10 Most Disappointing Wrestlers Of 2017
8. Baron Corbin
This was supposed to be the year in which the Lone Wolf justified his propulsive rise to main roster prominence. He did not - and the gigantic shadow cast by Braun Strowman only served to incriminate Baron Corbin in comparison.
Corbin's grasp of character really is something. He looks like a proper degenerate, greasy hair and all, and stalks the ring with a sort of aloof detestability, infuriating for those who loathe him because he's either an opportunistic late comer, or simply nowhere near as ready as some would optimistically have it (read: management).
In the ring, that aloofness translates to ponderous showings, the likes of which the new paradigm, even in WWE, have rendered extinct - and they were already firmly out of favour. The odd Triple Threat match aside, Corbin has underwhelmed, doing particularly badly to stand out on a dismal SmackDown Live brand. He's not over enough to warrant his status, and his matches are nowhere near dramatic enough, irrespective of words like "workrate", to warrant his status.
The awesome three-way opposite AJ Styles and Dolph Ziggler, on the December 27 Wild Card Finals SmackDown, highlighted Corbin's potential as a wildcard - but ultimately, his subsequent singles showings proved he was a glorified passenger in a cloak and dagger context.