10 Worst WWE Matches Of 2017

Garbage Wrestling

Roman Reigns The Undertaker
WWE.com

Wrestling's brilliant. That's probably the last of that for now, though, eh?

It's an errant assertion that everything posited in wrestling's corner of the internet is negative. It's always opinionated, often informed and constantly debated, but the so-called negativity is often driven by the emotion of a fanbase that only wants things to be better. The unmatched high of a beloved talent achieving a real or storyline goal is the reason WWE gets under the skin of so many so young, with supporters spending a lifetime chasing their next fix.

Like any addiction, the time without the high is the hardest of all. And like many addicts, fans will blindly keep going back for more. And 2017's not let junkies go without. Though WWE's Cruiserweight division has passed in a purple haze, New Japan Pro Wrestling's Juniors and Heavyweights had fans kissing the sky more than ever before.

A galaxy of new stars emerged, not birthed by the McMahon machine but their own promotional nous. And though its a grandiose and gross paradox, WWE still remains the global industry leader for good reason. Several pay-per-views this year have housed battles many justifiably labelled as 'dream' matches.

But it's also the place where dreams go to die. Vince's product at its worst was a mess of contradiction, a mess of misplaced hope and/or often just a giant mess. As evidenced by some of the talents in this list, nobody's immune from the trappings of it.

10. Shinsuke Nakamura Vs Dolph Ziggler (Backlash)

Roman Reigns The Undertaker
WWE.com

Dolph Ziggler's got a lot to answer for. Mainly, at the moment, anybody that still considers him WWE's newest reliable pair of hands for a debutant. Because two pretty high profile balls ups in 2017 have suggested otherwise.

His Hell In A Cell clash with Bobby Roode was knowingly hamstrung by card placement and a lousy finish, but Ziggler, Nakamura, the agents and just about anyone that had a thing to do with this Backlash opener deserves a demotion to 205 Live, assuming Enzo Amore hasn't rendered it a lesser punishment in recent months.

It was almost impressively boring, considering Dolph's propensity for an oversell, Shinsuke's wicked kicks and the fact that the pair had wrestled each other 19 times with the cameras off between Nakamura's first appearance on television and the May supercard. Presumably in no point during those matches did they work that formula, instead looking towards a WWE babyface beatdown match.

It foreshadowed a frustrating first few months on the main show for 'The King Of Strong Style', but shouldn't have even exposed the smallest weakness. . Both could have done so much better, and despite what he may think, 'The Show Off' definitely can't do best.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 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 30 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz", Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 50,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, 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