10 Best WWE Storylines Of 2017
Writing To Reach You
Ex-WWE writer Tom Casiello had a number of fascinating stories to tell about his time with the company in a recent podcast postmortem. His notes on working underneath Vince McMahon (and a structure created in his image) echoed sentiments from many others to walk the Titan Tower corridors during the past several years.
In a nutshell, the chaotic nature of modern storylines is a complete mirroring the process in which they are crafted. A character may turn heel on a whim literally due to the whims of McMahon himself. Similarly, an idea can take flight only to have its wings clipped because the Chairman had a bad cup of coffee at the time the angle was discussed.
Surviving the revolving door turnaround for several years, (Casiello noted how John Cena didn't care to learn his name because talent assumed writers would be gone within weeks anyway) he classified a 'Whodunnit' arc as a major no-no despite an enjoyable, tension-filled journey for the viewer. He felt the company was too often guilty of losing interest in the payoff, and maintaining the necessary patience, logic and forethought to get there. Jason Jordan as Kurt Angle's son was a rare success in this regard, but typical of Casiello's assessment, the negligence with Jordan's persona since then hasn't helped him adjust to life as the son of the Olympic Gold Medallist.
The mere fact that the following storylines clicked at all, not least as well as they did, is by this account at least, a minor miracle.
10. Kingslayer
A pre-WrestleMania injury to Seth Rollins cast yet more doubt that the two would ever make it to the 'Show Of Shows' as rivals, but an electric NXT interjection from the 'Architect' as well as a selection of underrated promos from the former Authority golden child added genuine pathos to the delayed and diffused angle.
Trapped in rehabilitation hell, Rollins took to Monday Night Raw not to fight, but to talk his way to the 'Grandest Stage'. Having been such an unconvincing babyface following his forced turn in 2016, he finally forged an organic bond with the audience when he dared to behave like a real human being. Away from t-shirt-flogging clichés and a tired smirking babyface veneer, Seth showed honest contrition for ever abandoning his Shield brethren to take residence in the pocket of 'The Game'.
Believable and relatable, Rollins' rethink finally gave the programme some emotional heft. This built on an electric segment at TakeOver: San Antonio, in which Seth held the show hostage to force NXT overlord Triple H to briefly expose himself as the main roster d*ckhead version of himself.
The eventual contest between the pair divided opinion, but a palpable sense of vindication for the former WWE Champion following his victory (and Stephanie McMahon's plunge through a table) highlighted the subtle success of the story.