10 Live Observations From WWE Extreme Rules 2016
3. The Women's Title Match Got The Wrong Spot
WWE's Women's Division is finally delivering. As bad as the Divas' Revolution originally was, things turned a corner heading into 2016 and the matches - especially the title matches - featuring the women of WWE have been largely great. Even though it's far from perfect (the lack of use of Sasha Banks between WrestleMania and her recent injury defies explanation), things are in a pretty good spot.
The recent feud between Charlotte and Natalya has been entertaining, particularly given that Natalya has never really been booked as a serious competitor. She does have a brief Divas' Title reign to her credit, but she typically gets caught up in storylines where she plays "den mother" to the other women, or suffers from uncontrollable flatulence. Against Charlotte, she's at least been able to show off her considerable skills.
The women tangled in a submission match at Extreme Rules, and while the bout was technically good, putting it on so late in the card really hurt them. Submission matches are built around technical wrestling and don't have the crutch of near-falls to help build excitement. Given that this match went on right before the main event and right after a thumbtack bump, fans wanted some instant gratification. The nature of the match made that impossible to deliver.
Had the bout gone on earlier, the crowd might have been more receptive to the scientific contest. That finish still would have been awful, though.