This wasn’t a great month of wrestling for WWE, but the top 10 are keepers and Pete Dunne has officially arrived.
1. WWE U.K. Title: Tyler Bate [c] vs. Pete Dunne (NXT TakeOver: Chicago 5/20/17)
The best match I’ve ever seen live – a perfect blend of the madness of modern day wrestling with the restraint of old school wrestling. Right place, right time – a special match that wasn’t just jump-out-of-your-seat awesome, but the emergence of two young superstars. Jaw-dropping spots, peaks and valleys, standing ovations – awesome.
2. Roman Reigns vs. Finn Balor (RAW 5/15/17)
A tremendous match that would’ve gotten kudos if was main eventing a pay-per-view, let alone opening the third hour of Monday Night RAW. Great example of a cold babyface vs. babyface match getting over via two guys playing their roles and a slow build leading organically to ACTION! Really impressive selling by both guys here too… Reigns just looked broken down trying to keep up with the young fella, while Balor was good at making Roman look like a monster and looking just wrecked towards the end.
3. Ladder Match – NXT Tag Team Title: The Authors of Pain [c] w/ Paul Ellering vs. #DIY (NXT TakeOver: Chicago 5/20/17)
Bound to be remembered for the turn afterwards, but this was incredible storytelling for #DIY’s swan song… a crazy stupid blast of a match that felt like hometown babyfaces vs. unstoppable monsters, which is a wonderful wrestling dynamic when done right. Great atmosphere, fervent crowd, big spots, dramatic finish.
4. Triple Threat WWE Intercontinental Title #1 Contender Match: Seth Rollins vs. Finn Balor vs. The Miz w/ Maryse (RAW 5/1/17)
A match that not only had great action and everyone playing their part well, but one that got over three storylines at once – even if one of those was dropped a week later. The chaos of the finish really puts this one over the top. “WHAT THE HELL – NOW WHAT!?”
5. Street Fight: Akira Tozawa vs. Brian Kendrick (205 Live 5/23/17)
One of my favorite things about WWE in 2017 has been Tozawa and Kendrick having this epic in-ring feud in front of crowds that at first don’t really care, and by the end of the match really really care. This is their fourth and I think final match, and I’d put it neck-and-neck with their first match as their best. Tozawa has the best moveset in WWE, and it’s not just a bunch of cool moves, but legitimate signature spots. Kendrick always ups his game when working with Tozawa, you know the puro mark in him is having a ball doing these snug matches matches based on two guys at different stages in their career who want to out-man each other. Some awesome moments from each guy – think my favorite was Kendrick covering Tozawa’s mouth with tape and putting on the Captain’s Hook. On second thought I can’t believe I saw that on WWE TV.
6. WWE U.K. Title #1 Contender Match: Trent Seven vs. Pete Dunne (UK Championship Special 5/19/17)
Pete Dunne is my dude lately, he’s getting the WWE showcase and is completely delivering. Seven sells the arm OK and ups the intensity towards the finish, but this is a Pete Dunne match and a very good Pete Dunne match at that. Dunne wrecks Seven’s previously injured arm, works like he’s William Regal if William Regal could land a backflip off the top rope on his feet, wrestles like professional wrestling is at least 95% real. There is a wild dragon suplex on the apron here that I’m not sure was even necessary, but on top of all the other cool stuff I’ll take it.
7. WWE U.K. Title: Tyler Bate [c] vs. Mark Andrews (UK Championship Special 5/19/17)
This thing went 20 minutes and I loved all of it. The word that keeps coming to mind is quality. It was a quality professional wrestling match. Holds, reversals, chain wrestling, British shit. Then, when it felt right, they started to fly, and it got crazy. A wild last 5 minutes, with a bunch of great teases of Andrews winning as he flew all over the place. Bate meanwhile is an absolute beast of a human being here, catching an Andrews moonsault on the outside, and delivering one of the best rolling koppou kicks I think I’ve ever seen. Sorry Liger.
8. Sami Zayn vs. Baron Corbin (Backlash 5/21/17)
This was a professional wrestling match that WORKED, god damnit. A big guy. A small guy. Both roles milked for everything they are worth. Zayn selling like crazy here put it over the top for me. A match in 2017 had a compelling bearhug spot.
9. WWE Intercontinental Title: Dean Ambrose [c] vs. The Miz w/ Maryse (RAW 5/15/17)
Hot-ass Monday Night RAW match. Crowd was buzzing and everything worked – kept it moving, got the signature spots off at the right times, lots of little pieces of goodness sprinkled in like Miz stalling and hiding behind Maryse and his reaction to the SkullCrushing Finale kickout. This had a lot of teases to Dean’s finisher and a unique screwy finish, an ideal thing when you’ve got a PPV rematch to get to in 3 freakin’ weeks.
10. Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins (RAW 5/29/17)
Roman Reigns, you magnificent bastard. You’ve done it again. He had one bad match with the Undertaker and said NEVER AGAIN. Braun. Balor. Rollins. Even the Bray match was pretty good and nobody has a good match with Bray. The machine got me – Big Match Roman has arrived. This was a blast of a RAW TV main event – stuff made sense as it built slowly, crowd was rocking throughout, and it eventually got COOKIN’. Two of the coolest Superman punches ever exist in this match. It takes a couple of special cats to wake up a crowd that just watched the This Is Your Life thing and and then a cruiserweight match and then a bunch of shit on the big screen.
11. Shinsuke Nakamura (debut) vs. Dolph Ziggler (Backlash 5/21/17)
Like the Hardys Mania Ladder Match, a match basking in a glow, this time for Shinsuke Nakamura curtain jerking a WWE Network broadcast. Credible work, a couple of dudes just trying to out-wrestle and eventually choosing to hit each other. Ziggler’s superkick to the back of Nakamura’s head and loogie to the front of his face were highlights.
12. SmackDown Tag Team Title: The Usos [c] vs. Breezango (Backlash 5/21/17)
This is a southern tag formula professional wrestling match worked around comedy spots. It’s GREAT! Fandango looks like the lost tag babyface messiah of the 00s, Breeze is doing shtick with janitor and old lady cosplay, The Usos get massive heat screwing with granny, and the finish is HOT!!!
13. WWE U.S. Title: Kevin Owens [c] vs. AJ Styles (Backlash 5/21/17)
This isn’t the best Kevin Owens/AJ Styles match, but the way these guys complement each other they can shit out a good match. There’s a lot of good stuff here – AJ selling his leg and bumping his ass off and just being AJ Styles on pay-per-view, KO upping the usual TV beatdown for a PPV BEATDOWN. It was a little too This is Awesome for me, but it was still a great freakin’ time.
14. WWE Title: Randy Orton vs. Jinder Mahal (Backlash 5/21/17)
What an atmosphere, man. A pretty run-of-the-mill WWE main event wrestling match, but Randy was super over, Jinder was super hated, and The Singh Brothers were little shits who eventually bumped around like they got thrown in a dryer. Hot start with Randy kicking ass like he was Stone Cold, a decent middle, and then an awesome chaotic finish with a real doozy of a result for the WWE Universe.
15. Akira Tozawa vs. Brian Kendrick (205 Live 5/9/17)
Another great Tozawa/Kendrick match, the observation that came to mind here is that this is Regal vs. Finlay with more flying. Big shots, beautiful counters. Tremendous.
16. Pete Dunne vs. Danny Burch (NXT 5/31/17)
MY BOY PETE DUNNE vs. the coolest enhancement guy going in Danny Burch. Physical, credible work, along with Pete being a total shit. Nothing outrageous here, but a match that served three purposes: 1) make Pete look strong, 2) re-affirm Pete can go in the ring, and 3) have a good match so the FOLKS are excited for the U.K. show. A match that serves three purposes is pretty cool.
17. NXT Title: Bobby Roode [c] vs. Hideo Itami (NXT TakeOver: Chicago 5/20/17)
Alright – I’m onto you, Bobby Roode. I see what ya do. You bring us down for 10 minutes, just right away. Maybe give us a little Glorious pose, keep us thinkin’. And then boom everybody starts selling and there’s big near falls and 10-15 minutes later I’m like, I think that was very good even if I was really bored for a lot of it. Lacked intensity, but it’s still a strong rasslin match, and yeah man… those last 5 minutes or so. Good stuff.
18. Randy Orton, AJ Styles & Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens, Baron Corbin & Jinder Mahal w/ The Singh Brothers (SmackDown 5/9/17)
A TV 6-man tag that hit all the right notes – Jinder running from Randy, Owens vs. Zayn, Zayn and AJ both taking beatdowns, a massive Randy Orton hot tag. Typically fun WWE 6-man finish too, yeah buddy.
19. Sami Zayn vs. Jinder Mahal w/ The Singh Brothers (SmackDown 5/2/17)
Super basic match with a crowd that bought in; I liked this a lot. Jinder was all fired up ready to be pushed, while Sami sold big and all his pretty signature spots came in at the right times. Crowd was loving the near falls towards the end, and I always love a wrestling match that ends with a crowd SHRIEKING as the bad guy sneaks behind the good guy to set up his finish.
20. WWE U.S. Title: Chris Jericho [c] vs. Kevin Owens (SmackDown 5/2/17)
Recency bias just made The List! I remember enjoying this at the time, though like their other two matches it was a match that I liked but wouldn’t gush over. Hit the right notes, popped the crowd, real physical, sweet high spots. Jericho worked the PINKY. Chris Jericho would ask me, “What more is there supposed to be?” And I would say, “Eh, you’re probably right,” and then walk away still trying to put my finger on it.
21. Tye Dillinger vs. Aiden English (Backlash Kickoff 5/21/17)
Talk about “What more is there supposed to be” – an over-the-top aggressive heel in John Lennon glasses who sings at the start of his matches vs. the fired up and over babyface who was in developmental for ten fucking years. Really fun ideal opener.
22. SmackDown Tag Team Title: The Usos [c] vs. Breezango (SmackDown 5/23/17)
Not the most captivating first five minutes and a couple spots that missed the mark, but WHAT A LAST FEW MINUTES. Crowd was out of their seats pulling for uber-babyface Breezango.
23. Winner Chooses the Extreme Rules Stipulation: Matt Hardy w/ Jeff Hardy vs. Sheamus w/ Cesaro (RAW 5/22/17)
Sheamus hits, Matt sells, crowd flips. A super basic TV match that got a “This is Awesome” chant – incredible.
24. Drew McIntyre vs. Sean Maluta (NXT 5/17/17)
At one point in this match Drew McIntyre headbutts Sean Maluta in the face, then scowls at the camera which zooms in on his busted open eye. Another stop on the awesome Drew McIntyre Returns & Kills Everybody Tour.
25. Dana Brooke vs. Nia Jax (Main Event 5/17/17)
I’m putting this here because no one would give it time of day otherwise. Way better than it had any right to be. Hot crowd, Dana being sympathetic, some sweet cut-offs by Nia Jax. I mean Nia Jax and Dana Brooke are no Cutie Suzuki or Bison Kimura, but this is the match that proves something magical is happening in that Performance Center.
Honorable Mentions: NXT Title #1 Contender Match: Hideo Itami vs. Roderick Strong (NXT 5/10/17), AJ Styles vs. Dolph Ziggler (SmackDown 5/30/17), Shinsuke Nakamura & Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens & Baron Corbin (SmackDown 5/30/17), Randy Orton vs. Baron Corbin (SmackDown 5/16/17), Austin Aries vs. TJP (RAW 5/1/17), Mustafa Ali vs. Tony Nese (205 Live 5/9/17), Lince Dorado vs. TJP (205 Live 5/2/17), Triple Threat Match: Finn Balor vs. Bray Wyatt vs. Samoa Joe (RAW 5/29/17), Dean Ambrose & The Hardy Boyz vs. The Miz, Cesaro & Sheamus w/ Maryse (RAW 5/29/17), Luke Harper vs. Erick Rowan (Backlash 5/21/17), Jeff Hardy w/ Matt Hardy vs. Sheamus w/ Cesaro (RAW 5/15/17)
Roman Reigns & Seth Rollins vs. Bray Wyatt & Samoa Joe (RAW 5/22/17), Gran Metalik vs. TJP (Main Event 5/24/17), Kassius Ohno vs. Andrade “Cien” Almas (NXT 5/17/17), AJ Styles vs. Jinder Mahal w/ The Singh Brothers (SmackDown 5/16/17), Lince Dorado vs. Drew Gulak (Main Event 5/3/17), Mustafa Ali vs. Drew Gulak (205 Live 5/2/17), Aleister Black vs. Cezar Bononi (NXT 5/10/17), Seth Rollins vs. Samoa Joe (RAW 5/8/17), Finn Balor vs. The Miz w/ Maryse (RAW 5/8/17), Seth Rollins vs. Bray Wyatt (RAW 5/15/17)
