WrestleMania 29 match preview: Tons of Funk & Funkadactyls vs. Rhodes Scholars & Bella Twins

Eight-Person Mixed Tag Team Match

Tons of Funk & the Funkadactyls vs. Rhodes Scholars & the Bella Twins

When the Bella Twins were brought back into the fold by the powers that be in WWE, it seemed there would at least be a brief period in which the promotion dedicated some legitimate time to showcasing the Divas, if only in a mixed tag team match at the biggest show of the year. Hence this match at WrestleMania 29 tonight (Sun., April 7, 2013) at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

The Road to WrestleMania 29

As stated prior, WWE lost most of its Diva's division and desperately started calling former talent to come back. The Bella Twins, Nikki and Brie, were the first to bite. They initially teased something between the Twins and Diva's champion Kaitlyn but she appears to be off bringing up old issues with AJ Lee.

The Bellas, meanwhile, hooked up with Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow, who, for reasons that still haven't quite been explained, reformed the Rhodes Scholars just a couple weeks after breaking up. With Brodus Clay and Tensai having also teamed up to become Tons of Funk, with the Funkadactyls, Cameron and Naomi, following in tow, it was only natural that the respective squads would get together for a feud.

Indeed, they met on Friday Night SmackDown and the ladies brawled on the outside while the boys went at it on the inside:

Then, they rematched on Monday Night Raw and, not surprisingly, choas erupted once more.

This led to the match getting booked for the "Showcase of the Immortals."

On the go home episode of Raw, the ladies were showcased with a tag match of their own and they actually did quite well for themselves, leading to hope that the match at WrestleMania will be better than expected:

Then one final silly angle on SmackDown that Sandow, Rhodes, and the Bellas manage to get over really well with, actually:

And now it's go time.

What's at Stake?

Sadly, not much.

What makes this match interesting is that for the first time in who knows how long, the women have more to gain -- or lose -- than the men. Clay and Tensai are treading water while the Rhodes Scholars are just sort of aimlessly wondering about. Their break up out of nowhere and impromptu reunion showcased how thoroughly WWE has managed to mishandle the tag team division in recent months.

At least there is one, right?

Cameron and Naomi are getting their first real chance to shine under the brightest of lights and Nikki and Brie can prove themselves worthy of the push WWE Chairman Vince McMahon wanted to give them before they left last year.

We shall see who, if anyone, will stand out from the pack.

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This is pre-show fodder or, if nothing else, a nice spot for you to get in your bathroom break on what will ultimately be a five-hour show. Unless you're saving that for the P. Diddy performance and no one would blame you. Still, the Rhodes Scholars are beloved by smarks, the Bella Twins are looking as good as ever, Tons of Funk are good for a laugh or two, and we finally get to see what Cameron and Naomi can do in a big spot. What more can we ask for?