Superstar Spotlight: AJ
Yes, you are reading this correctly, this is the first Spotlight to feature a WWE Diva. Aside from TNA and Austin Aries making the latest headlines, WWE Diva AJ has been the talk of the wrestling world. She is fully involved in the WWE title picture, and I can’t remember the last time a woman was in this kind of high profile program. You would have to go back to Trish and Lita main eventing RAW, or Miss Elizabeth being involved with the Mega Powers to provide such an example. AJ is crazy and she is playing CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, and Kane like a fiddle, but where does she go from here? It should go without saying that Kane is definitely out of the picture, and he was just a pawn in her game between Punk and Bryan.
Who does she choose next? She said she was leaving with her “future husband” this past Monday, but she further complicated things by slapping both of her suitors. I don’t think AJ (or the writers) know who she is going to pick, and you can read that as good for her, but bad for them. Fans are used to crappy writing and dropped storylines, but AJ is playing the character so well that we are waiting to see who she picks, and how much crazier will she get. The only thing wrong with her direction, and Adam Gorzelsky (@PolishHMR) would agree, is that Jim Ross isn’t there to say she is “crazier than a pet coon.” If that’s it, then I would say she is doing just fine.
AJ was an internet favorite when she was on NXT, but I really didn’t see much in her. In fact, I didn’t really care for Season 3 at all, but that may just be because I don’t want to see an all women’s wrestling program. Most of the girls, like Kaitlyn, Naomi and AJ herself, are talented, but it’s just not grabbing my interests. AJ eventually headed to Smackdown and her gimmick was that she was a “girl nerd.” OK… doesn’t really work for me, but I guess some people are into that. Nothing wrong with it, but again, not grabbing my interests. I thought she was going to be another girl for Daniel Bryan, but they continued to appear together and she played the vulnerable part well. AJ fell into a role that was perfect for her, and she is running with it. There are a few people who just find a character that works, and they end up doing amazing things with it; Dustin Rhodes as Goldust comes to mind. In the interest of Divas, Mickie James was the perfect person to be a psycho; Victoria (Tara) did it too, but Mickie took it to another level. I think AJ is doing the exact same thing, because she is taking the “unstable” gimmick and really shining with it.
I already asked once, but who does she end up with? My money is on Bryan, but a few people are saying Dean Ambrose will debut and take her on as a manager/love interest. I really don’t know too much about Ambrose to say much besides he had a great feud with William Regal in FCW. As much as you want to argue for who she should choose, I think you can agree she does not belong with CM Punk. He doesn’t need her, and you can get a whole new dynamic out of her going after him because he doesn’t reciprocate the feelings she has for him. She’s acting nuts, and it works now, but she needs a long term future. There is more invested in her character now than any other Diva right now. Eve got cast aside when John Laurinaitis was taken off of TV, and Divas Champion Layla is almost after afterthought now. Kharma is due to come back soon, but AJ is the focus right now. I think she can remain with whatever Superstar she chooses (if she chooses…) but she can still be a big part of the Divas division. Let’s face it, people are loving her right now, and as CM Punk said, you gotta love crazy chicks. He wasn’t wrong, and it’s partly why she is catching on. It just works, and it’s been an entertaining few months.
