Last time on SmackDown: The 10th Anniversary of SmackDown took center stage, as Divas from every brand served as Lumberjacks for a Women’s Championship match between Michelle and Melina. With some help from Raw’s heels, Michelle retained her title.
This week: With Michelle defeating Melina, does that close the curtains on their feud, and if so, will both go their separate ways this week? Will Maria finally take some initiative?
We kick off the show with Eve Torres making her way to the ring. It’s been a while since we’ve seen her in one-on-one action, so this should be a bit of fresh air. Next out is Michelle McCool, bedazzled knee brace and all. I wonder if Michelle’s having violent flashbacks to that ill-fated house show match with Eve that landed her with that bum knee in the first place..
At the start of the match, the two fight for momentum, struggling against one another in a tie-up. Michelle eventually gets Eve in the corner, pounding her fiercely. Eve tries to get out, but Michelle shoves her back in, showing some great aggression. She pauses for a moment and Eve takes advantage of this, turning the tables and taking her to task in the corner. Dragging Michelle to the center of the ring, Eve whips her back into that same corner, as if Michelle were a boomerang. She goes for the attack, but only gets a face full of Michelle’s elbow.
Michelle goes after Eve, but Eve sweeps her legs out from under her, mounting and pounding her in the head. This turns into a bit of a cat fight, Michelle flipping to the top and putting in her licks. Eve eventually shoves her off, and Michelle retreats outside the ring. Eve follows, and they go for a quick chase before Michelle slides back into the ring, looking to attack Eve upon her entrance. Eve, though, telegraphs Michelle’s kick, catching her leg. She clotheslines her and goes for a unsuccessful pin attempt. Both are slow to their feet, but as Eve goes to grab Michelle, Michelle makes a grab of her own, pulling Eve face-first into the second turnbuckle. She lays prone in the corner, and Michelle takes a run at her, slamming her thigh into her face.
Eve demonstrates some great selling, looking absolutely exhausted as she’s sprawled out on the mat. Michelle admires her work before yanking Eve foot-first to the middle of the ring, mounting her and punching her in the head. Eve looks to be moving slower and slower as Michelle hovers over, kicking and driving her braced knee into her head one, two, three times, finishing it off with a good old-fashioned leg drop. She then grabs Eve behind by the neck, placing her knee square on her back and yanking her head back, choking her. The referee checks her hands to make sure it’s not an actual choke, but it’s close enough–Michelle’s obviously not focusing on taking out Eve’s back.
She grows tired of this, letting for and allowing Eve’s face to slam into the mat. Not giving her any time to breathe, Michelle grabs her hands, criss-crossing them in front of herself and pulling back. This submission isn’t as easy, as Eve seems to be fighting back a bit. Resistance is futile though, because Michelle eventually gets Eve to her knees, locking in the hold and shaking her back and forth violently for good measure. Eve tries to fight out, but Michelle keeps her on her knees. Eve finally gets to her feet, using brute strength to get the advantage. She goes to flip Michelle forward, but the Women’s Champ only performs a cartwheel in response, staying on her feet. Though, Eve meets her quickly with a clothesline, finally knocking her down.
Eve goes on a string of offense, nailing two dropkicks before hitting her senton. She goes for the pin, but Michelle kicks out. As Michelle crawls to her feet, Eve jogs around, getting the fan momentum behind her. Michelle conveniently stands herself in the corner and Eve looks to hit a handspring elbow, but is met with Michelle’s knee in her back, slamming into the mat in response. Michelle drags her up and preps for a suplex but Eve turns the tables with a small package. Michelle kicks out at two, but Eve moves quickly to the ropes, hoping to keep her down. She goes for a clothesline that Michelle ducks, and on the return Eve eats boot, a big boot to be exact. Michelle quickly goes for the pin and gets the win. She celebrates and exits, cocky as ever..
Well that was a fun little match. As always, the Divas get minimal screen time, but Eve and Michelle really took advantage of it. They told a story with the match and showed the kind of animosity you usually only see after a few weeks of feuding. Even though they don’t really have any kind of history, there was an aggression there that was really believable. It’s almost as if they really have something against each other. I’ll just chalk it up to good ring psychology. Eve took most of the punishment, but did it well. She sold Michelle’s numerous submissions like a champ, and her bursts of offense were quite good. She’s no wilting babyface, that’s for sure. I can’t help but wonder what a feud between these two would be like. Maybe I won’t have to wonder, because I get a sneaking suspicion that the WWE is switching gears from the Melina/Michelle feud. If they have, they finished it pretty abruptly. Ending it in such a way isn’t being very respectful to the work those two girls did together for these past months, so I hope this isn’t the end just yet. If it is, I guess this match is some consolation, because I really enjoyed it all the same.
And speaking of switching gears, it’s time to focus on Maria and her endless troubles. For the first time (as far as I can remember), Maria accompanied Dolph Ziggler to the ring for his title match with Intercontinental Champion John Morrison. This can’t possibly end well..
Maria’s seated in a folding chair at ringside, as instructed by the referee, looking pretty awkward. She sits, watching the match until the action spills outside. She leaves her seat to get out of the way, and Dolph grabs the chair, hoping to use it as a weapon. He props it against the apron and gets back into the ring, but Maria grabs the chair, propping it back and sitting in it. I can’t decide whether she wanted to keep him from cheating or is just that dense. I’m hoping it’s the former.
Dolph eventually goes to grab the chair, but it’s not there! He looks incredulously at Maria, who stares back, not indicating her motives either way. Morrison takes advantage of Ziggler’s distraction, winning the match and retaining his title. She checks on Dolph as Morrison celebrates.
Backstage, Maria pleads with Dolph to talk to her. He tells her that he has a professional life and a personal one, and he thought she could differentiate between the two. Maria says she thought they were a team.. Dolph tells her that he sees bright lights and potential in her professional life, he doesn’t she hers in his personal one. He departs, and Maria displays some crying that looks more like she has a bad case a food poisoning rather than heartbreak.
I guess that explains why she randomly decided to manage him tonight. Maybe she felt threatened by Melina’s claims and thought by managing him, she could prevent disaster. The whole thing is pretty ham-fisted, though. The chair gag was pretty dumb, and made her look even stupider by taking the chair away when he clearly wanted to use it. And by the way, was he planning on using it in front of the referee? I don’t think he or the creative team really thought any of it through. I kind of shudder to think how this will pan out with Melina factoring in..
If this week was any indication, it’s clear that the Divas wrestling is much more satisfying and entertaining than them showing off their amateur drama school talents. Michelle/Eve rocked, and Maria just ended up looking like a suffocating fish. Hey, maybe that’s business as usual!
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30 Comments
That was a great match. Compared to the match these two had in January (or February?), what a world of difference! Eve has come along so nicely, she’s looking so confident in the ring and her work has gotten more & more consistent. Michelle, I truly think people underestimate just how good this girl is. She is up there for me with the best, she brings out the best in most, if not all the girls she works with. It’s a true testament to how far she has come as a performer that she can bring out such good matches in less experienced girls like Eve and even Maria in their matches last year. Considering she’s got a dodgy knee too, the level of matches she’s still able to produce is great.
I truly think this was Eve’s best match ever. The word is that she is next in line for a title shot & it looks like we could be seeing much more of these two in the future. I was a little concerned that after so long, the driving force of the division [Melina] was off TV all together this week & what that would mean going forward. If this is anything to go by, Michelle & Eve should be able to work towards a good feud with good matches. Melina will be missed sure, but it’s comforting to know that the level of competition she helped set the bar for won’t be dropping. Plus she seems to be going into a storyline with Maria, so all isn’t lost for her either.
The Maria stuff was lulz. In the words of Rihanna, “How ’bout a round of applause?”
I wouldn’t be surprised if this is the end of Melina/Michelle. It wouldn’t be the first time we’ve seen girls work their asses off and put on greater matches than Cena-Orton to have the rivalry dropped because they’re so good.
great match by mccool and EVE
hmm i wonder if there thinking of bringing in a new diva
at the end the commentators said “who can stop michelle mccool? we dont know just yet”
if this is the end of the maria story then LOL
Melanie, if we’re gonna compare this Maria situation to Rihanna lyrics I think the appropriate line is: “You look so dumb right now”
Like I said earlier,that match was fantastic,definitely Eve’s best by far.Maria was well……Maria,and if were talkin’ Rihanna,the lyrics I’m leaning for are:”You’re so ugly when you cry,……please…..just cut,it out….”
“It wouldn’t be the first time we’ve seen girls work their asses off and put on greater matches than Cena-Orton to have the rivalry dropped because they’re so good.”
If it’s been dropped, I don’t know if WWE had much of a choice. Their issue has been going on since May, yet the reaction from the crowds was still “eh, whatever” when they wrestled. I don’t really understand why that was or why Monday’s Diva Bowl did get over with the live crowd. It’s best not to think about what the ticket buying fan wants or why.
well it’s not like SD has a pile of face divas for michelle to face,they have melina and eve,they’ve totally jobbed melina out to michelle to many times for melina to get another chance so next in line would be Eve whos doing very good in the ring
I really hate that kick michelle does all the time,thats one of the reasons why i hate her,i feel like she’s trying to literally kill her opponents,I don’t know i just don’t thrust michelle in the ring
Did anyone else notice the “we want cherry” sign? aw…
Michelle McCool is a professional as I’m sure all the other divas working with her in the ring. They know what they are doing and I doubt she’s “purposely” trying to knock anyone’s head off with that big boot. Especially since a large part of the reason they sound stiff, is her slapping her own thigh.
I hope they are debuting a new female soon. The way JR talked on commentating seemed to me like he was foreshadowing something. But the way they’ve been pushing Eve lately (feuds with Layla & Natalya – with her getting the advantage/going over most of the time) I guess they’ll probably start her off with McCool soon. I rather see a new face debut, but that’s just me.
Eve did fine in this match, but wisely most of the offense was from McCool which is why this match was better than usual. Eve hit her spots nicely though, she lands a pretty good dropkick and sells quite nicely. I think matches where the more experienced girl takes the lead turn out better and this just proves that. As for Maria, she looked insanely ridiculous going back for her chair, since when do valets sit at ringside anyway? And that crying face was my laugh for the day, needed that.
They trade strikes, they roll around, McCool tries a submission, Eve gets a hope spot, 1-2-3, McCool retains.
I’m not sure why you guys were so impressed. Minus a few nice dropkicks and handspring elbow from Eve, that match was lame. I mean, really, what was so great about? I’m not trying to be an ass here; I honestly want to know. The action was boring, the crowd was asleep, McCool still has the personality of a rock.
See, this is why I prefer the Knockouts matches. At least the TNA crowds are actually awake when the Knockouts are in the ring.
at first…i didnt like mccool at all but now i really respect this girl
eve is doing sooooo good…i liked the match alot and tht kick at the end….euuu
and for maria…lol tht chair part reminded me with tom&jerry!!
Gotta agree with Ed. Personally, I don’t think much of the matches that involve “divas who are improving”. They try at times and may someday be very good but using them on tv now often comes at the expense of the ones who should be getting the tv time and pushes (Katie Leah, Natayla, Jillian, Gail, etc). I blame a lot of the bland matches on the forced WWE style which seems to favor same old/same old with Kelly and Eve getting to use their highspots to try and get the extra pops.
Even the better matches (McCool/Melina NOC for example) are for the most part just better because they are truly better than the rest of what we’re normally getting on WWE tv. In the end, if people like what they are getting and are okay with it, that’s good for them. But for the rest of us it’s a dissapointment and by saying it is we’re not trying to disrespect anyone so I hope no one takes it as that. I think deep down everyone here wants more and better but maybe feels they have to except what they get because they feel they won’t get more when it comes to WWE.
OMG Mace i saw it, hopefully WWE did!
Also ED its the WWES writers fault for not getting the crowed in it not the divas
Ed and ffa – To be honest, when Divas are regularly given around 5 minutes for their matches, I’m bound to be impressed if they can tell a decent story within those time constraints. Correct me if I’m wrong, but don’t the Knockouts tend to get a bit more breathing room with their matches? I’m not complaining that these matches aren’t technical masterpieces or anything because it’s obvious that these girls are doing what they can with what they’re given. The WWE regularly tells these girls to pull back and stick to more Diva-like moves. That, coupled with the time constraints, makes me amazed that they’re able to do anything mildly entertaining from week to week. People want them to do the stuff that the Knockouts do, but the sad fact is that the WWE has an image in mind for the Divas, and certain moves don’t fit in to that image. Obviously news sites haven’t been reporting that, but I’m in close contact with a top Diva who has been frustratedly telling me this for months, and it’s been going on for a while. It’s a constant frustration and their work, it seems, is never appreciated by management no matter what they do. They want to do these spectacular things and have lofty goals, but no one in management gives a damn. They just want them to go out there and fill time and look good doing it. They’re constantly hitting a glass ceiling.
Obviously Eve isn’t the second coming and her offense is still sort of a spot-fest, but she has a presence in there that other girls (Maria, Rosa) don’t. The match had an intensity to it that drew me in and at the end of the day, if a match manages to catch my attention in that way, I tend to admire it.
Good match. Eve has improved immensely. I’ve mentioned this several times over on the WWE Universe forums… I still don’t think Eve should get a title opportunity just yet though. She’s still a rookie; what she deserves is a slow build-up, perhaps over the course of next year. When she’s finally ready, and that day will come, she can compete for the championship. In my view, she has a bright future ahead of her, therefore her push should not be rushed.
:::: People want them to do the stuff that the Knockouts do, but the sad fact is that the WWE has an image in mind for the Divas, and certain moves don’t fit in to that image. Obviously news sites haven’t been reporting that, but I’m in close contact with a top Diva who has been frustratedly telling me this for months, and it’s been going on for a while. ::::
Erin, is it Mickie James? ‘Cause I have reason to believe that it is…
I t hought it was a very good match. With Michelle winning clean, that is not exactly the foundations for the development of a feud. However maybe next week we might see a mixed tag match with Eve pinning Michelle… that would be a way for eve to open it up for a future title shot. I really want to see her as the next women’s champion. c
oh my, this match was really boring and slow! & i seriously can not understand how people say eve has improved since she is still doing the same things she did couple months ago? sure, she has improved if you look at her background and compare her to maria/maryse, but right now she is just the same as usual, i wonder how long it will take for her to injure herself and she’ll be back as maryse 2.0.
^ and that is not meant to be offensive or whatever, its just a thought.
The match was decent, nothing special.
Michelle is really great, her offense is amazing and she seems so confident in her skills, which is nice if that’s the character you’re going to transform yourself into.
Eve has improved, but she’s far from the likes of Layla and Alicia, she’s still kind of slow and her offense comes out as a bit sloppy, but the girl has improved, her first matches were just mind blogging, so this showing wasn’t as bad.
Overall, I miss Melina…
Eve vs Michelle? I thought it was pretty good. I think Eve is my favourite up-and-coming wrestler at the moment, and she seems to have some pretty good moves under her belt, and she’s an awesome seller.
On the soap-opera side of things, Maria’s crying was hilarious, but I can’t help but love her! As much as I try to hate her, there’s something about her that I can’t help but like.
Hopefully she has more man-luck in the future.
A word of advice, some of you really should watch your tone. No one owes you an explanation for having an opinion.
Did anyone else notice Michelles left leg after she kicked Eve, it looked kinda weird
gijsromme – at the end when she used the big boot? It did look weird but she probably just lost her balance as it looked to me like she sorta fell after she hit Eve.
Good match :) I enjoyed it.
The segment made me cringe, as does every Maria segment (unfortunately).
This match was okay but it wasnt nothing special it was just a typical squash match for womens champion..
Erin I wonder who the top divas is who u r talking about im thinking its mickie for multiple reasons u know and i woudnt blame her im sure other divas feel the same way…
Maria is just…..
Melanie, if your comment was ment for me also I feel that was wrong since I wasn’t questioning anyones right to have an opinon. If I’m reading into this my apologies. I’ll admit that my opinons are very strong and I’m not an easy sell, but I also am careful about what I say and don’t question other people’s right to have an opinon. Of course, if you still feel what I say is disrespectful let me know and I just won’t post comments anymore.
“They want to do these spectacular things and have lofty goals, but no one in management gives a damn.”
Sadly, that’s what bothers me the most about the direction of WWE in general. They want people to work a company style and fit some mold that Vince McMahon thinks is cool instead of letting the talent “be themselves” and get some leeway. Injuries can be prevented if talent are ready and able to do more, instead of holding them back then suddenly someday telling them to go all out when they aren’t ready.
Back in the late 90′s they let Austin be himself. They let Michaels and HHH be themselves. They let The Rock speak his mind. Undertaker’s character was allowed to evolve. They gave the Smackdown 6 in 2002 a chance to do their thing without that many limits, resulting in PPV quality free tv matches that made their PPV matches look tame. Trish, Lita, Victoria, Jazz, Molly and all were given a little more leeway at some point. Trish/Victoria/Jazz had a very underappreciated WrestleMania match. They very seldom had to worry about divas-in-training that management was frightend to let take a move, which I think is part of the issue now though I suspect most of them would happily take certain moves and be willing to give it a go. Point is business was better in a whole when they had some leeway. That is still possible in a PG friendly product. Of course, as a fan I’m not really supposed to believe that though since well, us fans know nothing and saying anything not positive is apparently an insult to the WWE in WWE’s eyes. Even when the talents are bummed about it.
I agree with you though, they do the best they can with the time they are given and I respect them for that. But sadly, I’m one of those fans who sees what could be and lives and hopes that’s how it will someday soon be. After WrestleMania, at least to some extent it looked like the men were being given some more leeway, but it’s same old/same old with the divas which is very sad when they want to do more.
I think the SummerSlam 2009 DVD is a prime example of how little the company truly cares for the divas. The battle royale extra was about 3 minutes and was just highlights from the match, followed by a blasted Hornswoggle/diva dance off segment that I couldn’t even stomach to watch. That’s how much they care about the wrestling aspect, good or bad. They’d rather focus on the little guy dancing.
Eve is getting decent. And yes Mace I saw the “We Want Cherry” sign. One time there was a “Hire Daffney” sign on Raw.
Dang, I’m late for the party on this one! LOL. :)
For the time limit they got, I thought they had a pretty good match. I’m really digging what Michelle has done so far as Women’s Champion. And as far as Eve is concerned, I agree with Melaine, this was without a doubt her best showing to date.
I think this statement from Buck Woodward of PWInsider says it best about Eve right now:
Eve doesn’t get nearly enough credit for working hard and improving by leaps and bounds over the last six months.
I 110% agree with this statement. ;)