of the women to put more oomph in their next big slam, take an even harsher bump, and extra force behind their strikes. By the end of the match, Asuka had clearly been pushed to her limit and Moon had established herself as her greatest challenger, the final minutes containing some of the best false finishes of the year. Throw in excellent character work that revealed emotional depth where there hadn't necessarily been any before and you have one of the division's all-time best matches.
4. John Cena vs. AJ Styles - Royal Rumble 2017
Considering how well-received their matches at SummerSlam and Money in the Bank were in 2016, it was no surprise to learn that John Cena would challenge AJ Styles for his WWE World Championship at the Royal Rumble last January. Like a video game cheat code, putting this pairing on any bill practically guarantees you'll have at least one stand-out, must-see match on the show.
Still, like many storied rivalries of the past, there's always some question as to when enough is enough. Mick Foley had to hurl himself off the top of a cage to make his dozenth match against the Undertaker seem special. In 2015, crowds actively booed the announcement of a John Cena/Randy Orton match. While Cena and AJ hadn't worked as extensively as those other pairings, their first bouts featured so much bomb-throwing that it was hard to imagine what new heights they could even reach.
Somehow, their match at the Rumble topped everything they'd done before. Their previous bouts could never be called sloppy, but here, the transitions and execution was impeccable. AJ Styles, as over as he was in August 2016, was much more established 4 months later thanks to a strong heel run with the World Title. Cena, having been usurped as "The Face That Runs The Place," used his time away recharging his batteries and looked more driven and spirited at the Rumble than he'd looked in years.
For 24 minutes, Cena and Styles tried to dish out every signature spot they had only to find their opponent had it scouted, leading to several awe-inspiring counters and unique variations on old stand-bys. When that didn't work, Cena would toss in JBL-esque clotheslines and Styles would straight-up backhand Cena in the face, the brutality of the strikes almost overshadowing the incredible array of maneuvers both guys busted out. The best one-on-one match of the year.
3. #DIY vs. The Authors of Pain - NXT Takeover: Chicago
After consistently having the best match of the night on several NXT specials in a row, #DIY were given a huge opportunity at Takeover: Chicago, slotted into the main event spot for a ladder match against The Authors of Pain. Knowing they'd have to take to the air and scramble for the gold before the Authors could dish out too much punishment, #DIY went for the ladders early. The strategy led to some glorious, crowd-pleasing babyface shine in the first third of the match, but when the tide turned, the AOP became merciless brutes and the drama escalated exponentially.
While Gargano is typically cited as #DIY's more sympathetic half, Ciampa does a masterful job as the face-in-peril in this match, manhandled by the AOP to the point of near-death. In one of the most heinous acts I've seen a heel duo perform in a long while, the Authors nearly decapitate him only for Gargano to make the last minute save and eat the steel himself. The match could reasonably end there, with Gargano knocked out cold and Ciampa frozen in shock and fear. Instead, Ciampa continues to fight, planting one of the Author's through a ladder and buying enough time for Gargano to make a comeback as well. With the Authors on the mat, #DIY attempt to secure the titles together, symbolically climbing in unison to achieve what one could never do alone. Their bond ends up costing them, though, the ladder giving way beneath them, their bodies now literally hanging like fruit to be picked by the monstrous AOP.
Had the story ended there, with the Authors of Pain retaining their titles in a hard-fought ladder match, you'd still likely find this bout making my list. What makes it a top 5 match of the year, though, is the tremendous post-match angle, a heart-wrenching heel turn that generated enough heat to keep the NXT brand hot for months to come. Unfortunately, a knee injury suffered during the match sidelined Ciampa just as he was set to become the brand's most hated villain. The eventual clash between Gargano and Ciampa in 2018 is easily the most anticipated match in NXT's, and maybe all of wrestling's, future.
2. The Usos vs. The New Day - Hell in a Cell 2017
Hell in a Cell matches aren't what they used to be. While only a handful have been truly awful (I'm looking at you, Big Bossman vs. Undertaker), the days of these matches being guaranteed crowd-pleasers ended at least a decade ago. The original was an instant classic, the Foley/Undertaker bout remains unparalleled in its chaos, and some of Triple H's best matches took place between the cell walls, but over time, the WWE went to the well too often and the concept became watered down. John Cena and Randy Orton have had two equally unmemorable Hell in a Cell matches. Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose had a better lumberjack match than Hell in a Cell match and it wasn't even close. Can you name all of CM Punk's opponents in his cell appearances? I couldn't and I'd wager you can't either. Even the idea of placing tag teams in the cage is nothing new seeing as DegenerationX wrestled in the structure twice.
Plus, considering the WWE's anti-blood policy and the fact that one of the teams in the match, The New Day, are colorful, cheery cereal box cartoons come to life, most expected this match to spend most of its time floating in the entertainment area of the sports-entertainment pool. This, mind you, wouldn't have even been a bad thing as this was one of two Hell in a Cell matches on the card. Booking logic would dictate that you'd want to save the real carnage for the main event.
So we expected to see Big E launch himself with a spear into the cage. We expected to see the Usos take to the air with reckless abandon and maybe hit a few hip attacks into the cell wall. We knew at least one trombone would be destroyed. What nobody predicted was for the fun-loving New Day to use kendo sticks to build a bamboo prison in one corner. What nobody called was Xavier Woods getting handcuffed, hanged, and beaten with kendo sticks. What about Big E sidewalk slamming one of the Usos off the apron onto the knees of Woods on the floor? That was some stuff I don't even think you can pull off in a video game.
One of the best Hell in a Cell matches ever, probably the best one of the decade.
1. #DIY vs. The Authors of Pain vs. The Revival - NXT Takeover: Orlando
Filled to the brim with "mark out" moments, this match for the NXT Tag Team Championships was the funnest 23 minutes of wrestling all year. Sound psychology throughout, focused storytelling, all three teams getting equal times to shine, this match was a pure joy to watch until its heartbreaking (but, in retrospect, necessary) finish.
To start, #DIY and The Revival were in it for themselves, but as the match progresses story becomes all about the longtime rivals (who had two of my favorite matches of 2016) banding together to try to dispatch a shared enemy. Now this isn't the first time we've seen babyfaces and heels form an uneasy alliance (we see it all the time in battle royals, for example), but #DIY and The Revival made it special by cribbing from each other's playbooks and rewarding the fans with not-so-subtle callbacks to their storied history. The result was the best triple threat tag match of all time, a roller coaster ride of brilliant mirror spots, dazzling double-team maneuvers, and nasty suplexes, and stunning superkicks, and whiplash-inducing clotheslines...
Like their series last year, what elevated this beyond just being a cacophony of nifty high spots and crowd-popping cut-offs was the emotion and storytelling provided by Gargano, Ciampa, and the Revival. That being said, the Authors of Pain proved their mettle here too, dishing out plenty of damage but showing they're unafraid of taking their fair share of it too. In a year of excellent tag team wrestling on the main roster and NXT both, this was the pinnacle.
BUT FIRST...
In a close race, Rusev vs. Randy Orton from SummerSlam 2017 edged out this year's Survivor Series main event, the Breezango/Ascension match from Money in the Bank 2017, and the Big Show/Big Cass match (also from SummerSlam) to earn the unwanted recognition of 2017's Worst Match of the Year. Non-congrats to the severely underrated Rusev!
HONORABLE MENTIONS
The Velveteen Dream vs. Aleister Black - NXT Takeover: WarGames
In 2017, Aleister Black arrived in NXT to a ton of hype. I was unfamiliar with the European indy vet and criticized his derivative gimmick in my review of his debut. Then, in August, he and Hideo Itami almost stole the show with a super stiff slugfest that left Black with a bloody nose. At WarGames, Black had an even better showing against the comparatively inexperienced Velveteen Dream. The Dream's Prince-inspired gimmick is goofy, but the juxtaposition with The Dutch Destroyer's black metal dude character resulted in an undeniably great clash of personalities and styles. Everything these two did before, during, and after the match served the story, elevating this from typical midcard filler to a deeply personal, high-stakes affair.
Shane McMahon vs. Kevin Owens - Hell in a Cell 2017
I should've hated this match. Shane McMahon's previous Hell in a Cell match, against The Undertaker at WrestleMania 32, was my least favorite match of 2016 and this match wasn't all that dissimilar. However, the differences were important enough to win me over. For starters, unlike the supernatural Deadman, Kevin Owens is the most "human" Superstar in the WWE, a bully but not a super-athlete, not a highly-trained grappling specialist, not a 7' foot monster or a high-flying, lightning-quick cruiser. Owens is a gruff-and-tough Everyman, which means that seeing him sell for Shane doesn't require nearly as much suspension of disbelief as it did to believe the untrained 45 year-old businessman could go toe-to-toe with the WWE's mythical Phenom. Plus, unlike his MMA-cosplaying at WrestleMania 32, Shane O-Mac kept the poorly-applied submission moves to a minimum here, saving the audience from having to see him try to win a blood feud with a Sharpshooter. The obligatory minutes spent atop the cage added to the central conflict and felt justified too, another glaring difference between this match and the WrestleMania 32 debacle.
Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman - Payback 2017
Anyone puzzled by why a growing portion of internet wrestling fans came around on Roman Reigns in 2017 owes it to themselves to watch (or re-watch) this match. Hovering around the 10 minute mark, its also the most digestible matches on this list. Just as his Royal Rumble 2007 performance against Umaga helped John Cena silence his harshest critics, Reigns' tremendous selling and fiery flurries of offense in this match were pitch perfect. This is how a top babyface performs. Meanwhile, Strowman is Strowman here - the WWE's first real Next Big Thing since their last real Next Big Thing.
And now...the actual list....
Unlike your typical cage match, the Elimination Chamber's awkward physical structure and equally awkward match structure puts a bit of a ceiling on the stipulation's potential. This year, though, the WWE wisely hedged their bets, opening the match with the company's aces, John Cena and AJ Styles, running through a greatest hits before the brand-mates were introduced. A match like this relies on constant barrages of signature offense delivered in rapid succession and, fortunately, Wyatt, Corbin, Miz, and Ambrose all have recognizable, crowd-popping arsenals at their disposal. In large part thanks to yet another captivating performance by Styles and the gutsy-in-hindsight decision to give Wyatt the strongest showing possible, this match was deservedly hailed as the best Elimination Chamber in company history.
9. AJ Styles vs. Brock Lesnar - Survivor Series 2017
A few years back I participated in a Greatest Wrestler Ever Poll on the ProWrestlingOnly forum, a more nerdy hive of wrestling dweebs one could not find in this or any galaxy. The posters at "PWO" put my WWE/WCW-centric wrestling knowledge to shame. Required to rank 100 wrestlers to even have their ballot counted, you were in the minority if Kurt Angle found a spot in your top 75. These are fans that can talk the intricacies of obscure lucha and Japanese wrestling from 20 years ago like it happened last week.
I, meanwhile, put Brock Lensar somewhere around #5 and ranked Diamond Dallas Page at #27. To put it in cinematic terms, that's like arguing Gone Girl deserves to be in the same conversation as The Treasure of Sierra Madre.
I include this detail only to say that tasked with writing a new list, I'm not sure where Lesnar would rank - but his work since 2015 would likely push him out of my top 10. His matches against the Wyatt Family, Dean Ambrose, and Randy Orton were underwhelming and gimmicky. The guarantee that he'd be taking his opponents to "Suplex City" was a terrific selling point in three years ago, but is a tired trope now. While his WrestleMania match against Goldberg was a fun sprint and his matches against Samoa Joe and Braun Strowman showed shades of past glories, Lesnar's legacy as the must-see performer of his era needed some rehabilitation going into Survivor Series.
Enter AJ Styles, the WWE's resident miracle worker, capable of pulling career matches out of just about anyone (save for maybe Kevin Owens). Like his bouts against Reigns, Ambrose, and Corbin, Styles brought out the best in his opponent here, bumping with gusto and delivering arduous, strategic offense in return. If the outcome, like most every Lesnar match, was never in question, Styles refused to let that limit his performance or the story that could be told. While not quite long enough to be called a timeless epic, its brevity may be the only valid criticism one could levy against it.
8. Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman - Great Balls of Fire!
At Payback 2017, Reigns and Strowman gave us a truncated version of a 92' Sting/Vader classic. Reigns played the vulnerable babyface and Strowman the dominant monster. It was fantastic.
Two months later, though, the roles had shifted a bit. Braun came into the awfully-titled (but otherwise excellent) Great Balls of Fire! show with more credibility, while Reigns was no longer in just survival mode. Their Payback match benefitted from a tried-and-true framework (injured face valiantly battles monster heel), while this one was saddled with one of the harder stipulations to pull off, the Ambulance Match gimmick that, to my knowledge, has never yielded a match as entertaining as this one.
With the use of weapons legal and the goal of the match to shove your opponent into the back of an ambulance, it was unavoidable that this "wrestling contest" would break down into a wild brawl. Still, without adequate escalation of violence, wild brawls don't always equate to thrilling matches. Reigns and Strowman (and whoever the agent was for this match) wisely build the suspense and intensity by bringing the match to new settings, introducing fresh firepower, and refusing to stop the chaos even after the victor's arm has been raised.
7. Reigns vs. Lesnar vs. Joe vs. Strowman - SummerSlam 2017
In a year full of very fun multi-man matches from the WWE, this one was the best of the bunch. If you're looking for nuanced storytelling and a slow burn, look elsewhere, but what this match does do incredibly successfully is give the audience moment after moment of intriguing pairings and hard-hitting action. The physicality between Lesnar and Reigns nods to their unfinished business from WrestleMania 31 while Strowman and Lesnar's segments point to the still-untapped potential of a months-long rivalry between the behemoths. Samoa Joe takes a bit of a backseat, but he's subtly brilliant as the spoiler throughout, the dark horse picking his spots, practically salivating at the chance to lock in his Clutch knowing it's his best and only chance to leave with the Universal Championship.
The added bonus was that, going into the event, there was a question mark hovering over The Beast, rumored to be returning to the Octagon at the time. While the behind-the-scenes Lesnar drama certainly helped make the match less predictable, re-watches hold up thanks to a star-making performance out of Strowman, Lesnar's undeniably excellent selling, and a red hot Brooklyn crowd.
6. Tyler Bate vs. Pete Dunne - NXT Takeover: Chicago
Full disclosure: I didn't watch the WWE's UK Tournament. I also didn't watch the Mae Young Classic or the Cruiserweight tournament in 2016 either. A look at my blog posts reveal its not that I didn't have the time to watch these universally lauded events, I just chose to watch shit like WCW Capitol Combat 90': Return of Robocop instead.
So, Tyler Bate and Pete Dunne were nobodies to me when they came out for their grudge match at NXT Takeover: Chicago. Fortunately, the rabid Chicago crowd let me know early on that I should keep my eyes on the ring. They start things off with a dazzling sequence of mat wrestling before proceeding to put on absolute clinic of every other style imaginable. These two fought like their careers were on the line, refusing to have anything less than the best match of their careers. Bridging the gap between "indy spotfest" and WWE main event style, this match earned a warranted "Fight Forever" chant before it was all said and done. The fact that the WWE didn't immediately push Pete Dunne to the moon after this show was one of the great mysteries of 2017.
5. Asuka vs. Ember Moon - NXT Takeover: Brooklyn III
One of the smartest worked matches of the year, Ember Moon arrived with a clear strategy to do the impossible against the undefeated Asuka, this through line lending the match a story structure impossible to not get sucked in by. Unable to score a quick fall early, Moon went for broke at every turn and, wisely, worked intensely to avoid Asuka's deadly kicks. As I noted in my original review, there were some questionable moments, but instead of getting disoriented, the slight miscues seemed to inspire both of the women to put more oomph in their next big slam, take an even harsher bump, and extra force behind their strikes. By the end of the match, Asuka had clearly been pushed to her limit and Moon had established herself as her greatest challenger, the final minutes containing some of the best false finishes of the year. Throw in excellent character work that revealed emotional depth where there hadn't necessarily been any before and you have one of the division's all-time best matches.
4. John Cena vs. AJ Styles - Royal Rumble 2017
Considering how well-received their matches at SummerSlam and Money in the Bank were in 2016, it was no surprise to learn that John Cena would challenge AJ Styles for his WWE World Championship at the Royal Rumble last January. Like a video game cheat code, putting this pairing on any bill practically guarantees you'll have at least one stand-out, must-see match on the show.
Still, like many storied rivalries of the past, there's always some question as to when enough is enough. Mick Foley had to hurl himself off the top of a cage to make his dozenth match against the Undertaker seem special. In 2015, crowds actively booed the announcement of a John Cena/Randy Orton match. While Cena and AJ hadn't worked as extensively as those other pairings, their first bouts featured so much bomb-throwing that it was hard to imagine what new heights they could even reach.
Somehow, their match at the Rumble topped everything they'd done before. Their previous bouts could never be called sloppy, but here, the transitions and execution was impeccable. AJ Styles, as over as he was in August 2016, was much more established 4 months later thanks to a strong heel run with the World Title. Cena, having been usurped as "The Face That Runs The Place," used his time away recharging his batteries and looked more driven and spirited at the Rumble than he'd looked in years.
For 24 minutes, Cena and Styles tried to dish out every signature spot they had only to find their opponent had it scouted, leading to several awe-inspiring counters and unique variations on old stand-bys. When that didn't work, Cena would toss in JBL-esque clotheslines and Styles would straight-up backhand Cena in the face, the brutality of the strikes almost overshadowing the incredible array of maneuvers both guys busted out. The best one-on-one match of the year.
3. #DIY vs. The Authors of Pain - NXT Takeover: Chicago
After consistently having the best match of the night on several NXT specials in a row, #DIY were given a huge opportunity at Takeover: Chicago, slotted into the main event spot for a ladder match against The Authors of Pain. Knowing they'd have to take to the air and scramble for the gold before the Authors could dish out too much punishment, #DIY went for the ladders early. The strategy led to some glorious, crowd-pleasing babyface shine in the first third of the match, but when the tide turned, the AOP became merciless brutes and the drama escalated exponentially.
While Gargano is typically cited as #DIY's more sympathetic half, Ciampa does a masterful job as the face-in-peril in this match, manhandled by the AOP to the point of near-death. In one of the most heinous acts I've seen a heel duo perform in a long while, the Authors nearly decapitate him only for Gargano to make the last minute save and eat the steel himself. The match could reasonably end there, with Gargano knocked out cold and Ciampa frozen in shock and fear. Instead, Ciampa continues to fight, planting one of the Author's through a ladder and buying enough time for Gargano to make a comeback as well. With the Authors on the mat, #DIY attempt to secure the titles together, symbolically climbing in unison to achieve what one could never do alone. Their bond ends up costing them, though, the ladder giving way beneath them, their bodies now literally hanging like fruit to be picked by the monstrous AOP.
Had the story ended there, with the Authors of Pain retaining their titles in a hard-fought ladder match, you'd still likely find this bout making my list. What makes it a top 5 match of the year, though, is the tremendous post-match angle, a heart-wrenching heel turn that generated enough heat to keep the NXT brand hot for months to come. Unfortunately, a knee injury suffered during the match sidelined Ciampa just as he was set to become the brand's most hated villain. The eventual clash between Gargano and Ciampa in 2018 is easily the most anticipated match in NXT's, and maybe all of wrestling's, future.
2. The Usos vs. The New Day - Hell in a Cell 2017
Hell in a Cell matches aren't what they used to be. While only a handful have been truly awful (I'm looking at you, Big Bossman vs. Undertaker), the days of these matches being guaranteed crowd-pleasers ended at least a decade ago. The original was an instant classic, the Foley/Undertaker bout remains unparalleled in its chaos, and some of Triple H's best matches took place between the cell walls, but over time, the WWE went to the well too often and the concept became watered down. John Cena and Randy Orton have had two equally unmemorable Hell in a Cell matches. Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose had a better lumberjack match than Hell in a Cell match and it wasn't even close. Can you name all of CM Punk's opponents in his cell appearances? I couldn't and I'd wager you can't either. Even the idea of placing tag teams in the cage is nothing new seeing as DegenerationX wrestled in the structure twice.
Plus, considering the WWE's anti-blood policy and the fact that one of the teams in the match, The New Day, are colorful, cheery cereal box cartoons come to life, most expected this match to spend most of its time floating in the entertainment area of the sports-entertainment pool. This, mind you, wouldn't have even been a bad thing as this was one of two Hell in a Cell matches on the card. Booking logic would dictate that you'd want to save the real carnage for the main event.
So we expected to see Big E launch himself with a spear into the cage. We expected to see the Usos take to the air with reckless abandon and maybe hit a few hip attacks into the cell wall. We knew at least one trombone would be destroyed. What nobody predicted was for the fun-loving New Day to use kendo sticks to build a bamboo prison in one corner. What nobody called was Xavier Woods getting handcuffed, hanged, and beaten with kendo sticks. What about Big E sidewalk slamming one of the Usos off the apron onto the knees of Woods on the floor? That was some stuff I don't even think you can pull off in a video game.
One of the best Hell in a Cell matches ever, probably the best one of the decade.
...drumroll please...
1. #DIY vs. The Authors of Pain vs. The Revival - NXT Takeover: Orlando
Filled to the brim with "mark out" moments, this match for the NXT Tag Team Championships was the funnest 23 minutes of wrestling all year. Sound psychology throughout, focused storytelling, all three teams getting equal times to shine, this match was a pure joy to watch until its heartbreaking (but, in retrospect, necessary) finish.
To start, #DIY and The Revival were in it for themselves, but as the match progresses story becomes all about the longtime rivals (who had two of my favorite matches of 2016) banding together to try to dispatch a shared enemy. Now this isn't the first time we've seen babyfaces and heels form an uneasy alliance (we see it all the time in battle royals, for example), but #DIY and The Revival made it special by cribbing from each other's playbooks and rewarding the fans with not-so-subtle callbacks to their storied history. The result was the best triple threat tag match of all time, a roller coaster ride of brilliant mirror spots, dazzling double-team maneuvers, and nasty suplexes, and stunning superkicks, and whiplash-inducing clotheslines...
Like their series last year, what elevated this beyond just being a cacophony of nifty high spots and crowd-popping cut-offs was the emotion and storytelling provided by Gargano, Ciampa, and the Revival. That being said, the Authors of Pain proved their mettle here too, dishing out plenty of damage but showing they're unafraid of taking their fair share of it too. In a year of excellent tag team wrestling on the main roster and NXT both, this was the pinnacle.
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