CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
Friday Night's SmackDown crowd was simply atwitter with the excitement leading into SummerSlam. Sometimes, SmackDown could be a little unexcited about things, but tonight there was no doubt that they were going to be extremely pleased with the match at hand.
On commentary, Michael Cole spoke. "Tonight we have a Divas tag team match between the Diva's Army girls and the girls of DEAR. Leading into SummerSlam on Sunday, tonight could really show who has a chance of winning the match and who doesn't, Booker."
"I don't know about you, Cole, but the girls of the Diva's Army are definitely in my fave five."
"There's more than five of them, Booker…" Michael sighed, and the two of them bickered for a moment before the show faded to commercial.
I told you… I told you, baby…
Just as the commercial break ended, the girls who would be representing DEAR that night entered the arena, to the boos and hisses of the crowd.
"Introducing first, representing the girls of DEAR and being accompanied to the ring by Trish Stratus, Gail Kim and Mickie James!" Lillian was excited as she always was to be introducing the girls, and they entered without comment or acknowledgement of her existence.
Trish stood at ringside, applauding the girls, until Gail and Mickie turned their backs to her. Then, she leaned up against the apron and waited.
I can tell that you're feelin' me…
The crowd was cheering and applauding as Tamina Snuka walked out, wearing a pair of camouflage cargo pants, a Diva's Army t-shirt, and a pair of boots. She stood there for a moment, before motioning back to the stage as "Feelin' Me" faded out.
"All Black" began immediately, as Kelly had entered with the jacket over her face the moment Tamina motioned back. She threw it back and tossed the jacket off to the side, entering in a pair of camouflage shorts, knee-high black boots, and a Diva's Army tank top. Her long, brown hair was pulled back into a high ponytail, to keep it out of her face.
Kelly entered the ring as Tamina stood on the apron, holding the tag rope. Mickie ducked out the second rope, leaving Gail inside the ring with Kelly, and the referee Scott Armstrong.
"You think going back to brown hair is changing anything about you, Kelly?" Kelly remained silent as Gail tried to get inside her mind. Her face remained a poker face as Gail circled around her, Kelly's eyes following every step Gail took. "You're still nothing, Kelly. You still can't wrestle. You're just as useless now as you were when you left. Why didn't you just stay-"
Gail stepped too closely to Kelly, who reached out to grab Gail's shoulder and throw her to the mat, in one swift movement. Gail's face rebounded off of the mat, and she stood up quickly, throwing her hair back. "We're playing that game? Fine!"
Kelly was still silent as Gail tried to lunge for her, only to be caught in a belly-to-belly suplex. Gail and Kelly got back to their feet, and Gail this time locked up with Kelly. Kelly overpowered Gail, shoving her back into the turnbuckle and then ramming her knee into Gail's midsection. Once, twice, and three times before the referee pulled her back.
Then, Kelly ran into the corner, jumping onto the second rope and going at Gail's face with left and right hooks. Kelly jumped down at the referee's count of four, ignoring him as she continued to simply demolish Gail Kim.
Kelly shoved Gail back after Gail attempted to hit Kelly, and Mickie slapped her on the shoulder. The referee clapped that the tag was a clean tag, and Kelly went to work on Mickie as well.
Tamina tagged Kelly out when Kelly held out her hand, and after Kelly hit Mickie with a clothesline, Tamina used the ropes as a springboard and flipped over, her legs landing over Mickie's chest with power. When Tamina got up and grabbed Mickie by the arm to pick her up, Mickie's other arm came up and Tamina got a thumb to the eye.
Mickie whipped Tamina into her corner, and began to work on her there. Gail tagged herself in after a few minutes, taking her own time to wear down Tamina.
Kelly was still not speaking, but appeared to get more and more angry as the match went on, until she finally spoke. "Come on, Tamina!" just as Mickie was about to hit with a Mick Kick. Tamina ducked under Mickie, who overshot the kick, and then picked Mickie up to hit her with a Samoan Drop.
Tamina and Mickie struggled back to their corners from the center of the ring, and just as Mickie tagged Gail, Tamina tagged in Kelly. Mickie didn't even get out of the ring before Kelly was in their corner, taking on both Mickie and Gail as she fought on.
Kelly managed to knock Gail into the corner for long enough that she could work hard on Mickie, and then threw Mickie out of the ring, and onto Trish, leaving both girls outside reeling. Then, Kelly went back to work on Gail, picking her up and going for a clothesline like she had given Mickie, a hard and powerful one.
Gail caught Kelly's arm, however, and went for an Eat Defeat, but Kelly tripped Gail's feet out from under her, and grabbed her ankle, locking in the Ankle Lock easily. Gail was almost instantly tapping out, and Kelly held Gail in the lock for a moment before Mickie was back in the ring.
Kelly released Gail's ankle as Mickie went for a Mick Kick, catching Mickie's leg and dropping Mickie's other foot from underneath her, so that she had Mickie in the ankle lock as well.
Trish climbed into the ring, pulling Gail out of it and taking a step toward Mickie and Kelly, before Kelly released Mickie's leg and dropped into a fighting stance.
"Bring it." Kelly nodded, motioning for Trish to come at her and fight.
Trish and Kelly maintained eye contact for a few seconds, before Trish rolled out of the ring to help Mickie and Gail.
"And your winners, representing the Diva's Army-Tamina Snuka and Kelly Kelly!"