Has the state of the Divas division really changed? Is there a new direction or are they just taking a detour? Your guess is as good as mine. The only thing we know for certain is they are trying to push this division hard behind the mind of Stephanie McMahon; not to mention the constant mentions of Ronda Rousey to create a buzz in the hopes of bringing in more ratings.
Stephanie McMahon sent revolutionary shockwaves throughout the WWE Universe on Raw with the introductions of three new Divas from NXT: Becky Lynch, Charlotte and NXT Women’s Champion Sasha Banks. After months of Team Bella dominance, how have these new arrivals affected the landscape of the Divas division?
Aside from the predictable tag matches or team interference, it has been nice to see a chance going forward. The only thing that puzzles me is the stagnant crowd reaction and the lackluster action inside the ring. With the exception of Paige and Nikki Bella, these divas are well off when it comes to in ring ability. For those that have followed me on here, you already know I am an advocate for Nikki Bella. I think she has worked hard on her ability and it is showing inside the ring. Natalya is a mystery, Naomi is the second coming of Jacqueline, Alicia Fox has been a disappointment, and Tamina can’t stay healthy. I know the younger generation is here to jump-start the division, but I still think they have a long way to go.
All of this makes me ask myself, “Is the division really that lackluster or is it because we are still trying to compare it to the divas of yesterday?” The days of Trish Stratus and Lita are well behind us, but some keep referring to them in the same breath. I feel the Divas will never be able to push further because the majority of the WWE’s following continues to live in the past.
In reality, one of the main reasons why the Divas were so popular in the earlier years was because of the uncensored stunts from week to week. In a PG syndicated show all of the excitement is non-existent. It leads us to wonder if the Diva Division will ever succeed as a Wrestling Division instead of pure eye-candy inside the squared circle.
Nonetheless, all of this month’s creativity will lead nine ladies to a match at SummerSlam. The 4 hour PPV will include the Divas champ Nikki Bella and her “Army” of sister Brie & Alicia Fox battle the recently re-christened PCB of Paige, Charlotte & Becky Lynch and Team B.A.D. of Sasha Banks, Naomi & Tamina. The trios will face off in a team elimination match to determine the winner of a month long battle.
Booking it this way also means that at the least NXT Women’s champ Banks will work double-duty on the weekend, as she’s scheduled to defend that title on Saturday at TakeOver. It also means Nikki inches closer to the longest Divas title reign of all-time, since the team warfare has taken the focus off of her defending the belt. It was reported months ago that creative had chosen her to break the record held by AJ Lee and after SummerSlam she will be well on her way.
Is this what we all had in mind when Lynch, Charlotte and The Boss stormed Raw last month? Do you think they can survive on the top roster? Will this just be another failed experiment for the Divas division? There are many questions to be answered and it will take more than a month to get the proper explanations. Until then everything remains up in the air.
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