Here at Diva Dirt, we always strive for equal opportunity (hush), so we’re looking to give TNA a bit more coverage. Thus, we’ll be posting each week’s Knockout action on iMPACT. Yesterday’s edition brought us Raisha Saeed (w/ Awesome Kong) vs. Roxxi Laveaux. Watch the match below: RAISHA SAEED (W/ AWESOME KONG) VS. ROXXI LAVEAUX
Layla is Raw’s resident royal, and she looks positively regal in her new photoshoot, “Luscious”. I don’t like her outfit as much as I’ve liked her others – the satiny shirt kind of cheapens it – but she still looks great (I love her bangs). And, no matter how monochromatic the color scheme, you can … Read more
Tonight’s episode of SmackDown seens a “Divas Las Vegas” pole match to determine the new No. 1 Contender for the Divas Champion, Michelle McCool. Watch the match and backstage segments featuring Maryse and Maria below:
Note: A segment featuring Maryse aired before the match. If you so choose to watch the videos in chronological order, the backstage segment with Maryse can be found after the cut. Also after the cut is a video featuring Maria and Michelle after the match.
Like I’ve always said, the scenery makes all the difference in the world. We’re well aware by now that Jillian Hall has had significant work done, but this photoshoot is miles ahead of her recent work. The pedestrian bridge behind her makes for great, unique photos, and her look is a thousand times better. The … Read more
Thanks to the folks at RF Video for letting us know that their shoot interview with Torrie Wilson is now available for purchase on their site! It’s been just one month since the interview was filmed at the Wrestler’s Rescue event in September but the DVD is already on sale! If you ask me, this … Read more
Natalya is turning on her usual (intense) charm for the cameras in “Laced Up”. As usual, her outfit isn’t the most enviable look in the world, but she’s amazing in her ability to go from snarling to smirking without missing a beat. I mean, what other Divas can full-on scream at the camera and look … Read more
Notice that said hooky not hooker. But anyway, our dearly departed Ashley Massaro has been causing uproar among independent promoters for no showing events she was booked for. And it gets worse – among the events Ashley skipped out on was Dawn Marie‘s Wrestler’s Rescue, a charity Diva Dirt itself endorses. Depriving charity should be … Read more
Looks as though WWE has shown us it’s card and revealed our “fill” or rather lackthereof in Divas action for Cyber Sunday. For the second year in a row, we’re being subjected to a torturous and highly unertaining Halloween Costume Contest and we have a one third chance of seeing Divas actually wrestling. Great booking(!) … Read more
Spoilers are below, highlight to read:
– Backstage in Vickie’s office, Maryse complains about the Divas having to face each other in a ‘Las Vegas Pole’ (fuzzy dice on a pole) match to win a Divas Championship title shot because she just beat Michelle on ECW two weeks ago. Vickie says she loves Maryse, but too bad.
– In a ‘Las Vegas Pole’ match, Maria beat Brie Bella, Maryse, Natalya and Victoria. Maryse seemed to have control and was about to grab the dice but was yanked off by Maria who won the match.
– Backstage, Maria is walking with her fuzzy dice when she runs into the Divas Champion, Michelle McCool. Michelle tells Maria she’s happy for her because she’s always so cute and cheery while Michelle was a competitor who played with tomboys, was into sports and was lovin’ life. Michelle told Maria not to take it the wrong way and then left. Jesse then shows up and says that Festus has a gift for Maria: a single white rose. Maria thanks them.
Melanie’s two cents after the cut, SPOILERS AHEAD.
The most interactive deceptive pay-per-view of the year returns! Two Diva-related events have been scheduled for Cyber Sunday, which takes place in two weeks. Rock the vote to decide: • Choose which teams will go one-on-one in a Pick the Tag Team Match. Choose from one of the following matches: – Tag Team Champs Cody … Read more
Maryse looks a bit like a caped crusader in her new photoshoot, “Violet Vixen”. As always, she looks beautiful – perhaps more-so in the hair in makeup department. As for the outfit, maybe “violent vixen” would be more appropriate, because it sort of looks like she’s ready to find crime rather than wrestle. Is that … Read more
This week on Raw: Beth Phoenix continued her starring turn on Monday Night Raw, the Women’s Champion’s powerslam on Johnny Knoxville is very much a talking point on celebrity news blogs as well as wrestling media. Meanwhile, Kelly Kelly and Jillian duked it out with tag team partners.
Thoughts & Reactions
This week’s Raw was so incredibly underwhelming that I have very little to write. Thus this will likely be a very short Redux this week. Beth Phoenix continues to get a push everywhere outside of the women’s division for which she holds a championship belt. The Diva has been involved in some high profile segments featuring top WWE stars over the past month or so, including Batista and now she’s getting blogged about by the likes of Perez Hilton (I don’t visit that piece of shit, so I’m not exactly sure if there’s a blog about it there per se but you get the gist of what I’m trying to say) by slamming Johnny Knoxville. All well and good, but this was done at the expense of one of the most anticipated feuds of the year – Beth vs Candice which has stalwarted since No Mercy last weekend. It’s nice to see a Diva get recognition elsewhere on Raw and in the WWE, but I’d much rather Beth drop the title and have Beth do all this fun stuff while having actual competition on the show as well. Anyway, that powerslam lol… I guess it’s not exactly Beth’s fault as she has to sell someone who has no idea what he’s doing, but still people are going to be posting that clip on blogs, it’ll likely air on The Soup and it’s a botched powerslam.
Speaking of competition, we got a severe lack of it this week. You know how I like to write that WWE uses Divas to fill a quota? Well what does it say when they can’t even get their usual one match spot? This week we had to put up with Cryme Tyme and Miz & Morrison being injected into our only Divas match of the night. A natural progression from last week’s Raw, but I’d much rather see a straight Divas match. I expected them to have this and then have a singles match with maybe Mickie or Candice. Nope. From what I remember seeing of Kelly and Jillian, they seemed to work well together as was the case last week. Kelly’s execution of that leg-spring off the rope was much better this go around. I noticed fans actually booing when Kelly had to be tagged out because of the mixed tag rules; the fans have really taken a shine to Kelly and that’s important.
We have Candice, who is arguably WWE’s favourite Diva and Mickie James in a useless backstage segment and Kelly Kelly in a wrestling match? That tells you something. I think WWE are seeing how Kelly fever is spreading the crowd and audience and are supplying the demand, they could have easily had Candice or Mickie in a match since Kelly was in one last week. Kelly’s developing before our very eyes, her ring-work is improving and the fans are really behind her. I like that WWE hasn’t rushed her into a programme for the Women’s Championship already like they’ve done in the past with Divas who’ve caught steam, they’re letting Kelly continue to grow and I think when she finally gets her big break, she’ll have deserved it. Kelly’s transition is very unique, it’s happening before our very eyes and Kelly’s still young, she has many years ahead of her. That’s multiple title reigns, many more fans to win over – she could really be the next Trish.
The Perfect 10 returns! The premise is simple: We will rank the ten Divas or Knockouts who we think have had the best week of television, similar to WWE.com’s Power 25. Who will make the grade and who will fall short? It’s all new and exclusive only at Diva Dirt!
Last week, we didn’t feature a Perfect 10 countdown. But here is last week’s chart:
10. The Beautiful People (New Entry)
9. Mickie James (New Entry)
8. Jillian (New Entry)
7. Rhaka Khan (New Entry)
6. ODB (New Entry)
5. Michelle McCool (Last Week: #4)
4. Brie Bella (Last Week: #2)
3. Awesome Kong (Last Week: #1)
2. Maryse (Last Week: #3)
1. Beth Phoenix (Last Week: #5)
WEEK OF OCTOBER 6th – OCTOBER 12th, 2008
10. Victoria (New Entry)
Victoria’s comedic genius gives her a spot on this week’s countdown, after an entanglement with Hornswoggle on SmackDown.
Erin: At this stage, it’s great to just see Victoria on television. She’s excellent at this slapstick stuff, and can do it the way no other Diva can.
Melanie: Nice way to start this week’s chart methinks =)
• • • • • • • •
09. Candice Michelle (Last Week: New Entry)
Candice battled at No Mercy for the Women’s Championship against Beth Phoenix. Though she came up short.
Erin: The two of them did quite well at No Mercy, but it’s odd that Candice was nowhere to be seen on Raw. Are they going to continue this feud, or is Candice back on the backburner? One week can’t tell you that, so we’ll see what happens tomorrow on Raw.
Melanie: An okay match at No Mercy, Candice would be wise to be taken off TV and train a little more. She showed she can go but could use a brush up.
• • • • • • • •
08. Natalya (New Entry)
Another new entry this week is Natalya, who also suffered a loss on SmackDown. However, there seems to be more to the story between Natalya and Brie Bella.
Erin: She and Victoria play the tough-but-not-bright girls really well. They’re getting outsmarted consistently, but they still provide great character-based entertainment. The new girl(s) may be getting the best of her, but I still believe Natalya’s a top-draw heel, and this match proved it.
Melanie: It’s just good to have our Nattie back on screen.
• • • • • • • •
07. Mickie James (Last Week: #9)
In an odd twist of fate, Mickie James moves up two spots despite a loss on Raw. The former Women’s Champion has scored up two successive weeks of matches which is more than can be said for the likes of Natalya, Candice and Victoria.
Erin: I’d like to see where this thing between her and Jamie Noble goes – hopefully it’s not only a stock “babyface” role just there to give Noble a partner. A feud between her and Layla would be pretty interesting, and her dynamic with Noble could be cute.
Melanie: I think a feud with Layla could be interesting and a nice change of pace for Mickie.
• • • • • • • •
06. Kelly Kelly (New Entry)
Kelly Kelly dropped off last week’s chart, but re-enters at #6 this week. Kelly scored an impressive victory over Jillian and is rumoured to be in line for a title shot.
Erin: With all of these wins she’s gotten lately, she’s getting a pretty big push. They’re building her up consistently. This isn’t a shotgun-style push, so that’s good. I’m not sure if I like the idea of her being a title contender just yet, though..
Melanie: She’s doing really well in the ring and the fans are getting behind her, as Erin said, this is a slow burner and that only helps Kelly more. If and when she gets that title shot she’ll be worthy of it.
We’ve been on a detox from this trick for a little while but she’s finally doing something post-worthy. In her best English (it’s like dressing for Sunday church for Ash, don’t judge), Ashley Massaro pretty much reveals that she’ll be getting it all out for Playboy once again. Because we’re all just begging to see … Read more
Now, get your minds out of the gutter. If you want any of that, you can search Google on your own time. Clearly, I’m speaking of the color scheme. It’s been a while since we’ve seen a Mickie James photoshoot, and while this one only presents a measly 4 photos, I’ll take what I can … Read more
After yesterday’s initial post that Karen Angle was taken off TNA television, the latest word is that Karen is not only off TV but gone from the company completely! No idea if she walked away or if TNA released her but this comes off the back end of Karen divorcing husband, Kurt Angle and I … Read more
On last night’s episode of FCW, Raw’s Kelly Kelly showed up to host a Diva-flavoured “twist off” competition and in true Diva fashion, it resulted in a catfight! Among the girls involved were the Bella Twins, a very fierce Roucka, Alicia Fox and honestly I couldn’t tell you who the others were. Maybe some of … Read more
Good news for all of our TNA Knockout fans, Mickie “Moose” Knuckles has been told by TNA that she can return to the promotion once she provides them with medical clearance from her doctor. Moose had sustained an injury last July at an IWA-MS show where she had broke her right femur bone while attempting … Read more
Welcome to Hit or Miss?! We’ll be examining the week’s news bits and deeming them hits or misses. For instance, did a Diva develop some backstage heat? That’s a miss. What about a Knockout match receiving the highest ratings of the show? That’s a hit. I’ll rate each story by stars (out of 5) – more stars for a hit, less for a miss. Got it? Let’s dive in..
Story #1: Victoria to hang up her boots?
Victoria appeared to be 
teasing retirement in a recent MySpace blog, saying:
I have been doing my best to lay the Smackdown every Friday night. I hope everyone followed us to MyNetwork. Again, I am very thankful to have had a long and successful WWE career. Although between you and me, I think I have one more championship run left before I hang up the wrestling boots. What do you think?
Is she looking to retire soon? The sudden career reflection seems rather odd. (See the original post.)
Rating:
Hit or Miss?: 1 1/2 star makes it a MISS. Victoria’s clearly near the end of her career, and I doubt she’ll be seeing a big push in her future. However, I’m not quite ready to say goodbye to her just yet, so this news kind of disappoints me. Hopefully she wasn’t hinting at retiring just yet. She’s one of the WWE’s most talented Divas, and she certainly helps in bringing up the newer girls, even if that may make her a glorified jobber. Perhaps she should cut her losses before she tarnishes the legacy she’s built, but I don’t think that time for that has come.
Story #2: Kelly debunks Playboy rumor.
In another MySpace-created headline, Kelly Kelly 
claims that rumors of her posing for Playboy are false. She says:
ok so anyways here is the answer to the question people have been asking me..i finally have a chance to set the record straight…im not posing for playboy..nothing against playboy at all but i dont know who is posing for playboy but it wont be me. i just want to concentrate on wrestling right now.
Looks like the leading contender in the Playboy race has dropped out. So, who will grace the next cover? Let the guessing game commence! (See the original post.)
Rating:
Hit or Miss?: 3 stars makes it a HIT. I think it’s smart of her to concentrate on wrestling. Posing for Playboy would give her a push, but we know from experience that those don’t last very long. It’d be to her advantage to try and gain as much respect as she can, and needless to say posing nude isn’t going to do that. Maybe Maryse will take the helm? That’s another girl who is developing well in the ring, but since she’s a heel, a Playboy push could be a little more different (and entertaining) than your standard babyface Playboy push.
A recent report notes a sighting between WWE Superstar, CM Punk and former WWE Diva, Lita. Interesting, to say the least… CM Punk was once again at the Chicago Bouncing Souls show tonight, and he was seen with Amy Dumas (Lita) It’s no secret that CM Punk is a huge Bouncing Souls fan; he has … Read more
This week on SmackDown: Brie Bella continued her sneaky ways as she scored a victory over Natalya thus remaining undefeated. Meanwhile, Victoria got a big shock from Hornswoggle!
Thoughts & Reactions
An okay week for SmackDown, if a little uninspiring. I was expecting (and looking forward to) the aftermath of Maryse costing Michelle the Champion vs Champion match last week on the All Star Kick-Off, instead these two Divas were nowhere to be seen. Sucks! But I won’t complain too much, because I did enjoy the match between Brie Bella and Natalya. I like both of these Divas and they both seem to have a lot of potential in the WWE.
This match started off shaky and got better as it went on, Brie looked green at the start with an awkward crossbody from the middle turnbuckle. But things did pick up and reminded me how much I missed seeing Natalya in the ring! When I read the spoilers for this week’s show, I thought what on earth are WWE doing by burying Natalya like this? Well it wasn’t like so, I think they did a good job of having Natalya look confused and Brie getting an upset because of this. I really love seeing Natalya in the ring and she seems to bring out the best of lesser workers and I felt this was another example, the match got better and proved to be entertaining at the end. I know many of you don’t like me comparing Natalya to Beth Phoenix, but I think they have similar backgrounds and similar looks. What I love about Natalya is that she really shows fire and intensity in the ring and this was on display on SmackDown, slapping Brie around and taunting her. That’s something we don’t see from Raw’s Beth. Natalya really uses the ring well and knows what she’s doing moreso than most of the Divas in WWE. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I think she’s the best women’s wrestler on the roster. That clothesline looked sick! Anyone who can perfect the simplest of moves and make them look so effective is on the right track to becoming a future star.
As for the end with Victoria and Hornswoggle, very entertaining and funny. Plus it threw off the ‘big reveal’, I’m not sure when they’re gonna go for the reveal but hopefully soon! I loved that little wink from Brie (or Nicole?) when she came out of the other side of the ring, kinda cocky! Anyway, a decent outing for the Divas though not completely enthralling.
When we see “top 10 Divas of all time” lists, 90% of the time 7-time Women’s Champion, Trish Stratus is #1 but not this time! AskMen.com decided to go for someone less obvious – Sable – as their #1. Of course, these lists are a matter of opinion but if you ask me, Sable is … Read more
Hate to say, “I told you so” but I told you so! Last month, it was revealed that Karen Angle was seeking a divorce from husband Kurt, which led me to speculating it would only be a matter of time until Karen was edged out of TNA. Here’s what I wrote: Now that they’re seperating, … Read more
  At a recent book signing, WWE legend Bret Hart was asked by a fan who his current favorite wrestler is. Was it Chris Jericho? Kurt Angle? Santino, perhaps? No! As it turns out he, like us, prefers the Divas: When it was my turn, I shook his hand, told him it was an … Read more
Who’d have thunk it? Little Miss Stacy Keibler on the cover of one of the biggest magazines in the world. Granted it’s hardly Vogue or Vanity Fair, but even Stacy’ll admit she’s no Angelina Jolie. But the Keib is sizzling in this amazing spread for Maxim’s November issue! From being made up like a tranny, … Read more
This week’s WWE.com Diva Dish mentioned Candice Michelle‘s newest tattoo, and this little bit inspired me to investigate which former and current Divas and Knockouts have their own selection of body art. Thus, a blog post was born! Below I’ve listed those I could find:
Angelina Love
• an angel on her hip
• her former ring name “Angel” scripted on her arm in Old English style lettering
• an angel on the back of her left shoulder
• the Chinese symbol for “angel” on her lower back, surrounded by a set of wings.
Why so angel-obsessed, Angelina?
“I have always had a fascination with angels. I love how they look, I love their innocence, and I love what they represent.”
Ashley Massaro
• a butterfly on her hip
• two black-and-pink nautical stars above the elbows on the back of her arms (her brother has a matching pair on his arms)
• Chinese lettering down the small of her back
• more Chinese lettering down each side of her torso, reading “Trust No One”
• an illustration of a dragon wrapped around the lettering on the left side of her torso.