Just as I suspected (and told Erin over MSN yesterday), WWE is hyping Maria‘s move to SmackDown with “coming soon” promos, something not often used for the Divas. Only a handful of Divas in years past have received such hype but I think it’s great way to introduce Maria to SmackDown.
Whether you’re a fan or not, there’s no denying that Maria is one of WWE’s most bankable Divas and will add some name value to the SmackDown women’s division. Hyping her debut is a wise move by WWE and I’m actually glad they’re doing this rather than have her debut in last night’s “Golden Dreams Match.” I was going to put this in the SmackDown Redux but I think it fits here just fine; I felt having Maria in last night’s SmackDown match would be unfair on the other Divas who have wrestled and been part of the Divas Championship storyline over the past month. Plus it would also hurt Maria, because I think everyone knew Michelle McCool would be Natalya‘s eventual opponent. Maria – who is a pretty big star among the Divas and will no doubt join Michelle as the two top babyfaces of the brand – coming to SmackDown with little fanfare and losing her first match would hurt her in the long run. This way they protect Maria, so when she eventually debuts she can be a top babyface for SmackDown but she would also be introduced in a fresh environment.
Now that the contenders for the Divas Championship have been announced – from next week and going forward, WWE can plan new storylines for the other Divas. Maria coming in at this time would give her greater benefit as all the other Divas (except Michelle and Natalya) need new storylines too, I would love to see Maria’s first feud be with Victoria and have that be a secondary feud to the Michelle-Natalya feud over the next few weeks. That’ll build up Maria nicely as a face and she can eventually get involved in the title picture once Michelle vs Natalya has run it’s course.
Anyhoo, check out the video package below:
