18 WWE WrestleMania 36 Impulse Reactions

3. Bayley (c) Vs. Lacey Evans Vs. Naomi Vs. Sasha Banks Vs. Tamina

John Cena Bray Wyatt
WWE.com

Ignore every stipulation or moment of earnest brutality from the rest of the show - this was theoretically the deadliest match on the card.

Taped before it legally couldn't be, this five way match for Bayley's WWE SmackDown Championship felt odder than it would have done usually if only for the presence of so many people in and around the ring. Fortunately, it had a story that just about helped you forget.

The Champion used and abused 'The Boss' in the completion of the turnabout in their relationship over the past several months. Banks and Bayley worked together for the integrity of their relationship and the title until the contest was whittled down to the two of them and a lone Lacey Evans.

'The Sassy Southern Belle' managed to nail Banks with the Women's Right to at least make the match one-on-one, but the onus was on a callous Bayley for failing to make a save she was equipped to. Not least when interference from her partner directly led to her retaining the title. Making good use of the key players and forwarding the story for whatever point they can actually pick it up, this could be considered a modest success.

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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