Alongside their list of the top 25 matches of 2017, WWE have released another list that details a further 10 matches which could have also featured.
Some of the main highlights from the list include:
- Johnny Gargano VS Andrade “Cien” Almas (NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III)
- Neville VS Gentleman Jack Gallagher for the Cruiserweight Championship (Fastlane)
- Alexa Bliss VS Mickie James for the RAW Women’s Championship (TLC)
- Women’s Money In The Bank Ladder Match (SmackDown Live 27th June)
- Pete Dunne VS Mark Andrews (United Kingdom Championship Tournament Semi Finals)
- Kairi Sane VS Bianca Belair (Mae Young Classic Second Round)
However, there are other matches that seem slightly more questionable:
- Luke Harper VS Randy Orton (Elimination Chamber)
After breaking away from The Wyatt Family, Luke Harper found greater freedom and potential for success, before fading away and returning as a Bludgeon Brother later in the year. And although Harper’s match against Randy Orton was notable, the encounter with AJ Styles seems slightly more worthy of note:
- Shinsuke Nakamura VS Dolph Ziggler (SmackDown Live 20th June)
This match between Nakamura and Ziggler seemed much more like a sigh of relief as the beginning of the feud failed to live up to expectations as Shinsuke made his main roster debut at Backlash. Thankfully they both managed to pull everything together on June 20th’s SmackDown Live.
- Enzo Amore VS Kalisto for the Cruiserweight Championship (RAW 9th October)
This shoe-horned title match was put together after Neville walked out on the company, and it appears as though it only made this list out of respect to Kalisto and the unique circumstance surrounding the match, rather than the quality of wrestling on show from both competitors.
WWE supplemented this entry with a quote from Kalisto to mark the occasion:
“That was one of the first times I closed down Raw. It was breathtaking. When I get moments like that, I always try to take full advantage and give my all, everything I have, so I can make sure I can perform at my best. Being there, in that moment, was very surreal. It was one of the best days of my life. I feel like I opened the door for everybody to get an opportunity at the Cruiserweight Title. I closed down that clause. That moment when everybody started celebrating, it made me happy. It made me smile that everybody had an opportunity. Who knows? Maybe 205 Live can close down a pay-per-view. My dream is to have a Ladder Match at WrestleMania where all the Cruiserweights can display their true art.”
- Sami Zayn VS Braun Strowman Last Man Standing Match (RAW 2nd January)
As the final entry, I want to make a pun using Strowman’s “I’m not finished with you” tag-line, but the whole Sami Zayn proving himself against Braun Strowman was a painful feud that dragged. The emphasis that WWE are pushing with this entry is Zayn’s ability to last 10 minutes before losing to Strowman, and it says a lot that this was Sami Zayn’s only highlight in 2017 that was pinpointed by WWE.
Opinion:
Personally, I would be much more interested in a list that was put together by viewer votes. Ratings and reviews will have made up a key part of the decision making process for both this and the previous list of Top 25 Matches In 2017. However, with the focus being on underrated matches, it may have been more interesting to seek out the direct views of the fans.
