Wrestlemania 33 Preview: Part 3

Today goes to the Smackdown matches. I will talk about Randy Orton vs. Bray Wyatt on Friday.

Let me start with the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal. It is not Smackdown exclusive, but I will include it here. Big Show is in this. His match with Shaq is not happening. That is sad for Big Show and too bad for the WWE. This match would have been a draw. Even if the actual match was terrible, the hype would get mainstream attention, especially during NBA season, and it would draw. The WWE really has no great feuds likely to draw big this year. As for who wins this, it should be either Braun Strowman or Luke Harper. Both these guys had a lot of interest on them this Wrestlemania season. Many fans might see it as a little disappointing that neither are doing anything more important, I will say Braun Strowman wins.

Dean Ambrose defends the Intercontinental Championship against Baron Corbin. An actual singles match for the Intercontinental Championship at Wrestlemania? I never thought I would see that again. I am not surprised to see Corbin getting this push, and I expect him to win. But I just feel it should have been Dolph Ziggler in the position Dean Ambrose is currently in. Ziggler had so much momentum when he won the title a few months ago. The WWE ruined that for no good reason and Ziggler is stuck with mediocrity for Wrestlemania. They ruined him. I am not saying it was intentional. They had planted the seeds for a heel turn since his WWE Championship feud with Dean Ambrose, but they should not have gone through with it. Fans have just not reacted to it very well. It should be Ziggler dropping the title to Baron Corbin. Free up Dean Ambrose for a better feud.

John Cena and Nikki Bella take on Miz and Maryse. Before I talk about what this match means for some of the performers, there is speculation that Cena might propose to Nikki after they win. I never thought this would be something I would preview for a match. It would be a huge Wrestlemania moment, but I will just leave that alone. If it happens, it happens.

What does this feud mean for Nikki Bella? This is a periphery angle. It is on the periphery of the title scene. The WWE created all their successful stars during the diva era through the periphery. The only woman during the previous era to get very over without proper periphery angles was Mickie James, and that was not because the WWE wanted it. But I would say this push is once again showing why so many women became stars in the periphery back in the day. Nikki Bella is looking good. She is getting a rub from one of the top stars in the company. She is knocking men around, even if they are jobbers. She is guaranteed a spot on the Wrestlemania card that is not on the pre-show. All these elaborate segments. Big Wrestlemania moment. This is how you push a woman as something special. I wish Mickie James had gotten these type of pushes back in the day, or even now.

Compare it to the mess that is the Smackdown Women's Championship match. It's Alexa Bliss vs. everyone. Naomi just returned. There might still be more women in this match. No one has gotten proper development here. It is just a cluster. This match is on the pre-show and it deserves to be on the pre-show. That is not an insult to these women. That is an insult towards how the WWE has handled the title picture here. No one should feel bad for Nikki Bella not being in this match. She is in a better place.

Does she deserve it? I think so. The WWE put a lot of work into her to make her into a star. She is not absolutely terrible in the ring. She is more over than some fans seem to want to admit. And since the WWE needs more women properly pushed as stars that can get over beyond just the wrestling fans, they should push her well.

What does this feud mean for John Cena? I will say that I feel Cena deserves better than this. When you think of all the big feuds they could have had this Wrestlemania season, Cena vs. The Undertaker was one. Or Cena could have continued his feud with AJ Styles to some sort of gimmick match at Wrestlemania. Or turn Ambrose heel and have him feud with Cena. I already said Dolph Ziggler should be in the spot Ambrose is in. Or a feud with Miz that isn't also about the women in their corner. John Cena will likely win this match, but I feel the feud is better for Nikki Bella than John Cena.

Lastly, AJ Styles vs. Shane McMahon. This is another match that really does not need to happen. AJ Styles should be doing better than this. And Shane McMahon does not need to be wrestling every year. Yes, welcome back. You've been gone a long time. That doesn't mean you need to wrestle every Wrestlemania. Whether it is the WWE wanting Shane to wrestle because they think it would draw or it is an ego thing for Shane wanting to go out there and sacrifice his body for cheers and respect, just ease it down. Save it for special occasions, which will hopefully not be forced.

And that is what this feud is, forced. Someone has issues with an authority figure, so they have a match. Stephanie McMahon has had issues with Charlotte, Sasha Banks, and Bayley in recent years. No matches ever came of it. You can run down the list of times a wrestler and authority figure have had issues and not wrestled each other. The WWE tried to force this feud through clumsy booking to make it seem like AJ Styles had a heated reason to want to destroy Shane McMahon. Yeah, some nice segments here and there, but it was still forced and not organic. Ignoring the botched battle royal result, AJ Styles wins a match to get a title shot at Wrestlemania, but then the WWE makes him put it on the line against Orton? How often does this happen? Usually, they just make a triple threat or some other situation where both guys get title shots. You would think that is what face authority figures would do. No, the WWE went with clumsy booking to sell this feud. The development has not been smooth.

What should AJ Styles be doing? As I said, he could still be feuding with Cena. And maybe it should have been for the WWE Championship. I have said before that I don't think Orton/Wyatt needs to be for the title. Why not send one of the best feuds of the last few months to Wrestlemania? Or they could have done Styles vs. The Undertaker.  Even Styles vs. Luke Harper might have been good, since it would have given Harper something meaningful and would have been a very good match. There were options.

Who wins? AJ Styles has still yet to win at Wrestlemania. He should have won last year. This should be the year. Shane McMahon does not need the win. As for match quality, Shane McMahon does have a history of going big in big matches. Let's just hope he doesn't injure himself.

Renee Young Gets An Angle

Renee Young has really just been an interviewer/host for most of her time in the WWE. She is dating Dean Ambrose in real life. She is also now a part of Total Divas. She now seems to be doing even more. She has gotten involved in an angle with Miz and Maryse, along with Ambrose.

This is obviously a periphery angle. It seems like it has been a long time since I talked about an angle like this. Renee Young and Maryse are obviously not there for their wrestling ability. This is an angle on the periphery of the major focus of Smackdown's women's division. And there is nothing wrong with angles like this. The diva era produced stars in the periphery. Smackdown has shown a lot of the elements you would expect from the diva era. Alexa Bliss is arguably a diva. She is holding Smackdown's Women's Championship.

Or is this just purely Total Divas shenanigans? Total Divas, much like other WWE programming has been doing not so great in the ratings. Does the WWE feel they need to further promote the individuals on the show and the drama viewers can expect to see on the show? So far, it is at least not getting in the way of the women's feuds wrestling fans might be more interested in.

What does this mean for Maryse? For the most part since coming back, she has been just a valet for her husband, Miz. She would get involved in segments here and there, but storylines never really included her that much. This is a storyline that does put more focus on her. Nothing wrong with that. Maryse has the potential to be a great character. She never put it together during her first run in the WWE to get a proper reaction from the fans, but maybe she will do better this time.

And Renee Young? Back in the day, Lilian Garcia would sometimes get some angles here and there. Nothing wrong with that. Just don't make it a regular thing. It could get annoying. Not everyone that works for the WWE needs to eventually get in the ring. This angle might do some good for Renee Young, but she does not need to become Ambrose's valet. Both can move on after this angle ends.

Smackdown's Women's Division: The Diva Era's Last Stand?

Smackdown really got down to business last week. That was the first episode after the brand split and draft really took effect. They had a segment to introduce the women on the roster. First, Becky Lynch beat Natalya. They had Natalya win at Battleground, then had Becky get the win two days later. No need to talk too much about that booking decision. Wins and losses do not matter, especially in a feud like this. After that, however, the other women of Smackdown made an appearance. Naomi returned from injury. Alexa Bliss, Carmella, and Eva Marie then made their debuts on their new brand. Of course, Maryse is also with Miz.

Many fans have said that this division looks like the old diva division. And I would agree. You have more women that were hired as eye-candy divas on the roster than women hired as female wrestlers. You have some former cheerleaders. You have Eva Marie. Maryse is a former centerpiece of the diva division.

Despite some fans groaning at this roster, you have to give the WWE some credit for changes they have made this year. Jacqueline, a credible jobber from the diva era that never even got that over, was inducted into the Hall of Fame this year. Becky Lynch, who would likely have been a low/mid-tier credible jobber ten years ago, was the first woman drafted to Smackdown. If the status quo was like it was during the diva era, someone like Maryse might have been the top draft pick, as far as women go. Or AJ Lee, the top periphery female wrestler for a few years, if she was still around.

In a way, this is the real Diva's Revolution. Fans may not like hearing that. When they started #GiveDivasAChance, they didn't mean women like Summer Rae and Eva Marie. They meant Emma and Sasha Banks. They meant female wrestlers. The WWE wasn't ignorant to that. They made changes to let these women get more time to wrestle and have been promoting them a little better. Problem is, you still had divas. You had them on the main roster. You had them in NXT. And you even brought one back a few months ago, Maryse. You can't just underutilize these women. Problem is, pushing them too much in the ring is not how you utilize them properly, especially those that are not great in the ring. You have to utilize these women creatively, with good storylines and character development. And I'll say it, give divas a chance! Not everything is about entertaining wrestling fans.

Let me single out Eva Marie. She was the last diva introduced and she had an elaborate entrance. I liked it. It was over the top. She gets heat, probably for the wrong reason, but the WWE can utilize that to build her character and for the sake of storylines. She is not someone that should be wrestling too much. And she probably doesn't have what it takes to be a good manager. But she can still be used as a valet. Lana has been demoted to pretty much that status now alongside Rusev. Lana deserves better than that, but it could be a good way to get Eva Marie reintroduced on the main roster. Stand there and look pretty, come in now and then in segments and to help some storylines. Build that character to one day be more than just a valet. To just toss her into the ring would not be utilizing her right.

Another complaint wrestling fans have is that these women have nothing to fight for on Smackdown. No title. So what? You don't need a title to treat these women in creative, entertaining ways. And that is what is important. The diva division's best years came when there was only one title for the women to fight for. While that was on Raw, the WWE pushed women in the periphery on Smackdown. Part of the declining years of the diva division involved them trying to maintain two titles. They couldn't. Injury issues and women flopping led to the WWE losing interest in the division and treating it less respectably. This was also a time when the WWE was not doing a great job in the periphery. They were too caught up trying to make new centerpieces. The WWE shouldn't go through that again. If the WWE can't make a creative women's division without a women's title involved, they really have lost it.

Look at other sports. There will always be certain games in sports like baseball, basketball, or football where nothing is on the line. Both teams don't have a shot at making the playoffs and the game doesn't really matter too much. You can say that the coaches or players are playing for their jobs, but that's not usually a draw. And yet, fans would still watch these games. Not as many as big games where something is on the line between two great teams, but fans still watch.

Let me bring up one example. Last year, the Baltimore Ravens faced the Cleveland Browns on Monday Night Football. Both teams had losing records with just a few weeks left in the season and were going to miss the playoffs. To make matters worse, Joe Flacco, the Ravens quarterback that led them to a Super Bowl win, was out with an injury. On the Brown's side, Johnny Manziel was out of the game due to one of his many issues. ESPN had actually promoted this game as featuring Manziel. With him not starting, there was just less reason to watch. But the game ended up being competitive. It came down to an exciting big play at the end. Needless to say, it still got more viewers than Raw that night. And that is why fans will still watch these meaningless games that lack star power, even if they are not big fans of either team. There can still be amazing plays. There can still be hilarious mistakes. There can be controversy. There can be something that gets talked about for years to come and changes the game.

Some people are unhappy that Becky Lynch is stuck on this title-less brand. First of all, there can be trades. She will likely end up on the same show with a title eventually, even if the WWE doesn't make a new title. And I don't think they should. Until then, however, the WWE can build her character more and help her to stand out as more than just a wrestler. I actually would have had Paige in this position, but Becky is the one that is there. I am not saying the WWE will definitely rebuild a strong periphery, but they should. And pushing Becky Lynch as the top star in the periphery would not be wasting her. Pushing her to be the next in line to women like Chyna, Lita, and AJ Lee is underutilizing her? These women did a lot more than just win women's titles. There was great storyline and character development for them. They were pushed alongside top stars. Becky Lynch, if pushed right on Smackdown, could end up looking more epic than whichever woman is holding the title on Raw. Given the WWE's reliance on wrestling these days, however, I do not feel it is likely to happen.

In the end, is the diva era really over? There are still divas. The Bella Twins are still hovering around, winning awards like they are respectable women's athletes. I always wanted to stop blogging once the diva status quo was no more. Remnants of the diva era aside, the real problem is not giving women fair opportunities and not utilizing them properly. Even if the WWE does start juggling around who holds the Women's Championship between only women with a certain elite level of wrestling talent, that's not how you make stars. TNA juggling people around has not helped them, so how is it going to make real stars in the women's division? It might not be a matter of screwing anyone in particular, but they are botching.Let Smackdown be something different. Let that have the women's division that utilizes these women beyond just wrestling feuds. You can entertain without a title.

State Of The WWE Women's Division: July 2016

This is my first time doing a general overview of the WWE women's division since they made "diva" a bad word. Have things really changed that much? First, I am going to run through the main players in the women's division right now. After that, I'll look at the two feuds going on.

Let me start with Summer Rae. She is a diva. And she is a diva that has been getting in the ring probably too much. Most of her singles matches this year have been losses, so wrestling fans aren't going to complain about her burying anyone. This is a new era and I don't think seeing someone like Summer Rae get so many matches is what many wrestling fans were hoping for. Not only are some of these matches the WWE is booking not as great as some fans might hope, it just gets stale seeing Summer Rae always in this position. She needs a periphery angle. That's where she can do her best work and be more useful.

One step above of Summer Rae would be Dana Brooke. She is another eye-candy worker. But she is a little more relevant than Summer Rae by being the sidekick to Charlotte. Michelle McCool had Layla and Charlotte has Dana Brooke. Again, this is a worker wrestling fans probably did not expect to get as much in-ring time as she has when this new era started. She is not the greatest in the ring. She is charismatic. That's probably her best strength. She should be a sidekick. It is a good role for her. But the WWE needs to get some better in-ring workers to help make these filler matches a little more appealing for wrestling fans.

Switching to some eye-candy divas that aren't getting in the ring, let me start with Maryse. Miz is back from filming another movie, so his wife gets to be relevant again. Maryse hasn't been used in a big way, but she has gotten involved here and there in segments. That's good. I would say they are using her about as well as they could an eye-candy diva in this era aligned with a midcarder.

Lana is a different story. When Rusev and Lana first came on the main roster, Lana really stood out. Rusev was the brute that destroyed people and Lana was his charismatic, sexy mouthpiece. She had a strong character that got over, even as a heel. Rusev has grown since then. He now speaks for himself. He is his own guy. Lana is still in the picture, but she is really an afterthought. If she wasn't a sexy woman, she would probably be phased out and eventually released like certain other sidekicks over the years. But the WWE can use her for Total Divas, photoshoots, and other things like that. She has been learning how to wrestle. The WWE could develop an in-ring feud for her. Don't treat her like Summer Rae, but do more to let her character really stand out again. There have been some beautiful women in the history of the WWE that may have hurt their overness by getting in the ring and not being good enough to keep wrestling fans on their side. I don't think it would hurt Lana to get in the ring a little more often. If not that, find a better way to incorporate her into Rusev's angles.

Switching to the actual wrestlers, let me start with Paige. Paige is more relevant for angles associated with Total Divas than she is for actual wrestling angles. She is a credible jobber. No shocker with how she is being pushed. I have said before that she deserves better. Push her in that spot AJ Lee had. Push her as the top female wrestler in the periphery. I think she has what it takes more than any other female wrestler on the roster right now.

Natalya is also a credible jobber. She had her recent heel turn and feud with Becky Lynch. Eventually, she might be the one serving the purpose Summer Rae now serves. After the brand split, just keep Natalya on the show with the title to be a heel credible jobber there. Let Summer Rae go to the other show and get periphery angles there.

Becky Lynch is pretty much the face version of Natalya. She is a face credible jobber. I would say she is another one being underutilized. Getting a feud is better than nothing, but there was a great story between her and Charlotte that has gotten ruined. The WWE may never be able to regain the momentum that was there, even if they wanted to try in the future.

Sasha Banks is the face credible jobber currently being used as jobber to the centerpiece. Most wrestling fans want to see her win the title. The WWE might as well do it. Don't play with fire. Just give her a title reign, go through the motions with her for a few months, and then drop it back to Charlotte, or whomever they want the centerpiece to be by then. By that time, Bayley will probably be debuting and wrestling fans will be calling for her to get a title push. Sasha Banks can then get phased out easily. I have seen the WWE do this many times in the last almost two decades. No one ever catches on. Fans will just say that Sasha Banks had her push and Bayley deserves her opportunity. They won't stop to realize that, while all these women are being rotated around, the WWE is attempting to treat one woman as a constant.

And that constant appears to be Charlotte. She is the centerpiece of the new era. She just is not a great centerpiece. Some fans point out that she is getting heel heat. Okay, but is most of that reaction she is getting based on her being a great heel? Or is it mainly fans not liking her or her act? Is Roman Reigns a great heel because he gets booed? Problem is, he's a face. If the WWE turned him heel and fans still hated him or his act, he would get booed. It wouldn't be heat because he's a great heel. It would be heat because fans just don't like what they see. That's the kind of thing I am wondering with Charlotte. Even if she does get genuinely over as a heel, what happens when they turn her face? Do fans buy her? A centerpiece should have the versatility to connect with fans as a face or a heel. If fans boo a heel because he does a great job playing the heel role, that's good. If fans cheer a heel because he is so entertaining or a wrestler they will respect no matter what, that is also good. But if they turn that heel face and fans don't care or hate him, that's a problem. While Charlotte may be working as a heel, there are women on the roster that can be great as a heel or a face. One of them should be the centerpiece.

Let me go to the feud between Charlotte and Sasha Banks. It really isn't that amazing of a feud. Since Sasha Banks is involved and has a chance to get the title, many fans are buying into this as something more amazing than it really is. I can see Charlotte retaining at Battleground and Sasha winning the title at the next encounter, probably at Summerslam.

Becky Lynch vs. Natalya is another feud that really isn't that spectacular. But it is getting heated and fans are buying into it. Natalya is dominating the feud so much, the outcome seems obvious. While creative depth is always good, I hope the WWE doesn't make every secondary women's feud just a heel beating up a face until the face wins. More of a story would be nice.

Let me close by going back to the issue of certain women that aren't that great in the ring getting put in matches too much recently. That is a depth issue. The WWE has had to deal with some injuries to some women in the last few months. This is just reminiscent of issues they had in the diva era. A lack of depth led to the WWE pushing women they probably would not have wanted to push. You can say the WWE could have just rushed the debut of someone from development. They didn't. They made do with what they had. How about recent months? Has the WWE been in a situation where they should have rushed a debut? I am not talking about Bayley or Asuka. I mean someone that would be an obvious low-tier or mid-tier credible jobber. It would make for some fresher matches and likely better matches. Fact is, they didn't. That's not something they do. They make do with what they have. It will be interesting to see what they do with the brand split and should issues arise in the two women's divisions after the split occurs. If the roster gets thin again, how will the WWE react?

Maryse Returns

The possibility that Zack Ryder would have his title reign end quickly was always there. And it happened. He lost the Intercontinental Championship on Raw to Miz. Oh, and Miz got an assist from his wife, Maryse.

Everyone knows Maryse was in the WWE before. She started out as the typical eye-candy periphery diva. She eventually got a title reign and became the centerpiece on Raw. She had some injury issues and her performance in the ring did not improve. Whether that had anything to do with it or not, when it came to unifying the titles back in 2010, Michelle McCool was the lone centerpiece. Maryse got depushed. Even after McCool retired, the WWE had an opportunity to go back to Maryse as their central focus, but they did not. Even though she would be listed in the category of failed centerpieces, the WWE still featured her well in the periphery. She had that angle with Ted DiBiase Jr. She was featured well in NXT, years before NXT became what it has become in recent years. But she left the WWE. Miz stayed. And now the couple is being featured together.

Maryse is still hot. I would also say she was one of the most charismatic eye-candy divas the WWE pushed as centerpiece. Definitely more charismatic than Michelle McCool. More charismatic than Trish Stratus. Going down the entire list of eye-candy centerpieces, I would argue Maryse is the most charismatic. But she never really got that over. She is an example of charisma not always leading to great popularity.

I would not have brought her back. I keep on saying this and I hate having to say it so often. But the WWE just keeps on bringing in more women. The fact that the wrestling careers of Brie & Nikki Bella may be over does not mean you need more eye-candy divas to take their place. There are so many women on the roster, without even having to take into account NXT. You have female wrestlers and you have traditional eye-candy divas. And the WWE just cannot be efficient with all these women. If the WWE did not have this issue, I would actually not mind having Maryse back. She could be great for the periphery. She has an appealing look and can play an entertaining character. If used right, she could definitely get more over than she did during her first run. But with the inefficiency of the current division, adding more women does not help.

The WWE has changed their women's division. "Diva" in now supposedly a bad word. You have a new Women's Championship, even though it will not have the same lineage as the original Women's Championship. Taking it all in, I am not impressed. What defines what the division is about isn't what you call it, what the title looks like, and what you call the title. What defines what the division is about is the women the WWE chooses to have on the roster and how they utilize those women. I didn't jump to talk about all this when I first read reports of the changes to the division and they debuted the new title. I wanted to wait to see how they actually handled things. After Maryse returned, I think I have seen all I really need to see.

It's still a diva division. I am still going to use the term. You have Maryse return this week. Last week, Eva Marie came back from NXT. Lana has been getting a push recently. Even with greater emphasis on wrestling and actual female wrestlers, there are still eye-candy divas and the WWE does not look like they are moving away from that. Can female wrestlers and eye-candy divas truly coexist? Or will the scale once again tip more in favor towards eye-candy divas sooner or later? An eye-candy diva pushed as a star held a title less than a year ago. To say that agenda is over so quickly is premature, especially with recent returns and everything else I mentioned.

Something I used to believe is that you can have only one eye-candy diva in the division and have all the other women be respectable female wrestlers. But if that one eye-candy diva is the centerpiece, it's still a diva division. That is not what you have now. What you have is a few female wrestlers being treated respectably, but then still a few eye-candy divas that are also being featured. Is Charlotte truly the new centerpiece? Or is all this because Nikki Bella got injured and the WWE is waiting on another eye-candy diva to work out? Could that eventually be Maryse?

Miz Vs. Mizdow: Who Is The Real Miz?

The feud between Miz and Sandow (Mizdow) is pretty good. You might say they have been wrestling each other too much prior to a PPV singles match. Their next encounter will have an interesting twist to it. The winner gets to keep the gimmick.

It seems obvious which guy should win this match. Miz. He is The Miz. Sandow does not need the gimmick. He can go back to being an intellectual. He can go back to copying other superstars. He can be a generic face and see how that works out for him. He really does not need to win this. If Miz does not win, what is he really left with? Will he start going by his real name? It might be interesting to have him lose just to see what he does. Nevertheless, I am expecting Miz to win.

Summer Rae is also involved in this feud. Miz and Summer Rae are movie stars. Problem is, Summer Rae is siding with Sandow in this feud. Good of the WWE to get a diva involved. I would pull a swerve and have Summer Rae help Miz win. Reveal that she was on Miz's side the whole time. I know I just said a few days ago that there are issues with the face depth in the diva division, but there are other options to fix that than Summer Rae. Besides, entertaining the fans and utilizing your workers to help them do that is the real goal. If Summer Rae stayed face, would she stay aligned with Sandow? Will he be pushed well in the months to come? Or will this angle fizzle out like when Summer Rae and Layla paired up? I believe Summer Rae staying with Miz can be good for her. She has been around on the main roster for a while, but I don't feel they have really developed her character well at all. Miz and Summer Rae might feud against Sandow and some other diva, like Layla, if the WWE wants to do anything meaningful with her. I have also seen some fans suggest Maryse will return to side with her husband, Miz. That will leave Miz/Maryse vs. Sandow/Summer. I think they should put the focus on the divas there now and in development. But if Maryse does return, I will talk about it. Until then, utilize Summer Rae right in this storyline.

When A+ Leads To Failure

If you are being pushed as an A+ player in the WWE, you are being pushed as an absolute top star. The centerpiece of the company is an A+ player. The centerpiece of the diva division is an A+ player. You even have certain part-timers treated as big deals that can be considered A+ players. You are being hyped and pushed to be the best and be great.

How can such treatment possibly lead to failure? Is it an issue where certain wrestlers can't handle the pressure and just crumble? You might think that. But that is really not the issue. I have never seen an A+ player fail because of that. Various wrestlers have flopped as A+ players for various reasons. Funny thing is, they were actually doing better prior to being pushed so hard or could have done better if they were not pushed so hard. Let me bring up a few names.

John Cena is a good choice to start with. He is obviously the face of the company. He is the centerpiece. He is an A+ player. And he also happens to have an issue connecting with the audience. Certain fans out there hate him with a passion. And it is a large enough number to be noticeable and even get mentioned in promos and storylines. There was a time when Cena was not this hated. In fact, there was a time when he was very popular. That was back in his rapping days on Smackdown. I never liked him, but I will not deny his overness. What went wrong? They made him the centerpiece of the company. They changed his character to something they can hype as someone great that can overcome odds and little children love. People want him to turn heel. I doubt that will really fix him at this stage. Bring back the rapper gimmick? I don't know if that will work, either. How about depushing him slightly? That might kill some of his hate. He won't be as overbearing. In the end, John Cena is an A+ player that brings questionable results.

As far as divas go, there are a few examples. Let me start with Candice Michelle. I don't think fans even realize that she was supposed to be the one following in Trish's footsteps after she retired. The division was revolving around her. Credible jobbers were revolving around her. Because she got injured so much and regressed in her in-ring ability, they gave up on her. Prior to all that, she was sexy and charismatic. She was what you would want an eye-candy periphery diva to be. A lot of divas get over like that. But when you become the centerpiece, you have to wrestle serious matches more frequently. She just couldn't avoid injuries. If they had just kept her as a periphery diva, she could have had a very nice career. Instead, after failing as centerpiece, they never did anything meaningful with her again.

Michelle McCool was also centerpiece of the diva division. She is the only centerpiece since Trish to actually last a while in that position. Her issue wasn't really injuries. Her issue was connecting with the audience. I was looking at some of her matches back in around 2008 last week. She was hotter back than. Aside from that observation, I also saw she was getting some good reactions back then. A or A+ overness? I wouldn't go that far. Overness is about more than just crowd reactions. It is about how much fans are really willing to support you. Besides, if Michelle McCool was really getting A-tier overness, she wouldn't have lost it so easily, especially considering they started to treat her better, not worse. I would say she was showing a respectable B connection with the fans. What went wrong? She just didn't have the charisma to pull it off. Even though she became very solid in the ring, she was not amazing enough to get over and stay over with that. Prior to being pushed as centerpiece, she was pretty much in the spot Torrie Wilson held on Smackdown for a few years. Torrie Wilson was the top periphery diva on a show with no title. She was an A- player. What's wrong with being pushed like that? Nothing. Torrie Wilson got over with the fans and things worked fine. Michelle McCool was doing fine with this type of career. Maybe she never would have connected with the fans as well as Torrie Wilson did, but at least it was better than overpushing her and doing damage to the overall diva division. If she was connecting better with the fans as an A- player, then the fans would have bought into her more naturally when they hyped her up to be the centerpiece.

Let me bring up one last diva. Maryse was the centerpiece on Raw after Candice Michelle. She also looked like she was following in the path of Candice Michelle. Injuries became an issue for her and there were a few matches here and there after her return in 2009 where things got a little awkward. Sometimes, it just looked like she cared too much about showing her character than putting on a good match. How can fans connect with an eye-candy diva as the centerpiece when she cannot maintain a respectable performance in the ring? Instead of completely giving up on her, they pushed her back in the periphery. Not too hard, however. I would say she was a B+ player. I honestly believe she had potential to be better than that. Don't get me wrong, she annoyed me a lot when she was pushed as the centerpiece, especially in her final months as an A+ player, but when she was used differently, then I could enjoy her more. She is very sexy and she has a great character and charisma. She should have been pushed like an A- player. Torrie Wilson and Stacy Keibler had great careers in the golden age as A- players. And I think Maryse could have been better than them. I am not even talking about looks. She has a personality that stands out more in comparison to Torrie and Stacy. She has the French thing going for her and has a little attitude to her charisma that makes her fun. I am not saying she has the acting depth of Denzel Washington, but she had what it takes to get over. Problem is, trying to push her as the centerpiece just was not the place for her.

I talked about 3 divas and only one guy. Let me bring up Triple H. He was obviously the centerpiece at one time. These days, he is a part-timer. He is a part-timer that can find his way in main events whenever he wants. He is an A+ player. Prior to being pushed as centerpiece, I would say Triple H was connecting well with the fans. DX helped with that. Since being pushed as centerpiece? Well, he hasn't gotten Cena-like reactions. Nothing near that. There are a few fans annoyed with how he seems to hog the spotlight. Mostly smarks. There also seems to be a few wrestlers that are irritated with how A+ Triple H does things. Although it has not really screwed Triple H's connection with the fans too much, would these issues ever exist if Triple H was never pushed as top star and given the power he has? He would still win a few world titles here and there, but he would not be as overbearing as he seems to be to a few people. In the end, I think more people can put up with Triple H in the position he is in than they could put up with John Cena in the position he is in.

Moral of the story? Some people are just better off not being pushed as A+ players. I have brought up individuals that were connecting well with the fans prior to an A+ career ruining it or might have connected with the fans well had that A+ career not come up. Not everyone needs to be the quarterback on a football team or the boss in a company. You can do great from whatever position you hold. In some situations, a person getting an A- career might bring better results than a person getting an A+ career. Did the WWE have a right to push these individuals I brought up as A+ players? Sure, but the problem was not making better decisions when they saw things were not working out right. John Cena should have been depushed long ago. Maryse should have gotten a better career in the periphery than she did end up having. These bad decisions are what have led to the quality of the product going down and workers not being pushed right. Push the right workers in the right positions. If a C+ player in the diva division definitely deserves to be pushed as an A+ player, give her the opportunity. On the other side of that, if the A+ player of your entire company cannot get the job done, take him out of that position.

Maryse Released

Maryse has been released by the WWE. Judging by her first comments on it, no big sorrow.

What does this mean for the diva division? Nothing of value was lost. Maryse was a failed centerpiece, much like Candice Michelle. Remember what happened to Candice? She got injured multiple times, lost much of her promise in terms of wrestling ability, the WWE gave up on pushing her as Raw's centerpiece in 2008, and she was released a few months later in 2009. Maryse follows pretty much the same story. She never botched as hard as Candice did before her fall from the top, but she wasn't showing the signs of solid ability in the ring. As it stands, she was out for a while with another injury. What good would she be when she did return, even if she still wanted to wrestle? They could have pushed her on the periphery, but she was not that over anyway. It is interesting how she went her entire career without ever really being a true face.

Nothing of value was lost, but I do not hate Maryse. She's sexy and cute. What I hated was the WWE trying to push her as a centerpiece. It was not helping the division. I can say the same thing for Kelly Kelly's current treatment. I'm not going to miss Maryse, and I'm not going to complain that the WWE misused her, but I don't think she needs pro wrestling anyway. She'll find something else to do.

And That Leaves Kelly Kelly

I've been noticing Smackdown's diva matters being used for the benefit of Raw's diva feud lately. That may not sound too important, and it isn't, but it is a sign of a change in the diva division.

Who is the centerpiece over on Raw? Even though she lost the title, it is Kelly Kelly. Who is the centerpiece over on Smackdown? None. Smackdown has been used to further the feud between Kelly Kelly and Beth Phoenix. No centerpiece, or even interim centerpiece, has been getting attention. When Michelle McCool left, it looked like they would still treat Layla as the center of attention on Smackdown. Raw had Kelly Kelly. Layla got injured. AJ Lee's debut followed. It looked like she would get the spot Layla left. The WWE was working on some kind of angle featuring AJ, Kaitlyn, and Natalya as the faces. Alicia, Tamina, and Rosa were heels. Things sure have changed since then. The biggest change is that Natalya turned heel and joined Beth Phoenix. Whatever feud was brewing there is gone. Smackdown has no true diva feud of its own being furthered. They have Aksana, but that is another topic for another day.

This is somewhat like how things went before separate brands and two distinct titles. Let me just go back to 2008. From the time the Diva's Championship was created, Michelle McCool was the centerpiece of Smackdown, while Candice Michelle, even though she was injured at the time, was centerpiece of Raw. Candice flopped as centerpiece. Raw went a few months without a true centerpiece. Maryse moved to Raw with the Diva's Championship, sending Melina to Smackdown with the Women's Championship. Maryse was Raw's new centerpiece. McCool was still centerpiece of Smackdown, and had pretty much become the main focus of the whole division. Maryse flopped in 2010. The two titles were soon unified under McCool, surprisingly? Through it all, she failed to get over. In a kind of reverse to the bad luck Raw has had with finding a centerpiece since 2008, Smackdown is now the show without a focus. And the WWE does not seem too interested to get one. Using Smackdown to help further Raw's diva feud seems to be working for them. They get to build up more momentum.

The Development Of Eve And Kelly Kelly

Let me just say that the WWE played me well with the whole CM Punk thing. I'll give them that. But that is the topic of another night.

I want to talk about diva matters. Namely, Eve and Kelly Kelly. I will start, out of fairness, with a few words about the two heels featured in the match tonight. Melina jobbed. She is the one who got pinned. Not too surprising, since she has the most credibility in this match. Besides that, with Jillian gone, Melina is the new heel lower credible jobber. As for Maryse, she did not look too spectacular there in terms of actual wrestling. Her performance reminds me why the WWE gave up on pushing her as Raw's diva centerpiece over a year ago. Yeah, she can rub her ass in someone's face to steal Kelly Kelly's taunt, which then leads to Kelly Kelly stealing Maryse's hair flip taunt, but this is why the diva division does not have much respect.

Onto the Diva's Champion herself. Kelly Kelly picked up another win. More importantly, she is getting good reactions. In other words, she is getting over, staying over, and possibly even getting more over. And that is exactly what the WWE wants. Kelly Kelly is the centerpiece of the whole diva division. Keep paying attention to how they book her, especially after she loses the title. I am simply waiting for the WWE to pull her into an elaborate storyline involving main-eventers. She had a few touches of this, especially on Smackdown this year, but I am waiting for the WWE to really pull the trigger on making her a main-eventer as they did Trish Stratus.

And Eve? She looks to finally be getting it as well. Wrestling doesn't really matter too much when it comes to getting over. Booty popping? That is PG? If I wanted to see that, I would go to Youtube and watch it. There are pretty much at least 100 videos uploaded everyday of girls doing that kind of thing. And Eve finally learned what she had to do to get a reaction. One of the reasons why I respect Mickie James, I have always found her more crazy and cute than glamorous and slutty, like the average WWE eye-candy wrestler. Even while she was doing her psycho lesbian thing or giving her opponent a kiss before kicking them in the head, she always gave off a different vibe. If she ever has to do the glamorous, sexy thing, I wouldn't turn on her. I know very well she does not need it to show her charisma and her spirit. But Eve? Then again, before I say more, she is the average WWE eye-candy wrestler. I would expect no less from her to try to get over. But Eve did not impress me tonight.

The Importance Of NXT

Why should I even be talking about NXT? Being honest, I don't even watch the show. However, I do follow the spoilers. I do know what is going on over there, even if I do not find most of it worth remembering. Nevertheless, I am aware that I may sometimes say a certain wrestler is not getting pushed, treated well, or doing anything relevant, but yet that person may be looking like the most important person in the universe on NXT. That is why I want to explain why I may not mention NXT angles when I talk about someone like Zack Ryder or Maryse.

I think I can pretty much end the discussion as quickly as I have started it. Remember WWE's ECW? Especially during the final year or so? I believe I have spoken about this before. Men and women made to look like they were a vital part of that show were then made to look like mediocrities when they would later go to one of the major brands. Zack Ryder was treated as a serious contender for the ECW title at one time. There was a huge difference between that and his "title shot" against Sheamus on Raw last year. But even jobbing to Sheamus got him more camera time on Raw than where he is at now. I could run down a list of names, including Christian, Katie Lea, Tiffany, Rosa Mendes, and so on. Very few people go from being a part of the ECW roster to being a well-pushed main-eventer. Different people may have different definitions for what a "well-pushed main-eventer" is, but let me just say that no one in the position of a John Cena or Randy Orton would be wasted on the ECW roster. If you even examine most of the ECW successes, you will see that they are the type of main-eventers developed frequently to put over someone the WWE would rather have as a centerpiece, then they get depushed. Look at CM Punk. Need I say more?

Back to NXT. NXT pretty much took over where ECW left off. I am talking about more than just the time slot. At first, it featured important stars as the Pros. I would say things started to go downhill after Season 2. Now look at it. Zack Ryder? Hornswoggle? Poor William Regal? Maryse? In case anyone has forgotten, Maryse used to be pushed at the centerpiece diva of Raw. After I saw her performing not as seriously and solidly as she should have since her return in late 2009, I am not surprised they did give up on her. Instead of releasing her, they have found a purpose for her on NXT. She actually looks relevant there. Back on Raw, she has not looked like she matters since Kharma attacked her over a month ago. The major focus is off her. The same goes for the men. In almost every case, the men do not have two angles going for them. They do not have an important NXT storyline and a Raw/Smackdown feud that has any real meaning. Back when NXT first started, guys like Miz would have angles going on for NXT and Raw. Things would mix. It was more interesting.

I would say that almost everyone on NXT right now would have probably been a candidate for release if the show wasn't dragging on. The few exceptions are those with connections with people in high places, like William Regal, and possibly those who are only there to act as comic relief anyway, like Hornswoggle. They are not really that relevant. Interestingly enough, there may not have been a huge, regular Spring Cleaning of the roster, but some of the releases that did take place a few weeks ago were indeed NXT Rookies. Nice coincidence there.

To wrap it up, just because a wrestler is being pushed on NXT, that does not mean the push actually matters. When you hear people complaining about Zack Ryder not being used right, they don't want to see him getting used on Superstars or NXT. They want to see him on Raw in a real feud. Stars are pretty much almost being buried if all they have is this web show. It is obvious that the WWE is not putting as much interest in it either. The last winner deserves to be released. I can go without his crappy promos, and he does not seem too unique either. Kaitlyn is not doing anything useful. Wade Barrett still has some promise, although he was the winner back when NXT was still something. Kaval got released for Christmas. If the Rookies are pushed like this, what hope do the Pros have, especially when this is all they pretty much have in many cases to stay over?

Afterthought Syndrome Is Spreading

Triple H came out on Raw for a long, dry promo on ending The Undertaker's streak. Pretty much everything you would expect from a guy like Triple H. He's done everything there is to do. Just needs to end that streak before he goes on to do something else left to do. There's always something. The fans were not really into it that much. Still, you can say the hype was customary and necessary.

That brings out Ted DiBiase for the customary and necessary destruction at the hands of Triple H. Easy way to plug how intense the match might be at Wrestlemania. In any case, this was where the first bit of excitement in the segment came from. Yes, Ted DiBiase got squashed, but it was action. Before DiBiase did the job, he gave a promo about being an afterthought. Sounds like Gail Kim? Look at DiBiase's career over the last year. Gone downhill. He goes from an angle where he is breaking up with Maryse to doing nothing at all. Whether the WWE starts pushing him after Wrestlemania or not, his last push is not exactly an indicator that things will go well.

Speaking of Maryse and Gail Kim, Raw actually featured two diva matches. Two diva matches?! The return of Trish Stratus really opened the gates to heaven, didn't it? I will not say anything about the match quality, but consider something else. Not one diva used in either match had actual pro wrestling experience and training prior to signing with the WWE. None were real wrestlers. None were credible divas, as I like to call them. Maryse and Eve were both products of the Diva Search. Layla and McCool were Diva Search participants as well. Trish Stratus was a model when the WWE hired her, and her becoming a solid wrestler after joining the WWE has become the standard by which drives the WWE to still push a "diva" division. Vickie Guerrero needs no explanation. Just a minor thing. Meaningless? About as meaningless as the women the WWE hires for their wrestling ability? As meaningless as Melina, Gail Kim, Natalya, Beth Phoenix, and if I am missing anyone, meaningless! They're all just afterthoughts. You want to see them, watch Superstars. Enjoy it until they cancel it. The division revolves around an image, not wrestling ability or even entertainment.

Can You Pander To The Internet A Bit More?

Cena DQed Barrett and Punk? Why? For not being PG enough on a kid's show. Lawler even brought up the PG thing himself.

Earlier in the night, Daniel Bryan had a backstage segment where he was making out with Gail Kim. The Bellas, who have been trying to get a little intimate with him (I've caught the PG flu myself), walked in and a catfight ensued. But they brought up that the Bellas were whores (there goes the flu) for the guest hosts and Gail is an "afterthought" on Raw. Bellas being sluts and Gail being underutilized are all talked about much by the internet. Tons of jokes about this stuff. No need to shed tears for these women. The WWE is not really attacking their own image. The Bellas are whores because the WWE frequently used them with the guest hosts. Gail Kim is irrelevant because the WWE books her as that. The WWE is making jokes of how they treat their own divas. I can smell the ratings.

Since I'm on the subject of divas. Maryse continues to get more proper attention on herself for her own sake than Natalya. Natalya retained her title, but it is only a matter of time before she does lose it and gets sent back to the end of the line. Problem is, there is no longer a tag team for her to valet for. Looks like she may just end up fodder in tag matches and in building up other women. But she was getting over, you say? The WWE doesn't care. I would like to see if she can stay over when the WWE does drop her. Melina? I would have been surprised if she did win the title. She was just in a filler feud. They killed her off pretty easy. LayCool came out right after the match. I changed the channel, so I have nothing more to say on those two. I am actually a little surprised that the WWE used so many divas tonight somewhat relevantly. Alicia didn't do anything in her match and Tamina just stood around. But I doubt this means that the WWE is going to improve their diva division. Gail/Bellas is a minor diva feud. Natalya is a face Diva's Champion who is not meant to be centerpiece of her brand. McCool looks to be almost ready to get it back. Maryse is getting more time to let her character shine through storylines and actually winning matches now and then. I just realized that I forgot about Eve tonight. Is she to be the new Gail Kim. Is it her time to be an afterthought? Didn't she come out for commentary for Natalya vs. Maryse last week, got in a minor exchange with Maryse and pinned Melina prior to that? Where was she in either the title match or the mixed tag?

Back to my main point. WWE's got jokes? There was a HHH-feel to this crap. I'm not saying he is necessarily pushing this stuff, but I frequently notice that he loves to make little jabs at things only certain fans will understand. Why do I hate this? Little subtle jokes that pander to the internet? This is supposed to take the place of good midcard feuds, a better diva division, and a better tag division. Just because you are making fun of how your PG rating is upsetting fans, how your placement of divas by guest hosts are making them look like whores, and not using a former Women's Champion relevantly at all makes her look insignificant (which is what the WWE wants at the moment anyway, that does not mean you are fixing it. This is about as stupid as two political parties promising more working together, but only having it amount to sitting together at some huge speech that's coming up. Less of the symbolic and more of the meaningful.

But maybe change will come? Maybe this is all the sign of it, not just a mocking of it. The WWE's stock fell sharply today. Actually, it started falling sharply as the markets closed last Friday. The gravity of the situation was not felt until today. Was that the wake-up call for the WWE? Thing is, as the overall stock market has been steadily improving over the past year, WWE stock has been going down, even before today. PPV buys were down in 2010 as compared to 2009, as well as overall ratings for the shows. This is a sign that something should be done. Is the WWE's response to join the internet in laughing at it's own product? And TNA will still fail to take advantage.

The WWE Career Of Mickie James - Part 5

Entering 2009, the WWE continued to push Melina as the only major face diva who mattered. Kelly Kelly was used as her sidekick. Candice Michelle, having lost support from the WWE, was used only in minor backstage segments. Mickie James, too credible and over to be in Melina's way to the WWE, was also given meaningless segments. She also was given a WWE.com angle with Cryme Tyme. Although I enjoyed seeing it, it did nothing for to keep Mickie fresh in front of those fans in the audience. It was an internet angle!

The rumor going around why Mickie James was being depushed this time? Injury. I do not buy it. It is true Mickie James had a minor car accident and sold an injury in a match just before 2009 started, but she was still at WWE events and she was selling the injury in that match, not really seriously injured. Besides, if you look at large diva matches prior to this time or a diva match that just happened this week on Raw, some women in a tag match do not really have to do much of anything at all. Mickie James could have been booked in the place of Kelly Kelly in at least one instance. She was not. Is that how you treat your most over diva or diva you intend to be a centerpiece? No. They did not push Mickie James as a vital part of the diva division.

Mickie James soon got matches and got focus back on her as the year progressed. Why? The WWE was drafting Melina, the face Women's Champion, to Smackdown to feed to Michelle McCool so she could make history by being the first woman to have held both female titles. In Melina's place, they sent Maryse, with the Diva's Championship in hand, to Raw. Watch how they treated Maryse and the Raw division for over a year. They were intent on making her a centerpiece. It was obvious both Maryse and McCool could not exist as centerpieces on the same show, especially with both heels. Maryse, however, was a poor wrestler after her injury. Mickie James was a credible face diva who could work with her and give her a rub. How often did Mickie James get promo time? Out of when she did speak, when was it really for her sake more than putting over Maryse's character? Maryse even had a story going on with Miz during all this, putting more attention on her. There is your centerpiece.

Pushing Mickie James like she stood a chance at making the same piece of history as Michelle McCool by having her feud with Maryse also served another purpose. When McCool did defeat Melina, mowing her over even, she did not just defeat one woman to make history, she also beat Mickie James in the race. Fans were talking about which diva would make history first. It was obvious it would not be Mickie James, the tool. They were just using her once again.

Mickie James did eventually win the title. Maryse taking time off starting the next day for her knee injury, which never fully healed, was no coincidence. They knew it was going to happen. They still had Maryse work and keep the title on her. Not only did this not do any favors for Maryse or the women that had to work with her, it was not good for the division. But since when does the WWE really care about the divas?

What happened after that? The WWE teased a heel turn for Gail Kim, but dropped it. The WWE built up challengers by giving them wins, having them win #1 contendership, and then just had Mickie James retain. They were not developing any good feuds for Mickie James or the divas she worked with. With Maryse gone, the WWE did not even try to keep their Raw diva hype up. With Smackdown running stale, the WWE decided to have a diva trade. They had Mickie James drop the title to a jobber, Jillian. They then sent her with no hype at all to Smackdown. With a whole lot of internet blame already going on Mickie James for things that happened during her reign, and combined with old rumors, Mickie's move to Smackdown was seen as a punishment. It was obvious that they only did it to feed her to McCool.

Let me go back to some of the things people blamed Mickie James for. For not wrestling great matches with Maryse? Maryse was not a great wrestler to begin with, had lost a bit since her injury, and spent more time in her matches pushing her character than wrestling. Considering the WWE was high on this woman, and still are if you notice she is the only Raw diva in the last few months with any constant angle going on (Million Dollar Couple) and only Raw diva with any real storyline going on outside of the title feud, Mickie James cannot just mow over this woman. Not performing well with Rosa Mendes? Rosa is another poor wrestler. She could not take the DDT properly, timed herself poorly when Mickie James did a leaping spot in the corner, and did not fall properly in taking the Lou Thesz Press. Don't believe me with the last one? Look back to a certain spot where Shawn Michaels tried the same move on John Cena in 2009. Cena does not fall exactly in time with when Shawn jumps on him. For a brief moment, Shawn is just latched onto a standing Cena. Cena, no matter how bad a wrestler you want to say he is, was strong enough to stay stiff and still fall backwards properly. Rosa Mendes was not. She just rolled aside. The Gail Kim incident? Speaks for itself. Gail Kim took a bad hit and did not execute her end in Mickie's DDT. Mickie James motioned for Gail to take a kick to the mouth after that, which would still allow Gail to fall how she felt safest after that. Gail was still too out of it to work with Mickie. Mickie had to take her down with a forearm. The DDT spot with Alicia Fox? Mickie James did her end of the move the same way. Alicia had trouble flipping herself over while supporting Mickie. Look at Gail Kim vs. Alicia in early 2010. When Gail attempts a Reverse Frankensteiner, Alicia Fox once again does not take the move properly. Specifically, she does not flip or do anything to protect her head when coming down. Alicia is not as great as some would like to believe. And trying to flip through the monkey flip in her match with Jillian? Did you miss the part where Jillian bounced in her way?

This was Mickie's fifth title reign in the WWE. It was her only run with the Diva's Championship. She went through a period of nothing before finally getting her push against Maryse, and then mainly for the benefit of women meant to be treated as centerpieces. When Raw's centerpiece dropped out for health reasons, WWE just shuffled Mickie James through opponents. Mickie James still remained over. That overness is what made her use on Smackdown even more meaningful.

The Rise And Fall Of Gail Kim In Early 2010

In August, I mentioned a hypothetical "closed division". Not surprisingly, I was really alluding to the women's division. Women competing against men and for titles traditionally held by men is not the norm, it is the exception. Especially in this era in the WWE, you do not see it often. The WWE would rarely push two diva storylines/feuds on the same show without one getting the short end of the stick sooner or later. Look at Natalya's "feud" with Tamina. It went on while Diva title issues also did on Raw. Great? Few problems. First, the feud between the two women was really just an extension The Usos and Hart Dynasty battling over the tag titles. Second, aside from the beatings the heels gave the faces, nothing great was really invested in this feud. That leads to the third thing. It did pretty much nothing great for either woman. Tamina and her guys quickly got depushed. Natalya did not really gain much. She would have had credibility for the push she now has based on the fact that she was hired as a wrestler, feuded with McCool before, and, if it must be said, she's related to Bret Hart too. What's more, and I am not saying the matches were horrible, the interactions between the two really were not good enough to put either on the map more than they already were from being credible wrestlers and relatives to legends. You also had divas feuding for Raw's Diva's Championship. All you had during this time was the passing of credibility through the passing of the title. Once again, I would not say the WWE invested very well in getting either Eve or Alicia properly over. Maybe they did give it a good try, but it still failed. I would say both diva matters that were going on got the short end of the stick in terms of potential and bringing results for the women involved and true entertainment value. There is more I can say on this, but my point is that the WWE's treating of the diva division in this manner is one of the reasons it does suck.

I am going to talk about Gail Kim here. In my opinion, there is no better, clearer example of how the WWE views women like Gail Kim, Melina, Mickie James, Victoria, and the past credible wrestlers who revolved around Trish Stratus than what they did to Gail Kim earlier this year. I know I probably talked about this in my dead diva blog, but I want to revisit it since it will also help in developing the larger topic for the future. On a small scale, it illustrates it very well.

Gail Kim returned to the WWE last year. She had become the centerpiece of TNA's highly-praised female division. By buying her out, the WWE did a small bit in crippling it. Fans were hyped for months, thinking Gail Kim would do some kind of magic in the WWE. Where is she now? In any case, when Gail returned, she laid out both Michelle McCool and Maryse on Smackdown, setting her sights on the Diva's Championship. Funny how she was the closest one to making history by becoming the first woman to hold both titles by this time, isn't it? Victoria had left, no one else on Smackdown had held the Women's Championship before, and no one on Raw had held the Diva's Championship or had a shot at getting it while it was on Smackdown. In any case, Gail's push got destroyed pretty easily. Also, Gail Kim was easily depushed and not very over. What went wrong? Three things. First, Gail Kim's overness did not carry over from TNA to WWE. Second, the WWE did not invest in her hard or well enough to try to make her over. Third, as much as I do like Gail Kim, she does not have what it takes to get over or stay over independent to how she is treated by the promotion. WWE just moved her around as they felt, using her as a low-level tool. She had more credibility than some in that she had held the WWE's Women's Championship before and was an actual wrestler, but she was still just there to put people over.

At the end of 2009, Diva's Champion Melina got injured. As 2010 started, a tournament was announced to crown another. As the year progressed, which diva had the best win-loss record for televised matches? Who was undefeated, getting wins pretty much every week? Not Michelle McCool, Mickie James, or Maryse. This diva the WWE must have loved so much was Gail Kim. They had to love her, right? Why else would they give her the wins? Because they wanted to develop a credible wrestler to feed to Maryse. That is what Melina was. She got injured. Who is left as the most credible face on Raw? Kelly Kelly? She is the most over face at the time there, not the most credible. Eve? She was who the WWE was going to pump credibility into through a title reign in the near future, but not the most credible at the time to put Maryse over. Bella Twins? Prostitutes for guest hosts. I already said where Gail got credibility from. Gail also went over every heel diva on Raw. The mission with Maryse at that time was always to try to get her looking like a credible wrestler by associating with them. She didn't need help getting monster heel heat, since the WWE would want a woman with her sexy gimmick to actually be somewhat liked, not hated like a Michelle McCool around this time.

Speaking of gimmicks, the WWE also pushed a minor storyline at the same time in which Maryse would speak face English and heel French, as if Gail could not understand the latter. This was meant to push Maryse's sneaky and conniving side. Fans were supposed to find that somewhat cute. Some even read lesbian undertones. It's Maryse! Of course pervs would read lesbian undertones! In any case, the story ended when Gail finally revealed she could speak and understand French too. HAH! TAKE THAT MARYSE! GAIL WAS SO....so....what? Entertaining? Were fans supposed to feel sympathetic for Gail because Maryse was trying to make her look stupid, then fall in love with Gail after she revealed she was not fooled? If the WWE honestly had this storyline to try to turn Gail into a monster over face diva, it is the absolute worst attempt I have ever seen in any diva angle. Obviously, it was not what they wanted. They wanted people talking about Maryse. People were. What was she telling Gail? What is her plan? Is she turning face for real?

On the same night that Gail supposedly won the storyline against Maryse, the two were supposed to face each other to crown that new Diva's Champion. Gail still had that undefeated streak and momentum. Who got the pinfall win that night? Who else? Michelle McCool! Wait, what? The match was changed into a tag match. McCool/Layla vs. Gail/Maryse. Michelle McCool, centerpiece of the whole damn division, was the first woman to pin Gail Kim and give her the first official loss. Next night on Raw, Maryse picked up the scraps to win the title from Gail Kim. It was a pretty mediocre performance from Maryse, which is another reason to be glad the WWE went with a credible wrestler like Gail as the tool. Could have been worse.

What has become of Gail since then? She worked Wrestlemania and Fatal Fourway, but she has never gotten the attention that she got when the year started. Why should she? The WWE moved on to Eve. Melina returned. Natalya is pushed now. Do not shake off that Gail only got that treatment in the first place because the face they would have rather had pushed against Maryse got injured. If the WWE really loved Gail Kim, her treatment since then would have been a lot more respectable than just using her when they need a face diva for some reason. It is clear that she was only being used for Maryse's sake. The WWE was definitely high on Maryse being the centerpiece of Raw's division at one time, and may still be. Tool putting over centerpiece. That is what you had. The wins were not a sign of respect for Gail in so much as they were really building her up for Maryse's, or McCool's as it turned out, benefit. The storyline, as mediocre as it was, was meant to do more for Maryse's character than Gail's, even though Maryse "failed" to outwit Gail in kayfabe. The entertainment value was still on Maryse. Even right now, Maryse is still in a better spot as valet to Ted DiBiase than Gail Kim is as...as...pretty much the same place she was in before her 2010 push. It did nothing lasting for her. Wasn't meant to.

Once again, this example is on the small scale, but it is clear how the WWE didn't really care much about Gail for her own sake. They handed her wins. On a larger scale, they hand some women titles. I know a lot of people believe the WWE must love someone to give them a title. Is it hard to believe this same way of thinking can be used to say that the WWE must love a wrestler to give them a win? Especially an undefeated streak like they did for Gail? Love must be relative. Just like you need to stop thinking about wins meaning the WWE is completely on the side of a wrestler, you need to think about title reigns/wins in a similar way. Wins help to build credibility, as do titles. It is just an issue of scale. Titles are higher up than straight wins in matches. Look at what the WWE just did to Melina. They handed her a title, crammed title defenses in a few short weeks, didn't develop any of those "feuds" very well, built Melina's character very little, fed her to McCool, had her lose a clean finish to Layla, and she has been replaced by Natalya. If the WWE really cared about Melina, they would have found something better to keep her fresh since then. How long did it take the WWE to pair Maryse with DiBiase after her last real shot at the Diva's Championship at Fatal Fourway? A day. You can tell they care about this woman a lot more than certain others. The title was not a real honor or sign of WWE support for Melina. Fans will read it as if it is, just like some would read Gail's wins earlier this week as being done for her benefit in the end. Wrong. Melina has not even gained any real overness through all this. The only real difference between Melina and Gail in respect to all this is that Melina is a higher level tool than Gail.

I have been talking much about the diva division here. It is a closed division that relies on the creation of tools to put over the women the WWE wants over. Injuries sometimes lead to the WWE having to push women it would rather have not pushed, giving them "honors" they would otherwise have not gotten. This is not the end story. In a week or two, I will get to the real topic I want to discuss. Yes, it will be on Mickie James.

A Million $ Push For Goldust

After a few weeks of teasing that someone wanted something from Ted DiBiase and Maryse, it was revealed that Goldust was behind all this. He does not want Maryse, as if he needed a new valet. He does not want Ted DiBiase, which would have been an interesting angle to pull off in PG WWE. He wants Ted's title belt.

When the whole tease started, the obvious choice the WWE was pushing was that someone wanted Maryse, especially after the small issues the two had after losing a match. I was expecting a swerve. However, my idea was that they may have a diva come into the picture who wanted Ted, and thus try to take Maryse's place by his side. A little Raw diva feud would have risen for Maryse. Why would the WWE do anything interesting with their divas? Stupid me! They still may pull together something with NXT, but this does seem to be for Goldust and DiBiase, thus far. I was surprised to see Goldust. It wasn't a bad surprise.

As is common when wanting to make sure people know you are not just doing blind love, let me just say that I have never even been a real Goldust fan. That is the truth. I still liked the segment. Goldust actually sounded like a serious threat, not like the joke he typically comes off as these past few years. It was like a rebirth.

Yes, it is only the Million Dollar Championship. Yes, he may likely job sooner or later, whether he wins the thing or not, to put over DiBiase. Yes, the WWE may even treat this as a bathroom break feud. But this is an example of something I find entertaining that does not have to be treated as a complete joke or only have value in match quality. Goldust actually seems credible. Both DiBiase and Goldust could benefit from this. WWE would be a lot better if they built more feuds and storylines like this. Then again, how long until they ruin it?

What Does DiBiase Do For Summerslam?

In a backstage segment, Edge teased tension within Team Cena by saying he would rather not have Khali on their side. Who would he rather have? Ted DiBiase? Obviously, this segment really was meant to just form tension. However, DiBiase also went on to defeat a member of Team Cena in a match. Could the WWE have plans for DiBiase in Nexus vs. Team Cena?

There are two reasons why Ted being on the team all of a sudden may not work. First, all the current members either have a reason to be on the team or have some credibility. Even the minor exceptions like R-Truth and Khali had segments in which they spoke on Nexus. They have been built into this match now. Who gets the bullet? And why? And replace them with DiBiase? That brings me to the second thing. He has been even less involved with this feud than Khali or R-Truth. Of all the people to put in all of a sudden, him? What about Bourne or Mark Henry? And Khali can provide at least power to the team. What does Ted DiBiase supply that is unique? Money?

The WWE definitely wants to push DiBiase, but he is definitely lost at the moment. Summerslam is a big PPV. Do they just leave him off? There really does not seem to be anything for him to do. I can think of no great opponents for him to work against at the PPV. Maybe a rushed feud with Bourne? The WWE is high on Bourne too. Just does not seem like a big enough match. At least DiBiase is still walking around with that shiny belt and Maryse.

Speaking of Maryse, a diva I despised during her push in the ring, I do not mind her as much now that she is a valet for Ted DiBiase. Without her ruining match quality, I can relax with her. I still do not find her to be the most beautiful woman alive. I still find her charisma not that great. But just showing cleavage and doing her act is how she will get over with the fans, definitely not by wrestling. But when the time is right, they will push her again in the ring. I want to see how she does. Would this be her third shot in my book? Three strikes...

Mr. Anderson Has The Mic

The angle between Jeff Hardy and Mr. Anderson is pretty good. Mr. Anderson, Kennedy to the WWE Universe, delivered pretty well with his promos on Impact this week. Whoever said this guy lacked charisma and mic skills? But I really did like it especially this week. Jeff Hardy did his thing too.

The angle revolves around Kennedy trying to turn face. A lot of examples of this in pro wrestling history. In recent memory, and since I used to write about divas, the WWE had Maryse play respectable and good for a few weeks with Gail Kim. Maryse ended up only faking the turn to have fun at Gail's expense. TNA is not throwing things clearly into one direction to make you think that Anderson is either face for no hidden reason or heel in sheep's clothing. That added element of uncertainty is not the only reason I like this story more than what the WWE pulled a few months ago. As I said before, Kennedy is delivering with his character. Maryse did not do that. I do not care if Maryse wants to play evil in French. Anderson does not need to bust out a different language every five minutes to keep me interested. I do not care about any homosexual tension between him and Jeff. I say that because I recall some fans seeing lesbian tension between Gail and Maryse. Wow! I do not need that. Lastly, I am liking this angle more because I do not think it will get a lackluster finish or development like the WWE diva angle got. Gail reveals she speaks and understands French. Then? Done. Stupid. Maryse gets the title. This TNA angle can possibly be what I wanted to see from the WWE diva angle.

I am not going to try to predict what TNA has planned for Kennedy. Is this all part of a cunning heel plan? Will he try to be face, but then some issue with another face forces him to snap and go heel again? Will Jeff turn heel? I have my doubts on that last one. I am just going to sit back and enjoy it. This is something I actually can enjoy.