Tonight at SummerSlam, Total Divas stars will go head to head when Brie Bella faces Natalya. Who will be the top Total Diva? The Diva Dirt team weighs in:
Adrian: Considering how stacked the rest of the card is, it’s a pleasant surprise that there are two Divas’ matches tonight! However, the sheer quality of the other match-ups has left this one firmly at the bottom of my list when it comes to interest. The Bellas continue to be WWE’s go-to girls in the public sphere, while Natalya, despite her appearances in recent Total Divas episodes being depressingly muted, has picked up some steam these past few weeks or so in the ring. In the end Brie doesn’t need this win at all, and a victory for Nattie will stand her in good stead for a possible Divas Championship chase in the coming weeks. Natalya wins.
Bobby: Score! Not only am I happy to see the Divas get two matches, but I’m even more happy to see my favorite Diva duo, Naomi and Cameron, snatch up the spot that was rumored to belong to a certain Extra host who will not be named. It’s as if a decision was made with my feelings considered, and I couldn’t ask for more than that. Now, as far as the match goes, I’m intrigued to see what’s going to go down. I feel like there will definitely be some meddling outside the ring to set this apart from Natalya and Brie’s past matches. Eva Marie is extremely peculiar to me as well because it’s such a mystery as to what she can do. She’s had training before being signed since they did that camp in Los Angeles, and she’s been working at NXT as well. Plus if Sara Del Rey vouches for you, then I’m sure you’re solid enough to put on a show. Granted, we won’t get to really see Eva do a lot in the SummerSlam match as opposed to the Axxess match, but even so, I’m looking forward to seeing if she plays up her new heel role considering she was a face when she stood ringside for Natalya on Superstars and all she had to do was clap and cheer as opposed to obtaining heel mannerisms. Match-wise, I do think Nattie and Brie will put on a more than capable performance as they’ve never had anything less in their past outings, but as far as wins go, it’s Natalya’s night for me. I love the Bella Twins and all, but I feel a Natalya/AJ feud has so much potential being that AJ is going to need a new challenger if her feud with Kaitlyn ends tonight. Natalya‘s been finally getting some shine since Total Divas began, and a win over Brie Bella at a pay per view could be just the icing on the cake to propel her in the direction that our slightly crazed champion awaits.
Chris: Woah, it’s hard to believe this is even happening! Rarely in the Divas division do we get GOOD surprises. I can’t even recall the last time outside of Night of Champions that we got two Divas matches on PPV, that goes to show how much effect Total Divas has had. The feud between Brie and Nattie has been relatively simple yet effective. Brie and Nikki have gone out of their way to make Nattie look like a ugly duckling and this is Nattie’s shot for revenge! It’ll be interesting to see what role Eva Marie, Nikki, and Naomi & Cameron play at ringside. Tonight Total Divas becomes Total Discord and I can’t wait! Natalya should be victorious in this match, and as a result move onto a feud with AJ Lee. But knowing WWE, They have a history of throwing surprises at us so I’m going to go out on a limb and say Brie gets a surprise roll up victory.
Cryssi: This match could very well end up stealing the spotlight from the mixed tag. It’s going to be full of drama, full of egos, and it could very well end up being the stepping stone to the push all of us want to see Natalya get. All week I’ve been super confident that this is going to be it for Nattie, that she is finally going to get a push for the Diva’s Championship! However, now, I believe that it’s not going to start tonight. I’m picking Brie to win tonight and I feel the jeers raining down on me as I type this. You can’t deny the power of the Bella Army people. But rest easy knowing Nattie will likely win some type of contendership match in the next couple of weeks.
Eleri: I’m expecting Brie Bella to take this one home, mainly because of the attention she and Nikki have gotten recently, namely the media they’ve done for Total Divas. Yes, Natalya is a cast member and I love her to bits, but the Bellas have been absolutely everywhere in the lead up to Total Divas, and while Natalya has done some press of her own, the Bellas have been in the spotlight the most. I expect WWE to capitalize on the attention the Brie and Nikki have garnered and have Brie pick up the win, and then for Natalya to want some payback. Can I just say I’m so excited about this match and I’m so happy we’re getting it? Total Divas has been such a blessing to the division and this, I hope, is only the beginning!
Erin: It’s becoming pretty clear that Natalya is next in line to challenge for AJ Lee‘s Divas Championship. She needs a nice “catapult” into that feud, and a win over Brie would serve nicely. Obviously, this isn’t a match for the number one contendership, but with the buzz Total Divas has been getting, it might as well be. I say Natalya will win, the good girls will win the day and AJ will have a new Diva to contend with.
Jack: I think the outcome of this match is obvious. With Kaitlyn saying on Backstage Fallout how she was sick of AJ and wanted to move on, AJ will need a new challenger. As she is a heel, she needs a face to go against. What a way to showcase a new potential #1 contender than by winning at SummerSlam. Natalya for the win!
Katelyn: If Natalya and Maria Menounos win at Axxess (and I think it’s very likely, given that a celebrity is involved), I can see Natalya falling to Brie Bella in the singles match on the pay-per-view itself. Despite losing a lot over her entire WWE career, Natalya doesn’t really look any worse for it and still comes across as the consummate professional and a great, seasoned veteran. Brie will obtain the victory via dirty tactics and Total Divas will receive much promotion.
Melanie: With the way Natalya has been built up as the ultimate underdog on Total Divas – always worrying about her spot and watching other Divas in the spotlight from behind the curtain – it seems there are big plans for her coming up, and SummerSlam seems to be one of them. I’m expecting Natalya to win here tonight and possibly go on to feud with AJ for the Divas Title now that her feud with Kaitlyn seems to be ending.
Steven: Before I even get into my prediction for Brie Bella vs Natalya, let me just thank Total Divas for making it possible to have TWO Divas matches on one of the biggest PPVs of the year. With that out of the way, let’s get predicting! I originally expected Eva Marie to help Brie pick up a win, cementing her place as a Honorary Bella twin (Sorry, Jessie McKay). But the more I think about it, I think its more likely that Eva’s inexperience ends up costing Brie the match. Expect to see Eva and Nikki’s attempts to bend the rules foiled by the Funkadactyls (and maybe even Maria Menounos?), allowing Natalya to take home the win and slide comfortably into the #1 contender’s spot (especially after her win over AJ on Monday).
BREAKDOWN: 4 for Brie, 6 for Natalya.
Who do you agree with? Who is just dead wrong?
Stay tuned for the team’s predictions for the Mixed Tag Team match.
Note: We’re 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!
