GoldustYes it is true. ..all the wonderful..beautiful divas are my young paddiwan learners. Im in charge…#divasrule…
Thoughts: Whether this will change anything remains to be seen. Agents aren’t writers so I’m not expecting a huge shift in the Divas finally getting decent storylines, or lengthier matches on TV. Still, it’s exciting — and gives me hope — to see a veteran attached to the Divas once again in the same way Finlay was years back. Hopefully Goldust can use his years of experience to help the Divas stand out in the ring, and help them learn like Finlay did with Trish. Goldust has previously revealed on Twitter that he loves the Divas and has even commended Diva Dirt for our support, so his passion is clearly there, making him a good fit. Good luck to Goldie in his new position.
Former NXT standout, Naomi, is currently travelling with the Raw brand.
Naomi served as the hostess for a dance contest during last night’s house show in Upper Marlboro, MD.
Thoughts: Naomi has travelled a lot with both the Raw and SmackDown rosters since NXT ended, but no main roster call up yet. She is perhaps the most exciting Diva to watch in the ring. Fingers crossed that she’ll get a shot this time.
We always hear about independent wrestling in the USA, but what about those oft-forgotten countries… like Australia? Here are the latest happenings in the Australian wrestling scene, including recent results and upcoming events you can attend:
June 10th – AWF (Penrith, NSW): In her debut match, Rachel Rose defeated Selene.. it was announced that Sara Jay could not make the event due to a car accident.
June 10th – MCW (Tullamarine, VIC): As previously reported on Diva Dirt, Tenille ran down the fans, then introduced K.C. Cassidy as her protege… Shazza McKenzie and Sway took offense to Tenille’s comments, leading to a match… Tenille and K.C. Cassidy then defeated Shazza McKenzie and Sway.
June 11th – RCW (North Adelaide, SA): Miami defeated Melody Summers.
June 11th – Wrestling for Rotary (Bendigo, VIC): In what was said to be a ‘fun match’, Serena Deeb defeated Kellie Skater.
June 18th – Warzone Wrestling (Berwick, VIC): Shazza McKenzie defeated Kellyanne English in Kellyanne’s debut match for the company. Check out Cory Lockwood Photograhy‘s photos from the event.
June 18th – NAW (Albion, VIC): Iron Horse Morrison defeated ex-girlfriend Lowzen and George Julio in a handicap match.
June 19th – AWF @ Supanova Expo (Sydney, NSW): On the next day’s show, Rachel Rose beat both Baby Devine and Selene in a triple threat match.
June 25th – AWF (Minto, NSW): TNT and Selene opened the show… Rachel Rose was congratulated on graduating from their wrestling school and welcomed into the “Detonation Crew”… later that evening Baby Devine interrupted the school’s graduation ceremony but Rachel Rose shut her up by defeating her in a match.
June 25th – BPW (Ballarat, VIC): Eliza Sway defeated Shazza McKenzie in what was described as an ‘energetic match’ that the ‘crowd was very into.’
June 25th – PWAQ (Chermside, QLD): Niki Nitro defeated Charli.
July 1st – IPW Australia (Ashmore, QLD): Gaining revenge for the attack last show, Storm defeated Minx following the “Electrocution” neck breaker.
July 8th – PWA Australia (Liverpool, NSW): Robbie Eagles and Jessie McKay defeated Matt Bailey and K.C. Cassidy in mixed tag action… Brian Seeker, Matt Bailey and K.C. Cassidy beat down on the two after the match, but Robbie and McKay were saved by Ryan and Madison Eagles making their return. However, Madison turned on Jessie by giving her a ‘solid kick to the head’ and delivering the Hell Bound to Robbie Eagles. Check out a preview of the match at PWA Australia’s YouTube channel.
July 9th – NAW (Albion, VIC): Nikita Naridian (also known as Kellyanne English) defeated Vixsin and TJ Star in a triple threat match to become #1 contender to their women’s title… after the match, she clocked her sister (and current champion) Lowzen with the belt.
July 9th – MCW (Thornbury, VIC): Shazza McKenzie defeated Tenille in Tenille’s last match in Australia.. view pictures and video from the evening here.
July 16th – RCW (North Adelaide, SA): Savannah’s sister Melody Summers & Matt Silva defeated Sway & Adam Brooks… post-match Matt Silva attacked Sway’s friend Miami (out of action with broken ribs)… Silva was subsequently chased from the ring by Jimmy Scarlett and then fired by RCW’s commissioner.
July 23rd – PROWL (Hemmant, QLD): Niki Nitro defeated Baby Devine to advance in their recently announced “Queen of the Pride” tournament… the tournament will be a six woman tournament that will conclude in 2012.
Upcoming Events
July 30th – PWAQ (Chermside, QLD): Niki Nitro is scheduled to take on “a former women’s champion in QLD”… no word yet on who her opponent will be… as there’s never been many women’s championships in Queensland it’s likely to be someone who has appeared for MIW/WCWA/IPW Australia in the past.
August 19th – AAW (Warnbro, WA): Imogen Jane and a mystery partner are to take on Storm (in her debut for the company) and a mystery partner.
August 20th – AAW (Warnbro, WA): Imogen Jane vs. Storm has been announced to be taking place for the women’s championship that Imogen currently holds.
PWWA: September 3
September 3rd – PWWA (Liverpool, NSW): This show is shaping up to be the biggest women’s wrestling show in Australia… already announced for the event is SHIMMER’s first international title defense between Madison Eagles, Jessie McKay and Canada’s Nicole Matthews… other names that will be appearing are Kellie Skater, K.C. Cassidy, Shazza McKenzie, Eliza Sway, Savannah Summers, Bombshell Bo, Harley Wonderland, New Zealand’s Evie, Megan-Kate, Britenay and J.P.E. Kellyanne English is the newest name added to the roster with more still to be announced. Diva Dirt will be in attendance at the show.
It’s shaping up to be a big first week of August for TNA’s Winter as not only will she challenge for the Knockouts Championship live on pay per view, but she’ll also have a crack at the vacant WILD Wrestling Championship.
Winter has replaced fellow former WWE Diva, Shelly Martinez, in an already scheduled title match against Tab Jackson at Freak Show Wrestling in Las Vegas on August 4th.
Martinez had to pull out of the bout due to a scheduling conflict.
Just days after the WILD match, Winter will challenge Mickie James for the TNA Knockouts Championship at Hardcore Justice.
Can Winter pull off a double title victory? She’s certainly long overdue in the Knockouts Title department.
One half of the new Knockouts Tag Team Champions, Tara, has written a new blog about winning the belts this past week on Impact along with Miss Tessmacher.
I want to discuss the Tag Team belts for a minute. I have been wrestling for 12 years, longer than any female in either WWE or TNA. But I am still a huge fan of the industry. When the wrestlers are watching the show backstage, and someone does some crazy maneuver, the loudest reaction is always from me. And no organization will give a wrestler, or superstar ; ) , the opportunity to be in a position to win a championship belt if they didn’t have faith in their character and ability. They used to kid me at WWE because I was so proud of my belt when I had it, and I would carry it around with me backstage. But after I won the tag team belt, I saw Eric Bischoff and Hulk Hogan watching the show backstage. I thanked them for the opportunity. At first they thought I was joking because I’m a veteran but I was still sooo excited about winning it.
I have heard it debated whether there needs to be a Women’s Tag Team Belt. And when I was training in MMA, I’ve heard people question the validity of a pro wrestling belt. But let me say this on behalf of Miss Tessmacher and I…we worked very hard to earn these belts. We love them. And every time that we put them on the line, you are guaranteed to see our best and get an unparalleled match. Because we’re the Champs : )
Thoughts: It’s so great to see Tara take such pride in being a champion. Sure, wrestling has predetermined outcomes but at the end of the day, the amount of titles you’ve held will always be a factor (not the only one, however) when it comes to how well you’re remembered. And to those wrestlers, championships mean a lot.
To touch on the topic, I just wanted to give props to Tara’s tag partner too. Miss Tessmacher has come a pretty long way in the ring in such a short space of time, and it hasn’t gone unnoticed.
So I’m going to have to change this introductory paragraph completely, due to ignorant unforeseen circumstances. Why is this write-up so damn late? I’ll tell you. Due to my work schedule, I will start the write-up on Friday afternoon when I get home and then finish it early Saturday morning. Unless, of course, it is insanely short then yeah. Well, for about twelve hours yesterday, which was Saturday, I had absolutely no internet or cable. My cable company decided they wanted to basically turn off the city’s continued form of entertainment on the hottest day ever. We attempted to call a few times, waiting at most over half an hour and still never got through. Finally, it came back on around six last night. THEN, and it gets better, when I finally finish the write-up and go to save, my program completely freezes and I lose it. So yeah, I gave up last night. I said to hell with it and just gave up. So this is why it is late. It isn’t my fault for the most part and I apologize for those that actually waited for it. Here it is now, in all its not-so-amazing glory.
Things start off with the Knockouts Champion, Mickie James making her way to the ring. We hear she has a match later on in the evening with Velvet Sky and by the looks of things, Mickie has a few words for her opponent. She’s looking like a rockstar, in her shades and heels. Not bad, Micks.
In the ring, Mickie invites Velvet out in an ever so polite manner. Velvet, being ever so eager, obliges the request and the champion looks like she almost has to force a smile. Hmmm. Anyway, that tremendous theme song hits and Velvet pounces out with a giant grin on her face. She says something about bitches but given the angle, I didn’t catch it. Either way, she makes her way down to the ring and even LETS THE PIGEONS LOOSE! And Mickie gives her a smile, telling her it was quite the entrance. I’m starting to wonder if this is going to be some big lovefest between the two and by the way Mickie starts things off, I might be right.
She tells Velvet that she’s watched her the past few months and watched people take out their frustrations on her, time and time again. Such a somber moment but truly, get to the point. Mickie eventually tells her that she is honored and privileged to give Velvet her first Knockouts Championship match….and they hug. And it’s not because she bent over and kissed anybody’s ass, that’s for sure. She earned it and deserves it. Mickie says that when she does put her title on the line, they are going to blow the roof off the Impact Zone, showing all the people watching around the world why they are the best. But now things are going to get serious. Mickie says that when she walks out there, she’s going to be Knockouts Champion and when she walks out, she intends to be the same. Fair enough? Good talk. Handshake. Arm raise. Show of sportsmanship.
But the madness isn’t over because that creepy music box theme plays and oh boy, here they come. Winter and her trash talking zombie, Angelina Love. She starts off by reminding the ladies that the reason they all came to Impact Wrestling was for competition, because they are competitors. And judging from what she sees, rather than wrestling, Mickie and Velvet just need to hold hands and get a hotel room. My first guess was ice cream, but I guess it could come after. Maybe later. All kidding aside, Angelina feels yet again that she needs to justify that she understands what Winter has been trying to show her. As a 5-time Knockouts Champion, she realizes there is a familiar trait amongst the Knockouts and that is total disrespect for her. She has proven herself to be the best but never been given her dues. Why not, Angelina? Jealousy. Them bitches just be jealous, honey. Ahem.
Angelina rambles on, stating she is on a level all her own and Velvet, with the snap, laughs her ass off. Ange doesn’t let it phase her and tells them to continue to put each other over to the moon, then go bark at it? Ow ow ow! This is not a Twilight movie. There are no werewolves here. Either way, it does not matter who wins the match tonight because eventually, that Knockouts Championship will come straight back to Angelina Love. Now it’s Winter’s turn. Oh lard. She says that they work as a team, a real team and that bond is forever. It doesn’t make a blind bit of difference whether Winter has to beat Velvet the Blow-Up Doll or Mickie the Hardcore Nothing Mouse at Hardcore Justice, it is going to belong to them. Are they going to share it? Haven’t we seen this somewhere before? I’m getting a sense of deja vu. I don’t know but apparently night is about to fall even though it’s already dark outside.
Backstage, Tara is walking the back with Miss Tessmacher and it looks like they’re ready for a match. But from behind come the team of Sarita and Rosita, the Knockouts Tag Team Champions who will be defending their titles against Taramacher. They start in with boots and it leads back to the trash cans with shit flying everywhere. Even through a commercial break and it looks like the girls of Mexican America might have the uppperhand, until Tessmacher shows her tenacity and Tara gets a stiff shot in on Rosita. Then, like a bat out of hell, Madison Rayne shows up out of nowhere and just starts clobbering Tara. I’m guessing it’s a full moon because these women have officially lost their damn minds. Cut the camera off.
Apparently last week, after Impact, Rosarita and Taramacher exchanged words in the parking lot and someone caught it on their cellphone. This is the reason why Sarita has to wear a hideous face mask, due to suffering a broken jaw and orbital socket. Well, at least it matches her outfit. Regardless, there is a match tonight and out first is the team of Taramacher, to Tara’s music. There are no crotch rockets or gimmick entrances tonight. They’re all business and step off to the sides of the stage. Something tells me they’re thinking in a devious manner. Crouched down and ready to pounce, when Rosarita make their way to the stage, they’re jumped from behind. Oh retribution. A brawl ensues and Tessmacher wastes no time slamming Sarita’s face against the ramp. Multiple times. What part of “protective face mask”, don’t you understand?
Meanwhile, Tara is working on Rosita and they are the first to hit the ring. The official calls for the bell and this match is underway. Tara starts talking trash but gets dropped with a jawbreaker and then it gets messy. Sarita and Tess are back in and they’re just everywhere but Rosarita double team it, kicking Tara out to the floor. But as soon as they turn around, Tessmacher hits them with a double clothesline. But the referee gains some control, leaving Rosita and Tessmacher in the ring. That is, until she tags in Sarita, the ground and pound ensuing. They bounce back and forth between each other, punishing Tess for what she did to Sarita’s face. Even when Tara tries to get back in the ring, Sarita cuts her off with a sliding dropkick back to the outside. Damn.
Finally, Tessmacher starts to fight back and eventually grounds Rosita, trying to go for a tag. Tara has somehow managed back up on the apron but as soon as she gains footing, Sarita knocks her back down. This causes her to just snap and she’s back in the ring, pounding across the mat and grasping for Sarita’s face. Hebner argues with Tara, who screams at him to watch her but all Tara can do is crouch on the outside. Tessmacher is back in the corner and the tag, Sarita is back in and a double team faceplant to Tess. They’re trying to mangle her face and Sarita opts out of the potential three count to do so. Can you blame her? If someone messed up my face, I’d wanna do the same to theirs. Just saying.
Regardless, Tara has decided she is taking control and does just that. She takes out Rosarita and drags her partner back to their corner, steps outside the ropes and tags herself in. Hard left hands to both of the Loco Latinas and Tara sets Sarita up for the Widow’s Peak. Rosita is too busy with Tessmacher in the corner to stop it. However, Madison wasn’t doing anything but hanging out backstage and decides to have a little fun. She runs the ring and slams into Tara, giving Sarita the chance to roll-up. But Earl Hebner is old in his stripe wearing days and is a little slow on the count. Tara kicks out and brawling ensues yet again. There’s even a point where Sarita attempts to throw the Macher into the Tara but the veteran moves. Tess slams right into Rosita and the momentum has shifted.
A step-up bulldog on Sarita from Tessmacher, a spin around slam and a TaraBomb with a double pin?!? I do believe that leaves us with a tremendous 3-count pin victory. We have new Knockouts Tag Team Champions in Taramacher and they’re celebrating like they won the World Cup. Oh my.
And now it is time for the Knockouts main event. To the ring first is the champion, Mickie James in all her country bumpkin glory. But that glory is short lived when Winterina run down, starting the early beatdown. However, the 2-on-1 game doesn’t last long because Velvet is back down, helping her opponent take the two out. Mickie is on Winter and Velvet is on Angelina, who can suddenly feel pain again. Into the ring they go, with a thesz press from Mickie and a spear takedown from Velvet. They’re on opposite sides of the ring, backs turned and out of the crowd comes a sneaky set of old biddies. ODB and Jacqueline, who again have never officially returned to the roster, slide into the ring and immediately take out Mickie. And then the stomping starts on Velvet. Really??
Winterina step outside and slowly walk away, leaving Velvet to fend for herself, admiring the handywork. Mickie tries to come back but ODB sends her flying back to the outside. The old biddies aren’t even supposed to be on Impact, given the stipulation of the match they had two weeks prior but they don’t exactly come off as honest. It seems like this is going to be another ever so typical beatdown on Velvet but every cloud has a silver lining. Traci Brooks is that silver lining. TRACI BROOKS?!? IT’S TRACI BROOKS! She runs down to the ring and stands face to face with ODB and Jackie, basically daring them to keep it up. But Jackie is the first to back down and urges her partner-in-crime to do the same, especially when Mickie comes back in to even the odds. All I have to say is YES! That is what I’m talking about!
But it isn’t over because when ODB and Jackie try to run off, Velvet is back on them and there is just a giant estrogen fest going on. Knockouts are flying everywhere and for some reason, that random ass referee won’t let Traci go. She’s the ORIGINAL Knockout. I realize you’re trying to keep order but let the bitches fight! Your security team can’t handle them because Jackie won’t think twice about popping a dude in the mouth. As far as ODB, well, that just goes without saying. DAMN! Out of nowhere, Jackie sends a security guard careening into the steel steps and it echoes through the arena like firecrackers. The referees in the ring have their hands full because Traci, Mickie and Velvet are just dying to get their hands on them. It’s like a bad bar brawl that just keeps coming.
Crotch shots, sneakers and police officers! SOMEONE CALLED DA PO-PO! ORLANDO’S FINEST! JACKIE AIN’T AFRAID OF NO PO-PO! She fights against them, running off at the mouth. But for some reason, ODB starts breaking down in tears. So much for that badass persona, huh? The truth comes out when the police show up. And it doesn’t look like we’re going to get that Knockouts Championship match after all. However, I am thoroughly entertained so how about it?
Thoughts: Traci is what I’ve been waiting for! Where were you weeks ago? I’m glad you showed your face but damn, could have made it sooner. Haha. Regardless, it’s nice to see that old familiar face in a time of need. Major amount of Knockouts action this week. They were scattered all over the place and there wasn’t a bit of order but hey, they’re the Knockouts. They go balls to the wall and don’t think twice about it. And hey, we have new Knockouts Tag Team Champions. There is something to celebrate. Again, sorry that it’s so late this week. All the BS I’ve had to deal with has just put me behind. I’m wondering what will happen next week, in both my life and with the Knockouts but I guess we’ll find out then so until that time, my lovies! xoxo
What did you guys think about this week’s Impact? Tell me about it!
Every week, following WWE.com and ImpactWrestling.com’s photoshoot updates, we’ll take a look at the newest Diva and Knockout shoots and give you the opportunity to voice your opinions on them in a feature we lovingly call Unwrapped. Let’s unwrap this week’s eye candy, featuring Brie Bella, Beth Phoenix, Cookie, Eve Torres, Nikki Bella and Velvet Sky:
Note about TNA photoshoots: Many of the new photoshoots on ImpactWrestling.com only consist of 3 or fewer photos, which hardly lends enough material for an Unwrapped post. In order to make it worth your (and my) while, I’ll only cover ones with 3 or more photos to them. Please don’t leave comments asking about a missing photoshoot.
The Bella Twins The Bellas always find interesting ways to pose next to one another, criss-crossing at the elbows and leaning on one another’s shoulder. They do this in practically every photoshoot together, but it still works. The main difference between this and their other shoots is their ring gear: the bright purple absolutely pops against the neutral background. While I kind of wish I could burn the floating pant legs (I only really liked them on Torrie Wilson, and even then they were hit or miss), I know its a lost cause and has been part of their signature look for a while now. So, while the poses aren’t groundbreaking, I still appreciate the photoshoot for what it is: a showcase for the pretty ring gear and another chance for the Bellas to perfect their chilly bad girl aura. This shoot accomplishes both. Rating: • • • • •
• View the photoshoot.
Beth Phoenix Beth looks like she could spit fire in this shoot, looking lively and firey throughout. She’s dressed in a way that kind of contradicts her friendly mood, wearing all black and an abundance of leather. Maybe a lighter color scheme would have fit the mood a bit better. Still, it’s hard to not like her poses: they’re fun and her mood is infectious. The arm flexing and air punching make for great photos. In the rest of the photos, she’s a bit more subdued, though no less cheery. The only photo that departs from that is a stunning full-face shot where Beth appears to be staring into your soul. Beth appears to be having a blast in this shoot, and I can’t help but feel a bit of that energy seep through the computer screen. Rating: • • • • •
• View the photoshoot.
Cookie If there’s any Knockout or Diva who can get away with a gimmicky photoshoot, it’s the woman with the biggest gimmick. That, undoubtedly, is Cookie, TNA’s answer to MTV’s popular (albiet fading) The Jersey Shore. She’s still dressed as a Snooki look-a-like, and fittingly she’s hamming it up for the camera, shrugging cutely and checking her phone mid-pose. I do like the photos where she’s simply smiling at the camera, though it mainly makes me wish she could do something that’s not a shadow of some future reality show has-been. As is, though, she’s making the most of it, and the photos are fun. I wonder how long this gimmick will last, given how The Jersey Shore‘s relevance seems to be fading fast. Rating: • • • • •
• View the photoshoot.
Eve Torres Maybe it’s the abundance of gold in her ring gear, but Eve seems to be positively glowing in this photoshoot. She looks great, keeping a friendly but serious disposition in the shoot that befits her in-ring attitude. Her poses are pretty simple, my favorites being the full shots with her spreading her arms and flexing an arm. Like the Bellas shoot above, this ring gear shoot reflects her in-ring persona quite well and gives an oppotunity for us to get a good look at her gear. The gold looks great with her skin tone and hair color, the only poor spot being her boots, which look a bit tarnished next to the rest of them, like they need to be given a once-over with some gold cleaner. Rating: • • • • •
• View the photoshoot.
Velvet Sky Velvet Sky’s making the most of her visit to Comic-Con, hitting several of the typical geeks touchstones: Stars Wars, superheroes and cult horror movies. She’s posing next to a R2-D2 replica, going so far as to give it a kiss in a cute photo. A Superman shirt is worn in a tattoo parlor, where she seems to be ready to give a lucky (or unlucky?) person some ink. The Freddy Krueger gloves are really cool, especially with their gold coloring. It’s a pretty stereotypical jaunt down geek lane, but Velvet looks like she’s having fun, and that’s what this is all about. Now, if she were to hop into a full character costume, that’d be one thing, but here she’s just a spectator. I guess she’s saving all the dress-up stuff for Halloween. Rating: • • • • •
• View the photoshoot.
Which photoshoot did you like best? Vote in the poll below and speak your mind in the comments!
Recently announced for the huge PWWA return show taking place on September 3rd at the Liverpool Masonic Center in Sydney, New Zealander Evie is one up-and-comer to keep your eye on.
Evie began training in mid-2007 at eighteen years of age, debuting six months later for Impact Pro Wrestling New Zealand as a cheerleader. A twelve year athletic background in track & field and cross country helping make the rough transition into the professional wrestling world a little easier. Her first official match was in December of that year, in an inter-gender tag match against another IPW female soon to make the trans-Tasman trek for PWWA, Britenay. Together, the two helped to not only revive the stagnant women’s division in IPW, but it could be argued that their almost year long feud in 2008 did the same of New Zealand women’s wrestling in general.
In May 2010, Evie shed her cheerleader attire and gimmick, and began teaming up with fellow wrestler Megan-Kate, forming the popular tag-team called “BFF”. Megan-Kate’s technical style meshed well with Evie’s hard-hitting demeanor, making for an ideal combination inside the ring.
Evie lists her accomplishments as claiming the Best Female Wrestler in New Zealand award at the NZPWI‘s People’s Choice Awards in 2009 (and managing a close second for 2010!), as well as winning the biggest women’s wrestling match in New Zealand – a battle royal between all major female wrestlers in the country (which took place in December 2010).
Although IPW doesn’t yet feature a women’s title, Evie knows that she has to keep herself in the picture for when one finally eventuates. She is also hopeful to travel and wrestle overseas, to gain more experience and knowledge in-ring.
Now currently trained by the Dudley Boys’ 3D Academy graduate Dave Deluxeo, Evie’s move-set consists of hard strikes like the Yakuza kick and agile moves like the hurricanrana. She finishes off her opponents with the use of a Go-To-Sleep (cutely titled “TTYL”) or a Cattle Mutilation.
Outside of wrestling, Evie lists her interests as maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle, watching the rugby, and spending time with friends and family. She also boasts a Bachelor in Graphic Design.
Fans will be able to see Evie in action in Australia on September 3rd at the PWWA show in Sydney. The show will feature SHIMMER’s first international title match between Eagles, McKay and Canada’s Nicole Matthews. Joining Evie from New Zealand will be the aforementioned Megan-Kate and Britenay, and the recently announced J.P.E (Just Plain Evil).
** Are you an independent female wrestler looking for exposure? We’re looking to highlight new talent in an ‘indy spotlight’ weekly feature. If you’re interested in getting your name out there to over one million visitors, email us at [email protected]. We look forward to hearing from you! **
As reported earlier this week, former Tough Enough contestant, Ivelisse, was backstage at Raw this week in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
ProWrestling.net is now reporting that Ivelisse did, in fact, have a tryout before the Raw taping. They report: “She worked in front of the agents before the fans were allowed to enter the arena.”
Ivelisse’s fellow former contestants, Ariane Andrew and Christina Crawford, have already signed with WWE and debuted in developmental territory, FCW, since the show ended.
Thoughts: It kind of sucks that Ivelisse has to go through a tryout while Ariane and Christina were snapped up after filming ended. Did they not get a good enough look at her during the show? Perhaps they wanted to see her in the ring after recovering from her injury. Good luck to Ivelisse.
SmackDown’s Alicia Fox and Divas Champion, Kelly Kelly brought some sexy Diva glam to Comic Con yesterday in San Diego.
The annual SDCC is a who’s who of top names from film, television and more, and this year WWE is well represented with its own panel (featuring that infamous CM Punk gatecrash) and autograph signings.
Foxy and K2 were pictured at various events around the Con looking fierce! Kelly, in particular, brought her A-game in the style department.
Despite being one of the most decorated female wrestlers on the North American independent scene, Mercedes Martinez has yet to take her hard hitting style to Japan.
With the likes of Mercedes’ rival from earlier this year, Serena, fellow WSU star Latasha and Mia Yim amongst the recent travelers to Japan, it’s hard to believe that the 10-plus year veteran is only just making her debut. However, the wait has been worth it. Mercedes’ debut match in Japan is a big one: She will face Nane Takahashi in her 15th anniversary match in Tokyo.
Ahead of stepping into the hallowed halls of Korakuen Hall, Diva Dirt caught up with Mercedes to find out about her Japanese debut and also discuss her upcoming challenger for the WSU World Championship, Lexxus.
First of all, congratulations on being booked in Japan! A lot of the reaction we’ve seen from fans as well as your co-workers is along the lines of, “It’s about time!” You’ve been in the business for over 10 years and haven’t worked in Japan until now. What’s taken so long?
Thank you so much. It’s a great opportunity for me and I’m very excited and honored. As far as the reaction from fans and co-workers about the opportunity to go to Japan, it’s definitely long overdue but I believe that everything has a timeline. Being in this business for over 10 years has given me the experience and knowledge to see what this business has to offer and definitely perfect my wrestling skills. Japan is a place I’ve always wanted to go but maybe it just wasn’t in the cards for me until now. No matter how long it has taken for the opportunity to show up, I’ll always be honored that the opportunity came to me.
Is it a case of the opportunity hadn’t been presented in the past or you weren’t able to accept offers at the time?
It’s definitely the first time that this opportunity has presented itself. I will always accept offers as long as it doesn’t disrupt my personal life with regards to my real life job and home life. I just can’t pic kup and leave to another counrty knowing I have responsibilities at home. This opportunity has come at the right time in my career so I’m taking it and riding the wave, so to speak.
We’ve seen girls head over to Japan a lot recently, particularly girls with far less experience than yourself in the ring. What does it mean to you to finally have the opportunity to travel to and work in Japan?
It definitely means the world to me. I finally can say that I fulfilled all my goals in wrestling thus far. With this opportunity I will give more than my all and leave all that I have in the ring. Everything happens for a reason and I always leave everything up to faith. The girls with less experience than me go to japan just for that: Experience. Whether it took me one year or 11 years to get there, it’s an experience I will cherish.
Of course, Japan has a thriving wrestling scene and I’m sure you study Japanese matches to help you hone your craft. Any particular Japanese wrestlers that have inspired or influenced you during your career?
I take a bit of everyone when it comes to my wrestling career. I studied a lot of wrestling matches in my 11 year career and most notable Japanese wrestlers i always watched were Ayako Hamada, Manami Toyota, Akira Hokuto, Aja Kong, Magumi Kudo and Bull Nakano. There are so many talented wrestlers in Japan that it’s hard to name them all, but I take a bit from everyone.
Your opponent is Nanae Takahashi and this will be her 15th anniversary match. How does it feel to be involved in such an important match for Nanae?
I’m humbled, honored, and excited that I get the chance to wrestle one of the premier powerhouses in the joshi world. To say that the pressure is on is an under-statement but I’m going into the match knowing that I’m giving more than 200% and will make sure that Nanae has an awesome and exciting 15th anniversary match.
You’ve wrestled three of the joshi stars in SHIMMER (Tomoka Nakagawa, Hiroyo Matsumoto & Misaki Ohata). Do you think those matches have prepared you for this bout?
Wrestling Tomoka, Hiroyo and Misaki definitely helped me to know what the Japanese wrestlers are all about. I’m going into this match with a sense of pride and joy knowing that I can produce a great match with one of the best in Japan. The language barrier doesn’t scare me [either], as wrestling is its own language.
Women’s wrestling in Japan is really intense, but you yourself have a hard hitting style. Do you think that will help?
My hard hitting style should definitely help in getting adjusted to the intense style that Japanese wrestlers have. I’m more than prepared to wrestle in Japan and i know that I can fit right in with their style. I still train and I still study Japanese matches just to keep my head focused on what to expect but having wrestle those [aforementioned] girls definitely helped me to mentally prepare for this trip.
Any other stars you’d like to wrestle in Japan?
I’ll wrestle them all!! Japanese wrestlers are so dedicated to their craft that I’m not picky as to who I’ll wrestle, but i would definitely love to wrestle Manami Toyota, who is truly one of the best in the business, period! That would be a dream match for me.
Now that you’re making your first trip over there, what are the chances we might see you in Japan more often? Would you be open to going there for months at a time as some of the American girls are currently doing?
I truly hope after this trip to Japan I get more offers and opportunities. Only time will tell and I’ll take it as they come. I live in the moment and right now I’m just humbled and honored to get the chance to showcase my talent over there. If the opportunity came for a chance to be there for months at a time, then of course I would go. It’s all about the timing.
Any talk with WSU about going over there with the belt at some point and representing the company in title matches in Japan?
As of this moment in time, there are no talks about WSU and Japan. I’m just holding on to the opportunity that presented itself and taking it from there. If it all goes great in Japan, maybe something will come out of it for WSU. Till then, I’m just living in the moment.
Switching gears to the Uncensored Rumble last month… Lexxus?! We didn’t see that one coming. Did you?
Definitely didn’t see Lexxus winning the Uncensored Rumble but it goes to show you that anything can happen. She stayed in there and outlasted many names such as Nikki Roxx, Amy Lee and Serena, amongst others. She played the cards right and won. I was definitely shocked but that’s what the Rumble is all about… Opportunity.
Think this will be an easy victory on 8/6? Are you focused more on Takahashi than Lexxus?
As of right now, I’m more focused on Takahashi and that’s only because it’s such a high profile match and it’s my next match. Obviously, when I get back from Japan, my focus will shift gears and my mind-frame will focus on Lexxus. I never under-estimate anyone in the ring but I take it one match at a time. I never, ever think any of my matches are easy victories even if they seem that way on paper because anything can happen.
Mercedes Martinez faces Nanae Takahashi on Sunday, July 24th at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo.
See Mercedes live when she defends the WSU World Championship against Lexxus on August 6th in New Jersey. Tickets and more information can be found here.
There’s been a bit of a large feud going on between the Divas of Smackdown, providing for a wide variety of matches. It seems that, in the past few weeks, the heels have been getting the best of it, thanks in large part to Alicia Fox and her ability to pull out a quick win. The feud continues this week with a rematch of a bout from two weeks ago, pitting the aforementioned Ms. Fox against Natalya:
There’s some trashing talking pre-match, and Alicia gets the first hit in with a shove to Natalya. She then wags her finger in her face, prompting Natalya to shove her back. This shove has a bit more oomph to it, and sends Alicia flying across the ring. Alicia charges at her, but Natalya flattens herself to the mat. Alicia leaps over her and runs the ropes, but on the return Natalya grabs her ankle and trips her. She twists over Alicia’s back, quick as a cat, and latches on a front face lock. Alicia gets to her feet quickly and powers her way out of the hold, twisting Natalya’s arm behind her back.
A few well-placed elbows to the face allow Natalya to reverse the hold and get a grip around Alicia’s waist. Alicia flails, trying to free herself, but Natalya’s got a vise grip. Alicia manages to get to the ropes and holds on to them for dear life, but Natalya comes away with a souvenir: Alicia’s belt. She taunts Alicia with it, causing her to run in for an attack. Natalya ducks it and hooks her into another front face lock, this time hitting her with a delayed suplex, leaving her hanging upside down for several seconds. Natalya goes for the pin, but Alicia kicks out after the 2-count.
Natalya grabs Alicia by her feet, standing on the back of her legs, wrenching back her arms, and pulling her into a Mexican Surfboard submission. Alicia hangs high in the air, but Natalya’s own hold leaves her shoulders flat on the mat, and the referee counts for a pin. She quickly sends Alicia back to the mat, keeping the hold intact but placing her shoulder to the mat instead. The referee begins to count, but Natalya’s shoulders are still on the mat, so the pin is broken. Natalya relinquishes the hold.
Alicia reverses an irish whip into the corner, but when she charges Natalya uses leverage from the turnbuckle to leap over her, hooking her into a schoolboy pin. She gets a 2-count before Alicia kicks out. The two jockey for control, trading vicious slaps that Natalya seems to get the best of when Alicia seeks refuge in the corner. This draws Natalya over, and when she’s close enough Alicia hits her with an elbow to the face. She tosses Natalya into the corner and kicks her in the stomach, going for a scissors kick. Natalya stops the move mid-way, though, catching Alicia’s leg behind her head and dropping her to the mat, fighting for control as she tries to lock in the Sharpshooter. Alicia, taking advantage of Natalya’s distraction as she tries to hook her legs, grabs her by the hair and rolls her into a pin attempt, which earns a 3-count and the win for Alicia.
Thoughts: Surprise pins are nothing new, and they’ve seemed to be used a lot recently, even in the last match between these two. In that one too, Alicia thwarted a Sharpshooter attempt for a roll-up pin. Hey, you can’t blame a girl for using the same strategy twice if it’s working! This was a pretty short match by WWE Superstars standards, especially when compared to the 10 minutes they got two weeks ago, but Alicia and Natalya really made the most of it, packing those precious minutes with a lot of exciting action. Neither seemed to get a moment to catch her breath, and a few spots were quite unique for Divas matches, especially the Mexican Surfboard and the scissors kick block. It’s a common complaint that Divas matches are too short, but this match it proof that you can milk some great action out of a few short minutes. It just takes two capable Divas and a decent short story to tell.
Last night, WWE’s developmental territory, FCW, filmed another 3 weeks worth of footage to air throughout the month of August. Check out the Diva related taping results below!
With thanks to Cory Lockwood Photography, we now have results and pictures from Tenille‘s last match in Australia. Held on July 9 for Melbourne City Wrestling at the Thornbury Theatre, Shazza McKenzie – who had taken offense to the future WWE developmental diva’s attitude at the last show – ended up defeating her in what both girls have described as a ‘great match’. However, Tenille was gracious following the loss and the two girls shook hands. Afterward, Tenille offered her thanks to her Australian fans.
Tenille, whom has since undergone surgery on her shoulder (after incurring many dislocations to it throughout her lengthy career), has updated everyone on her status:
Thanks so much for all the messages and support! You guys are awesome :D Special thanks to my Mum and Scott for putting up with me. Surgery went well and I’ll be in hospital until tomorrow. I’m not letting anything hold me back! “Courage is being scared to death – and saddling up anyway.”
Diva Dirt would like to extend our best wishes to Tenille during her recovery period.
A recap video and pictures (that also includes shots of other women whom appeared on the same MCW show – Miss Cass, Eliza Sway and Shazza as the referee in the match between Damian Slater and Rocky Menero) are below.
Diva Dirt is launching a new audio show, Fanline, giving you, the fans, an opportunity to have your voice heard.
Each episode of Fanline will feature one fan discussing their relationship with wrestling, and more specifically, women’s wrestling including how you grew to love wrestling, your favorite female wrestlers, matches etc. as well as your opinions on what is going on in the world of women’s wrestling today.
We are looking for enthusiastic, interesting guests to join us on the show. If you are interested please email us at [email protected].
Please note: To take part in the show, you’ll need a Skype account.
We haven’t been keeping up with NXT for the past couple of seasons, but as you’ll probably know, Maryse is one of the co-hosts on the show and was featured last night in this fun segment with serial Diva groper, Hornswoggle.
The Divas should unite and file a sexual harassment lawsuit on the little troll!
Let’s take a moment to remember one of Michelle McCool‘s finest moments…
Several all-time great Divas, including but not limited to Sable, Trish Stratus and Lita, will be part of WWE’s next DVD release — OMG! Top 50 Incidents in WWE History.
Content for the DVD revealed by WWE DVD News shows that Sable as well as a few other Divas will be part of the actual Top 50 countdown which will be on Disc 1, while Trish and Lita will be featured as a bonus on Disc 3.
So as not to spoil the DVD for those who’d rather wait, we’ve placed the countdown incidents in spoiler tags:
Meanwhile, Trish and Lita’s Highlight Reel segment will be part of the third disc.
Watch the classic Sable segment, and the Trish/Lita Highlight Reel, which will be featured on the DVD below:
Returning to Twitter recently after a several week absence, Goldust confirmed reports that he’s now the agent for the Divas. He adds: “I’m in charge.”
Former NXT standout, 
It’s shaping up to be a big first week of August for TNA’s 
One half of the new Knockouts Tag Team Champions, 
The Bellas always find interesting ways to pose next to one another, criss-crossing at the elbows and leaning on one another’s shoulder. They do this in practically every photoshoot together, but it still works. The main difference between this and their other shoots is their ring gear: the bright purple absolutely pops against the neutral background. While I kind of wish I could burn the floating pant legs (I only really liked them on 
Beth looks like she could spit fire in this shoot, looking lively and firey throughout. She’s dressed in a way that kind of contradicts her friendly mood, wearing all black and an abundance of leather. Maybe a lighter color scheme would have fit the mood a bit better. Still, it’s hard to not like her poses: they’re fun and her mood is infectious. The arm flexing and air punching make for great photos. In the rest of the photos, she’s a bit more subdued, though no less cheery. The only photo that departs from that is a stunning full-face shot where Beth appears to be staring into your soul. Beth appears to be having a blast in this shoot, and I can’t help but feel a bit of that energy seep through the computer screen.
If there’s any Knockout or Diva who can get away with a gimmicky photoshoot, it’s the woman with the biggest gimmick. That, undoubtedly, is Cookie, TNA’s answer to MTV’s popular (albiet fading) The Jersey Shore. She’s still dressed as a Snooki look-a-like, and fittingly she’s hamming it up for the camera, shrugging cutely and checking her phone mid-pose. I do like the photos where she’s simply smiling at the camera, though it mainly makes me wish she could do something that’s not a shadow of some future reality show has-been. As is, though, she’s making the most of it, and the photos are fun. I wonder how long this gimmick will last, given how The Jersey Shore‘s relevance seems to be fading fast.
Maybe it’s the abundance of gold in her ring gear, but Eve seems to be positively glowing in this photoshoot. She looks great, keeping a friendly but serious disposition in the shoot that befits her in-ring attitude. Her poses are pretty simple, my favorites being the full shots with her spreading her arms and flexing an arm. Like the Bellas shoot above, this ring gear shoot reflects her in-ring persona quite well and gives an oppotunity for us to get a good look at her gear. The gold looks great with her skin tone and hair color, the only poor spot being her boots, which look a bit tarnished next to the rest of them, like they need to be given a once-over with some gold cleaner.
As 
Despite being one of the most decorated female wrestlers on the North American independent scene, 
Get your weekly dose of Knockouts action on tonight’s Impact. To watch, tune into Spike TV from 9pm ET.
Stars from WWE and TNA will be on hand for San Diego Comic Con, including Divas Champion, 
Several all-time great Divas, including but not limited to 