That is more than you can say for another blonde. How about Summer Rae? Last year around this time, I was thinking they might start giving her a good push. Didn't really happen. Much like Lana, she has gotten periphery usage. She was dancing alongside Fandango. That transitioned to an angle with Layla, which didn't really go anywhere. She was last seen involved with Miz and Sandow. Lana doesn't even wrestle and she is in a better spot than Summer Rae.
Why Summer Rae is not being pushed as well as Lana isn't even the question I want to talk about. Why is it that Lana was able to connect so well with the fans and Summer Rae hasn't really been able to? They do have things in common. They are blonde periphery divas. Lana can go away for a few weeks and fans start chanting for her. Summer Rae has also missed some time, but no one seemed to care too much. Why this difference in overness?
First, the way these two women have been pushed definitely is part of it. Neither of them has been pushed as the centerpiece of the diva division. Neither of them has been pushed as a jobber to the centerpiece or interim centerpiece. They have both been pretty much periphery divas during this dark age. But Lana has been pushed better. She has been paired with a guy that has been pushed better. Rusev had a long undefeated streak. He won the United States Championship. He had defeated several former World Champions. And Lana was along for the ride the whole time. Meanwhile, Summer Rae was stuck working with Fandango. He wasn't going anywhere. Her angle with Layla didn't go anywhere. Getting involved with Miz was her first real shot to do something that mattered, but then Miz goes to make another movie. Dolph Ziggler, despite being popular, is someone I would consider a step down from how well Rusev was pushed in the past year. But even he is better than anything Summer Rae has gotten. And if the sun is setting on Rusev, then pairing Ziggler with Lana definitely is a good choice.
Aside from how they have been pushed and the individuals they have been paired with, look at the women themselves. Look at the kind of performers they are. Wrestling ability is obviously not comparable. Is Lana hotter than Summer Rae? I think so. Looking around, I think a lot of other fans have that belief. That is definitely part of why she got over. Summer Rae isn't ugly, but Lana just seems sexier. Then there is character and overall charisma. Lana is in a position where she frequently gets mic time. She has a unique character that people can be drawn to and she plays it well. Summer Rae never got most of that for the bulk of her run on the main roster. She was a dancer. A lot of divas have been utilized that way. Unless you are stripping on ECW like Kelly Kelly, it is not too interesting. But that is where your own charisma has to take over and shine. And Summer Rae has just come off as too generic. I could have probably compared her to Michelle McCool. Lana is what an eye-candy periphery diva is supposed to be. She has the sex appeal and the kind of personality to get very over.
I wouldn't say Lana is someone that really got over against the status quo of the diva division. I am not taking anything away from her getting over. I just want to point out that the diva division is built on women like her. Yes, she was a heel that got cheered, but she was being pushed well and the WWE is running with her. If she really got over against the grain, they would not have done that so easily. Until she starts wrestling, no need to consider whether she is the next centerpiece. I doubt Summer Rae is in the running for that. But the success of Lana might give the WWE some motivation to keep that status quo going. Is that a good thing? Probably not.
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