Brie Bella vs. Charlotte (c)
Divas Championship Match
Times have not been easy for Brie Bella. Her sister Nikki has been out of action going on four months due to a career threatening neck injury. Not only does this impact Brie because she has to watch her sister, who she's extremely close with, go through a turbulent time, but also, without Nikki around, Brie's role in WWE becomes muddled. While Nikki broke out the last couple years and could stand on her own, as of late, Brie's role has been as a partner of her twin sister. Now that that sister is on the shelf, Brie finds herself without a defined role in the Divas division. The twins share a Twitter account and even a Wikipedia page. Without Nikki, there is no Bella Twins and that can leave Brie struggling to find her place in the division.
Then there's her husband Daniel Bryan, who just had to retire due to the long term effects of numerous concussions. It was another trying episode for Mrs. Danielson, who was there while Bryan struggled with trying to get himself healthy enough to do what he loves while also worrying about his long term health and the impact that could have on them and their future family. After his retirement, she now has to deal with the fact that not only is her sister not currently traveling all over country with her, but her husband never will again.
During all this turmoil, Brie had a big moment of her own when, on Raw, she defeated Divas champion Charlotte in a one on one match. She had a very small amount help from Alicia Fox to help neutralize Charlotte's Ric Flair, who will do what he needs in order to ensure a victory for his daughter.
As is usually WWE form, beating the champion in a non-title match earned Brie Bella a rematch, this time for a shot at the Divas title. And it could not have come at a better... and worse... time.
In the positive, Brie Bella has probably never been more motivated to win a match. This match is not just for her but for her husband and sister, who will have to watch from home because they are unable to wrestle. The crowd will be likely more behind her than ever before. Fans are still reeling from Daniel's retirement and are very willing to throw their support for him behind Brie. In those respects, this could be the best time for this match, with the fans at their most invested and Brie at her most motivated.
Charlotte's words for Brie last Monday, which questioned why Brie wasn't at home for her husband and sister and mocked a possible financial crisis for the family, are likely to add more fuel to the fire.
While all of those things may help fire up Brie Bella on her journey to her second Divas title, one must wonder if she can muster the complete focus needed to win on Sunday. Can she bury the stray thoughts that come from all the recent struggles in her personal life and concentrated solely on the task at hand? Because with Ric Flair on the outside giving Charlotte that extra advantage, Brie cannot let her thoughts distract her. Brie is also not accustomed to wrestling without backup (it is unknown at this time if Alicia Fox will be at ringside again), which could play a factor in how she well she can adapt during the match if necessary.
With her recent announcement that she will be retiring soon, it's certainly understandable to question if she's going to be as focused with one foot out the door. Even in her sit down interview with Michael Cole, you can certainly get the impression that winning this title is not what her main focus is. And if it's not, she will surely not come out on top.
It will be an emotional match for Brie and the crowd will be behind her. But with Ric Flair on the outside and Charlotte's size and strength advantage on the inside, it will certainly be an uphill battle for Brie Bella. Can she overcome all of that while ignoring all personal distractions to capture her second Divas Title for herself and her family? Tune in to Fast Lane on the WWE Network tonight at 8 EST to find out.