WWE Evolution: Star Ratings For All 7 Matches

4. Sasha Banks, Bayley & Natalya Vs. The Riott Squad

Charlotte Flair Becky Lynch Star Rating
WWE.com

Few people saw this coming.

Pitched and promoted as filler at best, and a gesture of disrespect at worst, this RAW-flavoured six-woman tag match was wrestled with a definitive pay-per-view quality.

An energetic all-action midcard attraction, this totally over-delivered in both ring and character work. The Riott Squad looked great, faction leader Ruby in particular, in a match that, given how often we've seen similar versions of it, was remarkably creative. Bayley's ringpost battering spot was as unique as it was perfectly-timed. Even better was the near-fall following the Bank Statement/Bayley To Belly sequence. It looked, for a moment, like Sasha had turned on Bayley again, when Liv Morgan sent her spilling on top of her. Making us question the finish was one thing; making us question the motivation of the performer was expert manipulative storytelling.

Bayley, echoing Kenta Kobashi, reminded the crowd of her babyface credentials by saving Sasha Banks from harm near the finish. It's funny; WWE has spent the entirety of 2018 making us wonder why Bayley and Banks are so inextricably linked with a retconned sh*t-show of a programme. In this one moment, the performance made a mockery of the booking.

Sasha Banks and Bayley, on the basis of 2015 alone, deserved more of an opportunity at Evolution. Instead, they made their own.

Star Rating: ***3/4

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!