What’s up guys?
I’m back again with your weekly dose of Main Event, which sees Paige take on Alicia Fox in one-on-one action. Fresh off a loss against Nikki Bella, leaving Paige empty-handed still with regards to the Divas Championship, I’m sure Paige is looking to blow off a little steam. As for Alicia, I get the feeling she just enjoys inflicting pain. Let’s have a look then shall we?
Paige is out first, and you wouldn’t know that she’d lost a title match if you looked at her. Alicia follows her out, and I take back what I said. Paige looks ready to mow poor Alicia down! The referee calls for the bell, and we’re underway.
Alicia gets the first advantage, flooring Paige and not relenting on the hold. Paige comes around and goes for the early win. Alicia’s savvy for it and kicks out with time to spare. Paige with an arm bar take down and a second pin attempt, but Alicia kicks out again. Paige goes right back to work with a modified arm bar submission, and by the sounds of it, Alicia’s really feeling the burn from that stretch.
Out of the corner, Paige bounces Alicia face-first off the mat, before locking in a second submission hold. Alicia writhes in pain, calling out, but she’s not quitting yet. It seems Paige is the one looking to inflict maximum pain in this match. Whether Alicia makes her pay for it later on remains to be seen.
Alicia reaches the bottom rope and Paige relinquishes her hold, only to walk right back into a kick to the gut from Alicia. She gets too cocky, gets right in Paige’s face, and pays for it with a one-way trip into the mat. Paige admires her own handiwork, before lining up and nailing a knee to Alicia’s face. Alicia rolls out of the ring to give herself some space, and lures Paige to her. She intercepts Paige’s baseball slides and, using the apron for leverage, she launches Paige to the outside with a sickening thud.
We come back from commercial, where we’re treated to a little glimpse of Dean Ambrose. If you don’t love Ambrose, you’re wrong. But back to the ladies. Alicia is in control, stretching out Paige all ways from Sunday. She repays the double face smash she herself was objected to earlier, taking Paige out with a sick drop. By the looks of things, Alicia is already at her wits end.
The crowd gets behind Paige and she manages a brief comeback, but is put down once more by a big shoulder from Alicia. In total control, Alicia goes in for the pin. Paige kicks out after two, and after getting stepped on, I might add.
Alicia is just playing with Paige now. Didn’t her mother ever teach her not to play with her food? Oh wait, she’s not a lioness. She is fierce though, as she demonstrates with a foot in Paige’s face on the bottom turnbuckle. Paige is trying very hard to get back in this match, but Alicia is meeting her at every turn with brute power and the resilience of a woman scorned. Alicia takes a page out of Paige’s book (see what I did there?) and declares that this is her house.
I can’t help but feel like this going to blow up in her face.
Paige is able to make a brief comeback off the turnbuckle, rolling Alicia up for a count of two. But it only fuels Alicia’s offence, and she lays Paige out yet again with a running clothesline. Alicia takes too long to get to the pin, however, and Paige is able to get the shoulder up just in time.
Alicia taunts Paige, telling her once more that the ring is indeed Alicia’s house. She slaps Paige while she’s down, then proceeds to very slowly make her way to the top rope. She gives Paige ample time to recover, in the meantime, and is punished for it with multiple head butts, and then a dive off the ropes and a bounce out to the floor. Paige is looking fired up!
As Alicia is staggering to her feet on the outside, Paige throws herself at her opponent, before dragging her unceremoniously back into the ring. Alicia cries out ‘Where’s my mom?’, which is an instant classic let’s be honest, right before Paige goes for the pin. Paige gets a two count.
Paige tries to lock Alicia up into the PTO, but Alicia sees it coming a mile off and fights out of it. She takes Paige down a peg, literally, and then aims for the scissor kick. She misses wildly, and Paige counters with two big kicks. Alicia’s on the mat, and Paige spots her chance. She ties Alicia up and, not long after, Alicia taps out and hands Paige the victory.
Thoughts: Not a bad match. It was an interesting test of both the girls’ strength, I think. Not so much in the physical sense, but I feel that they both had to go above and beyond in order to get the upper hand here. Paige’s spot off the apron was perfectly executed, and coupled with Alicia’s where’s my mom moment just made it all the sweeter. I enjoy seeing Paige pushed to her limit, because I feel that she has been such a dominant force in the division that it’s gratifying to see her having to claw for a victory. By no means did I see Alicia winning this match, I’ll be upfront about that. But Alicia did make Paige work hard, and that’s the kind of match we deserve.
I’m not sure where Alicia goes from here; sometimes I wonder if maybe she’s just happier to put over the other girls. There’s certainly nothing wrong with that. It’s admirable, really. As for Paige, I think it’s safe to say that she isn’t done with Nikki Bella. While I’d personally prefer if Nikki dropped the belt to Naomi first (though not for a long time yet as I’m waiting for Nikki to surpass AJ’s record), I can easily envision a scenario in which Paige is the one to take the silver and pink away from Team Bella.
Until next time! x
