WWE SummerSlam 2017: Assessing The Potential Quality Of All 12 Matches

5. Naomi Vs. Natalya - SmackDown Women's Title Match

Jinder Mahal Shinsuke Nakamuara
WWE.com

This is possibly the most uninspiring match on the entire card - and it is certainly doomed to suffer from complete audience apathy.

The buildup hasn't been great. Natalya perceives Naomi as disrespectful for tarnishing the image of the SmackDown Women's Title (and by extension its tradition), with its rich lineage of one year. Naomi in response claimed to have respect for tradition, while also referring to the Hart Family dungeon as "dirty". It's boilerplate stuff, insofar as veteran versus upstart angles go.

It's just...there. It's not going to exceed ten minutes. Both women are talented - Natalya wrestled one of the best WWE matches of 2014, whereas Naomi, naff scripted promos aside, has shown enough in the top face role - but even if both women have the potential to steal the show, too much is up against them: time slot; competition; a burned out audience; instructions to limit the gears.

It just feels like a placeholder on a card on which title matches are traditionally laden with significance or lit up by star power.

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!