Hey Divas fans! I’m back from my holiday on Monday’s Raw Redux to give you the rundown on SmackDown. Raw gave us Divas Champion Charlotte getting a win over Brie Bella, Summer Rae getting her emancipation from Rusev and Paige telling off Renee Young after getting a series of grueling questions about Natalya‘s attack on SmackDown last week. On the last show before Hell in a Cell, how will the landscape of the Divas Division take form before Nikki Bella gets her rematch from Charlotte?
We kick things off with Paige in the ring with a microphone. We are taken to a video package of last week’s events where Paige made the save after Team Bella attacked Charlotte and Becky Lynch post-match and the trio finding Nattie attacked backstage. She says that there are accusations that she is the one behind the attack on Natalya. She denies doing the attack and nobody believes her but there are only two people who she cares about, Becky Lynch and Charlotte. She requests they come out so she can explain herself. Becky and Charlotte make their way to the ring looking thrilled to share the same air as Paige.
Paige thanks them for coming out and asks they hear he rout when Becky interrupts saying she needs to finish her empty. Paige says when PCB formed she was happy to see them on the main roster and that she meant it. Becky turns up ask the heat and ask did she meant it when she called her irrelevant and said Charlotte only got the title because of Ric Flair. She adds that after all Paige has said, how could anyone not think she attacked Natalya? Paige admits to some jealousy over Nattie tagging with them but in no way would she ever attack her she continues she is cut off by Charlotte.
Charlotte responds by saying she is trying her best to understand where Paige is coming from. She says Paige should know what it is like to win her first Divas Championship and all she wanted to do was share with her PCB teammates. She adds that it boils down to the fact that Paige doesn’t respect her and is upset that everything isn’t about her which explains her lack of understanding Paige. Charlotte emphasizes that her first title defense is in three days but Paige has made it all about herself…AGAIN!! And then we hear…..
“YOU CAN LOOK, BUT YOU CAN’T TOUCH!”
Team Bella is making their way to the ring as the Bella Twins have microphones and Alicia Fox has….her tutu. Nikki Bella starts with a “Boo Hoo” and recalls back to herself being the Divas Champion when Brie interrupts and adds the fact that Nikki Bella is the longest Divas Champion in history. They taunt over the stat and Nikki continues saying as a champion, nothing interfered with her focus. Brie chimes in and asks PCB if this is SmackDown or Pretty Little Liars (Asuka style: chuckle……chuckle…) she insults Charlotte by saying that’s what happens when a woman like her is holding the biggest prize in women’s wrestling.
Nikki expresses while Ms. Flair is dealing with Baby Bettlejuice (yes, say it three times, folks) , she is focused on winning back “her” Divas Championship. Charlotte claps back saying no matter how many times Nikki says it is her title, she is the Champion. She doesn’t wanna wait to Hell in a Cell. She wants a fight with Nikki right now. Paige jumps and says if Nikki wants to get to Charlotte, she’s gonna have to go through her first. Brie brings up the fact that Paige has lost to Nikki several times and Nikki responds by accepting the match. It is Nikki Bella vs Paige (in the best of 343502)!
After the commercial break, the bell sounds and the action is underway. Both Divas lock-up and Nikki’s power advantage shows as she rolls Paige through and taunts Charlotte with jumping jacks. The two lock-up again and Nikki bodyslams Paige and then Wooooo’s at Charlotte (ISH GOT REAL). Nikki reverses Paige’s attempt at a third lock-up when she hits her trademark kneebuster knocking down The Diva of Tomorrow. Nikki does a set of push-ups right in Charlotte’s face. Nikki is in control. She gets up and runs towards Paige who counters into an arm drag and follows up with a body slam of her own. She gives Nikki a headbutt and screams out “THIS IS MY HOUSE”! Nikki is trying to find refuge on the ropes and Paige takes the chance to hit her signature knees to the Fearless One. Paige tries to go for her short arm clotheslines but is counter into an Alabama Slam countered into a sunset flip and leads into a stand still. Paige quickly ends that with a knee to the face of Nikki. She goes for a cover and only gets two.
Paige takes Nikki to the corner and tries to attack but Nikki answers with a set of elbows. Nikki then delivers a swinging DDT to the arm of Paige. Nikki gets a near-fall on Paige and follows up arm wrenching her as we head to commercial.
We return from commercial to see Nikki Bella working the arm by slamming it into the mat. She gets up and walks over to Charlotte, talking more trash. She walks over to Paige and throws her into a corner. She leaves the ring and uses the rope for leverage as she pulls Paige’s arm and follows up by slamming the arm into the ground! Making things worse she throws Paige’s arm into the steel post. She poses to the crowd and then does it AGAIN! Nikki rolls back into the ring.
Nikki works on the arm some more before hitting a nasty looking arm whip. She places her foot on Paige and demands the referee count. Paige kicks out. She knees the arm of Paige a few times and places her into a standing armbar before grabbing a handful of extensions and throwing Paige to the mat. Then she circles around Paige before slamming her to the mat. She covers Paige but only gets two. Nikki takes her fustration out on the referee after the nearfall. She places Paige into another arm-based hold. Paige powers out throwing Nikki in to the corner and continues with a set of knee strikes. Nikki is groggy making her way to the center of the ring and then Paige Superkicks her. Paige goes for a pin and Nikki kicks out at two.
Paige tries to go for the PTO but Nikki hold the ropes. She pulls Paige’s tights into the rope and then attempts a roll-up. She only gets two. Nikki continues to add momentum by landing a beautiful Spinebuster. She makes thinking she’s won into a cover but Paige kicks out! Nikki is vexed asking “What does it take?”. Nikki sets Paige up for the Rack Attack but Paige reverses into a roll-up but only gets a two-count. The Divas get up and Paige goes for a clothesline, Nikki ducks and tries to attack Paige but gets caught in mid-air and Paige delivers a Fall-away slam. Paige goes for the cover but Nikki kicks out again! Both Divas are spent, taking their time to get up, when Paige tries to suplex, but Nikki counters into an inside cradle, only gaining a near-fall. Nikki follows up with an Alabama Slam that looks so devastating, it even took something out of Nikki. Nikki gets another near-fall over Paige. Nikki stalks Paige as she gets up setting up her signature forearm. Paige tries to reverse with a Superkick, but gets caught with the forearm anyway. This allows Nikki to hit the Rack Attack and get the pinfall victory over Paige. After her win Nikki and the rest of Team Bella gloat and rub it in Becky and Charlotte’s face.
Our last diva sighting was Summer Rae’s appearance on MizTV. We start things off with a clip from last week when Summer screwed over Rusev as a referee and the denial of a relationship from Dolph Ziggler. Ziggles comes out, tries to “shoot”, fails, same old stuff. Then The Miz brings out Summer Rae!
“CALL TO ME, CALL TO ME!” Summer Rae comes walking to the ring serving looks, fashion, and single and loving it realness! I live! The Miz welcomes her and says Summer Rae has had it the worse in this this whole ordeal (PREACH) and blames Dolph Ziggler strung her along and ruined SumRu. Summer Rae is the only adult in this situation and say there is regret of the things she and Dolph have. Even though Dolph denies it like he denies to dye those roots SMH they had great chemistry and she now knows she proposed to the wrong man. Dolph buts in and makes a fellatio joke (Oh so clever) and says her is just not that into Summer Rae. Summer stops Ziggler from thinking she is out here to propose to him and she adds she has moved on. And she has a new man and out comes…….
TYLER FREAKING BREEZE!
The Sultan of Selfies takes a selfie with Queen Underrated Summer and Summer Breeze has descended on SmackDown! Prince Pretty stands up for Summer Rae and then attacks Dolph Ziggler with the selfie stick! The duo takes another Selfie on the prone body of Dolph Ziggler.
On SmackDown Fallout, Becky and Charlotte spoke about Paige’s shenanigans and Charlotte’s chances at Hell in a Cell:
And, finally, for those of you in need of a Rosa Mendes fix, our favorite pregnant Diva used her SmackDown correspondent gig to chat about Back to the Future with Zack Ryder:
Thoughts: I think that this was the best buildup thus far (since Paige’s initial promo) for the Hell in A Cell PPV event! Starting off, I think that promo was strong for all Divas involved. In many ways, this was Charlotte’s best mic-work on the main roster. Wasn’t a huge fan of how she started the promo but the ending with the Bellas and her throwing shade with her receipts of being the champion was perfection. My God, is Nikki Bella as a heel is perfection. Brie and Alish was a cute little heelish thing to do. Baby Bettlejuice had me in tears. All of these shady references in one week, I can’t take much more! But Nikki’s promo was EXACTLY what a heel needs to say. She was living for the drama between the girls because it gives her an opening to take back the title. Nikki did amazing this week because she is so easy to hate and her special touches did it for me. Queen Brie did so good stirring the pot because she knew she wasn’t having a match tonight. Only negative was that Alicia Fox did not have the mic and did not say a word.
When did Nikki Bella become Dean Malenko?
The match was very well done. Nikki Bella has come so far as a wrestler and her delivery is getting there each and every match. The Alabama Slam looked so brutal. Also that arm trap DDT on the ropes was a thing of beauty! Nikki’s stepped up her game a lot and is getting technically sound with her tactics! It was great to see this as a Nikki Bella showcase, really. Nikki is proving the haters wrong every match and using superior heel tactics. This match actually did a lot in the build for Hell in a Cell, it made Nikki look like a credible threat and it is very possible that Nikki Bella may reclaim the Divas Championship.
Summer Rae’s segment was life changing. A woman who spent the past few months trying to get this storyline over on her own FINALLY got rewarded. I’m glad she screwed Rusev over and got the advantage over Dolph Ziggler. I think Summer and Breeze are an excellent pairing. Due to the nature of Tyler Breeze’s character I think she can get involved in so many ways. Because he’s not the strongest or the fastest she can make the difference by constantly providing distractions and interference. Also I love the idea of making the selfie stick into a weapon. Like for example, an opponent can be lying on the ropes and then WHACK! Summer Rae strikes them with the selfie stick. This gives me serious Melina vibes from MNM/Nitro and Melina days and I am here for it. And who knows, she may be managing the next United States Champion. So excited to see where this is headed!
The last pit stop on the road to Hell in a Cell now leaves doubt if Charlotte will walk out the Divas Champion. Is the Nattie/Paige issue too much of a distraction for the Genetically Superior Diva to overcome? Will Team B.A.D. make their presence known? What will Summer Breeze get into at the PPV? This last SmackDown was a much needed chink in the armor for the buildup and anticipation. Excited to see how it all unfolds! See you at Hell in a Cell!
Thanks for reading!
