Night Of Champions Divas Title Match Preview

Kaitlyn sent shockwaves through the Divas roster when, against all expectations, she won a No. 1 Contender’s Battle Royal on Raw to win the right to face her friend, Divas Champion Layla. With the blond powerhouse and Layla set to face off at Night of Champions, Kaitlyn will have her chance on Sept. 16 to not only shine in her biggest match to date, but also to dispel talk that her Battle Royal victory was a fluke.

For as much respect as the Divas Champion claims to have for her friend and challenger, winning the position of No. 1 contender has not endeared Kaitlyn to the other Divas in the locker room, several of whom have better win-loss records. The winner of WWE NXT season three, Kaitlyn is a relatively unproven commodity in WWE and as such, she’s been the focal point of derision since claiming the spot of top contender.

The more seasoned Natalya, a former Divas Champion in her own right, took to Twitter to trash-talk Kaitlyn. Natalya alleged Kaitlyn has not paid her dues and did not deserve to win the Battle Royal. Then on SmackDown, Kaitlyn again stunned the WWE Universe, quickly rolling up Natalya out of nowhere for a flash pinfall.

The other Divas can say what they want about Kaitlyn’s Battle Royal win, but the young, “The Simpsons”–quoting top contender bested the division’s best technical grappler at her own game, on the mat in singles competition.

Does that spell trouble for Layla, who congratulated Kaitlyn on her Battle Royal win and showed nothing but competitive enthusiasm for her upcoming title defense against one of her closest allies in the locker room? Layla’s been on a roll since winning the Divas Championship in late April. Though that is a sign of a strong champion, is it possible that Layla’s success has made her complacent? If there’s ever an opponent the high-flying Brit could under-prepare for, it’d be her friend, who also happens to have spent precious little time in serious title contention.

Another variable to consider in this match is Eve, the runner-up in the No. 1 Contender’s Battle Royal. Now serving as the clearly competent Assistant to SmackDown General Manager Booker T, Eve’s motives aren’t exactly clear, but she’s watched Kaitlyn’s quick ascent with ambiguous interest. After Kaitlyn congratulated Layla on her win against an always game Alicia Fox on the Aug. 24 SmackDown, Eve raised both Divas’ hand seemingly in a sign of good sportsmanship.

However, even if Eve never enters the picture at Night of Champions, the Layla vs. Kaitlyn bout holds much intrigue for the Divas Division. Can Kaitlyn rise to the occasion in the biggest match of her life? Or will Layla bolster her resume with yet another decisive title defense? The butterfly-emblazoned championship gold will be decided between friends at Night of Champions — who will come out on top?