10 Best WWE Matches Of 2017

9. Charlotte Vs. Bayley - RAW, February 13

John Cena AJ Styles RR
WWE.com

Proof that Bayley is a genuine star, and not a fad elevated by the uplifting NXT environment surrounding her, WWE might have thoroughly buggered the timing of the Hugger's RAW Women's Title win - but the match itself was a fabulous, classic babyface versus heel battle, the pure art of which Bayley has done so much to restore.

Past tense, anyway.

This was a Bayley you could believe in; mirroring Charlotte's roll-through counters in the early going, she had the Queen's number - a stark antithesis to the usual dumbass faces distracted by entrance music. This was also a Bayley you could throw your support behind. Her selling of Charlotte's vicious, neck-centric offence was disturbingly authentic, and every jagged edge of the ring and the ringside edge was exploited to put over that viciousness in an emphatic modernisation of the shine/cut-off/hope spot/heat/comeback formula.

Transposed to the grand WrestleMania stage, with its spectacle and stakes, and this shoots up the list. Instead, WWE shot themselves in the foot.

Bayley celebrated the win with a beaming smile on her face - a beam that transmitted to the audience. How WWE managed to botch this profoundly simple cause and effect boggles the mind.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!