Welcome to this week’s edition of the SmackDown Redux! After coming up short in a title match against Eve Torres on Raw this past Monday, Layla is looking to get back into title contention with a win over Natalya. Will the former champ be able to pull out yet another win over Natalya, or will the 3rd Generation Diva finally take her down? Check out the match below:
We kick things off with Natayla already in the ring, and Eve at the commentary booth, looking to prove that she was not the Diva who attacked Kaitlyn at Night of Champions. Layla is out next, and while she’s on her way to the ring, our Divas Champion Eve tries to pin the attack on Kaitlyn on Aksana. The official signals for the bell and our Divas match is underway.
Nattie and Layla go to lock up, but Layla is distracted by Eve and gets a kick to the gut. Nattie follows up with scoopslam, but Layla wiggles free and rolls her up from behind. Nattie manages to reverse the pin, but Layla rolls through and tosses her out of the ring. Natalya tries to climb back in, and gets kicked back to the ground by Layla. Layla goes to retrieve Nattie, but gets distracted by Eve once again, and Natalya makes her pay for it with a forearm to the back.
Natalya throws Layla back into the ring, and works her over with a few strikes followed by a modified Octopus Stretch Submission hold. Layla fights her way of the submission and takes Natalya down with an armdrag, followed by a rollup for a nearfall. Layla jumps back to her feet quickly, but Natalya levels her with a discus clothesline for a nearfall of her own.
The camera cuts to Eve, but in the meantime, Layla hits a kick to the head to pick up the win. Post-match, Layla celebrates in the ring and stares Eve down.
Meanwhile, Teddy Long approaches Kaitlyn backstage with Eve’s iPad and shows her something on the screen. Teddy tells Kaitlyn that Eve needs to be stopped and that she can do whatever she wants with the info that he’s given her.
Thoughts: Not a bad match between Layla and Natalya, but definitely not up to the standard of their matches against one another in the past. I feel like the match was used as a vehicle for the Kaitlyn/Teddy Long segment backstage.
Speaking of which, the whole “Who attacked Kaitlyn?” mystery (*coughEVEcoughcough*) was beginning to bore a bit, but I’m liking where it’s going now. I have a feeling there’s some kind of swerve coming soon, and whatever Teddy showed Kaitlyn is going to play into it. I mean, Eve in a blonde is just TOO obvious, right? RIGHT?!
Well, that’s it for this week’s Redux! Until next time!
