10 Most Controversial Wrestlers Of 2017

2. Shane McMahon

triple h
WWE.com

For:

Isn't a heel authority figure (yet), which remains refreshing. Has balls as big as his dad; even if driven entirely by ego, the Shane McMahon stunt show at least generates moments of genuine wonder. Doesn't win, ever, which is probably a strategic stroke of his ego. "I'm doing everybody a favour!" Has enough presence to wrestle (portions of) matches with the guile of an actual star performer; the suspense generated throughout the rooftop Hell In A Cell battle with Kevin Owens was worked very, very well.

Against:

Renders suspension of disbelief impossible for some. Match with AJ Styles at WrestleMania 33 was pretty in patches, but betrayed the tenets of fiction when scrutinised. He barely wrestles, and demonstrably isn't anywhere near the level of world's best wrestler - but was nonetheless positioned on that level. Ahead of and during Survivor Series, he positioned himself as the storyline best wrestler on SmackDown, which, Jesus Christ. It borders on the sickening, when you examine the logic behind it. Everything revolves around Shane; AJ Styles, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn were all dwarfed by his presence in 2017. Backwards, backwards, backwards.

Author Verdict:

Should probably transition into a role as an actual stunt man; that way, he would benefit from the rush and the glory without also depicting his roster as anonymous, inferior drones.

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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!