"Worst match of the year" - WWE Title bout shocked analyst

A WWE Title match has been slammed as the promotion's worst match of the year by an analyst. The company has prided itself on putting on competitive and standout matches lately, but there have been occasions where things haven't gone according to plan.

At Clash in Paris, the Women's Intercontinental Title match between Becky Lynch and Nikki Bella was awarded a paltry two stars by veteran analyst Dave Meltzer, making it the lowest-rated match of the event. Now, Meltzer has shared his thoughts on a recent Title match involving top stars.

On the Wrestling Observer Radio, the veteran analyzed the Women's Title match between Tiffany Stratton, Nia Jax, and Jade Cargill last week on SmackDown. The bout went viral for the wrong reasons, as there was a botch at the end, leaving everyone scratching their heads.

Meltzer called it the worst match of the year for the sports entertainment giant, despite the stars wrestling the same match on house shows.

"I thought it was the worst WWE match of the year. I was shocked at how bad it was in a lot of ways," Meltzer said.

The ending of the match saw Cargill hit Nia with the Eye of the Storm and go for the win. Jax then kicked out of the pinfall attempt before Tiffany could break it up. The Buff Barbie then covered The Irresistible Force, but the referee made only a two-count before stopping despite no kickout.

This created confusion over the finish before Stratton hit the Prettiest Moonsault Ever on Jax to retain her Title.

Meltzer said neither of the three stars looked good, and there were "so many botches."

Jade Cargill was busted open during the title match on WWE SmackDown

The botch at the end wasn't the only talking point of the match. Notably, Jade Cargill was busted open after being tossed on the steel steps by Nia Jax.

She was seen bleeding with a cut just above her eye as officials ran in to check on her. Cargill continued the match and even hit a Samoan Drop on Jax on the steel steps.

Later on Instagram, the former WWE Women's Tag Team Champion showed off the gruesome injury, revealing a deep gash above her eye.

About the author

Sherjeel Malik is a writer at Sportskeeda and covers pro wrestling. He was hooked on the product from the moment he saw The Hardy Boyz jumping off ladders during the Attitude Era. While he comes from an engineering background, Sherjeel’s love for pro wrestling and content writing led him to pursue a career in sports journalism. Before assuming his current role at Sportskeeda, Sherjeel worked at other reputable organizations for five years.

While writing articles, he ensures that he only relies on credible sources for information and covers relevant subjects that do not project an agenda against a particular person or association. WWE legend Paul Heyman once shared Sherjeel’s work on his social media handle.

Sherjeel’s earliest memory of pro wrestling is watching Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Undertaker square off for the WWE Title in the main event of a pay-per-view in 1998. His favorite wrestlers are Randy Orton and Jeff Hardy. While he admires Orton for his character work as a heel, he looks up to Jeff because of his unique wrestling style and risk-taking ability.

If he could go back to the Attitude Era, Sherjeel would like to manage Ken Shamrock and be his mouthpiece. He feels Shamrock’s promo skills prevented him from becoming a main event-level act in WWE. Hence, he would like to help the UFC Hall of Famer get over with fans.

When not writing about pro wrestling, he likes to read classics and fiction books.

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Edited by Sherjeel Malik