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#6 SmackDown Women's Championship match - Bayley (c) vs. Alexa Bliss
Leading up to the PPV, the build for Bayley and Alexa Bliss' match was among one of the best. They both cut amazing promos during 'A Moment of Bliss' on the go-home episode of SmackDown. Anticipation for the match was high due to it not being one of the rematches on the card as the two have a history going back to NXT. Bayley knows that 'the Goddess' isn't trustworthy.
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When Bayley dove through the ropes outside onto Cross, the commentators said that Bliss pushed Cross in the path of a diving Hugger. It was hard to tell who pushed whom after a few replays, at least in my opinion.
Cross didn't actually initiate interference - Bayley did. She (Cross) simply went to check on Bliss after she got hurt outside and Bayley barked at her when she moved from one side of the ring to another. After 'the Hugger' had initiated physical contact, it made sense when Cross did go into the ring.
One talking point that annoyed me is when Byron Saxton said that 'Alexa Bliss is what's wrong with the SmackDown Women's Division'. I know it's probably what he was told to say in his headset during the match, but it still wasn't the truth. Bliss didn't outright cheat during the match, but instead acted cocky because she had beaten Bayley in the past. Had she cheated in Corbin fashion, okay, I'm fine with it being said.
The other reason it bothered me is simple - she isn't a member of the blue brand. While she has been manipulative in the past, she hasn't been a problem to the division whereas the constant pushing that Flair has received has been in my eyes. How has Asuka fared since losing the title?
She is a great performer but Bliss pinned Carmella to earn this title shot whereas Flair was handed two title shots in two weeks (SmackDown two weeks before 'Mania and WrestleMania itself). The commentary sometimes takes away from the match and this was an example of it.
Match Grade - C+
