Previewing Wrestlemania 2016: The Diva Matches

It is not often that Wrestlemania will have two diva matches. Both of the matches this year are multi-woman matches. It is also not often that the Diva's Championship will be on the line at Wrestlemania. This is only the second time it has happened.

I'll start with the 10-diva tag match. Brie Bella, Alicia Fox, Paige, Natalya, and Eva Marie vs. Lana, Summer Rae, Emma, Naomi, and Tamina. Eva Marie? Where did she come from? NXT. The face team was short a member. Some fans speculated that it might be Bayley that joined the team, since she is a face. But many fans also did not want that, believing Baylay deserves a better debut than that. It ended up being Eva Marie. The face team also happens to be Team Total Divas.

There is talk that Brie Bella's retirement might be coming sooner than expected. If that is the case, and assuming Nikki is done wrestling, I would say the WWE really didn't need to debut (or bring back) women from NXT just to fill their spots on the roster. They already have so many women and are not using them efficiently. The WWE should be hoping some women leave just to make it easier to manage the women that are left. After they do a good job with that, then start bringing in new women. In any case, if the WWE is looking to create a new eye-candy centerpiece, they might have two options in Eva Marie and Lana.

Who wins this match? Brie retiring would obviously influence things. You would think the WWE lets her win her last match. She is a face and on good terms with the company. But I could imagine her team losing at Wrestlemania and Brie winning her final match on Raw the next night. The other thing to consider, this is Lana's in-ring debut. Would they have her lose? She wouldn't be the one to get pinned. That would probably be one of the heels on the team that the WWE has not shown to be too high on. You have four possibilities right there. But I will say Lana wins her debut.

The match more wrestling fans probably care about is Charlotte defending the Diva's Championship against Becky Lynch and Sasha Banks. These are the three women that debuted from NXT last year. It seems fitting that they should get this match. It helps that no healthy centerpiece is around. I would like to see what the WWE would have done if Nikki was healthy.

The development of this feud has been pretty simple. Nothing amazing. I might even say it has been a little lackluster. But expectations are high for the match these three can put on at Wrestlemania. And that hype is enough to make it worthy for the big event. Hopefully, they do not disappoint.

Neither of the challengers have looked too much stronger than the other. If the WWE is planning a title change, they have not really built up a new Champion well. Title changes at Wrestlemania are usually something special. I do not feel they have built up anything special here. There will still be tears if Sasha or Becky win. But I would not be surprised if the WWE lets Charlotte hold onto the butterfly title and drops it in a singles match down the line to either woman. That will likely be Sasha. The WWE had potential for a great feud between Charlotte and Becky, but they have ruined the momentum. The WWE might as well go with Sasha, who some wrestling fans view as the greatest wrestler in the world. I do not think most fans would be unhappy with Sasha getting the push.

The 2016 Rise Of Lana?

Aside from the title feud involving Charlotte, Sasha Banks, and Becky Lynch, this Wrestlemania season is featuring another diva feud. Brie Bella has been having issues with Lana recently. On Raw this week, Lana even attacked Brie, laying her out with Brie's own finisher.

Lana was training to make her in-ring debut last year. An injury ruined that, as well as adding another nail in the coffin of that whole storyline that also involved Rusev, Ziggler, and Summer Rae. After that, I pretty much put Lana in the back of my mind. The WWE couldn't feature her alongside Rusev as well as they once did. He was tied up with The League of Nations. And I didn't consider they would still bother with her as a wrestler. They had Nikki Bella. The diva revolution was putting more focus on solid in-ring workers. Moreover, injuries have spelled doom for many eye-candy divas. Candice Michelle got injured twice in less than a year. Nikki Bella has a serious injury right now. Even Trish Stratus, the greatest centerpiece the diva division ever had, was starting to accumulate some injuries during the final years of her career that resulted in her missing some time. But it looks like the WWE won't let Lana's minor setback last year ruin her push.

Could the WWE still be interested in grooming her to be the next centerpiece? She has the look. And if she just becomes solid in the ring, it is possible the WWE will push her ahead of all those female wrestlers coming up from NXT. With Nikki Bella recovering from a serious injury, the WWE might be looking to prepare the next eye-candy centerpiece. Lana is already pretty popular. If she can win over wrestling fans with some solid in-ring work, she could make an easy argument as to why she should be the new centerpiece. Right now, I don't feel there is one performer stealing the show better than any other woman. The field is wide open.

I have seen many fans talk like the future is Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch, and all those other women with wrestling training. I have seen some say that Charlotte is the new top star because of her last name. These fans are just jumping to conclusions. The diva division has existed since 1998. Since then, the WWE has gravitated towards an eye-candy diva as the woman they wanted to dominate the title scene. There have been times where it seemed like the WWE was high on a female wrestler, but that was usually because the centerpiece wasn't around or the WWE was grooming a new one. Charlotte hasn't even been on the main roster for a full year yet. Her title reign is only a few months old. An eye-candy diva, Nikki Bella, was holding the title before her. That eye-candy diva is currently out with a serious injury, which is having a major impact on what the WWE would be doing right now. And when you take into account the push Lana is currently getting, it is even more absurd to think the status quo of the diva division has really changed to be what many wrestling fans want it to be. Enjoy the female wrestlers getting pushed, but don't jump to the conclusion that things have really changed. The WWE does not give up that easily.

Previewing The Diva Matches For Fastlane 2016

This is one of those rare times where there will be 2 diva matches at a WWE PPV. Becky Lynch and Sasha Banks team up to take on Naomi and Tamina, while Charlotte defends the Diva's Championship against Brie Bella.

The tag match is pretty straightforward. Sasha Banks turned face and split from her stable. This is the customary feud you would expect to see. Faces win.

Some people were ready to say Becky Lynch was buried after the Royal Rumble. She lost to Charlotte, then Sasha Banks popped up and made her intentions clear that she wanted the title. What followed was Sasha turning face and eventually finding an ally in Becky. I have said before that the WWE could develop an elaborate storyline for Becky Lynch against Charlotte. They aren't doing it. Even if they do go back to that feud, it has lost some of its heat. Instead of Becky being that determined to prove herself and get revenge on her former friend, she's teaming with Sasha Banks while Charlotte is busy with something else. If they wanted to make this elaborate, they would have Becky still remain on the fringes of Charlotte's current feud, not plug her into Sasha's feud against Naomi and Tamina. Regardless, I would not say she is buried. There are some women in the division that don't even have as much to do as Becky currently has.

Onto Charlotte. She has Brie Bella. This is another feud that isn't too intriguing, in terms of how it has been built. But there are those rumors going around that Brie Bella will retire. That might make the winner of this title match obvious. Charlotte retains. Of course, The Bellas are no strangers to getting a short title reign prior to leaving the WWE. It happened with Nikki years ago. Moreover, there were rumors of AJ Lee leaving the WWE back in 2014. She went on to still get another title reign, take more time off, come back for another Wrestlemania win, and then seemed to pull the rug out from under the WWE by retiring soon after that. There certainly would have been some angle if the WWE knew she was retiring in advance. Point is, a lot of things can happen, despite these rumors. I will say Charlotte retains, but a title change here would not be shocking.

Let's assume Brie Bella is leaving. Nikki Bella has been out with an injury and her in-ring career may be done. The WWE really has no stars in the diva division. Before anyone bites my head off, I am not saying there are no women with talent. I am not saying they have no fans. I am saying no one really has A-tier overness. I am saying there is no centerpiece right now. I am saying AJ Lee, the WWE's top periphery diva, retired last year and the WWE never got around to replacing her. I am saying the eye-candy periphery divas that are around aren't featured very well. I am saying that what you are pretty much left with are a bunch of credible jobbers that made a lot of noise in NXT, and some of that overness is carrying over in some cases, but none of them are really stealing the show. Moreover, the WWE cannot make the mistake of thinking that these women are really over just because of NXT fans or fans complaining on Twitter for better matches. Even if both Bellas were here and good to go, that would not fix the WWE's problems.

I do not think the WWE needs to immediately debut anyone from NXT to fill the void Brie Bella might leave. Keep in mind that the WWE debuted three women in one night a few months ago. That left them with more women than they could properly handle. It's probably a good thing to let some women go to become more efficient with the women they do have. After they do that, then worry about debuting more women.

How about that centerpiece position? Charlotte is definitely not a good long-term option. I doubt the WWE is ready to put an end to the status quo of the diva division. You can look at how they have stuck with Roman Reigns to get the idea that they will not give up easily on something they want to work. The status quo of the diva division has existed before Roman Reigns even joined the WWE. Some might say it has flopped even worse than Roman Reigns, but the WWE will probably still be just as stubborn with it. If the WWE is moving on from Nikki Bella and still want an eye-candy centerpiece, I can imagine them either going to Summer Rae, going to NXT for someone like Alexa Bliss, or try to bring back a former eye-candy diva, like Eve Torres.

Sasha Banks Turning Face

A few weeks ago, Sasha Banks attacked both Charlotte and Becky Lynch after Charlotte had retained her title against her former friend. The WWE started to tease tension between Sasha and her two friends, Naomi and Tamina. This week on Raw, it looked like Sasha officially broke away from those two and is turning face.

Sasha Banks wants the title. Becky Lynch obviously still has her issues with Charlotte. Just to add more ingredients to the pot, Brie Bella got a win over Charlotte. Charlotte isn't exactly friends with Team Bella. Brie Bella, who plays a tweener role these days, just made an argument as to why she should get a shot at the Diva's Championship.

Where can the WWE be going for here? Will there be a multi-diva match in the coming weeks to decide the next challenger for Charlotte at Fast Lane? Or will there be a multi-diva match at the PPV for the title? The WWE can go either way. I would personally want to see Charlotte defend against Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch, and Brie Bella.

What does recent events mean for the face/heel balance? Charlotte, Tamina, and Naomi are obviously pure heels. But they are not heels you would consider to be on the same side. The WWE might want to have them bury the hatchet. Don't officially make a new stable with these three. Enough of that garbage. Just have them team up here and there and stop having them feud against each other.

I would say there are too many faces. Becky Lynch is a pure face. Sasha is turning face. Team Bella are looking like faces right now. Paige and Natalya are faces. They are the least relevant divas right now. They were just feuding against Team Bella a while ago. It was a very minor feud. Just call it filler. But there seems to be double the number of faces than heels. Not too long ago, there seemed like there was only one face in the division. The WWE sure remedied that situation. Maybe a bit too much?

I think this whole situation is messy. There are too many angles and feuds all over the place. The WWE cannot do them all justice. And even with all these angles, some divas are still lost in the shuffle. Of course, adding them to whatever is going on would probably make things even more messy. Charlotte is feuding with Becky Lynch. Sasha Banks is now coming after her title. Sasha Banks also has issues with Naomi and Tamina. Charlotte also has to deal with Team Bella. Brie and Alicia Fox will probably look like heels again if they match up against Paige and Natalya. Those two have nothing major to do. Trying to make sense of the mess, the WWE will likely go with Charlotte vs. Brie as a filler feud, while Sasha and Becky Lynch handle Naomi and Tamina. Even then, this conglomerated mess will continue. It has been there ever since last year.

Look at the men's division. You might see Randy Orton feuding with Sheamus and Cesaro feuding with Kevin Owens. It would not be unusual to see these two feuds cross paths. You might see Orton and Cesaro vs. Sheamus and Owens as part of the build of these separate feuds. But you still know who is feuding with whom. This happens all the time. It is the kind of booking you would expect.

That is not what is going on in the diva division. You have feuds that are more intertwined than that. Charlotte is the target of multiple divas right now. Sasha Banks wants the title and she has her feud with her former friends going on. This is not an elaborate storyline. In an elaborate storyline, the protagonist, antagonist, and supporting characters are all clear. It is not unusual to see a turn during this kind of storyline, but the WWE is just ridiculous with the diva division right now. Paige turned heel. Charlotte turned heel soon after. Paige turned back to a face. Sasha Banks just turned face. Team Bella go both ways. The character development is not great. Charlotte is obviously the top heel, but who is the face that is supposed to be the star of this? Or is this just filler because Nikki Bella is out?

I think back to that Naomi fan I talked about recently. He was unhappy that she was not getting a storyline. Well, she's getting a storyline now. But is this what he had in mind? It is obvious this storyline is more about putting over Sasha Banks than Naomi. And there is no way a Naomi fan should settle for that. When will Naomi get some legitimate focus for herself?

And Paige? Here is another diva with some fans that sometimes get annoyed when she is not on Raw. She just popped back up as a face a while ago. And she now seems to be on the weak end of the current storylines in the diva division. That is nothing new. She has had periods of being featured poorly like that throughout her few years on the main roster. Even with the WWE having multiple angles going on, they cannot find something for her. She really could benefit from a periphery push.

On Recent Injuries

Ryback is recovering from a staph infection. It took him out of the title defense he was supposed to have at Battleground against Miz and Big Show. He is still not back. Did the WWE make the right decision by not having a new Intercontinental Champion crowned? If this was TNA, I could imagine them going on with the title match and giving the belt to someone else. Of course, TNA has a lot of needless title reigns. I didn't actually write about this when it was first revealed, but I was thinking the WWE could insert a face that didn't have a match at Battleground into this match and possibly have him win the title. How about Ambrose? Neville? It didn't come to that. I can understand the WWE does not want to take the title off Ryback probably because they had just taken it off Daniel Bryan due to an injury. Nevertheless, Miz and Big Show just seem to be waiting right now. I probably would have gone on with the match and crowned a new Champion.

Nikki Bella is apparently injured. That is why her match with Becky Lynch did not happen on Smackdown. Is that supposed to be some kind of excuse as to why no diva match happened on Smackdown? It is no excuse. How hard is it to do some kind of promo to get yourself out of the match you advertised and into another match? They had Becky Lynch vs. Brie Bella for Main Event. They could have put that on Smackdown. The Bellas are heels. Heels backing out of matches is not uncommon. Brie Bella could have done a promo and set up her match with Becky Lynch on Smackdown. If the WWE is serious about the diva division, they have to put better effort into still featuring them properly even when their centerpiece gets injured. If they do not, it isn't hard to imagine that the diva division will collapse again. Centerpieces not working out is what led to the collapse a lot of fans got sick of this year. As far as Nikki Bella dropping the title early due to her injury, I don't think they will take it from her. They are trying to have her break AJ Lee's record.

The most gruesome injury from the WWE this week goes to John Cena getting his nose broken by Seth Rollins on Raw. Cena's good looks is one of the things that keeps him as popular as he is with the ladies. Seth Rollins busted that up. There is still plenty of time until Summerslam, so the WWE will probably not change their plans for Cena. The build to Summerslam will be altered. The WWE might want to protect Cena a bit. If nothing else, this adds more heat to the feud. Aside from holding the WWE Championship, did Seth Rollins really hold any advantage over John Cena? Seth Rollins at least looks a little more dangerous now. There is something there for Cena to overcome, if they plan to have him win. The WWE can take a negative and turn it into a positive with this injury.

State Of The WWE Diva Division: January 2015

The diva division right now is slightly better than what you had one year ago. You can go back to what I said in January 2014 here. Basically, one of the main problems the WWE had back then was a lack of creative depth. AJ Lee had the title and you had mediocre title feuds going on. Outside of that, nothing.

What has improved? Nikki Bella is holding the title. You have a heel Diva's Champion with a sidekick. Sounds just like AJ Lee and Tamina from last year. Recently, however, the WWE has rotated minor feuds and angles for credible jobbers and some of the lower-tier periphery divas. These feuds are so minor, it is almost as bad as doing nothing at all. I once compared the diva division to ice cream. Yeah, I actually once did that. Periphery divas are supposed to be like the sprinkles, chocolate syrup, cherry, and all that other stuff you add to the ice cream to make it look more appealing and taste even better. These divas and these angles are supposed to make the diva division more interesting outside of the title feuds. Some of these angles you have seen with divas like Naomi and Natalya could have potential, but they are not developed well. Regardless, that is why I say things are slightly better. Creative depth is a little bit better.

Is Nikki Bella the new centerpiece? She is the type of diva they like to fill that position. There is a vacancy for that position. And the diva division is not dead. She very well may be the new central focus of the diva division. But I'm not ready to crown her just yet. If you want to crown her, crown her. She is feuding against Natalya, a clear credible jobber, but the feud needs to be developed better. Is that why Paige is there? Moreover, you also have the possibility of Nikki eventually dropping it to her sister and Brie being pushed as centerpiece. Or is all this just dark age shenanigans and they are really not ready to be efficient again? I'll wait a little to see what direction things go.

Paige, who is now on Total Divas, got involved in the diva match last night. She is back to being a face. Recently, I said the WWE should consider pushing Paige well with AJ Lee not around for the sake of appeasing certain fans. Is that the intent here? Or just Total Divas matters? It could just be for the sake of evening the sides. Nikki has a partner to aid her and her opponents could use a sidekick. I wouldn't be surprised to see this transition to Nikki vs. Paige. But the WWE better be careful. That girl has a mind of her own and wants to be a success. She was showing some real personality out there. Diva sidekicks are nothing unusual, but Paige was showing more character in the role she played last night than most women in that position typically show. They are usually generic. Do the attack spots, then just stand around with your diva comrade. But it is how you do things that really set you apart and make you great. And Paige was definitely not generic. She definitely has what it takes to get over on her own.

I skipped most of Raw last night. I was following what was going on online. And I was also paying attention to what Paige fans were saying on Twitter just out of interest. Some fans were marking out just seeing her standing there for the opening segment. No, you cannot do that. And the way some of them got excited later in the show, I thought Paige had just won the Diva's Championship or something. You cannot settle for mediocrity for that. These things and certain extracurricular activities, like Total Divas, do not mean much. Paige is still a credible jobber. She is still getting the kind of career Mickie James had. Mickie James also got extracurricular activities, but she was pushed to put over other women and used as filler when they were not around. Outside of that, she got the same kind of mediocrity that Paige is getting. Mickie James obviously overcame it to get over, but that didn't change anything. As a fan, you obviously like seeing Paige out there. I understand that. But you should be aware of what they are doing with her. If you are not, the day will come when they start treating Paige even worse and you will be left shocked.

Why don't I say what my Twitter username is? To be honest, I am kind of ashamed of my Twitter. I don't like the tone I use. I don't use profanity and I am not overly rude. I just feel I get annoying. Someone on there once accused me of writing essays. Yeah, well, that's kind of what I do. I would just rather be doing it on a blog than on Twitter, but I only get about 20 visits a day on my blog. And I actually did try to put up a Twitter button on here last week, but I couldn't remember how to add those things. I looked it up, but I still can't figure it out. I should totally fire my social media department.

Do you know what a filibuster is? It's when a politician gives one of those very long speeches. I have never tweeted that much at one time, but that is a good tactic. Just keep on tweeting until I get a response or I get blocked. Either way, I know someone had to have read at least some of what I was saying. Annoying? Annoying as a filibuster might be? The alternative seems to be sitting here and watching female wrestlers continue to be mistreated and wrestling journalists continue to botch analyzing what is going on. I think I would rather tweet.

Nikki, AJ, Brie

A lot of title changes happened in November. That includes Nikki Bella winning the Diva's Championship from AJ Lee. Brie Bella had a hand in her sister winning. There are a few things to talk about with these recent developments in the diva division.

First of all, what is going on with this storyline? Nikki Bella was the obvious heel. Brie Bella, a face, was forced to do what her sister wanted her to do. AJ Lee, a face that leans more to being a tweener with her character, held the title that Nikki Bella wanted. I pointed out before that this storyline was not being developed well even before the title change occurred. You have Brie Bella kissing AJ Lee to help her sister win at Survivor Series. Brie Bella hasn't really been acting like a frustrated face being forced to work with a heel recently. Moreover, Nikki gave a promo on Smackdown that led to her getting a face reaction. That promo was edited on the actual airing. What does the WWE really want to happen?

This is not the first time this year that a Diva's title feud had bad storyline development. I am not even talking about the string of feuds Paige had during her first title reign that were not developed properly. AJ Lee vs. Paige was not developed well. It looked like it was progressing to the logical end, heel Paige vs. face AJ. Paige had turned on AJ. Instead of running things from there, they regressed and just had the two play with each other for no good storyline reason. Bella vs. Bella was getting better focus at that time. They then paired Paige with Alicia Fox. That was nothing to make too much of. All it led to was a filler match at Survivor Series. It really only served the purpose of extending the feud between Paige and AJ so Paige could get her rematch. It wasn't that great. That is two elaborate feuds in a row to have questionable development.

In both those two feuds I just talked about, you had the WWE featuring some lesbian elements. Or at least teasing it in some situations. How PG is that? Besides that, it just seems like the WWE is throwing certain things into these storylines that are just not called for. Cheap tricks. It is a dark age, so it is not shocking that they would do these things. They are never going to have another golden age if they keep relying on these things, however. Is that how they have to keep fans interested? Is that how they have to try to get stars over? Lesbian elements, psycho gimmicks, finisher theft, and dressing up as your opponent. Sound familiar? Those were all things you saw in the feud Mickie James had with Trish Stratus. You can say those things helped to get Mickie James over, but how do you explain her staying over when left as a generic face diva? It comes down to the worth of the performer vs. how the performer is being pushed. Paige has been involved in the kind of storyline Mickie James had. Paige has not become as over as Mickie James. I think Paige has potential to do it, but the WWE is really in a better position to make sure no credible jobber ever does what Mickie James did again. Besides, Paige really needs to find her own groove she is comfortable with. She did that one promo a few months ago that made her look like a boss, but the WWE did not follow up with her. Never make too much out of one thing when analyzing what is going on.

While the rivalry between Trish Stratus and Lita was the greatest in the history of the diva division, the greatest diva storyline just might be the one between Trish Stratus and Mickie James. Unlike some storylines that are really extensions of things going on in the men's division, this was a diva storyline. The main players and main supporting players on the roster were all divas. It is like how fans credit Trish vs. Lita on Raw as the first diva main event on Raw, even though Stephanie McMahon vs. Lita happened years before that. The latter also featured The Rock, Triple H, and other guys indirectly involved, so that is why some fans disregard that. The reason Mickie/Trish was so good isn't just because of the players. It was developed well. The storyline made sense and was developed well. The lesbian elements fit into the storyline. The psycho gimmick fit. Finisher theft fit. Dressing up as the other person fit. It fit the character Mickie James was playing. And when Trish turned the tables on Mickie, it made sense for Trish to do some of that. The feud didn't even end properly and it was still that great. Injuries could have screwed it up, but it didn't. Lack of depth could have been an issue, but it wasn't. The WWE should look at that feud and remember how to tell a story. Instead, they seem to be looking at it and just taking some of the small elements out of it. It isn't that easy. If the progression of the storyline is not good, fans are not going to connect well, not know what to connect with, and might even connect the wrong way. Moreover, not all these women currently being pushed have the kind of charisma Mickie James had. The WWE didn't develop Mickie James to get over, so I hope they don't think they can just hand all these storyline and character elements to some other diva and expect the same results. Their execution is lacking.

Eve Torres was the last centerpiece of the diva division. She left. Kaitlyn got a title run. She was a credible jobber. She dropped it to AJ Lee, the top periphery diva in this dark age. AJ Lee and Paige traded it a few times. Paige is a credible jobber. Now, Nikki Bella is the Diva's Champion. Is this the WWE's first attempt at a centerpiece since Eve left? Nikki Bella is the kind of diva they like to push like that. There is also Brie Bella, but they are not really developing her outside of her sister's shadow right now. They could next month, after this feud with AJ ends. Even though depth is still bad, they have credible jobbers on the main roster already that they could revolve around Nikki. It doesn't mean that the dark age ends just like that, but they can go back to trying to step out of it.

Is Nikki Bella a good choice as centerpiece? She has improved over the years. Both Bellas have. To me, this second dark age started when they gave Brie Bella her first title reign. Michelle McCool was still centerpiece at that time. Kelly Kelly was in that spot after she left. Brie Bella was pretty much just a credible jobber. And she wasn't even doing anything with the title for a while. Moreover, she wasn't that great as a performer. That was a clear sign of collapse to me. Nikki Bella got a short reign a while after that. Now, things are different. They are better. Will they flop like all the other centerpiece attempts since Trish left? I doubt they will leave the company any time soon. Injuries are not a big issue with them. I doubt they will regress in their in-ring abilities. All that leaves is how over they will become. I could say that it all rests on their shoulders to get over, but it doesn't. As I pointed out before, the WWE is making some mistakes in how they are pushing these women. Those mistakes might screw them over more than the issue of their own skill and potential. Regardless of which Bella gets pushed as that A+ player, if either do, there will still be issues in this diva division.

Speaking of issues, where does all this leave AJ Lee? She is a top-tier periphery diva. She is an A player. She is in the position Lita had. The WWE can just put her back in the men's division alongside some top star. I won't brainstorm ideas of what to do with her. Of course, there is drama between the WWE and AJ Lee's husband, CM Punk. How much of a strain is that putting on things? Will she leave the company? There will always be speculation on that. I won't talk about whether or not this would be a huge loss for the diva division until she actually does leave. Should that not happen, and should a Bella get pushed as centerpiece, just don't be surprised to see AJ back to getting angles alongside the men.

AJ Lee Vs. Nikki Bella At Survivor Series

Nikki Bella has her sister as her servant for the month. At Survivor Series, Nikki Bella will get a title shot against AJ Lee. As you might imagine, the story here is whether or not Brie will help her sister successfully win the Diva's Championship.

Let me go back a little. At Hell in a Cell, Nikki beat Brie to get her to be her slave. AJ Lee retained the title against Paige. It didn't take long for the WWE to go the likely path of Nikki vs. AJ. But I wouldn't have gone there so fast. I would have spent another week or week and a half just having Nikki torment her sister to really sell the angle. Let AJ continue her feud against Paige and Alicia Fox a little longer. Maybe even have a 3-way match on a Raw or Smackdown between them for the title. You would still have time to develop a feud with Nikki and AJ, with Brie in the middle. It isn't like the WWE has been developing this feud every show as it is. The development has been pretty mediocre. It isn't a very good feud, although storyline potential was there.

You also have the issue of AJ Lee's character. As I have brought up before, she has a character that just seems aloof to things at times. It is why I never bought into the storyline between AJ Lee and Paige. I never bought they were friends. Do they want AJ Lee to play that type of psycho character? Or do they want to turn her generic? A generic character might work better for these kind of storylines. If you want to keep her character strong, keep her getting storylines in the periphery that let her character shine. The current situation just isn't working out.

Some fans might not even care. There will be fans talking about AJ Lee and this current storyline. What's the problem? Just because fans are talking about a certain storyline or performer, that does not mean the storyline is good or the performer is over. People were talking about Michelle McCool at one time. It wasn't because she was over. It was because the WWE booked her hard. At one time, there was literally nothing else going on in the diva division aside from whatever McCool was doing. If they do not actually push AJ Lee in a proper manner, that might hurt her overall overness. If the WWE wants to maximize how much they get out of AJ Lee, they have to put her in a better position. Not holding a title does not mean you are going to be pushed badly.

Who wins between AJ Lee and Nikki Bella? If they are going to have a title change with this current storyline, it has to happen this month. Brie Bella is not going to be her sister's servant longer than that. And I think a title change is likely. That can transition to Bella vs. Bella for the title. If AJ does retain, there is nothing else for her to do. They have already fed her the entire division. Will they debut a new credible jobber just for her? I don't think they will go there just yet. Next year is more likely. How about Brie? Will she "reluctantly" help her sister? Quotation marks of doom? Well, how reluctant is Brie supposed to be? I am not talking from a kayfabe standpoint. In the storyline, Brie obviously has issues with her sister and would not want to help her. In terms of how the feud has been developed, I don't see it as a big deal. You have seen Shawn Michaels and John Cena in Brie's position in similar storylines. JBL tried to get HBK to help him beat John Cena for the title. Wade Barrett tried to get Cena to help him beat Randy Orton for the title. The face playing the servant to the heel is usually a respectable figure. There might be some mutual respect between the two faces involved. I don't feel that in this diva storyline. I don't buy Brie Bella as that kind of character. There is no legitimate mutual respect between AJ Lee and Brie. They have never really been friends. You can blame The Bellas' bad acting, but AJ Lee's character isn't helping matters, as I pointed out before. Match quality probably will not be amazing, especially with the storyline that will play a role in it, but they might as well have Brie help her sister win the title.

State Of The WWE Diva Division: October 2014

This is still a diva division. There are a lot of model-type performers around the roster. I read a while ago that the WWE signed two new ones, Zahra Schreiber and Gionna Daddio. Zahra has a bunch of tattoos on her. It will be interesting to see what they do with her, if she ever gets on the main roster. I cannot remember the last time I have read that the WWE signed a female wrestler to a developmental contract. Aside from that, you still have Total Divas going on. And there is still a diva atmosphere in this women's division.

What is the current landscape in the diva division? It is still not efficient and not respectable. This is still a dark age. And they still have not really done a great job utilizing all the women they have even in periphery roles, as they did during the first dark age. They are doing a better job by having The Bellas feud while AJ Lee and Paige finish their feud, but they could do better. Obviously, there is still no centerpiece. Staleness is also hanging over the division. It is also an issue in the men's division. How can they fix that? Either push fresh women or come up with better ways to prolong some of these feuds.

Total Divas is not only still around, it is growing. Paige and Alicia Fox are joining in. It is an extracurricular activity for them. Remember when a lot of wrestling fans were excited about Paige having some kind of "anti-diva" character and possibly bringing a little bit of something different to the diva division? It looks more like she is being assimilated. You can say that getting on this show will get her more exposure and help her get over. Keep in mind that only a fraction of the WWE's general viewership that tunes in for Raw on a regular basis actually watches Total Divas. Moreover, being on Total Divas does not mean you will be pushed well on the main shows. Natalya is on Total Divas. She is still a credible jobber. Eva Marie is on Total Divas. She is a periphery diva that is not getting used right at all. Whatever overness you see in The Bellas, it has come mainly from how they have been pushed this year, not so much from Total Divas. For Paige fans, a lot of them might be happy with her getting this. I would rather she be pushed right in the actual division. Extracurricular activities are not what count the most.

Speaking of Paige, her feud with AJ Lee continues. I am not going to do any analysis of that storyline. I have done that enough and the WWE has not really done anything since then worth talking about. Who wins at Hell in a Cell? They have already traded the title enough between these two this year. Unless there are some backstage shenanigans, AJ Lee retains and that should be the end of that feud.

Why don't I say that AJ Lee is the centerpiece? I have probably brought this up before, but it is worth bringing up again. There are a few reasons. First, the WWE has been developing women like Sable, Trish Stratus, and Candice Michelle as the centerpiece since 1998. They are very rigid when it comes to trying to maintain the status quo. Just look at the men's division. John Cena, a centerpiece that gets a questionable reaction from the fans, continues to be pushed as the top guy. Second, if they want AJ Lee as the centerpiece, why are they not going the next step and actually rebuilding the division around her. Start hiring more female wrestlers. Start developing those better feuds. Not only is a centerpiece pushed a certain way, other women are pushed a certain way around the centerpiece. I do not see them doing that with AJ Lee. Her first title reign did not feature great feud development. They were just running through the division. Her second and third title reigns were just shot to her quickly the night she returned from her hiatus and a few weeks after dropping it back to Paige, respectively. The storyline was not developed properly and that feud was getting overshadowed for a while by The Bellas. Another thing to keep in mind, the woman pushed to be the centerpiece is hyped to the best in the division. Hype is the most important ingredient in a centerpiece, while creative interest is the main ingredient for periphery divas. And AJ Lee has still been getting mostly a lot of creative interest. Her matches and feuds recently seem to be more about telling stories than actually developing a credible jobber to be overcome by a centerpiece like you have seen in years past. And the last reason I am not ready to say AJ Lee is the woman they want as centerpiece, they have so many eye-candy divas floating around on the main roster, in NXT, and are still hiring more. And they are developing these women to be wrestlers. The majority of them are not pushed well in the periphery, they don't make the best credible jobbers, and it is likely that one of them might be the next centerpiece.

I have seen some fans talk like either AJ Lee or Paige will be beating Trish's record for most women's title reigns in the WWE. AJ Lee has won 3 in about 2 years. Paige has won 2 in less than a year and is very young. Let me bring up Ivory. She won 3 title reigns in about 2 years during the first dark age. Her WWE career lasted a few more years, but she never won 4. That would have tied her with Moolah. One more after that would have broken that record. Trish ended up doing it. I wouldn't be so quick to say that either AJ or Paige will get it done. Paige is a credible jobber. They will likely phase her down, just like Ivory. And AJ? If the WWE does eventually start pushing another woman as centerpiece, AJ will be back in the periphery. Or back in Chicago. Who knows how that will work out?

I said earlier that there is still a "diva atmosphere" in the division. What did I mean by that? The feud between The Bellas is a great example of what I mean. A few weeks ago, it seemed like Brie and Nikki would be feuding over the "Bella" name. That just seemed so stupid. Now, you have a "slave" stipulation in the match. Oh, that's so much better! No, not really. There have been these kind of storylines before. Remember when Shawn Michaels and JBL had this kind of storyline? A face is forced to do what a heel wants. Nothing wrong with that kind of storyline, but the whole drama between Brie and Nikki has gotten kind of stupid. In terms of feud development, it is better than a lot of other things going on. In terms of the actual tone of this storyline, it is tacky and not connecting well with certain fans. Of course, Brie Bella using her husbands "Yes" chant is helping her to get over. Who wins this match? You can imagine all the fun segments you can have with Brie Bella getting revenge on her sister. For the sake of developing this storyline further, however, I think it would make sense for the heel to win.

You have AJ retaining and Nikki Bella winning the services of her sister. Can you imagine what would come next? Nikki gets into the title hunt and tries to force her sister to help her win. Will Brie help Nikki? I may be thinking too far ahead for a feud that may not happen, but I would not have Brie screw her sister in that title match. Aside from screwing her own sister, why would Brie want to help someone like AJ. With the kind of character AJ has, AJ is a loner. AJ and Brie are not friends. I doubt AJ will be coming to Brie's defense. It would go against her character. Shawn Michaels and John Cena have been in this position before where a heel was forcing them to do something they did not want to do. With the kind of character AJ has, would Brie really be conflicted in costing her the title? Again, screwing her sister would be the only reason to help AJ. But if Nikki wins the title, that can set up the title feud between Nikki and Brie.

Last thing I want to bring up, would it be possible to run a great women's division with The Bellas and AJ Lee as the top stars? Sure, why not? You can build a centerpiece with any one of these three women. You can rotate them around center stage and have a three-centerpiece diva division. You don't have to go the traditional route of one The Bellas being the centerpiece and AJ being top star in the periphery. And yet, is the WWE running a great women's division with these three? No. You need more female wrestlers to help this division look respectable and make it easier to be efficient. You need to actually utilize these other women better. You have too much dead weight in this diva division that is only relevant on Total Divas. And even with The Bellas and AJ, you need to develop feuds and storylines for them better. That is how you run a great women's division.

The Wildcat Centerpiece

I was watching the Jets game yesterday. They like to employ some wildcat plays. These are plays that involve a bit of trickery to confuse the defense. I have said before that the best plays a coach comes up with are often the ones that involve confusing the other team. The wildcat is where the regular quarterback is not the one receiving the ball from the center. It is usually the running back getting it or the backup quarterback, if he happens to be a good runner. He then has options. Run with it? Throw it? Hand it off? It gets defenses thinking about what might happen even more with this new guy in the quarterback position. It doesn't always work, but it sometimes comes in handy in situations where you just want to run it.

You know how much I like comparing football to wrestling. The centerpiece is like the quarterback. Watching that game yesterday, I started to think how you might have some kind of "wildcat" centerpiece. This is not like an interim centerpiece. An interim centerpiece is getting a filler push. She is pushed in place of the true centerpiece when the true centerpiece gets injured, is getting angles where she does not need to be near the title, and so on. The interim centerpiece is a credible jobber. They are not pushed to be over, are usually not very over, and usually do not have an interesting gimmick or are not pushed too interestingly during the filler push. That is not what I am thinking of at all. I am thinking of pushing a woman as centerpiece for a while that you actually want to be over. This would obviously be a periphery diva. It would be a top-tier periphery diva. I am not talking eye-candy periphery divas, especially those that cannot wrestle well. I am talking those periphery divas that know how to wrestle, which would help keep matches respectable in terms of wrestling quality. You might see this kind of thing during dark ages when no centerpiece is around, but why not do it by design even when a centerpiece is there? And you know how you really make it a "wildcat" centerpiece? Have this diva have a wild or unique gimmick.

Why would you want to do this kind of thing? For one thing, the women the WWE has pushed as centerpiece don't tend to have fancy gimmicks. They have these hot, glamorous characters. Being sexy connects them with many men. Being glamorous can help them connect with many women. As they become solid wrestlers, they get those wrestling fans on their side. After that, the WWE just hypes them up as something great. Sable didn't have an over-the-top, unique gimmick. Trish didn't. She wore that mask as part of an injury angle when she was heel, but I really don't consider that a gimmick. Candice Michelle didn't. Maryse was sexy and French, but no real wild gimmick. Eve Torres was showing some character as a heel centerpiece, but not really a unique gimmick. Kelly Kelly was generic. Michelle McCool did have a wild gimmick, but that was because she was failing to get over without a gimmick. She also failed even with a gimmick. And she was the centerpiece, not a wildcat centerpiece. And that was just an annoying era in the diva division. They were not featuring any other women properly as stars. It was all LayCool and their failure to properly get over with that hard push. If they had a wildcat centerpiece back then, it might have freshened things up. And that is my whole point. Having a wildcat centerpiece can add more flavor to the division, especially the title scene. While that woman is doing that, have the true centerpiece get storylines in the men's division, feud with women in non-title matters, or even have angles with other eye-candy divas. She does not have to lose her momentum.

Have you ever had a wildcat centerpiece? Not really. The WWE has never designed it that way. Lita's first title reign came during the first dark age and wasn't that long. Her next two title reigns all involved Trish Stratus, the centerpiece. For this wildcat centerpiece treatment, you are going to keep the true centerpiece away. Let another star have the legitimate spotlight. And Lita's final title reign was for her retirement angle. Chyna's one run with the title came off a Playboy push. It also came during the dark age.

How about AJ Lee? I think she would be a great wildcat centerpiece. She has definitely not been pushed as the true centerpiece. Her first title reign did not feature the kind of feud development a centerpiece gets. She has been getting that kind of development recently to some degree, but it has recently been overshadowed by The Bellas. AJ Lee has the kind of gimmick I am thinking of for a wildcat centerpiece. She's, well, wild! But I feel that gimmick can be a nuisance if she was the centerpiece. For one thing, can the writers consistently come up with good storylines for her? For another thing, most of her opponents might either be overshadowed by her gimmick or just be blatant supporting cast for her benefit. Paige is copying AJ Lee. That feud is really about AJ Lee. I am not getting the vibe that it will help Paige get over or that they will continue to push her well. Go back to Michelle McCool and that "mean girls" gimmick. The whole division was pretty much at her mercy. Everyone LayCool feuded with just became victims for them to bully to try to either get booed for being heels or cheered for trying to be entertaining. The title didn't even matter that much, except when it was used to sell McCool making history. Even though AJ Lee is more charismatic than Michelle McCool and more over, I feel she can be just as overbearing. The fact that I find her creepy doesn't help. Not as creepy as Bo Dallas, but she can be too much.

But the thought of how AJ Lee can work as a wildcat centerpiece does warm me up to her a little more. Let's say there was a centerpiece. Let's say Eve Torres never left. After Eve had won 2 or 3 title reigns during her centerpiece run (to go with the 2 she had won before being centerpiece), rotate her out for a little. No need to rush her to 7 or 8. Put her back in an authority figure angle. What do you do while you rest her? Bring in your wildcat centerpiece. And this won't be just a filler reign, like you get with interim centerpieces. Let AJ's crazy gimmick shine. Give her a lengthy title reign, two short ones, or however you want to work it. And when you are ready to push Eve in the title scene again, she will be fresh. Fans can't complain of one diva hogging the spotlight or boring storylines. You might get your dry, typical diva title feuds with Eve, but your wildcat centerpiece will add more flavor. Aside from keeping the performers fresh, it also keeps the writers fresh. They won't have to come up with storyline after storyline for just one woman around the title, especially a woman that is pretty generic like most centerpieces are in the diva division. It might be more fun for them to write up storylines for a diva with a unique gimmick, like AJ Lee.

Does it have to be a psycho gimmick? Not necessarily. Just have some kind of gimmick that can really make for some interesting diva storylines and that you were keeping fresh in the periphery. Remember when I was talking about Kharma having some kind of bodyguard role? You can transition that into pushing her as wildcat centerpiece. How about Gail Kim being pushed as a ninja-like enforcer? Transition that into the wildcat. What's the importance of having some kind of unique gimmick at all? Because this isn't just about resting the centerpiece from the title scene and getting titles to your other stars. This is about featuring characters that can offer different storylines in the title scene without the centerpiece needing to be involved or possibly even overshadowing it.

Assuming AJ stays, can the WWE run this kind of women's division with her and The Bellas. I doubt they will try. This whole idea I gave isn't just about coming up with a game plan to be creative with your divas, but also do things efficiently. The WWE is just messy right now. You have never really had top-tier periphery divas get a fair shot in the title spotlight unless there was no centerpiece around. Going by what the WWE has a history of doing and their recent actions in the diva division, I don't think they are interested in running an efficient, productive women's division.

Since I am on the topic of the diva division, let me do a quick preview of the title match at Night of Champions. Paige defends against AJ Lee and Nikki Bella. Who wins? This match is going to come down to how they want to work things with The Bellas. They just tossed Nikki into this match. That could be a clear sign Nikki wins. Why toss her in if she won't win? Just to feature The Bellas at the PPV? You could have had some in-ring segment involving them. You have had those kind of segments on PPVs before. Let them talk and catfight. I could also imagine Brie costing Nikki the match. If Nikki gets taken out of the equation, leaving it just between AJ and Paige, I would say Paige retains. They need to stop tossing the title around. Overall, I am thinking Nikki wins and her feud with Brie becomes even more dramatic with the title involved.

The Bellas Trump Paige/AJ

For weeks now, some fans have been complaining that the drama involving The Bellas and Stephanie McMahon was getting more time and better attention than the title feud between AJ Lee and Paige. Other fans would say that it was good that there were two diva feuds going on. What do you say now? On Raw last night, they pretty much inserted The Bellas into the title picture. The drama between Nikki and Brie is now overshadowing AJ and Paige even more.

I sometimes like to compare things going on now in the diva division to situations from the past. The situation you have now reminded me of that time Victoria and Gail Kim were feuding over the Women's Championship. Gail Kim was finally getting pushed again. She had picked up some wins against Victoria. All of a sudden, Lita and Trish are in the match. Trish Stratus walks out with the title. This isn't as bad as The Great Khali winning a match between Daniel Bryan and Sheamus, but they pretty much overshadowed the original feud. You also have what was supposed to be Layla vs. Kaitlyn from a few years ago being won by Eve, but that was more understandable. Eve was involved in the story from the start and it really was her push.

In both those past situations in the diva division, you had a centerpiece trumping everything else. Neither Nikki nor Brie are being pushed as the centerpiece, yet, but recent developments make me believe even more that they may be preparing to go in that direction. They have not had a diva on Total Divas win the title yet. It really should just be a matter of time. But would a Bella holding the title be just for the benefit of creating material for Total Divas? Or will one of them actually fill that centerpiece void? I have said that Total Divas is like an elaborate PG-version of Playboy. From the time the golden age started, you never had Playboy divas win the title when they were getting their Playboy push. Candice won the title to be pushed as centerpiece, after already having done Playboy. Point is, some fans might say a title reign for The Bellas would just be for the sake of Total Divas, but it could be to start pushing a new centerpiece. Or it could be dark age shenanigans.

I didn't get to say much about the storyline between AJ and Paige and what they have been doing in recent weeks. It looks like whatever storyline they were having is going to be diluted now with The Bellas inserted. Let me still talk about that storyline. I really did not like it. It was turning even more into the type of storyline Mickie James and Trish Stratus had, just with poorer development. Paige did not debut as a big fan of AJ Lee. Paige debuted to show some respect to AJ. Those weeks AJ was gone, Paige never really showed any huge love for AJ. All of a sudden, Paige is skipping like AJ. I can chalk that up to playing mind games. Recently, you have had some lesbian undertones. How far can you get in PG? It is the kind of development you would have seen in Trish/Mickie, with Trish trying to play mind games with Mickie. And you have already had the two trade the title a few times. Whether AJ is leaving or not, it would only make sense for Paige to win the feud. Now with The Bellas involved, the story is different. To put it simply, the story they were pushing between Paige and AJ just did not have the same flow to it that the storyline between Mickie James and Trish Stratus had and just seemed like something they were tossing together.

Let me focus more on the characters these two women are portraying. I am not talking just about gimmick, but how they are portraying the gimmick. AJ Lee is a psycho. And she is creepy. That is one of the main reasons I am not as drawn to her as I was to Mickie James. Mickie James had this fun spirit to her. Even after they took the gimmick away, she still had that charisma. AJ isn't that fun psycho. She is a creepy psycho. I am not drawn to the things she is doing.

Paige is copying AJ. All it has really amounted to is her skipping. Aside from that, ever since she has turned heel, I have noticed she seems to try too hard to be sexy in some of her matches. She seems to be looking for approval. There really is no storyline reason for it. I liked her better when she was a face. Some reports say she was not engaging the crowd. If you pay attention to what she was doing, she actually was trying. Aside from her look, she is obviously not pushed as an anti-diva, but I don't think she needs to try the eye-candy diva route to get over. I would not be surprised if people backstage are telling her how to act. She just does not seem natural in what she was doing, although I think she does a good job skipping. But what will that do for her in getting her over? I don't think it will. The fans are not connecting with Paige. She is just imitating AJ Lee. And she is really not getting to show a character I think can really get her over. She needs to find her own groove and do it naturally.

Put it all together, that's why I don't like the storyline you had going on between AJ and Paige. The actual storyline didn't seem thought out properly, AJ's creepy character is not interesting me, and Paige's character just does not seem natural. Is it good that it is getting phased down? Will it be better with The Bellas inserted? Will The Great Khali walk out of Night of Champions with the Diva's Championship? Right now, I can't say. Let's see how things develop.

Bella Vs. Bella II

Stephanie McMahon won at Summerslam. And it was thanks to interference from Nikki Bella, who turned heel and turned on her sister. This feud is obviously not over.

This is not the first time The Bellas have feuded against each other. During their first run in the company, they had a little feud against each other. Very minor. Didn't last long. They soon got back together. This one, however, has a more serious tone to it and is getting more of the spotlight. If they are serious about one day featuring Brie Bella as the centerpiece of the diva division, not only is separating her from her sister not a shocking move, but a storyline like this is just the kind of thing you would expect. You had Sable stand up to her husband. You had Trish stand up to Vince and Stephanie. You now have Brie Bella standing up to Stephanie and her own sister. This was the kind of thing I was waiting for with Summer Rae, back when I felt she was the likely option for the new centerpiece. Standing up against Fandango was not major enough. What they are doing with Brie Bella is major.

Could this all be for the purpose of creating drama for Total Divas? Big storyline to create some drama, then dump The Bellas after. You saw this kind of thing with Cameron and Naomi. They had a storyline about their split. Now both are lost in the shuffle. Not shocking at all. But I don't expect that here. The Bellas are being pushed like A players. I doubt this huge investment in them is just for the sake of a short-time angle for Total Divas. The WWE has a lack of stars in their diva division. They are making stars. And these stars are getting to work with the bosses in a close manner. When it comes time to pushing a new centerpiece, it is not hard to imagine that Brie Bella will be at the top of the list.

Why am I not talking about Nikki possibly being the centerpiece? She does have the bigger boobs. Speaking of boobs, she is in a relationship with John Cena. Aside from all that, I can't think of any reason why she should be pushed above her sister. Brie has almost always been featured more prominently than her sister, especially this year. Neither Bella is amazing in the ring, but I would say Brie is the better of the two. And she has Daniel Bryan at her side. She can learn from him. You have seen a little bit of that. Brie just seems like the better choice and the likely choice of the two.

Would Michelle McCool Have Benefited From Being Pushed As A Top-Tier Periphery Diva?

I did this kind of thing for Mickie James a few weeks ago. What kind of top-tier periphery diva could she have been? Let me do this for Michelle McCool this time. Why bother? She did not have the overness to deserve such an amazing push. She has not shown the charisma that would make you believe she could be a great character in the periphery. Let's say you are a writer in the WWE and Vince McMahon comes up to you and demands you come up with an idea to finally get this woman over. Title reigns are not enough. Handing her history is not working. It will take some real creative interest to get her over, not just hyping her up as something great, which is essentially overrating her.

Look at how they are pushing Brie Bella now. That is almost exactly how I would have had Michelle McCool pushed in the periphery. Almost. Brie Bella's current push is obviously an extension of her relationship with Daniel Bryan. Michelle McCool was obviously in a relationship with The Undertaker back when she was around. But I am not saying they had to have acknowledged that and paired her with him. Might hurt Taker's gimmick, even if they tried to give McCool a similar gimmick. And it may not be believable. Brie Bella is a face working against heel authority figures. That is the kind of push McCool should have. How do you get her in that situation in the periphery? Put her in a kayfabe romance with a main-eventer or have her form some kind of friendship with a main-eventer. When that guy is being tormented by the heel authority figures, McCool would be at his side to get a rub and look good by standing by him.

Why a face and not a heel? I don't think she can play a great heel. Many fans might say she was an awesome heel during her LayCool days. Is that because of the kind of performer she was? Or because of how hard she was pushed and what the writers were having her do? Michelle McCool and Layla tried, but they could not garner a consistent, great reaction from the fans. They should not try to get this woman booed. Try to get the fans to like her. Try to get the fans to cheer what she is doing. You see Brie Bella standing up to both Stephanie McMahon and her husband. She's knocking around Triple H. Her own sister turns on her, which she will overcome. She is doing things that will get the fans connected to her. A lot of critics have pointed out that Brie Bella does not have a great acting ability or mic skills. In this situation, it does not matter. She is not getting over because of her own abilities as a performer, but by how they are pushing her. Imagine if Michelle McCool feuded against Vickie Guerrero back then. How about John Laurinaitis? How about Triple H and Stephanie? How about Vince McMahon, himself? Depends on how long McCool would have stayed around and what was going on at the time. To put it simply, I think it would have been better for them to try to make her look like a hero doing things that would get her cheered than a heel pushed hard and still not getting good heat. If they are getting some measure of success by doing this with Brie Bella, it would have been great to try this with McCool.

Women pushed as top-tier periphery divas hardly ever seem to fail to connect with the fans. They are being pushed in a unique manner, being pushed hard, and getting to do things on a consistent basis that fans are going to love seeing. You have had centerpieces flop in recent years, mostly because of injuries and failure to connect with the fans. Being sexy and glamorous is not enough to get over anymore. But women pushed as top-tier periphery divas go beyond that. That is why you have a better success rate with those kind of pushes.

Let me make a football analogy. In football, a lot of the best plays the coaches draw up are the ones designed to confuse the other team. A little bit of trickery can fool a defense and lead to a big play. Just for the sake of the discussion, let's say that the end around typically leads to a gain of at least 20 yards 80% of the time. All you need to know is that the end around is a football play that involves some trickery to try to throw off the defense. It doesn't matter which teams are doing it or which players are doing it, it has this great success rate. Now, is that necessarily because the players doing it are just so awesome? Or is it because the way the play is designed leads to this great success? As I have laid out the situation, if it seems any players can have this level of success with the play, it really is in the actual play, not necessarily the performer. All you have to do is not be horrible or be up against some defensive players that are too good.

Being pushed as a top-tier periphery diva is like making that football play that seems to work almost all the time. The way the WWE has been acting in recent years, you might think crazy gimmicks are also a recipe for success. How about Alicia Fox? Not surprisingly, she's depushed. I have not seen anyone talk about her in a while. She was doing things that were getting people talking about her. Perfect example of why the manner you are being pushed is more important than a gimmick. After completely dropping Alicia, her momentum is all gone. Back to talking about top-tier periphery divas. Because they are pushed with so much creative interest and hype, working alongside top stars, and doing things the fans love seeing, it isn't hard to believe that they will gain A-level overness. Is it because they are necessarily amazing performers? Or is it in how they are being pushed? When you are being pushed like that, you don't have to be amazing. The manner you are being pushed is amazing. And that is what is ultimately getting some of these women over. They are being put in a unique position and being allowed to do unique things. Michelle McCool might have benefited from this.

Let me make one more point with that football analogy. With the situation I invented with the end around being so successful, just because essentially any idiot can look great doing, that does not mean they are great players. It just means the play is great. So what does define who the great players are? How well can these guys do with plays not likely to succeed? How well can they do with busted plays? How well can they do when it looks like they will get nothing? Can they take average plays and be amazing with that? If you can only succeed with plays with a high success rate, you probably are not an amazing player. But if you can still succeed in those situations I just brought up, that is when you are showing your own worth.

I am not going to say too much about tying what I just said back to pro wrestling. Let me just say, if Michelle McCool had gotten A-level overness off of being pushed as a top-tier periphery diva, it probably would not have been because she is so amazing. But the WWE wanted this woman to be a star. If I had to come up with an idea to make her a star, I just gave you the type of push I think would have worked.

For Just $9.99, Stephanie McMahon Will Come To Your House And Give YOU A Pedigree!

For the second week in a row, Raw ends with Stephanie McMahon and Brie Bella. What else is it supposed to end with? A title feud between two guys that have yet to appear on the same night since the feud started? That is an issue for another day. As for the feud between Stephanie and Brie, there is good and bad to it.

Personally, I enjoy this feud. As a fan, I think it is fun and it reminds me of when I first started watching wrestling regularly. Stephanie McMahon is doing great. She's actually doing a legitimate finisher now. And her Pedigree is pretty good. As a fan, I cannot complain about this feud.

I have seen what other fans are saying. There are a lot of complaints. And the fact that the third hour of Raw has lost a lot of viewers in the last two weeks might be support for their criticisms. I haven't seen a quarterly breakdown to know how each segment has done, but the fact that the third hour is losing that much is worth pointing out. I remember a few weeks recently where the third hour actually did pretty well. There is a lack of star power right now. Although I do like Stephanie McMahon, how much of a star is she? Especially when she is feuding against Brie Bella? I think the number of fans that don't like this feud might just outnumber the number that do love it.

I still think this feud will help Brie get over. I have seen some fans say this feud is just filler until Daniel Bryan gets back or fans are only cheering for Brie because of Daniel Bryan. This is more than just about Daniel Bryan. He has become an afterthought in this feud. Brie is saying things the fans like hearing, she's smacking around Triple H, and she is just in a situation that can get her over. Thing is, will it be Brie Bella the performer getting over or Brie Bella the character getting over? Are fans connecting with her because of how great a performer she is or what her character is being allowed to do? I have already said that I don't think this is just a Daniel Bryan rub. Why does it matter? Personally, I respect those that can get over for the type of performer they are more than those that are built to be over. They are pushing Brie Bella so hard, it would be embarrassing for the WWE if she did not get over. I said a few days ago that the WWE would not need to go overboard with Mickie James had she gotten pushed as a top periphery diva. She has the ability to connect with fans through the type of performer she is. Are they going overboard with Brie? Regardless, she would not be connecting well with the fans without this treatment. It still remains whether they will push her as the centerpiece.

Who wins at Summerslam? I probably should wait to see who has the momentum on Raw next week, but I'll say Stephanie wins. With Nikki Bella possibly turning on her sister, that will be a great way to start a feud between them. Have Nikki screw Brie. Match quality won't be amazing, but you can cross your fingers for AJ Lee vs. Paige being good.

Brie Bella Vs. Stephanie McMahon At Summerslam

Stephanie McMahon coming out in jeans was a good sign that there was going to be a physical altercation. And there was. Brie Bella and Stephanie had a catfight at the end of Raw. And they will get physical again at Summerslam. Brie Bella vs. Stephanie McMahon. This is Stephanie's first real match in over a decade. And this whole situation in the diva division really is reminiscent of 2000 and 2001. I like this feud. Summerslam should be good this year.

A few months ago, Summer Rae seemed likely to one day be pushed as the new centerpiece. They were just putting the creative investment in her that you would see in a diva being developed to be the centerpiece. She has become somewhat stagnant since teaming with Layla. That is to say, she doesn't seem to be going anywhere. I haven't really gotten the chance to speak of the duo. A lot of other topics came up. These days, Brie Bella, who also is the kind of diva they would like to be centerpiece, is getting that better investment. This originally just looked like an extension of Daniel Bryan's feud with The Authority. He does not really seem to be an issue in this at all anymore. It is between Brie and Stephanie. Did Daniel Bryan's injury lead the WWE to warming up to putting major focus on Brie? Regardless, Brie Bella's stock has increased in value. She is getting the kind of main-event push that Trish Stratus had prior to being pushed as centerpiece.

How close is the WWE to turning this dark age into a golden age like they did back in 2001? They have a female wrestler being pushed as a top periphery diva. They have an array of credible jobbers. They have an eye-candy diva getting a major push that will likely get her over. It is because of things like what they are doing with Brie right now that I cannot bring myself to say they want to end the diva division. A lot of fans are talking about how great it is that all this stuff is going on for the divas right now. Wonderful. But are all these women getting a chance to connect with the fans and earn that better career for themselves? Or is the WWE picking and choosing? That is the issue that tripped up the first golden age and caused the collapse you have seen in recent years. The women they wanted over could not work out and the most over diva was a credible jobber that got over on her own. If that kind of thing happens again, you will see problems again. First things first, how long until they get golden?

Summer Rae Or Brie Bella: Who Should Be The Next Centerpiece?

I have entertained the notion of Brie Bella being the centerpiece of the WWE diva division before. Why bring it up again? Because Brie has gotten the biggest push of her career in the last few months alongside Daniel Bryan. Could they be grooming Brie to possibly be centerpiece? Should they be doing that?

Brie Bella has been Diva's Champion before, but she was clearly not being pushed as the centerpiece back then. She had not gotten any proper development for that title win, her reign was mediocre for months, and both Bellas were lost in the shuffle soon after Kelly Kelly won the title. It was with this title reign that I like to say the second dark age started. The Bellas were on the bottom of the ladder in terms of credibility. They were arm candy for celebrity guest hosts for so long. Since then, the WWE has treated them better. I respect them a little bit more now than I did back then.

Does that mean Brie is being groomed to be the next centerpiece? There is still a vacancy there. She has been getting pushed alongside her husband, Daniel Bryan, and has gotten a bit physical with Stephanie McMahon. Right now, Brie is obviously getting the periphery treatment. But Trish Stratus did get that kind of treatment prior to being pushed as centerpiece. She did feud with Stephanie McMahon. Could Brie be getting developed to follow in Trish's footsteps? I don't think so. This is just a great periphery angle. As long as she is with Daniel Bryan, there is a good chance the WWE can keep her in that position as a top-tier periphery diva.

Between Brie Bella and Summer Rae, who is still the likely choice for new centerpiece, who really should get the spot? That centerpiece position is the most important position in the division. The division revolves around that. That woman will frequently be involved in title matters. Title reigns will frequently be coming to her. The reason that division has collapsed so badly is because of centerpiece issues. Which of these two women stands the best shot at helping the division get back on its feet? I'm not going to do this, but you can probably make a head-to-head chart for Brie Bella and Summer Rae. Who has the better wrestling ability? Who is more charismatic? Who has better mic skills? Who is hotter? Who is currently connecting with the fans better? Grade them in each of those categories. If you really want to get fancy, poll other fans in each of those categories to see what they think. Which of those two women is really best for the job? Personally, I think they are pretty close to the same level. Neither of them really stands out in any area.

If I had to choose whom to develop as the new centerpiece out of those two women, I would go with Brie Bella. That is mostly because she has been around longer and I'm more used to her. Beyond that, Summer Rae just seems dry and generic to me. She has better charisma than Michelle McCool, but I don't think she is as solid as her in the ring. Then again, the whole point is to take an eye-candy diva that lacks that wrestling ability and develop her to be the central focus. Brie Bella isn't that amazing, but I like her more. Again, if you asked me about Brie Bella a few years ago, I would have had a much worse opinion of her. And you never know, Daniel Bryan might provide more than just a storyline rub for her and help her become even better in the ring.

Summer Rae still seems like the likely option for the WWE. They have decided to run with her as a face. Okay. I would have kept her as a heel. I think she could stand a better chance of showing character as a heel, and she needs to get over with the fans. I also think it would be good to give her some main-event storylines and rubs to make her look even better before pulling the trigger on her. Her current storyline with Fandango and Layla is fine, but a main-event storyline would have more hype to it. If they had kept her as a heel, what could they have done with her? Have her feud with the faces on Total Divas.

What does it mean for title matters that Summer Rae is a face? Unless she eventually wins the title in a multi-diva match, she is going to feud with a heel over the title. Who will that be? They could turn Paige heel. They could pass the title to Alicia Fox. How about waiting for AJ to return? They could probably create a great storyline involving her. How about taking advantage of the storyline they have for Summer Rae now? Have Layla eventually win the title and have her transition it to Summer Rae as part of their feud. Sable won the Women's Championship from Jacqueline. There was a feud between those two even before the title came into play. Summer Rae would really be following the path of Sable if they did it like that.

One last thing I want to bring up, when do you say that the WWE has officially pulled the trigger on a new centerpiece? After the WWE has been doing this for over a decade, you know what kind of diva they like to push as the centerpiece. You might even say you can see it coming from a mile away in some instances. But when does the reign of a centerpiece begin? Of course, you can look at it however you want. Personally, I usually like to wait until they win their first title after being developed to be centerpiece. Eve won the title 3 times, but the first two came at times when they were not pushing her as centerpiece. The only exception to the rule for me was Sable. I like to say they started pushing her as centerpiece when they brought back the Women's Championship. Jacqueline won it first, but that was just to develop a title chase for Sable. And that is also when I like to say the diva division started. There is usually some development before a diva is officially pushed as centerpiece. Besides that, you don't want to rush to say a diva is the new centerpiece. Give the WWE some time to make up their mind and actually pull that trigger. Summer Rae could do something to make the WWE change their minds about her. If they just keep her in periphery angles, than all she will continue to be is a periphery diva. But I think she is the next centerpiece. You have the position vacant, she is the type of diva they like to hold that position, and they do seem to be developing her for that position.

Daniel Bryan At Payback: Will He Or Won't He?

To me, there is only one really interesting thing to talk about for this year's Payback. And it's something that I feel should not even be happening at Payback.

Will Daniel Bryan surrender his title belts due to his injury to Stephanie McMahon? Or will Brie Bella be fired? Why do I not think this should even be happening at Payback? They could have done it this week on Raw. They could have had Stephanie McMahon just strip Daniel Bryan of the title the week before that. They could have taken it from him the week before that. They have dragged this all the way to the PPV. At this rate, they could pretty much keep dragging it on until Daniel Bryan is healed. That would be stupid. You usually talk about what matches will be the big draws for a PPV. How great have the feuds for those matches been developed and hyped to draw? A segment between Daniel Bryan and Stephanie McMahon looks to be one of the big selling points for this PPV.

Will Daniel Bryan give it up? It seems likely. You can have the heartwarming moment of Brie telling Daniel Bryan not to do it just for her. Brie stands up to Stephanie. In the end, Daniel Bryan will still give it up. It just makes storyline sense for The Authority to take advantage of this situation to get the title off Daniel Bryan. Outside of kayfabe, it would be nice to have an active wrestler hold the title for those few months Daniel Bryan is out. If they just keep on running a storyline where Stephanie McMahon is struggling to take a title away from a guy that can't even defend it right now, that would just end up looking stupid.

I do understand the WWE might be in a bit of a tough spot. Who gets the title? Cena, Triple H, Batista, and Randy Orton are tied up in their own storylines. If they had stripped Daniel Bryan of the title before Payback, who gets it or who gets put in a match to decide a new Champion. I think they still had options. Award it to Kane. He was feuding with Daniel Bryan, he took Daniel Bryan out, and he is aligned with Stephanie McMahon. If they wanted a match to determine the new Champion, book some kind of battle royal with all former World Champions that are not already in a match at Payback. That would include guys like Kane, Big Show, Mark Henry, Dolph Ziggler, and Alberto Del Rio. Or just make it a triple-threat or four-way match. If they really wanted to, toss in Cena and those other former World Champions already booked on the card. Let them pull double duty. I think a match involving the World title would mean more than a segment involving the World title.

Daniel Bryan: The Next Zack Ryder?

A lot of fans are drawing the comparisons between what is going on between Daniel Bryan and Kane now and what went on between Zack Ryder and Kane two years ago. Let me point it out for those who don't see the connection. Last week, there was a diva match between Brie Bella and Paige. I pointed out that Brie was in the position Eve was once in, Paige was in the position Beth Phoenix was in, and Kane was his normal self. Expand on that. Zack Ryder was involved in a romance angle with Eve. Who is Brie married to? That would be Daniel Bryan. Daniel Bryan = Zack Ryder? They both seem to have the unfortunate luck of car issues popping up when they are trying to flee a monster with their girl.

Mick Foley had a few things to say about the development of the storyline between Kane and Daniel Bryan. He made the comparison to Zack Ryder. He implies that this storyline is what "derailed" Ryder's career. I couldn't disagree more. The WWE never wanted Ryder over in the first place. If they did, they never would have taken so long to give him a legitimate push. When they did get around to giving him that push, it was more about putting over how nice a guy Cena is. And even with using him as a pawn in the larger feud between Kane and Cena, fans still cared about the guy. The WWE just slowly pulled the plug on his momentum. Before you knew it, he was back being treated as an F player.

Daniel Bryan has never been treated as an F player in the WWE. Even back in his days of being humiliated in NXT, they were still putting focus on him. That is better than no focus at all. In terms of the storyline, yes, you can obviously draw comparisons between the last time Kane returned with the mask and his current return with the mask. In terms of the feud and how they are being pushed, however, you better be careful with comparing Daniel Bryan to Zack Ryder. John Cena was the main face in that storyline years ago. Daniel Bryan is the main face in this storyline here. This is a guy they want to be a success, but they just do not want as their centerpiece. He will get depushed. Depushed as badly as Zack Ryder? No. He will get depushed back to the place he was prior to this title reign, which was still a pretty good place. The issue here isn't a bad storyline ruining someone. The issue is the WWE's willingness to push someone as a star. It was never there for Zack Ryder. To a better degree, it is there for Daniel Bryan.

Let me move away from comparing Daniel Bryan to Zack Ryder. I see some fans really hating this storyline. Daniel Bryan has bad acting skills. Brie Bella is even worse. Kane is cheesy. Daniel Bryan needs to feud with someone else. Some fans are being too critical. I don't think the majority of fans out there are that critical of what is going on. They will continue to love Daniel Bryan for the energy he brings with him. Say what you want about Kane, but he is an interesting character that can still cause buzz. As for Brie Bella, this storyline has a good chance to get her over better than anything else she has ever had. What they do with her after that is a topic for another day. Analytically, I do not see a huge problem with this storyline. Critically, I can agree with a lot of what is being said, but this is pro wrestling, so relax. As a fan, I like it.

Extreme Rules 2014: Looking At The Main Matches

How can Daniel Bryan possibly overcome these odds? That is the question you usually ask for John Cena. I think it applies to the storyline you have with Daniel Bryan right now. He has to defend his WWE title against monster Kane. Daniel Bryan has an injured neck. Kane has been playing mind games by going after Daniel Bryan's wife, Brie Bella. And in a match where anything goes, that just seems to favor Kane even more.

Daniel Bryan should be retaining here. This title reign has already lasted longer than what they did with him at the end of last year, but there is no reason to cut this run that short. Even if they did, it's obvious Daniel Bryan will get it back again soon. This does really feel like a feud that should go on beyond this Sunday. A crippled Daniel Bryan beating Kane and Kane losing all that momentum so fast would just be bad.

Let me talk about what this storyline development has meant for the diva division. Brie Bella is getting a huge periphery angle. This is the best use she has ever had. She held the Diva's Championship before, but the reign was mediocre. They were  not actually pushing her as the centerpiece. This is a top-tier periphery angle right here. And what about Paige? She was facing Brie Bella when Kane came out for her. Reminded me of Eve being involved in that feud against Kane and Cena a few years back. Beth Phoenix had a match with Eve. Kane came out after that match to get Eve. Same vibe here. Paige is in Beth's place. Brie is in Eve's place. And Kane is still Kane. Will this lead to Stephanie McMahon vs. Brie Bella? That would be interesting.

If it isn't John Cena, it's usually Triple H. Evolution is trumping title matters right now. Evolution vs. The Shield looks to be getting the development to be the main event of Extreme Rules. Yeah, you do have 3 multi-time World Champions, not to mention the return of Ric Flair. It is a good excuse to not feature Daniel Bryan in the top spot, but it isn't a great sign for what they might do with him after this PPV. Holding that title does not look like it has made him an A+ player at all.

The Shield have all the momentum right now. It seems obvious that Evolution will be winning this match. No need to complain. The feud will continue and you will likely get The Shield winning a big match down the line. The wildcard will be Ric Flair. Fans are already anticipating Ric Flair turning on The Shield and costing them the match. It's supposed to be a swerve, but it is the kind of swerve many have gotten used to seeing. I don't care. I like Ric Flair. I'm looking forward to the expected swerve.

Being completely honest, the storyline between John Cena and Bray Wyatt interests me more than anything else. Not necessarily because I find it entertaining. I'm just interested in seeing how they can make it work. I had said that the WWE might have an issue on their hands with fans reacting the way they would like them to so that they may sell that Bray Wyatt is brainwashing them. Some nights, it's there. Other nights, Bray looks bad. How about bringing in people to react the way you want them to? That's what the WWE did. And they took it to another level. Children. They brought in a choir of children to put over Bray Wyatt's power to brainwash. The WWE really went all out. It was creepy. That was what they were aiming for. Did they go too far? They've done worse. Part of me really hated seeing it, though. This is all for the benefit of John Cena.

What can you possibly expect from the story of this match? I have said before that there will be a story to this match. You can say every match has a story, and I agree with that, but this match will have a real elaborate story to it. This isn't just two guys that hate each other fighting it out or two guys battling for a title. The match at Wrestlemania between Wyatt and Cena had the story of Bray trying to get inside Cena's head and whether Cena would allow his legacy to be lost. Things have been developed further since then. Cena talked about this match like he had to stop Bray Wyatt and Bray Wyatt's message from escaping the cage. If they really play that into the match, it can become very interesting. As far as the winner, Bray should either win the match or get some kind of psychological win to keep him strong. This feud seems likely to continue.

AJ Lee Vs. Brie Bella At Hell In A Cell

Not surprisingly, the title feud between AJ Lee and Brie Bella will continue to Hell in a Cell. Getting right to it, who should win? I still believe they should move the title onto Brie Bella. I think it is less likely that they will run some angle where Daniel Bryan has to choose between costing Brie the title and the WWE title, but having a face diva holding the title will be more interesting for the major storyline currently going on, especially given the relationship between Brie Bella and Daniel Bryan.

As for AJ Lee, I really think they can do more with her than just title feuds, regardless of whether she keeps the title or not. Go back a few weeks to when she was out with an injury. It was just one week with her not there, but the booking was sloppy and unfocused. It was obvious filler. If the WWE starts doing a better job of developing more diva angles, you limit the risk of things getting messy should something happen to one of the divas in the main angle. Brie Bella getting the title does not mean AJ Lee is done. Have AJ Lee really become a part of The Authority (corporate heels). Have her get paired with another top heel in the men's division. You can even have her feud with Tamina for a while. This is a woman they developed to be a success and they are not going to ditch her that easily. It may take them a while to come up with something, if they have not already, but she will end up somewhere good. And they need to spread it around. If AJ and Brie are the two women they are focused on featuring well, then for the sake of making the diva division interesting and not putting yourself in a position for an easy collapse, both of them should be treated well.

One last thing, some AJ fans may not want to see her title reign end now or to Brie Bella. You have to look at what's best for the diva division. Face it, now is not a time when they are interested in featuring great title feuds in the division. Just about everything of interest for almost the entire year has been in the periphery. If the WWE keeps the title on AJ, I don't think it is a safe bet to believe they will develop these solid women's wrestling feuds over the title that these kind of fans would love to get. AJ may be someone they want over, but the other divas on the roster may not be pushed well against her in title feuds. You are in a dark age. The WWE is not trying to get themselves out of it. They are not likely to make things look respectable, but that does not mean that they won't develop interesting angles. I think AJ fans should want her pushed in an interesting manner than have her hold a title and get these dry feuds.