10 Best WWE Storylines Of 2017
1. Worst Of Friends
Ahead of getting himself the sack via selfie, Chris 'Jimmy Jacobs' Scoville worked extensively with Chris Jericho in redefining 'Y2J' as an inch-perfect villainous sidekick to Universal Champion Kevin Owens. Their 'Best Friends' union was doused in cynicism, portrayed exquisitely by both with an air of uncertainty before finally delivering the severance in spectacular fashion.
Owens' motivation was endlessly apparent - hold on to the red brand's top title at all costs. Jericho, older but no less wiser, was in glorious form as his run-in buddy, oblivious to his subservient role with the young 'Prizefighter'.
Months of tension concluded in the most spectacular fashion imaginable, representing the peak of the angle when it found itself demoted to secondary title status at WrestleMania 33. February's 'Festival Of Friendship' was an all-time great Monday Night Raw masterclass.
Driven by Jericho's idea of circus frivolities with a 'Red Wedding' conclusion, the segment was timed and paced to sheer perfection, delivering a payoff made all the more satisfying (and heartbreaking) by the commitment the company afforded to the gradual breakdown in relations over the prior months. Owens, an evil manipulator, chose the most vile moment to sever ties, concluding his assault with a loving tribute to Jericho's own assault on Shawn Michaels nearly a decade earlier, which itself was a callback to 'HBK's vicious attack on Marty Jannetty. It was masterful.