10 Ways WWE Screwed Up At Battleground 2017

SmackDown’s women’s division used to be one of the blue brand’s crown jewels. Sadly, this isn’t the case anymore. The group’s lack of individual one-on-one feuds has prevented everyone but Carmella from showing any personality, match quality is down, and there’s a clear lack of focus throughout. It’s a mess, and sadly, Natalya vs. Naomi isn’t the feud to cure its woes.

Nattie is a tremendous wrestler, but she has never fared particularly well in bigger spots. Her lack of charisma really shows in situations like this, particularly when playing heel, which she’ll have to do against Naomi. Similarly, the champion is an excellent athlete and much improved from her early days, but she’s still not the finished article as a performer, and could have benefited from a more dynamic personality to bounce off ahead of SummerSlam.

The one positive is that this should represent a shift away from the multi-woman feuds, but Nattie vs. Naomi isn’t a match that’ll get pulses racing. Both have their plus points, but with Becky Lynch and Charlotte languishing in the division’s middle reaches, it’s a shame WWE couldn’t have devised a more exciting option for the year’s second biggest show.