The retirement of the WWE Women’s Championship has been the big talk of the town here at Diva Dirt in the past week. The DD team has weighed in and multiple former champions have weighed in including but not limited to Beth Phoenix, Mickie James and Melina. We also got the comments of a certain legendary former champion too, but more on that later.

It’s with a heavy heart that all of us women’s wrestling fans say goodbye to the Women’s Championship. Say what you will about WWE’s Divas product in the past few years, but the history and lineage of that belt — dating back 54 years — must be respected. Female wrestlers who we recognise today dreamed about holding that championship belt when they were simply fans just like the rest of us. As Sara Del Rey, a woman who has never held the belt but obviously respects it, said: “In many ways, that was the most prestigious belt in all of women’s wrestling.” While I would argue that SHIMMER, pound for pound, delivers the best quality championship matches in the ring, no belt has the same visibility and lineage as the WWE Women’s Championship did. Seen by millions of viewers on a weekly basis and around the world, the majority of fans have grown up with this belt and trained themselves to think of it is the ultimate prize for a woman in wrestling.

Judging by the comments made by those aforementioned former champions, they have obviously been touched to have had the honor and privilege of holding that title. While wrestling is scripted, perhaps we underestimate what the words, ‘Former WWE Women’s Champion’ appended to one’s name can do for your career — even beyond WWE. While physically the belt has changed appearance over the years, to be considered as part of the same lineage as WWE Hall of Famers, Fabulous Moolah and Wendi Richter, is a ‘money can’t buy’ feeling for our Divas today. Following in the footsteps of even Trish Stratus, while a more modern day name, is an honor also.

The women’s division in WWE may not be where it was at a few years ago when Trish Stratus and Lita battled in the main event of Raw for that belt, and some of the matches may not have been as lengthy or memorable, but the prestige of the belt speaks for itself.

So as we say goodbye to the Women’s Championship, I want to take this moment to also say thank you. Thank you to all of those women who have held the belt, who have tried their hardest to uphold the legacy of their predecessors and most importantly, who have tried their hardest to entertain us fans as champion. No doubt, we all have our own personal favourite champions and championship reigns, but each woman tried to bring their own touch to that belt and here we are today. Thank you to all of you!

Regardless of whether we think it’s a good thing or a bad thing, the Women’s Championship is now gone but being ever the optimists we are (sometimes), we’re trying to look at the bright side and the more I try, the more I feel that this could be a positive.

The WWE women’s division has changed. If you’re looking for the same hard-hitting matches that we got from Trish, Lita, Jazz, Victoria et al, you’re probably watching the wrong product. The division of today is a division where three minute matches are the norm, where Divas with little experience outnumber Divas with years of experience, where storylines are not multi-layered and as engaging as they once were. Quite frankly, this isn’t ‘women’s wrestling’ per se, this is ‘Divas wrestling’. WWE has decided what it wants it’s women’s division to be and if I’m honest, I’d rather see the Women’s Championship be put to rest so it can be remembered for those great battles between Trish, Lita, Victoria, Jazz, Molly and even more recently, between the likes of Beth, Michelle, Mickie and Melina.

But why not draw a line under that belt now? The division has changed, as Trish Stratus said in our interview, “I feel like it’s a different time, a different generation. [...] This is the new thing, this is the women’s division of today and let’s build it.”

Let’s build it, indeed.

I noted on The Post-Raw Show that it’s now a challenge for the Divas of today, just as it was for the Divas of that ‘golden’ period, to try and leave their mark. What better way to do that than with a fresh canvas? The Women’s Championship has such a rich legacy and as a big honor as it is to hold it, perhaps there’s a feeling of complacency that comes with it. Instead of thinking, “Oh my, I’ve held the same belt as these legends,” these Divas will now be challenged to make this new Divas Championship, that doesn’t have that history behind it, mean something just like Trish et al did with the Women’s Championship.

For the Divas of today, perhaps this will make them step it up that litlte bit more, in order to try and leave their mark on this title just as Trish, Lita etc. did with the Women’s Title. Let’s be honest, WWE’s writing isn’t exactly doing these girls any favours; a lack of storylines, a lack of character development and a lack of overall effort don’t help any. But what the Divas can control, to a degree, is what they do out there in the ring. In that ring, they can deliver great matches as we see every now and again. Perhaps now with this belt, they will feel more inspired to have great matches to help build up the belt so they can be seen as pioneers of this championship one day, and so they can make it mean something for their fellow Divas today and in future generations.

So Divas, as Trish said: “Let’s build it.”

Three-time WWE Women’s Champion, Melina is the latest former Women’s Champion to have her say over the Women’s Title being retired. In a heartfelt message, she wrote on her Twitter page last night:

Maybe I will get in trouble 4 saying this but it never stopped me before,right? A lovely friend once told me, whenever u feel down about yourself & your career, just look at this http://www.wwe.com/inside/titlehistory/women/ . I did. From Fabulous Moolah to this year…. So many incredible women who are true Champions…. Hall of Famers!!! Pioneers held that title! When I looked at that page…. It was an incredible honor to see my name up there with all of them. People who I am a fan of & have memories watching when I was younger.

I held that title and was always picturing all these women holding the same title. It was a dream come true knowing my heroes touched this championship too. Now it’s gone?

What a shame.

I’m a person that honors the past bcuz it’s made me who I am in the present. It’s a legacy to pass down for the future! Hall of Famers made that championship what it is. I feel like a piece of me as well as the memory of all the women who contributed to it’s greatness is being put to rest with it. It’s very heartbreaking. None of these women will EVER be forgotten in my heart. NEVER.

Meanwhile, answering a question on Formspring, independent wrestler Sara Del Rey said:

Yes it is sad. In many ways that was the most prestigious belt in all of womens wrestling.

Upon reading Sara’s comment, I was a little taken aback because of course, she hasn’t been in WWE or held the belt, but I really admire the respect she has for the Women’s Championship nonetheless.

As the storied history of the WWE Women’s Championship comes to an end, we want to pay homage to the countless champions and countless championship matches that have taken place over the past 54 years. But we need your help!

We are beginning a search to find the greatest Women’s Championship match in history, as voted for by all of you! In this post, we want you to submit your match suggestions in the comments. We will take the 16 most recommended matches to compete in a tournament until one is left standing. Sounds simple enough, right?

Please note: Give dates/event names where possible i.e. “Melina vs Beth Phoenix (Royal Rumble 2009)” and so forth.

Recommend away!

Two former WWE Women’s Champions, Beth Phoenix and Mickie James took to their Twitter pages last night to comment on WWE’s decision to retire the historic 50+ year old Women’s Championship.

Beth, a three-time champion, wrote:

It saddens me to see the historic Women’s Title moved into retirement, but I am so grateful to have had the honor of holding it.My sights remain on the Unified Diva’s Championship.

Meanwhile, five-time champion Mickie, who was released earlier in the year, posted a more emotional message. She added:

The retirement of the Women’s Championship breaks my heart. The nostalgia and the legacy built off the backs of every woman who paved the way for women like me… Who gave it credibility… Honor… Prestige… & Truth! For every woman who’s carried the championship through the generations… Who know the power & history you feel in holding it high above your head.. That can never be replaced by anything in my mind… In my heart… I am truly honored and forever grateful to be among the women who have graced its presence… Thank you…

Mickie’s message really hit home for me. This is a woman who was unceremoniously cut by WWE herself — she could be bitter and not care — but she obviously does. Regardless of whether the former champions who’ve held the belt were released or left on their own accord, they were still champions and helped bring that belt to glory. It’s sad to see such a rich, historied belt laid to rest.

Diva Dirt will be interviewing another former Women’s Champion later this week and hope to get her thoughts on the retirement of the belt also, so stay tuned.

As seen tonight on Raw, WWE has officially retired the 50+ year old Women’s Championship. Going forward, the Divas Championship will be the sole belt for the women’s division and is currently being referred to as the Unified Divas Championship.

If the recent re-naming of the Unified Tag Team Championship to simply the WWE Tag Team Championships is anything to go by, WWE will likely drop ‘Unified’ from the name at some point.

It seemed likely that the Women’s Championship would be dropped, as many have noted WWE has created a lot of merchandise using the Divas Championship logo. Still, it’s a sad day to see such a historic belt retired.

Seeing as how the match is being contested under Lumberjill rules, all the WWE Divas (including a pissy looking Layla) make their way out to the ring first. There are a crap ton of fashion mistakes going on tonight but the Bella Twins certainly look nice, as does Maryse. The Lumberjills get settled around the ring and Michelle’s theme music begins to play. She walks out with both halves of the Women’s Championship and she’s rocking some fierce new red gear. Unfortunately, she gets absolutely no reaction from the crowd during her entrance. Michelle poses with the belt and then Melina’s music hits. She waltzs out to an absolutely massive pop and sadly, she is not in new ring gear. She gets on the apron of the ring and sinks down into her sexy split, and that’s when Michelle decides to attack. Melina hops up just in the nick of time and Michelle ends up on the mat.

Melina goes after her but both women end up in the ring. Michelle scrambles to the ropes and Melina stands tall and proud. Melina sheds her fur vest and the bell rings. The match is on. Both girls lock up and begin to jockey for position. Michelle forces Melina back into the corner, but Melina whips it around. Michelle forces her foe to the ground and both roll around before tumbling out of the ring. They finally break the hold and both girls get to their feet. Several Lumberjills stand around and wait for their cue, but Michelle diverts their attention by slapping Rosa across the face and getting in the ring. None of the Lumberjills bother to attack Melina and she slides back into the ring after kicking Michelle in the stomach. She then throws her down by the hair and starts throwing forearms. Melina throws herself into the ropes and attempts what looks like a hurricanrana, but it doesn’t work out. Instead she lands on her feet and Kaval kicks (hee hee) Michelle to the ground. Melina goes back at Michelle but the co-Women’s Champion is able to fend her off. They both block a kick from each other and end up in the corner.

The fight goes on until finally Melina gains the upper-hand. She throws Michelle’s legs through the ropes and climbs up to the top turnbuckle on her knees. She signals for one of her trademarks but Michelle anticipates it and throws Melina off the top rope onto the concrete. The Lumberjills make no move to go after Melina. The LA beauty is slow to her feet but she finally ends up back inside. Michelle is waiting and takes Melina down. Michelle begins laying into Melina with kicks and forearms, and goes for the cover. She only gets a two. Melina is picked up but only to be knocked down again not once, but twice. She tries to get up using the ropes but Michelle is absolutely relentless. Her offense continues and she locks Melina in a head scissor.s The Diva’s Champ tries to get out of it and eventually Michelle breaks the hold. Thinking that she’s sufficiently worn Melina down, Michelle goes for the Faith Breaker.

Melina pulls herself up into a mid-air sitting position and fights her way out of the move. Michelle gets planted face first into the mat and Melina gingerly goes on the attack. Michelle is able to get Melina in a belly-to-belly suplex and ground her, and then she goes for the pin. Afterward, things get interesting when Natalya decides to get involved. She distracts Michelle and they have a heated exchange. This draws the attention of the official in charge and while he is chastising Nattie, Melina rolls Michelle up for the victory. She seriously has the FSU grad pinned for a count of 234972039874234 before home dude turns around and begins to count. It surprises no one when Michelle kicks out.

Michelle is quick to her feet and takes down Melina with a clothesline. Then she jumps to the outside. She goes right for Nattie, but the one-on-one doesn’t last. All the Lumberjills get involved and they start tearing Michelle to pieces. There’s a funny moment when Rosa tries to throw a punch at Jillian, but Jillian blocks it. That was an obvious miscommunication/epic fail. Anyway, the girls toss Michelle back in the ring and Melina takes control. She eventually ends up laying Michelle out on the ropes and using them for her own momentum, Melina charges towards her blonde headed opponent and lands in the middle of Michelle’s back on her knees. Melina lets out a Primal Scream and Michelle rushes her. Melina drops into a back bend to miss whatever Michelle was trying to throw, but Michelle catches on and slams Melina to the mat. She forces Melina in the corner and sets her on the top rope.

Now things get tricky.

I can’t tell if this was a botch or planned. Michelle looks to be going for a superplex but maybe she missed her footing because all of a sudden both girls take a big tumble to the outside of the ring. None of the Lumberjills except for Nattie make a move. Natalya throws one punch but that’s it. Gail Kim goes to help Melina up and things temporarily stop for a few seconds. Once Melina is safely inside the ring, the girls start attacking Michelle again. This gives Miss Layla El all the time in the world to waltz into the ring and start beating down Melina. Melina fights back and she dumps Layla to the outside. The Divas turn their focus on Layla and Michelle slips away. She gets back in the ring and greets Melina with a big boot to the skull. Melina goes down and Michelle makes the cover. Layla climbs back into the ring and the Lay-Cool lovefest is on. The girls hug and celebrate next to Melina’s fallen body and every other Diva stands there disgusted over what just transpired. Lay-Cool celebrate on their way up the ramp while the face Divas get in the ring to console Melina and watch in horror.

Observations: Lots to talk about so lets get started. The match didn’t do it for me. I thought this was one of their worst matches in my opinion. It seemed sloppy and their transitions were slow. They do have amazing chemistry, but tonight it wasn’t working as well as it usually does. I think the factors involved contributed to that. They weren’t able to hit as hard like they did at NOC ’09 and that’s due to the fact their outside action was limited. What I did enjoy about the match is how the Lumberjills played a huge part. I really enjoyed the story they told tonight. The fact all of them were just waiting for Michelle to get tossed on the outside was brilliant. I really enjoyed seeing them gang up on her. Layla sneaking in the ring was pretty good, but the ending was predictable.

I didn’t want Michelle to win. I really thought Melina deserved it out of the two. Michelle has accomplished so much already and I wanted Melina to have this moment. That said, I think the forgotten element in all this is Layla. She did get screwed out of an epic opportunity and I can’t wrap my head around why that happened to her. Layla has improved so much and as the woman on record as the actual holder of the Women’s Championship this should have been her moment. The only thing I can think of to justify this is that perhaps the WWE went with Michelle in this case because she and Melina do bring out the best in each other. I may not have been crazy about the match, but it is the best thing we’ve seen on television in a very long time from any combination of Divas.

The parts of the match that stand out the most to me are the beginning when Melina is down in her split entrance. Michelle has attacked her before from that position but this time the savvy vetran was waiting for her. All the Lumberjills ganging up on Michelle was another highlight. We’ve never seen that in one of these matches before and it was nice seeing everyone play a role tonight. Last but not least, Rosa’s epic fail with Jillian was another highlight. I’m not sure what happened there but Rosa got real confused. It was a nice little hot mess and you know me! I looooove hot messes!

Tonight’s pay-per-view was a whole was just okay. There’s nothing more to really say. I wish the outcome would have been different, but Michelle is a good champion. She’s got a damn good storyline on SmackDown and I’m definitely anxious to see where this is going to lead. How close is the Glamazon to returning? Is the Hart Dynasty title loss a blessing for Natalya? What happens to the Raw girls now? Where does Melina go? The questions could go on and on, but this Redux is coming to a close. Hell In A Cell is only two weeks away. Wonder if there will be a Diva match on that one?

Match Rating: 3/5

It looks like the new unified championship will carry on the lineage of the Divas Championship which was launched in 2008, as Michelle McCool is listed as the new champion on the WWE.com title history for that belt.

Meanwhile, Michelle isn’t the only Diva to make history tonight. It seems the historic 60+ year lineage of the Women’s Championship has ended with Layla being recognised as the final Women’s Champion, according to that belt’s title history.

It could be possible that WWE resurrects the Women’s Title somewhere down the line but for now, Layla book-ends the history of the Women’s Title along with The Fabulous Moolah. Truly the end of an era.

The WWE Divas and Women’s Championships will be unified at Night of Champions when Melina faces either Layla or Michelle McCool.

The match will also be a lumberjack match with all the other WWE Divas surrounding the ring.

Night of Champions takes place on September 19th.

Divas Champion, Alicia Fox will defend the belt against Eve Torres this Sunday at Money in the Bank.

This match is in addition to the Women’s Title bout between Kelly Kelly and Layla, bringing our Divas tally to two matches this Sunday!

I believe it’ll be the first pay per view singles match for both Divas, so it’s going to be a big night for Layla and Kelly.

The two Divas are no strangers to each other. Both Divas’ careers began in the summer of 2006, coming up the ranks in ECW together as part of Extreme Exposé before feuding for nearly a year.

Money in the Bank airs on pay per view on Sunday, July 18th.

Layla — full name Layla El — makes history by becoming the first British-born Diva to win championship gold in the WWE. She is also the first Diva Search winner to win the prestigious Women’s Championship.

El won the belt in a two-on-one handicap match when she teamed with Team Lay-Cool cohort, Michelle McCool against Beth Phoenix in the former champion’s hometown of Buffalo, New York.

Extreme Rules is done and over with, and the mixed reviews continue to pour in. Last night, each and every one of us were able to watch the first ever Extreme Makeover Match which starred the reigning WWE Women’s Champion, Michelle McCool, and the lovely, beautiful Beth Phoenix. These two talented Divas fought within the confines of the match regulations and delivered one of the best diva matches we’ve had in awhile. Michelle’s cohorts and resident SmackDown mean girls, Layla and Vickie Guerrero, would make their presence felt, and as the match reached it’s crescendo we all watched as the Phoenix rose again. When the dust settled and the smoke cleared, Beth Phoenix was crowned the ultimate Queen of the WWE once again and Simply Flawless were sent limping to the back with their heads bowed down in silent defeat.

Before the match begins, the WWE gives us a close up of the make-up table and the so-called weapons that are going to make this match extreme. Michelle McCool and her Simply Flawless stablemates make their way to the ring first. Michelle does this unnecessary dance at the top of the ramp before she begins to saunter down to the ring. It’s not as if we were able to see her walk to the ring because the ‘E decided to get in a sponsor announcement but hey, at least they didn’t go to commercial a la TNA. Michelle and Layla are matching and Vickie is sporting some sexy mom jeans that didn’t have an elastic waist thus making me wonder if they were even mom jeans at all?

As the Vickie insults start to fly thanks to our wonderful broadcast team, the Glamazon’s theme music hits and Beth receives a massive pop as she makes her way onto the stage. As always, the shapely blonde looks gorgeous and her face reads of nothing but absolute confidence as she stalks down to the ring. As tonight’s “Buffet of Beauty” waits to get underway, Beth poses to the crowd while Laycool plus Vickie try to not look that effected. When things settle down, the referee holds the championship up for everyone to see and then calls for the bell. Michelle and Beth circle one another before locking up and jockeying for position. Beth forces Michelle to the ropes and the ex-teacher slips between them temporarily. Beth doesn’t break the hold but Michelle does get the advantage and nails the Glamazon right in the face. Beth staggers back and Michelle follows it up with a kick, an uppercut, and a whip into the turnbuckle. Beth jumps on the ropes, over a charging Michelle, and rolls her up for a quick pin. Michelle is out after the one count, but the match is off to a fantastic start.

Beth stays put in the corner and lures Michelle towards her. The Floridian eats an elbow and Beth pounces on the second rope and flies off with a devastating clothesline that takes Michelle down hard. Beth goes for another cover but Michelle kicks out, then rolls out of the ring to regroup. She doesn’t get enough time to collect herself because Beth is on her like white on rice and soon enough, Michelle is flat on her back again and this time it’s on the dirty ring mat. While Michelle is withering around on the ground in pain, Layla comes at Beth like a crazy woman and she’s waving a broom. Beth snatches it from her and gives Layla a little dose of pain. She tosses her into the ring, follows her, and even jabs the broom at Vickie Guerrero. Vickie wants nothing to do with that so she quickly drops off the apron. After Beth makes sure Vickie and Layla are in check, she goes to the other side and jerks Michelle up by the hair. Michelle, though, has summoned her inner Beautiful Person/Maryse and fights off Beth with a hair spray shot to the face. Beth is blinded by the Aqua Net and Michelle reaches under the ring for a weapon.

The majestic ironing board makes it first appearance of the night and Beth gets an abortion whether she needed it or not. Beth is covered by Michelle but she manages to kick out after the two. Michelle’s not thrilled by this so she decides to punish her challenger but slamming her with the ironing and then laying it flat across Beth’s mid-section. Michelle jumps right in the middle of it which leaves Beth down and visibly hurting. The devious blond decides to keep up the offense on Beth’s injured mid-section and applies a very painful body scissors to the number one contender. Beth does her best to fight back and finally catches Michelle in the jaw with an elbow. The soon-to-be ex-champion releases the hold and calls for a weapon. She receives an iron via of Layla, but unbeknown to Michelle, the cord of the iron has gotten stuck so when she goes to use it, it slips right out of her hands! Beth is able to capitalize with a quick roll-up but a horrified Michelle slips out of it! She quickly puts the boots to Beth and gets the Glamazon into the corner where she places the ironing board across Beth’s chest. Michelle harassing the crowd then kicks the dastardly weapon leaving Beth stunned from the brutal assault. Michelle pulls Beth away from the ropes, hooks both legs, and goes for the cover. She only gets a two count and it looks like frustration has started to settle in for the graduate of Florida State.

Michelle rolls to the outside and picks up a red mop bucket. Whatever’s inside she tosses on Matt Striker in frustration (perhaps she was listening to the commentary?) and she reaches for what seems to be the supporting guest star in this match: the ironing board. As she goes to crawl back into the ring with it, Beth drop kicks her, and Michelle flies back into the make-up table, bouncing her head off it in the process. The crowd is shocked at the sheer brutality of the spot and Beth goes to capitalize. She’s greeted by Layla and Vickie who double team her long enough for Michelle to stand up in a dazed state and grab another can of hair spray. Beth wiggles away from Layla and Vickie just in time for Michelle to spray her BFF in the face. Layla starts screaming that she’s blind and Michelle slams the Aqua Net to the ground in disbelief that Layla just got sprayed instead of Beth. Beth grabs Michelle by the hair and throws her right across the make-up table giving all of us reason to think something awful is about to happen to McCool. Beth keeps her grip on Michelle’s hair and slams the other woman’s face into the wood a couple of times before just pushing the table over and sending Michelle sprawling onto the mat.

Beth uses her half a minute free time to start throwing weapons into the ring before she pulls Michelle back inside. The groggy champion halfheartedly gets to her feet but Beth is waiting and ready to knock her down again. Beth slams the red mop bucket into Michelle’s abdomen and then hits her in the back with it. If that wasn’t awful enough she throws all her weight behind the bucket and launches it right at Michelle’s face. Michelle isn’t able to duck or anything, so she ends up slumping to the ground thanks to the ferocious beating she’s taken for the last few minutes. Beth goes for the cover but by sheer instinct alone Michelle manages to get the shoulder up. An annoyed Beth decides that she’s basically ready to the end the match. She places to ironing boards together in the ring and goes to get Michelle. She hoists her up and places her on top the rope, climbing up after her. At this point, Vickie and Layla do the only other thing they can do and that’s start batting at Beth’s feet with a mop and a broom. I guess this distracts the Glamazon from superplexing Michelle down onto the ironing boards, because next thing you know Michelle is able to muscle the stronger woman off of her. Beth lands flat on the metal weapons and you have to think that the Glamazon is out of it at this point. Michelle goes for the cover but Beth somehow by the grace of God (…or David) manages to kick out. Michelle lets out an ear piercing shriek and pitches a fit, not that I blame her. Beth has been hit with everything at this point and she won’t stay down. There’s really nothing else left for Michelle to do.

She gets Beth up by the hair and looks to be setting up for the Faithbreaker. Beth has come to far to give up now she digs deep and reverses the attempt by picking Michelle up on her shoulders. Michelle fights out of it but she ends up in a position for Beth to hit the Glam Slam. Beth hoists Michelle in the air and we all know what’s coming. Michelle starts screaming bloody murder but Beth has no sympathy and puts Michelle out of her misery. She goes for the cover, gets the pin, and we have a brand new champion! Layla and Vickie are so shocked and horrified, and tears spring to the eyes of Beth as she is announced the winner. The crowd is very happy with this outcome and Beth poses with her newly won championship.

The Good: I think the first thing that needs to be applauded is WWE management. We lay the smack down on them each and every week, and rightfully so, but tonight they gave their amazing divas an ample amount of time to go out there and work a match that would satisfy diva fans and maybe even make a few haters open their eyes to the fact that these girls are no joke. Beth and Michelle are two of the best on the WWE roster right now and despite the fact the match could have been so much more, they did their absolute best with what they were given. Beth took an amazing bump from the ropes onto an ironing board. Michelle more than proved that she is the top diva heel in the company. She beat on Beth and never really held back, not to mention she took some punishment of her own. One of the best spots of the match is when Beth took the mop bucket and began to beat Michelle with it. How much fun was that? I know that all of you want to beat someone down with a plastic bucket now because it honestly looked like it hurt like hell. And you know what? Deep down, we all have a sadistic side. Each of us laughed a little bit as the leggy, dominate Women’s Champion got her ass beat by something as simple as a bucket. It was the ultimate humiliation, in my humble opinion, and Michelle deserved that beating!

The Simply Flawless stable is probably the best thing to happen to the Divas in a long time. The combination of Michelle and Layla, along with Vickie, gives anyone who comes into contact with them an instant storyline. I find it horrifying and shocking that people want this group to break up. People should want to see more Simply Flawless segments on their television because the longer it lasts, the more opportunities for segments and fun matches the divas will have. I’ll agree that Flawless has done everything they can on Smackdown, and Raw certainly needs some life injected into it. What better way to get Eve over than throwing her to the wolves and giving people a chance to get behind her? Michelle, Vickie, and Layla are hated enough that people will rally behind Eve and cheer her to the moon if she can take them down. Last night’s PPV was pretty decent as a whole, and my unbiased opinion allows me to believe that Simply Flawless getting dismissed in such great fashion by Beth was one of the best moments of the night.

Another great moment was Beth recapturing the Women’s Championship. This has been a long time coming and it couldn’t have happened to a better worker. Beth has worked her butt off for the WWE and has become the top face on the Diva side of the spectrum. I’ll be happy to argue with anyone who disagrees with that and I’ll even say she is/was more popular than Mickie James. There is just something about Beth that makes everyone take notice of her. Her run as a face is so exciting and just so fresh and needed. She’s going to be able to carry Smackdown to even better heights now that she’s the face of the division. Last night Beth was powerful, endearing, emotional, and she shined like a star. No one can say she holds the title all the time because it’s been a long while since we saw Beth with some gold. The world is her oyster now and I can’t wait to see who steps up to challenge her first.

The match itself was good. Both girls have great chemistry together and with the exception of a few awkward moments, the whole match came off really well. Beth and Michelle made use of the “weapons” they were given and both took a nice amount of punishment. Vickie and Layla were full of shenanigans (that’s totally my favorite word) and their involvement in the match wasn’t overbooked. We speculated on the pre-show that perhaps Mickie James was originally slated to interfere in this match. We’ll probably never know if she was or not to be honest. But lets say that if the match did have to be rebooked, I’m glad it happened. Beth is the type of character that doesn’t need help in order to win. The WWE stayed true to her last night. Simply Flawless gave Beth everything she could handle last night and then some, and Beth still refused to stay down. If the match had some alternative ending, it would have definitely taken away from the emotion of the contest and Beth’s eventual victory.

The Bad: As much as it pains me to say, some of the interference from Vickie and Layla last night was bad. They provided the awkward spots of the match but none more strange than when they took the mop and the broom and attempted to bat the Glamazon away from Michelle while the girls were battling on the top rope. I literally cringed at this segment and tried not to think about how badly it would get slammed by the wrestling press. The interference wasn’t really needed and it made Vickie and Layla look kind of dumb and useless. We all know they’re not, but this came off awful and I have to question what they were thinking when they decided to go ahead and put that in the match.

The weapons were pretty bad. It’s like they took every stereotypical girl object ever made and threw it down at ringside for Beth and Michelle. I can see why some people would find this cute and whatnot, but I found it stupid and borderline sexist. I’m sorry if that bothers people, but why do girls have to use mops, buckets, brooms, and make-up as their weapons? What they should have done is let Cena and Batista play with the brooms and mops, and let Beth and Michelle play with the duct tape! Am I serious with that comment?

The Ugly: The only thing that was ugly about last night’s match was the horrible commentary, in particular Matt Striker’s. When you are naturally as wonderful as Matt Striker, you tend to overshadow those around you, and during the diva match Matt Striker unfortunately stood out for his crappy remarks more than King and Michael “Vintage” Cole. It’s sad because Striker is one perfect looking man. From his piercing blue eyes to his stunning tan to the fact he wears suit jackets and dress shirts with jeans. He’s gorgeous and intelligent, and he plays perfectly into the female hot teacher fantasy. But his stupid, sexist remarks brought a great match down to elementary school level and showed just how little the divas are cared about in the WWE. He had no clue what was going on in the match and King and Cole weren’t any better. I know Vince McMahon tells the commentators what to say, but there is a fine line he keeps crossing. He may not give a damn about the divas but he doesn’t have to force feed crappy lines to his announce team. And if Matt Striker came up with his sexist comments on his own, then shame on him. Double shame on him for the Vickie Guerrero insults. We know she’s an older woman who isn’t a hot, young diva but talking down on her isn’t acceptable. King and Cole were tacky too and deserve a nice telling off as well.

Of course I’m sitting here and saying all this when I would gladly slap on an apron, a pair of five inch pumps, and a cute dress and make dinner for Matt Striker on any night of the week. Ahem.

Overall, Extreme Rules was a superb night for the divas. They gave it their all and put on a match that gave all of us a little bit of hope. I hope this isn’t one of the classic “one step forward, two steps back” thingies the WWE is good at when it comes to the divas, but we’ll have to wait and see. We have the draft in a few hours and that is bound to shake things up for the girls. Anything will help at this point and the more balance the rosters are given, the better. I want to end this article by saying Congratulations to Beth (and David) for winning the Women’s Championship last night, and congrats to Beth and Michelle for bringing everything they had to last night’s table and giving all of us something to be very proud about.

Match Rating: 4/5 stars!

The Glamazon, Beth Phoenix has won her third Women’s Championship, defeating Michelle McCool at Extreme Rules moments ago.

Beth pinned McCool after hitting the Glam Slam. The switch came in an awesome Extreme Makeover Match, the first of its kind, which saw the two Divas battle using several props.

Congratulations to Beth!

As seen moments ago on SmackDown, Michelle McCool has regained the WWE Women’s Championship and is now a two-time holder of the belt.

McCool’s win marks the first time in nearly 10 years that the Women’s Championship has changed hands on a taped show. The last time this happened was also on an episode of SmackDown when Ivory beat then-champion Lita as well as Jacqueline and Trish Stratus in a fatal four way match on November 2nd, 2000. That show was taped two days prior on October 31st.

Click here for the SmackDown Redux

Tonight, Mickie James won the Women’s Championship for the 5th time, defeating Michelle McCool in quick fashion at the Royal Rumble. Congrats, Mickie!

A Women’s Championship match was made for the Rumble at last night’s SmackDown taping.

Michelle McCool will defend the title against Mickie James at the pay per view on January 31st.

Kind of a random place to make an announcement, but it seems as though Mickie James is once again the #1 Contender for the WWE Women’s Championship according to WWE.com’s POWER 25. For the week ending January 1st, Mickie came in at #18 with the description:

The beautiful Diva was impressive on SmackDown, defeating the powerful Beth Phoenix in singles action. Her hardwork earned her a future opportunity at the Women’s Championship.

Perhaps Mickie will get her shot at this month’s Royal Rumble pay per view?

Oh, we Diva Dirt writers. Always a step ahead of WWE’s own Creative Team, thinking up solutions to problems that they have yet to even acknowledge. Okay true, we don’t have five hours of television to write every week so I guess we should cut them some slack, but these are the guys that thought Ashley headlining WrestleMania was entertainment, so forgive us if we’re quick to offer criticism on their ‘hard work’. Heard of ‘armchair casting directors’? Y’know, those guys who sit behind their computers and offer their opinion [without being asked] on which up-and-coming actor or actress should play the latest obscure superhero character that hasn’t been done yet. Well we consider ourselves an ‘armchair creative team’, those girls who sit behind their computers and offer their opinion [without being asked] on WWE’s booking.

With all the hubbub surrounding the current SmackDown situation, we thought we’d pull up an armchair, roll our sleeves up and see if we can’t solve this problem. Women’s Champion Michelle McCool‘s status remains in doubt after suffering an injury over a week ago at a SmackDown house show. The result has lead to widespread speculation about whether Michelle will be back soon after a short resting period or if she’s going to be out for a lengthy period. It seems the current uncertainty surrounding the Women’s Champ is far more interesting than the stuff they actually book for TV.

Well our Diva Dirt editors, Erin and Melanie both have their own solutions for this division-crippling conundrum:

Erin’s Solution:
Okay, so my plan has a lot of “what if”s. What if Michelle keeps the title? … What if Michelle is only out for a short period of time? … What if Michelle is out for the rest of the year? I’m going to try to find an answer to this problem while bearing those in mind.

What if Michelle keeps the title? If the WWE has no desire to write into the storyline that Michelle must vacate the title or defend it crippled, then we’re stuck with a champion-less SmackDown. The WWE pulled a similar trick when Maryse was injured last year, but her stint on the disabled list was a short one. If Michelle’s injury keeps her out considerably longer, we could see the division in suspended animation, with everyone just biding their time until the champ comes home. Hopefully, if that were to happen, the WWE can still cook up a decent storyline not involving the defense and chase of the Women’s Championship.

What if Michelle is only out for a short period of time? If Michelle’s injury is minor, and thus only requires a few weeks on the sidelines, perhaps they could keep her in the fans’ minds by using her in a non-wrestling capacity. Now, I know that traveling cross-country isn’t exactly feasible on a bum knee, so these could be handled with weekly video packages or “video diaries” taken at home directed towards Melina, with Michelle updating Melina on her status in a very sarcastic and oh-woe-is-me way. This could bring a bit of humor to the feud while allowing Melina to seethe, taking out her frustrations on unlucky opponents week after week until Michelle finally returns. She can maintain her heel heat whilst continuing her feud with Melina, which had been pretty hot before her injury. You could even bring Layla into the fold by having her act as a “liason” for Michelle and give her more screen time and room for her heel character to grow.

What if Michelle is out for the rest of the year? We could stay in that same storyline, except after a few weeks of agonizing frustration, Melina takes a trip to Michelle’s house, beating her down in a fashion that you rarely see a babyface do. It would make the feud that much more compelling, in seeing the face act with malicious intent rather than be passive or sympathetic. It’s very Stone Cold Steve Austin, but if anyone could pull it off, it’d be Melina. She could then steal Michelle’s belt, and parade around with it, effectively branding herself as unofficial Women’s Champion. What could Michelle do about it? Not much, and that’s what would make it so frustrating for her–you would never know if Michelle would show up one week, unannounced and hobbling, intent on getting her property back. In the meantime, Melina could feud with some lesser-used heels, such as Natalya or Katie Lea, giving them the screen time they deserve and don’t usually get. In Michelle’s absence, deserving Divas can get the exposure they wouldn’t get otherwise, sort of making lemonade out of the lemons we’ve been dealt. When Michelle finally returns, the title situation could be settled with a big, winner-takes-all match (technically, Michelle is still champ, but the months of absence have sort of put it in limbo, a GM decides). Boom! You have instant month-long buildup, and Michelle didn’t have to step foot in a ring. Tension was built, the stakes were risen, and all in a way that allows Michelle to recuperate on her own time.

Melanie’s idea after the cut:

Melanie’s Solution:
There’s a lot of uncertainty right now about Michelle’s health; does she just need a few weeks at home or is it more serious? We don’t know and WWE doesn’t seem in a big hurry to tell us, so thinking of a solution is hard when you don’t have the groundwork. But like Erin, I believe that there should be different solutions for different situations.

If McCool has simply tweaked her knee and is out for a short period, let her stay at home and rest. I wouldn’t strip her of the Women’s Championship because let’s face it, it’d mess up the flow of the division and a few weeks won’t hurt a la Maryse’s injury in late December/early January. In the meantime, they could do something different to pass the next few weeks. I’ve noticed Melina’s former beau, John Morrison is currently involved in a feud with the Hart Dynasty — they could have a ‘mini-feud’ consisting of tag team matches and an eventual singles match between Melina and Natalya, perhaps. Then when Michelle is ready, they could have her come back and insert herself right into the mix and bring the Women’s Title into the fold. Rather than feuding with just Melina as she has been doing, she’ll have inherited Nattie too by way of their feud in her absence, which brings us fresh match possibilities and an eventual three-way for the title.

But all signs are indicating that Michelle’s injury is pretty serious, judging from the correspondence we received with one of our contacts last night. In that event, I believe the best thing they can do is vacate the Women’s Championship as soon as possible and allow a new champion to be decided, to keep the division going. I would hope that they have all the information they need on McCool’s injury by tomorrow night’s taping and can make an informed decision i.e. strip her of the title at the taping. You could then have General Manager, Teddy Long announce a battle royal at SummerSlam to determine the new champion and given the shallow pool of talent on SmackDown, as we have talked about in the past, allow the ECW Divas to compete for the title and have them in the match too.

Allow me to explain my reasoning; first of all, let’s be honest, the Women’s Title isn’t seen as a ‘major’ belt in WWE so there’s not an immediate need to crown a new champion right there and then on SmackDown like there would be with the WWE Championship or World Heavyweight Championship. Having the battle royal at SummerSlam would give the fans their much-wanted Divas match, as we have reported that WWE had scrapped plans for a Divas match on the PPV. By having a battle royal, it’s not exactly a time consuming match and we all know WWE loves to offload all the Divas in one short battle royal. It wouldn’t be taxing to book or as consuming on the event as a standard one-on-one match would be. And it certainly seems like they didn’t want to go for another one-on-one Divas match for SummerSlam.

This also adds some importance to the belt and the new champion, by having the title decided on pay per view and especially one as big as SummerSlam. Rather than giving this away on TV, putting it on PPV would make it mean more to the fans and to whichever Diva wins the belt at the event.

Finally, putting the title match at SummerSlam which is still two weeks away, allows time for the division to re-grow. If they had the battle royal on SmackDown this week, you’d have Diva A win the title and the next week randomly begin a feud with Diva B. By having a couple of weeks to build up, they could tease tension among the Divas by having them compete in different combinations of matches; having tag team matches and singles matches using the Divas of SmackDown and ECW, it would show competition among the Divas as they all want to win the title. Those who pick up wins in their matches would be given a leg up and come across as strong contenders to win the gold in the eventual battle royal.

Coming out of SummerSlam you have several feuds you could do using the new champion and her battle royal rivals, enough to fill in the time until Michelle comes back.

Get out your pitchforks, people, ’cause Michelle McCool‘s talking. Surely that fact alone would be enough to send certain fans into a raging frenzy, but this instance is a bit more meaningful. In a new WWE.com article, she’s making sure everyone’s aware of her history-making Women’s Championship win and becoming the WWE’s first Diva Grand Slam Champion (as we’ve lovingly dubbed it). Of course, the comments are in character, but it’s nice to see them paying attention to the distinction. Michelle says:

“Being the first to win both the WWE Women’s Title and WWE Divas Championship is just the latest reason why I am better than all of the so-called ‘Divas’ who preceded me,” McCool said.

“Making history is difficult, almost impossible, for those without my athletic ability and intelligence,” the champion said. “I’m a collegiate All-American athlete and earned a master’s degree in education from Florida State University.”

WWE.com also listed a few record-setting Divas who paved the way for Michelle:

• The Fabulous Moolah (First title reign lasted nearly 34 years; WWE Hall of Famer)
• “Sensational” Sherri Martel (AWA and WWE Women’s Champion; WWE Hall of Famer)
• Madusa/Alundra Blayze (All Japan, AWA and WWE Women’s Champion)
• Trish Stratus (Record-setting seven-time Women’s Champion; retired as Champion at Unforgiven 2006 in her hometown of Toronto)

How do you think Michelle and her history-making win stacks up next to the likes of those girls? Do you think, in 10 years time, we’ll be saying the name McCool in the same breath as Moolah and Trish Stratus, or is that nothing but a pipe dream? Is being the Grand Slam Champ as momentous as Michelle says? Sound off, because we know you’re itching to!

The first promo shot of Michelle McCool with her newly won Women’s Championship was added to WWE.com today. Hopefully a full shoot will be released soon.

On another note — I just noticed Michelle is sporting something of a five-head, ruh roh… Bring back the bangs, baby girl!

Ladies and gentlemen, Diva Dirt has crowned it’s first ever Female Grand Slam Champion in Michelle McCool. Michelle defeated Melina to become the new Women’s Champion moments ago at The Bash in an incredible match, if I do say so myself.

I know this will be an unpopular outcome for many, but I urge you to be mature in your McHating in the comments. Immature comments will get you banned.

Last night’s SmackDown house show saw the passing of a title belt – the Women’s Championship – as Melina temporarily passed the title onto an unlikely ‘new champion’ in Chris Jericho, lol.

The Intercontinental Champion accidentally left his belt at his hotel room, which meant he had an Intercontinental Championship match but no Intercontinental title. Instead, Jericho brought a partially taped Women’s title down to the ring for his match.

I wonder if we can have Chris recognised as an official Women’s Champion on WWE.com or Wikipedia?

We need pictures please! Fly my pretties & report back here!

The WWE certainly shook things up when they drafted Melina and Maryse to opposite brands – with them went their respective championships. Thus, a new record suddenly looms, and the race is on: who will be the WWE’s first ever double champion? We’ve taken possible candidates (former Womens Champions and Divas Champions) and calculated their odds, ordering them in rank of most likely to least likely. Over the following weeks we’ll be updating this chart, taking into account wins, losses, and budding feuds. Place your bets folks because it’s happening, and it’s happening soon.

Candice remains at #5, still injured. Until she makes her return, she’ll be setting up camp at this spot.

Gail lost to Michelle McCool twice, once teamed with Maria and the second time one-on-one. She stays at #4, with her string of losses and permanent SmackDown status making her odds at winning Raw’s Divas Championship highly unlikely.

Michelle has a friend in Alicia Fox, and with her has been victorious in both tag team action and singles action. Yet, with no Champ appearing on SmackDown yet, she slips to #2. With Melina‘s return looming on the horizon, will Alicia be Michelle’s good luck charm in a possible feud with the Women’s Champion?

Mickie jumps from #2 to #1, thanks to two weeks of wins over Maryse under her belt. First, she beat her in one-on-one action, then pinned the Divas Champion again in a tag team match. It looks like Mickie’s got Maryse’s number, and if she keeps this streak up, it’s looking highly likely that Mickie could become our first Double Champ.

The WWE certainly shook things up when they drafted Melina and Maryse to opposite brands – with them went their respective championships. Thus, a new record suddenly looms, and the race is on: who will be the WWE’s first ever double champion? We’ve taken possible candidates (former Womens Champions and Divas Champions) and calculated their odds, ordering them in rank of most likely to least likely. Over the following weeks we’ll be updating this chart, taking into account wins, losses, and budding feuds. Place your bets folks because it’s happening, and it’s happening soon.

Candice in still on the disabled list, and thus hasn’t moved in the rankings, still settled at #5.

Gail blew her shot at the Divas Championship last week on SmackDown, and with the brands now officially separated, it looks like she let her best opportunity slip through her fingers. She’s still next to last at #4.

Michelle with others losing steam, Michelle stays steady and prepares for Melina’s official SmackDown debut. A feud looks likely, and with that a Women’s Championship shot looms on the horizon, making her our best bet. She tops the list at #1.

Mickie She’s still in the background somewhat, but with Beth busy playing dress-up with Santino, a great opportunity has opened up. It would make perfect sense for Maryse to battle with Mickie, Raw’s top face, and a feud is made even more likely with Beth’s preoccupation. Not much else stands in Mickie’s way, and she stays at #2.

The WWE certainly shook things up when they drafted Melina and Maryse to opposite brands – with them went their respective championships. Thus, a new record suddenly looms, and the race is on: who will be the WWE’s first ever double champion? We’ve taken possible candidates (former Womens Champions and Divas Champions) and calculated their odds, ordering them in rank of most likely to least likely. Over the following weeks we’ll be updating this chart, taking into account wins, losses, and budding feuds. Place your bets folks because it’s happening, and it’s happening soon.

Candice has been moved to SmackDown, and thus is out of range of a Divas Championship match, but never say never! She’s been out of commission as of late, and thus her chances are even slimmer. Though, I wouldn’t put it past the WWE to pull a fast one on us.

Gail faced Maryse on her very last SmackDown appearance (read spoilers), and it’s not out of the question that their feud could spill across the brands. Friday’s results make one wonder if this earns Gail a shot at Maryse’s title, and if that were to happen, we may have the first dobule champ on our hands.

Michelle is very likely to be Melina’s first feud on SmackDown. She’s the brand’s top heel, so it’s quite obvious that those two will butt heads. The question is: will Michelle be able to best Melina?

Mickie has been put on the back-burner time and time again, but perhaps this is her time to shine – the “shaking up” the draft did could be just what she needs to “get her groove back”, so to speak. She’s easily Raw’s most popular Diva, so it would be easy for the WWE to pit her against the new, arrogant heel in Maryse and produce a attention-grabbing feud.

Melina has scored her third title reign after defeating Beth Phoenix at the Royal Rumble. Melina picked up the win after countering Beth’s Glam Slam and rolling up the Glamazon.

Melina, a former two time Women’s Champ, first won the title in March 2007 after defeating Mickie James. Melina lost the title back to James after a botched house show match which also featured the now retired, Victoria. Melina won the title back in the same night.

Meanwhile, Phoenix first won the title in October 2007 defeating Candice at No Mercy. Her second title was won at SummerSlam 2008, when she teamed with Santino in defeating Mickie James and Kofi Kingston in a ‘Winner Take All’ match for the Women’s and Intercontinental Championships.

More details as available.

From Raw, we have the Women’s Championship scramble match featuring champion Beth Phoenix, Jillian, Katie Lea, Kelly Kelly and Mickie James. Meanwhile from SmackDown, Divas Champion Michelle McCool defending against Maria, Maryse, Natalya and Victoria. Vote below!

[poll id="161"]

The age of the Glamazon begins once again… or should that be the age of Glamorella?! Beth Phoenix and Santino have re-captured the Women’s and Intercontinental Championships respectively, at SummerSlam. Beth pinned Mickie James after hitting her with the Glam Slam.

So Beth is once again the Women’s Champion. Yay or nay? Sound off in the comments!

It seems to me that Mickie needs a new challenger for her gold, so which Diva should go after it? Should Katie get a rematch and allow their feud to continue? Beth Phoenix has been away for a while, maybe she should return as a monster heel and renew her feud with Mickie? Jillian has yet to get a proper title shot, should it be her? Could Layla inject some new blood into the title scene by challenging Mickie? Or could we get a face on face encounter with Kelly trying to see how good she is in the ring, trying to challenge Mickie for her gold?

[poll=96]

Welcome to the YouTube Classics! This week, with last week’s announcement of a new SmackDown Diva’s Championship, our theme is “Golden Girls”, matches in which the Women’s Title is at stake. Today, we have Lita vs. Stephanie McMahon from the August 21st, 2000 edition of RAW. This match was RAW’s first ever all-female main event and featured “cameos” from referee The Rock, Triple H, and Kurt Angle:

That said, given the less than exciting matches Beth and Mickie have put on in the past together we can’t really count ourselves that lucky. In fact, it took the injection of Melina into a triple threat match with the pair to add some spice to this rivalry. As I type, RAW is taping so we should have spoilers shortly.

For the first time in 7 years, the Women’s Championship will not be defended at WrestleMania. While many of us have been up in arms about WWE’s craptastic Diva booking for WrestleMania, this fact remains little expressed among the Internet wrestling community. For the last seven, consecutive years the Women’s Championship has been part of WrestleMania and come tonight, that tradition will be broken.

If you ask me, that’s something to mourn. It just goes to show the emphasis WWE bases on the belt – in fact, Beth Phoenix‘s whole reign has been overshadowed by other Divas. From Candice Michelle‘s injury to Maria posing for Playboy, aside from a brief feud with Mickie James (that was just dropped at a moment’s notice), Beth’s title reign has been background knowledge. It is almost like the title doesn’t exist. Hell, even the Michelle McCool-Chuck Palumbo storyline got more thought from Creative than Beth’s title reign. Not once has WWE mentioned the belt when promoting BunnyMania, scarcely referring to Beth as the Women’s Champion.

From legendary Divas such as Chyna, Trish Stratus, Lita to the current breed such as Victoria and Melina - all have been involved in Women’s Championship matches at WrestleMania over the last 7 years. Is this what the future holds for the Women’s Championship, when it isn’t even considered to be placed on the biggest show of the year? Let’s hope I’m wrong.