BEFORE:

 
 

AFTER:

 

Wow, what a difference a few years can make. In her first singles match against Beth Phoenix, Alicia looked like she was in the middle of her first week of training. She wasn’t horrible, but the whole match seemed really stiff and rehearsed, a far cry from her recent work. As you can see above Alicia has surpassed expectations by putting out a great match with a season veteran like Natalya. If she can keep up this progression, I imagine we’ll see her with gold before too long.

 

BEFORE:

 

 

AFTER:

 

Katie Lea has been competing for way longer than the average Diva and it’s evident in these matches. The biggest difference between now and then is Katie Lea personality. Katie doesnt have the same charisma that made her the top heel in OVW. Hopefully, with the scarce Diva roster on ECW, Katie can stand out and make a name for herself

 

BEFORE:

AFTER:

 

Mickie, Mickie, Mickie. Mickie James‘ skill level in OVW is about the same as the present day. The biggest change Mickie made for her WWE debut was her image.Unfortunely, Mickie didn’t dress as well as she wrestled. The style change is definately welcome. I have a feeling all those bright colors and mismatched sneakers wouldn’t fly in WWE. I guess theres no lights in the locker rooms in Kentucky.

In case you missed the commentary last night on Raw, WWE have seemingly launched a new moniker for the WWE Divas – “Sexy, smart and powerful.” The phrase was uttered several times during the two Divas matches on Raw and has since been added to the WWE.com Divas page.

It looks as though “Sexy, smart and powerful” replaces the old moniker of “The sexiest women on television.”

What do you think? Are you for or against? Do you prefer the old one?

ECW

Nikki Bella def. Brie Bella after a distraction by John Morrison.

SmackDown

Gail Kim & Maria def. Maryse & Michelle McCool. Gail pinned Maryse after hitting her with a neckbreaker.

I’m sure this is common knowledge by now, but for those who have been living under a rock I’ll fill you in. Shortly after WrestleMania (April 16th), WWE will be introducing a brand new show to its programming. “WWE Superstars” will be a hour long, tri-branded show shown on WGN America. (Which I don’t get. Grrr.)

It was originally thought that the show would feature lesser utilized Superstars and Divas a la Sunday Night Heat, but recent reports say otherwise. According to WWE, “Superstars” will feature prominent Superstars and Divas as well as lesser used ones. The new show will also have its own storylines.

I think this is a great idea personally. This show could lead to Diva feuds that we always wished for finally happening. Beth vs Maryse, Mickie vs Michelle, Alicia vs Kelly…. Oh, the possibilities! Too bad WWE decided to show it on a low rated channel that NOBODY GETS! I hope WWE plans to air it online as well.

So what Divas would you like to see face off? Leave your ideas in the comments. To see if you get WGN America in your area(probably not), click here.

Perhaps spawned from my recent obsession with X-Men, I thought to myself, the Divas have a lot of charm and charisma (generally), they’d make great heroes and villains. So, I’ve compiled a list of Divas, mutant-ised them and given them a back story. If anyone is a fair drawer, feel free to turn them into a comic book.

Melina a.k.a The Sonic Blaster

Power: By clapping her hands together, Melina can create a sound wave that rumbles the earth. Her most devastating sound wave is produced when she screams.
Alliance: The Goodies.
Her Story: Melina grew up in a rich family, living a very comfortable life. She was born with her powers, setting off tremors when she threw tantrums as a child. Her parents took her to every globally recognised doctor, but none of them were able to diagnose and change Melina. Her parents loved her nonetheless, they home-schooled her until they sent her to a private school when she was old enough to stop herself from cause a sound wave. It was there she met Beth Phoenix, and became best friends after bonding over their powers. When she was 16, her parents were brutally murdered, whilst she was away on a camp. With her large inheritance she bought a mansion just outside Diva City and established The Guard, a group of heroes who strove to keep the city and it’s people protected.

Kelly Kelly a.k.a The Angel Avenger

Power: Kelly has wings that have grown from her shoulder blades. She also has the power to manipulate any person’s mood and thoughts.
Alliance: The Goodies!
Her Story: Kelly’s wings began to grow when she was only 14. They grew to a span of 13 foot in just over eight months. Because of her obvious difference to the rest of society, her parents pulled her out of her high school and sent her to be home-schooled by her estranged auntie that lived in a town with a very small population. From her young age, she thought of her wings as a curse, stopping her from being a normal girl. Over the years, Kelly came to realise that her family feared her and ran away from her home to find a place where she could fit in. After months of sleeping in forests and deserted houses, trying to find a new home, she met Melina who immediately took Kelly up as her apprentice, and providing a home for the unfortunate 18 year old girl. Under the training of Melina, Kelly discovered her powers of manipulation, and learnt to control them. She still sometimes views her power as a curse. Four years later, at only 22, Kelly fights for the good guys, to show everyone, especially her parents, that they shouldn’t fear her just because she’s defferent from them.

Maryse a.k.a The French Kitty

Power: Maryse has heightened senses and abilities, allowing her to more agile and accurate than even a regular person who has trained in agility and accuracy all their life.
Alliance: Neutral.
Her Story: Not a lot is known about Maryse. It is unknown if she was born with her powers of if she developed them later. She was a perfect student and a force to be reckoned with in every sport she dabbled in, but didn’t like to participate in competitive sport because she didn’t find it challenging. She began to realise her gift when she was playing darts in a bar when she was 21. Although she had never played, she always got the bulls eye. Maryse carries two daggers, which she uses in combat. She does odd jobs for anyone, as long as she gets paid. Even though, she is not associated with a league of villains, she has caused many head-aches for The Guard.

Beth Phoenix a.k.a The Brawler

Power: Beth has enhanced strength which makes her stronger than anyone regular person.
Alliance: The Baddies!
Her Story: Beth was a mild-mannered girl when she was growing up, much different to the aggresive woman we see today.  Her parents noticed that she was quite strong for her age, but thought nothing of it, saying that she was just developing faster. Beth wasn’t as quick to overlook the issue, as she got older she became more and more aware of her strength. She went to a private school, and became best friends with Melina, who disappeared when Beth was 15. When she graduated her power had manifested to it’s peak, and her strength was much more obvious and harder to hide. Society labelled her a freak and she became an outcast. When she was 20, Melina got back into contact with her, asking Beth to join her to help protect humans. Beth refused, angered by the suggestion to help protect the humans that had made her feel defective. She started a league of her own, dedicated to taking over the world and controlling the regular humans lives so they would see her as a god and worship her.

Katie Lea a.k.a The Mystic Mage

Power: Katie Lea has the power to manipulate the elements, but she cannot produce the element at will, she can only manipulate them.
Alliance: The Baddies.
Her Story: Katie Lea doesn’t seem to hold an interest in taking over the world but she does that believe that mutants are above men. It is speculated that Katie Lea likes being in Beth’s league because she enjoys pointing out the holes in Beth’s plans. Her personality is quite cynical and sarcastic, which drives Beth crazy. Despite their problems, Katie Lea  and Beth have managed to forge a strong friendship, which consists of Katie Lea and Beth exchanging snide remarks to one another, seeing who can make the other snap. Katie is thought to have a strong dislike towards Kelly Kelly because she believes someone who considers her power a curse does not deserve to be a mutant.

I hope you enjoyed my second post! I had a few more but then I realised how long this was. Do you think the character is true to the diva? Do you have a favourite character?

As you probably know, WWE is releasing a new CD of theme music on Tuesday. Perhaps the highlight, is the much anticipated full version of Maryse‘s entrance theme. Check out all the Diva themes below:

Maryse – Porquoi? (Download)

Kelly Kelly – Holla 2009 Remix (Download)

Eve – She Looks Good (Download)

This week’s WWE.com Diva Dish mentioned Candice Michelle‘s newest tattoo, and this little bit inspired me to investigate which former and current Divas and Knockouts have their own selection of body art. Thus, a blog post was born! Below I’ve listed those I could find:

Angelina Love

• an angel on her hip
• her former ring name “Angel” scripted on her arm in Old English style lettering
• an angel on the back of her left shoulder
• the Chinese symbol for “angel” on her lower back, surrounded by a set of wings.

Why so angel-obsessed, Angelina?

“I have always had a fascination with angels. I love how they look, I love their innocence, and I love what they represent.”

Ashley Massaro

• a butterfly on her hip
• two black-and-pink nautical stars above the elbows on the back of her arms (her brother has a matching pair on his arms)
• Chinese lettering down the small of her back
• more Chinese lettering down each side of her torso, reading “Trust No One”
• an illustration of a dragon wrapped around the lettering on the left side of her torso.

Candice Michelle

• the word “Faith” inscribed on her left wrist
• a set of shooting stars down her back.

She explains,

“You go through such an emotional journey. I wanted to symbolize that journey and me coming out of that journey, so I got the shooting stars up my spine. The reason I got them on my spine is because I really feel, in my heart, I’ve come to place where my stars are aligned with love and gratitude.”

Christy Hemme

• an eagle on her left wrist
• a heart on her right wrist
• a heart with the same loop triangle in the middle on her left shoulder.
• a star with a heart in the middle on the back of her neck
• a linking design running down her right side
• matching loop triangles on the outsides of both wrists
• a design on her inner left ankle
• a small heart on her lower back
• a design down the back of her right forearm

Clearly, finding all of these tattoos is like going on a scavenger hunt, so we don’t have photo documentation of them all.

Jackie Moore

• a rose on her right breast
• a flower arrangement on her left bicep
• a rose on her upper thigh

The elusive thigh tattoo cannot be found, even by the most educated and practiced scientists (AKA me).

Layla

“I don’t think there’ll be anymore, but if I do anything, I’ll get the ‘L’ inside of the star, because I love my name. Everything is ‘L, L, L.’ I just love it.”

Lita

• a three-eyed green demon on her right shoulder
• the word “rebel” written in Russian on the back of her neck
• the word “punk” written on the inside of her bottom lip
• several skulls down her left arm

Lita got her first tattoo – the “rebel” on the back of her neck – the very first day she was able to get one – the day she turned 18. Her shoulder tattoo was a souvenir of sorts during a stop on a trip in Amsterdam.

Mickie James

• the Chinese symbol for “love” on her left ankle
• a dragon wrapped around the “love” symbol on the same ankle

Mickie explains the meaning of the combination of her two tattoos:

“My dragon protects my ‘Love’ tattoo which represents my heart,” she said. “My ‘Love’ tattoo I got in Panama City Beach; it was sort of done on a whim but I got it with another WWE Superstar.”

Salinas

• a design on each wrist
• a design on each ankle
• a sacred heart with a pair of dice below her navel
• a 1940′s Alberto Vargas pin up girl on her lower back
• a set of cards surrounded by flames and hearts that reads “Queen Of Hearts” on her upper right arm
• a Mexican style female skull with the word “Punkin” under it between her shoulder blades

Salinas’ “Punkin” tattoo is a tribute to her sister, who calls Salinas “Punkin” as a nickname.

Velvet Sky

• a tribal band on her left bicep
• a small rose with dead plants on her lower back
• a rose on her the back of her right shoulder

Victoria

• a small heart on the outside of her right ankle

So, whose tattoo do you like best? Who has the most cliche ink, and who is the most creative? Vote in the poll below and sound off in the comments!

The show was picked up and rebooted by MyNet, who will be airing a special featuring the WWE Divas – I’m assuming as the magician’s assistants – on October 2nd. Stay tuned for more details!

We want to ask you, which Diva do you want to see pack their bags and go home? Vote below!

Jillian: Last year, there was much buzz about how fans wanted Jillian to move to Raw. Though their wish was granted, not much can be boasted about Jillian’s move; in fact her shining moments were usually when she acted as Melina‘s sidekick. Poor Jillian has watched the rest of the Divas pass her by in the year she’s been on Raw, all of them have had some high profile match or another – yet Jillian continues to languish. Her only Raw highlight came when she was seen beaten up by Lita and Trish Stratus during Raw’s 15th anniversary show.
The Verdict: Fail. I’m hoping Jillian gets moved to SmackDown during this year’s Draft.

Torrie Wilson: Torrie was last year’s big Diva draft pick, as she was moved during the three-hour show. Her drafting to SmackDown is pretty infamous, as Torrie seemed visibly upset in an interview with Todd Grisham later in the night – just goes to show how tight-lipped WWE is about the Draft. Torrie didn’t find out until the announcement was made live on television! Torrie had a good two years on Raw where she improved vastly, but over the course of 2007 seemed to get lost in the shuffle. Her move to SmackDown helped her reclaim some of her former glory as a top Diva, as she took back the crown she held for so long as SmackDown’s top Diva. Torrie and Victoria helped develop the women’s division we’ve come to know over the past year and the pair delivered some great matches. However, after a run of bad luck, Torrie’s career met it’s end on the blue brand. First, she was set to be involved in a long-running feud with Krissy Vaine which never truly came to fruition as Krissy left WWE two weeks after being called up to SmackDown, leaving Torrie, once again lost in the shuffle. Next, Torrie had to take time off to heal nagging back injuries – unfortunately, for her and her fans the extent of the inuries was far worse than initially thought. Torrie retired from WWE and professional wrestling in May 2008 after her back failed to heal.
The Verdict: Bit of both. Torrie’s move to SmackDown started out strong and WWE even planted the seeds to what was supposed to be a long running storyline with Krissy Vaine. Unfortunately, bad luck struck twice and ended Torrie’s career. For this Torrie fan there are a lot of “what ifs”, what if Krissy hadn’t have left? I think this feud could have really rejuvenated SmackDown’s women’s division. It’s just bad luck…

Victoria: Many were shocked to see the Vicious Vixen drafted to SmackDown, but what a success story that has been. For the first time in years, Victoria is actually relevant to current WWE storylines and not just jobbing or getting lost in the shuffle. Victoria’s move to SmackDown once again kick-started her burgeoning career and the Diva has enjoyed much success and TV time on SmackDown and ECW. In fact, I think she’s gotten more TV time in the past year than she got in her last few years on Raw. Victoria has had feuds with the likes of Michelle McCool, Kelly Kelly and has recently teamed up with Natalya. Many thought the move to SmackDown was the end of her career, but in fact it’s done wonders for her. With the launch of a new Divas Championship, Victoria is in line to make history… could she become the first Diva to hold both the Women’s and Divas Championships? The Vicious Vixen has a good couple of years in her and her future prospects on SmackDown are limitless.
The Verdict: Pass. Victoria has enjoyed more success in the past year than she had in her last few years on Raw. There’s a lot left that she can do on SmackDown too.

The annual (well not so annual anymore), WWE Divas magazine is going hi-tech! Ah yes, as we fans spend more and more time on the Internet, WWE is ditching the presses and DVDs and evolving with us! This year, WWE is launching a new Divas web page at WWE.com called “Summer Skin” and because I am too lazy to explain, allow WWE.com’s writer-me-bobs to do it for me:

On July 4, WWE.com will be launching Summer Skin, a site that features beautiful, brand new photos of each Diva, posing in swimwear on the beach and at other sights in San Diego. In addition to a great deal of photos spread out in multiple photo galleries, each girl’s Summer Skin page will contain an in-depth story on that individual Diva, letting our fans get to know the Divas and see a side of them they’ve never seen before. Also, Summer Skin will feature plenty of video packages, including interviews with the Divas, highlights from their photo shoots, and a review of the Summer Skin experience. Also included in Summer Skin will be an auction page with items from the shoot and a mobile page offering downloads.

Colour me intrigued! However, without my beloved Torrie Wilson, I can’t say I’m checkin’ for these pictorials and such as much as I have in previous years. But it shall be fun to write derogatory comments about critically analyse the Divas’ photos. WWE has already released a few preview shots… talk about hot messes! Check out preview pics of Maria, Michelle and Mickie below:

“The first thought I had was ‘Please, don’t make me leave Raw!’ But on the other hand, it makes perfect sense,” Melina told Diva Dish. “We need new Divas – how many times can we compete against each other? I love a challenge, so we need other people to work with, to push ourselves to the limit. I need somebody fresh to work with. I think it’s interesting. It’ll be a good change of pace.”

Melina pointed out that most of her Diva friends on Raw have turned against her, so she’s not opposed to switching brands.

“I am like the Lone Ranger and I’m free to go anywhere I want right now,” Melina said. “I’d like to go to ECW because I’ve been on SmackDown and I’ve been on Raw – why not conquer all of the brands?”

Fellow Raw Diva Jillian, who has grown apart from Melina lately, said she loves watching the Superstars and Divas swap brands.

“The whole mix-up is a lot of fun. Last year, I moved from SmackDown to Raw – I had been on SmackDown for two years, and I’ll be on Raw for a year,” the songstress explained. “I’m anxious to see if it’s possible I’ll move again. Maybe this time I’ll go to ECW – you never know. It would be cool to actually be on all three shows.”

Regardless of which brand she’s on, Michelle McCool has only one thing on her mind: gold. Whether it’s impressing SmackDown General Manager Vickie Guerrero enough to earn a chance to battle Natalya for the Divas Championship or moving to Raw to face Mickie James for the Women’s Championship, McCool said she’s game for anything.

“I’m ready to prove myself, I don’t care which show I’m on, to be honest, but I would like a championship around my waist,” McCool said. “The competition on SmackDown has been good, it’s helped me build my skills in the ring. I use everything as a stepping stone – if I move, I move, if I don’t, I don’t. I just want to keep climbing to the top.”

While Natalya said she doesn’t want to be split up from her best friend, Victoria, her first priority is also WWE gold.

“Whether I’m on Raw, SmackDown or ECW, I’m going to fight for a championship, tooth and nail,” the third-generation Diva said. “You can believe that it will be around my waist. … When you see it, you believe it. I envision myself with it around my waist, so I see it, and I believe it’ll happen. Come hell or high water, I’m getting it.”

Victoria said she’s excited for the WWE Draft, as long as she’s not split up from her best friend.

“I’ll be sad after the fact if I lost Natalya, but I get really excited for the Draft,” Victoria told Diva Dish. “Drafts are the best thing for WWE. They mix it up. We get to face people we otherwise weren’t able to. I enjoy it, and I enjoy it as a fan.”

Eve, who made her debut on SmackDown after winning the 2007 Diva Search, said she’s looking forward to the Draft, but doesn’t want to leave Friday nights.

“A brand becomes your family – it’s who you travel with, it’s who you work with. I’ve gotten to know everyone on SmackDown and ECW,” Eve said. “I’m getting comfortable, that’s why I say it’s like home. The Divas on SmackDown are great. We have a great Divas division on SmackDown and I really like being with them.”

Layla, on the other hand, is ready to leave the Land of the Extreme. Feeling underappreciated, the 2006 Diva Search winner is up for a change.

“I want to get in the ring some more, get more action, more experience and kick some more butt,” she said. “I started on SmackDown, then went to ECW for Extreme Exposé and I’ve been here for a while now. So I think it’s time for me to move to another venue. There is not one person I’d miss on ECW.”

Layla’s former best friend, Kelly Kelly, told Diva Dish she’s flexible and loves every WWE brand and would be honored to be on Raw or SmackDown, although she calls ECW her home.

“I’d miss all of the Originals – they are like my family on the road. It would be really hard to adjust if I moved, but I’d learn to adjust,” Kelly Kelly explained. “I’m really excited to see what happens to me. But if I stay here, hopefully a new rival will come for me. I’d like to work with Mr. Kennedy – I think we’d make a really good duo.”

Raw newcomer Katie Lea said she’s not worried about the Draft, as long as she’s not separated from her brother, Paul Burchill. The Diva said she’s sure she’d be dominant no matter which brand she’s on, but has no plans to leave Raw before she battles Mickie James for the Women’s Championship at Night of Champions. As the British bombshell spoke to Diva Dish about her upcoming title match, James overheard.

“Excuse me, what are you saying about my championship?” Mickie asked.

“Soon to be my championship… See, time has no real relevance, time is only perception, time is the fourth dimension – there is no time. In theory I already have your championship. It’s just a question of skipping dimensions until we get there,” Katie Lea said.

“Well, all right – I didn’t know we were on Star Trek. I didn’t know we were warping through dimensions, but if we must, we must. And in that dimension and in this dimension, I will kick your British butt,” James said.

“In your dreams. That’s the dimension of your dreams, Mickie James,” Katie Lea responded.

Find out if Katie Lea will walk away Women’s Champion or if James will retain next Sunday at Night of Champions, only on pay-per-view. Also, tune in to a special three-hour Raw on Monday at 8 p.m. for the WWE Draft.

One Diva who was missing from the line-up is Raw’s Maria, who has had quite a lot to say about never wanting to move away from Raw. If she survives the Draft on Monday, I will personally drag her by the hair to the SmackDown taping and dump her there.

Today was the best day on the set of so far… my wrestling scene with the
absolutely gorgeous Carmen Electra! (By the way, I can reveal that the movie
title is Disaster Movie and it comes out Labor Day weekend!!!)

We spoof the WWE Divas in the scene, which was absolutely hilarious to do.

What gives Kim the right to mock someone else? What is she famous for other than her butt? Yeah, exactly. Though I would love to see Kim and Carmen’s take on Ashley and Candice (Oh my god, Carmen would make the perfect Candice!). They better not spoof the talented ones.

Be warned: This post is totally spoilerific, so if you want to wait till Friday to watch the show, don’t read any further!

For years and years, people have been saying SmackDown! should have their own women’s title etc. But I think everything came along at the right time; right now, SmackDown! has a renewed focus on women’s wrestling, has a bunch of Divas that are good to go in the ring and there is a gap on SmackDown! for another title since the Cruiserweight Championship was retired. The perfect combination of events, I say, led to this decision.

I think SmackDown!’s women’s division is the strongest it has ever been and I think the credit goes to the WWE Draft 2007, when the show acquired Torrie Wilson and Victoria. In fact, it was one of my first blogs here at Diva Dirt that I talked about how far SmackDown! has come and that they now need to push further boundaries (click here to read), in that blog I stated that I felt the next step was to establish the SmackDown! Divas on pay per view, a notion that’s been adopted by many Diva fans on the Internet since but (not to brag) was first read here at Diva Dirt. Well WWE has finally seen the light and at Night of Champions, for the first time since 2006, we will see a SmackDown! Divas match on pay per view. Doesn’t that just make you tingle a little bit? No? Just me? Okay.

We know that Natalya will be one of the particpants in that Divas Championship match, but who will be the other? My money’s on Michelle McCool, to the surprise of no one. You do not push this girl as the top Diva on SmackDown! only to not have her involved in this historic match-up. Natalya vs Michelle could have been a feud for the ages, in fact, they could have introduced the Divas Championship because of this feud. Instead, WWE didn’t follow through and we haven’t seen this feud culminate. Hopefully, they make it up to us at Night of Champions and beyond. I would have either Natalya go after the Champ, Michelle after Night of Champions and vice versa should Natalya win.

What does this mean for the Draft? I have to admit, the timing to introduce a new title is rather dodgy. Many (including myself) fully expected Michelle to move to RAW, but since SmackDown! is getting it’s own belt, it would be a travesty to move Michelle. This title should be built around the foundations of Natalya and Michelle. Hopefully, SmackDown! doesn’t lose any Divas – rather gaining one, I think Maria would be a perfect fit for SmackDown! as covered in “Diva Draft.”

Now, we want to know what you think. Are you for or against the Divas Championship? Vote below!

Tune in this Friday night on SmackDown! to see which Diva will advance to the Night of Champions match-up for the new title!

Over the last few years, WWE has really lost sight of the women’s division and then we were dealt further blows – the loss of Trish Stratus and Lita. WWE tried to compensate with “hot” girls in bikinis, in pillowfights, rather than emphasising that these Divas are athletes, are wrestlers. Since WrestleMania 24, SmackDown! has captured some of that competetive edge with it’s developing women’s division – the feud between Natalya and Michelle McCool continues to grow and is making SmackDown! must watch television for many of us. Finally shrugging off the dreaded BunnyMania and Playboy angle, RAW too, it seems is jumping on the bandwagon! The feud between between Beth Phoenix, Melina and Mickie James has had me hooked to RAW over the past couple of weeks. Will Melina turn face? How many more ways can Beth inflict such pain? Melina and Beth have really rejuvenated my love for RAW, I had gotten real tired, real quick of seeing Mickie as the only credible face Diva on RAW. I had gotten really tired of seeing Ashley and Maria wrestle. The Melina-Beth feud interests me because they both started out as heels, I admit I’m partial to Melina – I think that’s she’s one of the best personalities the women’s division has introduced in the past few years. She really understands the whole psyche of wrestling: having the look, the persona/character, the in-ring skills; she is a well rounded package. Her counterparts like Beth and Mickie lack in persona/character, while the likes of Ashley and Maria lack in wrestling skills. Anyway, this feud is fresh, interesting – it’s not just about “Oh, she’s jealous”, “Oh, she dissed me” and throwing them into the ring with no storyline to it. They are creating a storyline and not just throwing the match together one week before a pay per view as is the case regularly.

Meanwhile, this past week on RAW, it seems WWE officially introduced Katie Lea to the women’s division as an adversary to Mickie James. I look at Katie and I see a girl with so much potential, who has the opportunity to make a big impact on the women’s division and I’m glad that WWE is seeing that too. I can’t wait to see her wrestle, I can’t wait to see her involved with the Divas and from the looks of it, I can’t wait to see Katie vs Mickie James. RAW went off the air in a very good state of affairs Divas wise, this past week.

We have more Divas feuds than ever (whether they be in development or ongoing) even the “lesser feuds” such as the never-ending Kelly Kelly-Layla feud is gaining traction, with both Divas stepping up their game in the ring last night on ECW. And SmackDown!, as well as their key feud between Michelle and Natalya, is utilising Cherry and Maryse too.

It seems across the board, the Divas are headed in the right direction and it could just be a matter of time before we see another boom period for the women’s division. A women’s division that thrives on wrestling, competition and above all else – non-generic storylines.

During the pre-show portion of the Sacrfice pay-per-view this past Sunday, TNA ran a commercial promoting the girls of TNA. The commercial features voiceovers from a number of the Knockouts, and during the ad, one of them takes a veiled shot at “Divas,” presumably of the WWE variety. Here is a transcript of the Knockouts commercial: “We don’t settle grudges with pillow fights, bikini’s, and lingerie. Screw that. We’re not Barbies playing wrestling dress up – that’s for Divas. We’re real athletes, we take real risks. We embrace physicality – that’s where they draw the line. The line we cross every time we enter the six sided ring. Like what you see? Good.”

TNA has a great product with it’s Knockout division and in my eyes, the more they distance themselves from WWE, the better. I don’t like to compare Knockout division to WWE’s women’s division, because they are two very different things. The fact that TNA themselves feel the need to compare themselves to the Divas, shows their own pettiness. Most Diva fans love both the WWE Divas and the TNA Knockouts, you’re only alienating your fanbase. Yes, there is truth to the statements above but any fan over the age of 5 could point that out. TNA should concentrate on their own women’s division and not even acknowledge WWE’s, because the multitude of people – including all of you reading this, I’m sure – watch/pay attention to both the Knockouts and the Divas. Both brands should just do their own thing and get on with it.

• Trish Stratus
• Lita
• Sable
• Chyna
• Torrie Wilson
• The Fabulous Moolah
• Miss Elizabeth
• Luna
• Sunny

Is there anyone else you think should be added into the mix? It’s unsure if there’ll even be room for the Divas, but we think that the above have contributed vastly to WWE over the years and at WrestleMania and most importantly – are legends in their own unique ways.

Have you ever wondered what kind of fragrances the Divas would produce? Nah, me neither, but WWE.com did a random but sort of interesting piece on hypothetical fragrances of the Superstars and Divas – you know, because the world doesn’t have enough tacky celebrity fragrances. Above are the “bottles” of each Diva’s perfume. Care to guess which belongs to whom? Read more to find out..

Ah, just makes you want to run to WalMart’s beauty department and buy Paris Hilton’s cotton candy perfume, doesn’t it? It reminds me of when I was 7 and tried to make perfume out of water and oranges. Anywho, enough of my failed business ventures.. Below are the Divas’ description of their possible fragrances and my thoughts on each (you know, since you’re absolutely dying to know).

Maria: “Seven, like seven sins.” – Eloquent in its brevity.

Kelly Kelly: “Barbie Doll. It would come in a Barbie Doll bottle and it would be very pink and very floral.” – I guess we know who’s been buying Paris’s perfumes..

Katie Lea: “I think I would name is Corruption. My beauty and my sensuality will corrupt you to the core, to the point where there’s no return.” – Sounds like the title and tagline to a bad Lifetime movie. Just get back to Will and Grace, Lifetime. I’m not going to watch the chick from Power Rangers get physically abused and overcome the odds, so stop showing those damn commercials.

Mickie James: “Believe. I think you should always believe in yourself and trust in those around you. Believe in your friends.” – Is this a perfume or a Miss USA Q&A session? I hate those pseudo-deep fragrance names. It’s so Britney Spears.

Michelle McCool: “First, it would be a real fresh scent. Nothing fruity, nothing real flowery – just fresh and clean. That’s what I like, that’s what I am. It would be cool, clean and fresh, and we would call it Faith, Heart, & Soul.” – Kudos to Michelle for actually figuring in the scent. But points off for the ultra-cheesy name – I hate that her mantra is pretty much the name of a 60s folk band.

Maryse: “French Kiss. It will be extremely, extremely sexy and out of control.” – I sincerely hope that was miss-translated from French because that sounds fucking dumb. Sorry, but COME ON.

So, would you actually buy/wear any of these? Personally, I’d go with “no”. I picture them all smelling like AXE body spray.

 

These girls are the real deal and the fiercest girl group since Destiny’s Child. Both of their albums have hit the top spot, going platinum and gold (just recently) respectively. The latest album, Welcome to the Dollhouse is easily one of the finest musical offerings of 2008 thus far. “Bad Girl” is definitely a favourite among DK fans and a wise choice for a second single, actually I’ve always thought it would make a great Diva anthem! Anyway, details below:

DIVAS TAKE ON DANITY KANE
Following the success of DAMAGED from the NO.1 smash-hit album WELCOME TO THE DOLLHOUSE, Diddy’s dark angels DANITY KANE will film the video for the second single BAD GIRL next month in Los Angeles. In the video Aubrey, Aundrey, D. Woods, Dawn and Shannon will take on the divas of WWE Wrestling; Kelly, Layla, Maria, Melina and Mickey. Which ‘bad girls’ will win the fight? The video will be directed by Melina (Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez, Ne-Yo) and debut this summer!

How cool is this?! I, for one, am pretty happy with the Divas they’ve chosen. I’m loving the concept for the video, having DK face off with the Divas! Layla and Melina are going to look fierce! What do you guys think? Happy with the Divas chosen?

WWE have posted a new photoshoot of Maryse entitled “Take A Seat” It’s a nice change from recent photoshoots, WWE have finally posted a nice one.. well almost. Some are definitely misses, but apart from the tacky boxes and trying to figure out what exactly Maryse does in the WWE, err okay, maybe that’s a different post, this is rather nice.

Click here to view the entire photoshoot.

Looks like the Divas are getting the shotgun treatment – WWE.com has announced that all 12 girls who participated in RAW’s “West Side Story”-style face-off are going to compete in a 12-Diva tag team match at this Sunday’s Backlash.

Now, I’m not saying this match was made ridiculously late because most matches not featured on WrestleMania usually have about 5 days of build up, but doesn’t it appear that the WWE is attempting to avoid putting a SmackDown-only Diva match on the card? Just because it’s not for the Women’s Title doesn’t mean a Divas singles match isn’t PPV-worthy.

It appears to me that the “heel” side has more talent, but knowing the WWE, they’ll go for the feel-good ending and let the less talented “face” side get the victory. That or have the heels win but be stripped to their bra and panties. Nothing says “happy ending” like girls being stripped against their will.

So, who do you think will win? That’s will win, not should win, because God knows those two differ a helluva lot:

We’re ripping a page out of PWInsider’s book today, with our very own look at last night’s edition of RAW. However, we won’t be looking at the whole show, rather the Divas segment! So we welcome you to RAW Redux!

Thoughts & Reactions
Wow, I was really impressed at how WWE utilised what was essentially a filler segment and made it meaningful! It’s been a long, long time since the Divas have been involved in a promo (the last time I can remember was the days of Trish and Lita), and this was one of the best things they’ve done on RAW since then. Sure it wasn’t a match, but this segment achieved much more than just throwing all the girls in the ring for a tag match or worse – a battle royal. It told a story, better than just a match could, WWE has really been down in the dumps with Diva booking on RAW over the past year with illogical decisions. Wherever this one is going (a 12 Diva tag match at Backlash?), it started out strong. Having Maria and co. come out to congratulate Mickie was a nice touch, adding to the prestige of the Women’s Championship (finally!) and of course, led onto the heel Divas hitting the ring. I loved the two rival Diva gangs, the entrance of Team Phoenix had me popping, anyway!

Golly gosh… Beth Phoenix has gotten her voice back! For a while there, we worried whether she had become a mute. Beth oozed charisma and confidence on the microphone, if you ask me, had WWE let her cut more promos when she was Champion maybe her reign would have been more enjoyable? I wasn’t checking for Beth to get a rematch with Mickie at Backlash, as I’ve found their previous matches boring but by adding a story to it, actually I may be a little more inclined to see another Beth-Mickie match somewhere down the line. Beth showed more personality and charisma than she did in her entire title run. The problem was, with Beth being this wrecking machine with no story to it, not letting her cut promos etc. it made her dull. Please keep it up, WWE!

Of the “supporting cast”, they did a pretty good job by establishing Michelle McCool in this segment also. Michelle has been growing on me of late and it’s only now that I see her as a true top level Diva, although it’s not hard when your face counterparts (Mickie excluded) are Ashley and Kelly Kelly. Michelle in my eyes, is second only to Mickie James at the moment on the face side. RAW isn’t Michelle’s brand, but Creative sort of gave us a little bit extra for our money – having Michelle, SmackDown!’s top Diva, come off strong in this segment also. They didn’t need to do that, but by doing so they’re acknowledging that “Hey, SmackDown! is growing a pretty impressive women’s division too” and opening up the doors, not restricting the women’s division simply to RAW.

What I don’t agree with and what I find laughable, is having the face Divas clear house of the likes of Beth Phoenix, Melina, Victoria, Jillian and Natalya - all of whom could pummel most of their asses in a heartbeat. It wasn’t realistic, but obviously WWE is going for the big face pop here.

Individual Assessments
In this portion we will look at each of the Divas individually and the role they played, adding more thoughts yadda yadda:

Ashley: I will refrain from commenting on Ashley’s choice of attire in this portion, which leaves me with not much else to say. Actually… lol as well as botching moves, Ashley has trouble getting her words out too.

Beth Phoenix: As said above, Beth really showed personality and poise on the microphone. She knows how to cut a promo, but will WWE let her in future weeks?

Cherry: Not much to say here. Cherry could be the number three of Team Mickie (after Mickie and Michelle) when it comes to in-ring action should this segment come to a match. Given the rest of the team are pretty much duds, she could surprise us.

Jillian: There isn’t much to say, but I think it would’ve been wise to have Jillian and/or Melina speak up too (like Michelle), to certify them as Beth’s number 1 and 2.

Kelly Kelly: Apart from looking painfully thin, Kelly adds little to any appearance she makes.

Layla: Boy, did Layla look like the odd one out on her team or what? We admire her personality and the persona she’s made for herself, but she seemed a little out of her depth with the experienced wrestlers she walked out with.

Maria: Maria, Maria, she’s trying to transition to a serious wrestler but when WWE is putting over a SmackDown! Diva over you on your show, it says a lot. Speaking of SmackDown!, come the draft – send her there.

Melina: Like Jillian, it would’ve been effective if Melina had spoken out, considering she’s the best Diva on the mic. They could have easily had her stand up to Michelle while Beth and Mickie locked horns.

Michelle: Michelle’s rise continues, booking her standing up to the former Women’s Champion (something Mickie was barely able to do), says a lot about how WWE feels about Michelle.

Mickie: During her promo, did anyone else feel she was just one tear away from her old psycho mode? It would’ve been a sight if she decimated all the face Divas.

Natalya: This was Natalya’s first RAW outing, but given that she’s new and yet to develop her own character (and feud) it seems odd to throw her into the mix of another feud.

Victoria: I didn’t see much of Victoria in this segment, but when push comes to shove, Victoria most certainly can deliver the goods. Meaning she’ll be the MVP of her team in a match.

Fashion Focus
The Good: This week I gotta give props to two Divas who usually fall on the wrong side of my fashion radar – Beth Phoenix and Mickie James. Wowww, Beth looked freakin’ phenomenal on RAW, I’ve never noticed before but Beth really has a beautiful face, she looked more feminine than ever before. Both Beth and Mickie went for the casual-yet-elegant look and perfected it this week, they really looked hot! Another Diva who’s cropping up on the best dressed list for me lately is Michelle McCool. Who knew a small town girl with a hick accent (no offence) could dress so fashionably? She looked awesome! As always, Layla looked gorgeous too.

The Bad: Between Maria, Ashley and Kelly it’s hard to decide who looked the worst. I see Maria’s still insisting on designing and wearing her “Tacky by Maria” clothing line. Ashley dressed like a prebuscent boy and Kelly, well Kelly is just “special.”

The In-Between: Usually fashion forward, Melina hardly set the world alight on RAW. Neither did Jillian, Victoria, Natalya or Cherry.

What did you think of last night’s Diva segment? Comment and be heard!

Must be between the ages of 18-27 years old and fit the following:
– Beautiful (given the drag queens WWE’s hired recently, “beautiful” is a stretch)
– Speaks and understands Portuguese (and the ability to speak and understand Johnny Ace i.e. under the table action)
– Speaks and understands English (how is Maryse still in a job?)
– Physically fit/ Athletic (have a beach bod, doesn’t matter if you were on the Atkins diet to get it. Athletic part redundant, I mean look at Kelly Kelly)
– Great personality (Again, redundant to 10th power! Kelly Kelly, Maryse, Lena, Eve, Beth, Michelle… do I need to continue?)

If you think have what it “takes” *cough* click here.

Woooooo!

It’s no secret that my favorite female wrestler/manager/entertainer is Sherri Martel. She is a woman that I love and cherish. I look at what she has accomplished and what I saw when I watched her work. She simply was the complete package. She was one of a kind; original, strong and larger than life.

Amongst the men, there is a single man who fits that mold for me. I looked forward to watching him no matter what he did. He is an incredible man that will stand alone in wrestling. So unique and captivating. He is the one, the only, WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair.

Ric Flair is beyond the complete package. There are people in this world that are amazing when it comes to mic skills, are incredible wrestlers or just have a phenomenal look. Ric Flair has all of the above and then some.

If you didn’t see the Hall of Fame ceremony, you need to see it for Ric’s induction. The man you see that is so passionate, caring, loving and thankful… That’s THE MAN. That is Ric Flair. He is THAT incredible of a person.

In the ring, in the locker room, on the mic or wherever he was, he sucked you in no matter what he did and made you FEEL. To be able to touch an audience emotionally and connect with them is an incredible thing and not just anyone can do it.

Some people have IT and some people just don’t. IT is something you just are. You can’t learn it. You can’t work up to it or buy it. Ric has that IT factor. He has presence like no other. He is extremely charming and charismatic. OH MY GOODNESS! The man is oozing with IT.

Just watch him. You will know what he is feeling or feel it when you look at his face, or hear his voice or his giggle. The man commands attention without trying and he is just the sweetest, most fun-loving person you will ever meet. One that stands up for what he feels and believes in.

Ric Flair is SO incredibly entertaining; very creative and very visual. I love his entrance, the music, the clothes/gear, his facial expressions, the things he says, his intensity and his passion. He is in a category all his own. No one can ever touch what he has done and his contributution to sports-entertainment.

The man never claimed to be an angel. He took some paths along the way that I’m sure he wished he didn’t go down. We all have. And through everything, Ric always has the greatest of intentions. He lives life to the fullest and has fun. He never fails to make everyone around him smile.

Each person has their path to walk in this life and Flair strut down his path like no one ever could. Right or wrong, whatever happened in Flair’s life is just what was meant to happen. I wouldn’t want him to be any different than the man he is today.

Every wrestler goes through tough times. There are so many obstacles and life-changing moments in a person’s wrestling career – having to fight for your existence in wrestling, earning your spot, being original, people wanting you to fail, travel headaches, money situations, family and love while you have to be gone on trips all the time. It’s not easy. Sometimes a person has to struggle and fight to be strong through all this, while at the same time you’re trying to find yourself or hold on to who you are.

Through all the hardships and negativity … through all this time … Ric Flair has shined like no other. No one can entertain the crowd like he can. He didn’t need all this hype and commercialism that they do for people nowadays to get you to like him. It was all Flair. It’s him. It’s everything he is and does that you respect and you are drawn to. The people love him and will continue to stand by him. He did it by being himself, having fun and loving what he does. He simply is naturally great at it.

I really hope I worded everything correctly in this blog. I still feel like I haven’t said enough about what a great guy and what an incredible entertainer Ric is. No one can replace or come close to what he is and what he has done. Triple H was right in saying the “Nature Boy” deserves his own wing in the WWE Hall of Fame. He is the brightest star and is in a category of his own.

No matter how much I write, this blog will never say how much love, admiration and respect I have for Ric Flair. I can’t thank him enough for what he has done for me and for this business.

I always loved the line, “To be the man, you have to beat the man.” Ric Flair, you are a legend. An icon. You are THE MAN!

With so much love for you and your family,
Melina

Click here to view the whole photoshoot.

I got to meet Mickie and congratulated her on her title win and she gave me a big smile and a hug and said thanks! Lilian was also smiling and signing autographs and taking pictures with everyone. Katie Lea was incredibly sweet too! But the big favorite diva with the crowd was Melina, she spent ages outside in the cold signing autographs, laughing and joking with us, she had a huge crowd around her! I said I really wanted her to be women’s champion and she said she does too and we talked for nearly five minutes! Of the guys, Chris Jericho was really sweet so was Carlito and Cody Rhodes. The biggest name was Randy Orton, I know he gets a lot of shtick but he was great, he signed autographs, took pictures, joked around with the fans. At the time I was talking to Melina and as he came out a sea of girls just swarmed him and she joked that always happens!

In the world of celebrity, we sometimes lose sight of the positives and whatever character they may play on TV, this is what it’s all about. Making someone’s day!

Check out the pictures by clicking here.

The Divas were asked who they felt were the hardest and least hardest working of the contestants, and Layla & Melina had a few interesting things to say about former ANTM contestant Toccara:

But there was one celebrity all of the Divas really clicked with: Toccara. The feisty model is a big fan of WWE Divas and has aspirations to be one of the Sexiest Women on Television.

“My favorite celebrity would probably be Toccara because she’s just got a great personality. She’s vivacious, larger than life and she wants to be a WWE Diva,” Layla said.

Melina said the sassy model insisted she could make it in WWE, so Melina told her to prove herself.

“When I saw that little attitude of hers, I was like… she could totally be a WWE Diva. Let’s get her in the ring. And then she’s got that badonkadonk that she’d totally smush people [with]. That would be her trademark,” Melina laughed.

Well at least, from what they say, Toccara’s stink face would be more powerful than Torrie’s. Sign her up! She’s certainly got the attitude of a Diva, regardez:

At ‘Mania and the week leading up to it, emotions ran high and history was made… Do we forget that? Do we take those moments for granted and not realize what we are witnessing and what we are a part of – WWE history? I really hope not.

The Hall of Fame is so incredible and I look forward to it each year. I cry like a baby and I am so overwhelmed with emotions. I am filled with pride and am inspired. When I hear about what the inductees went through in their lives and how they saw the business, I feel for them and it reassures me that they went through the same things that I went through and am going through… And look! We are there celebrating their greatness and thanking them for what they have done. Instantly, I am more motivated than I have ever been before.

I admire each and every one of the Hall of Famers, but I always look forward to the women who are inducted the most. There are so few women in wrestling, so few getting inducted. On that night, you hear stories about their journey and you hear about the person they are and were. I look forward to hearing the women because there is no one better to identify with and to thank for why I am here than those women who made this all possible.

I loved watching Mae Young get inducted. She was introduced by one of the most creative wrestling minds I’ve ever met and a person who cares so much about her, Pat Paterson. He was very entertaining and he gave us a look into who she is.

Moolah on Mae Young: Free willed and strong minded. Vibrant and energetic. Passionate! And as we have seen, she is so funny and entertaining! The woman is up for anything and loves wrestling very much. Above all, in a world that can be difficult and cruel (yet very gratifying), she remains so sweet and so positive. I can’t help but hug her forever when I see her. She makes everyone smile!

When I saw the clips of Moolah talking about Mae, I cried so much. What a thing to see! What wonderful things to hear from your dearest friend who couldn’t be there. Those two were always together! Even apart, they are still together and still believe in one another – still making lasting impressions.

Mae Young mentioned that one of the greatest compliments she ever received was from Ed Strangler Louis. He told her, “I don’t like girl wrestlers. Women should not be in the ring; they should be in the kitchen. After seeing you, you were born to be a wrestler.” Mae said she believes that. So do I.

Her passion, love, determination and dedication drives me and inspires me. Thank you for everything you have given, Mae. Thank you for being so strong and so talented. Thank you for your kindness and your energy. Thank you for making what we do today possible. I will be here on your 100th birthday to watch you have your match. I love you.

With so much love and admiration,
Melina

Personally, I love reading Melina’s blogs. They’ve got more depth to them than more of the other Divas’ offerings. It’s all up to personal preference, but I definitely prefer reading Melina’s thoughts over, say, Maria’s fashion tips. But that’s me, of course.

Clearly, WWE’s photo direction is on another level of classy, but would they be able to outdo themselves? Luckily, we won’t have to wait long to find out because Maria is scheduled to have her own set of “April Showers” photos released next week. Until then, try and contain yourselves!

Given that a women’s division is RAW’s forte, SmackDown!’s writers have done a solid job over the past year in creating storylines for their Divas and often outdoing RAW, where the actual women’s division and Women’s Championship are meant to be. Over the past couple of months, the blue brand has really established it’s Divas (albeit through a glorified 5-week bikini contest), they have paved the way for Michelle to become the top Diva of the brand, furthered Victoria as a comedic heel, even introduced new Divas into the fold; Cherry, Eve and Maryse have all been utilised in the SmackDown! “women’s division.” And now with the debut of Nattie Neidhart, the division is really coming full circle in terms of talent. They’ve got the girls and now it’s time to concentrate on creating better stories, better feuds – not just flimsy wedding angles (i.e. Kristal-Teddy), they may have been sufficient before but now is the time for change. And with the inevitable Michelle-Nattie feud that will hopefully begin this week on SmackDown!, WWE will be given an option… an option to interchange between the RAW and SmackDown!’s women’s divisions when it comes to pay per view booking.

Every year after WrestleMania, WWE ties up old storylines and begins new ones – often taking risks. This year is no different, with the launch of a JBL-Randy Orton feud and even a Batista-Shawn Michaels feud. Maybe it’s time for Creative to experiment with the Divas also? It’s fair to say that Beth Phoenix as Women’s Champion has been rather lackluster and following BunnyMania, RAW is in a state of change – it’s time to transition (as they do every year) from giving the “flavour of the month” Playboy covergirl a shot at the title and moving back to serious contenders. Last year, straight after WrestleMania – Ashley was dropped after her shot at the title and Mickie was inserted back into a feud with Melina. During that transition period, it couldn’t hurt to give SmackDown! some time to shine on pay per view and with the Michelle-Nattie feud, they could finally have a pay per view worthy feud. Sure, the Women’s Championship isn’t on the line but that wouldn’t make this match any less compelling with a well written story to it. We’re not suggesting they headline WrestleMania, but by giving SmackDown! a few Diva matches on B-shows like the upcoming Backlash and Judgment Day would really give a boost to the growing women’s division on the blue brand.

Not since the days of Torrie Wilson has a SmackDown! Divas feud really been highlighted on pay per view. There were a few Diva matches here and there during the days of the SmackDown!-branded pay per views, but those have since been dropped around this time last year in fact. In that time, no SmackDown! Diva feud has taken precedent over RAW – but now could be the time to do it. There’s nothing too much of importance going on over on RAW right now, until they establish a true contender for Beth Phoenix and her title. With the strong writing over on SmackDown!, I have no doubt that Michael Hayes will be able to create a strong feud between Michelle and Nattie and would be deserving of a pay per view pay-off match possibly at Backlash or Judgment Day.

SmackDown! is developing and it’s going in the right direction. RAW’s women’s division seems to be stuck in a rut, partly due to having to reorganise their entire women’s division every year around Playboy and WrestleMania. Maybe it’s time for SmackDown! to get a shot? Michelle McCool’s rise, I believe, is due in part to her relationship with the Undertaker which could help her cause of SmackDown! finally breaking down that wall and putting on a match on pay per view again. And with the axing of the Cruiserweight title, there could even be room in future for a second Women’s Championship dedicated to SmackDown! But for now we’ll settle for Michelle versus Nattie… on pay per view.

However, we have a problem – there are more than ten Divas. Therefore, we’re going to have a casting call featuring all the Divas! The ten Divas with the most votes will continue on to the competition. Vote now for your favourite Diva:

When I watched as a fan, as a female I wanted someone I could look up to and say I want to be strong like her. Not, I can’t wait to stand around and have people look at me in little outfits. Anyone can just stand around. Girls do that all over the world and it’s not a big deal. If you want to see that, go to the mall! Or watch ECW!

Kelly, in her best English I might add responds however doesn’t name Melina directly hmm:

On another note i was reading another blog that one of the divas had written referring to the ecw divas something along the lines that we just stand around in little outfits and have people look at us and thats all we do…well i may be jumping out on a limb here but im guessing shes talking about me and layla since were the only divas on ecw lol…im going to speak on behalf of layla and myself how much of a load of S**t that is we work our butts off every week and put our heart and soul into our matches and everything else we do on the show we may be beginners at all this but every chance were able to get in that ring to train or work on promos you better bet your ass we do it with 110 % ..to better ourselves and to prove to people like u WRONG!all i have to say is im only 21 im finishing up my college degree and i have and amazing family that supports me.. this person knows who she is and i dont care what u think your opinion means nothing to me..im getting my chance to live my dream to finally prove im not just another pretty face and im laughing in yours all the way up im not letting anything get in my way!!!

I don’t know, it certainly doesn’t seem like a work. Melina’s blogs are usually part character-part shoot. What do you think? Is it a work or is there some backstage tension between these two Divas? And raise your hand if you think Kelly didn’t name Melina because girl knows she’d get her ass handed to her.

» Mae & Moolah
» Lita & Trish

On one hand, she has the looks and charisma – more than some of the current Divas, I’d say – to warrant a decent role. She’s not a wrestler, of course, but if she were paired with a Diva – say Jillian, whom she was to feud with sometime last year, but plans for which were inexplicably abandoned. She could certainly play a role in a decent storyline, providing a foil for a heel Diva to torment and a face Diva to stick up for.

On the other hand, she has been involved in storylines in the past, however brief. Anyone care to conjure up the memory of her proposing marriage to Viscera? Yeah, I too have tried to block it out mentally. But isn’t that the fault of the WWE writers, whom haven’t come up with something decent and original since the turn of the millenium? Is that a true test of Lilian’s potential (or lack thereof), or does the failure of that storyline lie elsewhere?

So what do you think? Should Lilian’s role be expanded, or is she merely a ring announcer to you?

For the first time since November, Melina has penned a new “Internet Confessions of a True Diva” blog on WWE.com, focusing on BunnyMania and why she thinks wrestling should take precedence over Playboy:

You have to understand, I may not write very frequently, but you know that when I do write something it’s what I feel with my heart and it’s what I strongly believe. I am very passionate in everything that I do. My writing, my workouts, my entrance, my wrestling and in love. That is me. When you see me, you are going to get just that: MELINA. I will continue to say, whether you love me or hate me, you can’t help but watch me!

My message about Playboy is … if you want to do it, that’s fine. If that is your dream, your goal and your personal achievement for YOUR life, that’s fine. Just know, that isn’t mine. I am a physical person, so it makes perfect sense for me to choose wrestling. I am a woman of action and never want to be one of those women in distress, if I can help it.

I have trained for eight years and I continue to train to better myself in this physical art form that I love with all my heart. And I will fight for it and work hard to be great at it with everything I have.

Last year, Playboy got more recognition than the Women’s Championship. Winning the Women’s Title has been my dream since I stepped foot in a ring. Think of the great women who fought for that championship. That title means a great deal to me. Why take a step into that ring unless you are working toward being the one on top … getting better than when you last stepped in there?

Sorry if I’m competitive, but geez! No one goes into the Olympics just to look nice or to just be seen there. You compete to be the best in the world! So my point is plain and simple. That WWE ring is meant for people to get down to the nitty gritty and to get right down to business.

Don’t get in my face about how many magazine covers you have been on, because I really don’t care. If that was my goal, I wouldn’t be in wrestling; I’d still be modeling right now. I left that because I found where I belong … what drives me and what moves me.

Granted, BunnyMania brought in Snoop Dogg, but we all know Snoop came because it’s WrestleMania. WRESTLEMania. So my game plan was to do just that. The one big day we wait for all year where everyone around the world comes to see us go all out … to do more and be greater than we have ever been.

Now Let me tell you something. I went out that curtain with Beth Phoenix and Santino Marella sharing a common goal. I wanted to make a point and teach the “Bunnies” a lesson. Those lil’ girls, they kind of impressed me that night. Well, they never had a chance. They had to have known that! But they kept going. They tried. They kept fighting. Even though I may not like them all that much, I give them credit for not giving up. ‘Cause God knows I have beaten Maria and Ashley SO many times. And that night, they still tried.

You may hate me and think I have a horrible attitude, but you want to know something? You may hate me for beating up on Divas such as Maria and Ashley, but remember, this isn’t ballet. Each time these girls get in the ring, I make them want this. I make them work! I make them a little bit tougher and I make them a little bit better for the next time they step into the ring. Sure, they will NEVER be me, but if it wasn’t for me giving them a good old fashioned @ss whoopin’, they will never come back to do their personal best.

You may have your personal opinions on me … but face it … those girls NEED me!

The Most Dominant Diva in Wrestling,
~Melina

I think we can agree that Beth looks like she could Hulk-smash just about anyone, but is she comparable to the comic book amazon She-Hulk? Maria thinks so, comparing both of her WrestleMania 24 opponents to superheroes in an interview with Marvel.com:

..I think all the WWE Divas are examples of super heroes, it’s not just me. Look at Beth Phoenix, the Glamazon. Beth is as strong as the She-Hulk; she’s tough as hell. There’s also Melina, who’s like Black Widow (Natasha Romanoff). Melina’s beautiful and sexy, but you can tell by looking at her it’s wise not to mess with her. She also does these splits before entering the ring so that reminds me of Natasha’s gymnastic skills. (Click here for the full interview.)

I can buy Melina as a deadly super-spy, but honestly – I think we all know that she was born to be She-Hulk. Edward Norton would be proud.

Ha – see what we did there? Anywho, in anticipation of the upcoming Floyd Mayweather/Big Show bout at this Sunday’s WrestleMania 24, several of the WWE Divas have pulled a Madonna (exhibit A, B, & C), dressing up in their best boxing duds and posing for the WWE.com cameras. So far, Eve, Melina, Lilian, and Kelly have donned the gloves, each sporting their own unique look. The question is – as it always seems to be – which is the best?

Check out the photoshoots by clicking here, and then vote for your favorite below!

Truth is, there’s nothing you really can do. Sometimes you’ll get a match with someone who keeps pulling at it, and you’re like “Dude! Just stop! Leave it alone!” You don’t have a choice, you just have to work with it. I’m not going to stop in the middle of hitting somebody and be like “Oh, I have to be comfortable.” I get hit in the face all the time, I’m always uncomfortable.

I say let it be. Wedgies, like most things, manage to work themselves out.

I’m sure we all have our opinions and are damning Vince and his merry band of mysgonists, but we want to ask you to take five seconds to take part in a poll! So, Ashley and Maria… but who’s better in the ring? In recent years, Ashley has had more exposure as a wrestler; she got to headline WrestleMania and even appeared in a match at WWE’s second biggest show, the Royal Rumble in 2006. However, as exposed as she is – she is also injury prone. Meanwhile, Maria hasn’t had the chance to shine as a wrestler, oft stuck behind her microphone. However, in the occasions she has wrestled, has done a sufficient job. Many would level both of these Divas, ring-wise as equals. But what do you think, who’s the better in-ring worker? Vote now!

WWE.com caught up with Candice Michelle before her clavicle surgery, getting exclusive information that absolutely nobody assumed in the first place:

“It was my fault,” Candice had informed WWE.com only hours before her surgery. “I was getting ready for a dropkick, and I thought it might be more effective if I landed on my back. I landed on my left shoulder and hurt [the clavicle] right then and there.”

Candice then went on to possibly foreshadow yet another injury:

“The doctor said I could take a non-surgical route, but it would take a minimum of six months doing nothing,” she said. “I’ve been dying already, after having been out for five months. I’m completely ready to get it fixed and be able to make a real comeback to the ring.”

Yes, because the quick fix is always the best way.

Question: Why not stick a competent wrestler in the match? (*cough* Mickie) I know Ashley posed for Playboy and all, but Mickie doesn’t wrestle like a two-year-old and break like a china doll. Do the math, monkeys. Barf.

Edit: Now with a super-professional-looking match photo!

Q: That’s right, Wrestlemania is now only a week away, so what can we expect from your in ring Wrestlemania debut in the playboy bunny match?

A: Well its gonna be a very interesting night, as of right now, Candice Michelle re-broke her clavicle on Monday, and I don’t whats gonna happen with that, she was my tag team partner, and as of right now she has been saying Im gonna do it, no matter what, im gonna be in the ring, but I don’t know how much she can be, and I don’t know how she is gonna be feeling when she gets out there, so it’s my first time ever wrestling at Wrestlemania, so im gonna put all the stops out, Passion is my motivation, and that night im gonna be extremely passionate, especially if im down one partner.

With more twists and turns than an episode of 24, will we learn Candice’s fate tonight on RAW?

According to Main Event Radio in Montreal, Candice Michelle plans to tough it out and work WrestleMania 24 despite injury.

In other words, if you were devastated at the thought that WrestleMania 24′s BotchMania er, BunnyMania match might suck significantly less with replacement player Mickie, never fear – Candice is still here!

• Beth Phoenix vs Michelle McCool
• Layla vs Ashley

Yikes, I think Ashley just saw the “vs” part and injured herself. Calm down, it’s a gaming tournament, no wrestling required. Which of the above do you think has the most game? Our money’s on the Glamazon! Vote below: