12 WWE Clash Of Champions 2019 Impulse Reactions

9. Bayley (c) Vs. Charlotte Flair

Bayley Charlotte Flair
WWE.com

The third match in a row to stay under 10 minutes (the Cruiserweight opener went 10:05, but probably would have dropped a few seconds had it not been for some clunkiness at the end), Bayley's title defence against Charlotte Flair wrapped in just 3:45 after 'The Hugger' used her positioning to steal a win before a highly anticipated contest every really came to life.

What to make of this? The conclusion - Bayley exposed the bottom turnbuckle before throwing Flair into it - serviced an ongoing storyline and theoretically got 'The Hugger' out of dealing with this particular challenger again for the foreseeable future as long as the "no rematches" rule is adhered to. It was, however, a rather naked attempt at delivering a f*ck finish to one of the biggest matches on the card.

Opposing instincts, not least considering WWE's terrible record with continuity, but the sight of Bayley sprinting for the safety of the locker room after the win (with "ROLE MODEL" in huge letters on her tights, no less) gives this one a pass. For now.

 
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Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation for nearly 10 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 65,000,000 total downloads. Within the podcasting space, he also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House! and Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has provided in-person coverage of some of the biggest pay-per-views and Premium Live Events in wrestling history, including WrestleMania, Survivor Series, All In & Double Or Nothing in destinations such as New York, New Jersey, Chicago, 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.