After picking up a win over Melina and The Bella Twins on last week’s edition of Raw, Divas Champion Eve had a full head of steam going into her title match on this week’s edition. However, the #1 contender Natalya was looking to settle her tea kettle and relieve her of the belt. That said, the champion and challenger probably didn’t expect the match to be a lumberjill match. How will Natalya and Eve fare with the rest of the roster standing guard outside of the ring? Check out the match below:
We come from commercial to find Natalya in the ring awaiting her opponent, while the lumberjills lined the ring in their Sunday best. Eve makes her way to the ring next to a decent reaction from the crowd. In the spirit of friendly competition, both Divas shake hand and our championship match is underway.
Eve and Nattie start off with an impressive display of chain wrestling, followed by a double dropkick, leaving both Divas at stalemate of sorts. They lock up again, but this time Natalya gets the upper hand and takes Eve down to the mat and goes for several quick pins. Nattie tries to follow up with a waistlock, but Eve reverses into an impressive armdrag into a key lock. Natalya tries to fight out of the hold, but Eve whips her toward the turnbuckle. Nattie manages to stop short and takes the challenger off her feet, giving her an opportunity to lock in a surfboard submission. In a very unique spot, Eve frees her hands and rolls free of the submission, before rolling back through to pin Natalya’s shoulders to the mat. Very entertaining spot from Eve.
Natalya kicks out at two and slaps on a side headlock, slowing down the pace of the match. After a few shots to the midsection, Eve escapes and whips Nattie into the ropes. The two Divas avoid each other with some quick evasion, but Eve gets the best of the exchange with a stiff back elbow followed by a senton for a two count. Eve tries to keep the heat on with a clothesline, but Nattie dodges and counters with her patented discus clothesline, sending both Divas down to the mat.
Natalya makes it to her feet first and grabs Eve, but the champ turns the tables and tosses Natalya to the outside. The Lumberjills waste little time going after Natalya. In a matter of mere seconds, shoes have been kicked off and hair is being pulled. Gail Kim and Tamina come to Nattie’s rescue, fending off the heels, to turn a phrase and pulling her to safety. In the meantime, Eve comes flying out of the ring like a superhero, taking out the heel Divas… except for Melina, who got the hell out of dodge (Has she been taking lessons from Mr. Glamazon?).
While Melina tries to help her fallen comrades (You O.K, gurl?!), Eve climbs back into the ring to deal with a beaten up Natalya. Eve throws Nattie to the turnbuckle, but the challenger stops short and turns around, only to knock heads with Eve sending them to the mat once again. Nattie makes it to her feet first and goes for a magistral cradle, but Eve reverses it and picks up the win in an anticlimactic ending.
Aside from the sketchy ending, I really enjoyed this week’s Divas match. As I’ve said before, I wasn’t too sold on Eve holding the belt again, but she proved tonight that she can put on a good match if given the opportunity. I enjoyed the chain wrestling between the two, as well as the ridiculous surfboard counter. As much as I love Nattie, I really feel that Eve was the MVP here. Hopefully, she can keep up the good work and some of the nay-sayers will start to see her as a credible champion.
As for the surprise lumberjill stipulation, I actually enjoyed it. Granted, it didn’t really add anything to the match, but it did give us some funny, such as Melina threatening Gail and Tamina with her shoe. The lumberjill factor also helped lead into the backstage Divas segment:
Post-match, Eve is backstage getting punked out by the Bella Twins… Wow, never thought I’d type
THAT sentence. Anyway, things get ugly quick when one of the Bellas tries to choke Eve and a catfight breaks out. Before the twins can do too much damage, Gail and Nattie come to the rescue. Some more fighting ensues before referees arrive to pull apart the clashing Divas.
Like I’ve said before, I LOVE the new Bella Twins. It seems like they were destined to be heel, as it just seems so natural on screen, not to mention we get to see a lot more character from then. The one question that this segment left me with was: “Where is this going?” Will we see Eve, Nattie and Gail feud with The Bellas? Furthermore, will The Bellas bring in someone to even out the numbers? In any case, excellent showing from the Divas tonight. I hope to see all our questions and more answered on next week’s installment.
62 Comments
at 7:57 pm
I thought the Actual Match was really good, one of the best this year!
What put me off is that it seemed really rushed and unimportant, and the backstage segment was kinda lame
at 7:59 pm
Oh and I still hope we get a divas match at Elimination Chamber, Even if it is impromtue, but now i see, the Bella’s and Laycool vs Eve, Natalya, Gail and Beth at WM
at 8:03 pm
YOU OKAY, GIRL!? I’M OKAY, ARE YOU OKAY!?
Ahahaha, unintentional comedy — gotta love it. And I think it was Alicia who said it, not Melina. Not 100% sure though.
The match in itself was pretty good, but it could have went another minute longer at least… the ending kinda seemed sloppy for some reason even though it was meant to look that way… oh well.
at 8:20 pm
I love it when Melina tried to hit Tamina with her shoe and loved when Eve did a crossbody on the divas. The match got good except when the lumberjills interferred other then that it was decent.
at 8:25 pm
I actually went to the Raw taping last night (my first one) and people were so rude during the match. There were a few guys that sat next to us and as soon as the match started they were like, “F*ck this, the divas are boring!” And just left. Anyways Natalya got a decent pop when she came out, Eve didn’t really get much of a reaction though. It’s a shame too, I don’t see why they don’t put any effort into letting us get to know Eve as a champion, let alone as a character. But then again that’d require common sense so…
Loved the backstage segment, it got more of a reaction than the match.
at 8:26 pm
i liked the match, thought it was pretty good, some nice spots was eve’s moonsault, and the dive to the outside on the heel divas was nicely done, and loved the spot with Melina and Tamina and melina shoe, i would love to see more Melina and Tamina and at the EC, i can see a six diva tag team match between the girls in the fight. either way cant wait for next week
at 8:30 pm
I thought the match was really fun for what it was. Probably the most impressive Eve’s ever been. Nattie really did bring out the best in her. My only real issues were the timing and yeah, the ending. It just looked awkward…the fact that Nattie was able to even attempt to kick out just made Eve look really heavy.
at 8:30 pm
*wasn’t able
at 8:45 pm
Who will the Bella Twins bring in? … Awesome Kong of course … and they will state to a very shocked Gail Kim that they have a “long time friend” for her to meet and there will be Kong. Kong will take care of Gail Kim and a few of Gail’s Diva friends in the bargain.
Stay tuned. :)
at 8:50 pm
I thought The Match was Great , although the ending ruined it for me , that PIn was just wierd! Then Natalya looked pissed when she got pinned , when she could have probably Kicked out of it….Some of these Pins look so easy to break out off , but the person who gets pinned looks pissed….
In other words I thought Eve & Natalya did really well , I still dont know why Eve is champion , for the past 3 weeks they booked her looking weak. But Whatever We all cant have it our way.HopeFully she will change my mind about her as Champ….dobut it but….
But I am Loving , actually I think we are all Loving The Bella Twins as Heel’s! I didnt like them as face , I thought they were boring and stale. Now Im loving this new Bitchy Bellas Attidude. Im all for a Eve vs The Bella Twins Fued , even if its for a short while….
And btw What in the Hell was Eve thinking , with her lipstick ? Someone should slap her! That Red wasnt Cute on her at all , Maybe she ddnt look in the Mirror before she stepped outta her dressing room…its not like its the 1st time!
at 9:05 pm
However, i hope WWE doesnt leave us hanging on who the mystery girl getting out of the limo was lol, because that was dumb and then have the rock come out, they should of had a girl escort him so it would answer the female foot
at 9:05 pm
the mach was decent the ending was quit sloppy .
love the heel bellas but i hope that dosn’t mean a push for them.
at 9:09 pm
i hate cole/mathews as a team there commentary are so un-professional they keep they didn’t talk about the match till the middle which show you how much everyone see these women .ahh
at 9:10 pm
I thought the match was good from a technical standpoint. Eve wasn’t bad in the ring and had some very good moves. Nattie was awesome too as she also good in the ring. Love the Bella Twins as heels, especially Nikki as she has shown improvement in the ring in 2010. I love the backstage segment, especially when Nikki called Eve “Wonder Woman”. Somebody needs to pull Eve to the side to tell her that Lynda Carter called and wants her outfit back.
at 9:13 pm
I think the backstage brawl will lead up to a match involving all divas at wrestlemania -_-”
at 9:22 pm
Although unfortunately short, some really good wrestling there. Good match.
Didn’t really get the point of the backstage catfight although I’m sure it will lead to something. I hope they don’t put the bellas in the title picture.
at 9:30 pm
Solid match! Alicia Fox is so funny. I hope they don’t notice that like they did with Jillian and turn her into a joke.
I miss the old times. PG era is boring. Thank god we still have short catfights.
at 9:55 pm
In EC or in the future I see the Bellas and Laycool vs Eve, Natalya, Gail and Kelly if not Bellas and vs Eve, Natalya and Gail.
at 10:12 pm
it was a good match. they do have descent chemistry, but it was a litle slow for me. i give it 3/5(minus to because of the slow pace and the akward looking pin) now im looking forward to smackdown
at 10:48 pm
great match… I remember when Michelle countered out of that Surfboard hold against Nattie back in 08… I love what Alicia asked Maryse (I’m ok… Are you ok?) LOL
Maybe next week a fatal four way? Nattie vs Brie vs Gail vs Nikki? maybe
BTW.. if Undertake is the one wwe/raw is showing on their vignette… does that mean Michelle will be soon drafted to RAW?
at 11:04 pm
I love Melina, u ok gurl, hahaha !!! And i loved the match besides the botched ending. And the backstage segment was good but ther were 3 good divas and 3 heel divas and it was akward but still good but random !!!!!!
at 11:05 pm
and the promo for 2 21 11 showed undertakers face !!!! Dumb WWE.
at 11:05 pm
I could see a 6 Diva tag coming up- Eve/Gail/Nattie vs Bellas/Mystery Diva, with everyone thinking it’s say Melina, but it turns out to be Kong.. maybe at the PPV? They only have 3 matches so far lined up- they’ll need some filler matches…Next Raw might work too, since it’s the jumping off point for WM….
at 11:07 pm
let’s have the bella twins the co-divas champions!
at 11:21 pm
Anyone notice Maryse was cracking up when the camera zoomed in on her face while she was covering it on the floor? Melina was laughing too, and then Cole started laughing. It was so funny