Expect to see a new Diva or two on SmackDown in the near future. We’re told that WWE officials are looking to put a few more Divas on the brand, to “fill it out.” That is how it was put to Diva Dirt by one source. Names mentioned included moving the Bella Twins back to … Read more
Welcome to another new feature here at Diva Dirt. You’ve already seen our ‘Screen Sirens’ but in ‘Casting Call’ we fit the role around the Diva. Which shows would your favourite Diva fit into? We’ve come up with the solutions judging from their characters and their own history.
Diva: Daffney Show:Supernatural The 411: Supernatural does exactly what it says on the tin! It’s a show about two [sexy] brothers facing all sorts of ghoulish nightmares come true! All the while, they deal with their daddy issues and the female fans hope to see some skin. Role: Some sort of demon from hell. Why: If it’s not obvious already, Daffney most certainly has the looks of someone who belongs on Supernatural. Whether it be a vampire, a gothic witch or whatever… Daffney could cause some havoc to a few innocent people before being slayed by Sam and Dean.
Now, we normally wouldn’t do this… Backstage interviewing. Boring. But we’re making an exception for this young Diva, Angela Fong now known as Savannah on ECW. Why? Just because we like her and think she has a ton of potential. It’s nice to keep tabs on her even if she is just ~interviewing~ So each … Read more
Where to begin? The legend returned last night to deliver Stratusfaction to all and boy, did she. Trish Stratus may have her detractors [though personally, I can’t see why — it’s like hating bunny rabbits] but she proved last night just why she was considered the hardest working Diva in WWE for so many years. She’s still got it! From the vivacious personality to the in-ring display, it truly was like she never left. All that’s changed really is the hair and boobs!
Plus the Stratusfaction was sprinkled on another Diva Dirt favourite, as on the evening we were reunited with Trish, we also air-punched for the one and only Alicia Fox. Let’s start with that match:
As a huge fan of both Alicia and Gail Kim, I wasn’t sweating the outcome of this match. If Gail won, awesome and if Alicia won, awesome. I never thought they’d pull the trigger on Alicia, I have to tell you. Despite wowing audiences with her in-ring work in the short time she’s been on the main roster, Alicia has shown so much potential and has all the tools it takes to be a future top Diva and future champion. But for some reason, I never really thought they’d pull the trigger on her — it’s always the talented ones that get left behind, whereas Kelly, Maryse, Eve and Maria seem to be the ones WWE focus on. I am pleasantly surprised that they gave Alicia the win because for the first time in a long time, it gives me hope that WWE can be in tune with the fans. The fans have gotten so behind Alicia, it would’ve been wrong to ignore that because in the online world in particular, fans have ‘made Alicia happen’.
Alicia and Gail work really well together, so I was excited for this one and it started out well with the aggressive Alicia Fox kicking Gail straight at the bell. Gail goes for the Flying Dragon I think, which Alicia blocks and goes for a TKO that Gail counters into an arm drag. Nice work there. A hurricanrana and dropkick through the ropes by the veteran, but as they get back in the ring Alicia hits a beautiful tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Alicia grounds the match with a submission move, it’s nice to see one of these young Divas incorporate the basics as opposed to going from spot to spot. Gail fights back, but Alicia manages to hit another beautiful looking move, this time the fisherman suplex.
She then wraps her legs around Gail in another submission move, nice work. Fast forward a little bit and Alicia sets up her axe kick but Gail move sout of the way and manages to hit her neckbreaker. Gail mounts offense with clotheslines and a nice stinger splash in the corner followed by a great crossbody. Gail goes for the ‘Eat Defeat’ but Alicia counters, shoving Gail into the corner. Gail goes up top for a missile dropkick but misses, is it just me or can Gail not go a match without doing a move where she misses a high spot? She’s only hurting herself even more! Alicia takes advantage to hit the axe kick and gets the win.
I enjoyed this match but I felt there was more of a focus on Mickie at ringside rather than the wrestling. It seems King and Mickie bouncing off each other, while great chemistry, took away from the match in the ring and that’s not a good thing.
I truly hope this is the start of a push for Alicia, however I am not going to get too excited until I see it. Already this year, several Divas have earned Divas title shots and they’ve ended up being “one shot deals” for example, Kelly Kelly, Gail Kim and Beth Phoenix. Mickie’s presence at ringside however, suggests that they could be building to something between Alicia and Mickie, that attention wasn’t given to the latter three. Alicia is a young Diva with a wealth of potential and I think given the opportunities, she really could shine. I’m not suggesting that she win the Divas Championship but I’d just like to see her work with these talented veterans and really bounce off them; already she’s worked so well with Gail, Melina and Michelle McCool. Alicia is at a similar level to Maryse, though I would argue she’s a better worker, so I’m holding out for better end product from Alicia & Mickie than we got with Maryse and Mickie.
Decade Diva, Lilian Garcia made a very notable snafu last night on Monday Night Raw — announcing a triple threat match for the #1 Contendership to Divas title. Of course, only two Divas were in the match, Alicia Fox and Gail Kim. In a tweet to Diva Dirt, Lilian addresses the mishap: Was told that … Read more
Backstage speculation at the Air Canada Centre suggests that the legendary Trish Stratus may work a match tonight as part of her guest hosting gig. And with the Divas Champion, Mickie James and Kelly Kelly hurt, it seems like the stars have aligned. If you listened to today’s Diva Dirt Roundtable, one reader suggested Trish … Read more
This week on the Roundtable: It’s ladies only this week on the Diva Dirt Roundtable! Melanie, Erin and Tiffany discuss the MTV Video Music Awards, what to expect from Trish hosting Raw tonight and we speculate Traci Brooks’ TNA future after being shunned by Playboy. We also have the Diva Dirt Mailbag, TV Talk and … Read more
As noted over the weekend, former Women’s Champion Melina was seen with her fingers in a splint at an autograph signing on Saturday. Diva Dirt has now learned the extent of Melina’s injury. We’re told that Melina has been working with her fingers taped for the past six weeks, since jamming her fingers, reportedly during … Read more
Last week, Pro Wrestling Illustrated released it’s second annual Female 50, a list of the ‘top’ women wrestlers of today. Similar to last year’s list, this year’s Female 50 was met with praise by some but criticism by most. The Female 50 is ranked by popularity, skill, and merit, yet there’s still a few girls on there that has us fans scratching our heads. Is Rosa Mendes really more skilled than say, Alicia Fox? Is Madison Rayne more popular than Natalya? Is Mickie James really the ‘Queen of the Hill’?
As Stew Allen accurately points out on the Women of Wrestling Podcast, “Women’s wrestling is a niche within a niche.” While this is true, I have noticed that women’s wrestling fans tend to be a lot more outspoken and hard to please than your run-of-the-mill wrestling fan. That being the case, how can you put together a list such as this one and still please everyone?
In order to expose and possibly repair the flaws in the Female 50, we really need to look at the actual structure of said list. According to Dan Murphy, one of the men behind this year’s list, several factors went into compiling the 50 names that made the list: “Work rate, promotional push, talent, marketability and other criteria.” Murphy also notes that the list received input from some ‘respected women in the industry’.
One of these women that he’s referring to is Missy Hyatt. Not to take anything away from Missy, but she wasn’t really a wrestler, was she? Maybe someone with more of a hand in the wrestling aspect of the industry would have been a better choice to give feedback on the list. Women like Jazz, Jacqueline and Molly Holly are seasoned veterans, who have a firm grasp of all aspects of the industry and are, quite frankly altogether more credible than Missy Hyatt. I really think that someone of their experience could have helped PWI trim some of the fat off of that list and add some substance.
Wrestlicious star, Lacey Von Erich has joined the recently announced ‘HULKAMANIA – Let the Battle Begin’ tour, due to take place in Australia in November. The tour will be headlined by duh, Hulk Hogan and is a joint venture between him and Eric Bischoff. There have reportedly been talks for Ric Flair vs Hulk Hogan … Read more
Since leaving WWE, former Diva Kristal Marshall has found new callings — mother and rising fitness model. Since giving birth to her and Bobby Lashley’s son, Myles last year, Kristal got herself into amazing shape and has taken the bikini modelling world by storm! Just this past summer, Kristal earned her pro card by winning … Read more
Now former TNA Knockout, Jenna Morasca has spoken for the first time on her release from TNA Wrestling last month. Morasca, who was involved in that infamous Victory Road match in July with Sharmell, reveals she was let go the night before her boyfriend was due to have a major surgery. Speaking to SunSport, Morasca … Read more
Our friends at Wrestlicious e-mailed in to let us know that one of the stars of the series, Cousin Cassie, is featured in a spoof video clip that has become an Internet sensation. The clip, ‘Kate is Enough’ which sees Emmy-award winning reality star Kathy Griffin spoof Kate Gosselin was first aired on Jimmy Kimmel … Read more
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:
• Appearance(hair, clothes, makeup.. you get the drift)
• 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)
Courtney Taylor‘s Golden Girl Appearance: A slinky gold dress, covered in sequins, takes center stage in this shoot. The dress looks a lot better further away because up close, the sequins are a bit overkill. Tassel-like earrings, a few rings, and simple heels keep up the metallic theme without making her look like she stepped out of a Bond villian’s lair. Her makeup and hair are flawless and simple. Poses: Courtney could teach Kelly a thing or two–you can be cute and smiley AND look like you’ve got a functioning brain at the same time. She mixes up her poses and keeps it easy breezy, but not catatonic like her fellow blonde. Uniqueness: Nothing particularly unique about it, though I haven’t seen a Diva look this natural in photoshoots this quickly. Grade: Sweet. She knows what works for her, both style-wise and pose-wise. Like I mentioned previously, she’s a natural. So far, she’s 2-for-2 in photoshoots. I like her odds.
• Click to see the rest of the photoshoot.
Eve Torres‘s Candy Girl Appearance: Eve’s wearing a tiny white dress with red pinstripes (Look closely!), accented by a red belt and heels. She, like Brie last week, is content to let the candy color dominate, but she doesn’t douse herself in it like the Bella did. With the bright red lips, she looks delightfully retro, and the flipped hair makes her look like a pin-up. She looks like she jumped out of an old postcard, and I love it. Poses: In keeping with the pin-up look, Eve does a lot of retro poses–lots of hands on hips and not-so-sexy faces. It’s simple, but works with the theme of this shoot. Anything too adventurous would’ve looked out of place. Uniqueness: I love retro-styled shoots, and no other Diva has done it lately, other than Alicia from a few weeks back. It’s a break from the norm, and a good one at that. Grade: Sweet. I could make “Eye Candy”/”Candy Girl”/”Sweet” puns all day long, but I’ll spare you..
• Click to see the rest of the photoshoot.
Jillian‘s America the Beautiful Appearance: This looks like a costume best worn in the beginning of July, but I suppose this shoot was left over from that period and released in commencement of Patriot’s Day. She’s got the over-the-top look down pat–gaudy waistcoat, a matching top hat, and a bright red bowtie. The red lingerie probably isn’t something that Uncle Sam would wear, but she’s got the body for it! Obviously, this is a costume, so it’s not fair to judge it as we do other outfits. In this context it’s cute and fun, and not overtly slutty as I’ve seen it on other women at other times. Poses: Not much variety here, just a lot of coat-clutching and smiling. I definitely notice her getting away from the “blow-up doll” look, and I’m so glad–she just needs to inject her photoshoots with the kinda of personality she puts in her over-the-top gimmick. Uniqueness: It’s costume-y, which is unique in itself, but there’s not much else though put behind it. It’s got the intention to be unique, but doesn’t quite get out of the starting block. Grade: Bland. I’d much rather see Jillian in regular outfits, showing the personality we know she has. Though, I guess at least one Diva has to don the holiday costume, and Jillian drew the short straw.
• Click to see the rest of the photoshoot.
Read more to see the rest of this week’s photoshoots and vote for your favorite.
The Roundtable is back on Monday to our usual format, in our new slot! This week’s WWE and TNA topics are below, so sound off in tyhe comments with your opinions: Please try to keep them short and sweet — just one sentence, so we can read out as many comments as possible. WWE Topic: … Read more
Former WWE Divas Champion, Maryse returned to the ring last night in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada according to a PWInsider fan report. Maryse teamed up with Alicia Fox and Jillian in a losing effort to Gail Kim and the Bella Twins. EDIT: Looks as though there could be a mix-up, which is why I’m always wary … Read more
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: Is there a 2-for-1 special going for red ruffled polyester? I dig wrestlers having signature looks but this one stinks, especially on twice the Divas. 3/10 Melanie:Honestly, their overuse of colour sets off my gag reflex. They have nice legs though, so good to ditch the pants. 2/10 Steven: I’m ready to see this cha-cha inspired gear make it’s way to the garbage bag. 3/10 Tiffany: This outfit gets a 4 from me, for lack of imagination and too many damn ruffles. I think I’m being generous. 4/10
JILLIAN Erin: Too bad she was stuck behind a podium on “contestant’s row”, because I really want to see more of the outfit. From what little we could see, I kinda liked it. 7/10 Melanie:She looks good but nothing too exciting here, so she gets a middle of the road score. 5/10 Steven: Cute and simple, but nothing mind-blowing. 8/10 Tiffany: Jillian looked great this week. I love the simplicity, and it’s well put together. 8/10
KATIE LEA Erin: I’m not quite sure if I like it. I definitely think it fits her character and demonstrates some creativity on her part, but I can’t imagine being able to even stomach it on any other Diva. That’s a testament to her spooky persona, I guess.. Still, I think the look could be a lot more cohesive. 6/10 Melanie:Not a fan of this particular style, but it’s unique and her own & she makes it work Tim Gunn-style. 6/10 Steven: Loving the gothic look on Katie, especially the top. The blonde dreads gotta go however. 7/10 Tiffany: Katie gets an automatic 8 for this outfit. I’m a fan of the gothic-kooky girl look. Or as Tazz would say, “Zombie hot.” 8/10
KELLY KELLY Erin: Kelly’s gotten the memo that if you keep a look simple, and you’re less likely to fail. The glaring hot pink is kinda much (We know you’re a girl!), but it doesn’t really hurt the overall look. 7/10 Melanie:Extremely pleasant surprise from Kelly. Simple and classy. 7/10 Steven: I love that Kelly went for classy rather than trashy. The high-waisted skirt looks great on her. 9/10 Tiffany: Kelly made me proud this week. She looked all grown up. Hardly the glorified stripper of yesteryear. 7/10
Read on for more of this week’s outfits and to see who’s been branded our winner and loser.
Diva Dirt reader, Adam of TVDoneWright.com sent in these pictures of former Women’s Champion, Melina and real life beau, John Morrison at an autograph signing in Montreal today! Looks like Adam snapped a tender moment between the two. Somewhere, Erin is gushing. So cute! [nggallery id=326] EDIT: A Twitter follower noticed that Melina has her … Read more
We can all agree that, with a few exceptions, Divas get the short end of the stick when comes to entrance themes. While the male superstars get music from actual bands and artists or custom made songs with lyrics, Divas get stuck with crappy production music. If I had the chance I would change all the Divas music to something a little… well, better. Hence, Diva B-Sides was born; a Diva Dirt exclusive where we match WWE Divas and TNA Knockouts with new entrance themes. This week I’m covering ECW Divas Katie Lea and The Bella Twins.
THE BELLAS TWINS – “PATRON TEQUILA” BY PARADISO GIRLS
ECW’s resident dynamic duo debuted a new theme this Thursday on WWE Superstars, and boy was it awful. Not as bad Jenna’s music, but still cringe-worthy nonetheless. Sounds like these girls are in need of a emergency B-Side.
As Melanie pointed out on the Diva Dirt Twitter, their new theme sounds like cheap Pussycat Dolls rip-off. That said, what better than an imitation PCD to sing their B-Side?
Honestly speaking, I should be ashamed that I know (or like) this song, but I really think it’s energy and danceable beat suits the Bellas quite nicely. The subject matter may be a bit questionable, but who’s really paying that much attention to The Bellas. Really… [audio:The Bellas-Paradiso Girls – Patron Tequila.mp3]
The Internet has been swirling with speculation over the past few weeks that former WWE Diva, Kristal Marshall is on her way to TNA. Speaking exclusively to Diva Dirt, Kristal tackles the rumours head on. “I haven’t been in talks with anyone over there,” Kristal says in an interview to be made available tomorrow here … Read more
The Women of Wrestling Podcast returns with NINJA-esque stealth to present episode #2, with special guest Portia Perez. On the show, the Anarchy Pro-Wrestling American Joshi champion and one half of the SHIMMER Tag Team Champs talks about her recent transition into the broadcast booth, early experiences in wrestling, her international travelling experiences, having Social … Read more
This week on Impact treats us to even more tag team competition and something a little extra. First in Knockout action is match numero tres of the 1st round: Taylor Wilde and Sarita vs. Alissa Flash and Daffney. Have I mentioned just how much I loathe Taylor and Sarita’s ring entrance?
Taylor Wilde & Alissa Flash begin the match with a test of strength. Taylor manages to outwrestle Alissa into an armbar, but Alissa slams her down. With a kip up, Taylor laces fingers with Alissa and tags out to Sarita. Taylor nails an arm drag with an assistance of the turnbuckles, and Sarita follow up with a flying arm drag. Those two invent and impose multiple inventive tandem offense that I won’t even attempt to call. A series of arial manuevers and arm drags later, Sarita attemps a dropkick, but Alissa braces herself against the ropes and charges back with a clothesline.
Daffney gets her chance to in on the action with a big uppercut to Sarita. However, Sarita counters that with yet another arm drag and a flip over. What is that, arm drag #304? Daffney kicks out at two, and Taylor Wilde gets tagged in. She attempts a sunset flip from the second rope, but Daffney rolls out before a count can be made. Sarita channels some poetry in motion. However, her not being the legal woman all encourages Slick Johnson to shoo her ass right out of the ring. Meanwhile, Daffney whips Sarita into the opposing corner where she suffers a cheap shot courtesy of Alissa. Alissa gets tagged in and goes back on the offense with a powerful scoop slam and a stomp to the face.
The “Lovely and Very Pasty” Daffney gets tag in again. This time, she takes Taylor down with a Shining Wizard now aptly referred to as “Daff-Knees” and then follows up with an abdominal stretch. Taylor wastes no time maneuvering out of the move with a knee to Daffney’s face. Both women make the hot tag to their respective partners. Sarita goes for a crossbody on both Alissa and Daffney, is abruptly stopped, but overcomes with a tornado DDT to Daffney. With an assist from Sarita, Taylor delivers some more impressive offense to the Future Legend. Sarita capitalizes with a splash, but Alissa gets the shoulder up 2 while Taylor and Daffney take the fight to the outside. Sarita drops Alissa with a belly-to-belly suplex for the win? WHAT? All of that aerial work and only a standard finish to show for it? Oh well. Taylor Wilde and Sarita advance.
Sarita and Taylor Wilde seemingly do everything that they can to reiterate the “tag team aspect” in this tournament. An overall good match, I find the constant aerial offense a bit gratuitous. While awesome, it does little to add to the storytelling element. Otherwise, “Taylor/Sarita” is the most believable team next to the Beautiful People.
Last time on SmackDown: Michelle confronts Maria backstage, again warning her against Dolph. Later, Maria & Eve took on Natalya & Layla, with Eve getting the pin on Layla.
This week: Is the Dolph saga heading for a plot twist? How about the Melina/Michelle feud–is it going to reclaim the spotlight after being relatively nonexistent last week?
This is getting to be a set-in pattern, as we once again start the show with a backstage segment. We see the lovely and talented Dolph Ziggler walking up to the Divas locker room door. Michelle approaches him and turns on the charm. He says he’s looking for Maria, and she offers to help, knocking on the door. Oh.. This might get good:
Layla answers the knock, opening the door. Signs of a coordinated attack begin to surface as Michelle asks Layla if Maria’s in the room. She says no, and looks to leave the scene. Michelle, trying to look as enticing as is possible while one is hobbling on a crutch, asks him what he sees in Maria, wondering why he could be with a “ditzy little girl” like her when he could be with a “sexy woman” like herself. She veers off her crutch and Dolph catches her, allowing Michelle to get a handful or 5 of his ass. In the distance, we can see Layla taping the whole thing on her cellphone. He pushes Michelle against the door, rejecting the advance and repeating “No. No No.”. He leaves, and Layla shows Michelle what she got on her phone. Michelle deems it “perfect”. Uh oh.. Does GTV have a modern counterpart?
On the wrestling side of things, Melina makes her way to the ring, seemingly oblivious to what has recently gone on. One has to wonder how Maria will react to that footage, and what that means for her friendship with Melina. Something tells me shouting “I told ya so!!!” isn’t Melina’s style. Layla, accompanied by Michelle, makes her entrance, and we’ve got a match:
Layla gets to an aggressive start, kneeing Melina and latching her into a headlock. Melina shoves her into the ropes, and on the return Layla shoulder-strikes her onto the mat. Layla bounces off the ropes, leaps over Melina’s prone body, and bounces off the other side of the ring. Melina makes her own leap, getting some air as she launches over Layla, who reaches the ropes for a 3rd time and gets hit with a flapjack delivered by Melina. Dizzy yet?
Add Divas Champion, Mickie James to the injured list along with Kelly Kelly. Rumours had been circulating that Mickie had ruptured one of her implants last weekend, this has now been confirmed by PWInsider. They report she is due to have them fixed soon. Though not a serious ‘injury’ per se, both the Divas and … Read more
Rumours of Raw Diva, Kelly Kelly being injured are true. The young Diva has been working on a bad right knee, reports PWInsider. Yesterday on her Twitter, Kelly noted she had just had an MRI exam. In more knee injury news, Michelle McCool has confirmed her injured knee in a new blog post: I actually … Read more
