WWE Battleground - WWE Divas Championship: AJ Lee (c) VS Brie Bella

[Jack-Hammer]

Earlier today, WWE.com announced that AJ will defend the Divas Championship against Brie Bella. I suppose the justification for this comes from Brie scoring a pinfall over AJ during the 8 Diva tag match on Raw last Monday.

I think it's fair to say that expectations for this match aren't exactly going to be high given that either Brie or her sister Nikki are among the least skilled inside the ring out of all the other Divas. The Bellas have gotten as far as they have in WWE by ingratiating themselves to the powers that be, hooking up with power players on the roster and the new success of the Total Divas reality show.

I predicted that AJ would drop the title to one of the Divas a while back and I think that's what's going to happen. It might not be at Battleground, but it won't surprise me at all if it is. As a result, Vince will ultimately reinforce the unfortunate truth that women who actually are talented wrestlers, whether it be on the mic or inside the ring, don't really matter in his company.

 

[JustB]

I really really hope I'm wrong but I think this is the end of AJ's championship run. Last week Brie and Daniel Bryan got engaged while they were hiking and the Total Divas cameras were there, and I'm thinking Brie wins the title here to give TD's their grand "everything is coming together" episode where she gets her ring and the belt in one joyous span.

Plus now that they've brought DB and Brie's relationship out on the air (and Orton actually confronted Brie last week backstage) it'd be a chance for them to have the power regime take their hate for Bryan out on Brie too.

Again, sucks for AJ and the Divas division, but it's whats "best for business"

 

[HBsam31]

I also think this will be the end of AJ's run. I figured they would have put the title on a total diva a while ago, and I think that will finally happen. It is a shame too because I think AJ has done a good of a job as she could with the divas title. Brie had a run before and it sucked, and I expect more of the same this time around. Brie wins the title at Battleground.

 

[Cerebral Cyber Assassin]

I disagree with everyone's belief that Brie Bella will beat AJ for the title at Battleground. A Bella win would be pointless, seeing as the "Total Divas" consist of majority of the division, Brie wouldn't have anyone else to feud with (not with this current storyline of Total Divas v. AJ) except AJ again. Also, the inclusion of Tamina as AJ's bodyguard wouldn't make sense if she doesn't help AJ keep her title at the PPV.

Bottom line is that there are WAY more feud possibilities with AJ as champion and I personally would like to believe that a new face, or returning one, in the Diva's division will take the title off AJ.

 

[IvoryHHH]

So, I actually disagree with everyone here. I do not think Brie will win the Divas Title on Sunday. I do agree that AJ will lose the title to a Total Divas cast member, but I think they are going to give it to Natalya. They've been building a feud between AJ & Nattie for a few weeks now, and I think this match Sunday is just a match to give AJ someone else to beat before losing to Natalya. Brie will come close, but Tamina will interfere and help AJ retain, perhaps they may even double team Brie & Nat makes the save setting up a tag match on RAW the next night with Nattie pinning AJ and continuing their feud, culminating in a title match at Hell In A Cell with Natalya winning....or at least I hope that's how it will go down lol

 

[Stinger]

So, I actually disagree with everyone here. I do not think Brie will win the Divas Title on Sunday. I do agree that AJ will lose the title to a Total Divas cast member, but I think they are going to give it to Natalya. They've been building a feud between AJ & Nattie for a few weeks now, and I think this match Sunday is just a match to give AJ someone else to beat before losing to Natalya. Brie will come close, but Tamina will interfere and help AJ retain, perhaps they may even double team Brie & Nat makes the save setting up a tag match on RAW the next night with Nattie pinning AJ and continuing their feud, culminating in a title match at Hell In A Cell with Natalya winning....or at least I hope that's how it will go down lol

This right here pretty much sums up my viewpoint. I've been expecting AJ to lose the title to a Total Divas cast member for a while now (but then again, who is there that's not on the show for her to lose to?), but I'd really hate it if were to Brie when the WWE seemed like they were building up a feud between AJ and Natalya.

In my opinion, Natalya deserves to be the champion the most out of anyone on the cast of Total Divas since she can actually wrestle, unlike the other girls.

At the same time, I really would not be surprised to see AJ have a CM Punk-esque title reign and hold the belt for a few more months after that promo she cut a few weeks ago.

But if I had to put money on it, I'd put my money (not a large amount mind you, but I'd bet on) AJ losing the belt at Survivor Series to Natalya.

 

[Cerebral Cyber Assassin]

I just noticed an interesting fact about this AJ Lee v. Brie Bella match that no one has mentioned yet.

THEY BOTH HAVE/HAD A RELATIONSHIP WITH DANIEL BRYAN!.
(Well, only onscreen for AJ)

Although I do believe AJ will retain her title Sunday (due to outside interference from Tamina), I could see this feud continuing, and it would be interesting for WWE Creative to have AJ toy with the fact that she was previously with D. Bryan to aggitate Brie. Now I can't think of anything specific that she could say or do, but the ultimate goal would be for AJ to get in Brie's head.

Therefore if they do want Brie to be the one to take the title (hope not), then they could pull the "Outsmarted the Mastermind" story in which Brie isn't fazed by AJ's mental antics and beats her for the title.

 

[torres]

I do agree that AJ will lose the title to a Total Divas cast member, but I think they are going to give it to Natalya. They've been building a feud between AJ & Nattie for a few weeks now, and I think this match Sunday is just a match to give AJ someone else to beat before losing to Natalya. Brie will come close, but Tamina will interfere and help AJ retain, perhaps they may even double team Brie & Nat makes the save setting up a tag match on RAW the next night with Nattie pinning AJ and continuing their feud, culminating in a title match at Hell In A Cell with Natalya winning....or at least I hope that's how it will go down lol

I think Natalya was supposed to fight for the Divas title at Battleground, but there was a sudden change of plans in large part because of Natalya's horrible mic work in the commentators booth and her recent in-ring botches. Therefore, they scrapped that plan and made Brie Bella #1 contender due to the fact that she was the one who most recently pinned AJ in a match.

 

[Justjakks]

To be honest, i'd love to see the whole diva title dropped and AJ going a long the lines of "Dropping the trashy fake wrestler of a women's belt" and picking up the old Women's title again. Would be nice to see an AJ Pipebomb V2. To me it'd kinda float in well with the Total Divas stuff as well. If the division was strong enough maybe even have two belts ie, Womens and Diva's and split that between raw and smackdown. It would separate the dittsy eye candy verse the ones who can actually entertain.

 

[Mustang Sally]

There's nothing particularly exciting about this match, is there? Brie gets a title match as a result of her pinning AJ in that 8-woman-match, an event whose benefits apparently also included a win over Alicia Fox last night.

Actually, I believe Brie's mini-push is a result more of becoming engaged to Goat Boy, in the same manner the Prime Time Players got a push because one of their guys came out as gay. Hell of a reason, huh?.

The thing is, AJ has held the title for quite awhile now, by diva standards. It could be time for a change, particularly at a PPV, in which title changes are more likely to occur than on regular TV. It wouldn't be a problem for AJ; she'll still be around.

So, Brie Bella as champion? Why not? Who would you prefer, Rosa Mendes?

 

[luis1015luis]

Everyone is failing to see the true picture of this match.... yes aj lee will drop to brie but there is a secret meaning to it.... I believe its to set up a brie vs kharma match.. she has recently been in talks with wwe and most likely signed up already setting up a feud with one another....and with aj she will receive another story line she is pretty much falling in the cm punk story line...meaning help other divas progress

 

[MCMG]

I said a while back that I think both Bryan and Brie will hold the titles together and their wedding seems like the perfect opportunity for that. I don't think AJ looses her title yet, she is a good champion and there are other feuds that can still happen before she drops the belt for the purpose of Total Divas.

AJ wins and this is only the beginning of a feud between the two. Their disagreements over Total Divas will obviously feature and probably how both have been in a relationship with Bryan. Very exciting times ahead...

 

[George Steele's Barber]

I didn't watch much of Raw this week. I had a dentist appt. My kid wouldn't go to sleep once I got home. I wanted to watch the new episode of How I Met Your Mother with my wife as opposed to Raw alone. But I never cared or felt the need spend 30 seconds setting the DVR to record Raw. Don't get me wrong, I think Raw has been it's strongest in years in 2013 and especially since Night of Champions. It's just after HHH announced he was vacating the title, there just hasn't been any draw for me. So last night all I watched was the silly Heyman/Ryback Mountain sketch with special double-cock block CM Punk and the final segment with Bryan and Orton.

Why do I mention all this in this thread? Because I am generally self absorbed and feeling quite longwinded but also because I think WWE missed an opportunity to stun and entertain the crowd at the end, maybe even draw a few more buys for Battleground. Why not have AJ and Tamina come out, sneak attack, and destroy Brie in the same way Orton destroyed Bryan? Why not finish the show with Brie's lifeless body draped over Bryan's? WWE is acknowledging the real life romance, why not step in up and shock the fans with a women on woman beatdown? If you're tying another wrestler in to a feud, go a step further and tie another feud in to the feud.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not going to watch Battleground regardless. I'll do what I normally do and check up on the LD and read KB's review. But I just think it would have been nice for AJ to help further establish her role as a heel, Tamina a chance to show her power, and WWE to capitalize on establishing the bond between Bryan and Brie. Might have made for a nice Total Divas segment as well.

But mostly I don't care about this match. I expect AJ will win just because she is more entertaining than the rest of the women and it doesn't have much of a point to give her a bodyguard if she is just going to lose the title anyway.

Oh, and Nattie is way overrated by some people on this forum.

 

[Wolf Pac]

I agree with Cyber Assassin's OP. If Brie wins the title, she'll just drop it back to AJ at Hell in a Cell. I'd rather AJ have a nice long reign with the title than play hot potato with it, so I hope she doesn't lose this Sunday. I have to admit that I'm enjoying this storyline, for the first time in a long time I don't fast forward my VCR whenever the divas come on now. At Survivor Series, I'd like to see AJ assemble a team of divas to take on the Total Divas in a traditional Survivor Series match, which the Total Divas can win as a reward for Season 2 of their show premiering in November. The diva that eliminates AJ in that match could earn themselves a title shot at TLC and go on to defeat her for the belt, ending the year for the show on a high note.

 

[The Eighties]

I can't stand either of the Bella's, they are just completely vacuous and offer nothing inside the ropes. It looked like Nattie was gonna get this shot and Brie would be the final Total Diva to face AJ, I wonder if the switch is due to Nattie's mic work or something brewing in the storyline department.

It's possible Brie is screwed over by Steph as another way to mess with Bryan, but honestly her being around and playing all those "romantic" clips of her and him wont do anything positive for his overness, fans do not feel sympathetic for an underdog that has a girlfriend that looks like Brie.

On the surface it makes no sense for them to put Tamina with AJ as her bodyguard just to have AJ lose the title to Brie, but what if Tamina swerves AJ and Brie comes out at the end to seemingly comfort a defeated Bryan, only to kick him the nuts and make out with Orton over his fallen bearded carcass. Vince loves that type of stuff.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Seriously, when is WWE going to learn that The Bellas SUCK and should NOT be in title matches? AJ deserves better than this. Matches like this are why the divas division is regarded so negatively. I feel really bad for AJ. This is easily going to be the worst match of the night. I just hope that AJ can get something even halfway tolerable as far as a match out of this. I doubt it, considering who her opponent is. If this is meant to advertise the divas show, it will continue to have zero effect on me. I refuse to watch that show and I doubt I am alone in that opinion.

The match could go on at pretty much any moment during the show other than first or last. Probably second to last in between the Punk VS Ryback match and the WWE Championship match to give fans a chance to relax in between the two most intense matches. Or after the World Heavyweight Championship match. This better be the last time a Bella is challenging for the Divas Championship in a LONG time. It probably won't be, since they seem to be offering title shots to the girls on that stupid show to help promote it. I hope the feuds ends here so AJ can move on to a challenger who can actually wrestle while the Bellas go back to being awful at everything they do.

DAGGER'S PREDICTION
AJ retains the Divas Championship.

 

[Carlito_Orton]

This was a tough one to predict because I do believe one of the Total Divas is going to end up winning the title from Aj and it could very well be Brie but after thinking it through it I don't think it'll happen just yet.

I go into more detail as to why I think Aj's winning this in the prediction/simulation vid just put up
[youtube]2AZVf78OBEQ[/youtube]

 

[Mr. Book This Section]

The next match is a very disapointing match to say so, it’s AJ Lee taking on Brie Bella for the Divas Championship even though everyone knows that title should have gone to either Natayla or even a debuting Paige which we will probably get at Wrestlemania 30 or the Royal Rumble.

My Prediction: I believe that AJ Lee will win this and there is no contest, she is a great Diva and she is the best in the business, she is obviously going to win this match.

 

[El Rev sXe]

Once again, WWE needs AJ as their diva champion, she simply is the best diva right now. She is above either Bella as far wrestling, mic skills, charisma is concerned. It wouldn't surprised me at all if at some point, when Bryan is champion and has a true run as WWE champion, see Bella also as the diva champion, but not tonight.

AJ makes tap out that mannequin.