A problem that'll permeate for the remainder of the run until WWE have caught up with some version of the present day, matches between Xia Brookside and Rhea Ripley and Toni Storm and Isla Dawn suffered structurally as a result of WWE's slapdash planning of the entire project.
Both contests seemed designed to help the losers more than the winners because advancements were either too obvious, spoiled, or both. Short squashes should only favour the victors, yet both Brookside and Dawn took portions of the match they shouldn't have en route to a loss.
The quality of the work is good and the rationale is sound, but these particular matches simply don't make for good television. Unlike...
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
