Posted by Melanie on June 5th, 2009This week’s SmackDown saw the next logical step given the way storylines have unfolded for the brand’s Divas. Gail Kim and Michelle McCool hate each other, then Michelle enlisted Alicia Fox. Gail Kim and Alicia Fox hate each other. Then Melina came along and brought her shiny Women’s Championship to SmackDown and this distracted Gail and Michelle. They then fought for the #1 Contendership, which Michelle won. So now, Melina and Michelle hate each other and by proxy, Alicia and Melina hate each other. All the while, we have another Divas feud between Eve Torres and Layla. So it was only a matter of time before we got all six in the ring at the same time! Watch below:
And just for added measure, it looks like the SmackDown writers took pity on Maria - who doesn’t have (and frankly doesn’t deserve) a storyline – and decided to make her a referee for the night. Speaking of Maria, I keep meaning to write an indepth blog about what’s next for her in WWE, but the subject-matter isn’t much of a motivator. So you guys are going to have to motivate me. Is that a blog you want to see or not? If not, I won’t bother!
And if you had to look any further as to why Maria isn’t much of a motivator for me, look no further than this week’s SmackDown. Her spastic wardrobe continues to give me headaches everytime I see her on TV and this week was no different. I can’t begin to explain what she was thinking. I don’t know how any woman could dress like that, look in the mirror and think, “Damn, I look great.”
Speaking of fashion faux pas’, did Layla preserve herself in ice between last week’s taping and this week’s? Because she looked the same, head to toe. Usually, I wouldn’t mind if she dusted off one of her hot outfits twice in a row, but her look over the past couple of weeks has been less Layla and more Maria. Being in a lockerroom with Maria must be having a negative impact on her! Please straighten your hair and dust off the hot leather leggings.
Anyway onto this week’s action, I have to start off by saying it’s great to see Gail Kim back on SmackDown after a one week absence. I personally noticed her absence last week, perhaps because I unashamedly mark for Gail. And her work in this match proved just why fans should miss her when she’s away.
Looking at the match from top-to-bottom; we kick off with with rookies Eve Torres and Alicia Fox, and from the outset Alicia proves just what a head-start she has over Divas who have been on the main roster for longer than her by taking the lead. I really can’t fault this girl’s work ethic, she is already better than many of the Divas, I would argue she’s better than a certain Divas Champion too. Eve, who hasn’t really impressed me in the ring, shows some nice athleticism with a cartwheel into a chop-block, taking down Alicia. Eve retreats to her corner and tags in the lovely Gail Kim and things pick up from here, Gail and Alicia have a fast paced style, with Alicia being hurled into the corner but managing to counter and giving an arrogant reaction to the fans. Nice heel tactic there. Gail hits a really nice hurricanrana, then does her patented cross body through the middle rope and then takes to the top for another one.
Michelle tags herself in and immediately lays into Gail rather viciously. Things go a little topsy-turvy here, Gail goes for a hurricanrana but Michelle manages to grab her and powerbombs her into the rope and then it’s time for our “Gail Kim Bump of the Week”, with that sick over-head flapjack. Yizouch! Michelle picks apart Gail some more before tagging out to Layla, two of my favourite Divas in the ring now – Layla takes a lead over Gail and actually shows some decent mat skills. I think working more often with this group of Divas and Layla could become an extremely strong performer and give Alicia a run for her money. Layla hits a dropkick and Gail sells every move perfectly, Gail drop-toe-holds Layla into the middle turnbuck and hurls for a tag to the Women’s Champion, Melina.
The pace is about to pick up as Melina hits a well rehearsed chorus of moves and really riles up the crowd. The ‘Matrish’ into an overhead kick, showing her amazing flexibility. Then comes the knee smash in the corner, followed by the hair-drag smash and Layla looks to be done but somehow manages to kick out.
The end is nigh, as Alicia interferes and all hell breaks loose. On the outside, Eve clotheslines Alicia while on the ring apron, #1 Contender Michelle hits a big boot over the top rope on the Women’s Champ. This is enough to put out Melina, as the legal woman, Layla hits her ‘Layout’ for the win.
The end of this match caused a lot of mixed opinions in the spoilers post earlier this week, but given the context, I think it worked. Sure Layla has pinned the Women’s Champion, but it doesn’t derive from the fact that Michelle had a helping hand and will only further fuel their feud. But this is also a fantastic win for Layla, the biggest of her career thus far.
I would say this match could rival the show-stopping tag team match between Melina/Gail and Alicia/Michelle a few weeks back. Definitely a strong showing for SmackDown.
June 5, 2009 at 8:24 pm
A win is a win, Layla pinned melina ( which is the biggest win in her career) I think that really says something
I am so Happy for and i can’t wait to see what’s next
June 5, 2009 at 8:57 pm
Nah Melanie. I think the Maria ship has sailed. You shouldn’t waste your time.
I notice you and I have a lot of similarities in who we like, and who we don’t. In Maria’s case – I never really was a fan, although she was tolerable as a dizzy interview chick. Than the Santino pairing/Playboy push came and for some reason, posing in Playboy made her smarter? I guess.
But anyway, I was starting to get behind her when she had a couple of good matches on Smackdown – but that all fail apart when she made her return back to Smackdown, to ambush a newly heel Michelle McCool. And just acted a damn fool. That’s when I ( and no doubt, the WWE higher ups ) noticed the deep void that was Maria’s wrestling skill.
Oh how I would just love to shake the casual WWE fan, for giving these, excited ” POPs ” for Maria and other women like her, but go dead silent when Gail Kim enters. What a pity!
But decent 6 women’s tag match! I’m not really liking how Melina takes the fall for her team (for the second time), when there’s a lot more weaker opponents to pin ( Eve anyone? ) But I guess the McCool/Melina feud has to go on somehow. Why haven’t they announced a women’s title match yet?
June 5, 2009 at 9:09 pm
Good match. I’m glad Layla got the win for her team. She’s improving so much.
On another note: what in the hell was Maria wearing? Does she honestly think those boot…things look good? Her style scares me sometimes.
June 5, 2009 at 9:11 pm
Melanie, I agree with everything MarBu13 said, don’t waste your time writing about Maria.
On to the match, I really enjoyed this one. Gail Kim really is an amazing performer, and I wish more WWE fans would recognizes this. Layla pinning Melina was a big shocck to me, even if she did get help from Michelle. That’s a big step for her, and I think she deserves a good win for once. Plus, it shows that unexpeced things can happen sometimes. This was a pretty well rounded match.
June 5, 2009 at 9:56 pm
I agree with everyone on Maria – wtf was she wearing? I thought WWE is PG now? And yet Maria comes down to the ring with her arse practically hanging out… right.
Good match, though. I loved how when Michelle came in she told Maria to ‘call it fairly this time’. Haha, nice touch.
June 5, 2009 at 10:08 pm
I thought the match was great, and SD Divas are def. the ones to watch.
Also, was it just me or could the ending in general could have been done a tad bit better ? I dont know if my attention span isnt up to par lol but I couldnt focus on Michelle on the apron, the fight outside, and then Layla in the ring. Just seems like it could have been little better.
Kudos to Smackdown Divas for another great showing this week.
June 5, 2009 at 11:03 pm
I will always be a Smackdown Diva fan. Forget raw or that horrid Impact. smackdown is the place for womens wrestling. And this match proved it. Ive been telling people for 2 years watch out for Victoria Crawford and I was right. shes freaking ace in the ring. Here i thought when Lisa left to go to that dreadful Impact smackdown would have a void there but Michelle, Alicia and Layla are bringing the heeling and i love it. also the GBW aka Gail Bump Of The Week awesome, for some reason her and Michele just have that chemistry where when they wrestle you sit there and wonder what these two will do next to each other and I love it.
June 5, 2009 at 11:05 pm
SD rock again like always since the draft.
Im so glad Layla won this match for her team she really deserved it,its nice to see the creative team switch up the win im surprised they havent made Melina pin Michelle yet or Michelle pin Melina maybe next week.Also Melina sold all her moves so perfectly she was always a great seller.
The real kicker in this match was Maria !! WTH was she wearing sheesh!!! It looks like she spends more time designing than training that explains her role in this match.How Sad
June 5, 2009 at 11:07 pm
Roqqsz I agree with you I thought when Victoria left SD will go down hill but I was wrong. I wonder how Victoria would have played out if she never left.It would have been nice to see Victoria vs Melina considering it was her injurying Melina but guess not.
June 5, 2009 at 11:15 pm
Thanx KatieleaRocks I agree to. Im very much looking forward to next weeks installment just to see whats next for the Smackdown 6. And i dont mind them missing PPV’s becase it’s building the story of Michelle and Melina and we just know those two will bring it. mainly since their first encounter 4 years ago showed they had a good chemistry.
June 6, 2009 at 1:08 am
i miss ma boo layla’s str8 hair nd sexxi outfits to the ring but overall thought the match was great smackdown is really bringing it every single week i wish maryse was still on smackdown cuz they wud book ma babey great on there like before nd not treat her like shyt on raw like dhey do wit all the other divas on raw
June 6, 2009 at 1:37 am
I love the match but could of went a little longer but eh. I like Maria and people should stop hating on her so much, I feel for bad all of the divas. If you ain’t got nothing nice to say, then don’t say it at all.
June 6, 2009 at 1:46 am
i dont like maria at all she cant wrestle tht well yea shes better than ashley but who isnt better than her nd maria style is whack as fuck who wud wear them boots wit a ref outfit it dont even match wtf but watever all the other gurls i like but not so much michelle but atleast shes better then maria but the match was off the chain doe
June 6, 2009 at 2:35 am
Melanie, you should write it, I’m very intrigued as to what you will say about Maria.
Just watched the match on TV! It was good! SD! delivers yet again!
WTFH was Maria wearing on her shoes? Was she trying to imitate Melina yet again?
She wanted to get back in the ring so bad and being referee isn’t such a bad role for her lol.
The GKSW was sick and rather unique, I’ve never seen it before.
Layla won the match, I like her finisher!
Can’t wait for SD! next week!
June 6, 2009 at 2:53 am
I am a huge fan of maria, it really doesn’t bother me that people are commenting on her in ring ability because everyone is entitled to their opinion. if diva dirt approved of every wwe diva then it wouldn’t be fun reading the column would it ?
like i said Maria should have improved more in the ring ( especially in the four years she has been here) but at least she can put on a half decent match in the ring. So i would like to see a column about maria and all the divas for that matter, kind of like the good,the bad and the ugly. It would give people a chance to keep an open mind about each diva as well as their strengths their weakness and everything in between.
But GO LAYLA!!!
June 6, 2009 at 3:10 am
i dont know if you should write the blog about maria. if you feel you can write enough about her future with the wwe then go for it! personally all id be able to do is
“Maria’s role in WWE….. shes cute…ish”
anyway great match, MUCH better than RAW, nice win for Layla, honestly didnt see it coming. i thought she would GET pinned tbh
June 6, 2009 at 3:49 am
It was a good match but it kinda dissapointed me how the crowd wasnt into it a lot, only a bit. Anyway I think Maria is a good ref she should stick with it!
June 6, 2009 at 5:34 am
Maria looks so damn ridiculous, I could never buy her as being authoritative enough to be even a “guest” referee. She just looks like a lost little girl watching the action in a goofy striped outfit.
All the girls did pretty good for what little action they had, but I’m kind of iffy on Layla. It looks like she has the Maria-esque “antsy feet” syndrome, not looking comfortable or natural in the ring. Maybe it’s just something she puts on as a heel, but she doesn’t look as comfortable as she should be.
June 6, 2009 at 5:51 am
Alicia’s trying real hard to generate heat, like when she flipped over Gail on the turnbuckle. But the crowd didn’t seem to react. I think she still looks too cute and innocent. They got to make her do something evil, like use a weapon or attack violently after a loss. Right now she still comes off more as Michelle’s little sidekick than a #2 heel. A+ for effort though.
It took the same number of weeks for Maria to make her first SD appearance as it did for Maryse to get her first Raw win…..and Maryse is the Divas champion. Very odd. Come to think of it, since the draft, Vickie Guerrero has been in more matches than Maria. That can’t be a good sign for Maria.
June 6, 2009 at 7:18 am
Your right Keyanna22. everyone is entitled to their opinion, and also Maria do not steal Melina fuzzy boot style, that’s her style. if she did, then it would of been a little bit shorter and fuzzy lol.
June 6, 2009 at 8:55 am
Layla has been out of action for almost a year since she came to raw.I mean she had a few matches here and there but she was glued to regal’s side. I think now that layla is now wrestling its kind of odd seeing her in the ring.
GO Layla
June 6, 2009 at 10:48 am
i think layla n melina worked realy good together
June 6, 2009 at 11:21 am
i loved this match. there was great chemistry between the wrestlers, and the actual wrestling was of a great caliber. it’s obvious Maria was only the special guest ref because the WWE can’t find anything to do with her, but they want her to hang around. tbh, i think she should have gone to Raw in the draft, because i can’t think that theres much to do on Smackdown for her.
also, wheres Candice going to fit when she returns?
June 6, 2009 at 3:41 pm
I think Layla, michelle, candice,A Foxx are probably going to team up as a heel faction.
June 6, 2009 at 6:10 pm
I thought the Match was good. I don’t think Maria is copying Melinas attire,. I actually thought she was kinda copying Mickies old attire, the bell bottoms, cuz ever since Mickie has has a new one maria has started to wear this…it doesn’t suit Maria IMO.
I miss Laylas straight hair and nice attires that she had on RAW, her hair is like Alicias now, big and scary & her attire is weird :S. But i love her aggressive attitude when she gets in the ring, Its something that none of the other divas have lol. The ‘Layout’ needs to change IMO, its just a neckbreaker thats often used as a simple move, when i first hgeard of the ‘Layout’ I imagined it as a Reverse DDT which i thik will suit Layla more. hehe
Looking forward to Candice return, lets hope she will have no injuries and gets back to the top where she longs to be!
June 6, 2009 at 6:23 pm
I think the things Maria was wearing are a Torrie rip-off personally, because she used to wear things like that.
June 6, 2009 at 6:29 pm
Decent match as Divas matches were solid this week. I’m glad Maria was on the show, too. There are 4 Divas right now who get big reactions: Mickie, Melina, Kelly, and Maria. Leaving someone popular like Maria off the show for weeks at a time amd not developing plans for her when she is backstage each week and could be a benefit to a wrestler who isn’t getting over is bad business. Something that bothers me, though, is the booking on both brands. Surprises can be nice, but I really think WWE is booking wihout much regard as to what happened on the previous show and don’t have a real plan, sense, or logic in mind.
Kelly got a DQ win over Maryse after a surprise battle royal win over Mickie, seemingly setting Kelly up for another title shot. That’s fine, but then she lost clean to Maryse on Raw Monday. Is the feud finished or not? Plus, Michael Cole has kept talking about a Maryse-Mickie issue, but they have had very little interaction since Kelly entered the picture, even after Maryse cost Mickie a title shot. And why was Kelly added to the mix only after the Maryse-Mickie feud was already starting?
Will Layla get a title match even though Michelle is already the official #1 contender and hasn’t had her shot yet? That wouldn’t make much sense, but Layla not getting a shot at all wouldn’t make sense, either. She did pin the champion after all, and that just being forgotten would be stupid. However, If Layla is going to be the next challenger, it would almost certainly be against Melina, so what chance will Michelle have when she gets her shot (assuming WWE has not already forgotten than Michelle won a title shot two weeks ago)? And, again, why is Layla getting involved now, AFTER a Michelle-Melina issue was being established? Does this mean her feud with Eve is over?
It’s a shame that the Divas’ biggest problem right now is something that is not under their control. They can become better wrestlers but can’t do much if their angles have no direction or don’t make sense. And do we even need to talk about how they are being left off ANOTHER pay-per-view this weekend?
June 6, 2009 at 6:37 pm
chrisP i agree too! I think next week there will be a SD! Redux saying ” Where does this leave Michelle” because a new fued between Layla and Melina has emerged. But knowing Michelle’s brain, im thinkin maybe she will get jealous that Layla is getting Melina and she will attack Layla that may lead to a Triple Fued between Melina, Layla & Michelle. which in my cook will be better than the Raw/Smackdown storylines being similar.
June 6, 2009 at 7:25 pm
People reading way too much into a Layla pin over Melina. I seriously doubt it means anything. It was all about Michelle kicking Melina in the back of the head. Layla was in the right spot to hit her finisher and help her tag team captain get another win over Melina. If Melina kicked out, it would’ve meant that Layla’s character & finishing move were weak. Melina’s character stays strong because it took a blind shot kick followed by a finisher to beat her. And Layla wouldn’t have been able to hit her move and get the pin without Michelle’s assistance. Key word: Michelle.
Batista’s been destroying Cody and Ted on Raw for weeks now. Does it mean either of them are next in line? Does her drop everything and go fight Ted at Extreme Rules instead? No. It was always about Batista vs Orton. This Divas match was all about Melina vs Michelle. Nothing else.
I bet they’re trying to stretch out the angle to have the Women’s title match at The Bash PPV. No way is Layla ready for a title run right now. You don’t jump from a feud with Eve to title contender just like that. If anything, Gail is probably next in the title mix (they can always turn her heel if they keep Candice face). Layla might get a non-title match with Melina next week, to delay the title match with Michelle a little longer, in which it will be a squash with Melina beating Layla easily. Don’t get me wrong. Great win by Layla. She pinned a champion and a win is a win. But it had nothing to do with her. It’s about Melina vs Michelle for the Women’s Title. Once it’s over, then the speculation can begin on who fights who next.
June 6, 2009 at 7:47 pm
@ spiffy – completely agree. Michelle cost Melina the match. If you listen JR kept saying stuff like “Michelle McCool did the damage”. While this is a great pinfall for Layla, I really think all the WWE are doing is stretching this feud out so they can have a match at the Bash, and if they dont get a ppv slot Ithink its a shame, because its the best diva feud going at the moment. I really want Michelle to get the title though because the chemistry between her and Gail is great and id love to see a lengthy feud between the two.
The match itself was great and it was great to see all 6 divas getting some ring time. Alicia has come a long way and id like to see her and Gail have a match soon. Michelle has definitely got the heel role down and Melina has just exploded ever since coming to Smackdown. I thought on Raw she was getting stale but I think she has been doing an amazing job the past few weeks. Overall it was a solid match and cant wait for next week.
On a sidenote, Melanie, I really think it would be a good idea to do the Maria blog, to see what everyones opinion is on what she should do next.
June 6, 2009 at 8:03 pm
Litaker61 – It’s been a slow news weekend, so I will probably write that Maria blog tonight or tomorrow.