Going into this match, I genuinely had no idea what WWE was going to do.
Charlotte Flair is currently living through a very non-Charlotte era. She’s making friends. Forming alliances. Existing outside the world-title picture without immediately trying to kick the door down and reclaim it.
It’s weird.
Unless there’s a heel turn lurking somewhere around the corner, Charlotte seems perfectly happy just being Charlotte Flair for a while.
Then there’s Lash Legend.
And then we arrive at possibly my biggest frustration with WWE right now.
Giulia.
I adore Giulia. That probably needs establishing before we go any further.
Her booking has driven me insane.
She’s supposedly feuding with Blake Monroe, but that rivalry has moved at roughly the speed of paint drying. It’s stalled, restarted, disappeared and never really been presented as this compelling piece of storyline-based wrestling that you absolutely need to see.
So maybe Blake interferes tonight.
Maybe Giulia finally gets something substantial.
Maybe Lash gets another massive win.
Maybe Charlotte just decides she’s Charlotte Flair and wins because Charlotte Flair occasionally does that.
While you can probably tell I’m already perturbed, that uncertainty at least creates anticipation.
And then the bell rings.
Lash Legend has arrived
Giulia doesn’t even get her full entrance on television, making do with the resumption after the commercial break.
Lash, meanwhile, takes her sweet time getting into the ring.
Charlotte and Giulia both look increasingly annoyed with her.
Tiny detail. Good storytelling. I’m a fan.
Also, can we appreciate the aesthetics for a second?
Giulia looks fantastic in the colourful gear she’s barely wrestled in, especially alongside the lighter hair.
Lash’s gear reminds me slightly of Tiffany Stratton’s from earlier this year. It’s also drifting towards seductive lingerie territory, which I personally feel should probably be reserved for Trick Williams’ eyes only.
I’m joking.
Mostly.
Charlotte is in royal blue with diamonds. Compared with the other two, it’s almost understated.
But she’s Charlotte Flair. She could probably wrestle wearing a bin bag and somehow convince you it was part of the robe.
Then Giulia and Lash start throwing strikes.
Charlotte watches.
Same, Charlotte.
Lash wipes both women out with a double clothesline before literally picking Charlotte up and throwing her around like a ragdoll.
Giulia jumps onto Charlotte and applies a headlock.
Lash responds by smashing Charlotte with a wicked big boot.
Everything is happening ridiculously quickly.
The opening few minutes are frenetic, almost stammering in their pacing. Move. Counter. Strike. Throw. Somebody else appears.
At this rate they’re going to be completely gassed before we reach the finish.
Giulia catches Lash in a guillotine.
Lash simply powers her into a vertical suplex.
There’s a slightly messy kip-up from Legend, but who cares? She’s immediately back in position to eat a Charlotte crossbody.
Charlotte sends Lash outside and follows with a cannonball.
And then you realise Giulia is standing on the barricade.
Double missile dropkick.
Charlotte gets wiped out.
This is great.
Absolutely breathless.
And naturally…
AD BREAK.
Probably for the best. Everyone needs a drink.
Giulia starts cooking
We return with Lash and Charlotte fighting inside the ring before Giulia re-enters the equation.
Charlotte gets Giulia onto her shoulders and carries her towards the corner in something resembling an F5 position. She climbs onto the middle rope and suddenly it looks like we might be getting some monstrous elevated Samoan drop.
Then Lash decides she wants to participate.
She gets underneath Charlotte.
Powerbomb position.
Right.
This could get stupid.
It does.
Lash powers Charlotte down while Charlotte simultaneously takes Giulia with her.
Beautiful Triple Threat nonsense.
Lash covers Charlotte.
Two.
She covers Giulia.
Two.
Charlotte attempts another crossbody and Lash catches her, converting it into a fallaway slam.
Giulia responds with another missile dropkick, this time catching Lash.
Two count.
And for one tiny moment I thought WWE was actually doing it.
Giulia was going to Money in the Bank.
Nope.
Charlotte attacks from behind, but Giulia is ready for her and unloads with a sequence of kicks that Daniel Bryan would have been proud of.
Charlotte eventually chop-blocks Lash and lands a backstabber before attempting to set up the Figure-Eight.
Giulia stops it.
Now all three are scrapping.
And this is where the match really starts belonging to Giulia.
Charlotte climbs the turnbuckle.
Giulia meets her.
Hard elbow.
Charlotte is sitting on the top rope.
Giulia is standing on the middle.
Superplex?
No.
Double underhook.
Wait.
How the hell is this going to work?
BUTTERFLY SUPERPLEX.
From the top rope.
Jesus Christ.
It’s gorgeous.
And this is also where Michael Cole says something interesting on commentary:
“This is as animated as I’ve seen Giulia.”
Yes, Michael.
Because look what happens when you actually give her something interesting to do.
Giulia has been put in some dreadful positions since coming to the main roster. If the Blake Monroe feud isn’t going anywhere, scrap it. Give Giulia a major rivalry. Give her a title programme. Give her something.
She has proved countless times across Japan, NXT and now in this match that she is extraordinary.
Then Lash throws her out of the ring.
NO.
Please no.
Lash covers Charlotte.
Two.
Fine.
I can breathe again.
I owe Lash Legend some flowers
There’s something else happening during all of this.
Lash Legend is winning me over.
Actually, forget that.
She won me over.
Lash can fucking work.
I already respected her athleticism, presence and potential, but she puts an absolute shift in here.
She takes damage.
She dishes it out.
She sells.
She gets reactions from Charlotte and Giulia.
She breaks up moves at exactly the right moment.
She looks like she belongs in there with two women carrying considerably bigger wrestling résumés.
At one point she even attempts a Figure-Four on Charlotte.
Charlotte escapes and sends her towards the ropes.
Giulia catches Lash with a huge knee.
Charlotte follows with a superkick.
Lash keeps going.
Yep.
Lash Legend is good.
I said it.
Godzilla has entered the building
Then comes one of my favourite little sequences of the match.
Giulia heads towards the corner and starts climbing.
Lash is still dazed after eating Charlotte’s superkick.
Giulia prepares to launch herself.
Charlotte intervenes.
Not on my watch.
Except Charlotte apparently has another idea.
She effectively decides:
Actually, Giulia, I can use you.
Charlotte launches her towards Lash like Godzilla throwing one enemy kaiju into another enemy kaiju.
An assisted crossbody, if we’re being civilised about it.
Charlotte is suddenly the only woman standing.
Moonsault onto both.
Cover on Lash.
TWO.
Charlotte looks towards the Money in the Bank briefcases.
Giulia and Lash begin getting back to their feet.
Natural Selection to Giulia.
Lash tries the Lash Extension on Charlotte.
Foiled.
Charlotte transitions towards the Figure-Four.
Then the Figure-Eight.
Giulia breaks it.
And now Giulia smells blood.
Arrivederci knee.
Northern Lights Bomb.
WOW.
Giulia has this.
She has to.
And then…
Lash Legend.
Lash Extension.
On Giulia.
One.
Two.
Three.
Oh.
You know what? I’m not that mad
Lash Legend is going to Money in the Bank.
And you know what?
I’m not actually that mad.
I’m a massive Giulia fan. Of course I want to see her winning. Of course I want to see her finally receive the sustained push that somebody with her ability deserves.
But all three women were excellent here.
Charlotte was Charlotte.
Giulia looked phenomenal when she was allowed to explode.
And Lash Legend impressed the hell out of me.
My only nagging question is the obvious one.
What now for Giulia?
WWE has been so hot and cold with her that we’ve now reached freezing temperatures.
What would it have hurt to have Blake Monroe interfere here?
Have Blake cost Giulia the match. Pour petrol over that rivalry. Give Giulia a reason to want to tear her apart.
Instead, Giulia takes another loss to Lash Legend.
That isn’t a dig at Lash. She earned this.
But Giulia tore through Japanese wrestling, arrived in America with enormous expectations, conquered NXT, became Women’s United States Champion and still somehow feels like somebody WWE doesn’t quite know what to do with.
Then SmackDown cuts backstage.
Giulia is walking back from the match.
She looks absolutely knackered.
And there’s Blake Monroe.
Oh.
Okay.
Blake starts goading her.
Then she tells Giulia to go back where she came from.
“Obscurity.”
WOW.
What a line.
Giulia snaps.
She hits Blake and suddenly this gets ugly.
Officials swarm them. They pull Giulia away, which only gives Blake enough space to land a massive slap.
Now everyone is fighting everyone trying to separate them.
And finally Nick Aldis has seen enough.
Next week:
One-on-one.
There we go.
THAT is what I wanted.
Suddenly the loss makes considerably more sense. Giulia doesn’t need Money in the Bank if WWE is finally prepared to put some actual heat underneath this rivalry.
And after watching Giulia wrestle this match like somebody had finally removed the handbrake, I’m ready for it.
As for Lash Legend?
I came into this match thinking Giulia should probably qualify.
I left thinking Lash absolutely belongs in Money in the Bank.
Funny what 12 minutes can do.
