Baron Corbin's WWE Year in Review: Full Breakdown and Grade for 2017

Baron Corbin's 2017 was full of tremendous highs and heart-wrenching lows.

On the heels of an impressive showing against AJ Styles and Dolph Ziggler to close out 2016, it appeared as though The Lone Wolf would have a career year. And he did, to an extent.

Heat beyond the mat, though, cost him several monumental opportunities to ascend to the top of the industry and become the face of the SmackDown brand.

An up-and-down year that saw him win his first championship, only to wrap up 2017 without it, the last 12 months have been anything but boring for the NXT export and former Arizona Cardinal.

Relive his 2017 and find out how he graded out in a number of fields, including in-ring work and creative, and what 2018 may have in store for him.

In-Ring Work

Corbin had a deceptively good year from an in-ring perspective.

There are plenty of preconceptions about him and his status as one of WWE's so-called chosen ones because of the push he received coming out of NXT, but Corbin has routinely worked well with some of the top stars in the industry.

Whether he was working a legitimate main event talent like John Cena or AJ Styles, or defending his United States Championship against Tye Dillinger or Sin Cara in television programs, Corbin consistently proved himself a much better heavyweight worker than he typically gets credit for.

He is faster, more agile and possesses a power-based move set that plays well to the smaller opponents he has encountered on Tuesday nights.

The one obvious disappointment from a match-quality perspective was his series with Shinsuke Nakamura, which never really reached the level most expected from them. They did not mesh whatsoever, and the result was an underwhelming collection of bouts.

That aside, Corbin continued to show the growth as an in-ring performer one would hope to see from a young Superstar such as himself.

That included a better-than-expected match against The Miz at Survivor Series.

Grade: B

Creative

Corbin's support with WWE Creative left a lot to be desired in 2017, thanks to halted pushes and questionable booking decisions.

When looking back on the year that was for The Lone Wolf, it will be forever defined by his embarrassing and controversial failure to successfully cash in the Money in the Bank briefcase he won in June.

Reports from PWInsider.com (h/t Wrestling Inc) suggested that Corbin had heat with management for speaking out during a company meeting on concussion protocol.

In short order, he was humbled on live television, losing his Money in the Bank title opportunity via laughable roll-up at the hands of Jinder Mahal.

When he finally regained momentum later in the year, winning the United States Championship from AJ Styles, Corbin looked to be en route to that elusive push. Then, at the December 17 Clash of Champions pay-per-view, he dropped it clean in the center of the ring to Dolph Ziggler.

The booking decision again cost The Lone Wolf much-needed momentum as the new year approaches.

Those two missteps did more damage than any briefcase wins or title victories could have done to elevate his star.

Grade: C-

Historical Significance

Corbin became the 17th different Superstar to win Money in the Bank but joined John Cena and Damien Sandow in notoriety as the third competitor to unsuccessfully cash-in his title opportunity.

That is a bit of historical significance Corbin did not necessarily want to acquire in 2017, but he did and, perhaps, would be better had he predictably captured the title.

His victory over AJ Styles for the United States Championship was a watershed moment for him in that it represented his first title victory in any brand under the WWE umbrella. While some will scoff at the way he lost it or, more importantly, the "why," the fact that he won it after incurring the heat he did backstage proves management still sees something in the big man.

To the grand scheme of things, Corbin's year was not terribly historic, but for the performer himself, it represented a step in the right direction despite the professional roadblock that was his failed Money in the Bank cash-in.

For that, he receives a better-than-average grade.

Grade: C+

Greatest Moment

There will be some who suggest Corbin's U.S. title win represented the peak of his career in 2017, but the Money in the Bank victory was symbolic of the trust management had in Corbin at the time.

That win suggested the SmackDown writing team was prepared to run with Corbin as the top heel on Tuesday nights, the villain around whom top storylines would revolve.

Yes, controversy behind the scenes may have led to his unsuccessful cashing in of the briefcase, but that should not, and does not, take away from the fact that he did something few throughout WWE history can claim by winning the incredibly popular gimmick contest.

Best Match of 2017

As mentioned earlier, there are some very good, solid Corbin matches to choose from, but his best was his final pay-per-view match of the year.

Repeatedly, Corbin has demonstrated an ability to wrestle superb matches involving more than two Superstars. He excels in the multi-man matches that allow him to explode into the bout late, impress with his size and fury, and inject drama in the closing moments.

Such was the case at Clash of Champions, where he defended his United States Championship against Dolph Ziggler and Bobby Roode.

Corbin brought a Superstar presence to the match, returning late to set up the finish.

The most hated man in the bout, he interjected it with heat and delivered a performance that continued his standard of strong performances in multi-Superstar matches.

He lost the title, but anyone doubting his abilities was, again, silenced by the quiet consistency he brought to his ring work this year.

Overall Grade

Corbin's year was very much a mixed bag of increased confidence, stronger performances than the year before and disappointing professional setbacks that would have hurt another Superstar.

His ability to come through all of it and not allow it to adversely affect his performance between the ropes helped him weather the storm. He excelled in high-profile bouts and never once appeared out of his element against Superstars further up the proverbial food chain than he.

As 2018 arrives, Corbin figures to continue his journey to the top of WWE, be it on the SmackDown brand or on Raw.

It will be an uphill battle, especially with the presence of so many breakout stars currently awaiting their opportunity to shine, but Corbin has the tools and presence necessary to thrive.

Whether he can keep his attitude in check will determine whether he achieves greatness or spends another year just shy of the marquee matches.

The year 2017 was very much one of foundation-laying. He set the stage for the potential main event push, if WWE Creative opts to take his character in that direction. He handled his business, now it is time for him to reap the rewards of whatever push does or does not come his way.

Grade: B-