The latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter rumors a tentative line-up for WrestleMania 27.
Of course, nothing is guaranteed until it’s announced on TV or WWE.com, but here goes:
WWE Pay Per View
Elimination Chamber in Review: Divas Deliver 100% Stratusfaction (That’s a Guarantee!)
It’s funny how things work out sometimes, isn’t it? You take a throw away pay-per-view like the Elimination Chamber, the show that’s get stuck between the big two, and you put together a rather weak card of five matches that leaves so much to be desired. For Diva fans the show appeared to suck even more because there wasn’t a match announced at all. I can’t speak for everyone, but I didn’t really want to watch the show. All day I debated whether or not to order it and my gut kept telling me to do it; give the show a chance and you won’t be disappointed. The show ended up getting ordered and low and behold it blew the Royal Rumble completely out of the water. Not only did the matches deliver, but the show was full of surprises. New champions were crowned, both Elimination Chambers far exceeded expectations, and the WWE continued their theme of shock/awe returns. That Diva match never happened but if you want my humble opinion (and you know you do), what we got was much, much better.
When an announcer gets in the ring for what seems to be no apparent reason, I, like all Diva fans should, cringe because it usually spells bad things for the girls. Diva dance offs or bikini contests, or something that’s not a match, usually ends up taking place. So when Booker T got in the ring, my reaction was natural. Booker T has a microphone and he says that he wants to introduce somebody and that this somebody is going to be a trainer on the new season of Tough Enough along with himself and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. He glances in the direction of the stage and a few seconds later some very familiar theme musics begins to play.
TRISH STRATUS WALKS OUT!
Elimination Chamber 2011: Kelly Rehired, Trish Stratusfies Lay-Cool
Lay-Cool meet Trish Stratus! Despite having no advertised Divas match, WWE certainly delivered an explosive night for Diva fans at Elimination Chamber tonight. After Vickie Guerrero entered the ring pleading with Teddy Long to rehire her boyfriend Dolph Ziggler, Teddy instead rehired Kelly Kelly who had been fired by Vickie a couple of weeks ago … Read more
Diva Dirt LIVE Does the WWE Elimination Chamber
Diva Dirt LIVE returns tonight at 11pm ET with a post-Elimination Chamber special. We’ll be discussing Trish Stratus’ surprise return, the segment with Lay-Cool and Trish as a trainer on Tough Enough. EDIT: Catch the replay below:
WWE Elimination Chamber Discussion
WWE presents Elimination Chamber tonight on pay per view. Tune in at 8pm ET. Discuss the show in the comments!
WrestleMania 28 Coming to Miami
Next year’s WrestleMania, the 28th edition, will air live from Miami, FL on April 1st, 2012. Divas Champion, Eve Torres was on hand for a press conference today in Miami. The news is notable because it had previously been reported that Toronto was being considered as a possible location, leading to rumor that Trish Stratus … Read more
Royal Rumble in Review: Eve Rocks the Rumble
To say last night’s Royal Rumble pay per view was random would be an understatement. Within a course of a week, we had gone from Natalya vs Melina to Natalya vs Lay-Cool and now to Eve involved as well. So confusing. It’s enough to make you need a stiff drink.
Under the guise that we are going to have a two-on-one handicap match, Lay-Cool make their way down to the ring with Michelle McCool this time looking extra flawless. (Sorry Lay!) The Divas Champ is out next and we are ready to go…. Not so fast.
That dastardly GM’s laptop (this isn’t Raw!!!) rings and we get the announcement that this will now be a fatal four-way match with another Diva involved. Cue gasp as we all think ‘OMG AWESOME KONG’… eh, way to get your hopes up. Beth Phoenix? I mean, she does have singles victories over both Layla and Michelle in recent weeks… eh, think again. Eve Torres’ music hits. Oh.
Royal Rumble 2011: Holy Shocker! Eve Wins the Divas Championship
As random as it was to see WWE book Natalya vs Lay-Cool for tonight’s Royal Rumble, things got even more random when the pay per view got underway. Raw’s Eve Torres was added to the match at the last minute by the anonymous Raw GM, making the bout a fatal four-way. Well, that should’ve been … Read more
WWE Royal Rumble 2011 Discussion Post
WWE presents the Royal Rumble live tonight on pay per view! Will Natalya be able to defeat Lay-Cool to retain her Divas Championship? Will another Diva compete in the Rumble match? Tune in at 8pm ET on pay per view. Discuss the show in the comments! – Reminder: Tune into Diva Dirt LIVE’s Royal Rumble … Read more
PPV Predictions: WWE Royal Rumble 2011
The Divas Title is on the line as Lay-Cool take on Natalya. Will the Hart Dynasty Diva retain or will we have BFF champs again? The DD team weigh in…
April: Given the fact that this match is a little random, I’m going to have to go with Lay-Cool. Not taking anything away from either side but it just seems a little odd that all of a sudden, Lay-Cool remembers they have a rematch clause. Obviously, they’ve been feuding with Beth Phoenix while Natalya has been focusing on Melina. I have a bad feeling that Natalya is going to lose her Divas title going this route. I hate it because I think she makes a great champion and I’m a little tired of Lay-Cool hogging the spotlight, but it’s inevitable. No one seems to hold the Divas Championship very long anymore and when they do, it always has odd circumstances. But, as usual, the match is bound to be interesting. I’m extremely happy they put a Divas match on the card. The Royal Rumble is a key pay-per-view and has always been one of my favorites. I can’t wait to see what happens.
Cryssi: Well this is not the match I expected to be predicting this week, but here we are. Lay-Cool versus Natalya… again. Since Nattie has been the Divas Champion she’s feuded with two people; Layla and Michelle McCool as I hardly count her three week interaction with Melina as a feud. Her title reign has been less than impressive and that’s entirely the WWE’s fault. Nattie has done the best she could do with what’s been given to her and that’s not much. Unfortunately, the WWE will probably blame Natalya and thus I see Lay-Cool regaining the Divas Championship at the Royal Rumble. But the question is, which member of the team gets the pin? In my little brunette head I see Layla and Natalya putting on a clinic and Layla hitting the Lay-Out close to the ropes. As she goes to pin Natalya and win the championship, Michelle reaches over, tags herself in much to Layla’s dismay, and picks up the victory. Michelle celebrates like she won the Super Bowl and Layla just looks pissed off. Michelle hands her the championship and coaxes her into celebrating and eventually, Layla’s icy exterior thaws a bit and both girls make their way back to the lockerroom happy again… for now.
David: It doesn’t seem like many people are excited about the Divas Championship match at the Royal Rumble. As you know, Lay-Cool exacted their rematch clause this past week on Raw, so now Natalya is forced to defend her title in a handicap match at the pay-per-view. I am looking forward to the match because I like all 3 of these wrestlers but I understand people’s confusion and disappointment. What happened to Melina and Eve? Why were they just pushed aside for Lay-Cool? What about Beth? She’s been dominant on SmackDown. In general the Royal Rumble is a fun PPV and I think we’re going to see a surprise Sunday night. Maybe Amazing Kong makes her debut. In my opinion, though, Lay-Cool is going to win the title and then immediately after the match someone else is going to exact her own rematch clause. Due to injury The Glamazon never did receive her own rematch after losing the belt in May. So Sunday night I think Beth cashes in and walks out of Boston with the Divas Championship, keeping the Sisters of Destruction on top and Lay-Cool without the belt.
Eric: When Lay-Cool’s music hit on Monday night, I, like many of you began cursing and throwing tantrums. After all, wasn’t this feud settled with the tag team tables match? I thought so. However, maybe it is the little bit of optimism that refuses to leave my cynical body (and reports that Melina self sabotaged this push) but I have to believe that WWE has a bigger plan for this match than a simple title switch or defense. So , am joining many of you in praying that Oprahgod brings us Kong. The match will be a simple 7 minute affair with Natalya making Michelle tap. Double teamed by Lay-Cool after. Beth comes for the save. Bam Kong destroys Beth and Nattie. Touchdown dances all around. Kong will be a trending topic and maybe the #iwantwrestling folks will get their wish.
Diva Dirt LIVE Does the WWE Royal Rumble
Diva Dirt LIVE returns tonight at 11pm ET with a post-Royal Rumble special. We’ll be discussing the match and taking your calls. EDIT: Replay below:
YouTube Classics: Beth Phoenix Competes in the 2010 Royal Rumble Match
WWE’s annual Royal Rumble pay per view returns tonight! Join us as we reminisce on some classic Rumble moments today. Next up we rewind just a year back to when Beth Phoenix became only the second woman to compete in a Rumble match!
YouTube Classics: Chyna Competes in 1999 Royal Rumble Match
WWE’s annual Royal Rumble pay per view returns tonight! Join us as we reminisce on some classic Rumble moments today. Let’s start with that historic moment when Chyna entered the 1999 Royal Rumble match.
Beth Phoenix Reminisces on Last Year’s Rumble Match, Wants to Compete in This Year’s
On the eve of the 2011 Royal Rumble, SLAM! Sports caught up with one of the people who made last year’s Rumble match so memorable: Beth Phoenix.
Phoenix eliminated The Great Khali last year before herself being eliminated by CM Punk. Beth reveals how it all came about and what the experience was like:
“It was a really, really last minute opportunity,” Phoenix told SLAM! Wrestling, adding some background. “Honestly, I put my bid in each and every year, hoping that one day I could follow in the footsteps of Chyna before me, but there wasn’t an opportunity. In 2010, they decided to give me a shot.”
“Being only one of two females that have done that before, it’s probably the most intimidating and invigorating experience of my life. I can’t imagine any scarier experience than, going toe to toe with one man is crazy enough, let alone the off chance of being in there with 29 other male superstars,” she said. “It was a very intimidating experience, but it’s one of those things where I really admired what Chyna had done in the past. I was thrilled and excited and ready to take on that challenge myself. I can’t tell you how awesome it was to be able to do that in 2010.”
Beth also says that she wants another shot in the Rumble match this year. She says:
Divas Title Match Set for Royal Rumble… But Not the One You’d Think
If you raised an eyebrow as to why WWE booked Melina vs Natalya for Raw instead of on the pay per view in six days, here’s why: Melina’s out of the title picture and Lay-Cool are in. Natalya will defend her Divas Championship against one or both members of Lay-Cool at the Royal Rumble this … Read more
TLC in Review (December 19th, 2010): Divas Go Extreme and Look Fashionable While Doing So
A lot of people, myself included, were left flabbergasted when the mysterious Raw GM announced last Monday night that Michelle McCool and Layla would face off against Divas Champion, Natalya, and Beth Phoenix in the first ever Divas Tables Match at TLC. Lets face it, the WWE doesn’t exactly have a reputation for taking their girls seriously, and when this announcement was read I pretty much felt my jaw hit the ground from sheer and total shock. I quoted several times this week that this match had all the potential in the world, but it would end up being a total hit or miss. Thankfully for everyone involved, from the girls to the fans, the match was an absolute hit. Beth, Natalya, Layla, and Michelle made history last night and put their bodies on the line just to entertain the fans in the audience and those watching around the world. They proved that above all else they are wrestlers with just as much passion for the business as the people who bust their asses on the independent scene for years. Those people who write the Divas off just because they work for a company that only believes in giving them five minutes of airtime a week (max) that they’re not capable of putting together a truly good show. I really hope that everyone who watched the match or will watch will appreciate that the four ladies involved made the best use of their allotted time and did everything they could to make the match memorable.
It truly was one of the best Diva matches I’ve ever seen.
Former Divas Champions, Lay-Cool, are the first two to make their way to the ring. The Slammy award winners have their statues in their hands as they make their way to the ring. Both Michelle and Layla are sporting new ring gear and allow me to show my real wrestling fandom here; no doubt the top ring gear I’ve ever seen. Wow, both of those outfits are gorgeous. Anyway, moment over. Lay-Cool aren’t their usual confident selves as they go to the ring. They walk past several tables and Layla pretty much looks like she wants to cry. Michelle takes her hand and they finish walking together. As both members of Lay-Cool get on the apron, Layla declares that she doesn’t want to do the match at all. The cameras cut to highlights from SmackDown featuring what went down between all four women before cutting back to the ring. Michelle and Layla were seen having just watched the package and of course, that just got their emotions going again. They turned around and pointed to the pink table, crying about what could happen to them, when the Glamazon’s music started to play.
WWE TLC: Lay-Cool Laid Out in First Ever Divas Tag Team Tables Match
The holiday season isn’t getting off to a great start for Lay-Cool. The Diva duo were sent crashing through a table by Divas Champion, Natalya in the first ever Divas Tag Team Tables Match at TLC just moments ago. In an extremely entertaining match that saw multiple twists and turns, Lay-Cool were outsmarted by ‘Glama-Hart’, … Read more
Diva Dirt LIVE Does WWE TLC | Live at 11pm ET | Call 347-989-8156
Join Diva Dirt LIVE for this exclusive post-TLC episode! We will be on the air right after the PPV, to discuss all the Divas action and give you the opportunity to call in and discuss your thoughts too! Tune in at 11pm ET. Interact with us throughout the show by calling in to have your … Read more
WWE TLC Discussion Post
WWE presents TLC tonight featuring the first ever Divas Tag Team Tables Match between Lay-Cool and Beth Phoenix & Natalya. Who will be going through a table? It all kicks off at 8pm ET on pay per view. Discuss the show in the comments!
PPV Predictions: WWE TLC 2010
Tonight will see the first ever Divas Tag Team Tables Match as Beth Phoenix and Natalya (Glama-Hart) team up to take on Lay-Cool. Who will be put through the table? And who will walk away with the victory? The DD team weigh in…
Cryssi: I expect a lot of shenanigans mixed with chaos in this match. The WWE picked the right four women to compete in this type of match. Natalya and Beth are brawlers, and Lay-Cool will have the comedy aspect down pat. Call me an optimist, but I expect this to be a beautiful match. Everyone will get a ‘spot’, but at the end of the night I fully expect to see Michelle McCool to go through a table with Layla slammed down on top of her giving Natalya and Beth Phoenix the victory. As far as after the match, that’s when things get fun. As the champ and the Glamazon celebrate, Melina runs out with a steel chair in hand and clocks Beth in the back, getting rid of her. Natalya is confused but she starts brawling with Melina. When the A-List Diva gets the upper-hand I expect her to ‘Last Call’ Natalya in the middle of the ring, set up a table, and send the Divas Champion through it. Heel turn completed.
David: Tonight’s Divas Tag Team Tables Match at TLC should be historic! If it was simply Divas Champion Natalya and a returning Beth Phoenix vs. resident bad girls Lay-Cool, that would be exciting enough for me. But add in a rich, interesting storyline (a rarity in WWE) and the hardcore stipulation, and these four girls have a great chance to wrestle a match we’ll remember for a long time. I am not sold on Beth’s friendship with Nattie; sure they might like each other but Nattie has something the Glamazon wants, the championship belt. I think Natalya and Beth Phoenix will defeat Lay-Cool tonight but then once the match is over Beth will slam Natalya through a table, sending her a message: in the end “gold and diamonds” really are a girl’s best friend.
Eric: There are two questions floating around in my head about this match. 1) Do both partners have to go through a table? 2) Is Beth even capable of a stunt like this? Does Layla even have the body mass to go through a table? While I am interested to see what WWE decides to do with the match, I don’t see any heel Beth/heel Melina swerves going on. I predict a short and sweet match. Look for Michelle to go through the table and look for Layla to be slammed on top of her. Natalya and Beth Phoenix will win. Maybe then Natalya will finally get a new challenger.
In Video: Divas Have Wrestled in Tables Match Before (Trish, VicTara)
While tonight’s TLC pay per view may be the first all-Divas tables match, Divas have competed in a tables match before! Trish Stratus and the former Victoria, Tara, competed in an intergender tables match several years ago.
Watch:
More:
A History of Divas Going Through Tables
Tonight’s TLC pay per view will see the first ever Divas Tag Team Tables Match, but it wouldn’t be the first time in history that a WWE Diva has gone through a table, however. Oh no!
During WWE’s boom period, the ‘Attitude Era’, many a Diva found herself in that devastating spot — usually courtesy of Bubba Ray Dudley.
Let us reminisce on some good ole fashioned Diva table spots!
Before she became the 7-time Women’s Champion and built a legacy befitting of our first ever Diva Dirt Legacy Award, Trish was known as something of a harlot while with Test & Albert. She ended up on the wrong side of a certain Bubba Dudley and ended up paying for it.
Diva Dirt LIVE Does WWE TLC Tonight at 11pm ET: How to Call In & Interact
Diva Dirt LIVE returns for a pay per view special as we dissect all the fallout from tonight’s TLC pay per view. We’ll be discussing tonight’s first ever Divas Tag Team Tables Match and as always, taking your calls throughout the night too.
All the details you need to call in, tweet and comment are after the cut:
First Ever Divas Tag Team Tables Match at TLC
For the first time in history the Divas will compete in Tag Team Tables Match at WWE TLC this Sunday. Divas Champion, Natalya and Beth Phoenix will team up against Lay-Cool in the match.
Survivor Series in Review: A Dream Becomes Reality for Nattie, Plus the Glamazon Strikes Back
Last night’s Survivor Series 2010 marked the third meeting between Co-Divas Champions, Lay-Cool and the third generation Diva, Natalya. Natalya has faced off against both members of Lay-Cool individually and came up short, but last night the odds were stacked even more against. This time she’d have to face both members in a 2-on-1 handicap match. Can the first lady of The Hart Dynasty take out the BFF champions to become the first ever third generation Divas Champion? Check out the match below:
Out first are the Co-Divas Champions and Michelle McCool is looking stunning in a copper variation of her usual ring gear. Layla… not so much. I don’t know what it is about Divas and mixing neon colors and weird prints, but it never looks good and this was no exception. I’m usually a big fan of Layla’s choices in ring gear, but this was a definite miss for her.
Survivor Series 2010: Natalya Wins Divas Championship, Beth Phoenix Returns
WWE has crowned its first ever third generation female champion in Natalya. The Hart Dynasty Diva finally overcome Lay-Cool in a two-on-one handicap match at Survivor Series when she made Michelle McCool tap to the Sharpshooter. A flood of tears followed as Natalya finally realised her dream — to be champion. The celebration however, was … Read more