One Step At A Damn Time

[TJ Matics]

Monthly we usually have 2 or 3 random threads about the divas and what to do with them, I think it'll be much easier to just observe the weekly. So each week I'll post a video of the divas segment and/or match on Raw and Smackdown!, and do three things with them :
1. What went right
2. What went wrong
3. What we would have liked to see
4. Did the segment/match improve from last week

Since this is the first thread we're going to leave off the last one for right now,
Friday Night Smackdown! Natalya vs. Brie Bella :

[YOUTUBE]UbZI1Nnkn80[/YOUTUBE]
1. This was a really good match, IMO, Natalya did her thing and Brie hung in there and did her part as a heel and it was nice to see a win w/o twin magic & The Bella's to me are Lay-Cool 2.0, less annoying. I also liked Nikki sarcastically bowing to Brie on their way to the ring

2. The ending to me was kind of abrupt, I mentioned above that they are less annoying but they are still a little choppy on the MIC and are less talented in the ring

3. Like I said the ending was abrupt, they should have let Brie get a little offense in and then end the match

RAW
[YOUTUBE]7NNsdeArdjM&feature[/YOUTUBE]
1. Nice to see Melina, Gail.K and Beth.P

2. The match got interrupted before it even started, and I know the chick is pregnant and they were probably were limited with things to do, but this was a really strange way to write her out

3. I would have liked to see all the girls to get some ring time, at least like the tag-match (Nexus vs. I forget) at mania, before getting interrupted. Especially Gail.K, Melina, and Beth.P. This is what I think should have happened on RAW, K2 vs Nikki : Halfway through the match Kharma comes out and diva naps Kelly Kelly and we got to commercial break. When we go back on live, we see Kharma dragging K2 backstage, Matt Striker ask her what she is doing, and she says something that should have been done long ago, re-inventing the divas division starting with K2, and shoves Matt and leaves. They come back 9 months later with her and K2 as a heel tag-team. This would never in a million years happen, but it's a thought none the less

 

[King Blitzkonic]

Let's start with the Raw one and I'll itemize for convenience sake:
1. What went right? Seeing the Divas actually surround Kharma rather than scattering like little ants in the wake of a human boot coming to stomp them
2. What went wrong? The major thing would be the timing of Kharma's appearance. I would have liked to seen her show up AFTER the match while the winning team was celebrating.
3. What saved it? The timing of the commercial break. This sounds like a knock on the Divas but it really isn't. The camera going off to Kharma kneeling in the ring rocking like she's just had a psychotic break leaves the fans (who HAVEN'T been sitting in front of the computer screen reading "news" articles) wondering what happened and what's next.
4. Did it improve from last week? Vaguely. I mean it leaves more uncertainty but at the same time I like to see ring action. If Kharma IS pregnant, here's hoping WWE doesn't write in a Kharma/K2 lovechild angle.

On to Smackdown:

1. What went right? Finally, a match that's NOT been interrupted by Kharma. Nice to see a match go to a clean finish for once.
2. What went wrong? The answer is obvious here: That Natalya didn't go over. There is no excuse for the Bellas to be holding the Divas title when you have REAL Divas who can wrestle and look better than the Bellas while doing it.
3. What would I have liked to see? Natalya depositing both Bellas in a double Sharpshooter! I'm a big fan of Natalya and I hate seeing her used like this.
4. Improvement over last week? Depends on how you look at it. This past SD! we had ring action, but I must say that I enjoyed seeing Kharma chasing Michael Cole away.

 

[Mercer the Ruthless]

I like some of what Blitzkonic said, so I'll Start with Smackdown:

Smackdown:

What went right?

Tv time for Natalya, like it was said before it's good to see a Diva's matchup that isn't interrupted by Kharma or otherwise, I still get hot under the collar when I think of when Natalya & Tamina were interrupted by the Nexus (sorry to go off on a tangent but I'm referring to this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrS22cXTq0M) anyway I digress. Natalya was athletically impressive a tad showboaty but impressive, I mean she did two impressive kip-ups that would make the Rock and HBK jealous. Oh and Brie didn't slouch up either she knew her spots for the most part and played heel well.

What went wrong?
... Natalya being jobbed? Really? I can't buy into Natalya, a member of the prestigious Hart family being jobbed for Brie Bella. Granted I know, it was done so Brie can look good or better in the ring against some one who is a ring general, however, I believe that part of the reason (and to punk fan's point) why it looked rushed was because it wasn't believable that Brie could get dominated for a majority of the match-up then get the common heel job trifecta: distraction, cheap shot, finisher win. Maybe if a weapon (like the Championship) was used to damage Natalya it would have been better and believable. We all know that Natalya is above Brie/Nikki. The loss needs to be sold only by the competitors but by the bookers and writers.

What I would have liked to see?

I would have liked to see Brie get jobbed, not Nat and three more minutes (at least) of them going at it. The longer a Diva's match like this would have gone on the more it would have helped Brie. Since Natalya was the jobber in this match WWE needs people to take Brie (and Nikki for that matter) more serious as heels. LayCool was annoying but for the most part they were taken serious (somewhat). Brie needed more in-ring time to look good, she still looked weak. I will say this she looked better against K2 at Over the Limit. So maybe this match did help her in-ring ability.

Did the segment/match improve from last week?

I say yes, but to be honest I don't remember what Divas fought the previous week on Smackdown. I still say yes.

Raw: I'll keep this short

What went right?
TV time for my other favorite Divas, finally I see Gail K., Beth Phoenix, Melina, even Maryse and Eve (even though they need improvement IMO) in the ring, or around it.

What went wrong?

Yeah we get to look at the most talented Divas but that's about it. Beth who rallied all the Divas to stand against Kharma did basically nothing (not basically, they did nothing) not even during the match. Which, by the way if they were going to have Kharma interrupt should've at least had three tags for each team. They could have then done that crazy scramble thing where all the members of the teams take each other out, then cut to commercial. But I guess they needed the commercial because more than likely they predicted the tv fan reactions when Kharma came out.

What I would have liked to see?

Like I said, more in-ring competing time for this match, in fell swoop 3 or 4 divas could have been put over a little (Eve, Maryse, Brie, K2) and the more athletic Divas (Beth, Gail, Melina) could have looked stronger and actually got in-ring time. In the aftermath of this, when Karma comes back (hopefully it's soon) a stable could be formed. For fun here is a pitch Kharma/ K2 as heel leaders, Melina, Brie and Tamina feuding against the face diva stable Beth Phoenix, Natalya, Gail, Nikki, Maryse and maybe a returning diva Sunny (manager, longshot I know) or Michelle McCool (more likely).

Did the segment/match improve from last week?

I'm going to say no, I know Kharma is pregnant, however, writing her off in that fashion did nothing for her character. I can't think of how you can go about explaining her dropping to her knees and beginning to cry; other than going with the cliche "she just wants to be accepted, so she used fear in an attempt to respect" or "she's just crazy" excuse but this entire segment didn't do anything for any one in the ring.

 

[ABMorales787]

What the hells the point to this? I don't care about how good or bad or whatever the hell goes on in one match. You wanna talk about bringing more interest to the Women in WWE? Your problem isn't in the matches alone. It's the lack of depth in the Divas as well as the lack of direction. Why should I invest in Kelly Kelly? What makes her special? How should I relate to her? For years, WWE just pick's one woman to develop and saddles the division on her. Trish, Mickie, Melina, Beth, Lay-Cool and now Kharma. Notice the pattern? Aside from the 2 or 3 months when Melina, Mickie and Beth were feuding, was there ever a time in which you had more than one Diva to focus on? No. And that's WWE's flaw? Why does TNA's Knockout's seem more interesting to some? Because each Knockout has her own individual character and reason to stand out. What you see with WWE is your standard model good girl vs the bratty prima-donna. How the hell to you get interested in that?

 

[TJ Matics]

What the hells the point to this?

To observe the diva division one step at a damn time

You wanna talk about bringing more interest to the Women in WWE?

Not my words but okay

Your problem isn't in the matches alone. It's the lack of depth in the Divas as well as the lack of direction.

Well duh it's not in the matches alone, but I can't exactly call up an E writer and tell him how he should run the division and give deeper storylines. The lack of depth and direction in the division is an obvious problem that everyone already knows. I posted this thread so that we can look and observe on the things we see right and wrong every week, and how they're disproving or improving the division at all, your rant belongs somewhere else

Why should I invest in Kelly Kelly? What makes her special? How should I relate to her? For years, WWE just pick's one woman to develop and saddles the division on her. Trish, Mickie, Melina, Beth, Lay-Cool and now Kharma. Notice the pattern? Aside from the 2 or 3 months when Melina, Mickie and Beth were feuding, was there ever a time in which you had more than one Diva to focus on? No. And that's WWE's flaw?

Melina vs. McCool
Trish vs. Mickie
Beth vs. Melina

I agree that they do only try to focus on one diva, but in doing that they end up creating feuds that catapult the challenger into the spotlight whether they intend to or not ( whether the challenger wins or not) So not just one diva, but two to focus on. Is that better than just one? Yes. Is it still a problem? Yes

Why does TNA's Knockout's seem more interesting to some? Because each Knockout has her own individual character and reason to stand out. What you see with WWE is your standard model good girl vs. the bratty prima-donna. How the hell to you get interested in that?

IDK I don't watch TNA But:
Heel Beth Phoenix, Mickie James, and (pre-laycool) Michelle McCool were NOT bratty prima-donnas, and faces Mickie James, Beth Phoenix, and Melina were not just sugar sweet babyfaces. And yes, we do have standard model good girl types like K2 and Eve, as well as the prima-donnas like heel Melina and Maryse, but here’s the thing IT WORKS!, no matter how generic it may seem to you and anybody else who seem to love to shit on the divas.

 

[ohyoudidntknow]

i just think they need to split the Bella twins up. every match of theirs is the exact same. one of them starts the match, gets the crap kicked out of her, and then switches with her twin, the twin wins the match, and the ref never knows

natalya in my opinion should be dominating this division. she has the talent, and background to be divas champion for quite some time, and its a shame because i think a feud between her and kharma would've been a great one, haha a divas version of the bret hart vs. yokozuna feud from 93-94

 

[King Blitzkonic]

i just think they need to split the Bella twins up. every match of theirs is the exact same. one of them starts the match, gets the crap kicked out of her, and then switches with her twin, the twin wins the match, and the ref never knows

natalya in my opinion should be dominating this division. she has the talent, and background to be divas champion for quite some time, and its a shame because i think a feud between her and kharma would've been a great one, haha a divas version of the bret hart vs. yokozuna feud from 93-94

Indeed. Natalya should definitely be consistently right at the top. I respectfully disagree with the need to split the Bellas. "Twin magic" has been going on for years and years. This is possibly the first time (I could be wrong) that it's been women doing the twin switch.

Examples of tag-teams that have pulled the ol' twin switch or could pull it: Ron and Don Harris (also known as the Blu Brothers in WWF), The Texas Hangmen, the Ding Dongs (a woefully comedic bad team), the Usos, and I'm sure I'm missing at least 5 or 6 other tag teams. Point being that it's an old tactic but it's effective at garnering heat and at least there's SOME crowd reaction. Most of the Divas get catcalls and whistles but no real reaction for their in-ring ability.

 

[TJ Matics]

Up this week we have a tag-team match from Friday night Smackdown, that was um, was pretty damn goodBefore we start let me note that I did not watch Smackdown last night, so when I read the spoilers someone wrote that Kharma needed to come interupt this match, was it not for her pregnancy, WRONG!

[YOUTUBE]urGd1UtlBhM[/YOUTUBE]

1.

• I think it was interesting to see Natalya coaching AJ and Kaitlyn,
• It was great to see AJ make her debut on Smackdown!, and this girls has got some moves
• Kaitlyn looked pretty good in the ring
• Alicia Fox made a nice return, and it did me good to see her get a win
• The team of A.Fox and Tamina should stick
• The announce team, especially Booker, sold the Axe Kick perfectly
• I loved the commentary in general, except for the crack about their season of NXT, the commentators made the divas sound like more than just eye candy

2.

• The match was way to short
• Tamina didn't get any ring time
• There was this really awkward spot in the corner, where Kaitlyn was pulling A.fox's hair, and I think she was pulling Kaitlyn's shirt, idk, looked pretty bad though

3.

• A longer match
• Tamina get in the ring against AJ
• A.Fox needs a new weave, don't get me wrong, I like the red, but, idk, they need to straighten it or something
• AJ needs a new pair of trunks, those don't fit her good at all

4. The match last week, IMO, was better, but this match in no way was a complete step down, they packed a good deal in the time they were given

 

[TJ Matics]

[YOUTUBE]JFYX9hn1VYU[/YOUTUBE]

1.

• The Match got some time
• Eve showed that she knows her way around the ring
• The Bella’s Continue to impress me with their mannerisms, I find them hilarious

2.

• The Bella’s had no entrance
• The match went downhill when K2 got tagged in, which is sad since she got the biggest pop

3.

• I would have liked to see the Bella’s entrance
• I would have liked to see a re-match from last week with each diva getting time since they did not last time

4.
This was certainly an improvement from last week

 

[TJ Matics]

Friday Night Smackdown! 6-3-11 Divas Tag

[YOUTUBE]7YT0ZIZNKsE[/YOUTUBE]

1.

• The match got some time
• A.Fox looks much better with that hair cut, the outfits OK
• AJ continues to look impressive(still a little green), as does A.Fox ( who's still the best seller the divas have)
• Tamina looked OK out there, nice body slam and Samoan Drop

2.

• The pushing in the begging is annoying, in any match
• AJ still needs a new pair of shorts, Tamina needs a whole new outfit
• Kaitlyn needs to stop that 2-hand push thing, i don't know what she's trying to accomplish, but it looks pretty bad
• I'm all for divas getting screen time, but Rosa serves no purpose what so ever
• A.Fox continues to smile and bounce way to much for a heel

3.

• I would have like to see less of Tamina and Kaitlyn and more of A.Fox and AJ
• An explanation of Rosa's presence, I get that she's heel in all, but she was still completely random

4. Last weeks match was much better

Monday Night Raw 6-6-11 Divas Tag

1.

• I like the Bella's new capes, very Maryse-esque
• Great to see Beth.P, though it's obvious she hasn't been in the ring in a while
• K2 looked good out there
• The Bella.T's did their jobs as heels, they've looked pretty impressive since, um, one of them one the butterfly belt
• Pretty good match all in all, Glamslam looked good

2.

• In the future I would like to see K2 speed up that arm drag w/ the ropes
• They could of showed more of the Bella.T's insults in the smack of the week

3. I was fine with this week

4. Another improvement from last week