Sunday, May 5, 2024

SmackDown Redux (May 8, 2009) – Shining in the Wake of the Draft

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This week’s SmackDown sees a double dose of Diva action, as Gail Kim and Michelle McCool do battle in the ring while Layla and Eve battle in an arm wrestling challenge.

Let’s look at Gail vs Michelle first, watch below:

A few weeks ago when it was suggested that SmackDown got the upper hand in the WWE Draft, many of us nodded our heads in agreement. Three weeks later, that fact is a bold understatement. As with the rest of the SmackDown brand, the show’s writers have utilised their talent – Divas included – and maximised their potential and in my humble estimation, made SmackDown a must-watch show every week. The Divas of Friday nights, this week in particular, are shining in the wake of the Draft and we haven’t even seen the debut of the Women’s Champion, Melina yet. To say the best is yet to come would again, be an understatement. But if the best is still yet to come, I gotta say, I’m loving the hors d’ourves we’re sampling right now.

Allow me to sidetrack a bit, but in my estimation, the entire SmackDown show since the Draft has been on-point with stars such as Jericho, Edge, Punk, Morrison and so forth. And the Divas so far, have been in line with that. With the top-tier stars moved to beef up Raw, SmackDown has more time to allocate to our Divas and in the process, I think, is creating future stars – Divas included. Following from their great match a few weeks ago, I think Gail and Michelle have outdone themselves this week. Top to bottom, I felt their work on this week’s SmackDown was great and certainly in line with the rest of what is becoming, a great product.

My only nitpick in this match would be Michelle’s insistence on rehashing that old ‘pushup-into-bow’ trick she first tried to use when she turned heel. Honey, it looked stupid then and it looks stupid now. Other than that, we got some good technicality and aggressiveness. Michelle really took it to Gail, who countered with her fast style of assault.

We’re still unsure of the relationship between Alicia Fox (or A-Fox as JR calls her) and Michelle, but me likey the utilisation of Alicia in this match. The way Michelle used her as a shield was a whole lot more than Beth’s done with Rosa in what, the past five months?

Michelle really took the lead on the offense in this match, rather than relying on the more experienced Gail, which I felt was a great touch. Michelle definitely has got the skills and doesn’t need to rely on Gail and shouldn’t. The guilotine on the top rope looked very effective and with Michelle’s height advantage over Gail (and most of the other Divas) is the type of offense she should be pulling off along with her now patented big boot. Michelle then continues to use those long legs of hers to wrap around Gail’s head in a unique submission move.

Then just as Gail manages to regain herself and come back in the match, we see Alicia get involved again, putting Michelle’s foot on the rope. Thus leading to the finish, which was excellent if you ask me. Gail’s hurricanrana countered effectively into the Faith Breaker and for the first time ever, I think, Michelle hits the move with great poise and presentation.

Thoroughly enjoyable match.

Next up we have a followup to last week’s Brooklyn Break-Down. Check it out:

After Eve and Layla become the first Divas to successfully pull off a WWE dance-off, this week they try and work their magic on the old arm wrestling contest. Once again Layla looks absolutely gorgeous, making most women feel inadaquete, I would think. Eve’s not too bad herself but JR dug himself a big ole hole, bringing up Eve’s size. Sure she is a little more chunkier than the other Divas, but that doesn’t make her ‘fat’ nor does it mean she’s unhealthy, she’s beautiful.

Playing into her heel nature, Layla fakes injury… go figure, but pulls it off pretty good. But she eventually loses anyway. Then we see even more of that aggression we saw from Layla last week, this time going for some sort of neckbreaker on Eve. I wonder if that move is the ‘Layout’ finisher that Layla talked about creating in Flex magazine earlier this year? If so, it looked pretty cool on Eve. Layla has the look, the charisma and personality it takes to be a Diva, I just hope she can measure up in the ring because I really want to see her wrestle more.

All in all, it seems the Draft has been very kind to SmackDown and we have a well balanced Divas roster. Five Divas were utilised in roles that contributed to the product and allowed them to be used in a meaningful way, whereas on Raw, the writers can’t seem to book any Diva consistently. Gail and Michelle have been set up as the top tier Divas and had a great match, with Alicia Fox serving a lesser role – well I wouldn’t call it ‘lesser’. I’d say Alicia is ‘bubbling’, as in she’s on the verge of breaking the bigtime. It’s a great spot for her to be in, but I won’t lie, I would have preferred Layla to take that #2 heel spot. Meanwhile, Eve is brought back into the fold of the Divas division and is teamed with Layla, making a sort of ‘lower card’ sub-division for the Divas on SmackDown. And then we have Maria, who has rightfully been removed from the mix altogether and is now something of a backstage personality. I think they should consider finding other uses for Maria, perhaps as a backstage interviewer or move her into the broadcasting side of things (i.e. hosting a WWE recap show) because I don’t really see her moving forward in the Divas division. The fact that WWE has put Eve in a storyline over her, kinda suggests that the writers also aren’t really looking to put her in the Divas mix either.

TNA Sacrifice: First Ever Knockouts Monsters Ball

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TNA has firmed up it’s plans for the Sacrifice pay per view on May 24th, and among the announced matches is yet another first ever for the TNA Knockouts. For the first time in the company’s history, several yet-to-be-determined Knockouts will compete in a Monster’s Ball match.

The match is a TNA innovation, which is pretty much a street fight. More info on that can be found on Wikipedia.

Also announced is a Knockout Championship match as Angelina Love defends against Awesome Kong. Kong has recently been decimating members of the Beautiful People in order to get to Love. Over the past two episodes of Impact, Kong has defeated both Madison Rayne and Velvet Sky in stretcher matches. Next week on Impact sees the return of Kip James, who faces Kong in yet another stretcher match.

Raw Redux Does WWE Superstars (May 7, 2009)

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Following in the footsteps of last week’s SmackDown Divas match on Superstars, this week it was the turn of the Raw Divas. Beth Phoenix and intern, Rosa Mendes teamed up to take on Kelly Kelly and Santina. Watch below:

One thing was evident – the Raw Divas got a longer running time than last week’s blue-brand Divas. Somehow I don’t think that was because of the exceptional talent on Raw, rather for the sake of more hilarity(!) from Santino.

Starting off the match was the utterly unimpressive Rosa Mendes. This girl has been booked in a few matches now but has never done a damn thing of note, which makes me wonder what is the point? She’s simply there to make up the numbers and take the fall (as she does in this match). Anyone who wrestles in a skirt is automatically on my hitlist…

With Santino’s oh-so-comedic lulz out of the way, we get into some decent action from Beth and Kelly. More of the same predictable moves from Kelly here, but it works and she knows how to work the crowd. I like that she’s actually confident enough to try and engage the audience into her matches, whereas most of the Divas these days don’t bother trying to rile up the crowd. Kelly, with the audience behind her, hits her handspring elbow followed by more ‘comedy’ from Santino.

Rosa actually pulls off a couple of moves next, but looks pretty average in the ring. Not exactly setting my world on fire, Rosa.

I don’t know why, but I quite like Kelly’s finisher, it looked very effective on Jillian a while ago on Raw and it worked here too.

This match is pretty skippable but not wholly awful.

Diva vs General Manger Angle in the Works?

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This week’s edition of ECW saw Evan Bourne defeating Natalya‘s boytoy Tyson Kidd. However, off air, the WWE Mobile Exclusive brought about a confrontation between the third generation Diva and the interim General Manager of ECW, Tiffany.

After his loss to Evan Bourne on this week’s ECW on Sci Fi, Tyson Kidd and his Extreme associate, Natalya , had plenty of complaints for ECW’s interim General Manager, Tiffany.

Reports are saying that this is being done to buildup a feud between Natalya and Tiffany. Apparently, by “constantly complaining” about Tiffany’s job as the General Manager, it will culminate with the two Divas squaring off in the ring.

Finally, a storyline involving the Divas of ECW! Hot off the news that WWE officials are not happy with Tiffany’s performance so far as the General Manager due to her inability to connect with the fans and speaking abilites on the microphone, I think this may be the opening both Divas were looking for.

This will allow Tiffany to really work on her speaking and lead up to her debut in the ring. She might not be sticking around for too much longer as the General Manager, depending on if ECW Original Tommy Dreamer wants the job after his contract expires, as he would be the one most likely replacing Tiffany. If he does take the job, this angle could be a buildup to a smooth transition for Tiffany out of the GM’s office and into the ring.

And I think it goes without saying that we are all patiently waiting to see Natalya finally getting into the ring. She’s without a doubt the most under-utilized Diva on the roster, and until the new Hart Foundation gets together, this would be a great way to keep her on TV as a heel and also working in the ring.

The only down side I can see to this is poor Katie Lea! Somebody give her something to do!

Identity of FCW Blonde

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Thanks to Mike Aldren of the Wrestling Globe Newsletter for e-mailing us this one. In today’s issue of the newsletter, Mike reveals the identity of the ‘mystery blonde’, Carly who was mistaken for Lacey Von Erich last week.

Carly worked a match teaming with Angela Fong against Jenny Cash and Beverly Mullins at a house show last month, but is not under WWE contract. She is in fact, simply a student learning to wrestle independent of WWE.

Details on Newly Signed Diva

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As we first reported on our Twitter page yesterday, WWE has done the unthinkable… signed an actual trained female wrestler to a developmental deal. According to reports, the first such signing since Natalya‘s signing in 2007 (Gail Kim doesn’t count, she wasn’t signed to a developmental deal).

That newly signed Diva goes by the name of April Jeanette, also known by the ring name Miss April. Jeanette, a 22-year-old from New Jersey has previously worked for all-female promotion Women Superstars Uncensored, where she co-held their tag team titles.

Having checked out her MySpace, a quick glance shows that April clearly fits the Diva image, she sure is a pretty little thing.

Other tidbits: According to one MySpace picture, April “marks for Gail Kim” so major points there and she’s also dating former TNA X Division Champion, Jay Lethal.

Bring her on!

Minor Spoiler: Is Alicia Michelle’s Rosa?

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In a minor spoiler for this week’s SmackDown, it looks as though an alliance has formed between last week’s winning duo on WWE Superstars. JR reveals in his blog that Alicia Fox accompanied Michelle McCool to the ring for her match on SmackDown, which airs this Friday night.

Not sure what to make of that pairing or where this storyline may go, but it looks like Michelle may have a Diva in training of her own, much like Beth Phoenix and Rosa Mendes.

Heat On Rhaka?! You Don’t Say!

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With the recent release of TNA Knockout Roxxi, more reports of Rhaka Khan‘s poor backstage etiquette are flowing in . Turns out Roxxi isn’t the only Knockout Rhaka had beef with.

First on the Rhaka’s hit list is rookie Knockout, Madison Rayne. Upset that she was late for a spot during a match, Rhaka delivered an extra stiff kick to Madison that resulted in temporary hearing loss for the newcomer. Ouch. So let me get this straight: Rhaka was mad because someone else messed up in a match? Wow… maybe she should watch some of her matches before she starts lashing out on other people.

The real doozy however, is the details about the Roxxi/Rhaka backstage rivalry. The story originally was that Roxxi asked for her release, but insiders say otherwise. Reportedly, the whole situation started with a backstage incident. Rhaka was upset that she didn’t have a larger part in a gauntlet match and when the producer went over the match she refused to turn off her music and snapped at him when ask her to join her fellow Knockouts.

When match time came, Rhaka stiffed Roxxi, who reciprocated with a forearm to the nose. The result had to be edited from the broadcast and sent Rhaka straight to Kurt Angle to complain. She also said that she was hated among the Knockouts and they were stealing her clothes and damaged her laptop. Shortly after Roxxi was released.

I don’t usually take heed in “insider” reports, but this one seem too detailed to be fabricated. I think the real loser in this situation is TNA. They lost a great worker in Roxxi, and is stuck with a less than mediocre wrestler in Rhaka and all due to backstage politics. I think the best course of action would be to hand the amazonian Knockout a pink slip. If she’s as unpopular in the locker room as she seems to think, I doubt this will be the last situation involving her. And as long as she’s still under Angle’s protection, she’ll always be around to cause more mayhem.

SmackDown Spoilers: May 8, 2009

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Check out the spoilers for Friday’s show below, highlight to read:

– Michelle McCool def. Gail Kim.

– Eve def. Layla in an arm wrestling match.

Raw Redux (May 4, 2009) – WWE Gives Away PPV Caliber Match

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Okay, so I guess technically there’s no such thing as a ‘pay per view caliber match’ when it comes to Divas, since all of their matches seem to be throwaway content or filler. But WWE pushed too early, last night, in what I expect will be the start of a ‘feud’ between Mickie James and Maryse – as the former Women’s Champion scored a non-title victory over the Divas Champion. Welcome to Raw, Maryse!

See the problem here is I think it’s too soon to give away this match, it is a match that I would love to have seen in future and don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed it last night but it should have meant more. It just seems this is the same booking we saw for Gail Kim a few weeks ago, she gets a non-title win over Maryse, then she gets a title match and loses. No doubt, Mickie’s win last night will lead to a title match in future. I’d much rather have a #1 Contenders match, maybe Mickie vs Beth, a battle royal, a fatal four-way, whatever really, with the winner facing Maryse at Judgment Day for example. That could have been a better set up for Mickie winning a title shot and facing Maryse at the pay per view. You could then fill out next week with a tag match or something, with Mickie getting in a shot or two at Maryse but then have her lose the first match at Judgment Day and continue the feud for a couple more months.

It’s too soon for Maryse to drop the title, sure she’s had it for 5 months now but I think taking the title off her when she’s just started on a new brand could hurt her. They need to build her up as the champion and top heel for the Raw brand first, before taking the strap off her.

Anyway, let’s look at the match. I have to be honest, I got bored of last night’s Raw and went to bed early (after the atrocious ‘sing off’) so I had to YouTube this match. Almost from the outset, this match captured the audience and both Mickie, Maryse and the announce team worked well to sell a story. Mickie, now with a renewed sense of focus because she has a new title to go after, is more aggressive from the outset than we’ve seen from her in some time. The announcers do a good job to explain that Maryse acted as if she hated Raw a couple of months back and made no friends on the brand – which somewhat explains Mickie’s aggression towards her.

Mickie did a good job of carrying Maryse, who relies far too much on the same spots and restholds, but Mickie managed to pull out a good match out of her. To Maryse’s credit, she didn’t fuck up on live television (not that I’m aware anyway) compared to the likes of Maria and Candice during their times on Raw. This, I was pleased to see. I know a lot of you have been very vocal about how she’ll look on live TV but I think Maryse realises her weaknesses and her strengths too, she’s a clever girl. Maryse has had some good matches on pay per view (last year’s Unforgiven and Survivor Series) so I wouldn’t put down her live wrestling skills just yet.

Surprisingly, these two had great chemistry and a good back and forth match. I didn’t expect much of a chemistry between these two but for some reason it worked, it’s one of those things, you either have it or you don’t. A good match and Mickie gets a singles win. Great to see her back in the forefront, with the Women’s Championship gone and the Divas title on Raw now, WWE doesn’t need to worry about holding her back and her patience is paying off – she’s getting the first shot of the Raw Divas at the Divas Championship.

WWE Superstars Spoilers: May 7, 2009

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Check out spoilers for the Raw portion of WWE Superstars below:

Kelly Kelly & Santina def. Beth Phoenix & Rosa Mendes. Kelly pinned Rosa after hitting the K2.

Tonight Matthew, I’m Going To Be Trish Stratus…

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You probably won’t get the title unless you live in the UK and ever watched ITV’s Stars in Their Eyes, but anyhoo it looks like some of our current Superstars and Divas are hoping to mould their careers on the successful legacies carved by some of WWE’s biggest legends. Among them three Divas: Michelle McCool, Mickie James and Natalya who all seem think that they have the va va voom to be the next legend. So which legends do they aliken them to be like?

It’s about to be a girl fight as both Raw Diva, Mickie and ECW’s Natalya seem to think that they’re the next Sensational Sherri.

Mickie James
I’d probably compare myself to Sensational Sherri. She was unpredictable and a ball of fire. Sherri was down to earth and funny, but wild and crazy too, she was one of the greatest.

Natalya
I see a lot of other traits of Superstars before me that I try to emulate, though I like to blaze my own trail. I really like Sensational Sherri. Her in-ring timing was impeccable and the energy that she exuded was timeless. In some crazy way – good or bad – she had class.

I think I’ll award this round to Natalya. I can see a lot of the fun eccentricities that Sherri had in Natalya. Both were/are very much their own women and have that crazy, sexy, cool confidence. Mickie and Sherri? Not so much. I’d say Mickie is more a combination of Moolah, with that always reliable wrestling ability and some of the spark of Lita.

Meanwhile, first ever Divas Champion, Michelle goes for the obvious pick – Trish Stratus.

People have always told me they see a lot of Trish Stratus in me. I think that’s a great compliment. She was beautiful, athletic and she was here to prove something. That’s exactly what I’m here to do.

Hmm… besides being blonde and athletic, I don’t see much of a similarity between these two. Michelle lacks the personality and charisma that made Trish instantly likeable. Michelle, to me, is more like ‘that chick who had the skills but lacked the fan connection and never truly got over’, which to me is a Diva like Ivory.

Perfect 10: Week of April 27, 2009

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Welcome to the Perfect 10! Following a week of rough-and-tumble Diva and Knockout action, where do our ladies rank? Who scored an impressive victory? Who faltered in the ring? Were championships decided? The Perfect 10 ranks the ten best Diva performances for the week! Check back every Sunday for a new countdown!

THIS
WEEK
MOVEMENT
DIVA
LAST
WEEK
RAW DIVAS
An honourable mention here for victorious Raw Divas, Brie Bella, Kelly Kelly and Mickie James who scored a victory in an 8 Diva tag team match.
LAYLA
Making her P10 debut is new SmackDown Diva, Layla. The London native sizzled in a Brooklyn Break-Down dance-off and put Eve on guard.
GAIL KIM
Gail’s losing streak continued this week, when she was pinned by first ever Divas Champ, Michelle McCool on Superstars!
EVE TORRES
Eve won a unique dance-off on SmackDown, when Cryme Tyme pit her against Layla in a Brooklyn Break-Down!
ALICIA FOX
Now part of the SmackDown roster, newly turned heel, Fox was on the winning team on WGN’s WWE Superstars.
MICHELLE MCCOOL
Michelle crawls up the chart after an impressive tag team victory on WWE Superstars, McCool pinned rival Gail Kim.
AWESOME KONG
Kong used all her power moves to send a message to the Beautiful People through Madison Rayne in the first ever Knockouts stretcher match.
MARYSE
Making her Raw debut this week, it wasn’t good news for Maryse as she was on the losing team of an 8 Diva tag.
MELINA
It’s a case of ‘good thing you didn’t appear’ for Melina, as she wasn’t on TV this week but Maryse’s loss is her gain.
ANGELINA LOVE
Still at the top of the P10 is Knockout Champion, Angelina Love! Someone warn her though because it looks like Kong is hot on her trail.

Vince: No More Bra and Panties Matches

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In the exact words of Vince McMahon, allow me to quote: “No more bra and panties matches and things of that nature.” *Insert a hallelujah*

That was the official statement from Vince during today’s [May 1st] WWE shareholders conference, in regard to a question about the direction of the Divas. And if you think Vince and co. suck, wait till you get a load of this one shareholder, who suggests that WWE needs to bring back the smut. In the meeting, he suggests that since WWE has ended it’s affiliation with Playboy, how about WWE try and build a connection with Victoria‘s Secret. He further goes onto say he wants to see more evening gowns, bra and panties etc.

And the kicker? “It seems like it’s traditional wrestling now…” Oh no, God forbid!

During the conference, Vince also confirmed that WWE declined an offer to work with Playboy this year, due to their new PG direction.

I’m Foxxy Cleopatra, and I’m a Whole Lotta Woman!

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SmackDown’s new Diva, Alicia Fox added some volume for her impending SmackDown debut (which actually occured on WWE Superstars), perhaps to coincide with her new found attitude? Finally dumping the two-tone weave, Alicia is showing off some major lioness mane in her new WWE.com photoshoot ‘Foxy Curls’ and I have to say, she is working it. I’m not a big fan of the wild, bushy look myself and it’s not very practical in the wrestling ring but it looks great in this shoot.

What do you think? Vote below and leave your comment.

[poll id=”341″]

SmackDown Redux (May 01, 2009) – An Enjoyable Dance-Off… Really?

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As the Draft finally takes shape, an influx of new Superstars and Divas make their awaited SmackDown arrivals this week. Among is WWE’s resident Nasty Girl, Layla! The Londoner faced off against mainstay, Eve Torres in what Cryme Tyme described as a ‘Brooklyn Breakdown’ dance-off, check it out below:

What’s this? A dance-off that is actually pretty good? WWE’s insistence on putting Divas who can’t actually dance *coughKELLYcough* have ruined past dance contests, but this was a far cry from the dance contests of yore. That said, it’s not exactly my idea of good booking and I’d still rather see a match, but I’ll admit, it was done right.

Coming to SmackDown is a new lease on life for our Layla, she’s finally ditched the black, more modest outfits she was seen in when managing William Regal and is now showing off that bangin’ body of hers. She looked absolutely beautiful and I’m loving the t-shirt, “All That.” The dance-off was smokin’ hot and we got to see some of Layla’s also smokin’ hot bad girl attitude afterwards. I really hope her move to SmackDown will finally put Layla in more of a wrestling role, as JR teased at the end of the video, it can’t be long before we see Layla and Eve square off.

Not exactly an auspicious feud to kick off her stay on SmackDown given the other faces on the brand: Maria, Gail, Melina, but it’ll do for now. It’s time for Layla to step up and I hope she’ll be able to slot into the role of the number-two heel behind Michelle.

All in all, I guess this segment is skippable but if you’re a Layla fan, like us, I’m sure you’ll appreciate her fierceness.

Was Kurt Angle Behind Roxxi’s Release?

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In an update on yesterday’s breaking news, it has now been confirmed that TNA released Roxxi from her contract. The company pulled Roxxi’s profile from their website early this morning.

It is now being suggested that former TNA World Champion, Kurt Angle may have had a hand in Roxxi’s release given his political stroke within the company. Angle is dating Knockout, Rhaka Khan, who was involved in a physical altercation with Roxxi a couple of months ago.

Both were suspended for 60 days following their spat, however it looks as though Angle may have pushed for Roxxi to be released altogether. Adding further fuel to the fire, Khan was backstage at the Lockdown pay per view last month despite being suspended, while Roxxi was not brought in at all.

It sucks to see someone so talented lose their job, no offence to Roxxi, but she doesn’t have the WWE cookie-cutter look, so it’s unlikely they’ll pick her up. This leaves Roxxi frozen out of the two top companies and will likely return the independent circuit. In fact, Roxxi will appear this weekend for SHIMMER.

Despite never truly getting a push, Roxxi got an immense amount of support following last year’s Sacrifice pay per view when she had her head shaved and was considered one of the top Knockouts behind Gail and ODB at the time. The head-shaving led to a new ‘Hardcore Knockout’ gimmick which saw her take part in some very good matches, for example a street fight with Awesome Kong on an episode of Impact. It’s a shame that TNA never capitalised on that success by giving Roxxi a Knockout Championship match.

SmackDown Redux Does WWE Superstars (April 30, 2009)

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Last night’s episode of WWE Superstars saw the first Divas match of the new series, when SmackDown’s Gail Kim and Maria teamed up to take on Michelle McCool and new import, Alicia Fox. Check out the match below:

Now onto my thoughts! So Alicia’s debut for SmackDown occurs on Superstars, if that makes sense. Despite being on the winning team, we didn’t truly get to tap Alicia’s potential in this match as she was more of a battering ram for her portion of the match. We know that Alicia can wrestle and in fact, she’s likely a way better wrestler than Maria, but we saw little to no offense from Fox last night. Even though WWE did nothing to explain her heel turn all of a sudden, I think she worked well with what she had, she came across as a little more cocky and arrogant and looked great while doing so. How hard would it have been to have her do a little interview backstage to explain her new attitude? It’s not hard to think of an explanation, “I realised I was the real star in my relationship with DJ Gabriel blah blah…” Not hard at all.

Anyway, Alicia sold very well for Gail and even Maria. Gail looked on-point to kick off the match but then we get Maria tagged in and her own brand of ‘spastic wrestling’ comes into play. Looks like someone raided Michelle’s moveset, with that overhead neckbreaker. And then we see why I really don’t like Maria, her spastic running around the ring and that awful ‘fist’ to Alicia just looked bad. However I do give her credit and Alicia credit for that matter, because that headscissors looked awesome and was well performed on both parts.

From there Michelle takes over the match and does a good job of isolating Maria, adding some story to the match, however I have to admit it dragged a little longer than I think it should have. So fast forward to Gail getting the hot tag, we get to see some Gail-Michelle interaction and these two work pretty well together. Looks like Michelle kept her receipt on Gail’s win a few weeks back and returned the favour.

A decent match, I would have liked to see more Alicia, however.

Breaking: Roxxi Gone From TNA?

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In a huge piece of breaking news, it looks as though TNA Knockout, Roxxi could be gone from the company. Roxxi updated her official Twitter just half an hour ago with the following tweet:

roxxi-twitter

Earlier this week, we reported that TNA had suspended both Roxxi and Rhaka Khan for sixty days, following a backstage altercation. We’ll have more on this as it develops…

Torrie on That Battle Royal and Possible WWE Returns

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My favourite gal from the past, Torrie Wilson has been making the headlines in the past week as she gears up to head off into the Costa Rican jungle for NBC’s “I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!” But before her reality expedition in June, Torrie along with the rest of the cast are out and about promoting the series and likely, IGN was just one of the media outlets that got the opportunity to chat to Torrie. Known for their wrestling know-how, IGN was probably the only outlet to ask Torrie about her wrestling career, so what were the fruits of their labour?

In an interview with IGN, Torrie commented on that battle royal at WrestleMania 25 at the beginning of the month (May tomorrow… this month has flown by, right?), check out what she had to say:

IGN: You were at WrestleMania a couple of weeks ago. What was it like for you to go back there and revisit the WWE?

Torrie: It was awesome. It was a great experience. I never really thought I would do much. I retired after having back surgery last summer and I just never really thought that would be a door that I was really going to open again. But I love everybody there and it was great to see everybody. It was a small role for WrestleMania, but whatever role when you go to WrestleMania is just incredible and it’s such an honor to be a part of it.

Torrie, like Victoria who also commented on the match, is a consummate professional even though she’s retired. I’m sure it must be incredibly frustrating to come back for that match to little to no fanfare and see it go down the way it did, but these girls are a true testament to the professionalism within the industry. And I really do believe Torrie – and Victoria – to be part of WrestleMania in any way is a huge honour and I don’t knock any of the returning Divas for wanting to be part of it.

So after getting a little taste of the WWE again, would Torrie consider a comeback? Let’s find out…

IGN: So do you think at some point you might show up again?

Torrie: Yeah, I definitely am not keeping that door closed. I love Vince [McMahon]. I love everybody there. The traveling, 280-300 days a year, I’m kind of past that. I just don’t know… And definitely with my back, having had back surgery, I don’t think a full time wrestling schedule is in the works. But you know, something here and there might be something I’d look at.

I would love to see Torrie make the occasional visit to WWE, but up until a week ago, I would have told you it’s highly unlikely. Unless you’re Trish Stratus, I don’t think any past Diva can expect the Mick Foley-esque drop-bys every now and then. However that was up until a week ago, I would be hugely surprised if WWE didn’t try and capitalise on Torrie’s new found fame following her stint on “I’m a Celebrity…”, watch this space…

Live Footage from This Week’s Superstars and SmackDown

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Live footage from Tuesday night’s tapings in Madison Square Garden have made their way onto YouTube! Check it out, as a lil taster for tonight’s WWE Superstars and tomorrow’s SmackDown.

Warning: Videos contain spoilers… obviously.


WWE SUPERSTARS: DIVAS ENTRANCES

More after the cut:

Continue

More News And Notes From The ECW/Superstars/SmackDown Tapings

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As you all know by now, I had seats for last night’s tapings at Madison Square Garden. Unforunately I couldn’t give all the details I wanted, due to the fact that I was trying to actually watch the  show. So highlight for a few more details on the shows:

Superstars:
The crowd was predictably dead during Alicia/Michelle vs Maria/Gail. Maria got a OK pop however. Me and my girlfriend were torn on which team to cheer for, since we like both Alicia and Gail so we just cheered both. Alicia sold really well and looked very natural in the ring. McCool and Fox had good chemistry together. I hope they team together more in the future. Surprisingly the match was botch-free. Go figure.

SmackDown:
The Layla/Eve dance segment got really good reaction from the crowd. Both Divas were really working it. The cat-fight got a decent reaction as well. The crowd (myself included) were yelling “Let Them Fight!”.

After The Show:
I saw all the Divas on the Card, except Michelle, exiting the arena. Natalya, Eve, Gail, Maria and Alicia all left together, along with Evan Bourne and Tyson Kidd. They all smiled and waved. Alicia stuck around longer than the other and waved and blew kisses. No Diva signed autographs though. In non-Diva news, Shad Gaspard hung out and signed my program. MVP and R-Truth interacted with the crowd outside. Jimmy Wang Yang also signed a few autographs.    

Good Diva Gone Bad

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In a minor spoiler for tomorrow night’s episode of WWE Superstars, it looks as though one of SmackDown’s gaggle of new Divas has been led astray! Foxy Alicia Fox worked a Divas match taped for the show, as a heel last night.

Since ditching her ugly ‘dance partner’ on ECW to come over to SmackDown, we’ll be likely be seeing a new side of Alicia from here on out as she realises she was the real star of that whole gimmick.

For those who are unaware, Alicia’s character is primarily heel in training camp, FCW and from what I’ve seen she pulls it off well. She definitely has the confidence and swagger to do the same on SmackDown. With the heel-to-face ratio on SmackDown, 1:3, it was expected that one of the Divas would turn heel and Alicia is good as any as it gives her a chance to really mould a character.

I can just hear the calls for her to be teamed with Layla now! And it could work, they can both dance and they can both show some bitchy swagger. Match made in heaven!

ECW, Superstars, & SmackDown Spoilers: April 28, April 30, & May 1

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Our very own Steven is at the ECW/Superstars/SmackDown tapings, and he will be giving us live spoilers throughout the night. Highlight below to check them out:

ECW:
Tiffany comes out during a Jack Swagger/Christian/Tommy Dreamer altercation and announces a ECW Title Match for tonight between Christian and Dreamer.

Natalya is shown backstage with Tyson Kidd. They’re up next.

Tyson Kidd def Finlay after Natalya distracts the ref, which allows Tyson to use the shillelagh.

Superstars:
Maria and Gail Kim vs Michelle McCool and Alicia Fox. I guess Alicia’s a heel now.

Gail and Alicia Start it off. Cool standing hurracanrana by Gail to Alicia. Maria tags in and has control of the match until Michelle gets a cheap shot in on Maria. Alicia in control. Quick tags by the heels. Gail get the hot tag and takes out McCool. Gail Kim goes to the top rope and gets nailed by Michelle’s Big Boot. Michelle picks up the win for her team.

Great match and decent length. Smackdown is definately the new Divas brand. Maria was surprisingly good and Alicia was the standout star for me.

SmackDown:
Maria is shown backstage in Teddy’s Office. Chris Jericho asks her why she’s there and she says Teddy wants to see her clothing line. Yeah… sure. Then Edge comes in and proceeds to talk at her. Pointless
segment.

Cryme Tyme is in the ring. They want to have a Brooklyn Breakdown Dance Off. Out comes Layla and Eve. They have a Dance off battle style. Lots of Choreography from Eve and lots of crumping from Layla and lots of splits from both. Good stuff. Seriously. =P. The Crowd declares Eve the winner. Cryme Tyme dances with Eve and they invite Layla to join. She does only to attack Eve. Insert catfight. New Feud maybe?

No Divas match tonight unfortunately. Sadness.

Race to the Double Championship: Week Two

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racetodoublechamp

The WWE certainly shook things up when they drafted Melina and Maryse to opposite brands – with them went their respective championships. Thus, a new record suddenly looms, and the race is on: who will be the WWE’s first ever double champion? We’ve taken possible candidates (former Womens Champions and Divas Champions) and calculated their odds, ordering them in rank of most likely to least likely. Over the following weeks we’ll be updating this chart, taking into account wins, losses, and budding feuds. Place your bets folks because it’s happening, and it’s happening soon.

DIVA
SHOW/TITLE NEEDED
RANKING
Michelle McCool
SmackDown/Women’s Championship
#1
Mickie James
Raw/Divas Championship
#2
Beth Phoenix
Raw/Divas Championship
#3
Gail Kim
SmackDown/Divas Championship
#4
Candice Michelle
SmackDown/Divas Championship
#5


Given the Odds… Beth has slipped from #1 to #3, all thanks to a little “lady” named Santina. Her humiliation at Backlash and the events on Raw tell us that she may be tangled in the cross-dressing storyline for some time now. Beth is largely a comedy character at this point, and doesn’t look to be too strong of a contender for Maryse’s belt.

Candice in still on the disabled list, and thus hasn’t moved in the rankings, still settled at #5.

Gail blew her shot at the Divas Championship last week on SmackDown, and with the brands now officially separated, it looks like she let her best opportunity slip through her fingers. She’s still next to last at #4.

Michelle with others losing steam, Michelle stays steady and prepares for Melina’s official SmackDown debut. A feud looks likely, and with that a Women’s Championship shot looms on the horizon, making her our best bet. She tops the list at #1.

Mickie She’s still in the background somewhat, but with Beth busy playing dress-up with Santino, a great opportunity has opened up. It would make perfect sense for Maryse to battle with Mickie, Raw’s top face, and a feud is made even more likely with Beth’s preoccupation. Not much else stands in Mickie’s way, and she stays at #2.

Lacey Von Erich Denies WWE Return

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lacey

Despite rumours that have made the rounds, third generation wrestler, Lacey Von Erich has denied that she has re-signed with WWE:

Don’t believe the rumors! I have not signed with WWE nor wrestled for them latley. I’m Wrestlicious all the way baby! :)

It was reported that Lacey teamed with Angela Fong in a match against Jenny Cash and Beverly Mullins at an FCW event over the weekend. As it happens, it appears as though fans simply mistook Lacey for a new Diva signing, a blonde by the name of Carly.

Mother-of-one, Von Erich was under contract to the WWE in 2007, but left later that year. Most recently, Von Erich has signed up to all-female promotion Wrestlicious and was spotted at the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony earlier this year, to see her family inducted.

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