Tonight at Hell in a Cell, the Unified Divas Championship is on the line between Michelle McCool and Natalya, but who’ll come out on top? We weigh in…
Cryssi: This match has been thrown together, made at the last minute, and literally has three weeks of build if you count the NOC interaction between Natalya and Michelle. On paper this match seems great but in reality it has little to no substance. That said, Natalya and Michelle are two of the best Divas on the roster and magic could very well happen when they step inside the ring tonight. Natalya is the best face the WWE has to offer and Michelle and her devil heel ways make her the girl we all love to hate. This could be one of those rare matches that really get the crowd involved because who hasn’t been waiting for Natalya to finally get her moment?! There’s only five matches on this entire card so there’s no reason why these two gifted ladies shouldn’t get a proper amount of time. All I can ask for is for the ‘E to let them go and do their thing. It’s way to early for the ‘Cool to lose Lay-Cool’s championship but in order for this match to turn into a feud Natalya needs to win tonight. I see Layla getting involved and costing Michelle the match in DQ fashion which would give Natalya a victory but allow Lay-Cool to still reign supreme. And for the love God, no Hornswoggle tonight.
David: In general “Hell in a Cell” was not a pay-per-view I was looking forward to watching. I felt like this show had been thrown together too quickly and there wasn’t a match that would make me order the show… UNTIL it was announced that Natalya was challenging Michelle McCool for the Unified Divas Championship. Once that match was added to the show it became must-see TV for me. Why? Because Natalya rocks! I really want to see how she performs in a big-time championship match and although I think Michelle will retain the title Sunday night, Natalya is ready to be a breakout star. I would just like to see her feud with Lay-Cool gain some momentum before she captures the belt (Bragging Rights would be perfect). Whatever happens Sunday night, at least it will be live and not on tape delay. I was afraid we would read spoilers this week for “Hell in a Cell” (insert sarcasm) because lately the best Divas moments have been previously recorded. Not this time. Sunday night Nattie gets her chance to shine and I’ve got my pink and black all picked out.
Eric: Similar to the inaugural Hell in a Cell pay per view of 2009, this match is sure to deliver as a solid, technical bout. Unfortunately, it also looks to also deliver as a short term feud with little lasting impact on Diva storylines. While I would love to see Nattie lock in her somewhat awkward sharpshooter and take the win, I just don’t see it happening here. Until WWE pushes a heel that isn’t Lay-Cool, there is no justifiable reason in having them drop the belts. I fully expect the win to be dirty, with Layla or perhaps Vickie interfering, but that doesn’t change the fact that Michelle will pick up the win.
Erin: I, like everyone else at Diva Dirt, am so psyched that Natalya’s getting this opportunity, but the timing is really suspect. WWE is definitely still on their LayCool high, and Natalya being their first feud as unified champ(s) doesn’t bode well for her chances. Honestly, the most I’m hoping for Natalya is a feud that’s longer than a week, so let’s see if the rivalry progresses after Michelle‘s inevitable victory.
Jennifer: Finally, after waiting ages it seems, Natalya is in the title picture. She’s become a big fan favorite, she has personality and charisma, and most importantly she’s one of the best female wrestlers the WWE has. One wonders why this hasn’t happened sooner, but no sense in thinking about it now. One problem is the lack of buildup. Two weeks is no time to build a storyline between her and LayCool. Another problem is, if Nattie were to win, who would she feud with aside from Lay-Cool? Tamina, Alicia Fox, Maryse and Jillian are the only heels aside from Michelle and Layla. There’s a serious lack of formidable opponents for a champion like Natalya. Unfortunately, I see Michelle coming out as the winner this time. Hopefully Nattie won’t be dropped and they will actually put time and effort into cultivating a real feud between these two.
Melanie: Let’s be honest… we all love Natalya and have waited, and waited, and waited some more to see her get her shot as a singles star. Finally, Natalya is in the spotlight with a Divas Championship match on pay per view. But that’s where all the excitement ends. Michelle will retain tonight, but something tells me that this is only just the beginning. Looking back at last year’s HIAC pay per view, that match between Alicia and Mickie also had little build but turned out to be a fantastic, physical contest (which is highly underrated in my opinion, but that’s another story). I think Michelle and Natalya can have the same level of match, if not better, tonight.
Shanti: I was riding on my own little high when I found out that my girl won the Divas battle royal to become the #1 Contender, but then I remembered something. HIAC was only 6 days away. Not only has Lay-Cool just won the now defunct WWE Womens Title, but they haven’t had the chance to get Nattie over either, due to the short time they had to build this match. That’s why I think Michelle is going to retain the title for herself and Layla. As happy as I am for Nattie finally getting her shot, I don’t feel like I’m as happy as I should be. It’s nice that she gets her shot, but she deserves to have a quality feud and not be some filler for Lay-Cool to get pass while they wait for Beth Phoenix to return. I hope the WWE has the sense to extend this feud after tonight.
Steven: As much as I’m rooting for Natalya, realistically she really doesn’t stand a chance against Michelle at Hell in a Cell. While Natalya may be one of the most talented Divas on the roster, WWE has been pushing Lay-Cool for the last year and I don’t they did it just to have them drop the belts so soon. On the other hand, I could see Michelle picking up the win in shady fashion, making this a full fledged feud that can carry on for a few months until Beth Phoenix returns or Natalya manages to win the title, whichever comes first.
Leave your predictions in the comments.
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