February started slow but once it hit the halfway mark it started rocking. The top 5 here are almost interchangable; it really depends on what type of wrestling you like – but it’s pretty great that WWE can provide all of it. Special Honorable Mention right at the top for all of Tozawa’s squash matches, well worth checking out.
1. RAW Women’s Title: Charlotte [c] vs. Bayley (RAW 2/13/17)
Right away, with Charlotte’s early control with the wristlock and Bayley’s slap to the face, this thing was money. A confident performance by Charlotte (body part work, cockiness when in control, frustration when she wasn’t), great selling by Bayley, good shifts in momentum, great near falls, hot crowd, storybook ending … just top shelf stuff. The best classic babyface vs. heel wrestling match I saw all month.
2. Elimination Chamber – WWE World Title: John Cena [c] vs. Dean Ambrose vs. AJ Styles vs. The Miz vs. Bray Wyatt vs. Baron Corbin (Elimination Chamber 2/12/17)
A peak Elimination Chamber, with a great layout and world class performance by AJ Styles. Just non-stop fun, always having action and moving a story forward. Styles was having a blast in there just doing crazy shit and he had a couple mini-epics with Cena and Wyatt, while Corbin looked like a monster and had strangely good chemistry with Ambrose. Cena vs. Styles whenever it happened was great too. Awesome definitive finish to begin the Era of Wyatt.
3. Braun Strowman vs. Big Show (RAW 2/20/17)
BIG, LARGE, HUMONGOUS MEN WRESTLING PROFESSIONALLY. Having a MATCH. A PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING MATCH. Wristlocks, kip-ups, near falls… Braun was moving like an cat and Show was bumping big to put the new fella over, just so great. They worked this as such a logical Meeting of the Giants type of thing too – exchanges early to establish their power, Show going for the kill and Braun kicking out right at 2 every time, and then the young giant that is Braun taking over. The zoom-out to show the crowd as they teased a superplex was SO cool. Such a dramatic damn finish. Tremendous fun.
4. Mark Andrews vs. Pete Dunne (NXT 2/22/17)
God damn was this good, worked like a dirtbag Kurt Angle vs. twink Rey Mysterio. Big backflips, suplexes, and bumps, Dunne smiling as he tortured Andrews and tried to break his fingers, and an INSANE finish that had Full Sail going nuts. I thought the UK tourney match was tighter but this was great stuff.
5. Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe (RAW 2/6/17)
This was like Diet Roman vs. Brock from Mania 32 for like 10 minutes, a match that felt like a big deal and collision as Roman went up against a dominant monster. Roman sold huge and the crowd for once was all about him, while Joe dished out a fun beating and by the end he was established as a major player.
6. Triple Threat Match – WWE World Title: Bray Wyatt [c] vs. John Cena vs. AJ Styles (SmackDown 2/14/17)
This was awesome… very much a pop song type of match, as there’s all kinds of wrestling with deeper meaning and more meat to it but this was just non-stop madness with big moves and near falls that had the crowd absolutely freaking out. It went like 15 minutes and felt like they were having a big finishing stretch from the bell… highlights were AJ splashing Wyatt on the commentary table, Cena vs. AJ just being magical, and Wyatt looking like a monster. It’s GRRREAT!
7. Fatal 4-Way Match: Dean Ambrose vs. AJ Styles vs. The Miz vs. Baron Corbin (SmackDown 2/7/17)
A lot like the Triple Threat above this, just a crazy fun match where they kept things moving and had an amped up crowd. I was really impressed with how well everything just weaved together here, so many complicated spots that all flowed into each other so well. Highlights were Dean’s thousand-yard stare after the Tower of Doom which made that stupid spot extra special, Styles countering Corbin’s under-the-ropes clothesline thing with a pele, Miz’ flapjack to Knee+, and AJ ducking the Lunatic Lariat and hitting the Stylin’ DDT. And then BARON CORBIN PINNED AJ STYLES.
8. WWE Cruiserweight Title #1 Contender Fatal 5-Way Elimination Match: TJ Perkins vs. Cedric Alexander vs. Gentleman Jack Gallagher vs. Mustafa Ali vs. Noam Dar (205 Live 2/7/17)
Good stuff, just a crazy fast pace the entire time and the rare multi-man Elimination Match where each fall didn’t seem sudden. Hot crowd, sweet spots, big near falls… one of the first 205 Live matches that actually felt like a great cruiserweight match.
9. Falls Count Anywhere: Nikki Bella vs. Natalya (SmackDown 2/21/17)
This was the trailer park fight this trailer park feud needed. Only thing it needed was the people chanting “JERRY, JERRY!” Non-stop fun right from Nikki spearing Nattie as the bell rang. Nikki wrecked Nattie with a kendo stick, they brawled in the crowd, Nikki hit a wild kick off the barricade, they did a freaking Alabama Slam through a table, brawled backstage, used a FUCKING MIRROR, and finally MARYSE – tremendous.
10. Tyler Bate vs. Oney Lorcan (NXT 2/1/17)
A great TV match with a lot packed into less than 10 minutes. Oney Lorcan has good matches every time he appears on WWE TV, but none of them are high-profile or designed to be all EPIC!! so he doesn’t get the love he deserves. Everything he did here was snug and REAL, highlighted by him pasting the shit out of Bate and his schoolboy roll forcing Bate’s head into the bottom turnbuckle. The dueling uppercut/koppou spot towards the end was awesome, and WHAT a Tyler Driver to finish.
11. WWE World Title #1 Contender 10-Man Battle Royal (Featuring: John Cena, Dean Ambrose, AJ Styles, The Miz, Baron Corbin, Luke Harper, Dolph Ziggler, Apollo Crews, Kalisto and Mojo Rawley) (SmackDown 2/21/17)
A booker’s favorite kind of match… how well was this thing laid out!? SO MANY STORIES! NEW FEUDS WERE STARTED! SOME CONTINUED! EVERYTHING MADE SENSE! Plus it had good action and stuff. A tremendous kickoff to SmackDown’s WrestleMania season.
12. Randy Orton vs. Luke Harper (Elimination Chamber 2/12/17)
Wasn’t into this as much as some of the more glowing responses I saw on the World Wide Web, but still dug it. A match that built steadily and closed strong, eventually turning into the war you’d want from these two. Orton is such a solid, confident performer too that it’s a treat any time he gets some time to work with and happens to be motivated, which he was here. Had some great spots made all the more impressive by just how big these fellas are… the huge superplex, both slugfests, and the near fall off Harper’s superkicks.
13. WWE U.S. Title: Chris Jericho [c] w/ Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn (RAW 2/6/17)
A fine TV championship match with a re-energized Zayn… liked this from top-to-bottom, with some good early stuff like Zayn’s armdrags, Jericho taunting, Sami hitting the dad bod crossbody, and Jericho avoiding the Helluva kick but getting hit with a tope con hilo heading into commercial, and some nice near falls and counters towards the end.
14. John Cena vs. Randy Orton w/ Bray Wyatt (SmackDown 2/7/17)
Just a good, basic, safe, and completely fun John Cena vs. Randy Orton match. Both these guys are basically untouchable right now – many will try harder, but these are the true masters of the professional wrestling. Hit all the right notes for a TV main event and has a fun angle post-match to boot.
15. Sin Cara vs. Rusev w/ Lana (Main Event 2/8/17)
The underrated Handsome Rusev grapples with C-show champion Sin Cara on Main Event! Fun big guy/small guy stuff milked for all it’s worth, it follows the basic formula but they do enough unique stuff to make it stand out, including a sweet spot where Rusev catches a Cara tope and slams his face to the floor. A Main Event Match well worth watching.
16. WWE World Title #1 Contender Match: Luke Harper vs. AJ Styles (SmackDown 2/28/17)
This had some cool stuff and was fun while it lasted, but it’s a damn shame it went under 10 minutes and the finish with Shane-O-Mac was necessary but stupid. Still though, it’s a rising Luke Harper vs. prime AJ Styles and well worth checking out. Big time performance by Luke.
17. SmackDown Women’s Title: Becky Lynch vs. Alexa Bliss (SmackDown 2/21/17)
Love watching Becky Lynch wrestle, love watching Alexa Bliss putting the tools together to go along with it. Armdrags, working holds, running the ropes, classic babyface vs. heel stuff with a crowd that was game for Becky. Good, solid stuff.
18. Gran Metalik (debut) vs. Drew Gulak (205 Live 2/14/17)
A pitch perfect TV match and fine example of what Gran Metalik (and Gulak, too) bring to the table. Metalik had the one flub early but chopped and flew his way back into the crowd’s hearts and they were going nuts for him by the end, chanting “yes we can” in Spanish and flipping out for the big dives. Gulak dropkicking Metalik right at the start was great stuff too.
19. Becky Lynch vs. Mickie James (Elimination Chamber 2/12/17)
A match that felt like I would’ve appreciated more if they worked it in an Armory with a guy with an oxygen tank in the front row. Long collar-and-elbows, Mickie working the arm, and Becky selling her ass off. Liked Becky’s selling and comebacks here, and dug Mickie’s work on offense and just trying and trying to put Becky away at the end.
20. WWE U.K. Title: Tyler Bate [c] vs. Trent Seven (NXT 2/15/17)
I liked the first few minutes of this, worked around mustache twirling. I liked the next few minutes too, where they made everything feel like a struggle, working for every single hold including a nice milk of a backslide. But then it suddenly just kind of went into a Big Move finishing sequence and it lost me, even if Full Sail was eating it up. Some neat stuff here and there but wasn’t my thing.
21. Sami Zayn vs. Rusev w/ Lana (RAW 2/13/17)
Love these two, great matchup on paper that was a pretty fun watch but was hurt by feeling really cold thanks to Rusev’s de-push and the fact that it followed the crowd watching a lengthy sit-down interview (and probably like 12 WrestleMania 32 video packages) on the big screen. They packed in a lot of fun little moments here though: Zayn working his way into a dropkick, Machka kick to the outside, Rusev throwing knees while holding Zayn on the ropes followed by a fallaway slam, Sami wailing away at Rusev on the top, and Rusev’s crazy-ass corner bump to the outside… all good stuff.
22. SmackDown Women’s Title: Alexa Bliss [c] vs. Naomi (Elimination Chamber 2/12/17)
This was fun. Alexa was aggressive as all hell, Naomi was athletic as all hell, and they kept this sucker moving. I am impressed with 5’1” Alexa Bliss’ ability to wrestle like she is eight feet tall. Feel-good finish too.
23. Mustafa Ali vs. Noam Dar (205 Live 2/21/17)
A fun match, with Ali doing cool impressive shit and Dar begging off and working the arm. The Ali tope off the ref and tornado DDT were sweet, and Austin Aries gets in a damn Mama Bellomo reference at one point.
24. Mark Henry vs. Braun Strowman (RAW 2/13/17)
A fine slugfest for 5 minutes – Henry’s lost a step, but loved him showing some babyface fire. Plus BRAUN threw a damn dropkick.
25. Cesaro vs. Samoa Joe (RAW 2/27/17)
Very short but good stuff. Tight, to the point – told a nice story with everything based around Cesaro’s knee tweaking… couldn’t make the comeback and couldn’t do the springboard which led to the finish.
Honorable Mentions: Rich Swann vs. Noam Dar w/ Alicia Fox (205 Live 2/15/17), Cesaro vs. Samoa Joe (RAW 2/27/17), Becky Lynch vs. Mickie James (SmackDown 2/14/17), Jack Gallagher vs. Tony Nese (205 Live 2/21/17), Bayley vs. Nia Jax (RAW 2/6/17), Handicap Match: Braun Strowman vs. Dusty Wallace, James Stock, Rob Kelly & TC Bonus (RAW 2/6/17), Winner Enters the Fatal 5-Way Elimination Match: Mustafa Ali vs. Ariya Daivari (205 Live 2/7/17), No Way Jose vs. “The Drifter” Elias Samson (NXT 2/1/17), Akira Tozawa vs. Ariya Daivari (RAW 2/13/17), Akira Tozawa vs. Drew Gulak (RAW 2/6/17), Tozawa vs. Noam Dar w/ Alicia Fox (RAW 2/27/17), Akira Tozawa vs. Brian Kendrick (205 Live 2/21/17), Sin Cara vs. Bo Dallas (Main Event 2/22/17), Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte (RAW 2/20/17), Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens (RAW 2/20/17), The Revival vs. Heavy Machinery (Tucker Knight & Otis Dozovic) (NXT 2/8/17), RAW Tag Team Title #1 Contender Match: Cesaro & Sheamus vs. Enzo & Big Cass (RAW 2/20/17)
