10 Recent WWE Rivalries That Underwhelmed In The Ring

9. Charlotte Flair Vs. Natalya

Dean Ambrose Chris Jericho
WWE.com

There can be no denying that Charlotte Flair and Natalya were a major reason why women's wrestling was taken to the next level starting in 2014. Their clash for the NXT Women's Championship at NXT TakeOver that May was a work of art and proved not only Natalya still had "it" but also that Charlotte was a star in the making.

Thus, there was excitement surrounding the renewal of their rivalry in 2016, and rightfully so. Charlotte was at the top of her game at that point as a heel, whereas it was refreshing to see Natalya getting a crack at the championship at long last. Once they faced off at Payback 2016, however, it became evident that the magic they shared from two years earlier was no longer there.

What started out as a solid match quickly went off the rails when the referee randomly called for the bell while Natalya was in the Figure Eight, which was designed to mirror the Montreal Screwjob. The "I Quit" rematch later that month at Extreme Rules was also painfully boring and ended in uneventful fashion when Dana Brooke interfered to cost Natalya the win.

Contributor
Contributor

Since 2008, Graham has been a diehard pro wrestling fan and, in 2010, he combined his passions for WWE and writing when he joined Bleacher Report. Equipped with a master's in journalism, Graham has contributed to WhatCulture, FanSided's Daily DDT, Sports Betting Dime, and GateHouse Media. Along the way, he has conducted interviews with wrestling superstars like Chris Jericho, Edge, Goldberg, Christian, Diamond Dallas Page, Jim Ross, Adam Cole, Tessa Blanchard, Ryback, and Nick Aldis among others.