11 Match Star Ratings For WWE Clash Of Champions 2019

4. Becky Lynch Vs. Sasha Banks - RAW Women's Title Match

Randy Orton Kofi Kingston
WWE.com

Let's get the (not entirely pedantic) complaints out of the way, because there was much to appreciate here.

The ref bump looked like utter sh*t, and wouldn't have excused the ridiculous sell-job even if it didn't. The ref, incidentally, recovered from deep unconsciousness to remember that he had been attacked, and by whom, and disqualified Becky Lynch accordingly in a finish cynicism told you was imminent. In this company, in which nothing is definitive, if a programme has legs, those legs are made to work overtime.

But, removing the sports entertainment b*llocks to admire the craft of the pro wrestlers, this was very, very good, and might yet reach great at Hell In A Cell.

The Bank Statement and Disarm Her are both as over as the talents, and the attempts were struggled towards and escaped from expertly. And, like the best WWE women's matches (though this wasn't quite up there), it was produced excellently. The agent in charge grasped the grudge feud tone, which Lynch and Banks performed with a real air of animosity. Very physical and very dramatic, it built relentlessly to a wild arena-wide brawl that not even a weird prop - mustard, take that! - could undermine.

In a big WWE programme, there's always a first chapter. But this first chapter was ace.

Star Rating: ***3/4

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!