After last week's Raw, all signs seemed to be pointing towards Eve Torres being the front runner for a title feud with Maryse, but a few inter-brand cameos may have just turned us in another direction. Is this a good direction or a bad one? Let's watch this week's action and judge for ourselves: Kelly Kelly makes her way to the ring, followed by Maryse. Common sense indicates that this will be a squash match, but with how Maryse has been wrestling lately (that is, barely wrestling) it seems tough for them to pull off a real squash. Before the match ...
To follow the trend of recent weeks, TNA recycled their Knockouts' storylines and twisted them into a pretzel to make both seem original. Was there progression? Did the it all make sense? Are we actually going to get a title match on pay-per-view this month? All these questions and more will be answered... after the break! Just kidding about the break! This isn't American Idol and I am not Ryan Seacrest. If you do want answers, then you must continue reading. The part of Impact worth watching begins with an amazing promo by Angelina Love. Christy asks Angelina how she feels ...
It's okay to look -- SmackDown has returned to form! Hurrah! After an iffy week with not much going on last week, this week's show was infinitely better with the blonde babyfaces proving the Divas moniker to be true -- they were smart, they were sexy and oh yes, they were powerful! You'd expect little else from the Glamazon Beth Phoenix... but Tiffany? Tiffany?! I was not expecting anything out of the former ECW GM upon reading the spoilers for this week but Tiffany girl, consider my eyes opened. Tiff Tiff shocked the hell out of me with her rather ...
As professional wrestling's Future Legend, Melissa Anderson has wowed crowds in ChickFight, SHIMMER, NCW Femme Fatales and in other promotions worldwide. In TNA, we came to know and love her as the mysterious Raisha Saeed before catching another side of her as Alissa Flash. As Saeed, Melissa managed Awesome Kong to two Knockouts Title reigns and in just a few short months as Flash, Melissa gave us great matches with the likes of Sarita and Hamada before she disappeared from television in late 2009. When we broke the news of Alissa's TNA departure in January, fans were incredibly upset to see ...
After last week's moving tribute to womankind, I was bracing myself for the worst with this week's show. Surprisingly, the WWE decided to put on a straight wrestling match rather than mold the Divas action to guest GM Criss Angel's gimmick, and for that I'm grateful. But was the match anything to write home about? Let's see: Eve Torres, Gail Kim and Kelly Kelly make their way to the ring for a 6-Diva Tag Team match. I guess it's been a while since we've seen one of those, though I haven't really missed them.. Already in the ring are Maryse, Alicia ...
Taking black and white photos is usually a tell-tale sign of trying hard to look “artsy”, so it’d be obvious to say that Natalya’s new photoshoot “Light in the Dark” is a bit like watching an 80’s-era Leonard Cohen music video (minus the seagulls, of course). The wind-blown look and high contrast make Natalya look like an entirely different person, which I don’t think is a good thing. I mean, I appreciate that they’ve thought outside the box a bit, but it’s almost more of a Maryse-style shoot than one I could ever picture Natalya doing. But hey, at least she’s breaking character constraints. Most Divas get stuck in a rut with the same poses and looks, but Natalya always brings something different to the table, and I can certainly appreciate that, even if I don’t admire the aesthetics in this shoot.
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Welcome the 2009 edition of Diva Draft! It feels like just yesterday when I was putting together last year’s Diva Draft and what a result! I successfully predicted both of the Diva Draft picks as Layla moved to Raw and Maria moved to SmackDown. So this year there’s the added pressure of keeping my streak intact! Unlike last year, the Draft has moved up to April 13th from it’s usual late-June slot meaning it comes just a week after WrestleMania. So over the next few days leading up to the big Draft show, I will be predicting my picks for this year’s Draft. Like last year, I’ll be making six picks but this time, in six consecutive days.
MARYSE TO RAW
Am I blowing my load too soon? Yesterday Mickie James and today Maryse, looks like I’m giving away my top picks early on! How generous of me. So the second of my six Draft picks is the French poodle and Divas Champion, Maryse! Since making her in-ring debut last year, this Diva has been on a roll. In her rookie year as a wrestler, Maryse became not only a serious title contender, but a champion. To be that young, sexy and talented should be a crime, but for Maryse it’s just everyday life.
With her cocky attitude and impressive moveset, Maryse leaped over the likes of Natalya and Victoria to face Michelle McCool in the then-Divas Champion’s first title defence at Unforgiven last September. The feud between these two was red hot and saw the Sexiest of the Sexy eventually gain the title in December. But for Maryse, there seems to be a higher calling than SmackDown’s Divas Championship. Fans on the Internet have been very vocal about moving the Champ to Raw and you know what? It seems likely. With reports that Vince McMahon himself is a Maryse fan, that kind of endorsement could help move Maryse to the live Monday night show. While there’s still lots for her to do on SmackDown (feuds with Gail and Maria over the Divas Championship), Maryse could also slot nicely on Raw.
But if she were to move to Raw, she’d be starting all over again. I don’t see her becoming the top heel of Raw over Beth Phoenix, but having the dynamic of two top heel Divas (like her and Michelle on SmackDown) would give the Women’s Champion, Melina some good feuds for the rest of the year.
But what of the Divas Championship? She can’t bring it with her to Raw, surely? In the same vain as the WWE Championship and World Heavyweight Championhip matches set for Backlash by Vickie Guerrero this past week on Raw, I suggest WWE makes a Divas Championship match for the pay per view that ‘must take place no matter the outcome of the Draft’. That way you could have Gail go over and keep the title on SmackDown.
Personally, I think it’s too soon to ship Maryse to Raw. But this is WWE and more often than not, once an act becomes hot on SmackDown, they usually get shipped to Raw…
Check back tomorrow for Draft pick #3
Seems like paparazzi agency TMZ still has WWE fever! Granted, people like TMZ only report on the WWE when there’s something negative to say, like a death due to overdose. However, a recent post on their website recounts an interaction with Raw Diva Candice Michelle. Here is a reader’s story of what happened on the flight out of Houston with the Candy Coated Diva:
I shared a ride to the airport with her and was on her plane leaving Houston. She mentioned she was looking forward to a few days off to heal her ankle more, because she was on it way too much this past weekend.
She also stated that she hopes to be on Smackdown after the draft as it will help in her recovery. Not exactly sure why, but she was [an] extremely nice person.
I personally couldn’t agree with Candice more! I have been saying for quite some time that Candice needs to go to SmackDown bad. Her character has become desperately stale on Raw. She has been very injury-prone and I don’t think she has returned to the kind of wrestler she was before her first clavicle injury with Beth Phoenix. She had an amazing 2007: a Playboy cover, the Women’s Championship, and the top face Diva on Raw. Suddenly, a year and a few injuries later, and Candice is occasionally seen… backstage. She got to crown Santina, but that’s about the most she’s done in quite some time.
A move to SmackDown would revive her career so much, in my opinion. She would be one of the top faces of the blue brand, working alongside Gail Kim and Maria, (hopefully above Maria) and could eventually be in line for a run with the Divas Championship if her cards are played right and she gets back into tip-top shape as far as her wrestling goes. I’m glad Candice sees this too; there’s no way she’s going to be the top Diva like she was in the past with the likes of Melina, Mickie James, and Kelly Kelly in competition for that spot too. Although, with the Draft coming up, both brands could be looking completely different, but if you ask me, going to SmackDown could be just what her career needs or she could very well find herself being wished well on her future endeavors…
We can all agree that, except for a few exceptions, Divas get the short end of the stick when comes to entrance themes. While the male superstars get music from actual bands and artists or custom made songs with lyrics, Divas get stuck with crappy production music. If I had the chance I would change all the Divas music to something a little… well, better. And that’s just what I’m going to do. Here’s a few changes I would make to the Divas’ soundtrack:
Â
The name say it all. If there was a phrase to describe this malicious trio, it would be “Drama Queen”. Besides the name, the song’s rock and roll feel fits their image perfectly. I originally picked “Bad Girl” by Danity Kane for them, but I didn’t think it complimented them as well.Â
First of all, I’d like to thank everyone who participated in the SHIMMER Trivia Contest! That said, I’m proud to announce that we have a winner! And the winner is… Kelli from Edmonds, WA. Congrats, you are the proud new owner of Volumes 1 and 2 of SHIMMER Women Athletes! Check your inbox for details on claiming your prize! Thanks again everyone and keep your eyes open for a brand, spankin’ new SHIMMER Spotlight this weekend.
I’m hearing that the Gail-Michelle match filmed for this week’s SmackDown may have been a number one contender’s match, though I haven’t been able to confirm that.
If true, adds some credence to my Maryse Draft post.
There’s a bunch of Divas and Knockout news that has made its way online, but each tidbit is not really big enough news to warrant an entire post. That said, I thought I’d post a potentially new feature called a News Quickie to keep all our devoted Diva Dirt fans well-rounded in their news.
- At the WrestleMania weekend Axxess events, it was noted that Raw Diva Candice Michelle was asked about her return to the ring. She reportedly shot down the rumors of her release again and said that she will be back in the ring and ready to compete within 3 weeks. Can’t wait that long? Catch Candice on The Wizards of Waverly Place this weekend on the Disney Channel. Sorry, I couldn’t resist posting that!
- Spotted: TNA President Dixie Carter schmoozing retired WWE Diva Victoria at a UFC event. That’s right, Victoria was in attendance at a UFC event, presumably to watch and take notes for her possible career in MMA. This is when Dixie approached Victoria about coming to TNA. There is definitely interest in bringing Victoria to TNA, and although I think it would be a bad move, I don’t even see it happening. Victoria has her sights set on MMA and I think she’s going to stick with that direction. No word on what Victoria responded back to Dixie Carter, but ultimately it will depend on what kind of contract she signed with WWE and when her no-compete clause finishes.
- Todd Grisham will take over as commentator on SmackDown while Josh Matthews takes his spot on ECW. So much for bringing in a female voice like Sunny to change things up a bit.
- Ex-WWE Diva “Desperate” Debra (new catchphrase alert! Melanie, we should do this more often!) is embarking on a radio tour across the country in an effort to rally fans to get TNA to sign her. I don’t know why she’d go on a radio tour; you have to have a lot to talk about to sit on the radio. How much can Debra say to a mostly-male audience other than that she used to be married to Stone Cold Steve Austin?
- Good Ol’ JR’s Blog addressed the Divas Battle Royal at WrestleMania. Good news from this is that JR seems to agree with us Diva fans when we kindly put that the match was a complete clusterf*ck (as Erin simply put). Here’s what JR said:
The Diva Battle Royal at ‘Mania was the darnedest thing I can remember seeing in a while as the ladies started scuffling before the bell rang and I swear that there were eliminations during the introductions. I was looking forward to seeing some of the Diva Alums…not only did I not see some of them in the match I did not get to see some of them during the week… I especially missed not getting to visit with Torrie Wilson. Hey, just because I’m on a “diet” doesn’t mean I can’t look at the “desert list.” Plus she always entertainingly busts my chops about her Boise State footballers upsetting Oklahoma a couple of years ago in the instant classic, Fiesta Bowl.
I did get to visit with Sunny, Nidia, and Molly Holly and thoroughly enjoyed those conversations. Nidia did not compete in the Battle Royal as she is busy being a mom but looked to be in tremendous shape. Sunny was having fun in Houston and Molly is still doing great things with under privileged kids. I’ve never met a Diva with a better heart for wanting to do good deeds than does Molly. I wish more people in this world had her wonderful attitude.
- In attendance at Booker T’s “Fight For the Kids” charity event this past weekend were TNA Knockouts Christy Hemme, Angelina Love, Velvet Sky, Sharmell, as well as Debra, Kim Page, and a jet-black haired Lita. It is still unknown if Booker T will continue seeking legal action against the WWE for “stealing” his other talents that were scheduled to appear, namely Torrie Wilson.
- UPDATE: TNA officials are not going to hold off on Ayako Hamada’s debut. TNA was deciding between Sarah Stock and Ayako as their new Knockout, and they are definitely going to set her as Gail Kim’s replacement as the top face of the company. Ayako is set to debut at the iMPACT tapings in two weeks. Ayako, age 28, has been wrestling for 11 years and some of her achievments include a two time World Heavyweight Champion for All Japan’s Women’s Pro Wrestling.
- UPDATE: WWE officials planted a rumor in the UK to a large number of media outlets that Stacy Keibler was dating Hornswoggle. It was believed WWE did this just to get attention for WrestleMania, but apparently the “real reason” was because Stacy refused to work the Divas Battle Royal. The story never got printed but media outlets were calling Stacy frequently to ask her about the story.
Well, there was your morning News Quickie! What do you think of the feature and the news? Sound off in the comments!
Welcome the 2009 edition of Diva Draft! It feels like just yesterday when I was putting together last year’s Diva Draft and what a result! I successfully predicted both of the Diva Draft picks as Layla moved to Raw and Maria moved to SmackDown. So this year there’s the added pressure of keeping my streak intact! Unlike last year, the Draft has moved up to April 13th from it’s usual late-June slot meaning it comes just a week after WrestleMania. So over the next few days leading up to the big Draft show, I will be predicting my picks for this year’s Draft. Like last year, I’ll be making six picks but this time, in six consecutive days.
MICKIE JAMES TO SMACKDOWN
She’s won more Women’s Championships than most Divas could dream to win in a career. Mickie James has been a huge part of Raw in the last few years, that she’s done all there is to do. She’s been a fan favourite, she’s been a psycho heel, she’s been a four time Women’s Champ in the process. She’s wrestled Melina, she’s wrestled, she’s wrestled Jillian and even Santino too. Mickie could use a change of scenery and the opportunity to have more title reigns – but this time holding the Divas Championship.
Over on SmackDown, there’s a fresh pool of talent for Mickie to work with including Gail Kim, Michelle McCool, Maryse, Natalya and Maria. The match opportunities on that brand should keep the Diva with her hands full while adding some star power to the Divas division of SmackDown. Maria, Mickie and Gail as the top faces and Maryse, Michelle and Natalya as top heels. It works.
Mickie taking on the likes of Michelle and Natalya, in particular are really exciting. I’ve been hankering for some McCool-James action since Survivor Series last year when these two put on an enticing engage in the Raw vs SmackDown elimination match. Then, just this past Sunday they slugged it out big time at WrestleMania too.
Mickie has been such a mainstay on Raw since Trish and Lita left, that’s it weird to think of her being anywhere else. But Melina and Beth Phoenix are more than capable of carrying the Monday night show post-Draft.
What do you think? Should Mickie find pastures… blue?
Check back tomorrow for Draft pick #2
In WWE, it’s customary to ’shake things up’ post-WrestleMania. Well we thought it would be fitting for Diva Dirt to follow suit and shake things up around here too!
We’re really pleased to introduce two new bloggers to the team: Lacey and Tiffany. Neither is a stranger to Diva Dirt as they both started as commenters like Hassan and Steven before them. If you’re a frequent visitor of the site, I’m sure you’ve read Lacey’s comments and Tiffany’s comments under the username, Malfunkshun.
We’re also happy to reveal that former Diva Dirt blogger Josie will be bringing back her unique style to the site, in a new weekly column. I’m sure you read the Sunday newspapers which feature a lot of comment pieces and columns and that’s what Josie will be bringing to us every weekend!
Please make them feel welcome!
PS: If you think you could be Diva Dirt’s next blogista in training, click here. As you’ve probably guessed by now, it seems that our great additions to the team usually start off as regular readers just like you, who enjoy having their say in the comment box. So if why not hone your skills too? You never know, we could be knocking at your door!
During a recent sitdown with the WWE Universe, ECW and sometimes SmackDown Diva Natalya was questioned about a lot of current and upcoming events. Here’s what the third-generation Diva had to say:
Q: Thoughts on the upcoming draft?
A: I want to fight and compete and show my guts. Wherever [show] I can do that is fine with me, but can Tyson come, too? I could see Tyson tearing it up with the likes of Rey Mysterio on Raw and even Shelton Benjamon on Smackdown. You never know!Q: What do you think of Gail Kim?
A: Gail has a real fighting spirit; I admire that.Q: Who are some future opponents she’d like to get in the ring with?
A:Â I want to face many of the Divas on Raw such as Melina, who is the current Women’s Champ. Beth Pheonix and I have been compared for years and I look forward to the day when we go nose to nose in the ring!Q:Â Why would you like to square off against Beth Phoenix?
A: For so many years people have compared Beth to me. I see the similarities, but I know the differences. I know that I come from a place where no one else has been, and I’m not just talking about The Dungeon. Beth Pheonix may meet her match in me, and get a whole lot more than she can handle. I look forward to that moment, and I truly believe that will happen!!
I don’t know about y’all, but I have been itching to see a Natalya vs. Beth Phoenix match for a long time. I wish she had more to say about Gail Kim because that’s also another match I would love to see. As far as the draft is concerned, I don’t really see Beth Phoenix moving off Raw, but Natalya’s status confuses me. She is a SmackDown Diva but she only appears on ECW in the corner of Tyson Kidd and not in SmackDown matches. Well, that was up until the Raw vs. SmackDown tag match we saw on Raw, where Natalya was on Team SmackDown.
From the looks of things, I think Natalya’s status all depends on Tyson Kidd, which I hate to say. She is her own self, but being paired with Tyson, she will probably end up wherever he ends up, if he even leaves ECW. Natalya is great on SmackDown, and I think a match like Natalya vs. Beth should be saved for a special interpromotional PPV event, maybe One Night Stand (which I’m using since I just found out it will be in New Orleans and I must attend), or even the new WWE Superstars show debuting next Thursday, April 16. That would be pretty good season premiere match if you ask me!
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