Dean Buckley 
Kairi Sane was the big winner in the NXT Year-End Awards tonight, taking home both Female Competitor of the Year and Overall Competitor of the Year. Several awards were announced on the pre-show of NXT TakeOver: Phoenix, with the balance announced on WWE.com. Sane joins Bayley and Asuka as a winner of the Female Competitor … Read more
Independent wrestling star Lana Austin made her debut on NXT UK this week in a losing effort against Nina Samuels. Austin has been a mainstay of the UK independent wrestling scene for the better part of six years, since she debuted in a triple threat at Brittania Wrestling Promotions that also featured Mae Young Classic … Read more
Welcome to Diva Dirt’s regular coverage of Over the Top Wrestling (OTT). OTT, founded in 2014, is Ireland’s largest wrestling promotion, notable, among other reasons, as the home promotion of NXT UK star Jordan Devlin and the greatest independent women’s wrestler in the world, the Session Moth. But OTT isn’t just an incubator for talent: … Read more
Free Match Friday is a weekly feature from Diva Dirt. Every Friday, we’ll spotlight a great indie match available to watch for free online. Some of the best wrestling in the world is happening in high school gyms and sports bars and even, occasionally, in an appropriate venue for a wrestling match. This week, our … Read more
Dakotai Kai today confirmed the nature of a leg injury sustained at an NXT live show in Green Bay, Wis. late last year. After weeks of rumor and speculation, Kai tweeted today that she has indeed torn her ACL, just before undergoing surgery to repair the damaged ligament. As Diva Dirt previously reported, the injury … Read more
All Elite Wrestling (AEW) announced just one new female signee at their Jacksonville rally, namely Penelope Ford. At time of writing, that leaves the women of AEW outnumbered five-to-one by the men’s division. Something needs to change if AEW is to live up to its promise as a major new force in wrestling. The company … Read more
When Jordan Devlin declared himself the best Irish wrestler in the world at NXT UK Takeover: Blackpool, Finn Balor arrived to prove otherwise. But he wasn’t the only other name in contention. Fit Finlay is a living legend, and Becky Lynch is arguably the biggest wrestler in the industry right now. Some might even point … Read more
Free Match Friday is a new weekly feature from Diva Dirt. Every Friday, we’ll spotlight a great indie match available to watch for free online. Some of the best wrestling in the world is happening in high school gyms and sports bars and even, occasionally, in an appropriate venue for a wrestling match. For the … Read more
The New Year’s Day edition of SmackDown Live left the identity of Asuka’s Royal Rumble opponent up in the air. In a backstage segment, each of the previous three champions – Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair and Carmella – made their case to Triple H. He simply responded that management would take it under advisement. But … Read more
All Elite Wrestling (AEW) will address their “stance on women’s wrestling” at the Double or Nothing rally in Jacksonville, Fla. next week, according to a statement to Diva Dirt from Chief Brand Officer Brandi Rhodes. There’s been much speculation about the inclusion of women in the promotion’s roster since the promotion was announced. All In, … Read more
Over the Top Wrestling (OTT) have announced their first women’s match of the year on Twitter this morning. OTT will kick off the New Year with the latest edition of Contenders, featuring both established stars and up-and-coming talent. Contenders 12 saw both Valkyrie and Debbie Keitel turn on their tag partners, Katey Harvey and Amy … Read more
Lacey Evans is one of six NXT superstars who will be called up to the main roster in the near future. The McMahons announced the call-ups as part of a “shake up” on Raw, but we can safely assume the six stars will be distributed across both brands. Nikki Cross, the only other woman named for … Read more
Vanessa Borne won her first match on NXT TV last year by defeating Jayme Hachey to qualify for the inaugural Mae Young Classic. She was eliminated in the first round by Serena Deeb, and hasn’t won a match since. She’s faced Nikki Cross, Kairi Sane and Dakota Kai, and come up short every time. Just … Read more
MGM have released the first official poster and stills from “Fighting With My Family”, the upcoming biographical feature about the life of WWE superstar Paige. The Office co-creator Stephen Merchant adapted the screenplay from the 2012 Channel 4 documentary The Wrestlers: Fighting with My Family, and helmed it in his directorial debut. “Fighting With My Family” is … Read more
Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir will make their in-ring debut for NXT TV in a tag match with Io Shirai and Dakota Kai next week. NXT General Manager William Regal made the match official after Kai and Shirai demanded a chance at the former MMA stars. Duke and Shafir signed with WWE earlier this year, … Read more
Mia Yim is the latest NXT Superstar to qualify for a fatal four-way match to determine the number one contender to the NXT Women’s Championship. NXT General Manager William Regal announced the match on Twitter just over a week ago, along with Bianca Belair as the first competitor. Belair remains undefeated in singles competition on … Read more
Rhea Ripley will put her title on the line for the first time next week as she faces off with Isla Dawn. Sid Scala, the assistant to NXT UK General Manager Johnny Saint, announced the match in the second hour of this week’s double bill. Rhea Ripley claimed the NXT UK Women’s title two weeks … Read more
Irish wrestling stars Valkyrie and Debbie Keitel sought to explain their shocking double betrayal of tag partners Katey Harvey and Amy Allonsy in an interview with Aonghus Óg McAnally released today. The most recent live event from Irish promotion Over the Top Wrestling (OTT), Contenders 12, broke new ground for women’s wrestling in the company. … Read more
Just days after rumors suggested Natalya had been written off Raw due to a legitimate elbow injury, WWE.com announced that the Queen of Harts will face off with Ruby Riott in a tables match at the upcoming Tables, Ladders & Chairs pay-per-view. Riott instigated a feud with Natalya back in early November, just after WWE’s … Read more
WWE is reportedly developing ideas for their next women’s pay-per-view after the massive success of Evolution. One of the ideas on the table, according to the Wrestling Observer, could be the inaugural Queen of the Ring tournament. Evolution was a huge step forward for women’s wrestling, and a big win for the company. The pay-per-view received … Read more
Alicia Warrington, professional drummer and host of Heavy Wrestle, will join the NXT announce team, she announced in a tweet yesterday. BEYOND excited to announce – I am now working w the @WWE ?? I am your host #AliciaTaylor newest member of @WWENXT Announce Team. It is a complete honor to be a part of … Read more
It seems that Alexa Bliss may be ready to return to in-ring competition after a lengthy break due to injury, as Hall of Famer Mark Henry confirmed during an appearance on Busted Open Radio. “She came back too soon and was in a bad place, but she’s fine and has been cleared.” @TheMarkHenry gives a health … Read more
Some interesting news out of WWE, with the Road to WrestleMania just around the corner. WrestleMania 35 is set for Sunday, April 7th, 2019 and NXT TakeOver: New York was initially expected to take place the night before, with TakeOver: New York at the Barclays Center and Mania 35 at the MetLife Stadium in Rutherford, … Read more