WWE threw away Charlotte Flair's pay-per-view undefeated streak a month before WrestleMania 33, and though it did much to remove the drama from the Raw Women's Title clash on the 'Grandest Stage', it still proffered a place for the three most talented wrestlers on the roster once they'd collectively dispatched of Nia Jax.
Sasha Banks and 'The Queen' had traded the belt extensively in 2016, but the revisiting of their feud here ahead of Charlotte's trade to SmackDown added bite to a gripping second half, particularly with defending Champion Bayley constantly presented as an underdog in her own title defence.
Her victory summed up her tricky first year on the main roster - much of this was presented as her "living her dream", but only because the thin ice hadn't yet cracked. For Bayley and Banks in particular, this proved a peak ahead of a vicious valley.
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