10 Best Wrestling PPVs Of 2017

9. WWE TLC

Finn Balor AJ Styles TLC 2017 Too Sweet
WWE.com

A fever dream of a pay-per-view, TLC symbolised the entrenched, unbreakable bond between the company and its fanbase: even in a year otherwise defined by creative malaise, Vince McMahon can still overcompensate. He delivered the impossible when confronted by extenuating circumstances.

The headliner hastened the return of Kurt Angle, in full, fantastical Shield regalia - and while he is a shadow of his former, ultra-intense self, the sheer goodwill carried him through a match brilliantly obscured by the smoke and mirrors WWE remains superb at concocting. Framed as an action hero with a stirring close-up at the bout's climax, the atypically great camera work also obscured the fact that Angle did not perform his own stunts.

Bray Wyatt was also struck down by the mumps, creating scope for a realised dream match between AJ Styles and Finn Bálor - an eleventh hour replacement yielding what narrowly missed out on the 10 Best WWE Matches presented by the main roster all year. A respectful exhibition with enough escalatory bite to buy as a fight, this was five minutes too short to reach true classic status - but again, the shocking development of the match itself made it memorable.

An underrated undercard showcasing a good Asuka match, weirdly written off as a burial - and another rewarding Women's bout far better than its wider programme - propelled TLC into the upper echelon.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and surefire Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!