Thursday, December 18, 2025
Submit News

Sue Aitchison to be second woman to receive WWE Warrior Award

Sue Aitchison

Earlier today, WWE announced that long-time employee Sue Aitchison would be this year’s WWE Warrior Award recipient. Aitchison has worked behind the scenes in the corporate division with WWE for 30 years, and has most notably developed and strengthened WWE’s community outreach programs. She’s build a strong partnership with Make-A-Wish, where she’s helped over 6,000 … Read more

Renee Young asked to speak less on commentary

Renee Young

Yesterday, WWE Raw commentator Renee Young released a new episode of Regular Girls, a “shoot-the-breeze” podcast she hosts with friend Stacey McGunnigle. In the episode, Young talks about her job as commentator, and feedback she’s received. Specifically, Young talks about her on-the-job commentary trainers Tom Phillips, the lead play-by-play commentator on SmackDown Live, and Vic … Read more

Ronda Rousey praises her favorite heels

Ronda Rousey

This week on Ronda Rousey’s “Ronda on the Road” YouTube series, Rousey spent time answering questions and spoke about who her favorite heels are in the company. Transcription of quotes from the episode are provided by Fightful “And now that I’m a heel, I can openly profess my love to all the heels that I … Read more

Brandi Rhodes on building AEW women’s division with Kenny Omega

Brandi Rhodes

All Elite Wrestling’s debut with Double or Nothing is getting closer and closer. AEW’s Chief Brand Officer Brandi Rhodes spoke on The Jim Ross Report podcast on their ever-growing women’s division. Several women have already been announced for the promotion and more are expected to be mentioned in the coming weeks. Rhodes comments on the … Read more

Jordynne Grace becomes no. 1 contender for Knockouts Title

Jordynne Grace Taya Valkyrie Tessa Blanchard Impact Knockouts Championship

Tonight’s episode of IMPACT Wrestling provided us with a big glimpse of the Knockouts Championship picture. Former champion Tessa Blanchard wrestled Jordynne Grace in a match to determine Taya Valkyrie’s next Knockouts Title challenger. For several minutes, both women fought tooth and nail in an aggressive contest. All seemed evenly matched until Big Mama Pump … Read more

Laura DiMatteo upset over WWE’s Saudi Arabia decision

During an interview with Xenia from Xenia Did That, a YouTube channel located in Russia dedicated to entertainment, wrestling, beauty and fashion, wrestler Laura DiMatteo discussed the politics behind professional wrestling.


Xenia asked DiMatteo if she saw wrestling as a way to shine a light on political issues, or as a way to educate the public on such issues, and asked for her thoughts on WWE’s decision to move forward with a show in Saudi Arabia.

“Personally, I’m not into politics, at all. Like, I’m not interested,” DiMatteo noted. “But, I was very upset with the fact that, in Saudi Arabia, women can’t wrestle. I don’t think that’s a good example if you’re promoting women’s wrestling, and then you go to a country which don’t allow women to wrestle.”

DiMatteo was in Russia to compete in a show for Independent Wrestling Federation, where she won the IWF Women’s Championship. The Italian wrestler recently came out as lesbian, which clashes with the Russian “gay propaganda” policy. The country believes that the law, which prevents LBGQT members to openly discuss or promote their sexuality, will “prevent harm to children” by putting a stop to homosexuality as being seen as a norm in society. DiMatteo was asked her thoughts on the legislation, and if it caused any hesitation in coming to Russia.

“Some friends, actually, before coming here, were like telling me like as a joke, but I guess it wasn’t much of a joke. They’re like, ‘Don’t mention you’re gay, like don’t do anything.'”

DiMatteo is a staple of PROGRESS Wrestling and Pro Wrestling:EVE. She’ll debut with DEFIANT Wrestling on March 16 in Sunderland.

See the entire interview in the video above. If quotes from this article are used, please credit Diva Dirt for transcription of video.

Do you agree with Laura DiMatteo on her views regarding Saudi Arabia?

Stephanie McMahon talks WrestleMania and Evolution 2

Stephanie McMahon

As we embark on the 35th annual WrestleMania, there is an obvious buzz for women to main event the show for the first time. The RAW Women’s Championship Triple Threat Match between the champion Ronda Rousey, Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch is expected to close the show. Stephanie McMahon was interviewed by The National where … Read more

RISE Wrestling to set major record at LEGENDARY event

RISE LEGENDARY Wrestling Kylie Rae vs Champion Mercedes Martinez

RISE Wrestling’s next event will literally be LEGENDARY, because that’s the name of the show. RISE – LEGENDARY will take place later this month and when it does, it will set a huge record in the history of women’s wrestling. In front of a sold out crowd in Chicago, Illinois, RISE – LEGENDARY will boast … Read more

Charlotte Flair is the backbone of the women’s division

Charlotte Flair

We are in the middle of the most pivotal era of women’s professional wrestling. The Women’s Revolution has changed the game for WWE, and there is no turning back. There are dozen’s of women who made this revolution, or evolution, possible throughout the years. The Four Horsewomen, made up of Sasha Banks, Bayley, Becky Lynch … Read more

Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose could be Asuka’s Mania opponents

Asuka

WrestleMania 35 is just around the corner and the SmackDown Women’s Title picture is still blurry. It was originally rumored that Lacey Evans would get the privilege to challenge Asuka for the SmackDown Women’s Championship. As reported by Wrestling Inc. via the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the plans for Evans lacing up her boots against the … Read more

Tenille Dashwood vs. Bea Priestley at SPW

Free Match Friday is a weekly feature from Diva Dirt. Every Friday, we’ll spotlight a great indie match available to watch for free online. Some of the best wrestling in the world is happening in high school gyms and sports bars and even, occasionally, in an appropriate venue for a wrestling match. This week, our free match is a stellar scrap between Tenille Dashwood and Bea Priestley at Southern Pro Wrestling.

Tenille Dashwood is about to run out her contract with Ring of Honor. It’s possible she will sign a new one, of course, but it’s just as possible she’ll walk away from ROH and into the warm embrace of All Elite. Certainly, it’s what many are hoping for. If she does jump ship to AEW, we may soon see a rematch of this week’s free match, Dashwood’s only previous meeting with New Zealand’s Bea Priestley, who recently signed with the upstart promotion.

For many a wrestling fan, especially in North America, the distinctions between the nationalities of Dashwood, an Aussie, and Priestley, a Kiwi, may well seem trivial. But in front of a hungry Invercargill crowd, both women play to the fierce, albeit friendly, sports rivalry their homelands have shared over the years. I can hardly think of a better bit of pandering than Dashwood choking Priestley with an All Blacks jersey.

Tenille Dashwood largely dominates the match, and fair enough. Her repertoire is simple, effective and well-done. She knows a lot of moves, she can do them well, and she makes them fit her character. It sounds like basic stuff, but honestly so many wrestlers of all genders get to main event giant pay-per-views without nailing this stuff down. I truly mean it as the highest praise when I say Tenille Dashwood proves herself an extremely competent and technically sound wrestler in this match, even if she doesn’t do anything flashy. Flashy is great, but it’s not everything.

Priestley acquits herself well as the home favorite, playing the wounded deer to Dashwood’s komodo dragon. (Komodo dragons are extremely cruel to their prey, it’s messed up. Don’t look into it if you’re squeamish.) Lots of people hate leg matches and others based around someone targeting a body part, but too bad, because this is a great leg match and you should watch it. Dashwood works Priestley’s knee over without giving it an obnoxious amount of attention and Priestley sells the knee handicap well without coming off non-credible. Just a well-balanced, well-executed match. Congratulations to everyone involved.

Check back in with Diva Dirt next week for another great free match from the world of independent women’s wrestling. You can find even more matches AND support independent women’s wrestling over at ClickWrestle.

Fatal four-way announced for NXT TakeOver: New York

NXT TakeOver: New York

During tonight’s episode of NXT, it was announced that there would be a fatal four-way for the NXT Women’s Championship at NXT TakeOver: New York. Scheduled for tonight’s card, Io Shirai and Bianca Belair faced each other in a no. 1 contender’s match to determine who would face champion Shayna Baszler for her title. During … Read more