10 Best WWE Matches Of 2017

3. The New Day Vs. The Usos - SummerSlam Kickoff

John Cena AJ Styles RR
WWE.com

Sublime enough to make you brave the inane chit-chat marathon of the utterly unnecessary pre-PPV Kickoff shows forevermore, The Usos and The New Day deserve as much credit as disdain for this breathlessly brilliant SmackDown Live Tag Team Title bout.

The precision of an early Xavier Woods forearm blow foreshadowed the smash success of this hermetic masterclass of tag team wrestling.

Woods broke his perception as the in-ring third wheel here with a great, elongated beat-down spot, punctuated by great trash-talking character work from the confidence-dripping Usos - and once Big E finally landed the hot tag, this thing went into overdrive. Usually, the hot tag necessitates a contrived sequence of lacklustre lunges from the feeder. Not here: Jimmy threw himself into Big E with proper conviction, to which Big E responded with a flawlessly smooth overhead belly-to-belly suplex. Firmly in control, the New Day demonstrated just why they continue to appeal to crowds despite existing for what seems like forever: pure, joyous invention. Woods somehow hoisted Big E on his shoulders with an electric chair-assisted splash, before bookending his uranage with a backstabber. But it was the Usos' Day; their superbly-timed cut-off strategy settled this stunner after a berserk and innovative final act.

A hipster choice it may be, next to the headline-grabbing Hell In A Cell follow-up - but few acts made WWE as cool to watch as The Usos in 2017.

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 current Undisputed WWE 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!