What’s up Diva fans and welcome to this week’s Main Event Redux! Quite the surprising Diva return took place tonight on Main Event and if you’re yet to see the show and have avoided spoilers, you’ll be chomping at the bit to know who made their return. Was it Amy Zidian? Perhaps it was Joy Giovanni? The show was in Houston, so maybe it was Kaitlyn? Nope, it was none of the above legendary females as it was a Diva still actually signed to the company, Layla! Luckily for us all, she is still a heel and teamed with Alicia Fox to face Cameron and Naomi. Aksana is surely not happy that her ‘Foxsana’ partner is now tagging in a duo known as ‘Laylicia’ and it also doesn’t make a lot of sense considering Naomi is still going to have some serious beef with Aksana. Anywho, let’s throw logic aside and get to grips with this match.
TO THE VIDEO!
Out first looking sexy in silver, it’s the music phenomenon TLC, oh not wait, it’s the Funkadactyls. Naomi channeling Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes (R.I.P) with her eye patch there! Out next, a godly entrance theme I thought I’d never hear again beams throughout the arena.
YOOUUUU’RRRREEEE NOT ENOUGH FOR ME! OHHHH NOOOOO!
Even though I knew it was Layla coming out, I still for a split second though it could have been Michelle McCool, but alas, she is still very much enjoying being at home with her family. Well, her husband was at this show, so most of the family! Her former partners/proteges and her hubby, this is quite the episode of Main Event for Michelle!
Also, shout-out to Lilian Garcia. Congratulations for saying where people come from during their entrances. You keep doing your job right girl!
Another shout-out to WWE’s technical staff, way to go for showing the graphic of the wrong Layla theme song that you can buy on iTunes. Live TV for you, folks!
Alicia and Naomi start off the match, with Alicia elbowing Naomi dangerously close to that tender left eye of hers. Naomi counters an Irish whip of Alicia’s, performing a very unusual pin attempt that very nearly gets the win. Naomi locks in a front facelock so she can tag in Cameron, and Planet Funk’s finest exports hit a double suplex and a double leg drop.
Cameron takes control of her former messiah-like figure with a wristlock before Alicia shuts her down with an elbow strike and chop. Cameron halts Alicia’s rebound attack by hitting a crisp wheelbarrow armdrag, a move that annoys Alicia enough for her to want to get out of there and get Layla into the match.
A tri-colored Layla steps into the ring and she looks so good. The former Miami Heat dancer engages in a dance-off with Cameron, and it’s great to see that Layla has ditched the ‘drunk Aunt at a wedding’ moves for some sultry and sexy shaking. Although the dancing is top notch, Cameron uses it to her advantage, booting Layla in the ribs. Layla isn’t too shaken up though, as she manages to hit her crazy rolling pin, Infinity for two. She ponders to the crowd next, and yet again, Cameron takes advantage, this time by hitting a basement dropkick. She follows that move up with a drop-toe hold, slap to the backside and a clothesline, a combo which nets her a two count. Layla can’t be counted out just yet though, as she retaliates with two kicks, one to Cam’s shoulder and one to her face.
After a near fall, Layla rakes Cameron’s face before hitting a sleeper hold. After a brief struggle, Cameron gets to her feet, yet Layla is quick to knock her right back down. Layla tags in Alicia next, holding Cameron back so Alicia can kick her in the gut. Alicia throws Cameron, northern lights suplex style next for a close call. Alicia grasps Cameron in the shortest chinlock ever and then puts her in her corner to tag in Layla.
Layla puts pressure on Cameron’s throat with her foot, before kicking her in the stomach and hitting a snapmare. Layla then tries to hit a leg drop, yet she gets an arse full of wood from the ring mat. Layla tags in Alicia and Cameron tags in Naomi and in the words of Jim Ross, business is about to pick up!
Naomi slides under Alicia before taking her out with a dropkick and a flip clothesline. She then grabs a handful of weave and sends Alicia flying into Layla, knocking the latter off the apron. She then lets Alicia say hello to her rear-end with some fun booty shaking before hitting her gorgeous hurricanrana. Layla breaks up the pin that occurs next, before a scrappy Cameron jumps off Alicia’s back and into Layla, sending the pair of them to the outside. Alicia tried to mount some table-turning offense with an elbow strike yet Naomi isn’t having any of it, hitting the Rear View followed by the Split-Leg Moonsault for the win!
Thoughts: This week’s Main Event was great. Not A+ yet this was a solid and entertaining affair. In terms of the overall match, it definitely would have made more sense for Aksana to be involved, considering she was the one who injured Naomi. However, it was still nice to see Layla back in the ring. I also liked how rest holds didn’t dominate the middle of the match, and overall, there was a very even feel about the match. The heels did take control of Cameron for a large portion of the match, and it just shows that you can do that in an entertaining way without doing 4 minutes of rest holds. *coughAJcough* Now let’s breakdown the performance of each girl.
Alicia: Foxy was dependable and animated as always. Several times in the match, such as when Naomi did the unique pin at the start of the match and when Naomi reversed her Irish whip before the Rear View, Alicia let out a comical scream, which I really liked. It’s the little things that go a long way in my opinion, and it adds to the overall presentation of the product. The more ways you can get animated, the more ways a fan can get into the match. Still not a fan of the satsuma attire though. I think that’s just me though.
Cameron: The Scrappy Doo of WWE’s Divas division impressed me yet again. Although she was rough around the edges a little (the botched jump off Alicia’s back and her slightly fast timing tagging in Naomi), I really enjoyed Cameron’s performance. I actually don’t mind her moves not being as clean as other Divas as it goes hand-in-hand with her catty and fierce attitude. She doesn’t back down from a confrontation either, whether that be physical, or initiating a dance off!
Layla: She may get a lot of flack from the IWC, yet I for one am glad Layla is back. It would have been a real shame for not to return and I’m glad her personal problems are now seemingly behind her. She looked great in the ring and her hair is back to being her best hairstyle. She looked attractive, solid and for someone who hasn’t really wrestled in the last six months, she did great. A heel Layla is a better Layla and I’m hoping to see more great moments from her. Shame she didn’t win though! Least she has the silver linings of the fact she never got pinned, she’s able to ditch the ‘Drunk Elder Relative Disco’ dancing and she’s got rid of that awful old theme song!
Naomi: Watching Naomi work, I am having to question my recent feelings about wanting Nikki Bella as Divas Champion. This girl is immensely talented. Her fluidity in the ring is just amazing and she’s done nothing wrong for me at all since her return. She looks fantastic aesthetically, fantastic in the ring and she’s now got a more believable finishing move. I also loved the way Naomi sold Layla’s dropkick pin break-up. Normally, people will just fight back or more or less no sell a break-up move, yet Naomi clutched her knee. I thought that was really cool.
And with that, stay tuned, Jack will be back!
