11 Match Star Ratings For WWE Clash Of Champions 2019

8. Bayley Vs. Charlotte Flair - SmackDown Women's Title Match

Randy Orton Kofi Kingston
WWE.com

This would not have happened in a WWE Heavyweight or Universal Title match.

"This" being a glorified TV match running at under four minutes with a truly odious and inconclusive finish. Bayley is a heel now, and because character dynamics in WWE are so binary as to insult the intelligence, she had to cheat to win. That's wrestling. An outdated version of wrestling, but it's wrestling, and thus not a hill to die on. But that finish, Jesus Christ.

What purpose does it serve?

Did anybody in the arena or at home truly raise their fist in anger at that despicable Bayley? Or did they instead roll their eyes at the brazen, cheap booking and the way in which Charlotte Flair looked like a dimwitted geek? Or worse, a Diva?

Charlotte's work looked dialled in and credible, but so what? The finish was underwhelming and unsatisfying. It is possible to cheat in a way that doesn't expose the babyface as a moron, but this wasn't it. This was a disservice to two women we know are capable of much more than this carny b*llocks that existed purely to set up a sequel, the irony, of course, being that WWE has now removed any appetite for the sequel.

This was dire stuff of no imagination whatsoever.

Star Rating: *

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!