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?

Natalya Turns Heel

The heel team won at Money in the Bank. But the story did not end there. Natalya turned heel and attacked Becky Lynch.

The big question is, did they really need to turn Natalya heel? The WWE has been known to do turns all over the place with their women's division. Does this fall into that category? Is it one of those heel turns that should leave you scratching your head?

I do not think so. There is a lack of heels in the women's division. Emma got injured. Dana Brooke was paired with Charlotte, but Dana is not that great in the ring. Naomi and Tamina are injured. Maryse and Lana are eye-candy periphery divas. They won't be pushed seriously in the ring. Yes, Maryse is a former Diva's Champion and Lana has gotten in the ring recently, but they do not have the credibility to be pushed seriously and are better off in the periphery.

There is Summer Rae. She may not be great in the ring, but I don't really see anyone bashing her as hard as Eva Marie gets bashed. I think Summer Rae is underutilized. She should be getting a secondary women's feud. While Charlotte feuds with whichever women over the title, let another face have a minor feud with Summer Rae.

All things considered, I can understand the heel turn for Natalya and will not bash it. It is a little creative depth in the women's division. That is something they need. It will probably not go far for Natalya. She will probably just be used to put over Becky Lynch. But it is still something for her to do and something else to talk about in the women's division.

2015 Ends Poorly For One Couple

I did not have much faith in how the WWE would handle Tyler Breeze and Summer Rae, but even I did not expect it to end as mediocre as it has. Tyler Breeze got a win against Goldust on Smackdown this week. That was followed by Summer Rae and Tyler Breeze just announcing that they were done. That's it. That's all.

I will say that it is a little refreshing to have some kind of breakup that doesn't end with hostilities. You rarely see that. Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow were a team. They broke up amicably. They then got back together soon after and their second breakup led to a feud. Will that kind of thing happen with Summer Rae and Tyler Breeze? Time will tell. As of right now, it feels somewhat refreshing.

Of course, it also feels like the WWE dropped the ball. It feels pointless. Summer Rae and Tyler Breeze never got to really do much together. This whole thing feels like it could have been handled much better. Is that segment they had on Smackdown meant to lead to another storyline? Or was it just meant to kill the angle?

Assuming the worst, what does this mean for Tyler Breeze? It was obvious this guy would not go too far. His gimmick does not necessarily require a diva, but how likely is it that he continues his fall now? I will not even run through the roster to suggest another diva to pair with him. Not a lot of options that would fit. I do not think this is a big loss, however. There are plenty of men on the roster. More guys will be debuting from NXT this year. Did Tyler Breeze get a real shot to succeed? Not really. But the men's division is full with guys that deserve to be pushed well and that number will only increase when guys return from injuries and new workers debut.

Not surprisingly, I think this is a bigger loss for Summer Rae. I have said for a while that she has never been pushed properly. They have just moved her from one periphery angle to another. There are less women in the company than men. Moreover, there are fewer women really connecting well with fans as you have men connecting with fans. One of the reasons for that is inconsistency. How many divas right now have been pushed consistently well? Nikki Bella is out with an injury. Lana came back from one a few weeks ago. The WWE has been inconsistent with Paige. I can run through the entire division, but the issue is not being able to be consistent with how any of these women are being pushed. Fans just cannot connect with any of these women. All of the blame cannot go to the WWE. They do not injure their divas. But they have to do better with those divas that are regularly there. I still do not believe Summer Rae is as great a periphery diva as Lana, but if they just stuck with Summer Rae with a meaningful angle, she might actually get a proper connection with the fans and get over. The diva division can benefit from someone getting really over.

Tyler Breeze Going Nowhere

Most wrestlers will get some kind of undefeated streak when they just debut or get repackaged with a new gimmick. Even if they are just running through opponents and there is no real development for them, which would suggest they will soon be lost in the shuffle, they at least get that. Tyler Breeze has not gotten even that. I felt this guy would end up like Fandango, but he has hit mediocrity even faster than I expected.

Breeze has beaten a few jobbers. He got a win against Dolph Ziggler. But he has pretty much lost that feud and has lost to a few guys you would not expect someone that just debuted to lose to. He now finds himself in a feud against Goldust. This just feels like a lower-midcard feud. Goldust spent most of the year out with an injury. He came back a few weeks ago. But he's really not someone that needs to win feuds at this stage of his career. This is a feud for Tyler Breeze to win. This feud feels like what you had between R-Truth and King Barrett. You have a veteran face with a goofy gimmick that does not get pushed often feuding against a heel to put him over in the end. Neither guy is going anywhere far, but it has some entertainment value.

I do not feel as bad for Tyler Breeze as much as I do for Summer Rae. She has just bounced from one periphery angle to another her entire career on the main roster. Her angle with Rusev was her first real shot at something good. That got ruined. It transitioned to another angle, but that angle is just really weak right now. Eye-candy divas do serve a purpose. She is still being utilized as part of a storyline and getting to work with someone with a gimmick, which helps, but this situation could be better.

Goldust has a history of interesting angles with women. How interesting should this feud get? It could simply lead to Tyler Breeze going over Goldust and nothing more. Or should the WWE have Summer Rae end up with Goldust? No need for that. As I said before, Goldust doesn't need to win feuds at this stage of his career. His career won't go much further. But the WWE might still manage more interesting encounters between Goldust and Summer Rae, not to mention Breeze.

Summer Rae Finds A New Guy

From the time she debuted, Summer Rae has been involved in a lot of periphery angles. Some featured her mostly dancing. Some did not last long. There has also been the issue of her just being lost in the shuffle in between some of these angles. Her recent angle with Rusev was the best she had ever gotten. That got spoiled. But how would the WWE handle her now?

She has transitioned rather well to another periphery angle. She is now with Tyler Breeze, a new debut from NXT. He is getting a feud against Dolph Ziggler, who was also involved in the storyline with Rusev and Summer Rae recently, as well as Lana. This is a pretty good way to handle things.

The problem you have to consider is how far Tyler Breeze will go. When you are a periphery diva paired with a guy, you will only go as far as that guy goes. Lita benefited from being paired with guys that were being pushed well for most of her career. Summer Rae was once stuck with Fandango, a guy that wasn't really going anywhere at that time and is in an even worse place now. Feuding with Dolph Ziggler is pretty good, but how will they follow up with Breeze? I can see him becoming another Fandango. You have a crowded roster that is only getting bigger. Neville debuted a while ago and already appears to be losing steam in terms of how he is pushed. How long will it be before that happens to Tyler Breeze? Will Summer Rae be along for the ride if he gets demoted? Will she get lost in the shuffle on her own? Will she transition to another angle as Breeze sinks? I just cannot imagine Tyler Breeze becoming a main-eventer and Summer Rae being able to benefit from that kind of rub.

I would say Summer Rae does deserve to be featured well. As far as eye-candy periphery divas in this era go, she is no Lana, but she has shown some potential. The WWE needs more diva angles going on outside of the "diva revolution" mess. A better periphery can help keep some of these women relevant, and possibly get them over, while cleaning up the messy situation in the main angle. As I have said before, periphery divas are like the toppings you add to your ice cream. They make it look more appealing and add some flavor. I think Summer Rae can help with that.

Rusev/Summer Rae Gets Spoiled

Last week, they had Summer Rae propose marriage to Rusev. Rusev laid down his own terms. He wanted a title before he would agree to marry Summer Rae. This week, the WWE admitted Rusev was engaged to Lana and just murdered the angle it looked like they were developing.

Let me tell you how I imagined this storyline could have gone. The tag titles should be the Championship Rusev ends up getting. Have Summer Rae recruit someone to be Rusev's partner. Anyone would do. There are so many guys without a true direction that could serve this role, even if it means turning someone heel. The wedding segment is eventually set. That is when Lana pops back up and Rusev ends up going back to her. Summer Rae, however, would not be left out in the cold. She could continue to manage the man she recruited. You would have a feud between Rusev/Lana and Summer Rae and her guy. You would also have drama in the tag division.

I don't care if TMZ did whatever. This was a storyline. The fact that people know Rusev isn't really dating Summer Rae and is even engaged to Lana does not have to ruin the storyline. Everyone knows Kane does not really have demonic powers, but the WWE still pushes that as part as kayfabe. This is a situation where the WWE should have blocked out what is going on outside kayfabe and not let it influence the storyline. It wasn't like crowd chants were ruining the storyline. Even then, Bray Wyatt still sometimes gets "Husky Harris" chants, but you don't see the WWE devolving him back to that. Simply put, I do not have faith the WWE will handle things well from here.

What will become of Summer Rae? This was the best usage she has had in the diva division. She was getting mic time, character development, part of a storyline that looked like it was going somewhere, and just used regularly and well. And if done the way I imagined it working, this angle would transition to another role for her. Will she eventually be deflated, again? That's not how you build stars. The only individuals that can survive being pushed like that are established stars. I really think she could have gone somewhere this time.

Another thing to consider, who ends up looking like the heel after last night's segment? Rusev, who has been pushed as a heel his whole time since debuting, is engaged to Lana, a face he recently had issues with. That segment last night made it look like Rusev and Lana getting engaged was unfair to Summer Rae. You would think people would feel sympathetic towards her, but I do not think she is as likable as Lana. If the WWE had done things the way I would have, Rusev would have gotten a face turn that might have made better storyline sense. Just tease that Rusev is having second thoughts about marrying Summer Rae and treat her as overbearing heading up to the wedding segment. That would make fans enjoy Rusev going back to Lana even more. After last night, he looks like a womanizer. He deserved to be slapped. How does Lana end up looking? In kayfabe, she was supposed to be involved with Dolph Ziggler. Recent events should make Rusev and Lana look like heels. I do not like it going that way. Let's see how fans actually react heading forward.

I really think the WWE messed up an opportunity to have a great elaborate storyline. This storyline could have involved supporting players being used meaningfully, title drama, elaborate segments, character development, and just about everything else you want from an elaborate storyline. Since it was involving divas, it could have made the diva division more interesting, providing more creative depth than just the "diva revolution" storyline. The tag division would have gotten involved. There was so much potential with this storyline. I'll admit it, it was my favorite thing about the WWE right now. But I now do not have that much confidence in what will happen next.

Summer Rae Proposes To Rusev

Summer Rae and Rusev had a segment on Raw where Summer proposed to Rusev. Rusev accepted, but with one condition. First things first, he wants a title.

I absolutely think they should get a title on Rusev, just to eventually lead to that marriage segment. The periphery has led to a lot of fun gimmicks, storylines, and segments in the history of the diva division. What they have here with Summer Rae and Rusev has potential to be great. As great as Lana was with Rusev, since she did get over off of that angle, Summer Rae can at least benefit just as much. This is the best creative focus she has ever had. As for Rusev, this is creative interest for him. Some guys get phased out or are left just being jobbers to the stars, but Rusev is still in a good position.

What title should he win? The obvious answer would be the United States Championship. Heels currently hold all the other titles in the men's division. John Cena has these open challenges that would make it easy for Rusev to get back the title on any given Raw. They can also wait for The Dudleys to get the tag titles, then have Summer Rae recruit a partner for Rusev to win those titles. That would be making more out of this storyline.

The other way this storyline could go is just for the two to split. Either one of them gets annoyed with the other and they break up. Summer Rae could get upset about Rusev wanting titles over her. Rusev can get frustrated at not winning a title. I do not want to see that happen. At least take it to the wedding segment. A lot of great things can lead up to that and they can make a great elaborate segment out of this.

Lana Suffers An Injury

Some fans believe blood can add to the story of a match. Going by that logic, an injury might add to the story of a feud. And that is what you have in the feud between Ziggler/Lana and Rusev/Summer Rae.

The breakup storyline between Rusev and Lana has had its ups and downs. Some people say the WWE intentionally screwed Lana for getting over. I would disagree. But they have made some mistakes. And there were just some things that happened that were out of their control.

Lana suffered an injury recently. It has impacted the storyline and feud development. As far as Lana's well-being goes, the injury is obviously bad news. But in terms of the storyline, this might add more to the drama. Rusev had suffered a real injury a few months ago. Dolph Ziggler was written off with a kayfabe injury for a while. During these two situations, the storyline still continued. Rusev was still there with his crutches while he was injured. While Dolph was away, Lana was still around. Ziggler, Rusev, and Summer Rae have carried on while Lana is away. Part of me wishes this feud ended already, but all these circumstances popping up does give the WWE more time to develop things and possibly have more interesting segments.

Before Lana's injury, it looked like the storyline was going in a poor direction again. They had Summer Rae teasing that Dolph Ziggler tried to come onto her. It was trashy. It was similar to what you had last year with The Bellas and Stephanie McMahon. I don't think they need to go in that direction. They could have just built a simple story heading into Night of Champions. Lana's injury obviously adds to the story, but what they were trying to do just turns off a lot of fans. It might have gotten really annoying depending on how far they pushed it.

Lana's injury will hinder her training. Injuries is one of the reasons many eye-candy divas do not go far, especially those that the WWE has tried to push as centerpiece. Candice Michelle got injured too much and regressed terribly in her wrestling ability. Maryse suffered an injury and just did not seem to be as good in the ring after she did return. Even Trish Stratus, the greatest centerpiece the diva division ever had, suffered a few injuries in the final years of her WWE career. There were reports that Lana was in line for a huge push. Those reports failed to take into account other women that are already ahead of her and the fact Lana does not wrestle. When there was no huge push, those reports were dropped. Now that Lana might still get in the ring, how will that influence how she is pushed moving ahead? Some divas are just better in the periphery than going at it in the ring regularly. Lana might be one of those divas. And if she is injury-prone, even more of a reason to not even consider pushing her as the centerpiece. 

Is The Romance Fading?

Some fans seem to be souring on the romance angle involving Dolph Ziggler, Lana, Rusev, and Summer Rae. It has not worked as well as it should have. I have seen an article that said that the WWE purposely destroyed Lana for getting over. Some fans say this angle might ruin Ziggler. How have things been going?

First, this idea that the WWE intentionally tried to ruin Lana. No, I do not agree with that. If they had turned her face and pushed her alongside Sandow and Axel on whatever show those two are featured on these days, I would say they buried her. They paired her with a guy they feature consistently on the main shows. They are running a storyline with her. Have they changed her character? Yes. But I do not see it as the WWE trying to "destroy" Lana. This is a botch. Lana got over the way eye-candy divas in the company typically get over, her sex appeal and character. She was playing a heel character at the time. Because of her popularity and the WWE deciding to go with it, they would have to change her in some way. They did not try hard to force her as a heel, which might have been an obvious sign they did not want her cheered. Could they have pushed her as a face while still keeping her strong character. Would have been nice. I would have liked it. But might not be as easy to do as it seems. Moreover, she is an eye-candy periphery diva. And that is exactly how they are treating her now. She has had some moments here and there where she stood up for herself against Rusev. Overall, however, it has been a lot of making out with Ziggler and acting a little too lovesick.

What the WWE has done with Lana is nothing unusual. I would say it is the kind of thing that happened with John Cena. John Cena was a popular midcarder. He even gained that popularity while playing a heel. What happened? The WWE decided to push him as the top star of the company. They took him and turned him into something that many vocal fans hate. But you have to realize that this was not the WWE's intention. They didn't destroy Cena. His failure to properly connect with the audience is a combination of his own shortcomings and bad decisions on the part of the WWE. Lana's situation is pretty much all the WWE's fault from a botched creative standpoint. I am not even going to put anything on her shortcomings. This has just become a storyline that would be hard for any diva to handle, even Sable and Trish Stratus. But this isn't like what happened to Zack Ryder. The WWE wants Lana to be a top star in the periphery. Sadly, their inefficiency these days are messing up so many things, including diva matters, including this.

How has Ziggler been looking? Some fans say it might look heelish to pick on a crippled guy and taking his girl. Well, Rusev is healed up and he was a jerk to Lana first. Dolph Ziggler was one of the most over guys on the roster. This angle has started to hurt him slightly, but I do not think it is a big deal. I do not think the WWE was trying to bury him, either. Ziggler gets a storyline with Lana and a feud against Rusev. So many guys on the roster lack that much. Where's Jack Swagger? Sandow, who was also so over a few months ago, has nothing important now. Cesaro lacks true direction. Dolph Ziggler is definitely better off than some. If his character is taking damage, I would say it is inadvertent.

There has just been a few things to hinder this feud. First, obviously, Rusev's injury. Second, Lana is not an actual wrestler. If she was, that might open up possibilities and help her. Third, the WWE is PG. They ran this kind of angle when the diva division got started. Sable broke away from her man and stood on her own. And she was able to flaunt her sex appeal. That helped her. What is the PG version of that? I think you are witnessing it. Lana letting her hair down and making out with Dolph Ziggler. Some people might say that is the WWE ruining Lana, but it might just be the best they could come up with during this era. They are not simply trying to create some kind of strong, feminist character. They are looking to entertain. They are looking to push sex appeal. If Sable had to work in a PG environment, was as limited in the ring as Lana has been, and had to work against an injured Marc Mero, she might look a lot like Lana today.

There is hope as this feud moves forward. Rusev can go in the ring again. That means this thing does not have to drag on longer than it needs to anymore. And if Lana can take a few bumps, that might lead to a mixed tag match. Seeing her get a little physical should help her with the fans. She doesn't need to ever get as good as Trish Stratus. A lot of divas back in the day had no real wrestling ability and still were put in matches. You even had Vickie Guerrero getting matches in recent years. Let that be Lana.

Summer Rae Gets Added To The Love Triangle

Even with Rusev injured, the WWE has continued to develop the storyline involving him, Lana, and Dolph Ziggler. That is a good thing. Ziggler and Lana simply making out all the time is nice, but it can get stale. Summer Rae is now joining up with Rusev.

Summer Rae has just bounced from one periphery angle to another since debuting. Earlier this year, she was involved in the drama with Miz and Sandow. She faked turning face and ended up helping Miz. It was a nice storyline. Problem is, the WWE did not follow through. Miz went to make a movie. That left Summer Rae with nothing. Miz is back, but the angle is dead. Handling things like that isn't fair to Summer Rae. Even if some divas these days can still get by with their looks alone, how can they when they are not featured on a consistent basis? Character development also helps.

I would hope this current angle leads to something consistent for Summer Rae. This adds some creative depth to the diva division. Not counting this storyline, what else is going on outside of the main diva angle involving The Bellas? NXT does not count. Nothing else is really going on. This storyline helps to make the diva division more interesting.

One fear I had for a while was that the WWE would just end up pairing Lana and Rusev back up. They would just turn back the clock and go back to what they had before. Problem is, Rusev is no longer featured as well as he once was. That would hurt the pairing. But with Summer Rae in the picture, I am more hopeful that the WWE isn't just building back to put Lana back with Rusev. He does not need Lana back. If the WWE wants him to have a manager so much, use Summer Rae. As for Lana, she has options. She can stick with Ziggler. She can move on to another guy. She can one day be an authority figure. And she may one day go back to Rusev. I am just glad that might not be anytime too soon.

Why Lana And Not Summer Rae?

Lana looks like she's being paired with Dolph Ziggler. Not what I would consider a "big push" for her, as rumors were saying. Nevertheless, it is a smooth transition from a good position she had with Rusev to another position with a solid performer.

That is more than you can say for another blonde. How about Summer Rae? Last year around this time, I was thinking they might start giving her a good push. Didn't really happen. Much like Lana, she has gotten periphery usage. She was dancing alongside Fandango. That transitioned to an angle with Layla, which didn't really go anywhere. She was last seen involved with Miz and Sandow. Lana doesn't even wrestle and she is in a better spot than Summer Rae.

Why Summer Rae is not being pushed as well as Lana isn't even the question I want to talk about. Why is it that Lana was able to connect so well with the fans and Summer Rae hasn't really been able to? They do have things in common. They are blonde periphery divas. Lana can go away for a few weeks and fans start chanting for her. Summer Rae has also missed some time, but no one seemed to care too much. Why this difference in overness?

First, the way these two women have been pushed definitely is part of it. Neither of them has been pushed as the centerpiece of the diva division. Neither of them has been pushed as a jobber to the centerpiece or interim centerpiece. They have both been pretty much periphery divas during this dark age. But Lana has been pushed better. She has been paired with a guy that has been pushed better. Rusev had a long undefeated streak. He won the United States Championship. He had defeated several former World Champions. And Lana was along for the ride the whole time. Meanwhile, Summer Rae was stuck working with Fandango. He wasn't going anywhere. Her angle with Layla didn't go anywhere. Getting involved with Miz was her first real shot to do something that mattered, but then Miz goes to make another movie. Dolph Ziggler, despite being popular, is someone I would consider a step down from how well Rusev was pushed in the past year. But even he is better than anything Summer Rae has gotten. And if the sun is setting on Rusev, then pairing Ziggler with Lana definitely is a good choice.

Aside from how they have been pushed and the individuals they have been paired with, look at the women themselves. Look at the kind of performers they are. Wrestling ability is obviously not comparable. Is Lana hotter than Summer Rae? I think so. Looking around, I think a lot of other fans have that belief. That is definitely part of why she got over. Summer Rae isn't ugly, but Lana just seems sexier. Then there is character and overall charisma. Lana is in a position where she frequently gets mic time. She has a unique character that people can be drawn to and she plays it well. Summer Rae never got most of that for the bulk of her run on the main roster. She was a dancer. A lot of divas have been utilized that way. Unless you are stripping on ECW like Kelly Kelly, it is not too interesting. But that is where your own charisma has to take over and shine. And Summer Rae has just come off as too generic. I could have probably compared her to Michelle McCool. Lana is what an eye-candy periphery diva is supposed to be. She has the sex appeal and the kind of personality to get very over.

I wouldn't say Lana is someone that really got over against the status quo of the diva division. I am not taking anything away from her getting over. I just want to point out that the diva division is built on women like her. Yes, she was a heel that got cheered, but she was being pushed well and the WWE is running with her. If she really got over against the grain, they would not have done that so easily. Until she starts wrestling, no need to consider whether she is the next centerpiece. I doubt Summer Rae is in the running for that. But the success of Lana might give the WWE some motivation to keep that status quo going. Is that a good thing? Probably not.

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.

Brie Bella Vs. Stephanie McMahon At Summerslam

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Paige Vs. Alicia Fox & The Rise Of Summer Rae

Alicia Fox will be getting a title shot against Paige at Payback. This "feud" has been the opposite of what you had between Paige and Tamina. Paige was being featured regularly, but Tamina was not being developed very well at all. This time around, Alicia Fox has had a ton of creative interest on her and it is Paige that is just there. Not good.

What they are doing here is not good for Paige at all. Alicia Fox has a crazy gimmick. Mickie James had a psycho gimmick. But Mickie's psycho gimmick was tied to a storyline with Trish Stratus. The storyline started with Mickie James putting over how great Trish Stratus was. She idolized her. It went on to Mickie annoying Trish Stratus. Trish tried to be nice about it and handle it the right way, and it was Mickie that ended up turning on Trish. The character then turned to a psychotic threat that Trish would have eventually overcome. But Trish got injured and retired soon after. The whole storyline was really for the benefit of Trish, much like many storylines involving the centerpiece are meant to benefit the top star, not really the one being used to put over the top star.

What you have with Alicia Fox and Paige is nothing like what you had with Mickie James and Trish Stratus. Alicia is not putting over how great Paige is. The storyline does not really involve Paige at all, aside from the fact that Alicia is getting a title shot. And they don't seem to be developing Alicia to be a character Paige has to overcome. I am talking about the gimmick. As a contender, Paige might likely overcome Alicia. But the gimmick Alicia Fox has just seems pointless for Paige's benefit. I understand they don't want Paige as the centerpiece, but this just seems like a creative burial. Not blaming the writers.

I don't want to make it seem like I don't want Alicia Fox to get over. This gimmick can definitely get her over. I just don't think they really want her over and will push her with the consistency they would a diva they want over. They have already shown that Alicia Fox is a credible jobber to them. She was doing almost nothing meaningful for years before this recent gimmick and push. I am not convinced they will be consistent with her with star treatment. And her act kind of takes a lot. Not only do you devote time to her matches, but for the aftermath where her gimmick really shines. She needs people to work off of and victimize. I cannot imagine the WWE continuing this for long.

While center stage features a title feud between two credible jobbers during this dark age, on the periphery of that is what just might be the rise of the centerpiece that will end this dark age. I guess Summer Rae coming back to make out with Fandango and having a catfight with Layla is the PG equivalent of Sable powerbombing Marc Mero. Summer Rae has a ton of creative investment on her recently. Her issues on Total Divas are branching out to storylines on the actual wrestling shows. Her issues with Fandango and Layla are not over. They are really trying with this woman. She fits as the kind of diva they would want as the centerpiece. She is getting the kind of creative interest they would give a centerpiece prior to pulling the trigger on her. Consistency? Unless she flops, I think they will be consistent with her. Hype? That will come after she wins the title.

Let me go back to the beginning. Alicia Fox will be getting a title shot against Paige at Payback. Who wins? I think a lot of it depends on how quickly the WWE wants to pull the trigger on Summer Rae and whether she will be a face or a heel. Right now, they can go either way with her. If she is a face, it would make sense to put the title on heel Alicia Fox. If she is a heel, Paige should keep the title. Just ignoring Summer Rae, there is a lot of creative interest on Alicia Fox. And the WWE has shown that Paige is not a top priority. On the other side of that, Paige's title reign just started last month and I don't see a need to give it to Alicia Fox. I would say Paige retains and eventually feuds against a heel Summer Rae.

State Of The WWE Diva Division: April 2014

After AJ Lee retained the title at Wrestlemania, I was thinking about once again bringing up Ivory's title reigns during the first dark age. I was going to argue why Ivory was not really the centerpiece of the diva division back then and why you should not consider AJ Lee the centerpiece now. I do not think I need to do that right now.

Paige made a sudden debut on Raw this week and ended the longest reign with the butterfly title any diva has ever had. That was a shocker. The feud between Paige and AJ Lee is obviously just beginning, but this is where you will start to see whether or not the WWE is serious about developing AJ Lee as the centerpiece or she will be shipped back into periphery angles. One push or one title reign does not make you the centerpiece. Since her feud with Kaitlyn, the WWE had not developed one good feud for AJ Lee. All her feuds were about inserting a ton of momentum into a challenger, having AJ retain, and moving on. Even her feud with Kaitlyn was also an extension of periphery matters, AJ's breakup with Dolph Ziggler and Big E getting involved. If the WWE is serious about developing AJ Lee as the central focus of the diva division, this is a perfect opportunity to develop a credible jobber to put her over. That credible jobber would be Paige.

Some fans seem to already be acting like Paige is the best thing ever in the diva division. They are already moving on from AJ. You have to love these neckbeards. Do I think the WWE will phase AJ out and start giving Paige the type of push AJ had a few years ago? No to both of those ideas. This is not the end of AJ Lee and I do not expect Paige to get a hard push in the periphery. If anything, it's beginning to look a little more like the first dark age. Emma and Paige have both debuted this year. The WWE might be going back to once again utilizing actual female wrestlers more as credible jobbers. Although some fans may be very excited about recent developments, I am not convinced the agenda that makes the diva division what it is is over yet.

After Paige did win the title, I did a little thinking ahead. Assuming they didn't just do this to cause some buzz and will be dumping the title back on AJ Lee, who is likely to take the title off face Paige? I am thinking heel Summer Rae. And a day after Paige won the title, the WWE did something with Summer Rae. They had her split with Fandango. That makes me believe even more that they are preparing her for her solo career. But what a horrible way to do it. On Twitter? This is the woman they could try to develop to be their new centerpiece. You should be doing things to really help this woman get over. I have said before that relying on Total Divas to do it will not work. It does not get as many viewers as Raw. And now you run an angle on Twitter for something that should be getting segments on Raw or Smackdown? Fandango has moved on to Layla as his dancer. You would hope that Summer Rae still gets some kind of feud against them, but that does not seem to be happening right now. You look at some of the storylines past centerpieces of the diva division have had. Sable stood up to Marc Mero. Trish Stratus stood up to Vince McMahon. These are storylines that help to build the character of these eye-candy divas and help to connect them more with the fans. Even AJ Lee got some of that, even though she remained a top periphery diva. Of course, doing it like that might make Summer Rae a face. They might not want to do that or turn Fandango face. But a simple Twitter angle is so dull. Another sign of what to expect out of the Reality Era? Fact is, with some kind of creative interest being put into Summer Rae, a woman who fits with the classic image the WWE wants in their centerpiece, I am not ready to believe the WWE is changing into a direction that is truly favorable to female wrestlers. If anything, it's beginning to look a lot like 2000. You have your top periphery diva in AJ Lee (Lita/Chyna), your possible future centerpiece in Summer Rae (Trish Stratus), and a credible jobber in Paige (Ivory/Jackie/Molly Holly).

Aside from the few women I just spoke a lot about, the rest of the division just seems buried. You had all those women getting a shot at the title at Wrestlemania. None of them did it. The next night, Paige does it in an instant. I am not implying AJ Lee buried them. The WWE is the one not developing great angles for them. Emma is still with Santino and Layla is now with Fandango, but it is only a matter of time before those two guys are lost in the shuffle again. And their divas will likely go with them. And that endless feud between Santino and Fandango is not exactly exciting. That lack of creative depth is still there. You had the opposite in recent years. The woman holding the title would sometimes not be getting anything meaningful to do, but you had interesting angles in the periphery with AJ Lee. Now, all the attention is around the title matters, but you have a boring periphery. When will things balance out?

Wrestlemania XXX Preview: Assorted Thoughts

The Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal is a nice idea. The WWE was going to have some multi-man match to put guys on the card they couldn't build proper feuds for, anyway, so doing it like this makes it seem like more of a big deal. And you would want big deals at Wrestlemania XXX. Battle royals where nothing is on the line just seem so worthless to me. A trophy is on the line. It may seem meaningless, but I like it. I am one of those guys that wouldn't mind seeing King of the Ring make a return. Those kind of things are fun. I want to see something that grants an honor besides a guaranteed title shot. The Royal Rumble is important because the winner gets a title shot at Wrestlemania. The guy that wins Money in the Bank gets a title shot whenever he wants. Those things aren't honors in themselves. Tournaments and battle royals like this can make things more interesting outside of the major title matters. Moreover, it has gotten some good development in the past few weeks.

Who wins? Big Show definitely is a favorite to win. Miz has never been beaten on the Wrestlemania PPV. Then again, he can get tossed out and the WWE can still sell it as him never having been pinned or made to submit. It can be a big push for Rusev to get that big win at Wrestlemania. Sheamus is also a good possibility. Jinder Mahal? No, probably not Jinder Mahal. You might also get some surprise entrants. Out of the people I have named, I think Miz might win it. It would give him back some momentum and give him something to brag about. In case you haven't noticed, he's a heel again.

This multi-diva match for the Diva's Championship is something I don't like. For years now, if they haven't relied on tossing a bunch of divas together, they have relied on celebrities. Or a mixture of that. And this is the first time the title will be defended at the big event. You would hope it would be something special. It will be a special moment for the diva that wins, but I am talking about the build of the match. This match has just been tossed together because of something AJ Lee said about Vickie Guerrero. Vickie Guerrero wasn't even relevant before that! Even though I don't like it, I expected it. People actually thought AJ Lee vs. Naomi was something they would actually develop for Wrestlemania? Not likely. Not only does it not follow the recent trend of what happens to the divas at Wrestlemania, that match just didn't have a big feel to it.

This match they are running with does not even have a big feel to it. AJ Lee? You can call her queen bee. This match is really centered around her. All the other divas are targeting her. Vickie Guerrero is targeting her. Is AJ Lee face or heel?  She continues to be the best-pushed diva of this dark age. She has better creative interest on her than anyone else heading into the match. I would expect her to win. Fans despise Vickie Guerrero more than heel AJ. The classic moment of Vickie raging over AJ Lee overcoming the odds seems likely.

How about Summer Rae? I could talk about Brie Bella, Naomi, Natalya, or any other diva. What does it mean that Summer Rae had a match on Raw and won it? I have said for a while that she is the likely candidate to follow in the line of Sable, Trish Stratus, and Michelle McCool. She seems to be breaking out on her own even more. Putting her on Total Divas is an easy way to give her some creative interest. Of course, that show gets less than half the viewers Raw gets. It would be smarter to develop her on Raw. And they did a little bit of that this week. Not only was there a match, but they aired footage of the Total Divas segment that set up this match. When Total Divas can lead to more depth in the diva division, it's good. But I think this is about more than just adding more to talk about in the diva division. They want to groom their new centerpiece. Are they ready to pull the trigger and give Summer Rae the title? I still think AJ is likely to retain, but Summer Rae winning would not be that shocking. Transfer AJ back into periphery angles by have her feud with Vickie Guerrero.

Let me go back to a question I asked many weeks ago. Over or under? Will Wrestlemania XXX get over or under a million buys? The last three Wrestlemanias all had over a million buys. The last three Wrestlemanias also had The Rock. Before that, Wrestlemania had 885,000 buys in 2010. I got my numbers from here. Can the WWE keep the ball rolling?

It all comes down to how well the WWE has created hype for the event in the last few weeks. No Rock, but Hulk Hogan has been around. You can expect Austin and other top stars of the past to also be there, but there has been no big hype for them. Just looking at the actual feuds, I don't think the WWE has created something epic that can draw in viewers outside of the regular wrestling fan audience. The Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal is nice, but I don't think it is a big draw. Cena's feud with Bray Wyatt has led to some interesting promos, but it is no big deal. The Undertaker vs. Brock Lesnar match does not have that big feel to it, in terms of how they have developed it. The Daniel Bryan saga has become epic, but I don't believe it will be enough to draw the interest of casual fans. The other matches are not worth mentioning. And I doubt the possibility of a surprise return from CM Punk will do much. Raw ratings have been pretty mediocre in the last few weeks. That doesn't mean Wrestlemania won't get a lot of buys, but it is one indicator that the WWE has not created great hype to get fans to tune in for Raw. If you can't do that, how much can you expect when trying to get fans to spend money for the biggest PPV of the year?

How will the WWE Network impact things? People that are subscribing to that will automatically get Wrestlemania. But how many people actually have it? From the few polls I have come across, the majority of fans will be watching the event through the WWE Network. Looking at some of those results, you might think a lot of people have subscribed and a lot of people will be watching Wrestlemania. Just keep in mind that these are wrestling fans voting on these polls. They don't represent other types of fans that will really influence how many viewers Wrestlemania gets. But it is obvious that there will be less people spending money to buy the PPV because they can watch it through the WWE Network.

This is Wrestlemania XXX. You would expect great buyrates for it. Wrestlemania 25 got less than a million buys. And I think this year's Wrestlemania will see a decline from last year. Just to allow a little leeway for people watching on the WWE Network, I would say 900,000 PPV buys would still be great. I am not too sure they will even get there. They have not created great hype.

The Rise Of Emma?

The WWE shrugged off the crowd and CM Punk did not return. You ever read reports of morale being down in TNA? The WWE's victory last night had to be a morale killer for a lot of fans. Was that the best the fans could do? It didn't seem to make a huge impact. In any case, moving on to diva matters.

Title matters aren't worth talking about right now. The spotlight is on the periphery matters between Emma and Summer Rae. Summer Rae and her sidekick have been feuding with Emma and Santino. Is this the rise of Emma? She has a gimmick and is being allowed to run with it. Of course, what will really decide things is how the WWE follows through with her. And it doesn't help that the WWE has been very inconsistent with the diva division recently. Personally, I get the feeling she will end up like Jillian Hall. She has a comedy gimmick. Will it get her over? Does it matter? They will most likely be able to bury her very easily, should she get more over than they want her to be.

I believe this is all really for the benefit of Summer Rae. I have said before that she is the kind of diva they like to develop as their centerpiece for the diva division. Outside of title matters, the WWE has been very inconsistent with periphery angles. Nevertheless, it seems like Summer Rae has benefited the most in terms of being featured in these periphery feuds. She teamed with Fandango to go against Natalya and whomever her partner was at the time. I don't think this is all just random booking. Even The Bellas, two women many accuse of sleeping their way to the top, have not gotten even good usage in the periphery in recent months. They get random and inconsistent treatment. Filler. There have been actual feuds involved for Summer Rae, even if it was just a mediocre feud against Tyson Kidd and Natalya. If I had to pick which of the two out of Emma and Summer Rae is likely to be pushed well by the WWE in coming months, I would stick with Summer Rae.

When you analyze, you have to look at what is actually there, not for what you want to see. I always talk about looking for who is being pushed with great consistency, hype, and creative interest to understand whom the WWE wants to be their stars in the division. Well, no one is being pushed very well. What do you do? Look at what is actually going on. Who is being pushed better in relation to the rest? You have to stop and think about why you are not seeing what you would usually go by to figure things out. You are in the worst dark age the diva division has ever had. Issues in the men's division are also impacting the diva division. You don't need special backstage sources to tell you this stuff.

State Of The WWE Diva Division: January 2014

The diva division is the worse it has ever been. How many times have I said that? It just seems to get worse. I wondered at one time how much failure the WWE could take before they really lost it, but I really didn't think it could get this bad.

First, compare this time of year to the same time last year. January 2013 was when the WWE's last attempt to create a centerpiece did not work out. Eve left them prior to getting as over as a centerpiece should be. The WWE then pushed Kaitlyn as interim centerpiece. But the reason one year ago was not as bad as right now is that they had AJ Lee getting an interesting angle in the periphery. You had more than one thing going on. You had AJ Lee working with Dolph Ziggler, title matters, even though they were poorly developed, and The Bellas soon returned to at least start something to talk about. Right now, AJ Lee is the Diva's Champion. No diva is really getting any interesting periphery angles. Title matters are getting stale. Is the WWE planning to debut someone or have a diva return in the coming weeks? Because you have even less interesting angles going on right now than you did last year, I would say right now is worse than last year.

Let me talk about AJ Lee with the title. There is a good chance that she may beat Maryse's record for longest run with the Diva's Championship. Does it really matter? Is it helping the overall division? Is it really even helping AJ to stay looking interesting. AJ fans may love it, but I don't think this is that great. I may not be a fan of AJ Lee, but that does not mean I don't want to see her used right. If you are an AJ fan, let me ask you a question. Would you rather she get a long title reign and be treated boringly or be pushed in an entertaining manner, regardless of title reign? If you asked me that same question about Mickie James, I would definitely have chosen the latter. I remember feeling since all the way back to my diva blog prior to this one that I would like the WWE to push Mickie James a little more like Lita. Give her some great storylines alongside main-eventers. She never got one angle alongside the men that even ended properly. Now that I am more of an analyst of the diva division than I was back then, I realize it was because they were too focused on recreating an eye-candy centerpiece. That is why they didn't do that for Mickie, or any other female wrestler at that time. Moving back to AJ, she is not doing anything too interesting right now. Even her recent title feud with Natalya was not too interesting. The last thing the WWE did with her that was really interesting was that promo on Raw against the divas on Total Divas. What have they really done with her since then that is great? Is this a sign that AJ Lee is going down the path of Mickie James? I wouldn't say that. This is more of a sign that the WWE is just out of gas.

This is what you get for putting all your eggs in one basket, especially in a situation as precarious as this. Things are very bad now. They have been for years. The one woman you were pushing interestingly a year ago is being pushed mediocrely now, and you can still argue that she is getting pushed better than anyone else in the diva division right now. I think it would be best if AJ Lee lost the title. I am not against her having a long title reign. I don't care whether she loses it before or after breaking the record. But once she loses the title, because this is someone the WWE actually wants to feature, there is a good chance of her getting another angle in the periphery. While that is going on, you have someone else with the title going through opponents. It would be basically like turning back the clock to a year ago. You will still have issues in the diva division, but at least AJ Lee would be utilized better and other women might be more relevant.

And as I am writing this blog entry, I happen to stop by the message board I frequent the most and see that Kaitlyn is no longer with the WWE. Okay, I wasn't exactly prepared to talk about that now, but I guess I should. Kaitlyn was utilized as a credible jobber. After her filler run with the title, they didn't use her properly for anything. That is more depth in the diva division that is lost. Should they have treated her better? She was not amazing in the ring, but she was improving. And she was connecting well with the fans. She wasn't over enough to cause people to really scrutinize why she was not being pushed better, but the fact that she did connect as well as she did despite the mediocre treatment is worth mentioning. I would say she was one of those divas they should have pushed better to add more creative depth to the division.

How is Summer Rae doing? Of the women on the roster, she is still the best choice to eventually be pushed as centerpiece. Since her mini-feud against Natalya, she has done things here and there, but nothing huge. Fandango is also in the midst of inconsistent treatment, so Summer Rae will not benefit from any great periphery angles. But I still expect her to eventually split from Fandango and be pushed more regularly in the diva division.

With Kaitlyn gone, that might make some fans even more eager for the debut of Paige. She is a female wrestler. You look at the success AJ Lee has had and that might make you excited for Paige. Keep in mind that the WWE developed AJ Lee as a periphery diva at a time when they were giving up on the woman they were pushing as centerpiece, Kelly Kelly, and developing another woman in the periphery that went on to be the next centerpiece, Eve. They had more momentum then than now. And given their recent lack of interest to develop more than one diva properly at a time, where would it leave AJ Lee if they did want to develop Paige as a success? Unless they plan to stop running an agenda focused on eye-candy divas, and there are a lot of those women still in NXT, I don't see why the WWE would want to develop two female wrestlers as periphery divas right now. They did that kind of thing during the first dark age, but that dark age was better than this one. I cannot picture great things for Paige if she debuts. It is not that I don't want her to debut. I just do not think they will use her properly.

Let me end it the way I started. This is the worst the diva division has ever been. Respectability is not there, they are not efficient, obviously not productive, lack of depth creatively and in the roster, inability to properly push women they do want over, and I'm sure they are only five seconds from booking Jinder Mahal to win the Diva's Championship. Problems just get poured onto problems. I don't see how things can get worse. I'm sure the WWE will surprise me.

Summer Rae Gets Her Feet Wet and The Devil Made Him Do It

The issue the WWE had in the diva division recently was not developing a variety of diva angles outside of just the title matters. I thought they should get the title off AJ and move her onto another angle, which would lead to both AJ and Brie Bella getting separate angles. The WWE didn't go that route, but they did make a good move.

Summer Rae and Mr. Summer Rae have recently entered a little feud with The Great Khali and Natalya. This is Summer Rae's first real diva feud since debuting alongside Fandango. Considering this is a woman they may eventually want to develop as the centerpiece, it was bound to happen sooner or later that she would get a diva feud.

I wouldn't say things will now skyrocket for Summer Rae. This has not exactly been too serious of a feud. But if they like what they see, they may eventually start pushing her in the diva division more consistently. She will eventually ditch Fandango. Will they give her an even bigger angle in the periphery? That is something to look out for. They may want to actually get her over as more than just a beautiful woman prior to tossing the title at her.

Let's do a little comparison to the first dark age of the diva division. To whom would I compare Summer Rae and Natalya? Summer Rae is obviously comparable to Trish Stratus. Some people might want to smack me for comparing the greatest diva ever to a woman that dances around Fandango. Keep in mind Trish debuted as a valet/manager during the first dark age. She was a periphery eye-candy diva. That is what Summer Rae is now. Just like Trish developed her wrestling ability, so will Summer Rae. What about Natalya? I would say she is comparable to Molly Holly. During the first dark age, Molly Holly benefited from getting angles in the periphery. She was alongside Hardcore Holly & Crash Holly, had a romance angle with Spike Dudley, and ended up with Hurricane Helms. Once the dark age ended, they did not remain consistent with her in the periphery and she was used as a credible jobber. During this dark age, Natalya has been alongside The Great Khali. He has not exactly been pushed too well, but you have at least seen Natalya on TV more often than if she had not gotten this angle. Prior to this dark age, Natalya has been pushed as a credible jobber. Even though she was a part of The Hart Dynasty, she has never been developed to be a periphery diva. Being a periphery diva means you are actually being developed or featured in the periphery to be a star, not just paired with the guys for a few months, then phased out. And of course, Natalya has been a part of the extracurricular activity that is Total Divas. You can say that Natalya has been treated worse than Molly Holly during their respective time in the dark ages, but you can say she is treated a little better in some ways. In the end, I would say the two women are comparable. Molly Holly just seemed to benefit from a stronger midcard back then that is not here now.

This has been a busy week, so I am going to cover another topic today. How about that Bray Wyatt? I am not going to say too much about Kane, which will definitely be a topic for another day, but if they were willing to repackage him now, why not do it as part of his storyline with Bray Wyatt? That is what a lot of people were anticipating and wanted to see how it would turn out.

His angle with Kane seems done. His feud with Miz seems like it may not go anywhere. On Raw, they had The Wyatts attack both Daniel Bryan and CM Punk. Daniel Bryan is coming off that feud against The Authority. CM Punk looks to be just about done with Paul Heyman. Why just randomly go in this direction? I hardly believe an injury to Curtis Axel caused them to shift everything around like this. Daniel Bryan has an obvious reason to still be involved in the main storyline because of what Shawn Michaels did to him. I don't like CM Punk's feud with Heyman ending here. Even if they did want to split Kane away from The Wyatts, why not have Wyatt just continue feuding with Miz? As the sun seems to be setting on The Shield, which look to be having some friction, enter The Wyatts to be henchmen that randomly attack different people?

I would say this is another example of overshadowing. The larger corporate angle has been making it difficult to keep other storylines and feuds going at an interesting level. That corporate angle looks to have stolen Kane. And "The Devil" made Wyatt do it? If it turns out The Wyatts are soon going to be used as henchmen for The Authority, which would be stupid due to their weird gimmick, that is just more overshadowing. Is all this just to set up a Survivor Series tag match? Whatever the case may be, I am back to not having high hopes for The Wyatts.