10 Awesome Matches WWE Must Book By The End Of 2017
Maximising their stacked roster could be key to saving WWE's stalling year.
WWE find themselves faced with a multitude of problems in 2017, but the company's roster has rarely been so talent rich. Each brand is stacked with outstanding competitors from top to bottom, and while WWE's in-ring restrictions place limitations on what they can do between the ropes, succeeding within the framework is far from impossible.
Much of this depends on booking, and the company's shoddy creative direction doesn't always put the performers in a great place to succeed in the ring, especially during the ongoing summer slump. Still, the vast array of talent available makes memorable bouts almost inevitable, and although 2017 hasn't been as productive as 2016 in that regard, the likes of AJ Styles have had great bouts all year.
WWE will never be a promotion that gets by on in-ring quality alone, but few things get viewers buzzing like a marquee match. There are literally dozens of great options at the table, and if the company are to shake-off the apathy currently plaguing their product, delivering consistent in-ring excellence is a must.
They have all the pieces required to ensure the rest of the year is full of great action, it's just a matter of putting them in the right places...
10. Charlotte Vs. Asuka
Asuka’s NXT run can’t go on much longer. Having bulldozed almost every wrestler on the roster, and broken all available records in the process, she has become the most dominant performer in the developmental brand’s history. Once she sheds the NXT Women’s Championship, it’s time for her to move up to the main roster, and she’d make a great addition to the SmackDown scene.
Charlotte, meanwhile, has been booked strongly since joining the blue brand, but has yet to differentiate herself from the pack, largely thanks to the writers’ insistence on booking crowded, multi-person feuds. The former Raw Women’s Champion is still awaiting a big singles feud to push her over the edge, but shouldn’t have to wait much longer, and ‘The Empress Of Tomorrow’ would make a great future opponent for her.
Assuming Charlotte was playing the heel and Asuka the face, it’d be a perfect clash of personalities, pitting Charlotte’s arrogance and extreme self-importance against Asuka’s unpredictable ruthlessness. They’re also two of the hardest-hitting females in the company, meaning they’d likely tear the house down, and set a new standard for women’s wrestling on Tuesday nights.