It's good that Paige didn't turn heel outright at Battleground last night, but the direction is a little strange and time will tell if it works out for her character. Her failed attempt to reclaim the Divas Championship was outshined by her intermittent disappointment in AJ Lee during the title rematch. After that, Jack Swagger got all patriotic on Rusev one more time, and although he lost by count out, he won the support of the USA with his "We The People" gimmick.
If Paige isn't faking her respect and admiration for AJ Lee, then she is turning into the psycho best friend, like in Single White Female. It's certainly better than a conventional heel turn, but it might be just as bad.
On the plus side, they are destined to have a great series of matches and perhaps simultaneously work as a tag team. That would be ambitious, but could pay off if done right.
At any rate, their rubber match for the Divas Championship was sensational. If the main roster could shift away from the demeaning and exploitative nature of their women's wrestling division, and instead nurture the immense stable of talent that they have, the result could be legendary. Paige and AJ are well matched; their styles similarly blend technical skill with intensity and aggression.
After Paige got the upper hand early in the match she seemed frustrated that AJ wasn't doing that well. Be careful what you wish for: eventually AJ hit her stride, and the two began trading signature moves and two-counts as well as their mutually devastating submission holds before AJ finally emerged victorious via Shining Wizard.
The next match surprisingly lived up to the hype that led up to last night. Even though Rusev won by count out, Swagger reminded everyone why he briefly held the World Title a few years back. Even though they both need hype men to cut their promos for them, Swagger and Rusev are both very capable in the ring. Also, I must admit that even as a left-leaning, jaded smark, I couldn't help but get a little worked up last night over Swagger's Mr. USA spiel. Maybe it's because I've seen Rocky IV about a billion times, but I finally bought into the "We The People" malarkey hook, line and sinker.
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