11 Things WWE Got Wrong In 2017
When WWE was wrong in 2017, it was horrible.
In truth, it would be unusual if WWE managed to go through an entire year without making any major mistakes. No wrestling promotion on the planet is under more scrutiny, and the goodwill that is extended to other companies doesn't make its way to Stamford. Criticising WWE is one of the easiest things to do in wrestling, after all.
Vince McMahon and company don't do anything to help themselves, though. There are mistakes that a company can make that are entirely understandable and forgivable - and then there are the errors made by WWE in 2017. Putting the most prestigious championship in wrestling on a jobber without any build? Destroying the most organically popular female wrestler on the planet? Bray Wyatt in drag?
2017 was a year of incredible highs and depressing lows for WWE. The promotion got plenty of things right, the rise of Braun Strowman and the reign of Brock Lesnar among them.
But when WWE got things wrong, it got them wrong.
11. The Cruiserweight Division
2017 ends with Enzo Amore on top of 205 Live as the WWE Cruiserweight Division. This can be seen as an improvement in some ways, as more eyes are on the junior heavyweights than ever before. It is a huge shame that it takes the worst wrestler in the company to make that the case, when the division spent eight months on the shoulders of one of WWE’s best.
For years and years, certain sections of the fanbase clamoured for the cruiserweight division to return. The 2016 Cruiserweight Classic promised much, but WWE quickly showed that it had learnt nothing when it came to booking junior heavyweight wrestling on the main roster. Potential superstars like Cedric Alexander and Gran Metalik have been held back by being stuck in a nothing division.
Filming the show directly after SmackDown Live doesn't do anyone any favours either. As 2017 comes to a close, WWE has a lot of work to do when it comes to fixing the cruiserweight division. Hideo Itami and Ricochet will help, but there are fundamental problems with the division that need to be fixed in order to ensure a whole load of talent isn’t entirely wasted.