I have seen some fans say that the WWE's recent development of this feud shows a lack of confidence in the women. Does the WWE feel they need two legendary men to keep the fans interested in this women's feud? Well, I'm sure smarks would be more interested if Sasha Banks was in the match. That aside, I wouldn't have much confidence in this feud. Charlotte just debuted less than a year ago and has not really broken out on her own very well, even before she was paired with her dad. She also has not shown the charisma that will help her get over with fans that aren't going to be sold on her just for her athleticism. Natalya has been around for years and inconsistently pushed. I actually think she's starting to really connect better with the audience, but it's hard for some fans to care about someone that was completely lost in the shuffle not too long ago.
Back in the diva era, the WWE never created a truly successful star without some rubs from the men. Could Trish Stratus have been able to get over without interacting with the men? How about Lita? AJ Lee? Regardless of the answer, these women did have some big angles in the periphery that had a hand in their development.
Whether you want to think the diva era is over or not, the WWE is still relying on men in their women's matters. It probably is bad timing to do this so soon after they dropped the "diva" from their division and are trying to make it more respectable. The first feud should be purely between two solid workers. I would not say the WWE has made this too much about Ric Flair and Bret Hart, which is something some fans were dreading, but it is still not a great thing to do. This isn't your traditional periphery usage. You don't have a woman managing a man, involved in a romance angle with a man, or a woman even wrestling a man. This is two legendary men being in the corner of the women. It does seem a little more respectable than what the diva division is usually about, but it is still the WWE relying on men to help the women get over. And most likely, it is Charlotte they really care about getting over.
What happens in this match? Bret Hart will probably knock out Ric Flair, but I would expect Charlotte to retain. She just got the new title earlier this month. If anyone should beat her for it, it should be Becky Lynch or Sasha Banks. But I will say that Natalya does deserve to eventually get another title run. I would say she deserves it even more now than she did back when she won the Diva's Championship. She seems to have just broken out into her own more since then. Thank Total Divas for that? She just seems like a performer that is about more than just wrestling ability. That has helped her overness. Even if the WWE does not give her the title this Sunday, it would be nice for them to remain consistent with her with a periphery angle or a secondary women's feud outside the title picture. As for Charlotte, she can move on to Becky or Sasha.
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