Smark Out Moment

Each week, DIVAS DEBRIEF runs down the events that transpired in women's professional wrestling from the past couple of days. From the WWE Divas to the TNA Knockouts, Smark Out Moment attempts to keep you up to date on all things going on with the ladies of the ring.

This week's edition covers a Divas Championship feud where imitation is anything but flattering, a chance for Bayley to get revenge against former ally Becky Lynch, and the crowning of a brand new Knockouts' Champion.



On RAW this week, it was a case of mind-games for number one contender Nikki Bella in the week before her title shot against Divas Champion AJ Lee. She insisted on an exhibition match against AJ to demonstrate her dominance over the champ.

But, when her music hit, the diva that came to the ring may have been dressed like AJ, but looked more like Nikki. In fact, it was her subservient sister Brie, who had been adorned in AJ's attire for a match against Nikki, whilst the real champion watched on from ringside.

As one would expect considering Brie's reluctant servitude to her sister, Nikki dominated proceedings. The bratty diva threw her sister around the ring, demonstrating her power by dropping Brie across her knee multiple times whilst taunting AJ on commentary. However, Brie's fighting instincts kicked in when she elbowed her opponent, causing Nikki to beat and berate her servant.

She sets up for the Rack Attack, but AJ jumped on the apron to cause a brief distraction. Whilst Nikki stared down her rival, Brie took advantage by rolling up her sister to win the exhibition match. An enraged Nikki slapped and punched her sister until AJ got involved, taking down her challenger with a Shining Wizard.

She and her doppelganger Brie stood tall, the latter inciting her husband's "Yes!" chants. But, she wasn't cheering for long, as AJ paid her back for this parody and Brie's distractions last week by laying her out with a DDT, standing tall with her championship over both Bella Twins.


Main Event focused in on the secondary Divas match at Survivor Series – a traditional elimination match between eight of the women outside of the title match. Natalya, Alicia Fox, Naomi and Emma on one side, Paige, Summer Rae, Layla and Cameron on the other. On Tuesday, former besties Paige and Alicia Fox battle to gain an advantage heading into the PPV.

Although this feud certainly doesn't have the heat of the Divas Championship match (which in itself has not been much to talk about), Paige and Fox are two of the better wrestlers in the current division, and so should make for a solid match.

Paige actually looked really good in the ring, her kicks connecting well and seeming very vicious. She was aggressive and controlled the pace as if she were a savvy veteran, as Fox's offense was limited to some athletic dropkicks early on.

But, at the conclusion, Fox took advantage of a slack pin attempt by Paige as she slunk over her opponent's prone body. She transitioned into a clever roll-up to catch the British anti-diva off-guard, earning a victory over her former BFF. Will that give her team momentum leading into Survivor Series?



Over on Impact Wrestling, per an announcement by Kurt Angle last week, Havok would be defending her Knockouts' Championship in a triple threat match against Gail Kim and Taryn Terrell. The dominant champ has been running roughshod over the division, and despite gutsy performances by Kim, still rules the division with an iron fist. But, with two challengers now to contend with, would the odds prove too much against her?

Havok has continued to impress fans, with the manner in which she controls her opponents with an unrelenting aggression and anger. From the outset she dominated both Kim and Terrell despite their teamwork, flinging one into the other to take them out. She is rapidly becoming the most dominant women's wrestler in terms of physicality and presence.

However, the numbers game eventually catches up to Havok as she is taken out at ringside by a pair of crossbody blocks, allowing Kim and Terrell to renew their classic rivalry. This adds to the quality of the match due to their natural chemistry and Kim's impeccable technique. But Havok is not out of the action for long, dropping Terrell into the guard rail before slamming Kim hard on the floor.

This was the bread and butter of another fantastic match in the Knockouts division, as these three ladies were willing to put their bodies on the line to tell a captivating story. Spots like a leg drop guillotine across the ropes on Havok or a Tower of Doom came thick and fast, making this an excellent championship encounter.

At the climax, Kim and Terrell broke out of an attempted double chokeslam, followed by a combination Eat De-Feet and jumping cutter. Kim looked to take advantage with a Jacknife roll-up on Terrell, but the blonde reversed into her own pin to secure the victory and her first reign as Knockouts' Champion. Although Havok still had legs as a monster champion, the photogenic Terrell has improved leaps and bounds in TNA, and has earned a run with the belt.



NXT continues to be a great place for the discerning fan of women's wrestling, with its young stars consistently pushing the envelope in a bid to make a name for themselves. This week saw arguably the most popular diva under the WWE umbrella, Bayley, in action when she battled her former friend Becky Lynch in singles action, with Sasha Banks parading around ringside.

Whilst Bayley's character, energy and relationship with the crowd is extremely positive, she would likely be the first to admit that she is still learning her craft in the ring. On the flipside Lynch's athleticism and raw talent is great in the ring, but she is only starting to develop a character that can interact with the audience.

The match was good, if short, with a few clunky moments marring it somewhat. Not enough to make it unwatchable, but enough to recognize that these two are still developing their chemistry against one another. In the end Bayley was given more opportunity to shine than her Irish rival, who was limited to stomps and hair pulling.

But, the redhead scored the victory when a brief distraction from Banks allowed Lynch to roll-up Bayley (the infection spreads!). Post-match, both Banks and Lynch berated and mocked a fallen Bayley, until NXT Women's Champion Charlotte chased them off. Charlotte and Banks will fight for the title soon, in a contest which should get any fan excited.



SmackDown was an extension of the events of RAW, as it often is nowadays. AJ Lee decided that turnabout was fair play when she was scheduled to take on Brie Bella on Friday, with Nikki lurking on the outside. She came out to her number one contender's entrance music, dressed in her attire and copying her mannerisms. Brie found this funny, which is more than can be said for her enraged sister.

AJ got Nikki's likeness pretty spot on, including some sizable expansions to her chest and backside. This was probably the highlight of an AJ/Brie match that once again failed to excite as it should. There were some comedy highlights, including AJ slamming Brie's face into her inflated breasts, before attacking her with an implant that she snuck in her top.

Eventually Brie took the initiative with a Boston Crab, followed by a running knee against the ropes and a missile dropkick. But, when Nikki decided to stick her nose in to get Brie to keep on the attack, AJ took her chance. She ran Brie into her sister before rolling her up (surprise, surprise), leaving her challenger Nikki embarrassed and outplayed once again. Will the Prima-Bella have the last laugh though by taking the title at Survivor Series?

So there you have it, the breakdown for the week in women's wrestling. What were some of your favorite and least favorite moments from these women? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!