Best Events of Summer 2017

What's going on everybody?!  What a summer we have had this year in professional wrestling.  This year has been simply on fire with multiple critically acclaimed matches and super-exciting action, maybe even more so than in recent summer memory.  From the unforgettable G1 Climax 27 to the sizzling NXT Takeover Brooklyn show, there has been no excuse to not be an avid wrestling fan this summer or to say that everything has been bland.  There was something for everybody this summer.  With that being said, let's get into the five biggest events this summer.

Combat Zone Wrestling's event, Once In A Lifetime was centered around a deathmatch dream match between modern-day death match champion, and franchise player, Matt Tremont and Japanese deathmatch innovator, Atsushi Onita.  Onita has been in the business for forty years and has been regarded as the godfather of the death match scene.  The much younger challenger to the throne of deathmatch icon, "The Bulldozer" has spilled blood in various deathmatch tournaments all over the nation.  However, the rest of the evening wasn't bad at all either.  The best match of the night was clearly the excellent match between "Bad Boy" Joey Janela and newly signed NXT prospect, Leo Rush, in the conclusion to their incredible rivalry.  If you're not overwhelmingly familiar with CZW, peep them out when possible, especially this event.

The quickly evolving WhatCulture Pro Wrestling, based out of the UK, delivered an internationally based tournament called the World Cup that actually started as far back as the spring.  However, it was the quarterfinals, semis, and the finals that really made this tournament quite the watch.  Talent such as Will Ospreay, Ricochet, Jay Lethal, Mike Bailey, and even the legendary Rey Mysterio Jr. showed up and there were a multitude of incredible matches.  The finals between Ospreay and ROH TV Champion/IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion KUSHIDA was one of the year's finest matches, and rivaled their unbelievable BOSJ Finals match from last year.  WCPW is quickly growing in acclaim and this could very well be their meal ticket to keep propelling to the next level.

If there was one WWE event that belongs on this list, hands-down it would be the third edition of NXT Takeover: Brooklyn.  While Summerslam was overall a dud of an event, NXT presented, arguably, their best event all year with Takeover Brooklyn III.  From start to finish, the evening was intense and was a virtual no-miss.  From the epic Ember Moon/Asuka match to the hard-hitting Itami/Aleister Black match and the decent main event, this event was the clear highlight of the weekend, and once again showed the main roster who's superior.

PWG is arguably the most invigorating indie promotion in the nation.  While they always deliver fairly great product, usually it culminates in their Best Of Los Angeles (BOLA) tournaments, and from what has been said, this may have been the best one yet.  Many, including revered and at times controversial journalist Dave Meltzer, have stated that this year's BOLA tournament was monumental and had plenty of five star matches.  Personally, I didn't think they could get much better than last year's, which hosted the greatest six man tag match in modern history with Ricochet/Sydal/Ospreay vs. The Bucks/Cole, it's possible this has eclipsed last years.  When the DVD/Blu-Ray becomes available to the public, this will get personally viewed, but you can't really go wrong when people in attendance said that this changed their lives as wrestling fans.  Go figure.

As usual, NJPW delivers all the goods with the twenty-seventh year of the G1 Climax tournament.  The nearly three week long tournament was a huge critical success and had very rare missteps.  While veterans such as Kojima and Nagata were winding down their time in the tournament, upcoming stars such as Juice Robinson and Takahashi used this tournament to further elevate their statuses within the company.  First timers such as Toma Tonga and Zach Sabre Jr. did well, but ultimately the closing weekend saw three of the best wrestling matches, not just of the year, but within the decade, especially the third match between Okada and Omega in their already historic rivalry.  Naito defeated Omega in a match that easily could've rivaled any of the Omega/Okada matches to become a two-time winner, but overall the tournament owned the summer and nothing anyone else delivered could match the overall entertainment and shear athletic showmanship of New Japan's annual tournament, which once again showed why they're legitimately the best promotion in the world.

Honorable Mentions

ROH Best In The World '17
WWE Mae Young Classic
NOAH Summer Navigation '17
CZW Tournament Of Death '17
CZW Down With The Sickness '17

These events, and more, made you believe that wrestling was definitely alive and well.  As summer 2017 comes to a close, the year is still not over yet, and one can only imagine how much more special moments we'll see this year.  If there were other events that you felt should've been included, please feel free to reveal them (no I do not count Summerslam).  Otherwise, if you haven't viewed these events, find a way, if possible, in regards to PWG BOLA '17, to view them.  There will be no regrets once you do.  Until next time!