Welcome to Diva Dirt’s Five to Watch 2011! This annual list compiles five rising talents in the world of female wrestling that we think have what it takes to be the next big thing. From their in-ring abilities to their unique personalities, we aim to spotlight some of the upcoming female talent that you may not yet know about. Over the next five days, we will unveil the names that the Diva Dirt staff have handpicked. Meet the Class of 2011…
Who is she?
23-year-old New Zealander Evie first appeared on our radars when she was announced for the massive PWWA return show held on September 3rd. Although this was only her first trans-Tasman trek, Evie has been making a name for herself in her home country of New Zealand since December of 2007 as both a manager and a wrestler. Currently trained by the Dudley Boys’ 3D Academy graduate, Dave Deluxeo, Evie has proven she can face off with some of the best the business has to offer. Most notably, Evie wrestled the “Rate Tank” Kellie Skater in a semi-main event match on the aforementioned PWWA show. The match itself was fast-paced, hard-hitting and very well-received by fans and wrestlers alike.
Her story so far…
Originally debuting just under four years ago with a cheerleader gimmick and attire, Evie and fellow New Zealander Britenay helped revive the stagnant women’s division in Impact Pro Wrestling New Zealand (IPWNZ). Voted “Best Female Wrestler” in 2009 at the NZPWI’s People’s Choice Awards, it could also be argued that their near year-long feud in 2008 helped do the same for women’s wrestling in New Zealand in general. In May 2010, she formed a popular babyface tag-team with Megan-Kate, cutely titled “BFF”. Although she hasn’t claimed any championships just yet, if were IPW to introduce a women’s title, we think that it wouldn’t be too long before she was in the running for it.
Watch Evie in action against Britenay
Why we chose her…
We chose Evie because her potential is endless. She’s young, feisty and has a great attitude to match — constantly striving to improve and become a better wrestler. Not only does she boast an impressive move-set and in-ring skills, she has a great look (with flashy gear!). In an interview with Diva Dirt, former SHIMMER Champion Madison Eagles also listed her as one of the girls she’d most like to wrestle. With a big name like Eagles backing her, Evie is sure to go places. We wouldn’t be surprised to see her mixing it up internationally – SHIMMER, perhaps? – in the very near future.
Female wrestler Faye Palmer was evicted from the British version of Big Brother tonight.
19-year-old Palmer lasted 57 days in the competition since entering the house on September 9th.
Faye managed to survive eviction last week, however, didn’t escape the vote a second time. She didn’t appear surprised when her name was called out as this week’s eliminated contestant.
Faye’s sister, former WWE developmental talent Jemma Palmer, entered the house last month as a surprise addition to the house but quit the show last week.
While in the house, Faye had struck up a romance with fellow housemate, Aaron, which divided the nation and strained her relationship with sister Jemma, as it appeared Jemma wasn’t a fan of her beau.
Palmer’s eviction is bittersweet as the finals of the current season are just one week away.
Faye is from Tamworth, England and wrestles under the ring name Darcy Steele.
Welcome everyone to another thrilling edition of the Impact Write-Up. It’s been a fun-filled night of Knockouts action, only this time there wasn’t too much of it spread throughout the show. Tis fine, as to make up for that fact, the gods at TNA have awarded us a Knockouts Tag Team Championship match. The self proclaimed “TNT”, Tara and Brooke Tessmacher, will put their gold on the line against the team I like to call “Karen’s Krusaders” (Don’t judge, the spelling is nothing different than Corre or Kharma) which is made up of the Queen Bee, Madison Rayne, and the recently returned, now with a speaking purpose, Gail Kim! Which duo will emerge victorious? Will the Tag Team Titles change hands? Will Miss Karen be looking as classy and elegant as usual?
Even though we all know the answer to the third question, let’s continue on and find out what happens…
Out first for this contest is Karen’s Krusaders, to some funky new music, might I add. I would like to point out that Christy Hemme‘s introduction seems very biased. Gail Kim gets this little faint intro, and then MAAAADISSSOONN R-HAAYYYYNNNEEE gets all of that? Christy, explain yourself! The camera smartly pans to a shot of the beautiful Miss Karen, looking more and more like a modern day Miss Elizabeth than ever. Gail and Madison walk hand in hand with their boss, as Aunt Traci follows behind, and once again is forced to hold the ropes open for the trio.
The three friendly women pose in the ring, as the sound of someone having something broken (broken-broken-broken) erupts, and out come Tara and Brooke Tessmacher. TNT sport their Wonder Woman finest, and certainly give the original a run for her money. Once the two ladies step into the ring following their sensual entrance, the bell sounds and we are underway. Miss Karen and Aunt Traci step out of the ring, while Brooke and Madison start things with a lock up. Tessmacher takes control with a wrist lock, dragging Madison over and making the tag to Tara.
Tara steps in right where Brooke left off, until Madison reverses the wrist lock into one of her own. Tara flips over with a one armed cartwheel, before tagging back out to Brooke, who takes Madison down with a few nice armdrags into an arm lock. Tara with the quick tag back in, as the two drop Madison with a double team front suplex. Tara removes her top, as Gail steps in and gets all up in Tara’s face. Kick to the stomach by Kim, as she sends Tara off the ropes. Tara with a kick to the shoulder, following it up with a set of clotheslines, as Gail begs for her newfound speaking life!
Tara slams her down, and then sends Gail flying off the ropes. Huge back body drop by the current champion, which sparks Miss Karen to demand Madison tag herself in! Tessmacher makes the tag as well, and drops Madison with a clothesline/fist pound/dropkick combo! Brooke sets Madison up for the Ass-Tastic, but Gail Kim grabs Tessmacher by the hair and tosses her down. This prompts the genius, Miss Karen, to scream for Brooke to get her butt out of Madison’s face! (Remember Brooke, none of that erotic behavior.) Madison tags Gail back in as the challengers now take control.
Gail with a European uppercut, before sending Brooke into the corner and dropping her with a neckbreaker for a two count. Tara gets the crowd behind her coveted partner, as Gail locks in a dragon sleeper! Brooke tries to fight out with a few elbows to the stomach, but Gail slams her down face first and begins screaming at her. I’m not certain, but I believe the words used were: “Listen to me, Tessmacher, I get to actually speak now and I’m doing it in every damn match so deal with it!” Kim poses to the crowd, before tagging Madison Rayne back in. Madison looks to go for her head between the legs multi-slam maneuver, but Brooke fights out of it and makes the tag to Wonder Tara! Tara ducks a clothesline and drills Madison with a few of her own.
Body-slam soon follows, as Tara looks to do for a standing moonsault… only Gail Kim absolutely nails her from behind with a running clothesline. Brooke Tessmacher with a huge spear on Gail, as the two fall outside the ring. Tara, meanwhile, sets up for it… and WIDOW’S PEAK! Miss Karen steps up onto the ring apron, obviously to give the fans in the front row a view of what true class really is, allowing Gail Kim to slide into the ring and drop Tara with the Eat Defeat! She rolls Madison onto Tara… and YES! KAREN’S KRUSADERS WIN THE TAG TEAM TITLES! Miss Karen and Gail jump up and down in celebration, as Aunt Traci looks on in disapproval. Madison joins in the celebration, as the three women show off their new gold!
Thoughts: Really good match tonight for me. I enjoyed all the frequent tags between the two teams because it kept things going and never slowed down. Kinda bummed TNT no longer hold the titles because I liked their chemistry together. (Just wish they would’ve had more tag teams to face.) Gail and Madison should do well with the belts I hope, but I really just want to see more tag teams form so that they have a lot of challengers. Other than TNT, I can’t think of any face teams left on the roster. Nonetheless, some will say that it’s too soon for Gail, but after watching her wrestle on Superstars and get barely any chances at a title, I’m happy she has one again. Madison is also a great character and I personally enjoy her in the ring, so I’m happy that they’re a team. Plus, with the TNA VP involved, you really can’t go wrong!
Ahead of their history-making bout this weekend in Taiwan, a fight broke out today between Cheerleader Melissa and Japanese star Makoto.
The fight occured at a press conference for All Japan Pro Wrestling’s “Pro Wrestling Love in Taiwan” in Taipei which takes place tomorrow, November 5th and Sunday, November 6th. Melissa is due to team with BLACK BUSHI and Dark Dragon against Makoto, Ultimo Dragon and BUSHI at tomorrow’s show, before facing Makoto in a singles match the next day.
It has been confirmed by officials that the matches will have some history behind them, as we’re told it marks the first time a female wrestling match has taken place on in Taiwan.
Check out our exclusive video footage below:
Also, Melissa is keeping us updated on her travels and has sent in a picture of her with former WWE star Nelson Frazier (Big Daddy V/Viscera) and Joe Doering.
TNA has released a promo package for the upcoming Gail Kim vs Velvet Sky match at Turning Point.
They really do these video packages well and it gives the matches more importance, I think. In this promo, Gail notably says that the Knockouts Championship is “waiting for its mommy”.
Future WWE developmental Diva Tenille is the star of a new short film documentary. Fittingly entitled “Tenille. The Wrestler.“, the documentary is produced by her brother, Rhett Dashwood. In it, she discusses injuries in wrestling, support from family and friends, dietary and fitness requirements, and her WWE tryout in March.
The video is well worth a watch, offering a fresh insight on Tenille that many have perhaps never seen. She displays a passion for wrestling that is both refreshing and admirable to see.
Additional footage and director’s commentary is also available below.
TNA crowned new Knockouts Tag Team Champions on tonight’s episode of Impact Wrestling when the returning Gail Kim and Madison Rayne picked up the belts.
The win marks a fast turnaround from return to title win for Gail, who made her comeback on Impact just three weeks ago.
The new champions defeated previous champions Tara and Brooke Tessmacher thanks to a little help from their benefactor and Knockouts VP, Karen Jarrett. As Tara had the match won with a Widow’s Peak on Madison, Karen distracted the referee, allowing Gail to hit the Eat Defeat and place Madison on top of the veteran Knockout to steal the win.
Fresh from winning the Knockouts Tag Titles, Gail could become a double champion before the month is out as she faces Velvet Sky for the Knockouts Championship at Turning Point on November 13th.
Thoughts: I was a little disappointed by the length of this match. I thought it was just hitting its stride momentum-wise and then came to an end. I’d like to see a longer bout between these four because there was some good chemistry.
I suspect that Gail’s hot return to TNA over the past few weeks could be leading to her eventually losing to Velvet Sky at Turning Point in a couple of weeks. Gail certainly has a ton of buzz behind her at the moment and has been strongly booked since coming back to the company. It seems like it’s all building up to that match where she’d suffer her first loss against Velvet, which would be a big rub for the new champion & solidify her title reign.
What do you think of the title change? Can Gail become a double champion? Tell us in the comments…
“Your Two Cents” is the new interactive feature where we gauge the opinions of our Twitter and Facebook followers on different discussions in women’s wrestling.
This week, with the recent release of Maryse, we’re asking this: Which Diva or Knockout release bothered you the most? We’ve read your responses on our social media pages and picked some of the best submissions to highlight here on the website. As always, you can join the debate by leaving your comments!
Our Two Cents
Batting for Team DD this week, it’s Erin giving us her personal opinion on this week’s topic:
Erin | My pick is a pretty personal one. I’ve followed Melina since well before she was hired by the WWE, so her release was something that gave me a unique perspective on the “lifespan” of a WWE Diva, from the tryouts (including her appearance on the third season of Tough Enough) to the stint in the development territory to the call to the main roster. I enjoyed watching every moment of that journey, and to see her time with the WWE end in such an abrupt way was surprising and disappointing. She accomplished a lot in her time with the WWE, and I wish she could have had a more satisfying departure befitting those accomplishments.
Your Two Cents
Ant Alford | The TNA Knockouts.. Boy, I’d be here all day saying how the wrong people have come and gone yet the dross still remain, but now isn’t the time… I will never understand why Hamada, Daffney, Alissa Flash, Roxxi are gone and why they ever let Awesome Kong go.
@FearlessRiOT. | In all honesty, I’d have to say that Melina‘s release this year bothered me the most if not only for the fact that we are now missing out on some fantastic rivalries in the Division now. Her feud with Natalya never really had a definitive ending and my dream feud of Melina vs. Eve – which could have easily replaced that Eve vs. Bella Twins feud – will never happen. It also made her heel turn at the top of the year seem useless. Such a wasted opportunity. I was really broken by Maryse’s release, too, because I loved her and she was my second favorite Diva this year behind Eve, but I feel WWE wasted Melina’s talents even worse this year. But I guess it isn’t all bad because WWE’s loss is now WSU’s gain.
@GregLucM | I would go with Melina, but I realistically have to go with Daffney. Her leaving TNA was (maybe still is) surrounded with a whole lot of issues that goes above and beyond stuff like creative mismanagement.
@HokieDragon | Mickie James‘s release. Just wrong on so many levels. The most popular. Most versatile. Most talented. Seemed to be the most willing to put up with the inane, stupid, bullshit storylines and actually make them appear credible. Haven’t seen any blatant negatives about her that can’t be ascribed to petty jealousy for the most part.
Jhonmarco Velazquez | WWE releasing Tiffany will always bother me the most. The girl had SO much potential & could have easily been champ in a year’s time. She had great agression & she wasn’t like the average “model”. She could have had a great character & made a great heel, as well as an awesome face. Huge letdown by WWE.
Josh Andrews | Gail Kim, mostly because how everything was handled, on both sides. The WWE shouldn’t of mis-used her, and should of let her out of her contract when she wanted. But in my opinion, it was dis-respectful to the business when she self-eliminated herself in the battle royal that would turn out to be her last match with WWE.
Nick Voodoo | Diva: Amy Dumas/Lita. I know she wasn’t released…but the fact that WWE ran her life into the ground and allowed the fans to hate her to the point where she couldn’t even walk her dog was deplorable. They more or less FORCED her to quit. Knockout: Shannon Spruill/Daffney. Read ‘The Sad Tale Of Shannon Spruill’ on CagesideSeats.com and tell me that you don’t want to burn Impact Wrestling HQ to the ground after reading it..
@Third_Eye84 | has to be Maria. She was improving so much and becoming a star, released for speaking her mind and having a side project.
And now we turn it over to you…
What are your two cents on the debate? Which Diva or Knockout release bothered you the most? Tell us in the comments…
Sexiest of the Sexy, Maryse, who was released from WWE last week, had just two words for her former employer: “Your loss!”
The former Divas Champion was filmed by paparazzi last Friday night as she celebrated her release, where she was asked what she thought of her release. The former Diva told the camera guy: “Vince McMahon, your loss”, before signing off with her patented “Be sexy!” catchphrase.
It’s thought that Maryse’s departure from WWE was as much her wanting to leave as WWE opting to let her go. The ex-Diva celebrated her release — complete with a cake — last week.
I open this NXT Watch with a quote. Not one of those fancy spiritual quotes many people tweet about on twitter, but one that Kaitlyn herself actually retweeted… “For everyone who complains that Divas and tag teams don’t get much ring time, you’d think NXT would have a million views.” This rings no truer than tonight’s episode. On top of getting to see Kaitlyn face off against Tamina in a rematch from last week, we also get to witness AJ team up with Percy Watson & Titus O’Neil to compete opposite Maxine, Derrick Bateman, and JTG in the main event. If that isn’t groundbreaking enough, there’s both a backstage segment with the Chickbusters…AND another segment to open the show involving AJ and Maxine that goes on longer than probably a years worth of TV matches.
So enough babbling from me…let’s get started.
We open this week’s NXT with a brilliant video package highlighting the budding romance between the recently engaged Derrick Bateman and Maxine. After the show open, the cameras head to the ring as JTG welcomes us to this weeks episode and introduces the two lovebirds. Derrick and Maxine enter the arean, as he carries her like a threshold is below them. (obviously preparing for the honeymoon) Once the two enter the ring, they each grab a microphone and Maxine opens up by addressing JTG and his lack of introducing them as their coveted couple name “Betamax”. (Note: Not this type of Betamax)
Bateman explains that it’s the perfect name for a couple who’s too hot for TV, and informs JTG he may be Derrick’s best ‘fly’ man. Maxine interrupts and claims that this is not about JTG, to which Derrick remembers that he did not have the ring for Maxine’s finger last week. He gets down on one knee and presents her with the ring that 38 weeks of NXT salary could get him, to which she eventually seems pleased with her new rock. The two then proceed to kiss, as Titus O’Neil, Percy Watson, and AJ make their way out to the ring, mics in hand.
Titus claims that nobody wants to see Betamax kiss because it makes they’re stomachs move like Jagger…hmm. He then continues on with some insults to Maxine that I shall not repeat because I would never insult Maxine, but basically he and Percy speak about the size of her lips. Derrick Bateman calls them all jealous, and bitter because of Derrick’s success from his woman to his show. AJ chimes in and wonders how often a woman like Maxine bags a catch like Derrick…seven…eight…nine…ten times? She continues on with her congratulations, stating that both Maxine and her ring are cheap and plastic. (BURN!)
Maxine demands that nothing on her is fake, and asks AJ when the last time she ever got bagged was! (BURN X2!) AJ amazingly claims she doesn’t understand that, as Titus comes back into the equation stating that the groom should have asked Maxine’s father for his daughter’s hand in marriage, although he couldn’t locate her father. He and Percy claim they have found her father and pull out a fish from a bag (obviously because no human could give birth to a woman as perfect as Maxine). This infuriates our evil NXT Queen, as she charges forward after them.
Derrick springs forward even more than his fiancée, but Titus throws him over the top rope as Maxine slides out the opposing side. JTG soon follows her, as Matt Striker walks out and announces that tonight’s main event is going to pit Titus, Percy, and AJ against Derrick Bateman, JTG, and Maxine in a six person intergender tag team match! The six seem pleased at this announcement, as they head out and we go to a commercial break.
We head to the back, where AJ is seen lacing her chucks up in preparation for her match tonight, when out of nowhere pops her chickbusting partner, Kaitlyn. The two greet one another and discuss the possibility of little Betamax children running around, with their curly hair and amazing ability to cut promos, but I digress. AJ describes the two as literally being able to give birth to hate…albeit with a glorious head of curly hair!
From there, the subject turns to Kaitlyn’s rematch tonight against Tamina. Kaitlyn claims that she toppled the goddess last week easily, and that she’s not worried for anything tonight. AJ chimes in and states that Kaitlyn’s victory may not have been as easy as she thought. (ruh-roh) Kaitlyn turns the tables onto AJ’s match against Maxine this evening, and claims that she hasn’t had a match in a few weeks and may be a little rusty. (ruh-roh x2) The two agree, and after an awkward silence, engage in a fist bump as they head out in preparation for their upcoming battles this evening.
LET’S GO HIT THE DANCE FLOOR!
As the upbeat theme of the NXT Season Three winner pops onto the sound system, out comes the baby blue wearing woman herself, Kaitlyn! As she slides into the ring, the threatening theme of Tamina blares, and out comes the evil looking Snuka goddess. She quickly gets into the ring, as the bell sounds and these divas waste no time getting things started. They charge forward up to one another, but it’s Tamina who takes control with a quick headlock into a takedown. Kaitlyn uses her leg strength to trap Tamina, until both women get out and to a vertical base.
Tamina punches Kaitlyn in the stomach, before chopping her in the back. Kaitlyn then takes control with a nice european uppercut, followed by a seated butt bump to send Tamina down to the canvas in pain. Kaitlyn wastes no time reverting back to her strong suit, in trapping Tamina’s abdomen with a leg lock. She flips it over into some unique roll ups, but only for quick counts. Tamina tries to fight out, and eventually does after some powerful elbows. Both ladies step up to two feet, but Kaitlyn capitalizes with a kick to the stomach and an impactful suplex.
Tamina scurries to the corner, and as Kaitlyn charges forward, she is met skull first with Tamina’s boot. She follows it up with a nasty clothesline, and then some relentless knee and elbow drops. Tamina picks Kaitlyn up and throws her into the corner, before screaming for her to “GET UP! GET UP!” (which may be easier if she wasn’t throwing Kaitlyn down mere seconds before) A snapmare to the former rookie for a couple two counts, as Tamina can’t believe what has transpired. Kaitlyn’s poor stomach gets kicked by the boot of Snuka Goddess, before being choked on the ropes until the referee begins to count.
Tamina locks in a choke hold around Kaitlyn’s throat, as she demands the referee ask if Kaitlyn wants to give up. She begins to reach a vertical base, but Tamina slams her back down and begins to destroy her. Finally…Kaitlyn is able to power out and take control with a snapmare, before locking in some dragon sleeper holds mixed in with strikes to the chest. Both women get to two feet, but Tamina DRILLS Kaitlyn in the face with a brutal fist. Lady Snuka reverts back to the submission hold, hoping this added punishment will spark Kaitlyn to give up.
The crowd gets behind Kaitlyn, as she manages to shove Tamina into the corner and flip her over with an arm drag into a submission hold! Tamina fights out of it and tries to send Kaitlyn into the ropes, only Kaitlyn reverses and sends Tamina flying. Kaitlyn goes for a high dropkick, but Tamina holds onto the ropes and simply slams her to the ground. Tamina scouts for her prey to get up, and once in position, goes for a clothesline from hell…only Kaitlyn ducks and catches her with a sick side effect finisher for the second victory over our goddess! Kaitlyn celebrates her (much harder to attain than last week) win, as Tamina goes back to the drawing board to come up with ways to beat this former rookie.
As we return to the arena, the theme that currently sits on my iPod of Titus O’Neil and Percy Watson hits, as the two men, along with resident Kitana costume master, AJ. The trio glide into the ring and pose for the fans, as Derrick Bateman’s theme follows, whilst he and JTG make their way out trying to hold Maxine back from charging forward and destroying AJ! They run all the way around the ring holding this pit bull back, as Titus and Percy try to control AJ as well. It’s about to go down! The men try to control the two ladies, but as soon as the bell sounds, it’s all legal, and the women start things off.
Maxine runs forward and takes AJ down with a kick. She then relentlessly slams AJ into the canvas over and over to make her pay for her earlier comments! Maxine takes the spunky spitfire down with two clotheslines, meanwhile holding onto the wrist for easy access to continue. As she goes for the third, AJ ducks and rolls Maxine up for a quick count. The two get back up, as Maxine kicks AJ in the stomach and…uniquely twists her hair around in a circle to add further damage with a fourth clothesline! She hooks the leg for a two count, before letting out a sharp scream and sending AJ into the corner.
Maxine runs forward, but AJ boots her in the face and leaps off with an awesome arm drag from the second rope. From there, she follows up with a leaping front dropkick that almost sends Maxine flying in the shape of a pretzel. She doesn’t stay down for long though, as she runs for her opponent, only to get hit square in the face with a reverse roundhouse kick! Maxine rolls over to the ropes so the referee forces AJ off, before running over to her corner and tagging in JTG.
By rules of a mixed tag match, Percy Watson runs into the ring and the two lock up. JTG connects with some kicks, as he sends Percy into the ropes, only Watson reverses it and ducks under. Following up with a leapfrog in true showtime fashion, he then drills JTG with a belly to belly/clothesline combo for a two count! Percy drags JTG into his corner, as Titus O’Neil tags in and they take JTG down with a double team move for a close call. Tag back into Percy, as they go to repeat the tag team maneuver, only JTG slides under it and makes the tag to Derrick Bateman.
Derrick charges into the ring but gets taken down with an arm drag, followed by the Sky High dropkick for a two count! Percy is sent into the corner, but nails Bateman with an elbow to the jaw. Maxine walks over to Watson in hopes of distracting him, which she accomplishes as Bateman is able dropkick Percy back into the corner for another close pin attempt. Derrick drags Percy into the corner and begins kicking him over and over, as JTG makes the tag in. JTG snapmares Watson into the ring and applies a choke hold, as AJ and Titus try to get the crowd behind Percy.
Percy finally gets to a vertical base, but JTG controls him with a Regal Cutter! Tag back into Derrick Bateman, as the two just destroy Percy Watson until he is able to fight back with some kicks. Ultimately, Derrick takes him back down with a knee to the skull and a neckbreaker for a two count! Derrick locks Percy into a camel clutch, as the crowd claps and claps to show their support for Showtime!~ Watson finally kicks out and hits an awesome step up enziguiri to Derrick. Percy crawls…and crawls….and MAKES THE TAG!
Titus O’Neil springs into the ring and takes Derrick down with a shoulder tackle or two. Following it up with a clothesline, before the patented dog bark, he runs off the ropes and tries to go for something, but Derrick Bateman catches him off guard with the greatest leaping dropkick i have ever seen. Percy breaks the pin attempt up, as JTG runs in and the two flip out of the ring. Maxine tries to check on Derrick, but AJ leaps onto her and the ladies roll outside as well. Derrick turns back around and is PLANTED with the Clash of the Titus seated spinebuster for the win! The three celebrate, as Maxine lets our her enraged emotions on the outside.
Thoughts: First of all, NXT is really the perfect show to me. They use people I want to see, and not only that, but actually give them storylines and time as well. Superstars was fine to me, but it was just a series of matches with no real storylines or anything, so NXT has taken what worked and made it better. The Maxine/Bateman storyline is really enjoyable and I want to know what happens next. I dont care for Titus and Percy doing the lips insult, but clearly there’s nothing else for them to pick on since they revert to it every week. I don’t blame them for what’s written, but they come off as heels to me in the opening segment.
Kaitlyn and Tamina’s second showing was much longer and NXT type showing I like. They mesh well together so far, and I loved that neither woman came off looking weak. I enjoy them building up that Kaitlyn keeps scoring upsets as I hope it can bring Tamina to a new level where she just gets pissed off with the losing and goes nuts. Hoping for a tag match between the four divas soon as I think it’ll be refreshing to see. Overall, another great episode of NXT as usual, in the land of magical time that can be given to not only the women, but the men who deserve it as well.
Welcome to Diva Dirt’s Five to Watch 2011! This annual list compiles five rising talents in the world of female wrestling that we think have what it takes to be the next big thing. From their in-ring abilities to their unique personalities, we aim to spotlight some of the upcoming female talent that you may not yet know about. Over the next five days, we will unveil the names that the Diva Dirt staff have handpicked. Meet the Class of 2011…
Who is she?
Towering physique? Check. Intimidating and dominating in the ring? Check. A touch of mystery about her? Check. Meet Germany’s Alpha Female — a woman with all the tools it takes to be female wrestling’s next big Goliath. Like Kharma or WWE’s fleeting Aloisia (Isis the Amazon), Alpha Female has a distinct size advantage over her opponents, making for a classic David vs Goliath battle, something that wrestling audiences have always been drawn to. With over 10 years of experience, Alpha has wrestled all over the world, but has yet to find fame in North America.
Her story so far…
Trained under the likes of former WWE and TNA star Joe E. Legend, Alpha made her debut in the world of wrestling in 2001 as Jazzy B. Since, she has worked all over Europe including native Germany, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Holland, Norway. She’s even wrestled in Africa. However, perhaps her greatest success has come since changing her name and gimmick to Alpha Female: a dominant, commanding presence who strikes fear in her opponents’ hearts.
As Alpha, the 6’1″ star is currently a champion in several different countries, including the EWE Champion in Spain and the TPW Champion in Turkey. Joining Pro-Wrestling: EVE in 2010, Alpha remained undefeated for six consecutive matches before losing her first match, but Alpha wouldn’t go down without three different rivals hitting three successive moves on her. However, the “Professional Predator” quickly returned to form with perhaps the most impressive win/loss record in EVE — 10 wins and just one loss.
Watch Alpha Female vs Carmel Jacob vs Em Jay vs Kay Lee Ray
Just last month, Alpha won the admiration of her Japanese peers during EVE vs Ice Ribbon which saw four stars from the Japanese promotion head to UK shores. Alpha proved her mettle in the ring with a hard-fought match against Hikaru Shida which was aired on Ice Ribbon’s #19pro television show.
As well as her work as a professional wrestler, the German giant has done a lot of television and modelling work including commercials for MTV and reality shows Germany’s Got Talent and Sing If You Can in Spain. Most recently, she was featured on national television in Germany on game show, Say the Truth, where celebrity panelists had to guess which of three women was the real Alpha Female.
Watch Alpha Female on ‘Say the Truth’
In January 2010, Alpha took part in a TNA tryout while the company was in Europe, putting her on their radar.
Why we chose her…
Alpha Female is perhaps one of the most unique-looking wrestlers right now; her height and distinct presence makes her perfect for TV, so it’s somewhat perplexing that she isn’t already in WWE or TNA. Plus, she’s solid in the ring too. With her impressive win/loss record on EVE, it seems that a future EVE Championship match against Jenny Sjodin is inevitable. Then there’s her notable match against Ice Ribbon’s Hikaru Shida which could open doors for her to compete in Japan. The future is looking bright for Alpha, and we suspect that she could one day make it onto our screens, too.
Thanks to Pro-Wrestling: EVE for making two matches from its DVD series available to celebrate Alpha’s inclusion in the Five to Watch. These matches are available for a limited time only, so be sure to check them out!
There could finally be good news for Naomi fans as nearly a year after NXT season three ended, it looks like she may soon be called up.
The talented former FCW Divas Champion is included in WWE’s new program booklet which is available on the company’s current European tour.
It was WWE Superstar Zack Ryder who tweeted a picture of the program which revealed Naomi’s inclusion.
With a slew of departures — most recently including Maryse — there’s certainly room on the roster for the athletically-gifted Diva who delighted many on NXT last year with her unique in-ring style.
WWE Hall of Famer, Jim Ross, commented on his blog that he feels Lita could “help the biz” (presumably WWE) by returning to the ring, or training future stars in WWE’s developmental territory.
Ross met with Lita — real name Amy Dumas — this past Monday when Raw was in the former Women’s Champion’s hometown of Atlanta. Of the visit, he says:
Good seeing Amy Dumas in Atlanta. She’s staying busy but was smart w/ her money and owns property in Atlanta and Nicaguara. Still looks great and has a wonderful spirit. A true pleasure to be around.
‘Lita’ likely can help the biz in many ways including, perhaps, a short term run as Lita but could certainly help greatly in WWE developmental.
Lita has been retired from WWE for five years this month. Since, she has made just two cameo appearances on WWE television, once in 2007 with Trish Stratus and last year in a segment with Pee-Wee Herman.
Thoughts: I think enough time has passed for Lita to perhaps come back and have one more match. The fans are certainly jonesing for it. Though she left WWE as a heel following the Matt Hardy/Edge saga, that seems to be water under the bridge and I think WWE fans would genuinely be excited to see her back judging by the pops she received in her last two appearances. I think there’d be a genuine interest and money to be made in a Lita return.
WWE.com has a new piece up pondering with Vickie Guerrero may be the best female manager in WWE history, pitting her against the likes of Sunny, Sensational Sherri and Lita.
The website even states that Vickie’s “Excuse me!” t-shirt is one of the top selling Diva items in the company’s online store.
They write:
When she makes her way to the entrance ramp, the WWE Universe boos. Her “Excuse me!” is like nails to a chalkboard. Vickie Guerrero is brash, outspoken and knows what she wants. She can lie, cheat and sometimes steal – taking a page out of her late husband Eddie Guerrero’s playbook – her clients’ way into championship contention. One of the most despised people on the roster, Guerrero even has one of the top-selling Divas items on WWEShop. So, WWE Universe, it might be time to face the music: The Cougar of WWE just may be the best female manager WWE has seen.
The article also teases a possible on-screen face-to-face between Vickie and Sunny, saying:
Master manipulator: Who better to embody this in a past manager other than Sunny? The WWE Hall of Famer always got what she wanted. What did this entail? She not only got the best out of her clients – as seen in 1996, when she managed three consecutive World Tag Team Champions. Sunny could dazzle you with her beauty but easily became the Achilles heel of her opponents. It’s safe to say Vickie Guerrero is the Achilles heel of WWE. The reaction of the packed arena is proof. Whether it’s kissing up to management in order to position her clients for championships, or using her clients to take out vendettas against Superstars and Divas who have crossed her, Vickie Guerrero gets what she wants.
How apropo, then, was it, that arguably the two greatest female managers to be in WWE never met face-to-face at Sunny’s introduction into the WWE Hall of Fame at this year’s WrestleMania? In fact, while all the other Divas paid tribute to the “first Diva,” on stage, Vickie was nowhere to be seen. Coincidence, we think not.
You can read the full piece here and form your own opinion.
Thoughts: Vickie has certainly cemented her status in WWE history and could very well be one of their greatest female on-air personalities. I wouldn’t be surprised to see her one day in the WWE Hall of Fame. Would that make her and Eddie the first husband and wife duo in the Hall?
Do you think Vickie is the greatest female manager of all time? Vote below and then tell us what you think in the comments!
Things continue to get better and better for recently crowned SHIMMER Champion, Cheerleader Melissa, as she will be competing for the highly prestigious All Japan Pro Wrestling this weekend when they embark on a tour of Taiwan.
AJPW, one of the top companies in Japan, rarely features female wrestlers, so it’s a big honor for Melissa to compete for the company.
Melissa will make her debut on November 5th teaming up with BLACK BUSHI and Dark Dragon to face former Ice Ribbon joshi, Makoto, BUSHI and Ultimo Dragon. Then on November 6th, she’ll be competing in a singles match with Makoto.
Both matches take place as part of AJPW’s “Pro Wrestling Love in Taiwan” tour at the Taipei National Taiwan University Gymnasium.
As some will know, Ultimo Dragon is one of Melissa’s all-time favorites and influenced her wrestling style, making the six-person bout even more meaningful.
We’ll have coverage from Melissa’s trip over the weekend, so stay tuned!
As reported last night, former Divas Champion Kelly Kelly has bagged the cover of next month’s Maxim magazine, a big coup for the young Diva.
Maxim has now released some pictures and a video from Kelly’s spread on its official website.
Check out a video of K2 shooting her cover below:
Thoughts: Anyone else think Kelly looks much better with less/more natural make-up? I think her face is far more striking in her Maxim spread than a lot of her WWE photoshoots.
A trio of WWE Divas will be on entertainment magazine show The Insider tonight showing a few wrestling moves to hosts, Brooke Anderson and Robert Frazier.
Host Brooke Anderson tweeted a picture with the Divas which you can see in full here.
The Insider airs on CBS tonight.
If anyone is watching, feel free to email us a report.
UPDATE: Apparently the Divas weren’t on the show tonight. Eve tweeted: “False alarm! Our @TheInsider segment should be airing later this week :-) We’ll keep you posted!”
Welcome to Diva Dirt’s Five to Watch 2011! This annual list compiles five rising talents in the world of female wrestling that we think have what it takes to be the next big thing. From their in-ring abilities to their unique personalities, we aim to spotlight some of the upcoming female talent that you may not yet know about. Over the next five days, we will unveil the names that the Diva Dirt staff have handpicked. Meet the Class of 2011…
Who is she?
While still a relative rookie to the sport, Allysin Kay has been racking up plenty of experience in the past year or so since joining Women Superstars Uncensored (WSU). With a nickname like “AK-47”, Kay is no shrinking violet with her deadly rear-naked choke suplex finisher — and she’s just as cutting with her words on the microphone too. Allysin made her debut in December 2008, but it was in January of this year that she began catching wider attention when she made her debut for WSU at the “Final Chapter” iPPV.
Her story so far…
Brought into WSU by her mentor, Jessicka Havok, Allysin took the by storm, racking up several wins and eventually earning herself a shot at the WSU Spirit Championship against Sassy Stephie (which she passed up when Stephie joined forces with Kay and Havok to form the Midwest Militia). Kay has been known to get involved in Jessicka Havok’s matches at ringside, making her an indispensable resource to her mentor. As a member of the Midwest Militia, along with Havok and Stephie, Kay is determined to make her mark in WSU’s history and become one of their top stars. On November 19th, she is due to team with Stephie & Havok in a steel cage War Games match at WSU’s “Breaking Barriers 2” iPPV, capping off an already banner year.
Allysin also recently got a chance to branch out into another well-known promotion, making a surprise debut for SHIMMER at pre-show, SPARKLE, teaming with Mia Svensson against Cherry Bomb and KC Spinelli in a match that ended in a time limit draw.
Watch Allysin Kay in action below…
Why we chose her…
Allysin Kay has managed to garner quite a bit of success in a very short time. While some of that success may be due to her association with WSU standout, Jessicka Havok, it is mostly due to her natural ability and her charismatic personality. Since her debut in WSU, Allysin has steadily improved both inside the ring and out, proving herself to be a star in the making. At this rate, it’s only a matter of time until AK-47 earns some gold of her own in WSU. If her recent showing in WSU, SPARKLE and Dropkick Divas are any indication, the sky is the limit for Allysin Kay in 2012.
The next name (and second “gaijin”) added to CHIKARA’s big JoshiMania weekend to be held on December 2, 3 and 4 is none other than former SHIMMER and current PWWA champion, Madison Eagles!
She made her return to the company in January 2011 in a match against Daizee Haze (her debut was in October 2008, teaming with Ryan Eagles and Crossbones against fellow Australian Jessie McKay, Fire Ant and Soldier Ant). Eagles was scheduled to wrestle on their “Klunk in Love” and “Small But Mighty” shows on October 7 and 8 but unfortunately had to pull out of the shows due to injury. McKay filled in for her on October 8, wrestling Kana. The Kana CHIKARA shows are now available for purchase on DVD.
Buy tickets for JoshiMania Night 1: Friday December 2 in Philadelphia, PA
We always hear about independent wrestling in the USA, but what about those oft-forgotten countries… like Australia? Here are the latest happenings in the Australian wrestling scene, including recent results and upcoming events you can attend:
September 24th – PROWL (Cleveland, QLD): Storm def. Brandy Alexander
September 30th – MCW (Tullamarine, VIC): Shazza McKenzie def. Harley Wonderland… post-match Criss Fresh, impressed with McKenzie’s work over the recent months, granted her a match with Madison Eagles at WrestleClash 3.
October 7th – IPWA (Ashmore, QLD): Minx def. Poison Ivy
October 8th – AWF (Parramatta, NSW): Aurora def. Rachel Rose
October 15th – NAW (Albion, VIC): Nikita Naridian (also known as Kellyanne English) def. Lowzen to retain her Women’s Championship.. this match was the main event and the stipulation was that of the Falls Count Anywhere nature… both girls were attacked by Vixsin after the match.
October 15th – Warzone Wrestling (Berwick, VIC) Shazza McKenzie def. Eliza Sway.. Eagles was originally scheduled for this match (making it a triple threat) but likely had to pull out due to injury.
October 15th – Newcastle Pro Wrestling (Newcastle, NSW): Harley Wonderland def. Bombshell Bo via DQ… this was the debut show for the company.
October 22nd – NAW (Melton, VIC): Iron Horse Morrison and Vixsin def. Lowzen and George Julio via DQ… babyface Lowzen used a chair on Vixsin while the referee was watching the men… the referee then disqualified their team… Julio decked the referee for the “presumptive call” – what presumptive call? Lowzen did use the chair…
October 22nd – MCW presents “WrestleClash 3” (Thornbury, VIC): Shazza McKenzie def. K.C. Cassidy… Cassidy was Madison Eagles’ hand-picked replacement for herself… Sway attacked McKenzie after the match was over… this event can actually be purchased for viewing over at GoFightLive.tv!
Upcoming Events
November 11th – PWAQ (Chermside, QLD): Baby Devine is scheduled to defend her Women’s title against Niki Nitro… if Niki loses the match, then she is “banned from wrestling in Queensland for any company”… as Niki has already been announced for the “Queen of the Warriors” tournament in January (see below), it’s sadly not hard to guess who the victor of this match might be… Brandy Alexander has been announced as making her debut and Sara Jay will also return to PWAQ.
November 12th – NAW (Albion, VIC): Nikita Naridian vs. Lowzen vs. Vixsin is on the cards in a non-title match.
November 19th – Newcastle Pro Wrestling (Newcastle, NSW): Shazza McKenzie vs Bombshell Bo
November 19th – NAW (Mulgrave, VIC): Nikita Naridian defends her title against Lowzen and Vixsin in a triple threat match.
November 25th – NWA Pro (Adelaide, SA): Kellyanne English vs. Shazza McKenzie is on the cards… both girls will be making their debuts for the company… this is also the first ever women’s match to be featured on one of their main shows.
January 21st, 2012 – PWAQ presents “Queen of the Warriors” (Chermside, QLD): Imogen Jane, Brandy Alexander, Harley Wonderland, Mighty Mel, Sara Jay, Storm, Niki Nitro and Baby Devine have all been announced for the revived “Queen of the Warriors” tournament… the once-off tournament was last held in February 2009 and the winner was Tenille Tayla, whom ended Kellie Skater’s undefeated streak in Queensland… the competitors in 2009 were Tayla, Skater, Jessie McKay, Sway, Aurora, Shazza McKenzie and Giselle Gunn.
There’s a new covergirl in town! Former WWE Divas Champion Kelly Kelly has scored a major magazine cover — Maxim!
Kelly is featured on the December 2011 cover of Maxim magazine posing against a flash red sports car.
The young Diva already has some history with Maxim this year: she was included in the annual Hot 100 list ranking at #82, plus she was also recently featured in a special salute to the military edition of the magazine, but nothing can top a magazine cover.
In a new WWE.com video, a quick trip to the gas station last night after Raw turned into quite a predicament for Divas Champion Beth Phoenix and her partner in crime Natalya. The Divas of Doom went inside the store to pick up some drinks and snacks, but when they headed back to their car, all they found was an empty parking spot. The mystery of the missing car was soon solved, though, when it pulled up and the driver was revealed to be none other than Eve Torres. Eve drove off, leaving her foes stranded at the gas station.
Watch the full video and read the accompanying WWE.com article by clicking here. clicking here.
The article that accompanies this video explains the situation, naming Alicia Fox as complicit in Eve’s prank. The WWE.com reporter writes:
What we didn’t know, and what I would find out later through a conversation with the perpetrators of this practical joke, is that we were being followed. Alicia Fox and Eve had been tailing us since we left Atlanta.
“I used to travel with Beth and Natalya a lot. Beth always drives; she always stops for orange soda and she always leaves her keys in the car. That’s her thing,” said the sly Alicia Fox, who masterminded this retaliatory prank. “Well, that, and being a total ‘B’.”
As for whether or not car theft puts Eve into sticky legal territory, well, they’ve covered that neatly:
Beth and Natalya both suggested that the police be contacted, but we were informed that under John Laurinaitis, all rental cars for talent are booked with multiple Superstars/Divas listed as drivers, since at any given moment a new driver might be needed to get from city to city.
“It’s a safety net, really,” said a Talent Relations representative at WWE HQ. “We never expected anyone to abuse the fact that any Diva can drive any Diva’s rental car to do something like this, but, it’s not illegal. It’s not very nice, but neither are they.”
Eve has certainly escalated this feud, taking it from mean-yet-simple Twitter pranks to car theft. If she’s just upped the stakes, what do you think the Divas of Doom will do in retaliation?
EVIE
Female wrestler 
Get your weekly dose of Knockouts action on tonight’s Impact. To watch, tune into Spike TV from 9pm ET.
There could finally be good news for 
WWE Hall of Famer, Jim Ross, commented on his 
WWE.com has a new piece up pondering with 
Things continue to get better and better for recently crowned SHIMMER Champion, 
A trio of WWE Divas will be on entertainment magazine show The Insider tonight showing a few wrestling moves to hosts, Brooke Anderson and Robert Frazier.
The next name (and second “gaijin”) added to CHIKARA’s big JoshiMania weekend to be held on December 2, 3 and 4 is none other than former SHIMMER and current PWWA champion, 
There’s a new covergirl in town! Former WWE Divas Champion 
