15 Ups & 13 Downs For WWE In 2017

7. Shane McMahon: Hardest Man Alive

Shane McMahon has never been as obtrusive as he is at the moment. Currently positioned at the heart of SmackDown's biggest storyline, he has, in true WWE style, enjoyed a bigger spotlight than most of the blue brand's wrestlers throughout 2017, but this isn't even the most galling thing about his character at the moment.

At WrestleMania 33, Shane was presented as being on the same level as AJ Styles, the consensus best wrestler in the company. He lost that night, but when 50/50 with 'The Phenomenal One' in striking and grappling exchanges. The theme continued throughout the year, with McMahon booked like Superman in his Hell In A Cell bout with Kevin Owens, and again at Survivor Series, where he was team blue's last man standing.

At best, his presentation as the toughest, most tenacious performer in the company is far fetched. At worst? It's insulting.

This is a 47-year-old executive we're talking about here, not a world-class athlete with thousands of matches under his belt, yet we're expected to believe that he's fit to go toe-to-toe with guys like KO and AJ, who should really eat him alive. It'll be a while before he's as problematic as his sister Stephanie, but he isn't far off at the moment, thanks to this spotlight-hogging year.