Erin Spoilers for this week’s Impact are now out, courtesy of our TNA tapings correspondent Camden! The show airs October 8th on Spike. Click the ‘+’ to read:
EDIT: More spoilers added!
Note: When using our news/spoilers please provide the appropriate credit i.e. a text link back to this page.
Thoughts after the cut:
In order to consolidate our Eye Candy coverage, we’ve developed a new feature: Unwrapped! We’ll take all the new photoshoots from the week and grade (or “brand”) each based on the following criteria:
Brie & Nikki Bella‘s Double Vision
Appearance: Nikki’s wearing the top that every Diva seems to own/share, and she wears it quite well, pairing it with some white jeans. Brie has on a black knitted dress with a funky headband that Mischa Barton and girls in Urban Outfitters catalogs wear. I’m not fond of it on them, and I don’t really like it on her. That, along with the peace sign necklace, makes the whole thing look like a contrived hippy outfit, which for the Bellas has become par for the course–that is to say that a lot of their looks seem way too planned out and end up looking like costumes. Take a look back at their past few shoots, you’ll see what I mean. They’re both wearing killer heels, though..
Poses: This is some high contrast, black and white photoshoot that I assume is meant to be grungy, hence the tanks. It’s kind of silly looking, but the Bellas keep it fun, tossing up peace and “rock” signs. It’s when they put on sexy face that hey look like extras in a bad 80s music video. I say lose the props, and let them have fun.
Uniqueness: It’s certainly unique, but not for good reason.
Grade: Bland. It’s strange, but the Bellas don’t seem to have such great chemistry together, at least in this shoot. They just aren’t clicking.
• Click to see the rest of the photoshoot.
Eve Torres‘s SmackDown Stunner
Appearance: Eve’s top and shoes look great, both in black. It’s when we venture beyond that that things get a little iffy. The skirt, in black and white plaid, looks a little bulky. I’m not against volume, but it looks bunched up and messy. I’m also not fond of the updo–it looks hastily pinned up, like she’s about to do housework instead of pose in a photoshoot. I’d much prefer if it was in a nice bun or something just a little neater..
Poses: The colors in the room are gorgeous–they just make the photoshoot pop, especially since Eve’s wearing neutral colors. She uses her surroundings to her advantage, sitting and standing on the seat. Sure, it looks a bit awkward, but Eve makes it look almost theatrical. I’m kind of mystified, though, at the fact that her face tends to freeze in a few photos.
Uniqueness: The colors mystify me, and I can’t recall too many photoshoots where the surroundings caught my attention this much. Of course, that’s not meant to insult you, Eve.. You look pretty too.
Grade: Sweet. Although the skirt and hair aren’t as fab as can be, Eve still looks pretty sweet to me.
• Click to see the rest of the photoshoot.
Melina‘s Spanish Rose
Appearance: Melina’s wearign an immense ethnic top in a bright bright shade of orange. It’s pretty, but it kind of clashes with the jeans. Not color-wise, of course, but in style. They just don’t seem to fit together. Maybe if the jeans were in a darker wash, it’d work better. The feathery thing hanging from her neck doesn’t look as fashion-forward as it does like a scalp prop from Inglourious Basterds. I must say though, with the Spanish surroundings, the orange looks great. In one shot, where the top drape forward and hide the jeans, it looks like a gorgeous maxi dress. I kind of wish it was one.
Poses: Melina took full advantage of the overseas tour, posingin lush Spanish surroundings. The foutains and statues look absolutely gorgeous, and she doesn’t look too bad herself. Her facial expressions are reserved and simple, but look pretty sexy, not catatonic. I’m absolutely in love with the gate she poses in front of–so pretty!
Uniqueness: A photoshoot that looks like it was taken while the Diva was hosting a travle show? Nope, don’t see that every day..
Grade: Sweet. See? All one needs to garner a “Sweet” grade for a photoshoot is fly cross-country and pose in some pretty scenery. Easy as pie, right?
• Click to see the rest of the photoshoot.
Read more to see the rest of this week’s photoshoots and vote for your favorite.
Last time on SmackDown Superstars: The dynamic duo of Michelle and Layla defeated the not-so-dynamic team of Maria and Melina. Maria played rag doll and Melina wasn’t there to save her from interference from Michelle, so the loss only served to push the former friends ever further apart.
This week: Are we going to see a blow-up anytime soon, or will this simmer longer? Are we in for more skits, or will this 10th Anniversary special be more wrestling-based, with the drama reserved for a less prestigious event?
Justin Roberts tell us that this is a Lumberjack match for the Women’s Championship. We are then graced by the presence of Divas from all three brands (All entering to Eve’s music.. I guess because it’s the most generic?), and it’s easy to figure out who’s the challenger by eliminating each Diva that walks down the ramp in her awkward street clothes. Next through the curtains is Melina, and as she makes her way to the ring they cut to a quick shot of Maria. I suppose that will suffice for this week’s storyline advancement? I absolutely loved Natalya’s reaction to Melina’s entrance, like she was appalled. Kinda cute. Michelle is the last one out.
They start with a tie-up, and Michelle quickly uses her knee brace to take Melina down, planting it into her gut. She attempts a pin, but no luck. She pulls Melina to her feet, pummeling her into the ropes and then dragging her back to the middle by her hair. A shot to the spine later, she attempts to whip Melina into the ropes, but she reverses it, stopping her momentum and nailing Michelle in the face. She hoists herself onto the ropes and perform her patented leg attack, choking Michelle. She attempts to finish it off with a chop to the head, but Michelle pushes her up and over the ropes. Melina lands on the apron, fighting Michelle through the ropes.
Michelle reaches for a jab but Melina splits–literally–by landing in a split on the apron and then nailing her with a shot to the stomach. Michelle responds with a dropkick, sending Melina out into the Lumberjack’s domain. Thankfully, she landed on the “good girl” side, because all they want to do is help her to her feet. Michelle sees this and brings Melina into the ring herself. Michelle continues with her attack, kicking Melina and pounding her face into the mat. A few uppercuts, and Michelle attempts another whip, but Melina reverses it again, using this momentum to go on offense.
A few strikes later, she plants Michelle with a flapjack, going for the pin. The ref counts to two, and meanwhile I wonder how absurd it would be for a Diva to win the Women’s Championship with a flapjack. She gets the champ to her feet, but Michelle kicks her, whipping her into the ropes. On the return, Melina meets her with a kick of her own, then striking her in the head and dropping her to the mat. She goes for the ropes again, but she overestimated the kindness of strangers, venturing by the “bad girl” side. And sure enough, Jillian grabs her leg, distracting her.
We reported last week that Vickie Guerrero would be making a return to the WWE, albeit a one-time thing for SmackDown’s 10th Anniversary special. However, reports from the show indicate that her return is actually a long-term one: she will be managing the man she calls her “new boyfriend”, new WWE Superstar Eric Escobar. I’m … Read more
Tonight on ECW, William Regal assumed the role of GM after announcing that Tiffany was involved in a car crash and was thus unable to perform her duties. Well, that was only partially true.. According to PWInsider Tiffany is legitimately injured, but not from a car wreck–she suffered a either a broken arm or wrist … Read more
This week’s SmackDown spoilers are in the tags below. The show will air this Friday, October 2nd. Click the ‘+’ to read:
More detailed spoilers now up.
Thoughts after the cut:
Tonight’s Raw is hosted by radio host and civil rights activist Reverend Al Sharpton. Tune into the show (9pm EST on the USA Network) and discuss any Divas action in the comments below! EDIT: Just announced: Mickie James vs. Alicia Fox for Divas Championship this Sunday at Hell in a Cell. Come one, come all … Read more
In order to consolidate our Eye Candy coverage, we’ve developed a new feature: Unwrapped! We’ll take all the new photoshoots from the week and grade (or “brand”) each based on the following criteria:
Courtney Taylor‘s Taylor Made
Appearance: Courtney’s got on a super-short yellow dress with a bubble hem. It’s nice that it’s loose, because it balances out the shortness of it. The accented collar adds an extra pop, and I love the differing shades of yellow.
Poses: The poses here are a lot less adventurous than the ones her her previous shoots, but she still works the camera. She just needs to not fall into a “statue-posing” rut.
Uniqueness: The dress is in a gorgeous shade of yellow. For some reason, you don’t see yellow too often on Divas.
Grade: Sweet. The itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny, yellow dress is cute–but not too simple–and Courtney herself just look fabulous.
• Click to see the rest of the photoshoot.
Daffney‘s Tough as Nails
Appearance: It’s all leather and denim here, with Daffney sporting a leather corset and collar with a pair of jeans. But what really catches your eye (*cough*) is her extreme eye makeup. It’s not really spooky like Katie Lea’s, but more so tough. I don’t want to say it makes her look like she’s got two black eyes, but I can’t help but think so. Maybe that just adds to her “extreme” persona, like she just got into a knock-down, drag-out fight with some girl that looked at her funny.
Poses: The glaring and baring teeth is fitting for her look without looking over-the-top or silly. She also looks surprisingly sexy in a few. All that considered, I’m guessing she did her job right.
Uniqueness: I think it’s safe to say that this style shoot isn’t uncharted territory for her.
Grade: Sweet. She pulls it off so well while distancing herself from other “gothic girls” like Katie Lea. She’s showing that this persona isn’t at two-dimensional as you might think.
• Click to see the rest of the photoshoot.
Katie Lea‘s Witchcraft
Appearance: Speaking of gothic girls, Katie Lea’s wearing what’s now become her trademark–black, black, and more black. Her eye makeup is getting more complex. And is it just me, or does that red scarf dangling down almost look like a huge trail of blood?
Poses: It’s the usual Katie Lea fare, but the cool foreshortening done in some of the shots looks a bit strange and unsettling, but definitely fits with the mood of the shoot. It’s like it’s mimicking her ~warped~ mind.
Uniqueness: Nothing new for Katie Lea (by a long shot), but I love the camera angles and different perspectives used in the shoot. Though I’m not sure it would fit with most other Divas.
Grade: Bland. It’s all cool as hell, but I can’t help but think she’s holding back on us a bit. I know there’s more to her than doing this type of shoot over and over and over…
• Click to see the rest of the photoshoot.
Madison Rayne‘s Back in the Groove
Appearance: Madison’s back in her Beautiful People style which, judging by her one non-TBP shoot, isn’t exactly a tragedy. This outfit’s still pretty fugly, but at least she has the excuse of the trashy style the team’s become known for. Here, she’s displaying the style in spades, wearing a bra, tiny skirt, and a shade of hot pink. This is far from the trashiest the Beautiful People have looked, but it’s still not all that great. Though, I guess you can’t expect them to suddenly class it up–it’s just not in their style.
Poses: She looks surprisingly sweet.. Are we sure she’s fit to be in The Beautiful People? Aside from her apparent lapse in attitude, the poses are decent. They’re sexy without being too hoochy. Wait, there’s another non-TBP-esque trait. Hm..
Uniqueness: She’s a ready-made Velvet Sky clone. Nothing unique here..
Grade: Bland. Let’s face it: The Beautiful People aren’t ever going to win any style awards. If you judge this shoot while keeping that in mind, it’s not all that bad.
• Click to see the rest of the photoshoot.
Read more to see the rest of this week’s photoshoots and vote for your favorite.
Welcome to the Diva Dirt Style Jury! No more are the separate ‘Best’ and ‘Worst’ lists, instead we have come up with a scientific approach *cough* to compiling our weekly fashion column. The Diva Dirt team will weigh in on the different looks from the week gone by & mark each look with a score out of ten. The look with the highest average score will be our best look and the look with the lowest average score will be the worst look. Click each photo to see the look in full size.
Let the proverbial runway show begin!
ALICIA FOX
Erin: Very sexy and sleek. With those super-high boots she looks badass without looking like she just auditioned for a biker gang. This is a “heel” look if I ever saw one.. 9/10
Melanie: I really like this look, it’s cute and simple. Only a girl with a figure like Alicia could pull off those boots too! 8/10
Steven: Something about the black-on-black look on Alicia does it for me. Looks casual without looking like she’s going club-hopping. 8/10
Tiffany: Alicia looked really good sitting at ringside, as most Divas attempt to. I like that she went simple with the look, which is refreshing. I’m just a bit perplexed by those boots – they go up impossibly high! 9/10
BETH PHOENIX
Erin: The cape is a nice dramatic touch, but she should have put another color in the suit to break up all the red. The gold phoenix is a cool accent, though. 7/10
Melanie: I love the design but honestly, I’m not a huge fan of the colour. It just seems so bright for a dark, broody Glamazon. 8/10
Steven: A little too bright and shiny for my taste, but it works on Beth. Don’t know why, but I like cape thingy she has going on. 7/10
Tiffany: Beth’s new outfit looks much better on paper than it did on broadcast. All that red… it was all a little too bright for me. I’d like to see some darker hues to balance off that red. 7/10
EVE TORRES
Erin: The bottom half looks good, if plain, but the top is kinda strange. It looks like she found a bunch of lime green ribbon and went to town on it. Not a good look unless she’s planning to audition for DX. 5/10
Melanie: The bottom half looks good but Eve’s vest tops are getting really old. 5/10
Steven: Nothing spectacular here. That top looks like something out of The Beautiful People’s closet, and that’s not a compliment. 6/10
Tiffany: Let’s look on the bright side. If teaming up with Cryme Tyme doesn’t work out… at least she’s a shoe-in for D-Generation X. 5/10
LILIAN GARCIA
Erin: If Lilian had a signature look, it’d be a “New Years Eve” theme–always sparkly and flashy and party-ish but still on the demure side. This is the epitome of that, because she literally looks like a disco ball. That’s not meant to be an insult–I really like it. It helps that the rest of the look is colored simply in black. 8/10
Melanie: Not a huge fan of the dress. I guess short dresses & high boots have been Lilian’s trademark for the past 10 years so it makes sense. 4/10
Steven: Lilian, you could have done better for your last night. Reminds me of a disco ball… Me likey the boots though. 5/10
Tiffany: To compliment our last memory of her, Lilian chose wisely. The flash and the flare and the shooting star-like presentation are all very reminiscent of her WWE career. 8/10
Read on for more of this week’s outfits and to see who’s been branded our winner and loser.
Following a bust-up between Maria and Melina on last week’s Smackdown, one would assume that the two wouldn ‘t be in the same corner from here on out. Not so fast, though, because this week on WWE Superstars, they’re doing just that, teaming up to face Michelle McCool and Layla. Let’s see how these ex-BFFs fare against the fast-forming friendship of Michelle and Layla:
As the match starts, Maria still doesn’t seem too pleased with Melina, shooting her a look as she heads out of the ring (What is she, 12?). Michelle starts out the match for her team, and she and Melina circle each other before meeting with a tie-up, Michelle taking advantage. She locks Melina in a belly-to-back hold before Melina breaks out, but is met with a knee to the stomach, Michelle then slamming the back of her head to the mat. After a braced knee to the face Michelle attempts a pin, but only gets 1.
A few knees and punches later, Michelle irish-whips Melina, and Melina uses her momentum to her advantage, spinning out of an attack and ending by planting Michelle’s face to the mat. It almost looked like a hurricanrana/face plant hybrid of sorts. (A hurrican-face plant?) A stunned Michelle sits up, only to be met with a low dropkick. She scurries to her corner, tagging in Layla.
Layla comes in like a bat out of hell but Melina bends back, avoiding a clothesline. Layla turns around and attempts a kick, but Melina blocks it with one of her own, continuing with this diversion a bit before planting Layla to the mat and tagging in Maria. Maria comes in quick, performing a flipping head plant on seated Layla. She then delivers a fist to her head in a split maneuver, going for the pin but barely getting 2. Layla reverses an irish whip, but Maria stops her momentum with the ropes, kicking her in the face. Maria goes to bounce off the ropes but Michelle makes a grab for her hair. Maria takes the bait, turning and taking a swipe at Michelle. Layla takes advantage of this distraction, booting her in the stomach as soon as she turns around, twisting her into a neckbreaker. A pin attempt, and a 2-count.
Layla tags in Michelle, stretching Maria out like a canvas so Michelle can kick her a few times in the midsection. Michelle continues to use her knee brace as an unofficial weapon, knocking it against Maria’s skull. She attempts a pin, but only gets 2. She mounts Maria, pounding her head against the mat, whic hthe referee takes offense to. (Oh, she can’t grab her hair, but she can use a hard knee brace to strike with? Okay, solid logic..) She keeps messing with Maria, kicking her around and practically stepping on her as she crawls around the ring in a daze. Maria heads to the safe haven of the ropes, but Michelle decides it isn’t a safe zone, choking her against the bottom rope with her knee. Choking Maria some more, she drags her closer to her corner, choking her against the second rope this time. After driving Maria into the corner, Michelle tags in Layla.
Tonight, Smackdown Divas Michelle McCool and Layla team up against Melina and Maria on WWE Superstars at 8pm on WGN America. Then at 9pm on Impact, Sarita & Taylor Wilde take on Tara & ODB in a Knockouts Tag Team Title match. Discuss tonight’s shows here!
It appears as though the WWE may have already found a replacement for Lilian Garcia in 24 year old Lauren Mayhew. She debuted tonight with the SmackDown brand, so it appears as though they may hold off on her actually taking Lilian’s spot until she gets her sea legs. The similarities–blonde hair, musical background–certainly aren’t … Read more
Check out spoilers for Thursday night’s episode of Superstars below. Show airs at 8pm on WGN America. Click the ‘+’ to read:
Thoughts after the cut:
Thanks to our TNA tapings correspondent Camden, we have the first images of new Knockout Lacey Von Erich in her TNA debut. If you wish to read about what happened, view the spoilers here. Check out the full-sized images by clicking the thumbnails below. Remember, you saw them here first!! [nggallery id=331] Also, if you’re … Read more
Spoilers for the second night of Impact tapings are now out, courtesy of our TNA tapings correspondent Camden! These will air a week from Thursday (October 1st) on Spike. Click the ‘+’ to read:
Thoughts after the cut:
In a show of class you rarely see in wrestling these days, the WWE allowed Lilian Garcia to give a farewell speech live on tonight’s Raw, which marked her final appearance in what was a 10 year career with the company. PWTorch has a breakdown of what she said: • Lilian was given the next-to-last … Read more
Tonight’s Raw is hosted by actor and comedian Cedric the Entertainer. It is also, as we’ve mentioned, Lilian Garcia‘s final night with the WWE. Witness Lilian’s swan song along with us and discuss any Diva action in the comments below!
Spoilers for this week’s Impact are now out, courtesy of our TNA tapings correspondent Camden! The show airs September 24th on Spike. Click the ‘+’ to read:
Thoughts after the cut:
In order to consolidate our Eye Candy coverage, we’ve developed a new feature: Unwrapped! We’ll take all the new photoshoots from the week and grade (or “brand”) each based on the following criteria:
Kelly Kelly‘s Little Black Dress
Appearance: Kelly’s wearing a rather casual dress that reminds me of an Ed Hardy style, and that’s not a good thing. It just looks kind of trashy, especially with the way she’s got it sitting off her shoulders. Clearly it’s not supposed to sit like that, and just makes Kelly look bigger in the awkward way its crumpled around her. It’s not so much a sexy dress as it is an over-sized t-shirt, and it looks like it.
Poses: This is a bit better than the standard “Kelly-bot” posing–it’s cute and sweet and she’s doing more than just the “hands on hips” stuff–but her face is still stuck with the same facial expression. I know she can’t be as vacant as she looks, but these photos aren’t giving me any proff to the contrary.
Uniqueness: Kelly’s never been a barrier-breaker when it comes to photoshoots, and this one falls in line with the others.
Grade: Bland. Kelly tends to rely on her clothes to make the shoot, so this one is let down by a “blah” dress.
• Click to see the rest of the photoshoot.
Michelle McCool‘s Solid Gold
Appearance: A gold, poncho-like dress is super shapeless, but is so short that she’s not sacrificing the sexy. Gold accessories keep her looking like a million bucks, but is it a bit too much?
Poses: This is where the photoshoot hits a snag. Michelle’s trying to convey her heel persona in her poses, with serious faces and sneers, but God help me if I don’t get more of a “slow” vibe from them. It’s just the heavy lids don’t look as sexy as she’s intending, more like she was halfway through blinking when they took the photo. Michelle just needs to find a way to look evil without looking possessed.
Uniqueness: Not too many Divas take the risk of wearing shapeless ensembles, but Michelle shoots and scores in that department.
Grade: Bland. She’s getting more serious in her photoshoots, that’s for certain. I just don’t know if she’s got the formula down just yet.
• Click to see the rest of the photoshoot.
Natalya‘s Hart Breaker
Appearance: It’s yet another ring attire shoot for Natalya, and quite frankly, they’re all blending together. The pink and black might as well be the same as we’ve seen in every other shoot, but she doesn’t look bad by any means.
Poses: The poses are what intrigue me–her screams and crazy facial expression as classic Natalya, and they set her apart from just about every Diva. A few are even kind of sweet. Nattie can show her personality in photoshoots better than almost any Diva, and I love her for it.
Uniqueness: It’s another ring gear shoot, and Nattie is rarely seen in anything other than hot pink, so this is almost the opposite of unique in a Natalya sense.
Grade: Sweet. The outfit might not be new or remarkable, but her poses are fantastic, and they elevate the shoot.
• Click to see the rest of the photoshoot.
Nikki Bella‘s Indian Summer
Appearance: Is it just me, or do the Bellas just throw on random costumes from time to time? And not just costumes, but horrible ones at that. Here, Nikki tackles a well-treaded stereotype by smearing on some “war paint” and tying on a couple of feathers. It just looks ridiculous and makes her look kind of dim witted–who in this day and age still dresses up like the old Pocahontas-style Native American? (I mean, aside from Mickie James.) Now, I don’t want to act like some butthurt overly politically correct person, but this is just dumb and not well thought out, down to the title.. “Indian Summer”?? Really????
Poses: The sky background is kind of cool and unique, but Nikki looks like she smells something bad. Maybe it’s the cheesiness of her outfit.
Uniqueness: This is unique, but not in a good way. It’s proof that being different and unique isn’t always a good thing.
Grade: Sour. Please get some common sense and stop dressing like you’ve got the mentality of a Kindergarten student on “dress up day”.
• Click to see the rest of the photoshoot.
Read more to see the rest of this week’s photoshoots and vote for your favorite.
Welcome to the Diva Dirt Style Jury! No more are the separate ‘Best’ and ‘Worst’ lists, instead we have come up with a scientific approach *cough* to compiling our weekly fashion column. The Diva Dirt team will weigh in on the different looks from the week gone by & mark each look with a score out of ten. The look with the highest average score will be our best look and the look with the lowest average score will be the worst look. Click each photo to see the look in full size.
Let the proverbial runway show begin!
ALICIA FOX
Erin: My sister thought she was wrestling in jeans. I think that says a lot about this outfit–it just doesn’t look right, bottoms-wise. Slap a different color on them and we might have something here. Other than that it’s just kinda generic. 5/10
Melanie: I’m not a fan of the pants, they look like jeans. Not the best Alicia’s worn. 4/10
Steven: Ever since she moved to Raw, Alicia’s wardrobe has been less than exciting. This week is no exception. 4/10
Tiffany: The copper color compliments her hair and her skin tone quite nicely. Not sure how I feel about the denim-copy bottoms. 6/10
THE BELLA TWINS
Erin: Red red red.. Flowers flowers flowers.. It’s the same old same old and when you see it twice as much, you get sick of it even faster. 3/10
Melanie: I actually like the detail on the dress but once again, it’s far too much of one colour & it makes you feel sickly. 5/10
Steven: Once again, the Bellas assault us with red, but this it’s a hit. The simple, red dresses look awesome on them. However this is like the 18th time I’ve seen them wear it. 7/10
Tiffany: I’m not feeling the whole matchy-matchy thing. They’re twins. We get it. There’s no excuse for looking like they’ve just stepped out of a Conga line. 5/10
LILIAN GARCIA
Erin: I really like the burgundy color of the dress, but the numerous chains give off a Mr. T vibe. It’s a bit too much for me. 6/10
Melanie: Not a fan of this look, too much of one colour like the Bellas. The attempts at ‘edgy’ i.e. the cut out shoulders miss the mark for me too. 5/10
Steven: Looking great as always! Love the color on her and the heels are a nice touch. 8/10
Tiffany: Lilian hardly ever gets it wrong. I like the color, the drapery of the dress, and those shoes and jewelry compliment the outfit. It looks very well put together. 8/10
MADISON RAYNE
Erin: I nearly choked when I saw this outfit for the first time in a photoshoot a few weeks ago. This time, since I’ve had a warning, my reaction wasn’t nearly as violent. Unfortunately, the outfit’s still awful and should be burned.. 1/10
Melanie: Honestly, their overuse of colour sets off my gag reflex. They have nice legs though, so good to ditch the pants. 2/10
Steven: I guess there was a sale on black lace this week, huh? Either that or the lights blew out in the locker room… 2/10
Tiffany: This outfit looked bad enough in the photoshoot and even worse in live action. I haven’t seen this much overindulgence of lace since Lady Gaga at the VMA’s. 4/10
Read on for more of this week’s outfits and to see who’s been branded our winner and loser.
Last time on SmackDown: Michelle and Layla attempt to frame Dolph Ziggler with a camera phone and a timely crutch mishap. Said crutch helps Layla defeat Melina in a match later that night.
This week: Will Maria discover Michelle’s “evidence”, and will Melina feel the brunt of her fury? What about Michelle–is she gonna get off scot-free?
It looks like the WWE is going the extra mile to ~mix it up~, because we have a match to start out our night! That’s right, no lead-in backstage segments! I know, it’s not much, but you gotta cherish the little things in life.. Melina is the first one out, and Michelle follows, noticeably limping on her bum leg. I gotta wonder why she’s wrestling if she’s struggling to even walk down the ramp..
It should be noted that this is a non-title match, so don’t get too excited.. As it begins, Michelle shies away from an actual lock-up, and Melina’s right after her, trying to pull her away from the ropes. They eventually do tie-up, and Michelle knees Melina in the stomach, pummeling her a bit before irish-whipping her. On the return, Melina reverses Michelle’s attack into a flip that lands her on her feet, nailing Michelle with a reverse kick.
Michelle escapes to the outside, and Melina tries to give chase, only to be stopped by the ref. Gotta wonder why the ref doesn’t start the count until Michelle’s outside for a few seconds, not that any Diva match has been resolved by count-out ever.. (Feel free to correct me on that, historians..) Michelle starts to limp around the ring and Melina gets tired of the delay, sliding out of the ring and giving chase. Michelle, of course, hops back into the ring, and when Melina tries to follow, she grabs her by the hair, forcibly dragging her in through the second rope.
She takes Melina to task, beating her down and bashing her head against the mat. Melina, woozy, tries to right herself with the ropes, but Michelle brings her to the middle of the ring, kneeing her in the face. Another kick, this one to the side of the head, drops her to the mat again. She brings her up, stretching her backwards into a Dragon Sleeper. Melina’s bent into the shape I used to meld my Barbies into when I bent all of their joints.. (No, I wasn’t a problem child..)
Melina fights to get free, punching and kicking Michelle. Before she can free herself, Michelle hammers her in the stomach, releasing the hold. She sends her to the corner and begins work, kneeing her repeatedly and choking her with her bad leg. (See, the knee brace is good for something!) As Melina lays prone on the mat, Michelle rubs her hands together like one does after a job well done, running the ropes and looking to baseball slide Melina out of the ring. Melina, however, plays Jerry to Michelle’s Tom, hoisting herself out of the way just in time, letting Michelle go flying out of the ring. Though, I’m not sure what kind of mouse has that type of leg strength..
This week’s SmackDown spoilers are in the tags below. The show will air this Friday, September 18th. Click the ‘+’ to read:
Even more detailed spoilers now posted.
Thoughts after the cut:
In order to consolidate our Eye Candy coverage, we’ve developed a new feature: Unwrapped! We’ll take all the new photoshoots from the week and grade (or “brand”) each based on the following criteria:
Courtney Taylor‘s Golden Girl
Appearance: A slinky gold dress, covered in sequins, takes center stage in this shoot. The dress looks a lot better further away because up close, the sequins are a bit overkill. Tassel-like earrings, a few rings, and simple heels keep up the metallic theme without making her look like she stepped out of a Bond villian’s lair. Her makeup and hair are flawless and simple.
Poses: Courtney could teach Kelly a thing or two–you can be cute and smiley AND look like you’ve got a functioning brain at the same time. She mixes up her poses and keeps it easy breezy, but not catatonic like her fellow blonde.
Uniqueness: Nothing particularly unique about it, though I haven’t seen a Diva look this natural in photoshoots this quickly.
Grade: Sweet. She knows what works for her, both style-wise and pose-wise. Like I mentioned previously, she’s a natural. So far, she’s 2-for-2 in photoshoots. I like her odds.
• Click to see the rest of the photoshoot.
Eve Torres‘s Candy Girl
Appearance: Eve’s wearing a tiny white dress with red pinstripes (Look closely!), accented by a red belt and heels. She, like Brie last week, is content to let the candy color dominate, but she doesn’t douse herself in it like the Bella did. With the bright red lips, she looks delightfully retro, and the flipped hair makes her look like a pin-up. She looks like she jumped out of an old postcard, and I love it.
Poses: In keeping with the pin-up look, Eve does a lot of retro poses–lots of hands on hips and not-so-sexy faces. It’s simple, but works with the theme of this shoot. Anything too adventurous would’ve looked out of place.
Uniqueness: I love retro-styled shoots, and no other Diva has done it lately, other than Alicia from a few weeks back. It’s a break from the norm, and a good one at that.
Grade: Sweet. I could make “Eye Candy”/”Candy Girl”/”Sweet” puns all day long, but I’ll spare you..
• Click to see the rest of the photoshoot.
Jillian‘s America the Beautiful
Appearance: This looks like a costume best worn in the beginning of July, but I suppose this shoot was left over from that period and released in commencement of Patriot’s Day. She’s got the over-the-top look down pat–gaudy waistcoat, a matching top hat, and a bright red bowtie. The red lingerie probably isn’t something that Uncle Sam would wear, but she’s got the body for it! Obviously, this is a costume, so it’s not fair to judge it as we do other outfits. In this context it’s cute and fun, and not overtly slutty as I’ve seen it on other women at other times.
Poses: Not much variety here, just a lot of coat-clutching and smiling. I definitely notice her getting away from the “blow-up doll” look, and I’m so glad–she just needs to inject her photoshoots with the kinda of personality she puts in her over-the-top gimmick.
Uniqueness: It’s costume-y, which is unique in itself, but there’s not much else though put behind it. It’s got the intention to be unique, but doesn’t quite get out of the starting block.
Grade: Bland. I’d much rather see Jillian in regular outfits, showing the personality we know she has. Though, I guess at least one Diva has to don the holiday costume, and Jillian drew the short straw.
• Click to see the rest of the photoshoot.
Read more to see the rest of this week’s photoshoots and vote for your favorite.
Last time on SmackDown: Michelle confronts Maria backstage, again warning her against Dolph. Later, Maria & Eve took on Natalya & Layla, with Eve getting the pin on Layla.
This week: Is the Dolph saga heading for a plot twist? How about the Melina/Michelle feud–is it going to reclaim the spotlight after being relatively nonexistent last week?
This is getting to be a set-in pattern, as we once again start the show with a backstage segment. We see the lovely and talented Dolph Ziggler walking up to the Divas locker room door. Michelle approaches him and turns on the charm. He says he’s looking for Maria, and she offers to help, knocking on the door. Oh.. This might get good:
Layla answers the knock, opening the door. Signs of a coordinated attack begin to surface as Michelle asks Layla if Maria’s in the room. She says no, and looks to leave the scene. Michelle, trying to look as enticing as is possible while one is hobbling on a crutch, asks him what he sees in Maria, wondering why he could be with a “ditzy little girl” like her when he could be with a “sexy woman” like herself. She veers off her crutch and Dolph catches her, allowing Michelle to get a handful or 5 of his ass. In the distance, we can see Layla taping the whole thing on her cellphone. He pushes Michelle against the door, rejecting the advance and repeating “No. No No.”. He leaves, and Layla shows Michelle what she got on her phone. Michelle deems it “perfect”. Uh oh.. Does GTV have a modern counterpart?
On the wrestling side of things, Melina makes her way to the ring, seemingly oblivious to what has recently gone on. One has to wonder how Maria will react to that footage, and what that means for her friendship with Melina. Something tells me shouting “I told ya so!!!” isn’t Melina’s style. Layla, accompanied by Michelle, makes her entrance, and we’ve got a match:
Layla gets to an aggressive start, kneeing Melina and latching her into a headlock. Melina shoves her into the ropes, and on the return Layla shoulder-strikes her onto the mat. Layla bounces off the ropes, leaps over Melina’s prone body, and bounces off the other side of the ring. Melina makes her own leap, getting some air as she launches over Layla, who reaches the ropes for a 3rd time and gets hit with a flapjack delivered by Melina. Dizzy yet?
This week’s SmackDown spoilers are in the tags below. The show will air this Friday, September 11th. Click the ‘+’ to read:
Thoughts after the cut:
In order to consolidate our Eye Candy coverage, we’ve developed a new feature: Unwrapped! We’ll take all the new photoshoots from the week and grade (or “brand”) each based on the following criteria:
Brie Bella‘s Red Hot
Appearance: Both of the Bellas seem partial to the color red, as more often than not, they wearing red tights or are sporting red flowers in their hair. I can’t say it’s a bad thing, though–they look terrific in red. Their bright red ring attire may not be my favorite, but Brie’s dress in this photoshoot is absolutely gorgeous. It’s cute and sexy, but looks like something even your average girl could wear, unlike some of the more “ambitious” Diva outfits. The gigantic flower looks like it may give her a neck ache, so a downsize in that department wouldn’t hurt. The shoes are red as well, and have little rosettes on them. This hyper-coordination brings it just a hair away from overkill–black shoes would’ve kept the look from being too matchy-matchy. Though, as is, Brie still rocks it.
Poses: Sweet grins and knowing smiles are her obviously strong suit–she pulls them off without looking too try-hard or air headed. She’s a prime example that a Diva can look drop dead sexy without sticking out her butt or making fish lips all day long.
Uniqueness: Just your standard studio shoot..
Grade: Sweet. Red is her color, and though the look could use a bit of a reduction on that hue, she looks great. She looks very at ease in the photoshoot, and shows that even though the WWE seems keen on packaging the Bellas in a one-size-fits-all way, she’s got a spark of her very own.
• Click to see the rest of the photoshoot.
Christy Hemme‘s Untitled
Appearance: Sticking to the familiar ring attire she’s worn since the WWE, Christy’s wearing a teeny weeny bikini top and matching skirt. The color is gorgeous, and the ribbed fabric adds a little bit more substance to it. Her red hair compliments the color of the outfit really well–it just pulls the whole thing together, as simple as it all is.
Poses: TNA’s photoshoots are notoriously small, so a Knockout only has a few photos to show some variety. Christy does this pretty well, showcasing both her sex appeal and the spunkiness that she was so associated with in her time with the WWE. It’s all toned down compared to her more in-your-face shoots.
Uniqueness: Well, Christy is rarely this toned-down and mellow, so I suppose that gives this shoot a unique edge.
Grade: Sweet. With that beautiful greenish-blue outfit, how could I rate it any differently?
• Click to see the rest of the photoshoot.
Follow the cut to see the rest of this week’s photoshoots.