10 Great Wrestling World Title Reigns Marred By Bad Endings

At the start of 2021, Bianca Belair seemed poised to become the new face of women's wrestling in WWE. A super-athletic, likeable babyface coming off a silly but fun feud with Bayley, Belair won the Royal Rumble and was all set for a much-anticipated showdown with Sasha Banks.

Despite a dismal build, the pair rocked the house at WrestleMania 37 in a headline spot. Belair was the new SmackDown Women's Champion and audiences were into the new star's work. In the ring, her combination of near superhuman agility and strength ensured entertaining work rate. On the mic, former track and field standout had charm and a good sense of humour, playing it cool in the faces of extroverted heels like Bayley and Carmella.

By SummerSlam, it was clear Belair was a star project that was actually working for WWE. The return of live crowds confirmed as much with 'The EST' receiving major pops everywhere she went. Sadly, an August rematch with 'The Boss' fell through and WWE's biggest breakout female star since Becky Lynch was left without an opponent.

It was Lynch herself who terminated Belair's four-month run at the event. In just 26 seconds, a star WWE had spent a year building up was sent packing as the status quo from before Lynch's maternity leave was restored. ‘The EST’ ultimately lost the feud, preventing her from saving a little face by redeeming this embarrassing squash.

Near the end of 2021 now and Bianca's back to where she was last year: a well-liked midcard act away from the title picture. It's amazing how 26 seconds can completely undo four months of top tier output.