What’s up Diva fans and welcome to this week’s WWE Main Event Redux. Natalya gets chance to show off her new t-shirt this week as locks horns with someone who likes showing her lethal kneecaps off, Aksana. Will Aksana finally pick up that second win of 2014 or will Natalya clean up and make Aksana submit?
TO THE VIDEO!
Out first this week is Natalya, who models her first ever WWE t-shirt before ripping it off and posing with members of the crowd, including a very eager little boy who decided to have a grab of Nattie’s left breasticle. HOW VERY DARE HE! After a promo for Total Divas, we return to the arena and Aksana’s saxophone song is polluting beaming across the building. Alicia Fox accompanies her… to the top of the ramp before deciding to let her Foxsana partner go it alone. Is it just me or did Foxsana look like a tangerine and a plum stood up there together? Sadly, Alicia leaves and we’re only going to get to see 2 of our 5 a day fruits battle it out as the Scary Plum faces off against everyone’s favorite sour Pink Grapefruit.
The match begins with a lock-up before Aksana pushes Natalya away and slaps her on the behind. Nattie is flabbergasted and hits a headlock takeover before shoulder blocking Aksana down once the girls made it back to their feet. Tal flips over Aksana and then applies a waistlock, which Aksana breaks out of thanks to a rope break. Aksana is trapped in Natalya’s grasp again as it looks like it’s Sharpshooter time, yet Aksana breaks the move up at the ropes yet again.
Aksana tussles back in a big way, draping Nattie over the top rope. Aksana continues her assault with a clothesline and she hopes it can bag her the win, yet it doesn’t. After a pair of elbow drops, Aksana shines up her knee and digs it into Nattie’s back. The ‘Lithunian Lovely’ then yanks at Natalya’s arm with a keylock. Natalya eventually elbows out yet she’s taken back down by Aksana’s lethal knee! After all that weeing on Total Divas coupled with Aksana’s knee’s reputation, a trip to the toilet may be in order Natalya!
After a cover, Aksana elbows Natalya’s neck and locks in a chinlock. Aksana taunts the crowd whilst raking Natalya’s face and the former Divas Champion is grimacing with pain. The WWE Universe get behind Nattie and she manages to throw Aksana from off of her. The pair both the run towards each other and collide, double crossbody style and the ref begins his 10 count.
Both women reach a vertical base and it’s Natalya who capitalizes first, dodging an attack from Aksana and slapping the taste of shovels out of her mouth. Following successive suplexes, Nattie hits a snapmare and basement dropkick combination to get a near fall. The pair reverse one another’s moves leading up to Aksana hitting a facecrusher for two. The back and forth nature of the match continues as Natalya gets a two count with a schoolgirl yet Aksana rebounds right back with a neckbreaker for two.
Aksana hoists Natalya up for a scoop slam yet Natalya floats over her and then rolls under her and it looks like she’s going to try and get another roll-up. Natalya changes tactic though and aims to lock the Sharpshooter in! To my surprise, Aksana shows great tenacity and rolls up Natalya in a small package for two, which she finishes off nicely with a rough knee to the stomach. Aksana then tries to hit her ‘Eye of the Hurricane’ move which I’m going to call the ‘Six Feet Under’ (I’m referencing Aksana’s NXT Season 3 obsession with shovels again) yet Natalya pushes her off and wallops her with a clothesline… which is STILL not enough!
After an Irish whip reversal, Aksana slams Natalya hard with a sloppy looking Divo Drop, yet Natalya still stays alive! Aksana’s short fuse begins to make it’s presence felt as she ponders what more she has to do to put Nattie away. Maybe hit the move again but more effectively this time? Aksana doesn’t listen to my advice and instead launches an attempt to annoy me by doing her sexy crawl. And by attempt, I mean she has succeeded in getting under my skin! Aksana looks to kick Nattie’s orbital socket in two yet Natalya grabs Aksana’s leg and rolls onto her feet. It’s third time lucky for Natalya as she locks in the Sharpshooter and makes Aksana tap.
Thoughts: I may be in the minority, yet this match was good, yet not great. I loved the back and forth nature of the match and I was genuinely impressed with the stamina of both girls, yet something just was a little off for me. A lot of Aksana’s moves, particularly the Divo Drop, were not well executed. I know I have praised Cameron‘s ‘rough and ready’ in-ring style and said that it’s helped me get behind her, yet Aksana doesn’t have the same vibe for me. Moves can still look rough around the edges without being sloppy and sadly, Aksana veers towards the latter for me. I did however, enjoy the way she constantly tapped her knee and referenced her attack on Naomi.
Natalya sold all of Aksana’s onslaught very well and I like that she can sell being winded and out of breath really well. The sharp delivery of all her moves clearly shows that her stamina is top notch so it’s obvious she is acting and not just tired.
Overall, a very good attempt from both women. Weird that Alicia Fox didn’t stick around for the match and at least get thrown out midway, yet it was still an entertaining match and Aksana looked the best she has in a while.
And with that, stay tuned, Jack will be back!
