Welcome to this week’s edition of the Superstars Redux. To recap last week, we all saw Eve, Natalya, Gail and Tamina squaring off against Melina, Alicia Fox and the Bella Twins. Although both sides fought valiantly, it was Eve that would end up picking up the victory for the babyfaces. This week, two of those ladies from last week’s bout hit the ring once more but with new tag team partners. The Divas once again secure a main event showing on WWE Superstars; new super-couple Daniel Bryan and Gail Kim facing the team of Tyson Kidd and Melina in mixed tag team action.
After conversing with their respective partners, it is the Divas that kick off the action for the match. Gail and Melina immediately lock up in the center of the ring, each struggling for control. Melina wins the first battle by pressing her opponent into the turnbuckle but the two are forced apart by the referee. The A-Lister obliges only to hit a cheap forearm shot on Gail to hopefully continue the upper hand. The babyface Diva comes back fighting with a couple of forearm shots of her own.
Gail attempts to Irish whip Melina into the corner, but is reversed into the corner herself. Melina goes to capitalize with a boot to the stomach while Gail is able to maneuver gracefully out of the way, onto the apron. Melina grows more frustrated by the minute and immediately goes on the attack with a shoulder block. The attack is missed completely as Gail connects with her apron stomp on the heel Diva. Gail dives over the ropes, pulling Melina into a sunset flip. The count barely reaches one status as Melina kicks out. The two return to a standing position as Melina charges for a clothesline, which is immediately countered by Gail into a stunning neckbreaker.
Gail smiles at her boyfriend, pointing to him as she tags him in. She hops on his shoulders and splashes down on her opponent below. Tyson Kidd hits the ring now. Bryan notices this, catching his girlfriend off guard as he lifts her off the mat to dropkick Kidd squarely in the face. She’s set back down and heads back to her corner of the ring. Kidd moves over to the closest turnbuckle, pushing himself into a standing position. While Bryan is squarely poised and ready as she runs across the ring from the opposite turnbuckle, hitting his opponent with another hard dropkick.
Fast forward some wrestling between the men. DB has a LeBell Lock cinched in on Kidd who rolls out of the ring. Melina, standing up for her partner, steps in, yelling at Bryan before slapping him viciously across the face. Gail runs in and dropkicks her in retaliation. Bryan steps onto the apron and sends himself flying with a knee to the chest on Tyson Kidd. While Gail jumps off the top turnbuckle onto Melina with a flying crossbody to the outside. She stands up, jumping excitedly into her man’s arms. Scott Stanford announces a commercial break as Gail walks back to her corner and Bryan goes for Kidd’s prone body on the outside.
As we return from break, the camera is panned to Tyson Kidd being thrown chest first into the turnbuckle by Daniel Bryan. Eventually Kidd has had enough as he tags Melina back into the match, which forces Gail to step back in as well.
Melina demands that Bryan tags in Gail, pointing that she wants her in the ring right now. He tags in his girlfriend as the A-Lister forges ahead to take advantage but Gail lays in on her with a quick forearm shot. She hits a couple of kicks to the thigh before bouncing on the ropes for a sit down clothesline on the red carpet Diva and quickly goes in for the pin. Two count as Melina screams wildly. Both Bryan and Kidd watch on as their Diva tag team partners take the lead. Gail maneuvers her opponent into an over the shoulder single leg Boston crab submission. Refusing to give in, Melina grits out a no as she hears her partner will her to break the hold.
The Paparazzi Princess is able to break out of the move with a kick and sends her opponent flying to the turnbuckle. She goes charging at the former Women’s Champ but is met with a kick to the jaw for her troubles. Gail jumps onto the second turnbuckle and goes for a flying crossbody but misses as Melina dips down into a matrix evasion. Melina goes into a fury of attacks, punishing Gail for trying to one up her. She brings Gail into a standing position only to knock her into the middle rope with a harsh forearm to the back.
Melina wraps her legs around the torso of Gail as she wrenches in a chin lock for good measure. She barely reaches the five count before finally breaking the hold. Gail lays breathlessly against the ropes as Melina charges at her with a two knees to the back and covers, reach the count of two. Bryan tries to cheer his girlfriend on from their corner. The A-Lister sets her opponent up to take her split legged finisher but Gail elbows her in the face and rolls her up for the pin but barely makes two. The beautiful Divas make their way back to standing positions and Gail turns straight into a split legged boot to the face.
Another cover and another two count reached by Melina as Gail kicks out. The dominant Diva, Melina locks her opponent’s arms in a modified full nelson submission before rolling onto her stomach, trying to get a pin on Gail, but Gail wisely moves back into a sitting position. Melina rolls her over again for a pin but Gail is able to maneuver the flexible Diva into a submission of her own. Gail rolls her over for a two count. Both stand up and charge each other, catching one another in a spinning facebuster. As both are now weakened, they reach out for their partners as Bryan and Kidd start the action up once again.
Fast forward a little more and Bryan heads to the top turnbuckle. Gail spotting the dubious Melina, struggles to get into the ring to help her man but is fended off by the referee. The damage is done as the distraction allows Melina to catch Bryan off guard, pulling him down forcibly. Melina goes back onto the apron, screaming “That’s right!” to Daniel Bryan, not aware of Gail coming in to make the save as she pulls the vicious Diva off the apron, with her face hitting the edge of the apron on the way down. Gail grabs Melina, throwing her back into the ring as she heads for the top of the turnbuckle near by.
Kidd tries to take advantage of Bryan in his prone state but is easily pushed off. Both Gail and Bryan are perched on the top turnbuckle respectively and both hit missile dropkicks on their now opponents. Gail scurries out the ring soon after as Melina rolls out. Bryan is finally able to lock in the LeBell Lock on Kidd. As hard as he fights, Kidd is not able to break the hold and is forced to submit. The bell sounds as Gail jumps into her boyfriend’s arms and celebrate their victory together.
The good about this match? Well, fantastic is probably a better word. Both the men and women did amazing in this tag team bout. The spots were great. Gail and Daniel looked absolutely adorable together. I know I’m being totally sappy over them but they are both revered athletes and fit well together as tag team partners and as a couple.
And not to forget their opponents, Melina and Tyson Kidd who deserve props too for their participation. It’s obvious that Kidd is a good wrestler but really doesn’t get to show that on Raw where it really matters. As well as Melina, who stole the show with her back and forth with Gail.
The only bad thing I would have to say, and most would agree, that a one on one match between the two Divas would be the match to really see. No disrespect at all to Daniel Bryan and Tyson Kidd, but the Divas fans want to see the girls in their own spotlight without having to share. Hopefully next week?
