The Complete A-Z Of Wrestling In 2017

4. W - WarGames

The Shield Paige
WWE Network

Far more than just a headline attraction for NXT's final TakeOver card of 2017, WarGames was yet another successful trust-fall from Triple H into the uncharacteristically welcoming arms of Vince McMahon as the prodigal son-in-law continues to steer the wildly popular developmental ship.

Picking off a scab he'd been scratching away at since 2002, 'The Game' unleashed NWA's bloodiest game on his pet project's three tightest units (and Roderick Strong) for a rip-roaring reimagining that made stars out of Adam Cole and Killian Dain and perhaps at long last made a believer out of McMahon himself. Like LED ring aprons and good women's wrestling, there's a chance NXT may have been used as a proving ground for a future main roster addition.

2018's pay-per-view calendar leaves gaps on gimmick-free pay-per-views for the 'Match Beyond', with the double-ring aesthetic presumably no longer of ticket-restricting concern. If merely left as a bloody and violent one-off Hunter was somehow able to get away with presenting, the match itself was thankfully exactly that.

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Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 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 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, 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