Why hello there everybody and welcome to this week’s Raw Redux, presenting the first Divas action on Raw of 2013. Cryssi is ill this week, which is probably because of the nauseating amount of 3MB on the show last night, but nevertheless, we wish you well Khaleesi! I’m Jack and I’ll be handling proceedings today and I have a question for you. What is a really good way to kick off 2013? A Divas Championship match of course!
Last night’s action saw the villainous and vivacious Eve Torres defend her pink and silver butterfly belt against the bold and beautiful Kaitlyn. Kaitlyn has pinned Eve twice in the run up to this encounter and also beat her via DQ, so can she finally win the championship? Or will Eve make it fourth time lucky and pull out a win? The fact I’m making up idioms to try and big up Eve shows that she’s walking on thin ice so let’s find out to see if that ice was cracked!
Skip to 27:00 in the first video to see Eve’s entrance and the start of the match!
“SHE LOOKS GOOD TO ME” explodes through my ears and that can only mean one thing, creepy comments from Jerry Lawler, Eve Torres is in the house! The champ is acting like nothing can phase her as she struts her stuff down the ramp, but really I think we all know she’s quaking in her corset. After the commercial break, Kaitlyn is already in the ring (not necessarily a bad thing, Team Rhodes Scholars were in the ring like this and won their match earlier!) and I can hear a verse of Spin the Bottle I’ve never heard before. I wonder if Kaitlyn genuinely likes the game and is always suggesting it at social events. If so, send an invite my way please, Kaitlyn!
Anyway, a referee who to me looks like PSY of Gangnam Style fame raises the belt in the air and the bell sounds. The girls lock up and Eve gets the better of the exchange and manages to apply a headlock takeover. The champion gets a one-count before Kaitlyn reverses the submission hold and locks in one of her own – a headscissors. The record setting three-time Divas Champion then wriggles free and wraps herself around Kaitlyn’s leg to perform a heel-hook style maneuver. Eve then gets to a vertical base and tightens her grip on her challenger’s heel. Kaitlyn then impressively executes a headstand and uses her leg strength to flip Eve over – really nice and innovative!
The NXT Season 3 winner then clubs Eve in the corner before the referee tells Kaitlyn that she needs to stop and tie her lace. The Hybrid Diva isn’t interested but the official demands she stop and sort her boots out, such drama! Kaitlyn bends down to fasten her shoe but WALLOP! Eve rocks Kaitlyn’s face with a stiff kick. Eve declares that it’s not her fault that Kaitlyn had dodgy footwear and she goes to work on her foe with a hair-grab takeover. The Divas Champ then stomps a proverbial mudhole in Kaitlyn’s chest before sitting atop the turnbuckle and choking the life out of Kaitlyn.
Eve waves to her loyal BeliEVErs before clocking Kaitlyn with a kick to the shoulder. Our Divas Champion then drags Kaitlyn by her head and applies a hangman’s style headlock, and this is yet another pretty submission in her arsenal. Eve finishes the hold and strikes Kaitlyn with a forearm before running off the ropes. As Eve charges towards Kaitlyn, the latter picks up the former and hits a side-slam. Momentum shift, anyone?
Kaitlyn can only manage a two count but that’s not bothering the Number One Contender! Kaitlyn ricochets off the ropes and brutalizes Eve with a shoulder tackle. Michael Cole references Tamina‘s win on SmackDown (Kaitlyn’s next challenger if she wins perhaps?) and wait a minute, Kaitlyn hits the Scorpion Deathdrop! Whilst I make the only Sting reference that will ever feature in the Raw Redux, Kaitlyn surprisingly only manages a two-count. Kaitlyn European uppercuts the champ before whipping her across the ring. Eve reverses the momentum but Kaitlyn kicks Eve in the torso before picking her up for the gutbuster.
Ms Torres worms her way out of it and jolts from the ring. Kaitlyn throws her back in but she retreats once more. Eve collects her thoughts before grabbing her Divas Title… and running away! Kaitlyn is in hot pursuit but Eve escapes into the crowd. Eve has lost her bottle and the match, yet is still the Champion.
If you would like to see the other notable Diva appearance of the night, watch the start of the first video where AJ Lee can be seen describing John Cena’s manhood – oh, I say!
Thoughts: Well, WWE definitely swerved me there! With fan speculation running rampant about Kaitlyn winning the title in her hometown next week, I should have seen Eve keeping the title coming, but I didn’t! Once Kaitlyn had Eve hoisted up for that gutbuster, I thought it was over for sure but no, WWE actually did something unexpected for a change and has nicely prolonged this feud. Good job!
In terms of the match, I really liked it. It started off a little slow with all the submissions but it started to grab my attention after Kaitlyn’s handstand reversal. Eve’s hangman-style submission was also really nice and she sold the hell out of Kaitlyn’s shoulder tackle. Another nice touch was for Kaitlyn to hit her reverse DDT. Kaitlyn has managed to win quite a few matches with that move so it definitely made the match more unpredictable by having Eve kick out of it.
The finish of the bout was incredibly wise. Eve has been pinned by Kaitlyn in both singles and tag competition so it would be logical that Eve is very worried, hence the count-out finish tonight and the DQ finish a few weeks back. I love how Kaitlyn was really bothered as well and didn’t just shrug it off and then smile and wave. Kaitlyn has proved lately that she’s not just a cookie baked from the same tray like a lot of other faces past and present, and I really like that.
So, where do we go from here? With AJ as a heel now and no other faces standing out after Kaitlyn, I definitely see the Hybrid Diva capturing the title. Eve is out of new ideas now, so with that in mind, will we see a stipulation added to the next title match that means Eve can’t run away or be disqualified? I would LOVE to see a no disqualification bout for the Divas. It would channel the backstage brawls Kaitlyn has had with Eve and AJ in recent times and it definitely would reflect the aggressive nature shown by both girls. Let’s hope my idea comes to fruition next week or perhaps at the Royal Rumble.
Well with that sensational “No DQ” idea (even if I do say so myself) firmly installed into our brains for the next week, I’m sure we’re all going to have sweet dreams. Cryssi will return next week as will Dr. Shelby (WOOHOO) but stay tuned, Jack will be back!
