By James Caldwell, PWTorch assistant editor

September 9 Michael Cole Interview

Divas champion Nikki Bella joined Michael Cole for this week's sit-down interview on WWE's website, countering Charlotte, who was interviewed by Cole last week.

Nikki hyped her Divas Title defense this Monday on Raw against Charlotte, who Nikki heelishly said belongs at NXT. Nikki guaranteed that she will beat Charlote and set the record for longest Divas Title reign in WWE history.

Nikki and Cole also produced a strange narrative about Nikki being the forefront of the so-called "Divas Revolution," when the entire angle started with Stephanie McMahon being tired of the current state of the Divas Division, which led to Charlotte, Becky Lynch, and Sasha Banks being introduced from NXT.

Nikki, who has not defended the Divas Title on TV/PPV in three months, also talked about needing to tell her story of progressing in the ring and proving that she's worthy of the record. It seems counter to how she has been presented on TV over the past year as either a wishy-washy heel/face character or involved in tawdry skits being vindictive toward her sister, Brie Bella.

The interview captured a disconnect between how Nikki seems to want her character to be portrayed on TV and how WWE actually presents her character. And, within the same interview, how she goes back and forth between heel and face by dismissing Charlotte as being beneath her while also talking about wanting to complete her journey from being a guest-host sidekick to a wrestler.

[ Video HERE on WWE's website ]

September 2 Michael Cole Interview

Charlotte joined Michael Cole for the weekly sit-down interview on WWE's website.

The focus was on Charlotte becoming #1 contender to the Divas Title and facing Nikki Bella for the title at Night of Champions in September.

Charlotte got emotional talking about not even being in wrestling four years ago until her late brother, Reid, said she should try it.

"My little brother helped me realize this was a dream of mine because I never believed in myself, and he did," Charlotte said fighting back tears. "So, I'm here sitting in front of you as the #1 contender and it means the world to me."

Charlotte was also emotional talking about carrying on Ric Flair's legacy and the conflict she feels of wanting to honor him, while also wondering if people think she's a rip-off of her dad.

"It is hard being a 'generation kid' in this business, and at the end of the day, I want to make my dad and my family proud. But, at the end of the day, I feel damned if I do, damned if I don't," she said.

Cole swung the conversation to her on-air feud with Nikki Bella. Cole read a quote from Nikki that Charlotte should go back to NXT. Charlotte responded that she's "disappointed" that Nikki does not see her as competition for the Divas Title.

"It almost makes me feel like she doesn't take me seriously, or just sees me as an NXT talent," Charlotte said. "With this Divas Revolution happening, I'd like her to say, 'Bring it, Charlotte. Bring your A-Game. Show me that you're not just Ric Flair's daughter.' It makes my blood boil because when I was NXT Women's champion, I wanted to make myself better by facing every opponent."

Asked what the "Divas Revolution" means to her, Charlotte said it's not about fancy clothes or magazine covers, but "empowering women all over the world." She got emotional talking about the difficulty of feeling pressure to fit a certain mold as a woman. "With the Divas Revolution, Nikki is all about Nikki and the revolution is bigger than her," she said, swinging it back to Night of Champions to close the interview.

Overall, in the context of promoting a title match at Night of Champions, this was a very raw, real-feeling interview from a budding star who does not seem like a cookie-cutter product of the WWE system using the corporate-friendly wording and speaking in someone else's voice. Very refreshing interview.

[ Video HERE on WWE's website ]

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