13 Match Star Ratings For WWE Extreme Rules 2019

8. Bayley Vs. Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross - SmackDown Women's Title Handicap Match

AJ Styles Ricochet
WWE.com

Weird and forgettable but also well-worked enough for whatever it was, Bayley, to echo the f*cking relentless patter of the commentary team, actually does look rejuvenated. She took the fight to Nikki Cross with verve and intensity, before Alexa Bliss, in a well-timed spot, sent her crashing to the outside.

Bliss is really good at what she does. She is very expressive and charismatic, but subjectively, what she does doesn't make for particularly engaging pro wrestling. This weird, TV-flavoured dynamic did temper the more boring aspects of her act, in which she relies on those expressions to carry meandering heat spots with little ingenuity nor oomph.

Cross and Bliss took it in turns to do fairly boring things as the commentators, again, talked about this new Bayley, ironically ageing the character into stale territory. As the match dragged on, the ruse revealed itself; the customary, long Bliss heat spot wasn't all that different, just doubled down, inhibiting the build. Bayley performed with just enough authentic fire that this didn't descend into lopsided, damaging 2017 territory.

An inventive double submission spot aside, this wasn't memorable, nor engaging.

Star Rating: **1/2

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!