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.
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!
ALICIA FOX Erin: I like the colors, as you don’t see that combo on Divas very often. (Not girly enough?) Though I’m not sure what design accent’s going on on her leg and top. It’s not the most creative ring attire, but hopefully she can develop an interesting signature style pretty soon–this is a decent start. 7/10 Melanie: This, to me, has a touch of the Glamazon mixed with the Rosa about it. It definitely seems like an amalgamation of the two, but I like it. I like Alicia’s little belts every week too. Alicia looks great in the darker colour scheme, but I hope she begins incorporating some brighter colours soon too. 7/10 Steven: I’m really becoming a fan of Alicia’s gear as of late. As usual, Alicia is simple without being boring. Also, the copper accents really work for her. 8/10
BETH PHOENIX Erin: It’s tough to judge this outfit when you can only see the top at one angle, but to me it looks like a tube top with a sequined vest layered over it. It really doesn’t look that bad, but I’d probably like it better if it were all in one matching piece. It looks like it would be a cool, stylish cut. 6/10 Melanie: From what we could see on screen, it looks like a cute outfit for Beth on television. Not something you’d wear everyday but for TV, it works. I love the hair band and the way her hair looks here and the shiny vest is cute. 7/10 Steven: Something about this outfit is just off to me. Maybe if the vest wasn’t so tight. I know it’s meant to be that way but it gives the illusion that she’s busting out of it. I could live without the sequins too. 5/10
Read on for more of this week’s outfits and to see who’s been branded our winner and loser.
Last time on SmackDown: Michelle and Eve did battle, with the Women’s Champion coming out on top. Meanwhile, Maria’s untimely chair stealing cost Dolph a match and the both of them their relationship. This week: To say that Monday’s “Diva Draft” put a different spin on things would be an understatement. How will SmackDown two … Read more
More rumours on each of the Diva trades has circulated. This time, NoDQ.com reports why Beth Phoenix, the Bella Twins and Melina were moved: Beth Phoenix was moved to Smackdown because it was felt that she lost momentum on RAW. It’s been rumored that she could be paired up with Dolph Ziggler. The Bella Twins … Read more
Just under 24 hours removed from last night’s Diva Trade, what do the moves mean for each of the 7 Divas that have changed homes? We aim to offer our insight into what they could be getting up to:
The Bella Twins
Returning to Monday Night Raw, the Bella Twins’ brief excursion to ECW seems to be over… unfortunately. That said, given the fact they have been making trips to Raw over the past month or two anyway, it only seems fitting to make it official, right? I don’t expect the Bellas will be doing much in the way of wrestling on Raw, nor will they probably have much part in the women’s division at all — except at house shows. If they do wrestle, it will likely be as rarely as they did on ECW. So what does that leave them to do? What they’ve been doing already — backstage segments with the Guest Host for the week, maybe even a few skits here and there with Santino. It looks to me as though they were brought back to Raw for that reason, to serve as characters rather than wrestlers which I guess, is okay.
Beth Phoenix
I’m not entirely happy with this move for Beth, I truly feel not all of the avenues of the Beth Phoenix character were explored and there was more that she could have offered to Raw; feuding with Gail Kim, Kelly Kelly and possibly even Melina again. On SmackDown, while there is the possibility [technically] that she could go toe-to-toe with Michelle McCool or Natalya — both of which are salivating prospects — it just doesn’t seem likely with all three as heels. That just leaves two Divas: Maria and Mickie James. One of those feuds we’ve seen already and would be like beating a dead horse, the other of those feuds seems like an extremely mismatched affair. Nonetheless, it seems like Maria vs Beth could be the only avenue they explore in a singles situation. There is always the chance of a three-way feud with Michelle McCool and Mickie James also. Beyond those two storylines, I don’t see there being much for Beth to accomplish on SmackDown.
So I woke up this morninMg and wondered, “Did last night really happen?” A brief moment later, after rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, I realised no, I wasn’t in some parallel universe or WWE’s beloved Bizzaro World. Last night did happen. Jillian the Jobber really did win a major championship. Melina really did return to Raw. Mickie James really did get traded to SmackDown. On top of all that, Raw ‘guest correspondent’, Maria Menounos got in the ring and wrestled — and looked better than the real Maria!
Watch the craziness unfold, all over again:
Divas Championship Matches
So apparently title opportunities are no longer earned as Jillian, who has a larger loss record than Paris Hilton has sexual conquests, is handed a title shot. For the record, I absolutely hate title shots that are just handed out. But after Kelly, Mickie, Beth, Gail & even Alicia Fox were given Divas Title shots on Raw this year, it only seems right that Jillian gets one too, right?
Honestly, though as short as it was, I enjoyed the work between Jillian and Mickie. Jillian proves here just what a great worker she is, able to have a nice, kind of fast paced exchange with Mickie. We start with a lockup which goes into a headlock, Mickie throws Jillian against the ropes and goes for a hip toss but Jillian nicely counters into a monkey flip. Mickie sells it oddly, which is covered up as a ‘counter’, getting on her feet & charges at Jillian with a Thesz press. Mickie with a dropkick & pin attempt. She then sets up the tornado DDT but Jillian counters and goes for her facebuster, but Mickie manages to block it and goes for a flip into a pin. Mickie kicks Jillian and throws her into the corner, Mickie launches at Jillian, she ducks and Mickie ends up climbing the ropes. Jillian hits a powerbomb, goes for a pin using the ropes for a leg-up and gets the win. Jillian is the new Divas Champion!
Incredibly short, but I enjoyed the little work that we did see and would’ve liked it to be a little longer. These two work well together and are able to go from one move to another seamlessly without the awkward moments that usually linger in Mickie matches. Good effort, I’d say. Rushed finish which is explained by what’s to come…
So Jillian celebrates her title win with a rendition of my favourite Lady Gaga song, ‘Paparazzi’ and messes up the lyrics. [Yes, I paid attention!] Nancy O’Dell, who sounds kind of annoying if you ask me, interrupts and announces that Jillian will defend the title right now against Raw’s newest acquisition, Melina!
This here, was PRICELESS. Jillian realises what we all realise: her title reign is about to be cut incredibly short. Her acting here was pure genius, the facial expressions, the amazing way she clinged onto the belt as the match was about to start. “It’s mine! Please, it’s mine…” The comedic acting was perfection! And the way her head kinda sank when Justin Roberts took the belt, a little “Aww” moment. Seriously, the acting here was so good.
So it’s time for Melina vs Jillian, and you just knew this was going to be short as hell. Melina almost instantly goes for the leg-split drop but it’s botched by Jillian, who goes down too early. Melina doesn’t quite know what to do but mounts Jillian, I guess they were having a little impromptu pow-wow here with Melina telling her to go into another finish. The set up into the Last Call was a little awkward, though understandable due to it being impromptu. Melina hits it and becomes the Divas Champion.
I really appreciate the work ethic here, yes the match was so short and incredibly botched but the fact Melina showed a cool, collectedness and an ability to think on the spot proves just why I think she should be WWE’s new top Diva. Showing initiative and opting to go for a second finish rather than pinning her on a botched leg-spit drop was a good move. In comparison, Mickie in that match with Gail… A world of difference. Melina showed initiative and handled the situation and it was nicely done given the unfortunate circumstance.
I also want to point attention to Melina’s reaction after the match. This girl is really sweet in real life and very emotional at times and that often comes across on TV too. Melina and Jillian are really great friends and you have to think that it was bittersweet for her to pin her friend, who I’m sure she would want to be champion too. After pinning her, she sort of looked at Jillian a little sadly, and again looked down at her sort of “I’m sorry” as her hand was being raised. At the end of the clip, you’ll also see her saying “I’m sorry,” more in character this time, but still not consistent with her role as a babyface. If you’d just won the title, you’d be flaunting it in your opponent’s face. For Melina, I think her some of her real personality & her real emotional nature came across and I thought it was really sweet. Looking at some of the comments being made towards Melina, I don’t know how one can be pissed off at or ‘hate’ someone who doesn’t even make the decisions; it’s as though the girl booked herself to be the champion.
Just for the sake of compilation and to give you [and us] a picture of what your new Monday, Tuesday and Friday nights will look like, we have made lists of the new Divas roster on each brand: Raw Faces: Melina (Divas Champion) Brie Bella Eve Torres Gail Kim Kelly Kelly Nikki Bella Heels: Alicia … Read more
As teased on Raw, the Diva trades are as follows: Raw – Melina [Moves from SmackDown, new Divas Champion] – The Bella Twins [Move from ECW] – Eve Torres [Moves from SmackDown] SmackDown – Beth Phoenix [Moves from Raw] – Mickie James [Moves from Raw] ECW – Rosa Mendes [Moves from Raw] Stay tuned for … Read more
The Divas Championship has changed hands not once, but twice in an unfathomable episode of Raw. [Still in shock!] Jillian and Melina became the fourth and fifth Divas Champions, respectively. Jillian defeated Mickie James in a short singles match to take the title and can now claim that in her long five year career, she … 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)
Beth Phoenix‘s On the Spot Appearance: In a very un-Beth-like move, the Glamazon is wearing a girly polka-dotted dress. It looks good on her, though, and the cut shows off her rock-hard back in a very sexy way. I can’t help but think it’s probably too girly for her frame, with the frilly-ness and the polka dots and the bow, but I like that she’s venturing out a bit. The color is quite pretty, too. The black heels are killer. Poses: She goes for a whole variety of poses, some serious, some sweet. It shows her range, and I absolutely love the back-exposing pose–it shows off her sculpted frame, and she almost looks like a statue (in a good way, not a Kelly Kelly way). Uniqueness: Beth’s wearing a pretty little party dress! That’s new to me! Grade: Sweet. I’m sure this isn’t a lasting thing, but I like seeing this different side to Beth. It shows that she’s more than the “muscular chick”.
• Click to see the rest of the photoshoot.
Lacey Von Erich‘s Peep Show Appearance: Lacey’s wearing a hot pink tube top and black leather shorts, but I have a feeling the clothes don’t matter, because she sheds the top. Maybe that’s a good thing, because she’s one pair of thigh-high boots away from looking like a streetwalker. Poses: I’ll forgive Lacey for this, since she’s new, but this is the absolute opposite of subtlety. It’s worse than cheesy, it’s cheesecake-y. I wish we were beyond girls in wrestling taking their tops off, but I guess we aren’t. Uniqueness: Playing into a stereotype is about the least unique a person can be. Yuck. Grade: Sour. I think I slipped back into the late 90s with this shoot. It wasn’t a fun trip.
• Click to see the rest of the photoshoot.
Layla‘s Voyez les Vues Appearance: Layla’s a jet-setter, donning head-to-toe black and striking sunglasses. It’s not very exciting, but I suppose the sights are meant to take center stage. She tosses on a beret in a few shots, which, while cute, is kind of distractingly cliche. Poses: A few are fun (jumping for joy in from of the Eiffel Tower), but others are just kinda blah.. I understand that the scenery is the focus, and it’s gorgeous, but Layla is kind of just standing there. She could make it look a whole lot more exciting instead of just looking like a tourist caught in a candid photo. Uniqueness: Ah, Paris! That’ll beat the traditional black backdrop any day.. Grade: Bland. The sights are gorgeous, but the Diva isn’t pulling her weight. The poses bore, and make me look at what’s behind her instead, which I’m sure wasn’t the objective of the shoot.
• Click to see the rest of the photoshoot.
Read more to see the rest of this week’s photoshoots and vote for your favorite.
We’re again bringing you a special edition of Unwrapped, where we cover multi-Diva shoots in a miniaturized version of our regular “unwrappings”, focusing on the looks and ensembles our Divas have put together. This time, we’re taking a look at the “Diva Bowl” photoshoot, in which last Monday’s participants in Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s tag team match show off their football-themed ring gear. Click here to see the full photoshoot.
Alicia Fox Grade: Sweet. Cutting her jersey into little bits, Alicia took the bland heel jersey (what, no Pittsburgh rival jersey?) to the next level, giving it some spunk. It’s refreshing to not see something modified merely to show more chest or stomach. The studded headband is awesome too, and gives the look that Alicia touch. I love it–the whole thing screams “Alicia”, but still fits the theme perfectly.
Beth Phoenix Grade: Sweet. Of course, her requisite Glamazon headband is there, but it fits in perfectly with the white attire. I like how the jersey is cut into slits like male athletes to do the back of their shirts. It’s sexy, but not cheeky. If you look closely, the sleeves are braided too–nice touch. I love the close-up pose too–I’ve bet you’ve never seen a holder look that intimidating.
Brie Bella Grade: Sweet. Finally, a place where the Bella headband works! Granted, its an sports headband, but still.. Brie made a unique modification to her jersey, snipping out the front completely but leaving the back hanging. It’s strange, but I kind of like it. Did you notice that she and Nikki are sharing a pair of gloves? Ah, the sacrifices of being a twin!
Eve Torres Grade: Sweet. A few yellow touches with ribbons and yellow high-top Converse look really cute, especially with her hair tied into pigtails. Perhaps it’s a little too cutesy, but I’ll be damned it she doesn’t look adorable. Someone needs to tell her to take the stickers off the bottom of her shoes, though..
Follow the cut to see the rest of the Divas in the photoshoot.
Last night, Diva fans were ‘treated’ to the first annual~! Diva Bowl featuring girls from all three brands. What’s that I hear you cry? “Lulz ‘all three brands’ sure, more like they called in the troops because most of the Raw Divas are injured.” What? You mean to say that the first annual~! Diva Bowl … Read more
The Wrestling Observer website is reporting that Mickie James‘ next challenger for the Divas Championship will be the Glamazon, Beth Phoenix. However, judging from last night’s Raw, it looked as though they were still working around Mickie & Alicia. Given the decent-to-good match Alicia and Mickie had at Hell in a Cell, I would hope … Read more
The near decade long No Mercy tradition has been dropped this year in favour of a new pay per view concept, Hell in a Cell. For the first time tonight, the Divas Championship will be defended at the early October pay per view when Alicia Fox challenges Mickie James. But let us go ‘through the years’ of this pay per view:
1999 The Fabulous Moolah vs Ivory
In 1999, the legendary Fabulous Moolah returned to the ring for one last run, feuding with then Women’s Champion Ivory. At the inaugural No Mercy in 1999, Moolah did the unthinkable — winning the Women’s Championship at the age of 76.
Chyna vs Jeff Jarrett
Later that night, more history was made when Chyna became the first woman to hold the Intercontinental Championship, defeating Jeff Jarrett in a Good Housekeeping Match.
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!
ALICIA FOX #1 Erin: It’s sexy without being skin tight, and I like that. The off-the-shoulder look works well on her. I love her hair too. I have to say, she probably has some of the best “street wear” style of all the Divas. Most end up looking like street walkers (see Friday’s SmackDown), but she doesn’t–not at all. 8/10 Melanie: Another solid black look from Alicia after her killer outfit last week. With the Beyonce-licious legs she has, she should show them off more! 8/10 Steven: Love this look on Alicia. The shorts really show off her killer legs and the chain on the side is a nice touch. Not sure how I feel about the top half though… 7/10 Tiffany: Alicia proved once again that she looks good in black (as most Divas do). It was an acceptable outfit for ringside attire. I’m just not a fan of loose-fitting wear that makes women appear larger than they really are. Though, she pretty much rocked it either way. 8/10
ALICIA FOX #2 Erin: This one isn’t as flattering as the last one, but I like that she’s trying different styles with the one-pieces. It’s just too busy and sparkly for my taste. 5/10 Melanie: I am not a huge fan of rompers so this doesn’t work entirely for me. That said, I love that she’s showing off her legs more and she looks utterly confident in all of her fashion choices. 5/10 Steven: Have I mentioned how much I hate animal print? Similar to her outfit on Raw, but not nearly as cute. The billowy top does nothing for her figure and I can’t stand the shoestring headband. 4/10 Tiffany: I didn’t quite understand Alicia’s choice on SmackDown. I can’t quite explain it, but it is certainly a step down from her Raw outfit. The pattern and style just don’t do it for me. 6/10
THE BELLA TWINS Erin: I think they’re cute, and the all-over lace doesn’t look as trashy when it’s in such a pretty color. The cut out back is sexy too, and the fact that the neckline is so high balances out the skin exposure. Though, it’s probably too flashy of an outfit for both of them to wear at once without looking silly. 7/10 Melanie: I really love this look, the dresses are so cute and you can’t see it in the picture, but they are also backless which makes it even more stylish. 7/10 Steven: Something about these dresses rubs me the wrong way. Maybe it’s the high neckline, or perhaps the lacey material. I do love the color though. 6/10 Tiffany: Blending in with the color of your outfit is not a good look. Seriously, do they have to match…all the time? They’re twins; we get it. 5/10
BETH PHOENIX Erin: It’s probably tough for Beth to find street clothes that don’t clash against her tough girl persona, so she’s stuck with denim and leather. I don’t hate the look, but she could have done better. Just because you’re tough doesn’t mean you automatically have to look like you just blew in on a motorcycle–not that there’s anything wrong with that. 6/10 Melanie: Not loving it. There’s something about the vest top that looks kind of ‘butch’, I would’ve like to see something that puts the glamorous in Glamazon. 4/10 Steven: I find that Beth looks her best when in casual gear and this is no exception. Feeling the belt, but the vest is a little too ‘biker chick’ for me. 8/10 Tiffany: Beth looked more biker chick than ‘chic.’ She seems to be bursting out her top, and the jeans are not flattering. Not her best. Her last backstage outfit attempt was much better. 6/10
Read on for more of this week’s outfits and to see who’s been branded our winner and loser.
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!
ALICIA FOX Erin: Very sexy and sleek. With those super-high boots she looks badass without looking like she just auditioned for a biker gang. This is a “heel” look if I ever saw one.. 9/10 Melanie: I really like this look, it’s cute and simple. Only a girl with a figure like Alicia could pull off those boots too! 8/10 Steven: Something about the black-on-black look on Alicia does it for me. Looks casual without looking like she’s going club-hopping. 8/10 Tiffany: Alicia looked really good sitting at ringside, as most Divas attempt to. I like that she went simple with the look, which is refreshing. I’m just a bit perplexed by those boots – they go up impossibly high! 9/10
BETH PHOENIX Erin: The cape is a nice dramatic touch, but she should have put another color in the suit to break up all the red. The gold phoenix is a cool accent, though. 7/10 Melanie: I love the design but honestly, I’m not a huge fan of the colour. It just seems so bright for a dark, broody Glamazon. 8/10 Steven: A little too bright and shiny for my taste, but it works on Beth. Don’t know why, but I like cape thingy she has going on. 7/10 Tiffany: Beth’s new outfit looks much better on paper than it did on broadcast. All that red… it was all a little too bright for me. I’d like to see some darker hues to balance off that red. 7/10
EVE TORRES Erin: The bottom half looks good, if plain, but the top is kinda strange. It looks like she found a bunch of lime green ribbon and went to town on it. Not a good look unless she’s planning to audition for DX. 5/10 Melanie: The bottom half looks good but Eve’s vest tops are getting really old. 5/10 Steven: Nothing spectacular here. That top looks like something out of The Beautiful People’s closet, and that’s not a compliment. 6/10 Tiffany: Let’s look on the bright side. If teaming up with Cryme Tyme doesn’t work out… at least she’s a shoe-in for D-Generation X. 5/10
LILIAN GARCIA Erin: If Lilian had a signature look, it’d be a “New Years Eve” theme–always sparkly and flashy and party-ish but still on the demure side. This is the epitome of that, because she literally looks like a disco ball. That’s not meant to be an insult–I really like it. It helps that the rest of the look is colored simply in black. 8/10 Melanie: Not a huge fan of the dress. I guess short dresses & high boots have been Lilian’s trademark for the past 10 years so it makes sense. 4/10 Steven: Lilian, you could have done better for your last night. Reminds me of a disco ball… Me likey the boots though. 5/10 Tiffany: To compliment our last memory of her, Lilian chose wisely. The flash and the flare and the shooting star-like presentation are all very reminiscent of her WWE career. 8/10
Read on for more of this week’s outfits and to see who’s been branded our winner and loser.
Legendary Diva, Trish Stratus has become the latest veteran to give a rub to young rookie and Diva Dirt favourite, Alicia Fox. Since moving to SmackDown in April and later Raw this past summer, Alicia has earned compliments from the likes of Allison Danger and current WWE Diva, Melina. But is there higher praise from … Read more
So much to discuss coming out of last night’s Raw! It was sad to see the legendary [yes, we are gonna start calling her that now so STFU and STFD] Lilian Garcia retire from WWE. However, a star was born last night in Alicia Fox. Congratulations Foxy, you have truly arrived! Questions coming out of … Read more
The full roster for this year’s SmackDown vs Raw game was revealed moments ago in a live webcast featuring Eve Torres. Representing the Divas will be: Beth Phoenix Brie & Nikki Bella, Eve Torres, Gail Kim, Kelly Kelly, Maria, Maryse, Melina, Michelle McCool, Mickie James and Natalya. There are rumours that Trish Stratus may be … 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.
Check your local weather forecast for flying pigs, folks! We’ve seen the occasional ‘two Divas matches in one night’ on SmackDown, more common we see two Knockouts matches on any given episode of Impact but Raw? Raw?! Following last week’s Vince birthday debacle, this week it was the Divas Champion’s birthday. I wonder what she wished for… Better yet, neither match was a three minute wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am affair either! Cloudy with a chance of Divas.
First up was a six Diva battle royal to determine who faced the birthday girl, Mickie James, later on in the night. Rather than the standard clusterf*ck we usually see, they did a good job of getting the dead weight out of the ring early and letting the ‘wrestler girls’ do what they do best.
First, the entrance — so the Divas finally get their own entrances for one of these battle royals and Gail Kim decides: “Oh no, not me… I want to be ~suppressed~ by this turgid Diva lifestyle. I have been taken away from my beloved Knockouts and have to work here just for the money. But I shan’t enjoy it! Woe is me.” So what does a girl do? She hijacks Kelly Kelly‘s entrance. It definitely looked like a miscue to me, I guess she accidentally walked out and realised she made a mistake because Kelly didn’t even see her behind her, Gail had to tap her on the shoulder. And you’ll even notice a pause from announcer, Lilian Garcia, possibly because she was surprised to see Gail come out with Kelly. “Introducing first…” Pause. “Kelly Kelly and Gail Kim.” Also interesting to note that Beth Phoenix, arguably the top heel on Raw came out second while Alicia Fox came out last. The last spot is usually reserved for the top Divas/Superstars. Maybe Gail was supposed to come out after Alicia?
Anyway that over with, let’s skip to the match: We kick off with three different matches going on at once, Beth-Kelly, Gail-Rosa, Alicia-Jillian. Kind of hard to keep track of all of this. I noticed Rosa attempting to hit some awful looking slaps Gail’s way, before being pushed into the Glamazon. Despite being her former protege, Beth is having none of that — and Rosa & her weave go flying over the top rope. After this, we see some work between Gail and Beth which is always an enticing prospect, while Kelly hits a few forearms to Jillian and Alicia. Ms Fierce kicks Kelly in the stomach and delivers a really nice ace kick, delivered much better than the one on Mickie last week. Unfortunately our girl Foxy isn’t long for this match as she’s next eliminated by Gail Kim. She’s followed by Kelly, who’s dropped out of the ring by Beth who picks her up almost as if she’s cradling a baby. In the ring, Gail and Jillian ‘hit it off’, you could say, with Jillian launching Gail into the turnbuckle, Gail moves out of the way and Jillian eats ring post. Beth attacks next, but Gail manages to fight back and has Beth against the ropes, she falls out of the ring but manages to hold on thankfully for her. Beth teeters off the apron, I like this, it reminds me of those Royal Rumble matches when people are trying to eliminate the Big Show for example and the ‘big man’ kinda teases he’s about to fall. I guess Beth is our Diva equivalent of that.
Now it’s time for what I felt was some good work between Gail Kim and veteran, Jillian. They do a little exchange, which Gail gets the best of, tossing Jillian out of the ring but again — she hangs on this time. Gail tries to finish the job, but gets tossed out herself by Jillian before sliding back in through Jilly’s legs and almost going for a rollup, err… Anyway then she misses another crossbody but good news folks! She doesn’t knock herself loopy this time. Risky move going for it in the first place though, Gail. Jillian goes for a handspring elbow but meets Gail’s knees, Jillian stumbles to the canvas and crawls around like a retarded cat. Jillian grabs hold of Gail trying to throw her over the top rope, but Gail fights back, leading into a really awkward, awful looking hurricanrana that turned into a butt bump. I don’t even…
Did Michael Cole really just call Gail ‘dead weight’? Jillian tosses Gail over the top but in HBK-esque fashion, Gail skins the cat as they say [I don’t know why]. Another amazing observation from the amazing Michael Cole: “Jillian surprised that Gail’s still alive.” That is just… wow. Gail uses her legs to hit a legscissors on Jillian who falls out of the ring… finally! Unfortunately for Gail, Beth is still in this thing and with a stiff kick, eliminates Gail and takes the win!
Good battle royal, I felt. I enjoyed the work between Jillian and Gail minus a few glaring awkward moments.
We’re again bringing you a special edition of Unwrapped, where we cover multi-Diva shoots in a miniaturized version of our regular “unwrappings”, focusing on the looks and ensembles our Divas have put together. This time, we’re taking a look at the “Raw Boxing” photoshoot, where the Divas who took part in Raw’s boxing-themed tag team match show off their Everlast gear. Click here to see the full photoshoot.
Alicia Fox Grade: Sweet. I can’t help but think of two things when I see Alicia’s gear: Captain America and the Harlem Globetrotters. Both are a good thing–they’re iconic! The stars and stripes are cute and kitschy enough to catch your eye, but not in a ultra-girly and cheesy way. She kind of looks like she’s set to fight in that old “Mike Tyson Punch-Out!” video game.
Beth Phoenix Grade: Sweet. OMG, Beth actually gets to take part in a themed match! Beth doesn’t disappoint, either, actually adhering to the theme and looking more like an actual boxer than any of the other Divas. The gold and red Everlast gear looks sexy, not sleazy, and it doesn’t look like a Halloween costume gone wrong like one I have a feeling I’ll be seeing on a particular Diva still to come..
Gail Kim Grade: Sweet. It’s pretty simple, but the little silver shorts are cute. She also uses pink, but not overwhelmingly like she needed to reinforce the fact that she’s a woman. “I gotta say, though, the “Boxer Girl” on her top looks like it says “Boner Girl” on first glance. Good thing or bad thing? Judge for yourselves.. :P
Follow the cut to see the rest of the Divas in the photoshoot.
What do you buy a man who has it all? Nothing. You just let him hog Raw for most of the show. On a night where everything else played second fiddle to Vince McMahon’s birthday celebrations, there wasn’t much in the way of anything groundbreaking or storyling progression. In fact, judging by the pinfall last … Read more
– “Mayweather Melee,” say that three times real fast. – Kelly ‘Kendra Wilkinson’ Kelly seems right at home in sports gear. – At least this time she has an excuse for wearing sneakers in a match. – Beth Phoenix’s pigtails… bless. – Is it just me or does Mickie James look hotter in boxing gear … Read more
The Divas will get to represent at SummerSlam in a pre-show 15 Diva battle royal that will be exclusive to the SummerSlam DVD. This was confirmed in WWE Universe’s Live Chat just moments ago. We’ll have results from the match later tonight hopefully. EDIT: If you ordered the PPV, the match will air on the … Read more
Raw Divas, Beth Phoenix and Kelly Kelly got the Superstars treatment this week and delivered a very decent bout, considering this show is overlooked by most. Watch below: With no stupid skits to contend with, WWE Superstars usually consists of 3-4 matches filling up 42 minutes. That generally works out to 8-10 minutes per segment … Read more
The Bella Twins
Beth Phoenix
