This week’s SmackDown spoilers are in the tags below. The show will air this Friday, October 30th. Click the ‘+’ to read:
Thoughts after the cut:
Raw Redux (October 26th, 2009) – Hornswoggle Takes Center Stage
NOTE: Ladies and gentlemen, do not adjust your computer screens–this is Erin doing the Raw Redux. Melanie and I have decided to switch shows in order to better fit our schedules. From now on, I’ll be writing for the red team and she’ll be working Fridays.
After last week’s lackluster Diva Championship rematch between Melina and Jillian, it’s safe to assume that the fans were hoping some real Diva action (a little less Chavo/Hornswoggle, a little more actual wrestling) this week to let Melina grow into her position as new Divas Champion. Well, if you got your hopes up you might want to grab a ladder and go get ’em, because they’re gonna be hanging there for a while–it looks like we’ve got more unnecessary Superstar involvement this week as well, as Santino’s teaming with Melina to take on Jillian and Chavo:
I must not have been paying close enough attention to Raw, because Santino being a babyface kind of blindsided me. I guess his act is so cheesy it might as well be used to appease the fans. I wonder how long it’ll be before he’s shooting out t-shirts in between matches.
Anywho, enough with that. Santino and Melina make their way to the ring (to Melina’s music), followed by Chavo and Jillian (to Chavo’s music.. I guess it’d be too odd for Chavo to come out to the music stylings of Jillian, though it would’ve been cool for both Divas to get their full entrances, girl power~~ and all of that.) The match starts with the men, while Melina and Jillian play cheerleaders on the outside.
After Chavo takes one suckerpunch too many, Jillian eventually tags herself in. According to the ~rules Melina must now come in, but according to heel schtick (which, strangely, is followed more often), Jillian must first try to fight Santino. She slaps him in the face, and being the gentleman he is, goes and tags in Melina. The Divas get right into it, trading blows until Jillian goes for a haymaker that Melina bends back and avoids (the Melinatrix move?).
Jillian goes to pick up Melina, who seems to go for some type of hurricanrana, but can’t get a good hold on Jillian (translation: botch). She lands on her feet and turns it into an armbar, but Jillian clotheslines her before she can lock it in. God, these girls just don’t have any luck together, do they?
But before they can redeem themselves, out comes Hornswoggle to… do the DX chop? Really, what’s his reason for being out here, other than to further terrorize Chavo? I don’t get it. Does he think the fans are just dying to see him inject DX into the 95% of the show they don’t already take up? Whatever the senseless reason, he seems to have distracted Melina and Jillian a bit, as when Melina attempts the Last Call she nearly take off her own head. Was that even a Last Call? I guess you could call it a delayed roll-up.
Raw Gets its Own Maria/Ziggler Storyline: Eve & The Miz?
Move over Maryse, The Miz has found a new Diva to harass charm: Eve Torres. In what I can only assume will likely be a complete rehash of the SmackDown storyline between Maria & Dolph Ziggler, the Wrestling Observer website is reporting that the plan as of last night was to create a ‘long-term angle’ … Read more
An Update on Candice Michelle & TNA
Former WWE Diva, Candice Michelle has reportedly told fans that she may join TNA. Appearing at the Big Apple Comic Con in New York earlier this month, Candice responded to questions of joining TNA with a ‘maybe’. She continued that she had only talked to TNA once or twice but hoped to wrestle again soon, … Read more
Mickie James to Announce Country Music Career
Former WWE Women’s & Divas Champion, Mickie James is due to announce a foray into country music. James has signed a management deal with Nashville-based agent Sherry Massaro of Skyline Management Group, Inc. Mickie is expected to make an announcement of her plans in the coming weeks. The Diva has previously expressed an interest in … Read more
Raw Response: October 26th, 2009
Tonight’s Raw is hosted by NASCAR drivers Kyle Busch and Joey Logano. Tune in for several cheesy racing metaphors and any possible Diva race-inspired involvement. Discuss tonight’s Raw, as always, here as it happens!
WWE Superstars Spoilers: October 29th, 2009
We’ve got spoilers from this Thursday’s episode of WWE Superstars–check them out below. Click the ‘+’ to read:
Thoughts after the cut:
WWE Bragging Rights Review: SmackDown Glam Slams to Victory
The SmackDown team may have been led by WWE Women’s Champion, Michelle McCool but it was the newest addition to the roster that was a blue beacon of success for the brand. Decked in SmackDown colours, a royal blue Glamasuit [as we have affectionately started calling them], Beth Phoenix Glam Slammed her way to victory and had a helping hand in SmackDown taking the Bragging Rights trophy last night.
To the beginning now, let’s take a look at the match as it happened… Team SmackDown make their entrance first with the Women’s Champion debuting a new piece to her attire — a robe. Proving she can do nothing right, this one has already hit a sore spot on the interwebz with “AJ Styles rip-off” comments. Mmm… trivial. Meanwhile, Beth Phoenix is looking mighty Glamariffic in royal blue. While Team SmackDown have opted for eye-popping colours like royal blue, emerald green and hot pink, Team Raw are much more subdued in their colour choices.
We kick things off with Beth Phoenix and Gail Kim, in something of a dream match. Beth starts off with a kick to the gut followed by the Divas exchanging forearms. The crafty former Women’s Champion, Gail Kim goes for a mid-rope crossbody but is caught but the powerful Phoenix. Gail manages to flip things over into a pin attempt but Beth kicks out. The Glamazon begins woman-handling Kim before Michelle McCool blind-tags herself in. Gail manages to subdue the Champ with a lovely hurricanrana that is sold well by McCool, who then cowers into her corner allowing Natalya the tag.
Another dream match here; Nattie vs Gail. The physical third-gen Diva slams Gail to the mat. As things progress Gail hits her lovely launch through the ropes on Natalya followed by that unorthodox jumping butt bump. Kelly Kelly is then tagged in to the biggest pop so far, Kelly works well with Nattie and keeps the pace up with a twilt-a-whirl hurricanrana. Natalya then hangs Kelly on the ropes, showing her prowess. Natalya, with her brute force, drives Kelly into the corner and begins kneeing her. This all looks rather ferocious which is perhaps the biggest difference between Natalya and the Glamazon; while both share powerhouse quality — there’s nothing pretty about Nattie’s offense while Beth is a little more Diva-esque. In the corner, Kelly goes for a sunset flip but to no avail as Michelle tags in. After a short exchange, in comes Beth as Team SmackDown begin their ‘wear down’ of Kelly. Kelly makes a desperate effort to tag in Melina or Gail but the powerful Beth manages to drive her back to the Team Blue corner. Michelle is back in now and hangs in there with her team mates, throwing Kelly around like a rag doll. Beth Phoenix then blind-tags herself in much to McCool’s shock, Kelly begins fighting back with a hurricanrana into a rollup but Beth kicks out. Kelly with a jawbreaker on Beth and finally hits a tag to Melina.
Roundtable (Oct. 26th, 2009): Bragging Rights, Daffney, Maria on Apprentice
This week on the Roundtable: The Diva Dirt Roundtable is finally back! Melanie, Steven and Tiffany discuss last night’s Bragging Rights pay per view, Maria on Celebrity Apprentice, Kim Couture and Tara, Daffney and much more. Plus we discuss the TV from the week gone by and answer your questions in the Mailbag! We have … Read more
WWE Bragging Rights Discussion Post
Discuss tonight’s Bragging Rights live blog in this post. It’s the battle of the brands — Divas Champion, Melina leads Kelly Kelly & Gail Kim into battle against Women’s Champion, Michelle McCool, Beth Phoenix and Natalya. If you’re unable to join us for our live blog, feel free to discuss your thoughts & opinions on … Read more
WWE Bragging Rights Predictions
So the WWE Divas return to pay per view tonight for the second time in a month, but this time rivalries are put aside for brand pride. Melina, Kelly Kelly & Gail Kim will represent Raw as they go into battle against SmackDown’s Michelle McCool, Beth Phoenix and Natalya. Which trio of Divas will win … Read more
Minor League Divas Fight for Their Bragging Rights
If the Divas on tonight’s PPV card are the ‘major league’, the Divas who competed in something of a prelude at a WWE supershow last night could be considered the ‘minor league’. It was Raw vs ECW last night, when the Bella Twins took on ECW’s Katie Lea & Rosa Mendes in State College, Pennsylvania. … Read more
Unwrapped: Eye Candy for the Week Ending October 24th, 2009
In order to consolidate our Eye Candy coverage, we’ve developed a new feature: Unwrapped! We’ll take all the new photoshoots from the week and grade (or “brand”) each based on the following criteria:
• Poses (are they versatile or just glorified statues?)
• Uniqueness (have we seen this photoshoot a billion times before?)
Grading scale: Sweet (Great)/Bland (Iffy)/Sour (Awful)
Brie & Nikki Bella‘s Sticking to the Pattern
Appearance: Brie and Nikki are wearing matching patterned dresses; Brie is in red, Nikki in gray. I’ve got to say, it’s mile ahead of the directly matching outfits. The girls don’t look as much like they’re in Kindergarten and their mother dressed them identically. It’s a more creative way to embrace their ‘twin’-ness. I can’t say I love their dresses on their own, though–they’re cute, but they wouldn’t look half as interesting on just one Diva instead of two.
Poses: The poses are rather dull, and seem to just be based on them standing next to each other and switching positions slightly. I know there’s only so much you can do with two people in one shoot but this is astoundingly boring, like a cheesy family portrait.
Uniqueness: Brie and Nikki are dressed similarly! What a novel idea!
Grade: Bland. The duo photoshoots are quickly losing their shine. Just let Brie and Nikki do their own things–the results are much more interesting.
• Click to see the rest of the photoshoot.
Kelly Kelly‘s Enchanting
Appearance: Kelly’s wearing a long blue gown in a pretty aquamarine color. It’s pretty, but looks sort of out of place in a WWE photoshoot. Maybe if the dress was shorter or looked a bit more casual it wouldn’t look like Kelly was about to go to a ball or compete in a Miss America competition.
Poses: It’s your standard Kelly Kelly photoshoot, with not much going on around the face. She uses her arms and the rest of her body to make this a bit more interesting, but her posing still bears shades of a mannequin. The floor-length dress doesn’t do much to dispel that illusion.
Uniqueness: A Diva wearing a floor-length dress is something of an anomaly around these parts, I must say.
Grade: Bland. Kelly never seems to put much effort into making her photoshoots interesting. I don’t know why.. Maybe she’s just letting her looks do the talking.
• Click to see the rest of the photoshoot.
Maria‘s En Fuego
Appearance: It’s Maria, so we know a few things are for certain: there will be bright colors, bold prints, and a single glove. Check, check, and check. I can’t say a red leopard print vest is my cup of tea, but it certainly fits her style. The shiny black pants and silver heels keep the wild theme running, but somehow keep it grounded a bit with their neutral tones.
Poses: This is where the shoot goes off the tracks. I understand and appreciate the attempts to excite and surprise the viewer, but posing with a random fire extinguisher just looks odd, and balancing on a chair and the wall don’t look surreal in a Salvador Dali sort of way–it just looks kind of weird. To be fair, I’m always telling Divas to mix it up and makes things exciting, but I think this is taking that a bit too far and into the deep end. I don’t think the objective of a WWE shoot should be to get people gawking, like you’re modeling in a high fashion magazine or something.
Uniqueness: Well, it’s definitely unique. I’m sure that was the intent of this mess.
Grade: Bland. I appreciate her gumption, I really do. It’s just.. not unique in a good way–more of a head-scratching way.
• Click to see the rest of the photoshoot.
Read more to see the rest of this week’s photoshoots and vote for your favorite.
Roundtable Discussion Post for Monday, October 26th
The Diva Dirt Roundtable will return tomorrow and that is a promise! We have thankfully solved all of our technical difficulties that have been plaguing the recordings and tomorrow we’ll be starting back up.
On Monday’s Roundtable, we discuss:
– Thoughts on WWE Bragging Rights
– Maria on Celebrity Apprentice
– Kim Couture & Tara
– Daffney’s injuries
– Kristal Lashley in TNA
– Wrestlicious in syndication
If you’d like to add your comments & ask a question for the Mailbag, reply with the following:
Name:
What do you think of Maria joining Celebrity Apprentice?:
Was there any point in Kim Couture & Tara’s segment at BFG?:
Is it worth having Daffney do all these crazy bumps?:
Is TNA right to pick up Kristal?:
Question for Melanie/Erin/Steven/Tiffany (delete as applicable):
Make sure your comment for each topic is no longer than one sentence. Any longer and it will be overlooked.
To take part in the reader survey for each of the topics follow the cut!
Diva Dirt Style Jury: Week of October 19th, 2009
Welcome to the Diva Dirt Style Jury! No more are the separate ‘Best’ and ‘Worst’ lists, instead we have come up with a scientific approach *cough* to compiling our weekly fashion column. The Diva Dirt team will weigh in on the different looks from the week gone by & mark each look with a score out of ten. The look with the highest average score will be our best look and the look with the lowest average score will be the worst look. Click each photo to see the look in full size.
Let the proverbial runway show begin!
THE BELLA TWINS
Erin: Going for business casual? I guess they’re just trying to compliment Snoop’s dapper look, but it looks so faux-classy. But wait, is Brie wearing anything under her blazer? Okay, not even faux-classy. 4/10
Melanie: I don’t get how Snoop Dogg = business attire. Well at least we didn’t have the Divas coming out dressed as video vixens, no we’ll save that for when Flo Rida guest hosts. Like Erin, I felt this looked faux-classy rather than genuinely classy. I guess I just can’t buy the Bellas in this type of attire. 5/10
Steven: On their first week back on the Raw roster, The Bellas go for classy as opposed to trashy. They definitely look a lot better in darker colors than their usual bright red. Good to see them leave the big ass flowers home, as well. 7/10
BETH PHOENIX
Erin: I like layering as much as the next person, but this is ridiculous. Cover up your bra, girl! 4/10
Melanie: Is Beth trying to pass on lingerie as an outfit? Good Lord… 2/10
Steven: Did the lights blow out in the Divas’ locker room, because Beth obviously got dressed in the dark this week. Did no one feel obligated to tell her that her bra was showing? The only thing saving The Glamazon from a 0/10, is the hair (which is looking great). 2/10
Read on for more of this week’s outfits and to see who’s been branded our winner and loser.
Bragging Rights, Taboo Tuesday & Cyber Sunday: Through the Years
Before there was Bragging Rights, the late-October pay per view spot once belonged to a pay per view known as Taboo Tuesday, which later became Cyber Sunday. So before the Raw and SmackDown Divas wage war on each other tonight, let’s take a look back at some of those past pay per views:
2004
Fulfill Your Fantasy Battle Royal
In 2004, the Raw brand introduced an interactive concept that allowed WWE viewers to vote for stipulations for each of the matches. Women’s Champion, Trish Stratus defended her title in a battle royal against Molly Holly, Stacy Keibler, Victoria, Jazz, Gail Kim and Nidia. The stipulation, as voted for by the fans, was for the Divas to wear school girl outfits.
More after the cut:
Who’s Next for the Knockouts Championship?
ODB has successfully defended her Knockouts Championship against perhaps the two biggest challengers in the division, Awesome Kong and Tara, who will likely now be feuding on their own. Where does this leave the Knockouts Champ? Who will be the next challenger for the title? With seemingly the top contenders for the title now wrapped … Read more
Diva Dirt’s Topical Barometer: Highs & Lows for the Week of October 19th
Key: Hot; this was well done. Tepid; this was middle of the road. Cold; this was miserable.
Diva Dirt prides itself on original content, which is why we have totally jacked a fabulous idea from Alan Carr — the topical barometer! Every week, we’ll be looking at the highs and lows and finding out where they rank on our topical barometer. What’s hot? What’s tepid? What’s cold?
Tara & Kim Couture Altercation, Bound for Glory
Tara got a shock at Bound for Glory last Sunday when MMA fighter, Kim Couture showed up in the crowd! The duo got into an altercation that has lead to conflicting reports as to whether it was all an angle or whether it was real.
Verdict: Tepid. I thought the angle at Bound for Glory looked good and came across well, but the lack of follow-through and conflicting reports on what was going to happen here have lead this feud to drop from being ‘hot’ to ‘tepid’. Though TNA seems to have gone to the trouble of bringing in Kim Couture, none of the MMA press or wrestling press for that matter, were too favourable of the angle. Then there’s the lack of mention on TNA Impact also. It looks as though this was a one-shot deal that served very little purpose.
Daffney Goes Through Barbed Wire Table, Bound for Glory
Fearless TNA Knockout, Daffney went through a barbed wire-laden table at Bound for Glory last weekend, marking yet another crazy bump that she has endured in the past year. Since joining TNA, Daffney has been part of several crazy spots and this one was perhaps the biggest yet.
Verdict: Hot. While I must be concerned for her health, for Daffney to take part in yet another spot of this caliber should be praised. This was a ‘holy shit’ moment that rivals some of the craziest spots performed by the male stars in WWE and TNA. Daffney truly does deserve an award for her fearless nature.
Diva Dancers, Monday Night Raw
Welcome to Raw, Eve! It was disconcerting to see Divas that can wrestle like Eve Torres, Gail Kim and Kelly Kelly relegated to ‘Diva dancers’ on Raw, this past Monday. Serving as Snoop Dogg’s Diva escorts, Eve, Gail, Kelly and the Bella Twins danced in the ring with the hip hop star like video vixens.
Verdict: Cold. If you consider the wealth and talent that Eve and Gail have, it seems pathetic to rub them with the same brush as the Bella Twins. No offence to them, but the only reason they were brought to Raw was to serve as eye candy for the guest host of the week. On the other hand, Eve, Gail and Kelly have carved out decent careers as wrestlers and as such shouldn’t be treated as glorified dancers.
More after the cut:
Update on Daffney: Swollen Left Arm, Severe Concussion
The extent of TNA Knockout, Daffney‘s injuries have been the subject of various reports. As we re-reported earlier this week, the Wrestling Observer website suggested that the scream queen had suffered a broken arm. That, it has now been confirmed, is not true. Daffney’s official website, Goth-Goddess.org notes that the Knockout is suffering from a … Read more
The Tiffany Guide to Impact: RIP Raisha Saeed
But first, we start out with a ‘fluff’ segment as the Beautiful People debut their reality show/movie/they can’t quite seem to decide what it is, entitled ‘The Meanest Girls’:
Well, I guess if you’re in a group that is wrestling limited, you have to do stuff like this to push your feud, which by the way doesn’t seem to be ending. Are we really going for Saritaylor vs TBP for the third time? Even after they won the first two matches? Some would consider that a blow-off to move on. Then again, it’s not as though there’s any other team waiting in the wings.
So unbeknownst to Saritaylor, they are being screen tested by Lacey and co. Lacey looked good here and she seems to be much more comfortable speaking than Madison Rayne, so she’s got that going for her even if her wrestling isn’t good. Not much to say about this segment, it was rather dumb but worked somewhat.
SmackDown Redux (October 23rd, 2009) – Divide and Conquer
Last time on SmackDown: Mickie and Beth made their SmackDown debuts, both confronting Michelle backstage. Mickie wants to wrestle at Bragging Rights, while Beth wants the Women’s Championship.
This week: Will we finally see SmackDown’s newest Divas in action? How about any buildup for Bragging Rights? Will SmackDown’s team, despite the fact that they seem to be gunning for each other, be able to band together and beat Raw on Sunday?
We start the night, as is usual with SmackDown, with a backstage segment. Mickie James is speaking with WWE legend Mae Young, having a friendly conversation. Things, however, get messy when Michelle McCool shows up (Skip to 1:45):
Michelle tells Mae that it’s nice to see her. Mickie? Not so much. Michelle expresses her sympathies that Mickie didn’t make the team for Bragging Rights and says that there’s always next year. Mickie says she knows why she didn’t make the team–Michelle says it’s because Beth Phoenix and Natalya are way more talented than she is. This high school-level tête à tête continues until Mickie tells Michelle to “break a leg” this Sunday, leaving the scene.
Michelle can barely take a breath before Beth appears behind her, pretty much reiterating what she said last week, threatening to take her title. She tells her she’ll see her Sunday and heads off, leaving Michelle with Mae who says, “She told you!” (Burn!). Michelle tells Mae to shut up, and gets a slap in the face for her rudeness.
Later, it looks like we have a match, as Mickie makes her way to the ring. She’s followed by Layla, and we get started:
They start with a tie-up, Mickie getting control with a side headlock. Layla fights free, shoving Mickie into the ropes. On the return, Mickie knocks Layla down with a shoulder blast. She goes to the ropes for momentum, and Layla flattens herself to the mat to avoid her. Mickie cartwheels over her, dropkicking her the moment they both get to their feet. She attempts a pin, but Layla kicks out, and she drags her back to her feet.
Raw Redux Does WWE Superstars (October 22nd, 2009)
This week on Superstars, Raw girls Gail Kim and Kelly Kelly are set to have a friendly match–or so I think. Watch below and see if these two babyfaces play nice:
Gail takes early control in the tie-up, taking Kelly to the mat. She keeps her down in a headlock position, which Kelly flips into an unsuccessful pin attempt. Gail reverses back to the headlock position, but Kelly soon snaps Gail into a headscissors. Gail quickly snaps up to her feet, but Kelly sweeps her, going for a pin but only getting 2. Gail gets up and does the same thing, also getting a 2-count. These girls are showing some great speed early on..
They slow down a bit, catch their breath, and slap hands. Guess this will be a friendly match after all.. They start with another tie-up, Gail getting control once again with a side headlock. With a few punches to the midsection, Kelly gets free and shoves Gail into the ropes. On the return, Gail knocks Kelly to the mat. Another pin, another 2-count.
Gail pulls Kelly to her feet, twisting her arm into an arm wrench. Kelly backs into the ropes and uses them for momentum, flipping backwards and using the momentum to take Gail down with an arm drag. Kelly charges towards Gail in the corner but Gail slips out of the ring, hopping back over the ropes and taking Kelly into a schoolboy pin. Kelly kicks out, and Gail pulls her up, irish-whipping her into the corner. Kelly hops backwards over a charging Gail, doing a back tuck for good measure. She armdrags Gail, who then backs into the corner. Kelly peps up the crowd, climbing the turnbuckle for a monkey flip. Gail, however, hangs onto the ropes, sending Kelly to the mat back-first. Gail bridges into a pin for a 2-count.
Update: Daffney Suffered Concusssion, Not Broken Arm
We reported a few days ago on a rumor that Daffney broke her arm at Bound for Glory following an extreme bump through a barbed wire board during the Mick Foley/Abyss match. However, according to PWInsider, she actually suffered a concussion. She was held at the hospital overnight for observation and thus did not appear … Read more
Raisha Saeed Character Written Out
As you will have noticed just moments ago on Impact, Awesome Kong threw her former manager Raisha Saeed off the stage and through a table following the conclusion of their match tonight. These scenes will serve as Saeed’s final curtain call in TNA. Not to worry though, fans will still be able to see the … Read more
First Look at Trish Stratus in SmackDown vs. Raw 2010
As we reported last week, Trish Stratus is available as an unlockable character in SmackDown vs. Raw 2010, which was released in America this past Tuesday and will be available in Europe tomorrow. This, however, is the first time we video game novices have gotten a good look at Trish in the game. Take a … Read more
Superstars & Impact Feedback: October 22nd, 2009
It’s a double for women’s wrestling fans once again! Tonight, WWE brings us Raw Divas action on Superstars while the Knockouts as always are going for full Impact! At 8pm, tune in for Kelly Kelly vs Gail Kim on WWE Superstars. Then at 9pm, turn over for what is sure to be an epic battle … Read more