7 Match Star Ratings For WWE TLC 2020

5. Sasha Banks Vs. Carmella - SmackDown Women's Title Match

Sasha Banks Carmella
WWE.com

This was earnestly great, and if an air of condescension receives that development, it's both unfair and not.

Carmella has impressed in bursts, but has never been confused with one of the more elite talents in WWE's stacked Women's division. Moreover, this recent character repackage felt like an echo of the Divas of yore. She even referred to herself as "the hot chick" in one of several abysmal TV angles that hardly served to create an expectation of a great match.

And this was great. It wasn't surprisingly good. It wasn't very good.

It was great.

By some distance Carmella's best ever match, it was worked with a vibe of danger and animosity and a real sense of accomplishment. Unlike the last time we were suddenly expected to take Carmella seriously, WWE has taken care not to take the piss. The addition of her "sommelier" created a further layer of dramatic tension - maybe don't bin off managers for decades, plural, eh? - and this manifested in an awesome catch spot and wild Meteora near-miss. When Carmella took control, she exuded a real confidence, using a nasty presence to hold the attention during the heat.

Applying several inventive, athletic and hermetic submissions, Carmella got herself over in the guts of the match to an extent that informed the scorching near-falls and violent apron-assisted escapes with true, captivating drama.

Sasha was on bravura form as the senior hand, and it is little wonder WWE has done so little to promote her appearance on The Mandalorian.

They should be sh*t-scared of losing her.

Star Rating: ★★★★

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!