8 WWE The Horror Show At Extreme Rules Impulse Reactions
6. Bayley (c) Vs. Nikki Cross
Ahead of The Horror Show At Extreme Rules, it was hard to get excited for the Bayley/Nikki Cross match for reasons directly related to Bayley and Nikki Cross.
Great feuds such as the ongoing one between the 'Role Model' and 'The Boss' require opponents to serve as background players pretending to exist in the foreground as the story builds, but WWE are no longer the company to effectively nurture the B-characters.
This changed slightly on the go-home edition of SmackDown, when Cross noted to her partner Alexa Bliss that she doesn't get opportunities like this very often. She was nervous she'd screw it up, giving her an interesting out-patient angle should she somehow fall short on the night. Smash cut to...
After working on Bayley's neck throughout, it fell to Sasha Banks yet again to get her Tag Team Championship partner out of jail. Handing her "Boss" jewellery to the 'Role Model' to use as brass knuckles, Banks was the difference-maker once again. The match itself was short a final gear, but was approached something far better than it needed to be for what was effectively a placeholder.