WWE’s 10 Worst Title Matches Of 2017
These title matches were not Gold Standard.
Championship matches are designed to be a celebration of the top performers in their respective divisions; superstars or teams giving it their all to be recognised as the very best.
And WWE have had some great ones in 2017 - from John Cena making history against AJ Styles at the Royal Rumble in January, to August's hard-hitting fatal 4-way at SummerSlam.
The tag division has also excelled with The New Day and The Usos going to war over the SmackDown belts, only to be eclipsed by The Shield and Cesaro and Sheamus over on RAW.
While Sunday night’s SmackDown-exclusive Clash of Champions pay-per-view did not finish the year’s title programmes with a flourish, it did not deliver any stinkers either, as AJ carried Jinder Mahal to a passable main event, and The Usos and Dolph Zigger picked up big wins.
But other shows in 2017 have not escaped without a blot on their copybook. Whether it was down to nonsensical booking, sub-standard action, or a combination of both, there have been plenty of championship matches in WWE this year that have not lived up to the billing.
10. Chris Jericho (C) Vs. Kevin Owens - WrestleMania
WWE got the build-up to Chris Jericho versus Kevin Owens spot on. In fact, it was so good that a lot of fans were disappointed that their WrestleMania match was only for the United States Championship, rather than in the main event slot for the Universal Championship.
From Jericho’s list to the Festival of Friendship, the ‘best friends’ shared an unparalleled chemistry as partners on the microphone, but for some reason it didn’t work as opponents.
There was no reason why this match could not steal the show in Florida, and yet these two great storytellers failed to portray the intensity that should have been brewing following eight months of narrative. The action was pedestrian - Owens and Jericho were out of sync.
The match was by no means terrible but it fell well short of its lofty expectations. Owens’ 365 documentary on the WWE network showed Vince McMahon’s unsatisfied response and KO’s heartbreak after he and Jericho let a potential classic slip through their fingers.