Everyone’s favourite Hall of Fame commentator, Jim Ross has once again struck gold in his blog! On a week that saw JR being praised as a ‘lockerroom hero’ due to his outspoken and often anti-management thoughts on WWE’s current direction, he hits another home run this time by turning his attention to the women’s division.
In the process, JR talks up some of our favourite Divas, boldly suggesting that Gail Kim has the potential to be ‘Stratus-like’:
Gail Kim really impressed me on Monday’s Raw (Love the DVR) and has the potential to be “Stratus-like” if the stars can become properly aligned. Kim’s unique look and her athleticism are obviously marketable. WWE Divas having more in ring exposure is a bona fide way to get the audience to emotionally invest in these ladies as more than just simply “Smart, Sexy, and Powerful.” (Oh, my!)
Oh, my indeed! If there was any justice in the world, her current spot would be the start of a long run at the top for our G-Kim. Gail was bordering on ‘Trish-like’ qualities during her TNA run, so we know it’s there and she can rise to the challenge.
JR also talks up two fellow Diva Dirt favourites, ahead of their match on Friday night’s episode of SmackDown:
Layla, Eric Clapton’s favorite WWE Diva, (fellow Brit you know) shows marked improvement in the ring this week in a bout versus Melina who never disappoints with at least one Sharapova-like primal scream. One loud outburst just may have frightened my broadcast partner but I can’t be sure as he was wearing a dark suit.
It’s nice to know someone in WWE notices these things. Melina has stepped up her game since November last year, as I noted on last week’s Roundtable, and has been such a consistent hard-worker ever since. The intensity she has shown since coming back is unbelievable and if there’s any justice [there's that phrase again!] she would get the Slammy for Diva of the Year in December.
As for Layla, I ♥ her and have since she first burst on the scene. She has improved a lot in the past few months since moving to SmackDown and is seeing more & more in-ring time. Sure, she may be losing but that’s not an issue for me. Working with girls like Melina, Michelle, Natalya and Katie can only help her get better and that’s what she should concentrate on.
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August 13, 2009 at 12:04 pm
i love J.R!
but no offence, i personally think gail is way better then trish, trish could be gail-like in the ring, i think what made trish bigger is her amazing charisma! there’s no denying that trish was on of the best on the mic
August 13, 2009 at 12:34 pm
It’s interesting to see Gail Kim back in the WWE. While I wasn’t much a fan of hers in her initial run she has really stepped up her skills while she was away. I do believe she does have potential and if anything if she is used well it will make for some good wrestling and tv.
August 13, 2009 at 12:56 pm
afca — There’s no denying Gail makes Trish look like Kellly Kelly, but I think JR means she could be Trish-like as a total package.
August 13, 2009 at 1:25 pm
Gail Kim Far From being Stratus-like.
Yeah I can understand,the way Gail Moves in the ring but…
There are other divas today that people compared to being Stratus-like.
If Jr says Gail Kim is Stratus-Like can you imagine her beeing Divas Champion 8x Ha!
Im sorry but Gail Kim is not Stratus-Like
Trish was Funny as hell with her jokes,Had great Chrisma and Mic Skills something you dont see much of Today. The only two Divas that I have seen with Great Mic skills is Ivory & Trish thats just my opinion.
August 13, 2009 at 1:34 pm
Gail is a much better wrestler than Trish and has been for years. Trish had personality, charisma & marketability and that’s what got her over, but a lot of people don’t remember that when she first debuted in WWE she was AWFUL. Yes, she worked hard and became a good wrestler later on, but it didn’t happen over night. Gail was and is the superior worker.
August 13, 2009 at 2:16 pm
Gail is a brilliant wrestler, but as we all know wrestling ability isn’t exactly appreciated when it comes to WWE Divas. Gail is the better worker, but she doesn’t have anywhere near as much presence as Trish did – I mean, there are still people who only THIS week realised that she was back in WWE.
August 13, 2009 at 5:17 pm
Ed-Gail is the better wrestler,and Trish was awful at first,but Gail’s wrestling ability wasn’t great at first either.It always takes time.I remember back in 2003 when Gail had that submission thing going,wasn’t really working for me.It wasn’t until she went over to TNA that she became WAY better.
Also,is it me,or did everyone start to hate Trish after she left?She’s still my all time fav,but,I’m just saying……..Everyone used to be like,”Yeah!Trish rocks!Woohoo!”,and now they’re like,”Please,Trish was SO overrated.All she had was big boobs and blonde hair”.I mean,NEWSFLASH.Trish was the total package.She was beautiful,1 point,she had great charisma,2 points,she could talk on the mic,3 points,she could manage(Later On),4 points,and she could damn sure wrestle,5 points.And there you go!What else do you want?A sex tape?!…..sheesh!
August 13, 2009 at 5:25 pm
no one is better then trish,trish is the BEST,she’s a legend:D
but if anyone can be stratus-like,it’s gail kim.Gail does have the wrestling skills but she doesn’t have the presence that trish did.Trish was perfect,she was AMAZING on the mic,she was super babyface like john cena and also a killer heel like randy orton,she could do it all.yes,when trish debuted in the WWE,she was AWIFUL in the ring but she worked hard and became a real wrestler and then became a LEGEND,how many women wrestlers can say that?
IMO,Trish is Better then everyone because her wrestling skills were out of this world,she invented all her moves from scratch and she never afraid of taking HUGE SHOTS
gail kim could definitly be the next trish stratus but she will never be as good as trish IMO
August 13, 2009 at 5:27 pm
Everyone loves JR
I definitely agree that Gail has all the ‘Trish-like’ qualities. In TNA, she was their golden girl, and it would be great if that were the same in WWE.
I think Michelle is most likely to win the ‘Diva of the year’ slammy, what with the whole grand-slam champion emphasis, however if her injury is long-term, I agree that Melina should win.
August 13, 2009 at 5:32 pm
TrishMelinaFan-every wrestler has haters,not every wrestler is going to be loved by everyone.
I mean i hear people call mickie james a fatass,i hear people calling lita an ugly whore,just don’t listen to them,there stupid.everyone loves trish,she was perfect but like everyone else,trish does have her fair share of haters.When i go to any trish video,95% of comments are saying “trish rules,she’s the best” and the other 5% are her haters saying “she’s overated and she sucked” but you can’t let that get to you
August 13, 2009 at 5:41 pm
No matter what happens, Trish is Trish. She’s my all time favorite and I believe no one can ever replace her. She’s the perfect mix of brains, beauty and brawn that made her the ultimate WWE Diva.
However, I am not discrediting Gail Kim. I love her unique style inside the ring and I do believe with proper character development, she can be like (but never replace) Trish Stratus.
August 13, 2009 at 5:48 pm
RKOyou-Trust me,I have VERY thick skin,and I’m not afraid to defend my girl if I have to.Yes,I hear the rude comments,and yes,I know Trish has a lot of fans.It just seems to me that after she left people started to dislike her more.It’s a shame,it really is.P.s.You might want to lay off calling people ‘stupid’,commenting rules,remember?
Also,seriously,it would be a CRIME if Michelle won diva of the year instead of Melina.No,not because I ‘hate’ Michelle(She’s quickly become one of my favs),but because Melina DESERVES that award after all she’s done.I bet Melina would have won diva of the year last year if she wasn’t injured….well,no,Beth still would have won,but Melina would have at least been nominated.
August 13, 2009 at 5:55 pm
I disagree,Gail can be like Trish,as a package,yes,but not as a performer.I love Gail,so don’t get me wrong,I just don’t like it when people compare divas to other divas.’Melina’s the next Trish’,'Oh,but Gail is the next Lita’,no……I just like to think of them as their own performer.There won’t be ‘another’ Melina.There won’t be ‘another’ Gail.These women all paved a path of their own,and won’t ever be the same as another,no matter how similar.Gail rocks,and I don’t know about everyone else,but I’m rooting for her to be the first unified champion,so she can take her rightful place as queen of the wwe,and hopefully the new ‘golden girl’ of the wwe as well.
P.s.I wish there was a chatbox here at Diva-Dirt.Can you make that happen diva-Dirt?Please?Pretty please with a cherry on top?*starts sobbing*;p
August 13, 2009 at 7:05 pm
jr has done even more talking about layla! this time on his wwe.com blog!
I am told or “sources say,” if that’s more provacative, that the SD Divas are shocked at how strong Layla is especially her hand strength. Layla, who is London born and bred, isn’t the biggest Diva on the roster but may be the strongest pound for pound. Layla, one of my favorite Eric Clapton songs, shows noticeable improvement in the ring this Friday night as she meets the “screamer” Melina.
August 13, 2009 at 7:24 pm
I wouldn’t take JR’s statement too literally. I think it’s pretty obvious that if Gail were to be compared to any former icon, it would be Lita. They are both unique, high-flying divas that captivate audiences and neither is known for their prowess on the mic.
When JR says she can be the “Stratus-like”, it seems that he is referring to her potential as the “centerpiece” of the division. The top dog. That is why he mentions her marketability.
He also hit the nail on the head as far as the audience “emotionally investing”. That is what enjoying wrestling is all about really. And Gail’s exhilarating style basically FORCES the audience to take notice, as we saw this Monday. Anyone who dares take a piss break now risks missing an awesome spot by our lovely Gail Kim. And that is why she is so valuable to the division right now. In fact, she is my dark horse to steal Melina’s “Most Valuable Diva” award by the end of the year…
August 13, 2009 at 7:47 pm
i think sometimes JR´s opinion is very overrated.he only talks about the Divas that for him are the best,that have great potential,etc etc….and forgets others that also have talent but for some reason scape to JR´s “wisdom….
i never saw a word of him praising Beth,for example….
August 13, 2009 at 7:56 pm
I think that when J.R said that gail has stratus like qualities i think he was referring to how gail can be the top diva in the wwe. Gail has a style of her own that is very unique from all of the current wwe divas. Its nice to be compared to trish but gail is going to blaze her own trail.
August 13, 2009 at 10:57 pm
I’m glad someone is talking up the women and giving them some credit. Most things you read always mention how bad they are and how they are the “piss break” of the WWE. But I agree with a lot of people here about Gail, it takes more than in ring talent to be truly great. Trish was never a great wrestler, but she was good and was definately a strong worker. But not only did she have that, she could work the mic and was charasmatic and humorous in back stage segments and played her character well. She also looked/looks like a million bucks. Gail right now is still a pretty boring and standard character if you take her in ring work away, it’s when she’s in the ring that she comes alive and wows the fans. Hopefully they let her build her character with some mic time and actually develop a strong feud with her and Mickie.
August 14, 2009 at 1:47 am
As much as I respect JR’s comment, wrestling-wise Gail is so so much much much beter than Trish! Trish Stratus is so overrated. While I appreciated that she was improved her wrestling skill tremendously during her run in the WWE Gail is so much experienced in the ring & her moves are so innovative. If u guyz wanna see what Im talking about just see the matches between hr & Awesome Kong, it even drew highest rating than the guyz matches in TNA.
August 14, 2009 at 3:10 am
It’s very hard for Gail to be anywhere close to Trish when she simply can’t get over with the crowd. And I don’t think she ever will be able to. I don’t think has anything to do with race or hair color, because Lita was the second biggest Diva in the company. Strictly on wrestling ability, Gail has it all. The crowd definitely claps in appreciation when she does flying & impact moves. But like everyone said, it takes more than wrestling. I just don’t think Gail possesses the IT factor it takes to really get over.
August 15, 2009 at 11:57 am
JR is setting the verbal stage for Gail Kim to triumph in WWE a second time. I would not compare these two women as they are light years away from each other as to training, technique, and results. Gail Kim is her own woman. She does not need to be compared to any other. As to the IT factor give Gail some interview and mike time and watch what happens.