10 Ways WWE In 2017 Could Have Been COMPLETELY Different
Open Universe Theory
Was 2017 wrestling's best ever year? There are multiple metrics that suggest so.
WWE's traditional 'Big Four' model was reinforced with weekends of wrestling playing to cumulative audiences of over 100,000 people a time, thanks to arena residencies housing a mix of critical and commercial success stories with NXT TakeOvers, Raws, SmackDowns and the pillar events themselves. In the case of the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania, the company drew around 150,000 combined for the Sunday supershows.
When he wasn't reviewing those, Wrestling Observer doyen Dave Meltzer presumably spent the remainder of his time cruising through space looking for new galaxies to furnish himself with enough stars to adequately assess New Japan Pro Wrestling. Wrestle Kingdom, The G1 Climax and The Best Of The Super Juniors were widely considered amongst the best ever editions of each, whilst Dominion 6.11 in Osaka-jo Hall played host to possibly/maybe/if that's your cup of tea (delete as appropriate or don't, the match was f*cking fantastic and that categorically isn't up for debate) the best match ever.
WWE posted some of their best ever financials in Q3, and rewarded fans with some chaotic booking between October and November that saw returns to the ring for Kurt Angle and Triple H in a variety of dream match scenarios with today's best and brightest. In fairness to Vince McMahon, those winter months weren't outliers. The year progressed frantically (for better and worse), with more going on than could often be digested at the time. Between the bombast and bluster, what could have been?
10. Don't Call It A Comeback
Matt and Jeff Hardy's WrestleMania 33 return was for many the lone highlight of a bright-but-bloated Orlando supercard.
It was the type of night where a lot happened, but nothing was much of a happening. The thunderous pop that echoed around the Camping World Stadium wasn't merely born from nostalgia for the North Carolinian Attitude Era icons. It represented a return to form for the brothers, happier and healthier than they'd been in a decade and creatively thriving thanks to the #BROKEN Universe cultivated by Matt in TNA (more on that later).
Winning the Tag Team Titles in a ladder match on the night was a vote of confidence from WWE in their ability to carry the league through the post-WrestleMania lull, but what could have been had they remained with the then-renamed Global Force Wrestling.
Feuding with The Hardy Boyz made The Bar, who in turn made a rejuvenated Seth Rollins/Dean Ambrose combo that drove the reunion of The Shield in October. It was a chain of events completely triggered by their return, and may not have yielded such an entertaining tag division on the red brand without their on and off screen influence.