You can't say they're not giving the Brie Bella vs. Stephanie McMahon feud a chance to connect with the WWE Universe.
In a world where I'm in charge of Creative, the time probably would been spent building toward a true babyface AJ Lee challenging monster heel champ Paige, but a female-centric story getting a main event spotlight is still a female-centric story getting a main event spotlight.
That spotlight has moved from the Raw over-run to Michael Cole's weekly sit-down interview, with Brie Bella sitting in the chair most often occupied by Triple H. Mrs. Daniel Bryan answers his questions about Monday night, building up the menace of facing a McMahon and asking if Brie has any regrets about her actions or fears about the aftermath of SummerSlam, where her blackmail of WWE's principal owner will result in a match between the two.
Bella says what you'd expect her too, and performs better here than she does in front of a live crowd, but still doesn't deliver any notable quotes or sound bites that will convince the skeptics that she's ready for this push.
Still, they provide a kayfabe explantion for her quitting (back when we all thought Daniel Bryan would be able to return from injury to defend the WWE World Heavyweight Championship by Money in the Bank) and continue to do their best to make this feel like a big deal.
Is it working for you, Cagesiders?