10 Biggest WWE Creative Mistakes Of 2020

5. The Sasha Banks Vs. Asuka Feud

Alexa Bliss Bray Wyatt
WWE

Even when WWE strikes an elusive note of brilliance, there's always a caveat. Always.

Very little is uniformly - undeniably - brilliant. This is a serious issue, and a major mistake, because WWE as a company is unable to grab you by the throat, spark your imagination, and take you for the full ride.

There's always a sense of trepidation, stepping into that car. Even when it's great, the endorphin rush is fuelled as much by relief as excitement.

Consider the Sasha Banks Vs. Asuka mini-programme, and its role in furthering the wider Bayley Vs. Sasha Banks storyline. A superb in-ring series - the electricity crackled through the acute struggle of every counter - it was nonetheless undermined by the abysmal, insulting finishes. At Money In The Bank, Bayley donned a referee outfit, thick enough, presumably, to think she'd get away with it. "It" being counting the finish despite not having the authority, as simply "Sasha's mate", to do so.

She was quickly b*llocked by Stephanie McMahon, and in a bid to grab a rating with a definitive conclusion, told Bayley that she could not interfere in the rubber match in any conceivable way.

She conceived a way - by drawing Asuka to Kairi Sane, pummelled in a backstage attack - which wasn't penalised, somehow.

This f*ckery makes it hard to truly invest - there's so little trust in the process - and a minor blot on a good programme was somehow more saddening than...

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!