As the Divas Championship tournament is now in full swing, we’ll be keeping you updated with our very own Divas Championship tournament brackets. The brackets so far are below:
Brackets are subject to change if WWE changes up the semi-final matches.
We’ve also put together a play-along brackets sheet for you to print off and/or mess around with in Photoshop/Paint/whatever. Just fill out your predictions, upload it somewhere and reply here in the comments with the link or send it to us via Twitter [@divadirt]. Warning: contains spoilers.
Hall of Famer, Bret Harts returns to host the first Raw of 2010, tonight. With Melina injured, how will WWE tackle the Divas Championship situation? Will she say a tearful goodbye and relinquish the belt? Will she compete and drop the title? Will there even be a new champion crowned? Discuss the show in the … Read more
WWE has posted a blurb on their official website confirming that Melina has vacated the Divas Championship due to her injury at a house show last Tuesday night. An 8-Diva tournament will begin tonight to crown a new champion. The tournament will likely consist of: Alicia Fox, Brie Bella, Eve Torres, Gail Kim, Jillian, Kelly … Read more
Kind of a random place to make an announcement, but it seems as though Mickie James is once again the #1 Contender for the WWE Women’s Championship according to WWE.com’s POWER 25. For the week ending January 1st, Mickie came in at #18 with the description: The beautiful Diva was impressive on SmackDown, defeating the … Read more
In a pretty cool vote of confidence in the young Diva, Alicia Fox ranks #2 on a new WWE.com feature in which they count down the ten Superstars who are destined to win championship gold this year. They write: Ever since moving on from being Edge’s wedding planner, Alicia Fox has shown she is capable … Read more
Tonight is a big night for fans of WWE and TNA, as the latter goes head to head with WWE’s Monday Night Raw in a three hour live extravaganza. It’s also a big night for us Diva/Knockout fans and here’s why… Impact * Knockouts Title: ODB vs Tara * Knockouts Tag Team Titles: Awesome Kong … Read more
SmackDown Diva, Natalya and her fellow Hart Dynasty team mates will be appearing on Raw this coming Monday as the show will be hosted by Nattie’s uncle, Bret Hart. With Melina expected to relinquish the Divas Championship on Monday night, it would be momentous to see Natalya shockingly take the title, wouldn’t it? Especially on … Read more
We were a little saddened that Natalya‘s match got cut from this week’s SmackDown, but the good news is that FCW is here to [more than] make up for it. The Hart Dynasty Diva takes on FCW’s little firecracker, AJ Lee on this week’s episode of FCW. Watch below: This was a nice little match … Read more
The first Divas match of 2010 ended in a fight for dominance for the SmackDown Divas, as three of the Divas tried to show the others who’s boss. But before that, we got to see another match between Beth Phoenix and Mickie James. It may be a new year but some things never change! Watch … Read more
A second Divas match taped for tonight’s episode of SmackDown was cut from the broadcast, it seems. A six person tag team match saw Diva of the Year, Maria team with Slam Master J and Jimmy Wang Yang against Natalya‘s team, The Hart Dynasty. According to spoilers for the taping, Natalya attacked Maria after the … Read more
In possibly her final match for a few months [*sniffle*], Divas Champion Melina took on a familiar challenger, Alicia Fox. Given the great matches that these two had earlier this year on SmackDown and also given the fact that they happen to be two of my favourite Divas, what better way to end 2009? Watch … Read more
It seems as though last week’s Santa’s Little Helpers match actually had some bearing on the future, as apparently Kelly Kelly‘s pin on Maryse has led to a match between the two this week. Will it be better than last week’s short skirt convention? There’s only one way to find out: Maryse starts the match, … Read more
The random observations column is back with a bang, as I take you through Raw by way of my brain! * Gail Bella, anyone? All she needed really was a matching outfit. * Speaking of her outfit, I can’t help but feel there may have been a little more on show than just her legs … Read more
It’s the final Raw of 2009 hosted by Grammy-award winning music producer, Timbaland. What will the night have in store for the Divas? Discuss in the comments!
Santa has delivered this week’s SmackDown early, hurrah! So instead of interrupting your Christmas Day celebrations, and mine, I thought I’d write the Redux tonight instead.
This week’s Christmas Day edition of SmackDown was sort of like a Christmas cracker — someone gets a prize but someone has to lose. It’s all very bittersweet. That’s how I felt about this week’s edition of SmackDown. On the one hand, the blue brand once again delivered gripping Divas action that will leave you on tenterhooks until next week but on the other hand, there was an over-abundance of that God awful ‘Piggie James’ crap to boot. I’d like to think however, that by all the Divas action was said and done — the Christmas edition of SmackDown was quite the corker!
Let’s start off with the backstage segment in which Michelle McCool and Layla give Mickie James a Christmas gift:
So Michelle and Layla present Mickie with a Jenny Craig gift certificate and it’s very evident that whoever wrote this put more effort into coming up with the ‘Christmas ham’ line than most things they do with the Divas. The creative new ways they seem to find every week to insult Mickie goes to show that when they actually care, the writers put in effort. It’s a shame what they care about is ridiculing a long time, valuable employee on national television every fucking week. The end of the segment sees a long gazing shot at Mickie who is clearly upset by McCool and Layla’s ‘gift’.
As for the acting in this segment, despite what was being said, I thought McCool and Layla had good delivery. Though the unison chanting with hands in the air has already gotten old. As horrible as it may be, the attention that this storyline has gotten week to week, has to be something of a motivator to Michelle because I feel she’s stepped up her game in recent weeks in the acting department. She does sell the part well and I think this could be the storyline that finally draws her heat from the crowd.
As we all have become accustomed, this is the time of the year where folks sing carols, wrap presents, and the Divas amount to nothing more than skimpy red costumes. So we saw this coming, and it shouldn’t be surprise that this week’s Raw was absolutely pointless. In what has become an annual thing, Melina, … Read more
Tonight’s Raw is hosted by New York Yankee, Johnny Damon. Will his role in the show lead to a baseball-themed gimmick match for the Divas? Will we get a Christmas-themed gimmick match? Discuss the show in the comments! Join us later tonight for the Post-Raw Show with Steven & Tiffany!
The identity of the blonde golf club wielding assailant in the opening segment of tonight’s Raw is short-lived ECW Diva, Courtney Taylor. Courtney is currently training in FCW, which is located in Tampa, FL., the site of tonight’s Raw, so that should explain it. The skit was obviously a reference to Tiger Woods’ current marital … Read more
It’s been the biggest week of Maria‘s career with appearances on all three brands but it ended on a sour note on SmackDown, with Beth Phoenix not only defeating her but stealing the show. Things have progressed at rapid speed for the WWE Divas over the past week; this time last week, we were talking about Michelle McCool vs Mickie James at TLC — a match that has now passed and since then, all the talk has been about Maria’s Diva of the Year win at the Slammys and now we see the rise of the Phoenix, Beth Phoenix that is.
The Glamazon was the one constant for the Divas this week on SmackDown, appearing in all three Divas segments and receiving some much needed character progression. One thing was clear from the moment Beth began speaking though — this was not the Beth Phoenix of yore. It seems as though that face turn many of our readers have been hoping for may just happen as Beth came across as more of a tweener than the big bad heel we’re used to seeing her as. Watch a more docile Beth with Maria and Mickie below:
The segment starts with Maria and Mickie playing the latest SmackDown vs Raw game, complete with silly commentary. I loved Maria’s, “We got ’em both. Got ’em both!” Perhaps my heart is beginning to thaw this yuletide but Maria’s slapstick is beginning to grow on me. In comes Beth as the ‘mom’, rather than act like the brash heel we’re used to seeing her as, it was clear that this was a different Beth. A Beth that was less threatening and more nurturing. It reminds me of that rant on America’s Next Top Model when Tyra yelled at that chick. “I was rooting for you, we were all rooting for you.” Rather than get in her former rivals’ faces, she comes across as more of a ‘disappointed friend’. A clear sign that this is a new, tweener Beth. I really liked this segment, I have to say. Beth to me, came across as the voice of the people — the voice of the Diva fan. Sure it’s scripted but the way they’re scripting Beth is what the fans want and it shows that they aren’t out of touch with what the fans want because they have Beth here pretty much saying what’s on our mind. Again Maria cuts in with her humour, and again I’m amused. Damn you, Kanellis! The little ‘congratulations’ and ‘thank you’ between Maria and Mickie was cute too.
Next up, it’s time for ‘Beth goes roaming part two’ as this time she bumps into Layla and Michelle McCool.
Michelle tries to gain Beth’s favour by saying she hopes she and Layla didn’t rub her the wrong way upon her arrival to SmackDown. This then descends into another excuse for WWE to take jibes at Mickie James. Michelle shows some improvement here and there’s more inflection in her voice than ever before, she’s definitely working on adding more personality to her promos. I was quite tickled by Michelle calling Maria ‘underfed’, oh the irony. The “She ain’t getting no food” was just lame. Michelle’s ‘huge proportions’ line was well delivered but outdone by Layla, who was quite funny in her delivery. Anyway, the camera cuts to Beth Phoenix who realises that all the things they’re saying about Mickie could apply to her too and she speaks up. I’m glad they did this because it’s that old age movie convention — bullies never prosper. It puts all the weeks of ‘Piggie James’ crap into context in that eventually, Michelle and Layla will get what they deserve although it seems, not at the hands of Mickie, but rather at the hands of Beth. It definitely seems like this sets the stage for WWE turning Beth and having her feud with Michelle. And as face turns go, I think this is a very logical way to do it. The sensitive subject of a woman’s weight that WWE is exploiting on national television is disgusting and I think that many of the audience members will be waiting to see Michelle & Layla get their just desserts. Having Beth’s turn face coincide with that could be a genius move, because as a result of serving said just desserts, the crowd will be behind Beth and that will give her momentum. But while Michelle and Layla’s characters may have to pay penance for their actions, the WWE higher ups who are pretty much ‘script-bullying’ Mickie, will likely never get their just desserts. But I digress, that’s a story for another day.
The latest bits of FCW to hit YouTube have surfaced, originating from the November 28th show. First, we have a match featuring the former WWE Diva (for all of 3 weeks) Courtney Taylor and AJ Lee. “Queen of FCW” Mia Mancini is at ringside to survey the match:
I have to say, starting a match with a rest hold doesn’t exactly allow one to hold much promise for an exciting match. Overall, it looks as though both girls were stuck in slow-mo–even the arm drags were slow. Courtney’s definitely giving me a Kelly Kelly vibe, especially with the ginger ring movements and flashy moves (what exactly was that handstand move in the corner, by the way?). AJ and Courtney just didn’t seem to have much chemistry, with mis-timed exchanges scattered throughout the match. They never got out of the starting gate and seemed preoccupied with slowing the match down to avoid any mishaps. The only excitement I got out of the whole match was AJ’s finisher, and even that was set up awkwardly.
So the match wasn’t much at all, but why did it fall so short? AJ looks to have a lot of potential, but Courtney seems to be a little uncomfortable in the ring so far, and that severely limited the match as a whole. Hopefully she can improve her ring presence and buck the inevitable Kelly Kelly comparisons (like the one I made above.. oops).
Newly crowned Diva of the Year, Maria dropped by ECW last night to appear on the least watched late night show of all time, ‘The Abraham Washington Show’. What makes this both eerie yet funny is that we joked about Maria and the ‘Abe Show’ on Monday night’s Post-Raw Show. Has someone been listening? Anyway, … Read more
The brand we usually overlook had a surprise dose of Diva goodness last night, as Savannah debuted as the new ring announcer for the brand. It looks like the move will be a permanent switch after Lauren Mayhew parted ways with the company last month. Savannah had previously worked as a backstage interviewer for all … Read more
