10 Best WWE Storylines Of 2017

6. Barred

Maryse Nikki Bella
WWE.com

Often looking like it would rapidly degenerate into a renewed feud after their forced coming together resulted in the 'boo/yay' treatment for Sheamus and Cesaro respectively, WWE's decision to have the 'Swiss Superman' embrace the dark side was one of the true creative masterstrokes of 2017.

Many heaped grief upon Vince McMahon for his podcast comments on the outrageously talented master of the 'Cesaro Swing'. Noting, amongst other criticisms, that his European heritage was a barrier to mainstream success, the Chairman was tacitly protecting him in the form of a listless dig. Cesaro's real problem was that he didn't quite yet have the requisite charisma to truly pave a way as a major solo star. Sheamus, somehow, has been the man to bring it out of him.

One of the few performers almost unanimously , 'The Celtic Warrior's unfiltered obnoxiousness rubbed off on Cesaro when he pledged full loyalty to the evil cause following the pair's frustrated turn on The Hardy Boyz. From there, every crack was permanently polyfilla'd. Matching entrance and wrestling gear followed, whilst their in-ring cohesiveness tightened further. Their matches became the best of the year on Monday Night Raw, in polar opposition to the groans their 'Best Of Seven' series received before it became the genesis of their unit.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett