During the women’s tag team match on SmackDown LIVE last night (July 25), there was a “You Can’t Wrestle” chant from some in the Richmond, Virginia audience while Lana was in the ring. The Ravishing Russian can be seen barking back at fans in the above video.
After she tagged herself in and took the pin from Charlotte Flair, Lana’s tag partner Tamina was clearly upset and the Total Divas star had an emotional breakdown in the ring. This was part of an angle, since Tamina eventually commands Lana to follow her up the ramp, and the crying Superstar reluctantly follows.
It's clear that @TaminaSnuka is frustrated with the outcome of tonight's match... but where does her alliance with @LanaWWE stand? #SDLive pic.twitter.com/flmtKr5glp
— WWE (@WWE) July 26, 2017
But later in the evening, Lana got on Twitter and fired off a response to her critics. This seemed to be directed at online haters, but were the chants still in the back of her mind? Are these part of the storyline of her partnership with Tamina?
You cowards that hide behind your iPhone & tweet how I'm not good. You'll NEVER become the Ravishing STAR that I am. Keep talking about me
— CJ (Lana) Perry (@LanaWWE) July 26, 2017
The same people that are bashing me are the same people begging for autographs & pictures so NO MORE pictures or signing autographs ✌
— CJ (Lana) Perry (@LanaWWE) July 26, 2017
Especially on social media, the lines are blurry - and that’s doubly true for the folks who are featured on the E! reality show as their “real” behind-the-scenes selves like CJ (Lana) Perry. On top of that, she’s a heel working an angle where she’s angered a co-worker by struggling in the ring... it’s basically kayfabe-ception.
But despite some hard work down at the Performance Center and NXT’s house shows, she’s also clearly got a long way to go before she’ll be working for more than a minute at a time in a main roster match. And hearing and reading fans, probably some of the same ones smiling to your face at meet-and-greets, tearing you down with 140 characters or less has to hurt.
No wonder we’re getting such a range of responses from Lana to her rough night in Richmond.
At least she has what some consider the greatest entrance theme in the company!