WWE Live Review From Allentown - 10 Interesting Observations From Ringside

By Erik Beaston /

8. Like It Or Not, Bella Twins Feud Is Working

When Nikki Bella betrayed sister Brie at SummerSlam, costing her a match against Stephanie McMahon, a good portion of the audience groaned. Not because it was bad storytelling or because the turn was executed poorly but, rather, because that meant fans would have to watch Brie and Nikki feud for months on end until the story reached its endpoint. While many of the keyboard warriors (this one included) were quick to judge the rivalry based on a poor segment involving Jerry Springer, the audience in large is eating the story up, as evidenced by the crowd reaction Sunday in Allentown. Brie entered the arena to a huge pop and anytime that she got anywhere near Nikki, the fans reacted strongly. They wanted to see Brie get her hands on her sister, to repay her for the shocking betrayal and weeks of torment that have followed. Even better was the way that the sisters manipulated the audience throughout, teasing interaction before Nikki did something heelish to escape her sister's wrath. By the time Brie pinned Cameron, many thought they would have to settle for the happy ending. Then, Nikki jumped her sister and paid dearly for it, enduring a Yes Lock as the crowd erupted with the chants typically reserved for former WWE World Heavyweight champion Daniel Bryan. The moral of the story? Sometimes those of us sitting behind our laptops or desktops need to remember that we make up a small portion of the audience that the only way to judge whether an angle or feud are truly working is to sit among fellow wrestling fans and listen to their reactions in a live setting. In doing so, I learned just how well the Bella Twins sibling rivalry is playing to the audience at large.