WWE 2017 Best Wrestlers: Braun Strowman, AJ Styles Among Year’s Top 5

When trying to rank the best WWE wrestlers of 2017, there are several candidates that could arguably make the list. A couple of superstars had breakout years, while others continued to prove why they’ve been mainstays at the top of the card.

This isn’t a list made up strictly of WWE’s best in-ring performers. Superstars like Finn Balor and Seth Rollins would have to be included in that case, but they didn’t quite have the same impact that others had over the last 12 months.

John Cena and Brock Lesnar are still the two biggest stars in WWE, though it’d be hard to rank them among the year’s best because they wrestled so few matches. The same goes for Chris Jericho, who was terrific for a few months and left WWE before the summer began.

Five wrestlers that were around for the entire year stood out as the best of 2017.

5) Kevin Owens

There might be no more consistent WWE performer than Owens since he made his main-roster debut in 2015. He was WWE’s best heel in 2017—apologies to The Miz and Samoa Joe, who could just as easily have this spot. Owens began the year with an incredibly well-done storyline with Jericho, and he ended the year strong by feuding with Shane McMahon. Whether he’s being funny, obnoxious or a badass, Owens is about as good as anyone in WWE on the mic.

4) Alexa Bliss

Charlotte Flair was the standout performer of WWE’s women’s division in 2016, but Bliss took the mantle in 2017. It’s the reason why she was both the SmackDown Women’s Champion and the Raw Women’s Champion in the same month. Bliss wasn’t just WWE’s best female heel, but she was among the best heels of anyone in the company. She shined on commentary and when dealing with the live crowds. Her title matches with Sasha Banks never got the recognition that they deserved.

3) Roman Reigns

It doesn’t matter that half the crowd hates him or that he’ll never be embraced as a babyface the way WWE has hoped he would. Reigns is an awesome wrestler. Just look what he did in 2017. Whether it was his feud with Braun Strowman, his Intercontinental Championship matches or what he did with The Shield, Reigns rarely had a bad match. His matches with The Undertaker and John Cena might not have lived up to the hype, but Reigns has to be on this list, whether some fans like it or not.

2) AJ Styles

At 40 years old, Styles might still be the best wrestler in the world. His matches with John Cena at the Royal Rumble and Finn Balor at TLC were among the year’s best. Styles stole the show at WrestleMania 33 with his match against Shane McMahon, and his bout with Brock Lesnar at Survivor Series is a Match of the Year candidate. Styles was even responsible for the most entertaining match of Jinder Mahal’s WWE Championship run. There’s a reason why Styles has been the face of “SmackDown Live” since the 2016 brand split.

1) Braun Strowman

2017 belonged to Braun Strowman. Watching the Monster Among Men absolutely destroy opposing wrestlers was oftentimes the most entertaining part of “Monday Night Raw.” He was the ultimate winner of the year’s No.1 feud (Strowman vs. Reigns), and no one stood out more in the fatal-4-way SummerSlam main event. Lesnar has been the most dominant force in WWE over the last five years, yet it made little sense that WWE had Strowman lose clean to the former UFC heavyweight champion at No Mercy. That’s how great Strowman was over the last 12 months. Much like Lesnar, it doesn’t matter if he’s a heel or a babyface. Strowman is simply a superstar, and WWE needs to protect him at all costs.