Share

Tweet

Share

Share

Email

Next week on Raw, WWE has a chance to revitalize the Divas Revolution when Nikki Bella defends her Divas Championship against Charlotte in a match that was originally booked for Night of Champions. This match should take center stage on the whole show if WWE are going to take it seriously, as it could be a crowning moment for either woman. Nikki has the chance to successfully retain and go on to break AJ Lee’s record of most consecutive days as champion, while Charlotte could win her first ever main roster title. A match that has so much riding on it, there is no reason then why it shouldn’t headline Raw and be the shows main event.

The Divas Revolution has recently hit a few bumps along the road. Originally when it started, it seemed the Divas division was heading in a new direction, away from the short matches and underwhelming stories. It has since lost a lot of its momentum, due to more shortened matches and a lack of a true narrative. Even the Beat the Clock challenge that Team PCB participated in was underwhelming, with a lack of build and a competition set up for the Divas to try and win in the shortest time possible. Crowds have noticeably started turning on the Revolution, something that has frustrated the Divas. They have a chance again now to get the crowd interested, but they must have the backing of the creative team to do so.

The booking ideally should have started after the announcement was made on the Raw just gone. The segment between Nikki and Charlotte was fine, but that would have been a brilliant time for Stephanie McMahon to come out and make this match the main event for the next episode of Raw. It’s unusual that WWE names its main event a week in advance, so immediately this match would feel huge. For the next week, WWE should promote the match via social media, giving it as much publication as possible without overselling it to the point that the fans get tired of it before it even happens.

To start next week’s Raw, the usual opening promo would be Charlotte coming to the ring and talking about her past and how she wants to take down Nikki and write her own history. Granted, Charlotte isn’t spectacular on the mic, and she may need some help to get through an opening promo. It would then be clever to have her talking through her promo, and then the music hits, and Ric Flair comes down to the ring. He could give a father speech reeking of emotion and speaks of his pride and how he will be in his daughter’s corner tonight. While ringside, Ric Flair could add to the intensity and emotion of the bout, which he done a fantastic job of when he was ringside for Charlotte’s NXT Women’s Championship bout against Natalya.

The build for this match wouldn’t end there though. Throughout the night, vignettes would show to promote each wrestler, whilst Renee Young would interview superstars and divas backstage and get their opinions on the match. They could also speak to a couple of members of the audience at ringside and get their views, but that always runs the risk of someone saying something silly on the mic and putting the company in trouble. Renee could also try and speak to Nikki in her own personal locker room, but Brie Bella and Alicia Fox could stop her as she is focusing for the task at hand, similarly to how Paul Heyman protects anyone from bothering Brock Lesnar before a match. Before the match itself takes place, several superstars and divas should come together and gather in front of a screen to show they are watching the match as well. That way, WWE has built the match up as much as they can, and showed that they are in fact serious about the division and the women as much as they are with the men.

It’s unlikely that WWE would go through with something like this, as they seem more likely to set up a screwy finish involving the respective teams rather than have a clean victory for either woman. This way, they would be setting up a proper title match for Night of Champions where they will crown a decisive winner.

However, the match on Raw next week has more implications, as Nikki retaining will guarantee her breaking the record. That’s why they should main event the evening, as there is no chance of them main eventing Night of Champions, and main eventing Raw will still elevate both the performers and the title, just like it done for Lita and Trish Stratus when they headlined Raw in December 2004. Having the commentary team reference that match would also be a wise move, as it would make this match feel as important as that match did, which it should be if the WWE really want its fans to care about the Divas division.

WWE: Sting – Into the Light on Amazon.com

WWE: Daniel Bryan: Just Say Yes! Yes! Yes! on Amazon.com

Grab discounted WWE DVDs, merchandise, t -shirts, figures, and more from the WWE Shop on Amazon.com