WWE’s brand split was in full force in 2017, with Raw and SmackDown having their own exclusive PPVs, to varying degrees of success. Overall, it wasn’t the strongest year for the company, with several shows underwhelming, despite the wrestlers themselves doing their level best to entertain audiences on a consistent basis.

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A focus on part-timers and a questionable choice for WWE Champion were just a couple of the major issues which plagued WWE’s shows in 2017. Inconsistent booking and an overloaded PPV calendar meant that it was difficult for WWE to consistently delivered. However, there were still good matches and moments.

16 Fastlane

Kevin-Owens-v-Goldberg-Fastlane-2017-Cropped

This was a poor show, with the main event seeing Goldberg squash Kevin Owens to controversially win the Universal Championship. Another questionable booking choice saw Bayley end Charlotte Flair’s undefeated PPV streak.

Neville vs Jack Gallagher and Roman Reigns vs Braun Strowman were decent, but impromptu filler such as Big Show vs Rusev and Cesaro vs Jinder Mahal made this show feel like a poor episode of Raw.

15 Battleground

Randy Orton Punjabi Prison Cropped

After a great opener between the New Day and Usos, this went downhill. Poor moments included John Cena defeating Rusev in a clichéd Flag Match, Sami Zayn facing Mike Kanellis in a heatless clash, and the main event Punjabi Prison between Jinder Mahal and Randy Orton, adding another poor offering to this stipulation’s history.

Kevin Owens and AJ Styles had a solid match, but it was marred with a baffling finish.

14 Backlash

Randy Orton v Jinder Mahal Backlash 2017 Cropped

This was a poor showing from SmackDown, which showcased how much the blue brand had fallen. Shinsuke Nakamura’s debut fell flat, Luke Harper vs Erick Rowan had zero build, and Jinder Mahal shockingly won the WWE Title to begin a poor reign.

The only great match was Kevin Owens vs AJ Styles, but unfortunately, this ended in a count-out.

13 Money In The Bank

MITB ladder match Money in the Bank 2017 Cropped

The main event was brilliant, even if Baron Corbin was the winner of the Men’s MITB. However, the rest of the show was a let-down. Naomi defended her SmackDown Women’s Championship against Lana, Jinder Mahal overcame Randy Orton, and Breezango defeated the Ascension.

Controversy appeared on this show during the first Women’s MITB, which was won by Carmella – but only after James Ellsworth climbed the ladder to retrieve the contract.

12 SummerSlam

John Cena Vs Baron Corbin

This was a long night with minimal substance. Matches like John Cena vs Baron Corbin, Big Show vs Big Cass, and Jinder Mahal vs Shinsuke Nakamura weren’t even TV quality.

The Tag Title match between Dean Ambrose & Seth Rollins and The Bar was class, AJ Styles and Kevin Owens had one of the better matches of their series, and the main event fatal-four-way was a MOTY candidate. However, with the number of poor matches, the good content was overshadowed, especially since SummerSlam is supposed to be one of the biggest yearly shows.

11 Elimination Chamber

Elimination Chamber 2017

The main event produced one of the more creative and exciting Chamber matches in recent history, with Bray Wyatt winning the WWE Championship. Outside that, the show was simply just solid.

Randy Orton and Luke Harper put together some nice in-ring work, but some questionable booking choices such as Naomi winning the SmackDown Women’s Title prior to WrestleMania, and heel superstar Dolph Ziggler being pitted in a handicap match, weren’t great.

10 Clash Of Champions

Kevin Owens Clash of Champions 2017

There wasn’t anything inherently wrong with this show, but aside from the Tag Team Title match, it just wasn’t anything special.

AJ Styles took Jinder Mahal to a solid title match, Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn vs Randy Orton & Shinsuke Nakamura had some fun storytelling, but overall, even with a lack of bad content, it didn’t feel like a PPV.

9 TLC

TLC 2017 Shield

This was a unique PPV, with an illness ruling out several superstars, leading to two match changes which provided some fun content. AJ Styles and Finn Balor had a great match, and Kurt Angle returned to the ring to side with The Shield in a chaotic 5-on-3 handicap match.

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The lack of “TLC” throughout the night badly affected the event, with most of the show feeling like just another episode of Raw, with matches like Asuka vs Emma and Elias vs Jason Jordan.

8 Hell In A Cell

The New Day v The Usos Hell in a Cell 2017 Cropped

The opener between New Day and Usos was sensational, the US Title triple threat was a lot of fun, and the main event between Kevin Owens and Shane McMahon had some good moments.

The rest of the card was just solid, with most of the other matches dragging on for quite long, without much excitement.

7 Payback

Bayley v Alexa Bliss Payback 2017 Cropped

There weren’t any show-stealing matches on this show, but from start to finish nearly every match was good at worst, making for a solid, entertaining night, aside from the House of Horrors Match between Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt.

Battles such as Roman Reigns vs Braun Strowman, Alexa Bliss vs Bayley, and Chris Jericho vs Kevin Owens were all decent, though the show did suffer from a lack of variety overall.

6 Great Balls Of Fire

Brock Lesnar v Samoa Joe Great Balls of Fire 2017 Cropped

There weren’t high expectations for this show, but several matches delivered to provide a solid PPV. Seth Rollins and Bray Wyatt had a good opener, The Bar and Hardys had a fun Iron Man match, and Braun Strowman and Roman Reigns brawled in a brilliant Ambulance Match.

The main event between Brock Lesnar and Samoa Joe was electric, but it was far too short. A few matches didn’t deliver, such as an underwhelming glorified squash between Big Cass and Enzo Amore.

5 No Mercy

Brock Lesnar vs Braun Strowman (No Mercy, 2017) Cropped

This show was billed as having two WrestleMania-calibre matches, with Roman Reigns vs John Cena and Brock Lesnar vs Braun Strowman both producing decent matches, though nothing incredible.

Other matches such as a Raw Women's Title Fata-Five-Way, Finn Balor vs Bray Wyatt, and Dean Ambrose & Seth Rollins vs The Bar helped to complete a very solid card overall.

4 Extreme Rules

Samoa Joe v Finn Balor v Roman Reigns v Bray Wyatt v Seth Rollins Extreme Rules 2017 Cropped

It wasn’t the most extreme night of action, but there were several highlights. The Miz and Dean Ambrose wrestled in a great IC Title opener, The Hardy Boys defended the Raw Tag Titles in a good Steel Cage Match, and Neville beat Austin Aries in a strong Submission Match.

The main event saw five superstars battle in a chaotic car crash. One major drawback came in the disastrous ‘Kendo Stick on a Pole’ match between Bayley and Alexa Bliss.

3 Survivor Series

Brock Lesnar v AJ Styles Survivor Series 2017 Cropped

Two dream matches took place on this show, with The Shield vs New Day and Brock Lesnar vs AJ Styles living up to expectations.

Other brand supremacy matches were decent, with Asuka looking strong as the sole survivor and The Bar and Usos having a great battle. The main event was a fever dream, with an enthralling first half of the match, which descended into madness by the end, with Triple H turning on both Shane McMahon and Kurt Angle, followed by Braun Strowman standing tall at the end.

2 Royal Rumble

AJ Styles v John Cena Royal Rumble 2017 Cropped

This was a good show, with the Rumble match itself having some fun moments, though the choice of winner wasn’t exactly great, with Randy Orton emerging victorious.

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The undercard was brilliant, with John Cena and AJ Styles having a MOTY candidate and Kevin Owens and Roman Reigns having a spot-filled hardcore brawl, with other matches making for a consistent card from top to bottom.

1 WrestleMania 33

The Hardy Boyz WrestleMania 33

Whilst the show was a mixed bag, there was a lot to love, with the 'Mania atmosphere helping it to feel huge.

Standout matches and moments included AJ Styles vs Shane McMahon, the Hardy Boys returning to WWE, and Brock Lesnar battling Goldberg in an electric and hard-hitting sprint. There was enough on this show to make it feel like the biggest event of the year, even with terrible matches like Bray Wyatt vs Randy Orton and Roman Reigns vs Undertaker.