10 WWE Stomping Grounds Impulse Reactions

5. Bayley Vs. Alexa Bliss

The omens weren't great for 'The Hugger' going in to Stomping Grounds.

A 2017 rivalry with Alexa Bliss had murdered her original main roster push. This pay-per-view marked the first opportunity for 'Little Miss Bliss' to have a significant singles match since last year thanks to a raft of concussion issues, and she was elevated immediately into a title shot. The show even began with a quick advertisement for a WWE Network special coming after it - a 365 Special on Alexa Bliss.

Bayley's task in kayfabe was to prove she hadn't peaked in NXT, and that was soundly achieved by virtue of her latest victory. In reality, it was to prove why WWE's booking should have been much kinder to her all along. To this end, the match was a minor miss.

The two worked hard in spite of a crowd that had quietened down for the first time all night, whilst Nikki Cross' placement for Bayley's dive and the eventual miscommunication finish allowed for welcoming continuation of her surely-doomed relationship with Alexa Bliss.

If that praise feels faint, it's because that's perhaps all the pair warranted. It was at least the right result and the right finish - no mean feat for the women's division of late.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett