WWE’s Top Rivalries of 2017 – Honorable Mentions

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The importance of a strong rivalry is immeasurable in the WWE. Sure, the matches and the characters and the pageantry are all each uniquely entertaining. But, the one thing that ties them all together is the story. What is a hero without a villain? What is drama without conflict? If the stakes are personal, doesn’t it just mean more? With that sentiment in mind, we’re taking a look at the some of the best rivalries in the WWE this year. 

So, the full list is out. I’ve highlighted each of my five favorite rivalries this year in detail, but it doesn’t mean there weren’t plenty deserving of recognition. Let’s hit the honorable mentions.

WWE’s Top Rivalries of 2017: Honorable Mentions

Asuka vs. Nikki Cross – These two had some incredibly physical bouts in NXT this year, including a classic Last Woman Standing match. Asuka winning at every turn made the program feel a little shallow, but it was still good nonetheless.

Austin Aries vs. Neville – The Cruiserweight Division has once again become the laughingstock of the WWE, but at one point this year when these two were feuding, it looked like things might finally click. Aries and Neville put on a series of high quality pay-per-view matches over the course of the Spring.

Bayley vs. Charlotte Flair – I still say this should’ve been the Women’s Championship match at Wrestlemania, culminating in Bayley winning her first title. It also wasn’t helped by the weird way in which Bayley won her first title either. But, that doesn’t take away from the quality matches the two had.

Aleister Black vs. Velveteen Dream – It was one of the most original programs of the year, and the blowoff match at NXT Takeover: War Games was phenomenal. If it had gone longer, it probably would’ve cracked the top five.

The Bar vs. Dean Ambrose & Seth Rollins – These two teams stole the show at Summerslam this year, epic main event notwithstanding. They’d go on to have a series of some of the best tag team matches in recent memory.

The Bar vs. The Hardy Boyz – If not for an awkward cage match that no one clearly understood the rules to, these two teams had a series of excellent pay-per-view matches. All around, a great year for Cesaro and Sheamus.

Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar – If you didn’t have fun with this program, you simply have a dump in your pants. Between the squash match, the Royal Rumble, and Wrestlemania 33, these two more than made up for their stinker in 2004.

Brock Lesnar vs. Samoa Joe – We all thought Samoa Joe was going to be fed to Lesnar for an easy title defense to get him ready for Summerslam. But, Joe performed so well in this role, and the main event of Great Balls of Fire was so good, that WWE kept him in the hunt for Summerslam.

Kevin Owens vs. A.J. Styles – These two names are put together, and you can almost hear the orgasmic moaning of the IWC, but for some reason, it never really clicked as expected. Still, the wrestling was decent enough, and the stakes were high with the United States Championship hanging in the balance. This was also the catalyst for the Owens-Shane McMahon program.

Seth Rollins vs. Triple H – Due to Rollins’ injury, WWE was unable to strike while the iron was hot and have this match at Wrestlemania 32. So, it wasn’t as exciting as it would’ve been then. But, thankfully, they stuck with it, and the rich, storied past of this program led to a great match at Wrestlemania 33.

Check out the full list, starting with #5 here.

Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Alabama Crimson Tide football, the WWE, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley

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