Nikki Bella Returns To Smackdown

Last year, Nikki Bella ended up holding the old butterfly title longer than any other woman. But it came with a bit of a price. She had some serious injury issues that took her out. As the WWE usually does when a star drops out, they used the time to build a new star and to even change the overall philosophy of their women's division. If Nikki had not been seriously injured, you have to wonder how much would have changed. There was even a good chance she would never wrestle again. She is back, however, returning at Summerslam recently to take Eva Marie's spot in the Smackdown women's tag match. She got a good reaction that night. Even though she returned in a heel spot, they have since turned her back to being a face.

Even though the diva era is dead, Smackdown does seem like the diva era's last stronghold. And if Nikki Bella is coming back, where better to push her as the top star? She was the last centerpiece of the diva era. Is it wise to keep the diva element alive in this way? I think so. There are two reasons I say that.

First, the NXT women haven't exactly been flawless. The new era represented in Raw's women's division scares me more than the dying days of the diva era. Yes, you would get some sloppiness and matches you couldn't respect during those days before #GiveDivasAChance, but you never got this theme of dangerous sloppiness that you have seen with Sasha Banks and Charlotte, two of the Four Horsewomen. Smackdown's women's division is obviously a little tamer, and I do not have a problem with that. Just in terms of overness, these NXT women have not won over everyone. I have said before that this feminist atmosphere isn't for everyone. And you shouldn't have to risk breaking your neck to get a pop from these fans not liking the atmosphere on Raw. There definitely still are "divas" that can get a positive reaction without needing to be great wrestlers.

Second, keeping the diva philosophy alive on Smackdown just helps to make the show different from Raw. I have said before that Smackdown should not just be a 2-hour version of Raw with a different roster. So far, they have done a good job with Smackdown. They are more efficient with their roster. I remember seeing fans complain about how Smackdown got the short end of the stick during the draft, but a lot of these same fans are enjoying Smackdown more than Raw. One problem I will bring up, forcing two women's matches in one night is just something they can't do, even if they do weasel out of having the matches by having someone get attacked or Eva Marie do her gimmick. They are going to run through their possible combinations for matches very quickly. Then what? Change up who is face and heel and repeat the same matches? It is still the same people facing each other. Smackdown needs to do a better job showcasing these women beyond wrestling matches.

How about the decision to make Nikki Bella centerpiece of the diva era's last stronghold? They could do worse. I think it is a good decision. It has nothing to do with Nikki dating John Cena or whatever reality show she is on that I won't be watching anyway. She is a good representative for a division that will lean more to the diva side of things than Raw's women's division, which is leaning more towards respectable women's wrestling. She has the look. She knows how to wrestle. The WWE already invested a ton into her, including that long run with the Diva's Championship last year. The WWE isn't the kind of company to want to invest so much into someone and just toss them aside for no good reason. They didn't hand Nikki that record only to be petty to AJ Lee. Lastly, she's over enough. It is mind boggling in this era of treating female wrestling with more respect that someone like Nikki Bella, a true diva, can still get a positive reaction. Smarks might shred her at Backlash, but the world doesn't revolve around those fans. I have said before that I did not think The Bellas were as bad as some people made them out to be. They had some supporters. They have gotten cheered at times you would not expect them to get cheered, like when heel Nikki did that promo against face AJ Lee a few years ago. The positive reaction Nikki got recently just falls in that same area. It would be wrong not to feature her well.