7 Match Star Ratings For WWE Elimination Chamber 2021

3. Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler Vs. Sasha Banks & Bianca Belair - Women's Championship Match

WWE Elimination Chamber 2021 Nia Jax Bianca Belair
WWE.com

This was actively bad early.

Nia Jax cannot be relied upon to base for convoluted sequences. In an early spot incited by Bianca lulling Jax into a double team - she spanked her own a*se in a taunt that Nia, literally on the opposite end of the ring, was dumb enough to fall for and slow enough to make look like the sh*ts - Belair caught Sasha and eventually threw her partner onto her opponent. A cute way of showing off her strength in theory, in execution, it just looked fake. Nia's reaction - a hammy "What the heck?!" - followed a century of dithering. Timing, positioning, execution: all of that was amateurish in the extreme.

The match crackled with a certain electricity when Sasha and Shayna Baszler were in the ring, but it wasn't a great night for Belair particularly. She telegraphed Nia pulling her out of the ring with a clunky and obvious pin attempt on Shayna following the Kiss of Death.

The finish to this thing, Christ.

Reginald the Sommelier walked to the ring. Sasha was happy to see him. She nodded, anyway. Then he handed her the champagne bottle. This she wasn't happy with. What else was the heel valet going to do? The referee caught the chicanery, which enabled the Distraction Finish. Between being thrown around at will and falling for this searingly obvious bullsh*t alert, Sasha, a singles titleholder gunning for doubles gold, couldn't have looked less like a champion.

Uneven at best. And it would be damaging, too, if any of this booking actually mattered.

Star Rating: ★★¼

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!