What’s up Diva fans and welcome to the Main Event Redux. We’re in for a treat this week as you’ve got an English fellow recapping the action from within Manchester, England and the action is certainly history making! For the first time ever of WWE Main Event, the Divas Championship will be defended as AJ Lee, with her leather lady Tamina Snuka will put the strap up against Natalya. With a concerned husband in Tyson Kidd watching backstage, can Nattie get the job done tonight and bring the butterfly belt back to Calgary? It’s about time we found out before the pools of saliva on the floor become embarrassingly big. TO THE VIDEO!
Out first in the Manchester Arena is AJ Lee, acting like her usual happy-go-crazy self. As always, she’s joined by the surly-go-miserable Tamina. We get a recap detailing why Natalya has earned this shot tonight before the Dungeon Diva herself makes her entrance. Nattie looks so composed and quite frankly stunning as she proudly struts her way down to the ring. Let’s hope her bladder is as composed as she looks!
Following a special in-ring set of introductions from Tony Chimel (who once again doesn’t say where AJ is from, who accompanied her to the ring or what her character’s surname is), the match begins. The girls lock up before Natalya quickly takes advantage and throws AJ down with a headlock takeover. More chain wrestling ensues with head scissors, kip-ups and schoolgirls before AJ locks in a side headlock. Nattie trys to break free yet AJ grabs at Natalya’s roots and keeps the submission locked in. Tal then hoists AJ in the air yet AJ hits a headlock takeover, showing how easy it can be to just shift those hips in order to keep momentum in your corner.
The girls get back to their feet and Natalya locks in a hammerlock, which AJ bursts out of thanks to a stiff looking elbow to the mush. I feel like we’re in the midst of Submission city as opposed to Manchester as AJ utilises another – this time a wristlock. Natalya rolls and flips her way out of the predicament and then hits a gorgeous throw. She goes for the first cover of the match so far yet can only muster a two count. Natalya whips AJ across the ropes, with the latter then traversing over the back of the former crucifix style yet Nattie is too fresh and powerful to be taken down for the pin and she grabs AJ by the hair and talks some smack. Following another Irish whip into the corner, AJ floats over Natalya before kicking her in the legs and throwing her by the hair to the mat. Nat avoids AJ’s running move before hitting a whirlybird scoop slam, proving she’s got plenty of life left in her yet. The former 1-time Divas Champion then picks AJ up, ramming her into the turnbuckle in the process. After a few kicks, Nattie goes for a Sharpshooter, yet AJ wriggles free and goes for a breather on the outside.
Natalya wants AJ to stop breathing, so she runs in hot pursuit of the champion. Tamina Snuka makes her presence felt yet Natalya shows how focused she is tonight; she knew AJ was about to baseball slide dropkick her yet she just side-stepped out of the way before proceeding to throw AJ into the barricade. Back in the ring, the girls tussle in the corner before Nattie scales the second rope. Heights are not normally Nattie’s forte and it shows, as AJ trips Nattie to the ground, smacking the back of her head and lower back big style.
After a commercial break, AJ is still in control of the challenger, wrenching the oxygen out of Nattie with a modified chinlock. Mrs Wilson then breaks free yet she slowly runs into a spinning heel kick for her troubles. She’s clearly not got enough breath back into those dungeon destroyed lungs! Ok, that sounds way more sinister after I typed it… Anyway, AJ goes for her first pin attempt of the match and although Nattie is short of breath, she’s not short of fight, and she kicks out. AJ then crushes Nattie’s windpipe onto the middle rope before hitting her head off the top turnbuckle and throwing her to the outside. Natalya has been thrown to “the wolves” AKA Tamina, yet Tamina ends up looking like a baby seal or something as all she does is kick Natalya once; make the most of the time you have Tamina for god sake!
Back in the ring, AJ goes for another unsuccessful cover before lynching in a sleeper hold complete with vicegrip-like body scissors. After a good 30 seconds in hold, Nattie makes it to her feet yet AJ beats her to the punch, well the elbow, as before Natalya can elbow AJ, AJ is quicker than a hiccup in using Nattie’s hair to take her to the mat once more. AJ skips like a lunatic for a short time yet it nearly costs her because Natalya hits a schoolgirl for two. Natalya looks to have regained control but just when you think AJ is down and out, she pounces, NXT Season 3 vs Naomi style with a sick DDT.
AJ goes for a cover yet it’s not enough to keep tenacious Tal down! She then beings to spin her web yet Nattie spins right back out! Nattie hits a kick to the stomach followed by a clothesline and then a snap suplex. Following a dropkick to the back, Natalya pulls AJ to her feet before knocking her right back down again with her discus clothesline. She mounts AJ for the cover yet all of her body weight is still not enough. The challenger goes for the Sharpshooter again yet AJ kicks her way out before getting desperate, utilizing a schoolgirl and small package in quick succession.
AJ charges at Natalya and the latter of which has had enough! It’s third time lucky for Natalya who locks in the Sharpshooter. AJ writhes in pain and clambers towards the bottom rope like a thirsty traveller lunging for an oasis in the desert… or something like that… Natalya pulls AJ back into the center of the ring and it looks like we’re about to get a new Champion….. until Tamina enters the ring and boots the lips off of Natalya’s face! The referee calls for the bell as Tamina stares at Natalya’s lifeless body. AJ gets back to her feet and then locks in the Black Widow, adding insult to injury to an emotional Natalya.
Thoughts: Holy mackerel, what a match! Whilst some parts were a little rough around the edges, I really enjoyed this match. The MVP for me is Natalya, who made every move look realistic and painful. I especially loved how after she had the life choked out of her by AJ, when she went to run across the ropes, it was clear to see that she was slow and lethargic, unable to muster any offence because of AJ’s submission. She made herself look passionate and determined throughout and she made AJ look like a genuine threat. Natalya could sell ice to eskimos if you ask me.
Another positive was the length of this match. I can’t remember the last time we saw a match this long. It just goes to show that if given plenty of time, the women can deliver the goods. Another thing I liked was ow important the match felt by being placed on Main Event. Backed up by the video replay from Natalya’s win two weeks ago on SmackDown and the in-ring introductions, I legit felt like we could see a new Champion crowned.
A lot of people seemingly complained about the finish yet I thought it was excellent. Natalya had not let Tamina get within her head through the entire match and she finally forgot about her right at the last second, letting the hysteria of a potential win take over. Alex Riley perfectly put over how Natalya’s three year wait for a one-on-one title match had been so cruelly taken from her and fans will definitely start to root for he even more knowing how she was robbed by a cheap bit of interference from Tamina.
Main Event often feels like Superstars in that it features basic, throwaway bouts, yet this week’s showing proved that if WWE add a little storyline and ‘big match feeling’ into the mix, they can come up trumps for the Divas. Main Event isn’t watched by the masses, yet it’s still a good enough platform to spotlight the Divas on, so more storyline-driven action on this show please! Let’s hope the storyline continues now with Natalya aiming for a fair shot at AJ’s championship. And with that, stay tuned, Jack will be back!
