10 Best WWE Storylines Of 2017
5. Release The Hounds
The successful reunion of The Shield remains one of the undisputed highlights of 2017 not only for how gratifying it was to see Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns get the band back together on Monday Night Raw, but also for how much graft had gone in to making it so credible.
It really began with the redemption of Seth Rollins discussed elsewhere in this list. 'The Architect's contrition for his formerly evil ways reestablished a trust with the audience not quite as present during his forced 2016 babyface turn. That same turn saw him team on and off with Roman Reigns, but again it felt as much out of fulfilling good guy duties as it did old habits.
Dean Ambrose arriving back on Raw in April was the true marker that the 'Hounds Of Justice' would soon savage the roster again. Showing care for the characters as real humans rather than cartoon fools, Ambrose had to look deep within himself to forgive Seth, whilst Rollins had to show genuine patience not to give in on his redemptive quest.
Their SummerSlam Raw Tag Team Title victory over The Bar was the first glorious step in reviving the triumvirate. That they all wore red that night even foreshadowed it. The climactic coming together months later on Monday Night Raw generated one of the loudest pops of the year, and the act haven't been diluted since.