WWE's annual mess of mesh is far from the force it once was, mostly because snarky dorks like your writer can refer to both the show and the gimmick and "WWE's annual mess of mesh" instead of with the gravitas and respect it used to command.
It's unfair in this of all years too, because Bayley and Sasha Banks have engaged in a feud that's lasted nearly all of 2020, been rich in detail throughout, and hopped over all the hurdles erected by WWE's counterproductive storytelling mechanisms.
It's unfair in this of all years too too, because Roman Reigns' heel turn has revitalised an entire television show and elevated a decidedly B-level programme with Jey Uso into the sort of pathos-laden play that arguably deserves a stage bigger than the one they'll step on to.
It's also got Randy Orton facing Drew McIntyre for the third time in as many months. And it's this match - through no fault of the competitors themselves - that underscores that the concept is long under the sod.
Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation for 10 years. Alongside the production of daily written, audio and video content covering WWE and AEW, he 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 on the UK's wrestling podcast charts with over 10,000 episodes and 70,000,000 total downloads. He also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House!, Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast, and has guested on long-running Sunderland AFC podcast Wise Men Say.
With WhatCulture, he has provided in-person coverage of some of the biggest pay-per-views and Premium Live Events in wrestling history, including WrestleMania, Survivor Series, All In & Double Or Nothing in destinations such as New York, New Jersey, Chicago, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. He has also been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana, 411Mania and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling.
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 music and culture magazines The Crack, Pilot as well as Sunderland AFC's premiere fanzine A Love Supreme. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it every other Saturday at the Stadium Of Light, and at Cribs gigs nationwide.
