9 Match Star Ratings For WWE Stomping Grounds
8. Becky Lynch Vs. Lacey Evans - RAW Women's Championship Match
Lacey Evans is a strange pro wrestler.
There's a not inconsiderable physicality to her work which, twinned with her nasty, expressive face, can sometimes lend itself to an unvarnished fight feel. But is she even doing that on purpose, or is it an accidental byproduct of her awfulness?
That awfulness was in full effect early doors. Becky in contrast entered a professional, mature performance in which she controlled the crowd very effectively with her babyface smarts, extracting a reaction from the simplest of spots through good timing and registering.
She also sought to control Evans a tad too obviously, but hey, whatever didn't derail this match entirely. Very loudly calling spots didn't even get Evans to listen. "Back elbow," she shouted, before whipping herself into the corner. Evans failed to understand the instruction, hesitated, eventually took the move, and stood there haplessly as Becky whiffed thin air on a back kick. That she robotically took it at the second time of literally asking killed suspension of disbelief. The match recovered, but never to a level that exceeded "half-decent".
All criticism of Evans is couched in the fact that she isn't remotely ready for this, but, in every conceivable way, from her lack of aptitude to the damage she has inflicted on Lynch, she is the anti-Ronda Rousey.
Star Rating: **