WWE SummerSlam 2017: 5 Best Matches
By Rob Furness
credit: wwe.com
5. Naomi vs. Natalya
I know this probably isn’t going to be anyone’s pick of match of the night. However, I felt like I couldn’t leave it off. It was just way too surprising. At the SmackDown pay per view, Battleground, Natalya won the No. 1 contendership in a Fatal Five-Way match. When she picked up the win, I thought to myself, “WWE is setting the table for a Carmela cash-in.”
While Nattie had always been featured on SmackDown, she never seemed like a legit threat to capture the Women’s Championship. However, as a former Diva’s Champion, she could at least give Nattie some stiff competition. Weakening the champion enough so that she would be easy pickings for Ms. Money in the Bank, Carmella.
The match played out nearly as I expected. Natalya opened the match aggressively, taking control. Naomi was able to stave off the attack well enough, until The Queen of Black Hearts locked in the Sharpshooter. When Naomi reversed it, especially with the turnbuckle head bump, it seemed like a lock. Naomi was going to retain.