Tonight at Payback, AJ Lee and Divas Champion Kaitlyn will go head-to-head with the title on the line. Which of these former best friends will end up golden, and which will just be “shattered”? The Diva Dirt team weighs in:
Adrian: This is the most substance we’ve seen to a Divas’ feud since I don’t know when, and it’s left me torn as to what I want to see happen. On the one hand, Kaitlyn could really do with the rub, having been booked as such a weak and vulnerable champion for so long, but AJ has ridden her wave of momentum with aplomb over the past year, and with the world champ by her side it makes perfect sense to bring another title Team Ziggler’s way. AJ wins, but not without controversy.
Bobby: I’m beyond excited for this match, especially after the incredible segment on Raw Monday night. Not only does it contain two of my favorite Divas, but it actually feels like a big, anticipated fight and I know that for me personally, that is something that hasn’t happened in a long time. And before anyone says it, yes I know that most of that feeling has to do with just what happened this week alone, but part of me loves that AJ and Kaitlyn haven’t been a consistent beef each week before it because when you’re trying to trick someone as AJ did to Kaitlyn, you don’t want to make your presence felt too much or it begins to seem suspicious. I personally thought Natalya was the admirer all along just because of the fact she was in every segment with Kaitlyn to be honest. But I digress, let me continue on. Ahem, I’m actually going to say AJ wins the match, but only by disqualification as during the action, she will take a moment to laugh at Kaitlyn’s anger issues, causing Kaitlyn to snap and become unable to control herself long enough to break a count of five. (Big E reference!) This feud is getting good and I want it to continue for as long as possible while remaining fresh, so AJ being essentially screwed out of her shot at the Divas title for reasons beyond her control will give her the same sort of spark & rage that Kaitlyn currently has from the actions on Raw. And if there’s one thing I like more than one Diva hellbent on revenge to ignite an interesting feud, it’s two.
Chris: As DD’s self professed AJ Lee superfan this is certainly a tough match to pick from a personal standpoint. From a professional standpoint, this is easily the most I’ve looked forward to a Divas Championship match EVER. You’ve got the year long rivalry, The challenger that is the most pushed female in the last 10 years and the champion that has been pushed to a absolute breaking point. I’m gonna go with AJ… but with a twist. She wins via DQ. Kaitlyn obviously now has issues similar to her former BFF and isn’t stable. We saw what she did to Aksana on Friday, That won’t even be close to what she wants to do to her former best friend. Kaitlyn’s gonna snap. AJ will win but she won’t get the prize she has always wanted. This rivalry will certainly go on.
Cryssi: Let me start by saying that I’m more excited for this confrontation than I have been for any other Diva match in some time. Kaitlyn and AJ are two of my absolute favorites and I have no doubt that they’re going to leave their hearts in the ring tonight and leave all of us with a memory that won’t fade away any time soon. This is not going to be a wrestling match by any means. This is going to be a brawl. These two ladies are going to get down and dirty, and go out trying to kill one another. AJ has a lot of aggression towards Kaitlyn thanks to the way their friendship fell apart. Kaitlyn is aching for revenge and now AJ is in her head. Both of them are looking for Payback, so to speak and the title is the after thought. I think this match ends in a No Contest thanks to a double count out. There’s no way on Earth this feud ends tonight. I think this is just a stepping stone towards something marquee come Summerslam.
Eleri: I don’t know whether to go for my head and say AJ, or my heart and say Kaitlyn. Both of these girls have come so far, and this match has been building for quite some time now. WWE has given it focus and direction, and the feud has been great. Last week’s Raw got me really excited for the match, but I’m still struggling to pick a winner. I want Kaitlyn to win so that the feud can go on longer and get even more personal, but I also want AJ to win because then it means a re-match and, again, a more personal feud. Basically I’m worried the ‘E will drop the ball with this feud whoever wins. I’m totally torn, but if I must choose… Alright, I’m going with AJ. If she loses, last week’s Raw won’t mean much afterwards and she will have had her comeuppance way too soon. But if she wins, Kaitlyn will be on the warpath.
Erin: Most fans seem to think this match is going to end in Katelyn getting DQed, so naturally I’m going to go the other way with it. To me, with Kaitlyn’s world pretty much crumbling over the past week, bad things just seem to be piling up on her. There has to be a turn in the tide or Kaitlyn’s just going to flat out lose her mind, and we don’t need a feud with two off-kilter Divas. The way I see this feud progressing into the summer is AJ’s plan being foiled, so to speak. She pulled the “secret admirer” hoax to get Kaitlyn off her game, so if Kaitlyn ends up winning the match cleanly, it was all for nothing. AJ, having been thwarted, will be all the more motivated to take Kaitlyn down. That, I think would make for a nice, compelling storyline. So yes, I’m guessing that Kaitlyn is going to get the win and retain the Divas Title.
Jack: The more I think about it, the more I’m team Kaitlyn! Kaitlyn’s reign has been bland thus far yet now that finally WWE are putting some effort into it, it would be cruel for it end whilst the hot iron is being struck. In my dreams, AJ will win later on in the year after the rivalry gets even more personal, and then Naomi beats AJ and then Cameron turns heel and attacks Naomi…. but anyway, back to Payback. This will definitely not be pretty but one way or another, the Black Widow will be getting speared. Kaitlyn wins.
Jake: I’m really hoping for a DQ finish. Now that there’s actual progression in this storyline, I don’t want it to end. My pick for a winner though goes to AJ via DQ. If WWE history has taught us anything, it’s that the Divas have trouble controlling their emotions. I’m expecting Kaitlyn to go absolutely crazy on AJ and cause a DQ finish. I’d love a big send off match for the girls at SummerSlam but we’ll see. I’m excited to see it.
Katelyn: AJ is my pick. I feel like the experiment of Kaitlyn as champion is over and we will see a new one crowned at Payback. Given the push AJ’s been given over the last year or so, it’s a wonder she hasn’t been given a go-around with the title sooner. My guess is that AJ’s head games will have worked and Kaitlyn’s mind won’t 100% be focused on the match. Not only that, but she’ll most likely also have to contend with Big E Langston and possibly Dolph Ziggler at ringside. I see AJ and Prince Dolph becoming the new power couple of the WWE, their reign only underlined by their championship titles. I also think a Chicago crowd would react really well to an AJ victory. Kaitlyn losing could light a fire underneath her and rejuvenate her character, leading to an exciting title chase and rematch down the road.
Melanie: It’s definitely AJ‘s time to hold the title and I feel she will get the victory here, taking advantage of Kaitlyn’s recent unbalanced personality. Whoever wins, this should be an exciting match, especially after that emotionally charged segment on Raw. Who knows, these two could just end up being a Trish vs. Lita for the new generation.
Steven: I must say that I’m really excited for this match. There has been a lot of build up going into it. Kaitlyn and AJ have gone from BFFs to ex-friends to mortal enemies in the space of a year and this title is culmination of all of that. When it come to having an advantage, I have to give it to the challenger. AJ has gotten into Kaitlyn’s head and it’s showing. Maybe AJ’s mind games will be her key to victory. On the other hand, Kaitlyn is really unstable as of late, as we saw on SmackDown this week. I’m sure she’ll do anything it takes to exact revenge. In closing, I’m gonna put my money on AJ to pick up the win at Payback. I fully expect Kaitlyn to snap once again and get herself DQ’d. AJ wins, Kaitlyn keeps her title (and gets fined again) and our feud continues.
BREAKDOWN: 8 for AJ, 2 for Kaitlyn and 1 No Contest.
Who do you agree with? Who is just dead wrong?
Note: We’re now keeping a record of our Pay-Per-View predictions. Check out Team Diva Dirt’s PPV Prediction Scoreboard after the match to see who’s in the lead!
