10 Best WWE Matches Of 2017 (So Far)

5. Kevin Owens Vs. Roman Reigns (Royal Rumble)

John Cena AJ Styles Royal Rumble
WWE.com

Roman Reigns’ character and promo work tends to fluctuate between ‘decent’ and ‘terrible,’ but he rarely fails to deliver in the ring. He might be the most hated babyface in wrestling, but his track record in big matches is very strong, and with great bouts against Finn Balor, Braun Strowman, and Seth Rollins to his name, Roman is having an excellent year between the ropes.

His best match came at the Royal Rumble. With Chris Jericho suspended above the ring in a shark cage, Reigns met Universal Champion Kevin Owens in a No DQ match. They fought with tremendous urgency throughout, producing the year’s strongest hardcore brawl thus far, with Owens once again proving his status as a world class bumper by tumbling onto a pyramid of chairs.

The stipulation seemed perfectly set up for Jericho’s interference, but WWE subverted this wonderfully. 'Y2J' did get involved by dropping a pair of brass knuckles to KO, but this wasn’t the decisive factor. Instead, Braun came out of nowhere, obliterating Reigns with a Powerslam through the announce table, gifting KO the victory. The finish (and the action leading up to it) made excellent use of the stipulation, and set the tone for Strowman and Roman’s upcoming rivalry.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.