10 Most Disappointing WWE Matches Of 2016 (So Far)

3. Charlotte Vs. Natalya - WWE Extreme Rules

Natalya Charlotte Extreme Rules
WWE.com

The decision to pair these two together was a sound one, nominally. Not only was it too soon to pair Charlotte against too serious a threat to her recently-acquired Women's championship, these two had previous.

Their match at the first NXT: TakeOver was a 16:49 thriller, the real origin of the Diva's Revolution. For many fans, this was the match which made them realise that, if allocated ample time with which to craft a story, there is very little - arguably nothing - to separate them from the men.

This match in particular created the buzz which Sasha Banks et al. capitalised on to better their efforts at TakeOver: Brooklyn and Respect.

Charlotte and Natalya had wrestled a satisfactory if inferior sequel at WWE Roadblock, but the second revival of their series was a step too far. Compromised by the Ric Flair-as-over-protective-father sub-plot, this gets the dubious nod over their equally-egregious Payback effort for painting Natalya as daft enough to fall for the distraction routine for two matches in a row.

The distraction from Dana Brooke was also infuriating. That WWE announced ahead of time that Ric Flair was banned from ringside just guaranteed there being somebody else in his place.

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!