What they are doing here is not good for Paige at all. Alicia Fox has a crazy gimmick. Mickie James had a psycho gimmick. But Mickie's psycho gimmick was tied to a storyline with Trish Stratus. The storyline started with Mickie James putting over how great Trish Stratus was. She idolized her. It went on to Mickie annoying Trish Stratus. Trish tried to be nice about it and handle it the right way, and it was Mickie that ended up turning on Trish. The character then turned to a psychotic threat that Trish would have eventually overcome. But Trish got injured and retired soon after. The whole storyline was really for the benefit of Trish, much like many storylines involving the centerpiece are meant to benefit the top star, not really the one being used to put over the top star.
What you have with Alicia Fox and Paige is nothing like what you had with Mickie James and Trish Stratus. Alicia is not putting over how great Paige is. The storyline does not really involve Paige at all, aside from the fact that Alicia is getting a title shot. And they don't seem to be developing Alicia to be a character Paige has to overcome. I am talking about the gimmick. As a contender, Paige might likely overcome Alicia. But the gimmick Alicia Fox has just seems pointless for Paige's benefit. I understand they don't want Paige as the centerpiece, but this just seems like a creative burial. Not blaming the writers.
I don't want to make it seem like I don't want Alicia Fox to get over. This gimmick can definitely get her over. I just don't think they really want her over and will push her with the consistency they would a diva they want over. They have already shown that Alicia Fox is a credible jobber to them. She was doing almost nothing meaningful for years before this recent gimmick and push. I am not convinced they will be consistent with her with star treatment. And her act kind of takes a lot. Not only do you devote time to her matches, but for the aftermath where her gimmick really shines. She needs people to work off of and victimize. I cannot imagine the WWE continuing this for long.
While center stage features a title feud between two credible jobbers during this dark age, on the periphery of that is what just might be the rise of the centerpiece that will end this dark age. I guess Summer Rae coming back to make out with Fandango and having a catfight with Layla is the PG equivalent of Sable powerbombing Marc Mero. Summer Rae has a ton of creative investment on her recently. Her issues on Total Divas are branching out to storylines on the actual wrestling shows. Her issues with Fandango and Layla are not over. They are really trying with this woman. She fits as the kind of diva they would want as the centerpiece. She is getting the kind of creative interest they would give a centerpiece prior to pulling the trigger on her. Consistency? Unless she flops, I think they will be consistent with her. Hype? That will come after she wins the title.
Let me go back to the beginning. Alicia Fox will be getting a title shot against Paige at Payback. Who wins? I think a lot of it depends on how quickly the WWE wants to pull the trigger on Summer Rae and whether she will be a face or a heel. Right now, they can go either way with her. If she is a face, it would make sense to put the title on heel Alicia Fox. If she is a heel, Paige should keep the title. Just ignoring Summer Rae, there is a lot of creative interest on Alicia Fox. And the WWE has shown that Paige is not a top priority. On the other side of that, Paige's title reign just started last month and I don't see a need to give it to Alicia Fox. I would say Paige retains and eventually feuds against a heel Summer Rae.
Whilst I prefer other divas I do think by WWE standards Summer Rae could make an excellent centrepiece however her age is an issue. She is 30 and by WWE standards that is closing on ancient. Therefore they need to heavily train a model (though not Eva Marie) who is still in development so that when she debuts she has the ability to at least come close to matching what the WWE wants from a centrepiece. This will allow them to transition nicely from Summer Rae to the new diva without having to go through another dark age.
ReplyDeleteThe new diva can debut in around 3 years time and slowly be built up whilst Summer Rae is still the centrepiece and become the new centrepiece diva in 4 or 5 years time and along with Paige, Emma, Charlotte, Alexa Bliss and possibly Sasha Banks could make for an excellent division that can match or even better the golden age of Trish, Lita, Victoria, Molly and Jazz.
Quite honestly, I would rather they scrap that old formula for success that has been leading to almost a decade of failure now and start a women's division that gives both female wrestlers and eye-candy divas a fair shot at earning top treatment in the company.
DeleteI agree but we all know Vince is too stubborn to change something that has proven successful in the past. Its just a shame that Stephanie doesn't push for the women more. Out of everyone you would think she would want a strong division to show that women can thrive and be as entertaining as the men in what is still and always will be a male dominated world.
DeleteAnd you can never be sure what the state of things will be once Vince McMahon does eventually step down for good.
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