Nia Jax

Nia Jax was one of the NXT women to debut for the brand split. I'm not a fan of her. I don't find her look appealing. I don't find her character that interesting. And her in-ring work doesn't draw me in. Overall, the WWE really needs to stop hiring The Rock's relatives. If they wanted a dominant woman in their division again, why not bring back Kharma? Because she got fired twice from TNA for assaulting people? Good point. Nevertheless, there are a lot of other workers that can use the chance to earn a spot in the WWE.

Recently, the WWE has been just having Nia squash local jobbers. When is that going to come to an end? It should be soon. Just a few weeks into the brand split, it feels like they already have an emergency situation on their hands. Raw's women's division's depth is pretty terrible. It hurts even more when you don't utilize the entire roster properly. You can't just suddenly start pushing someone like Summer Rae and think everyone will care and buy her as credible. At least Nia Jax has some credibility and is fresh.

I am all for creative depth, having multiple angles going on at the same time, but now is pretty much a time when they should have brought Nia into the title feud. I am not a fan of her, but the title feud has just gotten stale with the same players involved. The mixed-tag match was a breath of fresh air. Luckily, Summerslam is this Sunday. But if the WWE does decide to continue Sasha vs. Charlotte, they need to add someone else to freshen up these matches. Why not Nia Jax? She's not going anywhere just squashing local jobbers.

The thing that really stands out to me about Nia Jax is that she has her own shirt. That's it up there. Why does that matter? Why would the WWE even bring out a shirt for her? I understand NXT has become a brand now, complete with them touring and selling merchandise for talent down there, but Nia Jax wasn't really a hot act from NXT. Moreover, she hasn't really made a major splash since coming to the main roster. The WWE isn't pushing her in a great way. And she gets a shirt?

It is a sign of times changing. The WWE is trying to make money wherever they can. I believe Naomi was upset not too long ago about lack of merchandise for her. She now has a shirt out. Shinsuke Nakamura just debuted a few months ago in NXT. The WWE already has at least four shirt designs out for him, plus other merchandise. I can understand that. He is a hot NXT act. Nia Jax, however, is something else.

Aside from paying attention to how a worker is being pushed, another way of sometimes telling if the WWE is serious about them being a star used to be looking at how much merchandise the WWE makes for them. The WWE doesn't just create stars so they can get cheered, but also so that the company can market them to make money and promote them to draw for them.

Look at Mickie James during her time in the WWE. She never complained on Twitter about a lack of merchandise for her. She probably should have. She was more over than Naomi. I can understand the WWE not making more merchandise for Candice Michelle or Maryse. The WWE attempted to develop these women to be centerpieces, but they never worked out. Why bother making shirts for workers that aren't working out well? But what's the excuse for Mickie James never getting a shirt? If the company wants her to be a star, why aren't they putting more effort into making merchandise for her to make money off her? She is over. I am sure the WWE can design a better shirt for her than TNA did. Some people say the WWE was upset with Mickie James because they couldn't make money off her music career. Okay, and what was their excuse for not doing more to make money off her prior to her interest in a music career? Did they need a wake-up call? To me, that was just another sign that they did not want her as a star. They never pushed her as one and they never tried to market her as one. When they released her, they did not lose a star and they did not lose a source of money. They just lost a credible jobber that was more over than the women meant to be stars.

But this is a different era. The WWE is making merchandise for everyone. And I'm not just talking action figures. It is what they need to do. The WWE Network hasn't exactly been the greatest investment ever. Talk about record revenue all you want, but costs are also increasing. Making money wherever you can get it doesn't hurt. They just have to be sure they are making smart investments. Market what the fans actually want, not what you want them to want and certainly don't market what definitely they do not want. Waste of time and money.

Back to Nia Jax, I talked about what the WWE should do with her in the short-term. As far as long-term potential goes, what can you say about her? I doubt she will still be squashing jobbers four years from now, if she is still around by then. Where can they put her where she will really be useful? The best thing for her might be as a bodyguard. Let her be Charlotte's sidekick. Or create a stable with Dana Brooke also involved. A woman like Nia Jax might not last long, unless pushed in the periphery. That's where Chyna was pushed. That is where Kharma would have ended up. Beth Phoenix is the only dominant woman from the diva era I can think of that didn't get pushed big in the periphery, but she didn't exactly stay that dominant forever. She became beatable. I just don't think Nia will work as the next Beth Phoenix. The periphery is also not very strong these days. If she won't be a periphery diva and may not be a great credible jobber, what is left for her? If yearly mass releases become a regular thing again, I would not be surprised to see her gone one day.

Kharma In The Periphery & System Guys

There would not have been many options for Kharma. If they had kept her, she would not have been pushed as the centerpiece, most likely would not have been pushed as a credible jobber, since she is just too intimidating and was being featured as dominant while there, and that would leave only featuring her as a periphery diva. If they had kept her, what kind of periphery diva could she have been?

She only had one match after debuting. That was taking part in the Royal Rumble. Two other women did that. That would be Chyna and Beth Phoenix. Beth Phoenix mixed it up with the men a little, but not enough to be considered a periphery diva. She got pushed mostly to put over the centerpieces and got some filler title reigns in between the WWE moving from centerpiece to centerpiece. She was a credible jobber. Chyna was a periphery diva. She was pushed as a star. She became famous for what she did in the men's division. Could Kharma have followed the path of Chyna? I have seen some people talk like Kharma would have had a chance to become the first woman to win the World's Heavyweight Championship. I don't know about that. Fact is, you don't see many matches between men and women in the PG era, so I doubt she really would have become a regular in the men's division in the same way Chyna was, without even bringing up the possibility of going further than Chyna did.

Just like I talked about Gail Kim being an enforcer, I think Kharma could have had some kind of enforcer/bodyguard role. Wouldn't be too different from Chyna early in her WWE career. Kharma could be an enforcer for both male superstars and divas. Imagine if Michelle McCool stayed and Kharma debuted as her new sidekick. Michelle McCool had Alicia Fox and Layla at her side for a while during her career, but how much did any of that help her get over? Kharma may not have helped her get over, but an intimidating bodyguard like that might have led to the fans viewing McCool differently. It would have been trying something new, if nothing else. And as Kharma connected with the fans through her own abilities, McCool would have gotten a rub from that. You would probably eventually have a time when the two split and have their feud, which typically happens. What do you do with Kharma then? Have her be the enforcer for someone else, possibly a man this time. You could keep this rolling for a while. This idea may sound stupid, but remember The Acolytes Protection Agency?  Create a gimmick like that for Kharma. She would be a one-woman APA. It could make for some interesting storylines and segments. And in between moving between protecting these various men and women, Kharma could have some rare matches here and there with the divas, and possibly the men. Face it, they were not going to have her wrestle divas on a regular basis. At least this way, she is getting used in a creative manner that could still connect with the fans.

Let me change topics slightly. When I talked about Gail Kim in the periphery, I referenced the role she played in TNA and talked about how the WWE could have used that to push her well. When I talked about Mickie James in the periphery, why did I not bring up her angle with Raven from TNA? That was not the kind of periphery diva I had in mind for her in the WWE. She was more of a lackey in that group in TNA, in my opinion, than an actual enforcer/bodyguard. Back when Lord Tensai first debuted and was relevant, he had a lackey. I don't think Mickie James should be a follower to someone. Push her as an arrogant valet/manager type. Let her be more of an equal to the man she is supporting or in the stable she is a part of.

Changing topics again, a while ago, I talked about how certain plays in football might just have a higher rate of success than others, regardless of who the players are involved in the play. I related that back to how certain types of careers in wrestling also have a a great rate of success, regardless of the individual being pushed in this great manner. I realized an even better way of explaining it.

I was lurking around a football message board and I noticed someone use the term "system quarterback" to describe Johnny Manziel. That means that he only had that success he had in college because the system they had there benefited him. It was based on the quarterback now starting for his old college putting up great numbers last week. It was the system that was great, not necessarily the player. This "system" label applies to various positions and even other sports. Some people can say some NBA players are only good in certain systems. When they change teams, they play poorly. If you have been watching sports for decades and already knew all this, forgive me for coming late to the game.

It can also apply to pro wrestling. Why shouldn't it? You can have some men and women that seem to thrive when they are in a position of success in a certain system, but when they go somewhere else, they flop. Is that because they are not that great? Is the new system just flawed? When I talk about the status quo, I am usually talking about the status quo of the system and how it is impacting the performers and quality of the product. You talk about Paul Heyman guys, Triple H guys, and Vince McMahon guys. Typically, these are guys that have the support of someone with swing to help them get a good push. Some of this seems to be losing value lately. The WWE thinks they can just toss guys on Paul Heyman and they are automatically Paul Heyman guys.

There are so many different things I can talk about in a discussion about system guys (or gals). Let me just run through a few people and talk about whether I think they are system guys. What do you look for? For those individuals that succeeded, was it because the system was in their favor? If the system was not in their favor, they are not system guys. If the system was in their favor, did they have the potential and talent to succeed even if they were not a part of that system? If they did, you can argue they were not system guys and could succeed on their own or in another system.

Let me start with Kharma. She did not last in the WWE long. But she was connecting well with the fans. And it definitely was through how she was being pushed. They had her destroy other divas. Just like Nexus excited people by destroying other guys, so was Kharma. And I already said, they likely would have continued to push her in the periphery, if they had kept her. Is Kharma therefor a system gal? I would say not. She was making a name for herself even before the WWE. That is what made her signing exciting for many fans. She definitely has the ability to connect with fans.

John Cena. He is a system guy. He has been pushed as the centerpiece for almost a decade, despite connecting poorly with the overall fanbase. Even back when he was hot with his rapper gimmick, the WWE allowed him to have that gimmick and ran with it. He is not that great of a wrestler. You can talk about his mic skills and charisma, but I don't think he is good enough to stand out if he had not gotten the kind of career he had gotten in the WWE. Just to save space, I would also say Batista is a system guy and for the same reasons I give for John Cena.

You should know the story of CM Punk by now. No one in the WWE wanted to give him a shot. Paul Heyman saved him and helped him become a star. Fact is, there was someone in the system that believed in him and helped him get a good career. CM Punk was featured well in ECW. He eventually won the ECW title. After debuting on Raw, he started to be treated even better. He won a World title almost right away. Soon won the tag titles. Won the Intercontinental title. Won another briefcase. He was frequently involved in elaborate storylines. A+ player? No. I would say A-. He dropped his pipe bomb and moved up a little in the company. He really wasn't pushed that awfully prior to that pipe bomb. He did deserve the better career, but the career he was getting was not that bad. Nevertheless, he is not a system guy. Not only does he seem to hate the system, but he has the talent and potential to succeed without the WWE.

What about Zack Ryder? He was not being pushed at all. He got over on his own through Youtube. And after he got over, they still did not want to run with him. He is definitely not a system guy. The system did not create him.

Mickie James is not a product of the diva system. They pushed her so much! So many title reigns! Yeah, but if you actually look at how they were pushing her and look at how over other women pushed like that typically become, she is more over than any of them. She got over while being pushed as a credible jobber, being used to put over the centerpiece and being used as interim centerpiece when the star was not around. She got over through her own abilities as a performer. The system was not in her favor.

To say that a quarterback is a product of the system is taking something away from him just like calling him a game manager is taking something away from him. When I say that a certain wrestler is a system guy, I don't mean to insult him. It just goes back to the idea of understanding whether a performer is having such great success because he is really that great or it is the play/system that is so great. That might help you separate the A+ players from the B+ players. Separate the system performers in the WWE from those that are truly the greats.

Would Kharma's Return Bring Change?

There are rumors that Kharma might return. With The Bella Twins chasing after the Diva's Championship, that could easily pave the way for that feud between them and Kharma that was teased two years ago. I don't usually like discussing rumors, but assuming she does return, would Kharma lead to change in the diva division?

I don't think it will lead to change. Right now, the WWE is still in a dark age. Are they trying to look for another eye-candy diva to be a centerpiece? Or are they willing to start treating female wrestlers better? Looking at the current diva roster, I don't think they have enough to start running a women's division that treats women's wrestlers as the top stars. What would Kharma most likely do? She can really only dominate in about the same manner she did when she debuted. Tamina and Natalya might be worthy opponents for her, but the WWE doesn't seem too eager to push those women well even now.

Go back to the first dark age. Chyna was a top star then. It was during that time that she won the Intercontinental Championship multiple times and won the Women's Championship. It would not be too unprecedented for the WWE to consider bringing back Kharma and pushing her well now. Chyna pretty much dominated the women's division. No diva got a clean, decisive victory over her. And she left without losing the title. Kharma was pushed even more dominantly than her during her short time in the WWE. If she does return, she may dominate even more than Chyna did when she is pushed. That will have to come to an end sooner or later. And then? Periphery.

If the WWE does bring back Kharma and use her to inject some momentum into their diva division, this could be a sign that they are looking for quick, easy fixes. I almost want to say that they are getting a little bit desperate, but I wouldn't go that far, yet. Last year, AJ Lee got a huge push to develop her as a star in the periphery. The WWE could very well be looking for something new this year. That doesn't fix their problems at the core of the division, when it comes to centerpiece matters.

The "Anti-Diva" Divas

The "anti-divas" some people sometimes talk about are those women in the WWE who do not follow the typical mold of what a WWE diva is. They are not these glamorous models. They are often very different. Chyna, Serena, and Kharma are some examples of women who fit that profile in the WWE. There is that difference in looks, style, and gimmick.

The main reason to bring up this kind of diva is to point out that the WWE isn't entirely against them being successes. They are not all just credible jobbers meant to put over the glamorous eye-candy centerpiece. Chyna is a great example of that. When the diva division really started, Chyna was not exactly being poorly pushed. She was a part of DX. She soon found herself mixing it up with the men. They ran with her. After Sable left, Chyna was one of the top stars of the diva division, as a periphery diva. Even though she did eventually get a run with the Women's Championship, she was still booked as someone more dominant than the typical diva. You look at Kharma, she most likely would have followed in the path of Chyna to some degree. She was not going to be the centerpiece and she would not easily become a credible jobber. She would have been a periphery diva, if they had kept her or brought her back. Even though Serena did not last long in the WWE, the gimmick she had would qualify her as an anti-diva. They most likely would have turned her into a credible jobber after that debut angle, but they never got that far.

What would you call Mickie James? She definitely isn't exactly like Chyna and Kharma, but she wasn't exactly in the same league as Trish Stratus and Michelle McCool. But that isn't really the point I want to bring up. In terms of how the WWE runs their diva division, or used to run it back when it had not collapsed, women pushed in the manner Mickie James was are not meant to succeed. These are the women pushed to put over the centerpiece and act as filler when the centerpiece is not around or getting something else. Outside of that, they get poor treatment. With that kind of treatment, it's easy to see why so many female wrestlers would not become too over throughout the history of the diva division. Only periphery divas would succeed at that certain level. And Mickie James was not a periphery diva. And she was not the centerpiece. She was a jobber to the centerpiece and an interim centerpiece. What did she do with that career? She made herself into the most over diva on the roster. Does that make her an anti-diva? "Anti-diva division" diva? She definitely beat what the diva division was about. In the end, it wasn't exactly a gimmick. And while the WWE may not have a problem with some women having unique looks and gimmicks from the standard diva, they just might have a problem with the wrong women getting over and failing to succeed with the women they do want to be over. Mickie James was definitely not the typical story, but no one talks about it.

Kharma Released

Kharma has confirmed that she is no longer going to be with the WWE. What could you possibly say about it? She definitely had potential. She had hype to her even before the WWE debuted her last year. They debuted her with a storyline that connected her with the fans in a huge way, having her demolish almost every eye-candy diva in her path like a one-woman Nexus. And then she had to take her hiatus due to her pregnancy. After the misfortunes, she seemed ready to work her way back to the WWE. And nothing.

This should not be shocking, of course. Given that the WWE wants to maintain their diva division, the only hope I saw for Kharma would be if they had transitioned her to some angle in the periphery after her debut storyline, which had seemed to be developing in a way to put over Kelly Kelly, who was being built to be the new centerpiece back then, in some way. It would seem that they just could not come up with anything that they would be willing to do. Had they not gone with the periphery treatment, like having her wrestle the men regularly, the only option was phasing her out. She would not be developed as the top diva or centerpiece. Using a woman like her as just a regular credible jobber would be stupid. It is a shame they did this, but not a shock.

You have talk about TNA getting Kharma back. I don't think I need to say much there. Go back to what I said about Angelina Love leaving. You have too many women to push well and they are not doing it. If Kharma did return, she would be on the same show as Gail Kim, Mickie James, Brooke Tessmacher, Velvet Sky, and other women who deserve to be featured prominently. Just tossing all these women into multi-woman matches is not featuring them right. This is not how you develop stars. A lot of potential will be wasted. A lot of potential is already wasted.

The last thing I want to say is on Sara Del Ray. She is coming to the WWE. I am going to be honest. What I am about to say may sound offensive, and I apologize, but this is what I honestly think. Whenever I would read something saying that this woman wants to come to the WWE, I would think that this woman is an idiot. Can she not see what has been going on in that diva division in the last few years? The division has collapsed. This is not a good women's wrestling division. She might think that she will be going there to make it better, or maybe her fans believe that more, but she will be there to be used as the WWE sees fit. Of course, she will benefit from the fact that the division has fallen apart. Had she been signed at a time when there was a centerpiece in place and solid, she would most likely be used as a credible jobber. With the current state of affairs, she stands a chance of being used properly. Not properly in terms of good wrestling on a regular basis, but properly in not being completely wasted in terms of use. Since I usually like holding out that small benefit of the doubt, it could be that the WWE will start rebuilding a good wrestling division for their women with Sara Del Ray, but I am not counting on it. If they were going to, they would do more to keep Kharma.

Slow Start For WWE Diva Division In 2012

That injury Beth Phoenix suffered at the end of last year was obviously more serious than it first looked to be. The Diva's Champion has not been featured since that match with Alicia Fox.

It is still possible to keep the ball rolling without the Champion. The WWE has done so before. They have even kept the ball rolling at times when the centerpiece was not around. Beth Phoenix isn't even the centerpiece. You can even say that the WWE has kept the ball rolling when there wasn't anyone with any great overness in the diva division. Once again, Beth Phoenix, as strong a worker she is, is not too over in the diva division. All that being said, the ball is not rolling well right now.

There is a lack of focus going on with the diva feuds. The strongest feud you have going on is between Natalya and Tamina, but I doubt that will do too much. Storylines are also lacking. The strongest storyline you have right now is a romance angle between Zack Ryder and Eve. I have more faith in this storyline than the one between Daniel Bryan and AJ Lee, but that is another issue. Outside of that, no real continuity. Even on the night Beth was injured by Alicia, there was no Natalya at ringside or much ado about keeping that team looking like something, even if just a good mention. It was also one of the rare times Beth lost a televised match through a finisher, as opposed to a roll up. Since then, the WWE has not exactly been continuous with even keeping focus on Alicia. Zack Ryder and Eve won a tag match against Tyson Kidd and Natalya. The Bellas got a meaningless win recently. Last night, Beth Phoenix was teased for a match, but it was Eve who got the bulk of the diva attention, through her angle with Zack Ryder, who is being stalked by Kane, who is feuding with Cena, who happens to be the centerpiece. You have a clear feud on Smackdown between Tamina and Natalya, but I doubt that will get either too over or even succeed in being too entertaining.

No mention of Kelly Kelly yet, but you have seen her around in recent weeks. Has the WWE lost confidence in her as the new centerpiece? That is still the big question you have to consider. Whether Beth Phoenix was still around or not, this could either be seen as a time where the WWE is not using Kelly Kelly better because she is being phased out as centerpiece, they're planning to build Beth Phoenix up more before having her hand the belt back to Kelly Kelly, or the WWE just does not know what to do with Kelly Kelly, but they have not given up on her. I would not be too surprised if the WWE would want Kelly Kelly to win the title at Wrestlemania. That would be the first time the Diva's Championship would be defended at the big event, and Kelly would make history by being the first woman to win the title there. Having Kharma return and win the title from Beth Phoenix might also be an option. The WWE can then go back to that storyline between Kharma and Kelly, which was meant to put over Kelly Kelly anyway. Only this time, Kelly would stand to win the title right from Kharma. I have my doubts about that. How much longer can the WWE stall the title on Beth Phoenix? It has already gotten a little dull. Beth's injury could have been a chance to freshen up the booking, even if it did involve using Kelly Kelly more, but the WWE is not doing it well.

The Bella Bullies Target Kelly

As Kelly Kelly's first PPV title defense nears, the WWE seems to actually be developing some kind of story for it. The Bellas continue to be bullies. That started back when Kharma took her leave. It continues. The Bellas made fun of Kelly Kelly's looks. How did Kelly Kelly sell it? Not by having a breakdown. She attacked them. Eve helped. Bellas looked good at the end. Why not? Match is this Sunday. Person with the momentum usually loses in feuds like this.

But what is the WWE doing here? Why bully Kelly Kelly? There are three things I want to talk about. First of all, a bully being involved in Kelly Kelly's title storyline is not exactly something fresh. Remember Kharma? I just mentioned her five seconds ago. Before Brie & Nikki bullied her in her farewell segment, Kharma herself was being pushed as the bully of the diva division. I had said multiple times to keep your eye on Kelly Kelly just as much as you did Kharma. Kharma had destroyed pretty much all the eye-candy divas on the roster, except Kelly Kelly. It definitely seemed like they were building something for Kelly Kelly using Kharma. That may have all been ruined, but is it really a coincidence that Kelly is still facing bullies? Think of it as Kharma split in two, with also half the wrestling ability, and pretty much a lot less interesting in general. Nevertheless, something still exists to put Kelly Kelly over.

That is the second thing I want to talk about. This is all for Kelly Kelly. I see nothing to make me believe the WWE will push Brie Bella, with or without her sister, as the centerpiece. When I say this, I am looking at what was going on prior to this feud. The Bellas were stuck in pretty much mediocrity. You can debate whether Brie's title reign was better or not than Eve's title reign that preceded it, but both were poorly booked and hyped. Eve's got overshadowed by Wrestlemania matters. Brie was not pushed with as much focus as Kelly Kelly was in the weeks after Kelly was sent to Raw. Now look at Kelly Kelly. Not only has focus been on her for months now, she was also getting main-event focus on her on Smackdown earlier this year. She was the one who was originally being pushed with Trish Stratus against LayCool, not Snooki. Her title win and continued push to come are simply next in the chain of events to the build the WWE is giving her. This is character development. You see it all the time with John Cena. In the case of Kelly Kelly being bullied, it looks like they are trying to make the fans sympathetic to her. They want to make the fans want to see her shut the bullies up. She will. And because she is the centerpiece, she will not be the one depushed in the weeks following the title match. Kelly Kelly's character, in theory, will look strong and respectable.

Let me move on to the third thing I want to talk about. There was a very elaborate diva bully storyline done last year. Very elaborate. I doubt what is going on with Kelly and her bullies will get that elaborate. The bullies were LayCool. The victim was some forgotten jobber. I think her name was...Mickie James? What are the important differences between Mickie James and Kelly Kelly? To put it simply, one is a centerpiece being built up and the other is a credible jobber used to build up centerpieces. Let me take it one step further. Aside from use by the WWE, look at overness. Mickie James was very over. She was easily the most over diva on the roster at the time, and without proper support from the WWE. Kelly Kelly might possibly be the most over face in the WWE diva division right now, but she does not have that strong overness a centerpiece is supposed to have. That is why the WWE is trying to develop and sell her as a strong worker in the ring and develop her character through storylines. That way, she may connect more easily with serious wrestling fans and casual fans. At the time Mickie James was getting the bully storyline, she did not need help connecting to the fans from the WWE. The WWE was not really interested in giving it to her either. As I said before, she gained that great overness and held it on her own. The woman she was working with, however, was a heel centerpiece who was failing to connect with the fans. You have a face jobber who is mega over and a heel centerpiece who is not. The bully storyline made a lot of sense. Even before Mickie was released, the depush came. That is how you know Mickie James really was the jobber in this. The depush never came for Michelle McCool that year. Even when she would not have the title, more important focus would be on her than who did. In the present storyline, the depush will come for The Bellas. The heels are not the centerpiece here. The WWE is not out to get a heel over at a face's expense.

The WWE's plans did not exactly work out too well last year. McCool got her heat when Mickie James was there to cry for her. After that, McCool couldn't hold it. She could not get truly over. Mickie James remained over, despite the depush, the WWE never really doing anything strong to dispel the attack on her kayfabe character, and her release. The WWE's plans this year have not worked out too well. Kharma is gone. They still put the title on Kelly Kelly, but that does not make her monster over. That connection with the fans is the whole point. I do not believe this storyline will properly get the job done for Kelly Kelly. PWI will be naming their top women's wrestler of the year soon. From what I can see, TNA's Mickie James will most likely be getting that honor. It is going to take some strong booking and good luck to get Kelly Kelly to ever reach the level of the most over diva jobber the WWE never wanted. Mickie James is proving her worth outside of WWE.

Kharma And Karma

Outside of anything related to wrestling, I hope Kharma has a beautiful and healthy baby. I am happy for her.

Now, moving back into wrestling matters, Kharma announced on Raw that she was pregnant. That was the reason for the emotional breakdown the week before. She is being written off. I am not really going to debate whether or not the WWE handled it the right way or not. Assuming she still wants to be a part of the WWE in a year and the WWE wants her too, the WWE can always find some impactful way to have her return. I do not believe that is a big problem.

As for the current state of the diva division, the big angle is lost. Kharma was supposed to bring a lot of interest back into things. Moreover, her angle was tied in somehow with the push Kelly Kelly was getting. All is not lost for Kelly Kelly. Her feud for the butterfly title isn't over yet. Only now, it is a basic title feud featuring eye-candy diva vs. eye-candy diva, with her twin sister. The twin aspect may sound good on paper, but Kelly Kelly has already beaten and lost to Brie. How can they liven things up now? Honestly, I am not angry at Kharma at all. She really couldn't save the division in any long-term way anyway. How long can being a bully to the models last? What do you do with her after? The WWE would have definitely have reverted to the typical crap sooner or later. With the Kharma angle on hold, the typical crap comes sooner.

When was the last time the real female wrestlers of Raw had a match on Raw? I am talking about Beth Phoenix, Gail Kim, and Melina. If I am forgetting anyone, I'm sorry. Last week's "match" doesn't count. It turned into a glorified segment to start the end of Kharma's character and the real female wrestlers still didn't really wrestle. When was the last time these women actually wrestled on Raw? Some people can argue that these divas were put on hold so Kharma could look more intimidating against the weaker eye-candy divas. Problem is, the real wrestlers were getting the shorter end of the stick for weeks before Kharma debuted. The last time I can remember a match featuring a real female wrestler actually wrestling was Eve going over Natalya in a title match. If there was one after that, it slipped my mind. How can it be that ALL these women are in the "doghouse" for so long? They didn't do anything wrong. You are just seeing their importance. When the WWE has a use for them, they will be used. With Kharma gone, I would hope that use comes soon.

What is karma? Not the person, the idea. Without getting into religion too much, karma is this idea that your past actions will determine your future fate. If you are an Alicia Keys fan, what goes around comes around. I am not a very superstitious person. However, it is interesting to map the luck the diva division has been having in just the last year. Recently, Kharma got pregnant and the elaborate diva angle got killed off abruptly. A short while before that, Layla, who was being treated as the sole centerpiece of Smackdown, gets taken out with an injury. AJ has been called up to be filler. In other words, nothing interesting going on for Smackdown right now. Before that, Michelle McCool, pushed as centerpiece for over a year and flopped through it all, leaves the WWE. After everything the WWE did to make her look great, I always doubted the investment would pay off. I cannot say whether her leaving is a good thing in that respect or bad, but all that work, even more work than they put in with Kharma, just goes up in smoke. Before that, Smackdown suffered a series of unfortunate events last year. Beth Phoenix got injured and had to lose the title, Tiffany got suspended and released, and Kelly Kelly almost suffered a serious injury at a house show. Had that injury been more serious, who would have been pushed as top face there? Rosa Mendes? Over on Raw during this time, the WWE finally gave up on pushing Maryse as centerpiece and slowly phased her out. After that angle she had with DiBiase, she has done pretty much nothing meaningful. What happened right before all this? The WWE released Mickie James. You can say Mickie suffered her own bad luck with her knee infection, but she bounced back from that faster than many expected and showed her dedication to the WWE, which they rewarded with her eventual release. I have pointed out many times that the WWE did not want to treat Mickie James as a performer with that kind of overness deserved, but she was always an option there for years. Isn't it funny that this whole series of unfortunate events should follow her release? Raw is left with a flopped centerpiece and no proper replacement, faces over on Smackdown are dropping like flies, Michelle McCool leaves without ever paying off what the WWE invested in her by becoming properly over, her sidekick and centerpiece replacement, Layla, gets injured and written off for a while before she can really put herself out there to get over, and now Kharma is gone for the rest of the year? Any bad luck that has seemingly happened to Mickie James has usually worked out in her favor. Her working through and bouncing back from injuries has shown her real toughness and dedication. Her release from the WWE has allowed her to make history in the wrestling business, to work for a company that is booking her a little bit better than WWE, and more honors will come her way in coming months. If she was in the WWE right now, she may be where Beth Phoenix, Gail Kim, and Melina are right now. Where? On the shelf for no good reason. Point is, the WWE's poor treatment of Mickie James has been followed by poor luck for the women they have tried to push as centerpieces and for major angles they have attempted to revitalize the division. They had gold and treated it like crap. And now, karma is taking it out on the diva division. Is Kelly Kelly next?

Is Poor Kelly Kelly Being Bullied By Mean Old Kharma?

A few weeks ago, I said to keep your eye on Kelly Kelly. That was right after Kelly made her return to Raw and Kharma made her first appearance on that brand. Let me go back a little further. A few weeks before that, when Brie Bella was booked to win the title, I made the observation that the WWE diva division was at the level it was back in 1999/2000. Now let me pull this all into the same frame.

A few weeks after Brie, a non-centerpiece eye-candy diva, won the title, Kelly Kelly is drafted to Raw. Have you seen the focus Kelly Kelly has gotten since then? The WWE is developing her to be the centerpiece. In other words, they are developing her to follow in the steps of Sable, Trish Stratus, Candice Michelle, Maryse, and Michelle McCool. How do you want to call it? Since the WWE is developing this woman to be centerpiece, does that mean Kelly is automatically the centerpiece now? You can say that. Speaking for myself, I am not ready to call her a centerpiece until they officially do put the butterfly title on her. In the end, it did not take the WWE long to put a woman they can build to be centerpiece on Raw after I said the division was going the wrong way from what they would have liked. And I need not mention McCool's departure. Overpushing a centerpiece that cannot get monster over to match is just painful and does not do the division any favors.

Let me bring in the two other women in this current mess. You have Kharma and Brie. You can count Nikki in with Brie, but they are even more interchangeable and united than LayCool. Kelly Kelly can easily beat Brie. The WWE has already sold that message. With that, it is easy to believe Kelly Kelly can win the Diva's Championship. The current diva with the title is not that credible, even with twin magic. What can beating Brie Bella really do for making Kelly Kelly look like an awesome wrestler? Aside from winning the title and the basics of match quality that you would expect, Kelly Kelly does not really look as credible as she would climbing a tougher, more credible mountain. That mountain would be Kharma. Credible jobber. Scratch that. There are still a few ways this storyline can go. Kelly and Kharma can form a partnership. They do not have to face off in some epic encounter that the WWE is building up to. Yeah, and John Cena did not have to be written to go over a well-built stable like Nexus, leaving them on a steady path of mediocrity since then. Whether friends or foes, Kharma is still there for the benefit of Kelly Kelly in this current set up. If the WWE chooses to bring in the Raw divas who do have wrestling ability into this picture, then the story may take a different focus. It would be somewhat respectable if they build this to get Beth Phoenix involved, but I doubt it. Just too much focus on Kelly Kelly. As I have said before, this angle of Kharma squashing divas cannot go on for much longer. What happens after? Things look better for Kelly Kelly than Kharma Kharma. Kelly has already gotten more attention on her these past few weeks than Eve and Brie. That "feud" got killed off easily, didn't it?

Kharma Meets Kelly

Awesome Kong (Kharma) came out during Kelly Kelly's match and destroyed Maryse with one move. Super?

Let me just say one thing right now about Kharma. It is obvious that her little gimmick of attacking and destroying other divas cannot last for years and years to come. There is no way the WWE can go in that direction. It is after this current storyline ends that you will see whether Kharma will be credible jobber, pushed on the periphery, or centerpiece herself. I still doubt the last option is meant for her.

Thing is, it helps to be a credible jobber when a centerpiece is in place to be put over by the jobber. The WWE has lacked an over centerpiece who was a solid performer for years. As of right now, they lost even the Smackdown centerpiece who was flopping to get over. Time will tell what happens with Layla, but what about Raw? Kelly Kelly is the last obvious option to push as centerpiece. They have been pushing her on and off for years. This year alone, she tagged with Edge on various occasions. That is a main-event rub right there. Tonight, Kelly Kelly saw more time in the ring on Raw than either the Diva Champion and the former top face diva filler. I am talking about Brie and Eve, respectively. Moreover, Kelly Kelly did not get destroyed by Kharma. The storyline will involve her. Does this mean Kharma is here to be some kind of Nicole Bass? We'll see how WWE plays it out. In the end, you better keep your eye on how the WWE treats Kelly Kelly just as much as you do laughing Kharma.