In this addition: Charlotte generates heat, we get a WrestleMania triple-threat (but could it be a 4-way maybe?) and how a reality show actually got someone my respect for the first time ever!
As I expected, the Divas at Fastlane had the memorable match with Becky Lynch and Sasha Banks vs. Team B.A.D., and a so-so Divas Title bout between Charlotte and Brie Bella. The latter bout, however did solidify Charlotte's bitch goddess status with the audience.
(Charlotte puts the squeeze on Brie Bella en route to her Fastlane victory. Source: WWE Network)
The match was technically adequate and Charlotte, as predicted, carried the weight of the storytelling en route to a figure 8 submission win where Brie, for no apparent reason could find the ropes right next to her. That faux pas was forgotten, however once Charlotte backed smugly up the ramp with her proud papa, mockingly doing a "yes" chant as Brie was on her knees feeling the gravity of her ultimate defeat. Maybe it's just cheap heat, but on road to WrestleMania, this was an important step for the Nature Girl as she is taking a much more proactive role in angering the fans. Her heel turn was a smart move to use backlash to WWE's advantage and to keep her character viable after not taking the time to flesh out her personality beyond "Woooo!" She has taken her antagonism of her fellow divas to another level as illustrated when Becky Lynch and Sasha Banks vied for the #1 contender slot and the coveted title match at WrestleMania.
(The Boss and Becky were unstoppable and opened the show right at Fastlane against Team B.A.D. Source: @BeckyLynchWWE twitter)
Team B.A.D. vs. the ad hoc alliance of The Lass Kicker and The Boss opened Fastlane and set a great tone for the rest of the show. More importantly for the Diva's division, Becky Lynch came out of the contest looking strong, building upon her raw connection with the audience. Sasha Banks at this point is more tweener than baby face. The adoration of the masses going her way is the inverse of the backlash that Charlotte faced. Banks came off red hot matches with Bayley, had a ton of it factor and a cemented character that walked big, talked big and wrestled big, but the storyline kept her inexplicably small as the Diva's revolution unfolded. Fans demanded more of what they were seeing in her, just as they refused to cheer on someone who, while a great technical wrestler and outstanding presence, was reduced to a catchphrase and the famous WWE hard sell to like it or lump it. Banks’ actual behavior is really very heel-like and hasn't changed much. This makes it more important than ever for Becky Lynch to capitalize on being the only true baby face the fans are embracing in the Divas division right now.
(Adversaries once more: Lynch and Banks fight for control during their second #1 contender's match on the 3/3 edition of Smackdown. Source: WWE.com)
WWE is booking with that mindset in light of Charlotte ramming Lynch into the barricade then making Banks kiss the floor hard with an exploder suplex. With the second bout between them ruled a draw as well as the first, Charlotte reaps what she sows with her interference and must face both at WrestleMania 32. This was far from a huge surprise, but one could see WWE passing on Lynch for WrestleMania simply because Becky is only red hot and not a blazing supernova like Sasha Banks. With Becky joining the fray at the Show of Shows it's not hard to imagine all three women bringing the same intensity they did with their landmark matches in NXT. It's good to see these talented, beautiful and truly strong women get their due, but I've also found as I poured over WWE content for this edition of the Dish, there's another I can view in a more positive light after watching, of all things, Total Divas.
(Hustle, loyalty and smooches. Nikki Bella's significant other John Cena at her bedside soon after her surgery)
Nikki Bella has been out of action since the end of January following surgery on a herniated disc in her neck. I'm not unsympathetic to her injury, as I have suffered back and neck trouble but was fortunate enough to avoid surgery, although I felt compelled to hang up playing college football as a result. Still, beyond feeling basic sympathy for another human being living with pain, her injury was just another part of the news feed and a mixed blessing for me as a fan since that meant the new Divas on the main roster would be able to prove themselves without having the Bellas forced into their storylines unnecessarily. That changed when I watched a recent episode of Total Divas when the cameras were on Nikki as she was coping with a serious injury for the first time.
I recalled the back spasms I once had as she described them. I saw how she was in too much pain to meet a fork halfway to her mouth at dinner and how she seemed to wish she wasn't on TV at all as she asked John to massage the base of her neck. I watched her dealing with the realization she was too hurt to even work out before going to Cena's favorite neurosurgeon. I saw the look on her face and could imagine what was going on within her mind as the Doctor administered injections to alleviate the muscle tension around her vertebrae. It's hard watching someone realize for the first time the warranty on her body expired. Beyond the bullshit context of the reality show this was set in, looking past the canned drama, this is all apparent, and that her choices to up the entertainment factor of her matches was a major reason.
(Nikki sets up AJ Lee for the rack attack. Source: Tumblr)
Sure, it’s hard to imagine the politics of romance, the pragmatism of reality show ratings and the general porntastic nature of being one half of a set of totally hot twins not factoring into them being forced into every meaningful Diva feud over the years. Yeah, the Jerry Springer stuff should have been a separate feud from Paige's and AJ's title feud a couple years ago. Yeah, Total Divas did set the women's division back until the big call up of Lynch, Charlotte and Banks. This hasn't changed. What has changed is that Nikki Bella has shown that she really does love professional wrestling.
(While she shouldn't have been pushed upon the fan base as a great champion, the Divas division would be minus a solid heel personality in Nikki Bella. Source: WWE.com)
The rack attack has been her finisher up until she was diagnosed with her injury. This probably wasn't such a good idea for a small, if strong, woman to do working 300 days a year. There is no doubt that it gave her character an edge and a certain menacing quality in light of that fact she was notably green in the ring compared to the likes of AJ Lee, Paige, and the current Divas in the spotlight. Holding another woman on her shoulders as she dropped to her knees on the mat, the opponent's weights coming right down with her – on top of her upper shoulders and the base of her neck.
(While Nikki gets credit for significant improvement in the ring over the last three years, NXT women like Carmella and Alexa Bliss have reached that level in barely two years. But that's not the point... Source: WWE.com)
Yeah, she probably has the record for longest reigning Diva's Champion just to give CM Punk and his wife AJ Lee the finger. And yes, there have been plenty of times we were basically ordered by WWE to like her character when there was nothing especially likable about her, twin magic or much of anything she did in the ring.
Finally, let's not forget how hard it is not to vomit when we've heard fan boys gush over her improvement in the ring when even 1 is better than zero. There are women who have been in NXT barely two years like Carmella and Alexa Bliss who started just as green and are already at Nikki's level. Forget all this.
(Nikki rack attacks Brie at WrestleMania 30. Source: WWE.com)
Nikki Bella actually loves what she does. She genuinely wants to be great at it. Sure, maybe she doesn't want to be the best technical wrestler who ever lived, but she wants to carve out a genuine legacy in WWE's world of sports entertainment – and she is willing to take the same risks all of those around her are. That is what has earned her the respect of this has-been former athlete who knows how it feels when the warranty on one's body has expired.
I'll still probably have plenty to rant about though upon her return as she's injected into an awful storylines . . . again . . .
Next time in the Dish we examine the potential fallout from a house show injury Charlotte suffered over the weekend, the continuing road to WrestleMania, how you're missing out on some great Diva action on WWE Superstars, and what Bayley, Asuka and the rest of the gang are up to leading into NXT Takeover: Dallas.
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