WWE Backstage (April 21st, 2020): 5 Takeaways from this week's episode

It was all about the ladies on this week's episode of WWE Backstage. Renee Young was joined by Beth Phoenix, Ember Moon, and Natalya to discuss a variety of topics. Maria Menounos also joined the show as a special guest to revisit her match from WrestleMania 28.

The NXT Women's Championship match between Natalya and Charlotte Flair was also re-watched by Nattie, Young, and Phoenix. Money in the Bank is only a few weeks away and the nature of this year's match was covered in depth by the ladies.

Also given some spotlight was the great promo from Sonya Deville on SmackDown and the dissolution of Fire and Desire. Renee Young kept calling it "Ladies Night" after a block of programming featuring the women of WWE preceded the show. Here are five takeaways from WWE Backstage for the episode on April 21st, 2020.

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#5 Initial thoughts on this year's MITB match

Climb the corporate ladder!

To say that this year's MITB match is going to be unique would be a huge understatement. It will be the first match of its kind due to prevailing circumstances brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. It was announced last week that this year's matches would take place at WWE HQ instead of traditionally taking place in a ring in an arena.

Nattie claimed that "being on top of a ladder is already scary so put that on top of the WWE HQ? You could run into Mr. McMahon. Anything and everything can happen." She also loves "the unpredictability" and how WWE has had to "find ways to entertain us and think outside of the box" without audiences.

Renee Young felt that "it (MITB) has been around for quite some time but it's added some intrigue this year" without a crowd. She also revealed that she's "looking forward to soaking it in as a fan this year." Ember Moon added that without the crowds at shows, she feels like she sees "so much more passion and aggression from people (performers) without the crowd." Having faced Shayna Baszler before, Moon ended by saying "with Shayna, it's like who else is going to make it to the top" after she's brutalized two women in back-to-back weeks on RAW.

#4 Money in the Bank at WWE HQ

Apollo Crews qualified for the MITB match by defeating MVP.

Money in the Bank matches this time around will be like no other in WWE history. The participants will have to work their ways up the actual building before finally reaching the roof where ladders and the briefcases will be waiting.

Beth Phoenix said that "putting this match-up in that scenario put it on a level playing field. It's totally different. Different weapons. Different challenges. There are so many things that you cannot predict that makes this a brand new challenge for everyone in it."

Ember Moon claimed that she was originally "on the fence about it" because "you're taking a hardcore match and putting it in a brand new environment." Being at the WWE HQ "who is going to show up? There are so many fun things about."

One participant that qualified for the match on RAW was Apollo Crews. Crews has had a back-and-forth journey in WWE so far, but Moon said that "I'm so happy for Apollo Crews. He's worked hard for every opportunity he's had." Nattie added that it's "exciting seeing people who haven't gotten that opportunity because you're not seeing the same people get (all) the opportunities."

Phoenix added that "MITB has traditionally been a match that creates a star. It's an opportunity for someone who has been working so hard." With a few first-timers in the match (Aleister Black, Crews), someone truly might have the chance to become a star with a win. The Glamazon feels that "we may see a surprise winner at MITB."

#3 Maria Menounos' WWE experiences

Menounos teamed with Kelly Kelly to defeat Phoenix and Eve Torres at WM 28.

Maria Menounos joined the show for a few segments including a discussion about her match at WM 28. Since Phoenix was one of her opponents, there were insights from both sides. Menounos said "how lucky was I that I got to be a part of that. It was the most exciting and exhilarating moment for me forever." She started out as a fan initially like many of us but got the opportunity to mix it up with an actual WWE star at WM.

Phoenix said that "in that match, it was one of the longest WrestleMania matches I had been a part of due to Maria getting the mainstream attention for us. She worked so hard and the enthusiasm was off the chain."

Menounos also revealed that she "was also terrified because I was injured on Dancing With the Stars (before the match) but when you work with pros and have the privilege of working with two pros in the ring, they make it really easy."

Natalya added that "it reminded me of why I love the business. To see the business through her eyes made me love it even more." Menounos also helped get Sonya Deville onto WWE's radar. She claimed that Deville "first started out as a hostess on AfterBuzz" and that she (Menounos) "was in a meeting in the USA at the moment for Tough Enough and I pitched the idea of her coming on."

#2 Nattie's dream match

The Divas of Doom

The Queen of Harts has been with WWE for more than a decade. In that time, she has won the Divas Championship and the SmackDown Women's Championship. She might not have won many titles during her career but she is still one of the most respected women throughout the company.

With the creation of the Women's Tag Team titles, it opened up the opportunity for not only Natalya but all of the other women in WWE. One of those women just happened to be her friend and former tag team partner, Beth Phoenix. Phoenix has competed in two Royal Rumble matches and a Fatal Four-Way match for the Women's Tag titles at WM 35.

Since Phoenix is still in game shape and the titles now exist, Nattie revealed that she has one dream match left in mind. As the women were re-watching the match between Charlotte Flair and Natalya for the NXT Women's title, the Queen of Harts claimed that "I would love to win the Women's Tag Team Championship with the Glamazon." She felt that there are "so many teams we could work with and so many girls that are talented" and that "there are so many girls in NXT I want to work with." It's not a surprise considering the loaded state of the NXT women's division.

#1 The fizzling out of Fire and Desire

The friendship is over between Deville and Rose.

The ongoing angle featuring Fire and Desire, Dolph Ziggler, and Heavy Machinery has been one of the most intriguing and entertaining storylines this year. We found out prior to WM 36 that Deville and Ziggler were in cahoots to sabotage a date between Mandy Rose and Otis. Things led to a 'Mania win for Otis.

On the latest episode of SmackDown, things continued as Deville cut the promo of her career on her former friend. Natalya claimed that she found herself "watching it taking sides." She also said that she "can sort of see things from Mandy's perspective but also see things from Sonya's perspective when they come out they come out to Mandy's music."

The Queen of Harts compared it to another famous dissolution of a friendship, saying that she "gets where she (Deville) says I'm tired of being in your shadow" and that it was "shades of Becky coming out of Charlotte's shadow. Sonya lit that screen up (with the promo)."

Phoenix felt that "it's so cool when you see both of them" because "they've been begging for an opportunity for so long." She also felt that "it's one thing to ask for an opportunity and another to crush it" and that "they're going to continue to get these opportunities" because "Sonya Deville became a star in that moment."

Ember Moon has dealt with both women on and off-screen. She claimed that "they have all of this history boiled up to build this perfect feud" and that "whoever wrote that promo was hot fire." The Shenom also made a great point by saying that "it (the angle) proves that even with no crowds, you can still tell great stories. Everyone had a perfect part in this storyline."