WWE Evolution: Predicting the quality of every match

WWE Evolution has been criticized for feeling like an afterthought and a PR stunt rather than a big deal for such a "historic" occasion. The card is lukewarm. It's far from terrible, but it could have been much more than it turned out to be.

There's enough good to look forward to the event, but if you aren't watching live, which matches should you go out of your way to see afterward and which ones should you avoid?

Nothing is knowable until the event has actually taken place, but given the way the card looks, it's possible to get a rough ranking of the matches which will likely perform and which ones will likely tank.

Let's take a look at the card and try to figure it out.

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#7 "Historic" women's battle royal

Lazy.

The only thing that's "historic" about this battle royal is how lazy it is when Evolution could have turned into a much bigger deal. Though it will certainly be nice to see the likes of Alundra Blayze and Ivory make their in-ring returns, the battle royal is giving short shrift to many talented women who deserve a much bigger place in the spotlight.

No battle royal has ever turned into something truly great. Ask all those participants in the battle royals at WrestleMania over the years.

There is a way to turn this into something far greater than it can be, though. Assuming no NXT talent makes it in, Asuka and Ember Moon should be the final two women standing. Then, they should be given some time to shine like they used to in NXT. That would boost the standing of this match tremendously.

Unfortunately, that's also relying on WWE to be get out of its formulaic booking, which is a rarity.

#6 Sasha Banks, Bayley, and Natalya vs. The Riott Squad

Is this a "historic" pay per view or a random episode of Raw?

This match feels like it has no reason to exist. At least the Battle Royal has some stakes involved. While Sasha Banks, Bayley, Natalya, and Ruby Riott are all talented women who can make far more of the cards in their hands than what they were given to play with, this match has so little fanfare that it will be hard to truly get invested in it.

As far as pure work rate goes, it should be fine, but it feels like a chore rather than something to actually get excited about.

That all might change if we get the surprise announcement about women's tag team titles, but there is no indication that such a scenario will be forthcoming. As it stands, this will stay a random match.

#5 Trish Stratus and Lita vs. Mickie James and Alicia Fox

Bad luck strikes again.

Alexa Bliss being pulled from this match hurts it tremendously. While this was never going to be a brilliantly worked match, a lot of people were at least excited to see her go up against Trish Stratus.

Now, that won't happen. Alicia Fox is about the least exciting substitute imaginable. With it now a dead certainty that the legends will win, she's only there to get pinned.

It will still be fun to see Trish Stratus and Mickie James in the ring together one more time, though. Again, shades of WrestleMania 22 are going to run wild.

That will at least make this match better than the six woman tag team match and the battle royal, at least as far as pure spectacle goes. Trish Stratus, for her part, didn't look bad at all when she entered the women's Royal Rumble back in January.

#4 Ronda Rousey vs. Nikki Bella

So-so.

While a lot of people understandably went "ugh" when this was being positioned as Evolution's headlining match, the contest itself won't be as bad as the thing it actually represents.

While she's nowhere near the level of many of her peers, who fans understandably wanted to get a bigger spotlight, Nikki Bella is at least passable between the ropes.

Ronda Rousey (or perhaps the staging of her matches) also has a knack for making the absolute best of a mediocre or bad situation. Her matches at WrestleMania, with Nia Jax, and with Alexa Bliss attest to that. Nikki Bella is actually the best wrestler she's yet gone up against in a big match, so that should help with a few things.

This match is emblematic of the pay per view itself. It feels like an afterthought, and you'd like to see more, but it's not terrible.

#3 Charlotte Flair vs. Becky Lynch

Boo the woo?

The three best matches on the card were never in any doubt. It was only a matter of their ordering that was debatable. I'll take the controversial position of ranking Charlotte vs. Becky as the least exciting of the three best matches, at least on paper.

While the segments in this feud have been excellent, the matches haven't been. Charlotte Flair hasn't had the chemistry with Becky Lynch that she's had with Sasha Banks and Asuka.

The last woman standing stipulation might also add some problems. If this match were to be based on the Asuka vs. Nikki Cross match from last year, it would be great, but the main roster usually waters down stipulations.

However, this is going to be a dramatic contest between the two women in the best angle in the company at the moment, so it's going to be good at the very least. I just don't expect it to outperform the other two matches.

#2 Kairi Sane vs. Shayna Baszler

Here we go again.

Kairi Sane and Shayna Baszler are polar opposites in personality and they just have that effect of bringing out the best in each other in big match situations. I expect the same here. If these two women are given time, we can expect them to bring it.

The ending to their last match at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn IV was a perfect lead-in to this rematch. Sane won, but Baszler was keen to remind us that her opponent got lucky rather than getting a decisive victory. Seeing how that plays out in this match is going to make for a selling point.

This match will be as dramatic as it will be well-worked. Everyone is going to be hoping and praying that Shayna Baszler doesn't regain the NXT Women's Championship. There's no one better than Kairi Sane to play the champion in peril.

#1 Toni Storm vs. Io Shirai

Time is all they need.

Io Shirai and Toni Storm have quite the history together on the independent circuit. They're currently tied at one win apiece against each other with two draws. Now they'll have their biggest stage yet. If you've seen the wars they've had, you knew that this match was the easy choice for Evolution's best bout as soon as the spoilers came out in August.

While this match won't be as dramatic as the SmackDown or NXT Women's Championship matches, all these two need is time. They'll create grand drama out of thin air when they go to war with each other once again.

They're also going to show their supreme skill inside the squared circle to put together a technical masterpiece, if only they aren't hampered by time or overbooking.

Storm vs. Shirai is the kind of match the women's revolution was supposed to be about to begin with.