May 15 2009
For The Good Of Alicia Fox?
When Alicia Fox first turned up on ECW after her initial angle on Smackdown, I criticized this placement. In retrospect, I still stand by my beliefs. Her brief face run as the valet for DJ Gabriel did not really help her that much, especially now that they are forgetting about both DJ Gabriel and about giving Alicia a proper heel turn angle. She jobbed to both Katie Lea and Natalya. Her dancing gimmick definitely helped to turn some onto her, as well as her performance in the few occasions she did get. Nevertheless, it is not a huge surprise that the WWE did not make her into a real credible face on ECW. But now she is on Smackdown with Michelle McCool.
Is the rub from Michelle McCool really supposed to get Alicia over? That is what I see this placement as partly being. Alicia is definitely not there because McCool cannot talk for herself. How often do divas even get time for meaningful promos anyway? This placement may also partly have been made to make McCool look more like a heel leader on Smackdown. Not only does she attack her fellow heels, but she takes them under her wing too. This definitely should make her a bit stronger, if McCool is able to handle her side of it, and more importantly, if the fans buy it. The fans are not that crazy about Michelle McCool. If all she is going to do is wrestle solid matches and do push ups, which are two things she definitely has down very well, she will not get herself over as a great heel. Where does that leave Alicia Fox? A rub from a person not very over herself cannot help a rising star, especially if the rising star is not given the chance, or does not have the ability, to showcase more of what it takes to get over. Some fans tend to treat getting a rub trivially in the wrestling business. It is not as easy as having a veteran work with a newcomer. I just do not see this as working out at this pace.
Just to toss out one scenario where this pairing may actually help Alicia, the WWE may have McCool turn on Alicia for some reason. Hopefully, the crowd will have their sympathies with Alicia. Whether they do or not, she will be treated as a face. She can then have a big feud with McCool, he may be holding the Women’s Championship. Even as I write it, I know that it has been done in various forms before. Sable vs. Tori, for one. It still works, however, and the WWE can always fill in the gaps in my outline with some innovative aspects in the storyline. That is how Alicia can come into her own. The WWE may possibly have already planned this when they paired these two women together, but it is important that they discreetly start to add some real strength to this relationship outside the ring. The audience need to care about that before they can care about Alicia breaking away.
It would be a shame to see Alicia Fox fail alongside Michelle McCool. If McCool fails to look like a heel leader with a lackey, she will still get something else to try to get her that spot as a top diva in the minds and hearts of the fans, which will match her position in the eyes of the WWE anyway. If Alicia fails, what reason do they really have to keep her around? There are women waiting in development for that spot. If the WWE is serious about getting her over, they have to try harder than what they have done.
