Money in the Bank is quickly approaching. WWE announced the participants last week. Monday, Wrestling Inc. reported the projected favorites to win this highly anticipated match.
Surprisingly, a name that topped the list was Sasha Banks, who as of writing this, isn’t in the ladder match.
Banks has been missing from WWE television since WrestleMania. At that event, she and Bayley lost the Women’s Tag Team Championship to The IIconics. Since she has been allegedly unhappy with her place in the company and contemplating sitting out the remainder of her contract.
Some fans expected WWE to place her in the Money in the Bank ladder match as a way to possibly mend the fences between both parties. Unfortunately, she wasn’t one of the selected eight competitors.
According to the Wrestling Observer, Dana Brooke is Banks’ replacement in the match. Although Brooke received the opportunity she isn’t among the projected winners. Banks rounded out the top three with a +340 odds of winning. Ember Moon (+325) is in second and Mandy Rose (+300) has the best odds of winning.
Rose was gifted a spot in the match by her tag team partner Sonya Deville. Of the two, Deville insisted that Rose participates in the match. They have been seemingly on the verge of a break-up storyline similar to what creative did with Banks and Bayley last year.
Money in the Bank is less than two weeks away. Still, plans could always change, and Banks could find herself in the match. What are your thoughts on the projected winners of the women’s Money in the Bank ladder match?
Would you like to see Mandy Rose win the match or Sasha inserted? Let us know in the comment section.
Yesterday, Triple H announced NXT TakeOver XXV will take place in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The twenty-fifth TakeOver event—a rare NXT show that won’t occur during a WWE pay-per-view weekend—is scheduled for Saturday, Jun. 1.
Florida, Toronto, Los Angeles, London, Chicago, Texas, BROOKLYN, Phoenix, Philly, New Orleans… …to our TWENTY-FIFTH take over. @WWENXT#NXTTakeOver: XXV is LIVE from the @Webster_Arena Sat, June 1, 2019.
Last week, WWE revealed they needed to reschedule the event because the original date conflicted with the upcoming show in Saudi Arabia. Before the company pushed the show up a week, TakeOver was originally slated to happen in San Jose on Jun. 8.
It is unclear which women will compete at the event, but Shayna
Baszler will more than likely defend the NXT Women’s Championship. The developmental
brand has been planting the seed for a feud between Baszler and Io Shirai for
the last few weeks. So, it’s a safe bet that she could challenge for the title on
the card.
There will probably be some special appearances to coincide with the twenty-fifth TakeOver. It’s a landmark occasion so it will be interesting to see what Triple H and William Regal have in store for the fans.
NXT TakeOver XXV is going down at the Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, CT on Saturday, Jun. 1 at 6:15 pm CST. Tickets will be available this Friday at 10 am.
WWE will return to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Jun. 7 for their next pay-per-view event. The company is in their second year in a mega 10-year deal.
Last year, women weren’t allowed to participate in the shows in Saudi Arabia. However, in an interview with No Holds Barred from ESPN 1530, Natalya said she would love to go to the country one day to wrestle.
“I don’t know, but I’m a firm believer in never say never,” Natalya continued. “For women to be able to one day be able to perform in Saudi Arabia, I know it’s not something were doing it at this moment, but one day I want to be one of the women to do that. For me I just think it would just be so historical for women to make those positive steps over there. I think it’d be a huge step for WWE and huge step for that country. It’s something I want to be a part of.”
Fightful Select reported earlier in the year there has been a push within the WWE to try and have women for the Saudi Arabia events to put a positive spin on the event.
Nevertheless, WWE hasn’t announced if women will compete in Saudi Arabia this year yet. Still, Natalya hasn’t given up hope on the possibility of wrestling in Saudi Arabia one day.
“I don’t know, but I’m a firm believer in never say never,” Natalya continued. “For women to be able to one day be able to perform in Saudi Arabia, I know it’s not something were doing it at this moment, but one day I want to be one of the women to do that. For me I just think it would just be so historical for women to make those positive steps over there. I think it’d be a huge step for WWE and huge step for that country. It’s something I want to be a part of.”
It would be a historic moment for WWE if they can somehow get women on the card for Saudi Arabia shows. If not this year, maybe within the next several years they could possibly have women on the show.
It is also unclear, if there will be another all-women’s PPV event.
What do you think? Will women be allowed to wrestle in Saudi Arabia in the near future? Leave a comment down below.
Thank you to Fightful for transcribing the quotes used in this article.
Monday, Allysin Kay continued her red-hot run as she reclaimed the SHINE Championship at a Tokyo Joshi Pro show in Sapporo, Japan.
BREAKING NEWS: AK47 has regained the SHINE CHAMPIONSHIP and defeated MIYU YAMASHITA in Sapporo Japan of Tokyo Joshi Pro. More news to come. pic.twitter.com/avGw0rG94u
Kay defeated Miyu Yamashita for the belt, capturing her SHINE title for the second time in the process. Yamashita held the belt for 31 days.
Kay’s first reign began back at SHINE 53 in Queens, New York in September of 2018. She defeated Mercedes Martinez in the finals of an eight-woman tournament to determine who would win the vacated championship.
This title victory continues a recent hot streak for Kay, who won the NWA World Women’s Championship back in April at the NWA Crockett Cup. She defeated Santana Garrett to win the title, Kay’s first run with this particular championship.
Yamashita is the one who brought Kay’s first SHINE Championship run to an end at the WWN Supershow: Mercury Rising just a month ago during WrestleMania weekend. Yamashita has also held the DDT Ironman Heavymetalweight championship a total of three times.
The SHINE Championship has a respected lineage dating back
to the promotion’s inception in 2013, where Rain won a tournament to crown the
inaugural SHINE champ. The belt has been held by the likes of Martinez,
Garrett, Ivelisse, and LuFisto.
In an interview with Cheddar released earlier today, WWE Superstar Carmella (real name Leah Van Dale) unveiled her brand new brand of wine, entitled “Capo Cagna.”
The brand’s interesting name is something Carmella believes will strike a chord with wine fans everywhere. “Capo Cagna in Italian loosely translates to ‘Boss B—-,” Carmella explained during the interview. “Being a woman, women are taking over and I think it’s important to be a Capo Cagna.”
The wine will sell for under $20 by the bottle. Carmella explained how her Italian heritage and upbringing inspired her to branch out from the squared circle and step into an entirely new venture.
“I grew up in a big Italian family, and we had Sunday dinners and I grew up having wine,” Carmella said. According to the former Smackdown Women’s Champion, her grandparents had been giving her wine since she was just 10 years old.
Most importantly, Carmella noted how she wanted her wine to be enjoyable for wine connoisseurs and casual drinkers alike. She praised the people she got the chance to work alongside to start this new business.
“My wine partner is teaching me so much and I’m learning every single day,” Carmella said. “This has been almost a year in the making, so it’s not like it just happened overnight. I’m learning so much and I’m really excited to build this brand.”
What do you think of Carmella’s new business venture? Leave a comment below.
The National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) announced via Twitter that newly-crowned NWA World Women’s Champion, Allysin Kay, will compete in her first title defense since winning the belt just a few weeks ago at the Crockett Cup.
Kay will put the title on the line against Marti Belle at the upcoming Ring of Honor live event, Global Wars, set for May 12.
UPDATE!
Allysin Kay (@Sienna) will have her 1st defense of the NWA World Women's Championship on May 12th at @RingOfHonor's #GlobalWars in Chicago.
Undisclosed circumstances forced reigning World Women’s Champion, Jazz, to relinquish the belt she held for almost four years. Kay defeated Santana Garrett for the vacant championship at the Crockett Cup on Apr. 27 in Concord, North Carolina. This is Kay’s first run with the belt.
Allysin Kay has had success across multiple promotions, perhaps most notably as Sienna in IMPACT Wrestling. There, Kay was a two-time Knockout’s Champion and the first woman to hold the Global Force Women’s Championship concurrently. She eventually unified the two title when she defeated Rosemary at Slammiversary 2017.
She also competed in the second annual Mae Young Classic last year, losing in the first round to Mia Yim. Her challenger, Marti Belle, also spent some time in IMPACT. Belle competed in a few matches for the Knockout’s title but never capturing the gold.
Belle competed in the inaugural Mae Young Classic, where she lost in the first round to Rachael Ellering.
ROH Global Wars will take place at The Odeum in Villa Park 7 PM EST. Tickets are still available at rohwrestling.com.
WWE released the official poster for Money in the Bank 2019 and Becky Lynch will take center stage. The image features Lynch posing on a throne with both the RAW and SmackDown Women’s Championship.
The company revealed poster this afternoon via Twitter. Later, Lynch reposting the photo with the caption “#BDE.
It’s fitting that Lynch is the star of this poster, as a double champion and unquestioned centerpiece of the WWE women’s division. Becky is currently scheduled to defend both titles in two different matches at Money in the Bank.
On Raw, Becky has been embroiled in a feud with the up-and-comer, Lacey Evans, who has proven to have The Man’s number on more than one occasion. This will be Lacey’s first shot at the gold and Lynch’s first defense since winning the titles at WrestleMania.
To do so, Becky overcame the odds to defeat both the former undefeated Raw Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey and Charlotte Flair in a historic main event.
Lynch will have a familiar foe to square off with over the
Smackdown Women’s Title, as Charlotte defeated Bayley in a No. 1 Contender’s
Match on Smackdown to earn a shot at the gold.
Money in the Bank will stream live on the WWE Network on Sunday, May 19.
Sasha Banks has been MIA since she and Bayley lost the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships to The IIconics Wrestlemania 35. Rumors have swirled about her for the last few weeks.
Some say the former Raw Women’s Champion is taking a sabbatical. Others claim she wanted to quit, and WWE is giving her a break. Finally, Meltzer suggests she is going to attempt to sit out her contract.
In the month since Sasha lost her smile, everyone—both fans and fellow wrestlers—has been chomping at the bit to give their take. Enter Booker T. On his podcast The Hall of Fame w/ Booker T podcast, he gave his commentary and it went like this:
“My take on this is that a lot of times things aren’t made up sometimes to what you think they are. You can think things are a certain way when you get there, but when you finally get there you realize that it is not what you thought it was…I remember a guy by the name of Avon Riley when I first started wrestling back in the day.”
“The guy used to play for the Houston Oilers back in the day, and then he got out of football and wanted to get into wrestling and he realized that pro wrestling is nowhere near where he thought it was. He was out in a heartbeat, but there are those ones like Sasha Banks, who has all that talent and rises up to that top level and gets there and then realizes that it is not what she thought it was because the reason is that it is not all about you. It is never going to be about you.” (huge thanks to our friends at Wrestling Inc. for the transcript)
Photo credit: WWE.com
Essentially, he feels Sasha thinks it’s about her, and there have been rumblings on the dirt sheets. Various sources claim The Boss has a bit of an attitude. Booker didn’t stop there.
He goes on to say, “I don’t write the script and that is one of the reasons why I am here today; I never really cared about what the script was. Give it to me and let me go out and get it done. If it was something that I didn’t disagree with, I was going to go out there and get it done. If I had disagreed with it, I would have said, hey, I don’t agree with this. Let’s change this because I am not doing it this way, then they would change it, and that is the way business has always been done with me. I can’t say that with everybody, but with me that was how it was done.
“I never looked at pro wrestling any other way than being entertainment. I never looked at it like it was anything but storylines. I never looked at it like it was anything but Shakespeare with Romeo & Juliet, Phantom of the Opera. I never looked at it any other way than everyone getting their turn, but I must say that Sasha Banks has had a lot of success. How many women get in the business that never win?”
“I am going to tell you right now Sasha Banks has had more life-changing moments than so many that have walked into this business. She is made and she can do anything she wants as far as this business goes from what she has gotten from this business. “So, I don’t understand it. I can just say that. I don’t understand it. I don’t understand a lot of this stuff that goes on these days. We are in a totally different world right now as far as the pro wrestling business goes.
“Hey man, for me, it was all about the money and taking care of my family and to create moments along the way and memories to be able to touch people and at the same time being able to change their lives.”
Here Booker, is where you deserve a gathering. There is no denying that Sasha Banks’ attitude can be problematic. No, she has never been politically correct in her interviews. She wears her heart on her sleeve and she has said things against the company line time and again.
She has done that since day one, from talking about not wanting anything to do with Total Divas during her time in NXT to her less-than-stellar views on Ronda Rousey. Sasha always believed she is the best, and thus rewarded for her drive and skill.
Photo credit: WWE.com
Where Booker is right. Banks was treated better than some of her peers. However, it doesn’t mean her feelings are invalid. In the last few years, there are women who were booked worse, but that doesn’t mean that Sasha isn’t allowed to feel undervalued when she’s been given hollow title victories. Even more, she has basically been a jobber to the stars.
She is a four-time champion, who hasn’t held a title past a single defense. She’s seemingly used to have good to great matches with less talented women. Then she’s cast aside. It’s frustrating to watch.
Booker raises the point that he has always seen it as he’s an entertainer, but Sasha is a wrestler. While it’s well and good to see it from that perspective, there are those, who take their craft more seriously. They strive to be the best in their division and at times were, but the payout at times undercut the work.
What Booker T said comes off like a weak, establishment response. This isn’t even the first time he has expressed this sentiment. He took up for Hulk Hogan, encouraging others to give him a second chance. He essentially just admitted he was ok with that racist angle, which led to a baffling loss Triple H at WrestleMania 19 because he goes where the money goes.
Now, this statement underscores an issue many in the world face today. If you want to be paid well, you have to happily accept whatever treatment you’re given.
There is always a time and a place for dissenting opinion. Sasha may need to learn diplomacy, but no one should sweep her feelings under the rug. When Stone Cold took his ball and went home in 2002, he didn’t receive nearly as much flack. CM Punk walked out and was hailed a hero by many in the IWC because he had legitimate gripes, along the same vein as Sasha’s. The Revival is reportedly unhappy with their booking, not much dissent there.
Gail Kim famously had enough, and quit in spectacular fashion. But she was pegged as bitter and angry by many of the males in the wrestling universe. While it undoubtedly hurts to lose a WWE paycheck, this idea that you should put up with the poor treatment for the sake of it is ridiculous. Cody Rhodes left to do his own thing and he’s thriving.
WWE is no longer the only place wrestlers can cut their teeth, and Sasha is in a long line of people who are dissatisfied with their position with the company. No matter what she decides to do she has the right to do what’s in her best interest. Nobody is ever good for business if they can’t give their all to it. Is it worth it to keep going to a job that isn’t giving you what you feel you deserve?
What do you think? Does Booker T have a point? Have you ever been in a position where you feel angry at your job? Sound off in the comments below!
Last night, Cathy Kelly announced that the next NXT TakeOver event is scheduled for Saturday, Jun. 1. WWE hasn’t revealed the location of the show yet, but more details will be available next week.
Previously, the company planned for the next TakeOver to take place in San Jose on Jun. 8. However, that date would conflict with the recently announced Saudi Arabia show slated for that Friday, Jun. 7. So, WWE pushed it up a week.
Here’s their official announcement:
Next NXT TakeOver
announced for Saturday, June 1
The next installment of NXT’s critically acclaimed TakeOver series will take place Saturday, June 1. The event will stream live, exclusively on the award-winning WWE Network.
Since its inception in 2014, NXT TakeOver has etched an unbelievable legacy of incredible action, career-making performances and unforgettable moments, with each TakeOver seemingly topping the one before it.
Stay tuned to Triple H’s social media this Monday afternoon for more information on the huge event!
The location and ticketing information for the unnamed event will be disclosed on Triple H’s social media accounts this coming Monday. So far, NXT hasn’t made the card official but they’ve planted the seeds for rivalries that could come to a head in the weeks to come.
Check back with Diva Dirt for more on the next NXT TakeOver.
Recently, Beth reunited with her former partner, Natalya, to reform the Divas of Doom. The team competed on an episode of Monday Night RAW. Then they battled for the Women’s Tag Team Championship at WrestleMania 35. Notably, Pheonix performed an incredible Avalanche Glam Slam, but they still came up short to the IIconics.
Beth has been dabbling in color commentary since 2018. She joined Michael Cole and Corey Graves to call all the action for the inaugural Mixed Match Challenge.
She was also a guest commentator for the Mae Young Classic in 2018, the Women’s Battle Royal at WrestleMania 34, the 2019 Women’s Royal Rumble, and women’s tag title match at Elimination Chamber and Fastlane.
Phoenix joins Nigel McGuinness and Mauro Ranallo, becoming the first woman to commentate on NXT since Renee Young back in 2013.
With the announcement that Phoenix will step back behind the announce desk, it seems her recent stint as an in-ring competitor could be coming to an end. Phoenix hasn’t been seen on RAW in roughly a month.
Are you guys excited for Beth Phoenix on NXT commentary? Leave a comment down below.
Gail Kim made an appearance on Wrestling Inc’s WINCLY podcast earlier today, where she discussed the main event of WrestleMania 35. She said Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, and Ronda Rousey did a great job but may have hindered by the sheer length of the show.
“I don’t know about the seven-hour show though. I shouldn’t think so negatively, but I feel like [WWE] almost set them up for failure in a way,” Kim said. “Why would you have a seven-hour show? The fans are going to be so tired halfway through the show,”.
WrestleMania 35 kicked off at 5 pm EST with a two-hour preshow, and the overall runtime of the entire event was over seven hours. The women’s didn’t get started with their match until nearly midnight.
“Having a seven-hour show, it’s a challenge for the people
on the back half of the card,” Kim said.
Still, Kim was also praised the main event, particularly the overwhelming popularity of Becky Lynch.
“They worked really hard, especially someone like Becky Lynch, who won over the fans herself and worked for that spot. If she didn’t get over with the fans like she did, would she had been in that position? I’m not so sure, but she did that. She worked hard, and I’m really happy for all those girls.”
Lynch went on to win the match by pinning Ronda Rousey, capping off a memorable and historic main event that delivered in spite of many fans’ fatigue.
In an appearance on The Bella’s Podcast, WWE Superstar Carmella spoke out against the rumors that her and Corey Graves were in an extramarital relationship, stating that she “would never wreck a home.”
“Let me just say first and foremost that I would never wreck
a home. That is not the life that I’m about,” the Carmella said on the podcast.
“I would never in a million years do that.”
Earlier this year, rumors began floating around that Corey
Graves was cheating on his wife with Carmella. These rumors were further
broadened when Graves’ wife posted a scathing Instagram post in which she
accused the two of carrying on behind her back.
Later, Graves clarified the matter, saying that he was estranged from his wife and that they were in the process of getting a divorce.
Carmella rejoined the cast of Total Divas for the upcoming season. She also said on the Bella’s Podcast that the drama would all unfold on TV.
“I will say there’s always so many sides to each story so if
you do want to know the truth about this story, you guys already mentioned I
will be on Total Divas this season, so the whole story plays out on Total Divas,”
Carmella said.
Today, IMPACT Wrestling announced via press release that they are launching a brand-new subscription-based streaming service entitled IMPACT Plus. The app will feature a library spanning the company’s 17-year history, as well as monthly live specials.
“Anthem Sports & Entertainment is proud to partner with
Brightcove on the development and launch of IMPACT Plus,” said Ed Nordholm, the
current president of IMPACT Wrestling as well as the executive vice president
of Anthem.
“As our subscriber base has grown, we have established the
need for a more robust back-end technology, while looking to enhance our user
experience and content offering. Starting this Sunday, we will be delivering a
live premium event every month exclusively for IMPACT Plus subscribers.”
Plus will be available across multiple streaming devices, including online, iOS, and Android, as well as on Roku and Amazon Fire TV. The service will be available through subscription at a monthly rate of $7.99.
The streaming service will offer its first live special, Code Red, on May 5 at the NYC Arena in Queens, NY. Notable matches already confirmed on the card include a mixed tag match featuring Taya Valkyrie and Johnny Impact vs. Eddie and Alisha Edwards, and a tag match pitting Tessa Blanchard and Violette vs. Scarlett Bordeaux and Sonya Strong.
Subscribers to IMPACT’s Global Wrestling Network will migrate over to Plus, and the four major pay-per-views will also be available for purchase through the app.
As of tonight, WWE revealed all eight participants, who will compete in the 2019 women’s Money in the Bank ladder match. The last four women were announced on the new episode of SmackDown Live.
WWE didn’t use qualifying matches to determine the competitors as they have in the past. Yesterday during “A Moment of Bliss”, Alexa Bliss presented the participants from the A show—Natalya, Dana Brooke, Naomi. Lastly, Bliss declared she will round out the group as the final member from Raw.
On SmackDown, Bayley was the first reveal before her not-title match against Raw and SmackDown Women’s Champion, Becky Lynch. Mandy Rose declared she will also participate in the ladder match during a backstage segment with Sonya Deville.
Backstage correspondent, Sarah Schreiber, introduced the final two women, Ember Moon and Carmella, in an impromptu interview.
This is the second year in a row where eight women will participate in the Money in the Bank ladder match. There were only five competitors in the first iteration, making the match a bit more crowded. Hopefully, this year’s clash will be good as it was last year.
What do you think of the announcement? Drop a comment below with your pick for Ms. Money in the Bank 2019.
According to Square Circled Sirens, Japanese star, Meiko Satomura will join the WWE Performance Center as a guest trainer. Satomura has years of in-ring experience when she began training at the young age of 14.
The Japanese legend has worked with WWE in the past. She was a competitor in the second annual Mae Young Classic this past summer.
She did pretty well in the tournament making it to the semifinals, ultimately losing to eventual winner, Toni Storm. In the previous rounds, she defeated Killer Kelly, Lacey Lane, and Mercedes Martinez.
Prior to her stint in the Mae Young Classic, she wrestled all over the globe for Chikara, WCW, and Gae Japan, to name a few promotions. Satomura has also wrestled for Sendai Girls’ Pro Wrestling which she co-founded with male professional wrestler Jinsei Shinzaki.
Kana(WWE’s ASUKA) VS Meiko Satomura In celebration of Kana’s self-promoted Kana Pro-Mania event at the Korakuen Hall.
WWE frequently brings in talent all over the world to play the part of guest trainers for their students. In the past, they have brought in Serena Deeb, Sarita, Lance Storm and Shawn Michaeals. Meiko Satomura will bring years of experience in Japanese strong style and she should make a huge impact for those at the Performance Center.
What do you think of Meiko joining WWE as a guest trainer? Leave a comment below and let us know!
WWE hasn’t made an official announcement yet, but it sounds like they will introduce a new pay-per-view event, Stomping Grounds, which will replace Backlash. Tacoma Dome revealed the name of the event in an ad on Facebook.
In case you missed it, rumors suggest WWE canceled Backlash because it conflicted with the date of the upcoming Saudi Arabia pay-per-view event. However, it seems like they just rescheduled Backlash for later in the month and then renamed it.
Photo credit: WWE.com
WWE will offer three pay-per-view events within a month of each other. Money in the Bank is scheduled for May 19. The Saudi Arabia live event will take place sometime in early June, followed by Stomping Grounds on Jun. 23.
With three events so close together, it will be interesting to see how the company handles storylines and matches, especially for the women’s division. It’s unclear as of yet if women will compete in the unnamed Saudi Arabia show. As we know, Money in the Bank will be a big night for Becky Lynch, as she will be defending both titles.
With Lynch and Charlotte Flair advertised for the event, we should expect to see them both compete in some form. Will Flair be SmackDown Women’s Champion by then?
Only one match has been announced so far and that is Roman Reigns vs. Randy Orton. More than likely, all the WWE champions will compete and defend their titles. Will she be Becky 2 Belts still when Stomping Grounds comes, or will she settle in on Raw or SmackDown?
The Stomping Grounds is slated for Jun. 23, at 7 pm EST. It will take place in Tacoma, Washington at the Tacoma Dome.
Money in the Bank is just a few weeks away. The event will take place on May 19, earlier than its usual placement on the calendar. The highlight of the card, the Money in the Bank ladder match, grants the winner an opportunity to face the champion of their choosing.
Two years ago, women were finally able to participate in this style of match. Like the Royal Rumble match, the stipulation was specific to the male roster. Now, fans can witness the clank of the ladders with the hope that their favorite female competitor can unfasten the briefcase to win their opportunity.
Arguably, much like the Rumble winner, whoever receives the title shot should be someone who needs a push. A new opponent to square off against the current champion is refreshing to the fans as WrestleMania tends to restart storylines. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case.
WWE has a tendency to select the most obvious choice to win matches, especially with a title opportunity as its prize. Alexa Bliss who is no stranger to the title picture won the Money in the Bank ladder match last year and cashed it in on Nia Jax the same night. Bliss didn’t need the win to get a title shot.
The inaugural winner of the Women’s Money in the Bank briefcase, Carmella, is the perfect example of what this opportunity could do for the winner. Winning this match elevated Carmella’s career.
She carried the briefcase nearly a year and successfully cashed in on Charlotte Flair on the SmackDown after WrestleMania 34. She held the title for 131 days.
WWE will announce the participants for this year’s match on A Moment of Bliss segment on the next episode of RAW. With the fresh start since WrestleMania, all eyes will be on the winner of the Money in the Bank match. In the spirit of this event, here are five women who would benefit from capturing the briefcase.
Allysin Kay adds another title to her resume as she became the new NWA World Women’s Champion. Women’s wrestling legend, Madusa, was on hand as the ring announcer for the match.
Allysin Kay defeated Santana Garrett this evening at The Crockett Cup in Concord, NC. Garrett was a last minute replacement as Jazz vacated the title on Monday morning. Tonight, Kay defeats Garrett after landing the discus lariat, otherwise known as The Big D.
Jazz held the title for an astonishing 948-day reign. As previously reported, she vacated the title due to medical and personal issues. She has the privilege to be in the record books as the third-longest combined reign in belt’s history.
Kay’s win comes just weeks after she lost her Shine Women’s Championship in a Winner Takes All Match. She lost the title to Miyu Yamashita who is also the reigning Tokyo Princess of Princess Champion. Kay will receive a rematch for the title in Japan as she faces Yamashita on May 6 at a Tokyo Joshi Pro event.
What do you think of Allysin Kay’s title win? Leave a comment below and check back in with Diva Dirt for more news of the NWA World Women’s Championship.
Are we in a time loop?! Because we’re back at it again with the battle between Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch! We’ll discuss this week’s SmackDown where we saw the fire that rekindled that is Bayley. Charlotte Flair being inserted back into the Championship storyline. The IIconics’ continuing losing streak. And rather an unsuccessful return match for Alicia Fox.
Get ready for our upcoming series of interviews. We first have “10 Questions with the Women of RISE” coming up soon. We also have an exclusive interview counting down the fan-voted Top 5 moments with Kelly Kelly and Summer Rae.
Before her return match this Sunday at Rebellion, Gail Kim sat down for an exclusive interview with Diva Dirt’s Simon Hannig. She discussed a wide range of topics including Tessa Blanchard, WWE, the John Oliver segment, Sasha Banks, and retirement.
Kim has earned the right to be called one of the most decorated women’s wrestlers of all-time.
IMPACT Wrestling’s pay-per-view event, Rebellion, will be in Toronto, Canada, which is Kim’s hometown. She discussed what it means to wrestle in front of her hometown crowd.
“Yeah, I didn’t expect it,” Kim said. “It’s funny because we announced this match and obviously I knew the match was coming, but I didn’t really know where. I thought maybe Philly because that’s where they are later on this week. It was kind of nerve-racking.”
“I thought, ‘Okay, this is great,’ because my nephew has never watched me wrestle live. Oh, wait, maybe a little bit but nothing of this caliber especially with my opponent being of that caliber. It’s exciting to have my family and friends there and my husband is gonna fly in. It’ll be special, hopefully, and I hope that the fans are really into. I think that we’ve invested a lot of time into it, so I’m ready. Very ready.”
Photo credit: IMPACT Wrestling
Many fans have been wondering why she came out of retirement to face Blanchard and if there will be more matches later on.
“No, it’s a one-time thing, definitely,” Kim said. “I think people know I had back issues. That’s why I retired. There was a lot of factors that went into making this decision because I was happy in terms of how my career ended and everything.”
“I think everyone who knows me and my work ethic and the kind of matches I like to produce for the fans out there and perform at that level. I want magic. I want them to have that memorable, magical moment that they will cherish and remember for as long as possible.”
She went on to discuss Blanchard and her attitude problem.
“When I saw Tessa and obviously she’s got a little bit of attitude problems here, but she has my respect in terms of her work ethic and who she is in terms of what she wants to be in this business,” Kim said. “Her passion and her dedication to being the best. That’s where her youth and her age maybe plays into her attitude issues. I look back at her and see a lot of myself in her. I just think it’s a great match up. My generation versus her generation, which is right now.”
She also discussed Blanchard’s comments about her where and the claim Kim is holding her back.
“Like I said, that’s a comment that comes out of a 23 year old,” Kim said. “I think I can look back and say I had some attitude problems early in my career and I said this on TV and I meant it, I don’t think anything but getting her in the ring will shut her mouth or teach her a lesson. I’ve been working so hard and waiting for that moment and Sunday will be a culmination of it all. I’m looking forward to it.”
This is her second stint with IMPACT. She came back to the company in 2011 after her second run with WWE ended.
“I never wanted to leave Impact, to be honest,” Kim said. “I think some people know this story. When I left that one time, it was a business decision. I was in the prime of my career. I felt like financially, in terms of where I was in my life, I needed that offer to be something of substantialness and it didn’t come at that time.”
“So, WWE had offered me a substantial offer, which I said, ‘Okay. I’m gonna be optimistic and hope for the best and hope that I’m a stronger woman now and I’ve experienced that and know what I’m walking into.'”
“I went there and it wasn’t what I had hoped. It was basically a repeat of what I experienced the first time. I never had bad feelings towards IMPACT. I never wanted to leave.
“So for me, it was a no-brainer for me to go back. As long as they wanted me back as well, and they did. It just picked up back where we left it, just working with a lot of the same girls and creating that magic. With Impact, they’ve always utilized the women in a really positive way and never stopped.”
“So, I knew I’d be going back to an environment that allowed me to thrive, to the best of my ability. I didn’t feel like that was the case at that time where I was.”
Gail Kim has had many high points in her illustrious career, but she picked two things that were her personal favorites in her career.
“Oh boy. I would say kind of a tie,” Kim said.“I guess the two would be, one, winning the very first Knockout championship. It was special because it was the very first title and not just that, I felt like it was truly fought for and it was all the years of fighting. When you fight for that long and you get what you want, it’s almost like the taste of victory is even better because you know you fought so hard for it.”
“The same with Hall of Fame because that was something that accumulated over time. To have that appreciation and validation from your peers and from the fans and from the company, those were probably the top two that I will always remember and cherish.”
Ivelisse Velez took part in the most recent WWE tryouts at their Performance Center in Orlando, FL. Recently, Lucha Underground released the worldly talent from her contract, after she battled to part ways for close to two years.
She became extremely popular on the independent scene during her 15 years in various promotions. Notably, she is a two-time Shine Champion.
This isn’t the first time that Ivelisse has knocked on WWE’s door. Previously, she appeared on their reality competition show, Tough Enough, in 2011. Unfortunately, an injury forced an early elimination. Afterward, she received a developmental contract under the name Sofia Cortez. She was released in 2012.
WWE announced some other female prospects, including Alexandria Garcia from Booker T’s Reality of Wrestling. She is well-known for her time with promotions such as SHINE Wrestling, SHIMMER, and RISE Wrestling. Ana Kundzicz and Skyler Moore are two more participants who hail also from a Hall of Famer’s organization. They are both from The Dudley Boyz 3D Academy.
You can see the full list of the tryout participants at WWE.com.
Would you like to see Ivelisse receive a WWE contract? Who would you like to see her compete with? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section!
Happy Friday! We’ve made it through another exciting week in the world of female wrestling. That means it’s time for FREE MATCH FRIDAY!!
Today we are going to take you back over 10 years to a brutal feud that took place between Kyoko Kimura and Kana (now known as Asuka). There were no post-match hugs or IG selfies after this match.
What are your thoughts of this match? What would happen if Asuka wrestled this style today?
Rhea Ripley has been the talk of the online wrestling community, and not in a good way since last night. The former WWE NXT UK Women’s Champion found herself in a bit of hot water for using a homophobic slur during a live stream on Twitch.
As the story goes, a fan asked to be insulted by Ripley. Said fan tipped her $15 to be insult them in Australian slang. Rhea responded by calling the person a “stupid motherf*cking f*ggot.”
The stream has since been pulled and fans have been weighing in on social media.
Is she homophobic? I don’t think so, I literally just think she’s stupid. #RheaRipley
I’m choosing to stand by #RheaRipley and her apology. If she does something else wrong, then I’ll judge her. Either way, she apologized immediately and I mean less than 24 hours. Not longer like everybody else does. My choice. Not your problem.
While she seems to have more people backing her than not, Rhea also released a statement via Twitter, stating:
So the question to the fans is do you forgive Rhea Ripley? Is her apology enough? Is this just a stupid mistake that she as a very young woman can learn from, or does she deserve to be canceled?
Alicia Atout Interviews Scarlett Bordeaux and Killer Kross
“The Interview Queen” Alicia Atout had planned an interview with Killer Kross at WrestleCon, but was quickly interrupted by Scarlett Bordeaux. Watch as they discuss being a new couple, drinking and their pet peeves for one another.
