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Michelle McCool

In Pictures: SmackDown Divas’ Santa’s Little Helpers Match

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The Divas of SmackDown [and ECW] have been ‘Santa suiting up’ [bonus points if you get the reference] this weekend on the house show circuit. The team of Mickie James, Maria and Savannah have been taking on Michelle McCool, Layla and Beth Phoenix in ‘Santa’s Little Helpers’ matches and Diva Dirt reader Harmony was there … Read more

SmackDown Redux (December 18th, 2009) – Rise of the Phoenix

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It’s been the biggest week of Maria‘s career with appearances on all three brands but it ended on a sour note on SmackDown, with Beth Phoenix not only defeating her but stealing the show. Things have progressed at rapid speed for the WWE Divas over the past week; this time last week, we were talking about Michelle McCool vs Mickie James at TLC — a match that has now passed and since then, all the talk has been about Maria’s Diva of the Year win at the Slammys and now we see the rise of the Phoenix, Beth Phoenix that is.

The Glamazon was the one constant for the Divas this week on SmackDown, appearing in all three Divas segments and receiving some much needed character progression. One thing was clear from the moment Beth began speaking though — this was not the Beth Phoenix of yore. It seems as though that face turn many of our readers have been hoping for may just happen as Beth came across as more of a tweener than the big bad heel we’re used to seeing her as. Watch a more docile Beth with Maria and Mickie below:

The segment starts with Maria and Mickie playing the latest SmackDown vs Raw game, complete with silly commentary. I loved Maria’s, “We got ’em both. Got ’em both!” Perhaps my heart is beginning to thaw this yuletide but Maria’s slapstick is beginning to grow on me. In comes Beth as the ‘mom’, rather than act like the brash heel we’re used to seeing her as, it was clear that this was a different Beth. A Beth that was less threatening and more nurturing. It reminds me of that rant on America’s Next Top Model when Tyra yelled at that chick. “I was rooting for you, we were all rooting for you.” Rather than get in her former rivals’ faces, she comes across as more of a ‘disappointed friend’. A clear sign that this is a new, tweener Beth. I really liked this segment, I have to say. Beth to me, came across as the voice of the people — the voice of the Diva fan. Sure it’s scripted but the way they’re scripting Beth is what the fans want and it shows that they aren’t out of touch with what the fans want because they have Beth here pretty much saying what’s on our mind. Again Maria cuts in with her humour, and again I’m amused. Damn you, Kanellis! The little ‘congratulations’ and ‘thank you’ between Maria and Mickie was cute too.

Next up, it’s time for ‘Beth goes roaming part two’ as this time she bumps into Layla and Michelle McCool.

Michelle tries to gain Beth’s favour by saying she hopes she and Layla didn’t rub her the wrong way upon her arrival to SmackDown. This then descends into another excuse for WWE to take jibes at Mickie James. Michelle shows some improvement here and there’s more inflection in her voice than ever before, she’s definitely working on adding more personality to her promos. I was quite tickled by Michelle calling Maria ‘underfed’, oh the irony. The “She ain’t getting no food” was just lame. Michelle’s ‘huge proportions’ line was well delivered but outdone by Layla, who was quite funny in her delivery. Anyway, the camera cuts to Beth Phoenix who realises that all the things they’re saying about Mickie could apply to her too and she speaks up. I’m glad they did this because it’s that old age movie convention — bullies never prosper. It puts all the weeks of ‘Piggie James’ crap into context in that eventually, Michelle and Layla will get what they deserve although it seems, not at the hands of Mickie, but rather at the hands of Beth. It definitely seems like this sets the stage for WWE turning Beth and having her feud with Michelle. And as face turns go, I think this is a very logical way to do it. The sensitive subject of a woman’s weight that WWE is exploiting on national television is disgusting and I think that many of the audience members will be waiting to see Michelle & Layla get their just desserts. Having Beth’s turn face coincide with that could be a genius move, because as a result of serving said just desserts, the crowd will be behind Beth and that will give her momentum. But while Michelle and Layla’s characters may have to pay penance for their actions, the WWE higher ups who are pretty much ‘script-bullying’ Mickie, will likely never get their just desserts. But I digress, that’s a story for another day.

Next we have the Maria vs Beth match:

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Raw Redux (December 14th, 2009) – What’s Wrong With This Picture?

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Last night’s Raw, in all its bloated 3 hour glory, was the annual Slammy Awards edition. Among the awards to be handed out were Diva of the Year, which was to be voted on by the fans at WWE.com. As we waited on pins and needles (not) to find out who won the award, we pondered whether the award would be given to support a storyline via rigging by the WWE or a popularity contest held by the voting public. As is turns out, it was neither, and I’ll explain my theory as we come to it.

We start our Divas action (not counting the Divas presenting awards throughout the night) with a Jerry Springer-esque evening gown tag team match. The babyfaces–Mickie James, Melina, Brie & Nikki Bella, Kelly Kelly, Gail Kim, and Maria are taking on the heels–Michelle McCool, Layla, Maryse, Beth Phoenix, Natalya, Alicia Fox, and Rosa Mendes. Most look out of place and trashy in their gowns, and I would critique them (I’ll save that for this week’s Style Jury), but I’m much more distracted by the fact that they’re WRESTLING IN EVENING GOWNS. Well, this’ll be one mesmerizing clusterfuck:


Skip to 2:52

They start with a line-up face-off, trading verbal barbs before heading off their their respective corners. Mickie and Rosa start off the match, Rosa takign advantage and tossing Mickie around, pounding her head on the mat. They trade slaps, and Rosa tosses Mickie into the corner. Mickie blocks her attack, locking her head with her legs and hitting a hurricanrana. She then pulls her to her feet, hitting her Mickie-T to get the pin an the win for her team.

I have to say, this is one of the few moments where I’m glad that a Diva match was cut short. I’m glad that no more than two Divas had to humiliate themselves by wrestling in their dresses. Mickie and Rosa did as awkwardly as I expected, but hey, someone had to take the bullet. Now that the match is over, it’s time for the Diva of the Year Slammy to be awarded. The girls line up in anticipation as MVP and Goldust present the award.

Our winner is announced as, drumroll please…. Maria??? MVP’s reaction right before he reads her name says it all, and Maria looks as shocked as the rest of us as she goes up to accept her award, saying a typical acceptance speech before being interrupted by Batista in a douche costume, doing a Kanye West impression that’s not only awful but over 3 months old. If the joke were a carton of milk, it would have expired into a living organism at this point and, ironically, would be more worthy of a Diva of the Year award than Maria. Maria plays Taylor Swift as she left the stage and allowed Dave to be “escorted” off by security.

But as we watch the wild pink-polo-wearing douchebag be captured in his natural habitat, we’re left to ponder the reasoning behind this decision to crown Maria as Diva of the Year. Was is it truly a popularity contest, and she was just the most popular Diva among the fans? Or was it rigged for storyline purposes? As I said earlier, I believe it was neither, because I have a theory. Yes, Maria is popular, and I do not doubt that fans flocked to vote for her in the poll, but I don’t believe her star power amongst the casual fans is that much stronger than, say, a Mickie James or a Kelly Kelly.

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TLC in Review: Michelle & Mickie Bow Out 2009 with a Hit

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It’s usually this time of year that fans begin to tune out in the build up to Christmas. The December pay per views aren’t really remembered as well as the months prior. However just before the year goes out, the SmackDown Divas have delivered a sleeper hit. Women’s Champion, Michelle McCool successfully defended her belt against Mickie James last night but unlike a myriad of past Divas pay per view matches, this bout seems to be only an opener to a brewing feud. Last night’s match seemed to come as close to ‘feature length’ as WWE will allow the Divas to be and also featured an unusually lively crowd eating up the action. Watch below:

The match kicks off with a cat and mouse chase as Michelle jumps out of the ring immediately, staving away from the four-time Women’s Champion. Upon entering once again, the two Divas lock up in a powerful tussle that sees them roll out of the ring. And already, we’re out of the ring! Still locked up, Mickie thrusts Michelle into the barricade and Michelle retaliates, shoving Mickie into the side of the ring. Nice touch there, showing the intensity between the two Divas. Mickie gets in Michelle’s face in a heated verbal exchange and the expression on Michelle’s face says it all, both Divas did a great job of selling that heat. They carefully get back in the ring, eyes still locked on each other. Mickie screams at Michelle: “I know how to play games, Michelle.” And don’t we know it! Perhaps a slight nod to her first WWE feud.

With the Divas now back on their feet, the champion and challenger go for each other’s hair before being separated by the referee. Mickie quickly goes for a jack knife pin but Michelle kicks out. Mickie manages to knock Michelle off her feet a further two times and goes for a further two pin attempts. Michelle now takes charge, clubbing Mickie and throwing her against the ropes, Mickie manages to lock in a Gail Kim-like christo of sorts while Matt Striker on commentary says, “How can she support that weight.” Wow, Vince and co are going hard for Mickie. It seems such words come all too easily out of Striker’s mouth, I do hope Striker [the person] feels somwhat hesitant when saying them.

Michelle backs Mickie into the corner, slamming her into the turnbuckles and Mickie lays motionless for a good few seconds. Michelle takes control with knee drops followed by knees to the back as the pace of the match begins to slow down. Michelle wipes the mat with Mickie’s face before slamming it back down on the canvas rather viciously. Michelle applies a chin lock as Mickie tries to fight back but Michelle just knocks her back down. Michelle effortlessly throws a few kicks Mickie’s way, suggesting she’s not sweating her opponent.

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SmackDown Redux (December 11th, 2009) – Table for Two at TLC

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With the last minute addition of a Women’s Championship match to this Sunday’s TLC pay per view, the Divas of SmackDown were given a brief build-up to the event. After Maria‘s return last week,  we saw the obvious tag team match as she made her in-ring return, teaming with Mickie James against Layla and Michelle … Read more

Women’s Title Match Added to TLC

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In a minor spoiler from last night’s SmackDown taping, a match between Michelle McCool and Mickie James has been made official for this Sunday’s TLC pay per view. Mickie became the #1 Contender for the Women’s Title last week, defeating Beth Phoenix and Natalya. Join us on Sunday evening for our TLC live blog at … Read more

SmackDown Redux (December 4th, 2009) – Best Divas Action in Years!

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Congratulations are in order for the Divas of SmackDown as I can positively say that this week’s episode was the best Divas action that I’ve seen in quite some time. From the #1 Contenders Match featuring three of the most talented women in the WWE, actual storyline set up afterwards and the return of a Diva — WWE managed to pack a lot into 10 minutes [which is pretty long for a Divas segment on TV] but it all came across as being important. Watch the action below:

On paper, the triple threat match between Beth Phoenix, Mickie James and Natalya seemed full-proof and it was. The work between all three Divas was fantastic, particularly the interaction between the power houses of WWE’s women’s division — Phoenix and Natalya. The way the pair cleared the ring of Mickie James in the early going and then fought among themselves was a great touch. Natalya is probably one of the most talented Divas to ever step foot into the WWE but hasn’t received the same opportunities as Phoenix or James. If we didn’t have spoilers prior, Natalya would be the one I would be rooting for — and to be completely honest, even though I knew the outcome, I still kind of did hope for her to win!

Some beautiful spots in this match including Mickie’s hurricanrana on Natalya, and Natalya’s discus clothesline on Mickie. But perhaps the most impressive is Beth’s effortless Glam Slam on a woman that equals her in stature. A fantastic spot.

The end sees Mickie James dropkick Beth out of the ring and ‘steal’ the victory. I really liked Mickie’s placement in this match, she couldn’t conceivably be considered as physical as Beth or Natalya, so they used her as a scrappy underdog fighting against the larger Divas.

Meanwhile, the real greatness in this match was the work between Beth and Natalya. I’d absolutely love to see a secondary between these two as a result of this week’s show, in addition to Michelle-Mickie. With Beth squashing Divas left, right and center, here she got an opponent that can step toe-to-toe with her and have a knock-down fight with. Perhaps market Natalya as almost an equal to Beth and see which Diva comes out on top.

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Diva Dirt Style Jury: Week of November 23rd, 2009

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ddstylejury

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!

BETH PHOENIX
Erin: The phoenix on the tights kind of looks like a slapped-on decal. The whole thing is rather dull–I really prefer Beth’s more colorful outfits. 5/10
Melanie: I’m not a huge fan of her brightly coloured Glamasuits [the red, blue and green ones] but I much prefer them to this. They have more spark and personality. 4/10
Steven: Nice to see The Glamazon getting back to some normal ring gear. Those shiny numbers were kicking my ass. Nothing different from the norm here, but Beth looks great nonetheless. 7/10

EVE TORRES
Erin: The silver and black aren’t anything special, but I still like the shorts Eve wrestles in. Maybe if there were more color in it, it’d look more interesting. 6/10
Melanie: I really dislike Eve’s ring gear; the shorts could be cute but the tops are just awful. 5/10
Steven: Same gear, different color. This silver one is a tad bland though. I definitely prefer her other metallic corsets over this one. 6/10

Read on for more of this week’s outfits and to see who’s been branded our winner and loser.

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What Will It Be for TLC?

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We may have just put one pay per view behind us but the trail rolls on, because in just three weeks we get WWE’s next pay per view: Tables, Ladders & Chairs. Now before y’all get excited about a Divas stipulation match, may I remind you about the Hell in a Cell pay per view? Like that, it’s likely that only the main events will be contested in those matches.

With three weeks to go, we have two clear feuds on Raw & SmackDown. The Divas Championship race narrowed last night when Maryse made her return and targeted Melina, while there’s been ongoing animosity between Michelle McCool and Mickie James which could lead to a Women’s Title match. Which brand should get the match? Your Raw & SmackDown Redux writers argue for their show:

Raw (Argument by Erin)
Maryse’s return brings a feeling of immediacy to this pay-per-view opportunity. Whatever heat she has built up from her return (even though I doubt returning while wearing a turkey costume builds much heat) will evaporate soon, and the WWE needs to capitalize on this (relatively) fresh feud ASAP. To pass up this opportunity for a big-scale Divas Championship match would be a mistake; They already blew a similar shot with Alicia and Melina by rushing to have the match before Survivor Series. Though Melina and Maryse won’t have enough time for a proper and full build-up, this match could serve as a formal kick-start to their feud. And, to be honest, I’d much rather see this light the fire under the feud than a bloody Gobbledy Gooker attack. Whether or not a Divas Championship match at TLC would result in a Maryse win, I feel that a worthy feud could be built off of it–Maryse could flaunt her quick win in Melina’s face and start a babyface title chase, or Melina could simply frustrate the arrogant Maryse by batting her away in her first title shot. Either way, it could make for an entertaining feud.

The alternative–a Mickie/Michelle match–has been in the works for much longer, but with the high school mentality that feud has had, is it worthy of the “big time” just yet? What kind of feud can be built off of fat jokes and clothes-cutting? I think those two need to build something more legitimate before they have what is destined to be their “blow off” match. Besides, they just had a big PPV match in the form of the Survivor Series tag team match; I mean, it was literally branded “Mickie vs. Michelle”, wasn’t it? Does SmackDown deserve another PPV match so soon? I think if they were to have another PPV match this soon after the “Team Mickie vs. Team Michelle” match, it might put the brakes on the feud altogether (PPV matches signal the end of feuds, quite often), and they need more room to grow before they reach that endpoint and shift to something else. It would be a case of “too much too soon” in my book. I think it’s time that Raw get the spotlight.

For SmackDown follow the cut:

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Raw Redux (November 23rd, 2009) – A Turkey of a Return

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Back in the 1920s, showbiz had a slang term for a failure or flop: they’d call it a turkey*. Fitting, given the failures we witnessed tonight on this Thanksgiving episode of Raw where a certain Diva went so far as to dress in a turkey costume for her big return. So, was it cleverly self-referential or just a bad idea? I think we know the answer to that, but just in case let’s watch the situation unfold and decide for ourselves:

Predictably, the Divas have dressed up for a “Mayflower Melee”, AKA Thanksgiving-themed 6-Diva tag match. The faces–Mickie James, Melina, and Kelly Kelly–are decked out in (*cough* super un-P.C. *cough*) Native American garb, while the heels–Michelle McCool, Layla, and Jillian–are Pilgrims. All look pretty ridiculous, even Kelly, who apparently decided to put on a tan dress and some Nikes and call it a day. But hey, at least she doesn’t look like she’s doing a Kindergarten Thanksgiving play like Michelle & co. I must say, I love how pissed they looked to be dressed in those Pilgrim costumes. At least they’re acknowledging how lame the idea is, unlike so many times in the past.

Before the match starts they are joined by the guest time keeper, the Gobbledy Gooker! …You know, the giant turkey that hatched on live television in what was known as one of the biggest “WTF” moments in WWE history? I guess since they had two Thanksgiving cliches represented, they decided to go for the trifecta. Gooker stands in the corner and awkwardly rings the bell, signaling the start of the match.

Melina and Jillian start out the match, probably praying that they can scrub off some of the bad mojo they’ve had with each other as of late. They start with a tie-up, Melina getting the upper hand by wrenching Jillian’s arm. Jillian gains control, slamming Melina to the mat. Melina reverses an irish-whip into the corner, sending Jillian into the turnbuckle and proceeding to send a shoulder into her stomach. She lays Jillian across the second ropes, prepping her a double-knee attack. Before she can do it, however, Jillian yanks her by her dress, pulling her to the mat. She tosses Melina by the hair and taunts the crowd a bit.

Jillian whips Melina into the ropes but Melina hangs on. Before she can do anything, though, Jillian meets her with an elbow to the face. She whips Melina into the turnbuckle, prepping for her handspring elbow attack. Before she can do any damage, Melina catches her with her legs, choking her and chopping her on the head. Once back on their feet Melina takes down Jillian with a (almost malfunctioned) facebuster. She goes for the pin, but Jillian kicks out.

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Survivor Series 2009 in Review: Melina Leads Team Mickie to Victory

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Last night’s Survivor Series match was billed as Team Mickie vs Team Michelle but it was Divas Champion, Melina that scored the final pinfall and took the win for her team. When originally announced, it seemed odd that the Divas Champ would be playing second fiddle to someone else as team captain, which it makes … Read more

WWE Survivor Series 2009 Predictions

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Mickie James & Michelle McCool lead their teams to war tonight at the 23rd annual Survivor Series. Women’s Champion, Michelle McCool has proven to be quite the thorn in Mickie’s side, reducing the Diva to tears in recent weeks. But when it comes to battling it out in the ring, who will have the last … Read more

Diva Dirt Style Jury: Week of November 16th, 2009

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ddstylejury

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 usually like it when Divas go with unique colors for their ring gear, but I just can’t like this pukey shade of green. Not to mention the outfit itself kind of looks like a weapon, what with all the pointy-ness sprouting from it. 4/10
Melanie: As I wrote somewhere, she looks like she could double as a bike light. Seriously, it’s like she stuck deflector stickers over a set of pants/bra. 3/10
Steven: I hated this gear when she only had the top, and I hate it even more now that she has the bottoms to match. I would suggest setting it on fire, but all those burning sequins could be dangerous… 2/10

BETH PHOENIX
Erin: I hate those types of tops–the tight, uncomfortable blouses that never look right on anyone. This one looks especially awkward on Beth’s build: the sleeves cut into her arms, the blouse itself is too short, and the jeans do nothing to compliment it. 4/10
Melanie: Predictable for Beth. Not an exciting look but not a bad one either. Just blah. 5/10
Steven: Go ‘head, Ms. Glamazon! Loving this look on Beth. After her ‘look-at-my-bra’ debacle, I was starting to lose faith in her. 8/10

Read on for more of this week’s outfits and to see who’s been branded our winner and loser.

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SmackDown Redux (November 20th, 2009): We’re Not in High School Anymore

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This week’s edition of SmackDown moves away from the juvenile high school pranks of last week and if it’s even possible, regresses to kindergarten, sandbox-esque bullshit. I don’t enjoy seeing any Diva berated and being called ‘Piggy James’, whether it’s ‘acting’ or not. We all know that unlike real scripted television shows, there’s a fine … Read more

Michelle McCool & Mickie James Advertised for Next Week’s Raw

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SmackDown Divas Michelle McCool and Mickie James are being advertised for next week’s three hour episode of Monday Night Raw. The episode, which will likely also see Maryse’s return, is being billed as a tri-branded Thanksgiving special. McCool and James will serve as team captains for the Divas’ traditional Survivor Series elimination match the night … Read more

Raw Redux (November 16th, 2009) – What Championship Match?

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With just two weeks of buildup, we finally have our ~big~ Divas Championship match, pitting champion Melina against challenger Alicia Fox. Will this match live up to fans’ expectations, or will it–like its own build-up–be a mere shell of what it could be? Needless to say us Diva fans are used to disappointment, but we still hope for the best (against our better judgment). Let’s see if this match delivers:

Of course a big one-on-one Divas Title match in Madison Square Garden was too good to be true, because soon after Melina and Alicia’s entrances it is announced (by 30 Rock’s Judah Freedlander) that this will be a Lumberjill match. No, adding Lumberjills (as we’ve learned numerous times over) does not make a title match ~epic, it just sucks the attention away from who it should be on: the challenger and the champion. I understand that this is meant to build up Survivor Series, as the lumberjills are the participants in Sunday’s match, but surely there was a way to have this match and buildup the other match without needlessly combining them? I was actually looking forward to a good, long one-on-one Divas match for once and this move just neutered the match from the get-go.

Alicia starts the match by kicking Melina in the stomach and attempting to toss her out of the ring. Melina, however, gains control and tosses Alicia out to the wolves instead (Somehow I doubt throwing Melina out to the babyface side would’ve accomplished much of anything). Alicia dashes back into the ring before any of the lumberjills can touch her, taunting them when she’s safely back in the ring, and getting rolled up by Melina for her troubles. She kicks out, and attempts a clothesline that Melina matrixes away from. She continues on an offensive drive until Alicia tricks her, allowing her to fall out of the ring to the heel side. Melina takes a beating from the heels and the babyfaces come to her rescue, allowing her to be rolled back into the ring.

Alicia tosses Melina by her hair and goes for the pin (“Not very logical”, says Spock). She attempts to lock Melina into a hold, but Melina drives her into the turnbuckle. When Alicia charges after Melina, she’s met with a flapjack and a series of clotheslines. Alicia irish-whips Melina into the corner and gets two boots to the face, but is still able to counter a charge by Melina into a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. She goes for the pin, but only gets a 2-count.

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Diva Dirt Style Jury: Week of November 9th, 2009

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ddstylejury

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!

GAIL KIM
Erin: The strapless top is cute, the jeans look nice, and the yellow is a much more fun color than most Divas wear as “street clothes”. I like the lighter side, though–not everyone needs to wear leather and bras when they’re not wrestling. It’s not an outstanding look on its own, but I like it on Gail. 7/10
Melanie: Not exactly an amazing outfit but damn, Gail looks super cute! 6/10
Steven: The pale yellow looks awesome on Gail, but I’m not a fan of the maternity-esque top. 7/10

JILLIAN
Erin: Was it “managers wear strapless tops” night? I prefer Gail’s more causal look, personally. Jillian’s is super tight and looks like it’s a bit in danger of slipping down. I like the purple color, but all together the look would probably benefit from the top being a wee bit longer. You know, to balance out the bounty up top by covering up the midriff at the bottom. 5/10
Melanie: Seriously, Jillian’s wardrobe consists of only strapless tops and jeans. Boring. 5/10
Steven: Jeez, does Jillian ever NOT wear jeans? All in all, a decent showing. Not bad, but nothing spectacular. 5/10

Read on for more of this week’s outfits and to see who’s been branded our winner and loser.

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SmackDown Redux (Nov. 13, 2009): Friday the 13th Proves Lucky for Divas

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Friday the 13th may be considered an ‘unlucky’ day but mark the date in your diaries folks, because this Friday the 13th brings good luck to the Divas and their fans alike. On paper, Mickie James vs Natalya is a dream match waiting to happen and this week, the dream match became a reality…

Just moments prior to this match, we see Layla approach Mickie backstage in another badly-acted backstage segment. While Layla distracts Mickie, this allows Michelle McCool to sneak into Mickie’s lockerroom because otherwise that close-up of Mickie’s dressing room door will have been for nothing. Mickie once again calls Layla ‘Scary Spice’ in a lame attempt at humour. Note to WWE: It’s not going to catch on.

Anyway, with the rising tension set, it’s time for all to boil over, in where else, but the ring. Mickie gets a full entrance while Natalya has to make do with a Beth-jobber-sized ‘announcement’. Rude.

Easily two of the best wrestlers on the Divas roster, we finally get to the wrestling bit as the bell rings and Natalya takes down Mickie by her legs and then begins slapping her around the head. Nothing pretty about Natalya’s style, as has been much noted, but it’s fun to watch and breaks from the Diva norm. Natalya then gets to her feet and looks rather like ODB as she taunts her opponent. She goes for a clothesline but Mickie counters into a snapmare and a beautiful low dropkick which stuns the powerhouse third-gen Diva. Natalya scatters from the ring in true heel fashion crying, “You back her up!”

Mickie, taking no nonsense, goes for a baseball slide but Natalya moves out of the way and shoves Mickie into the steel steps. When was the last time the steps came into play in a Divas match? And no, Melina tripping on them doesn’t count. This was a nice display of physicality from Natalya, it’s rare to see the harsh steel steps used in Divas matches but it fits with Natalya’s rough-house style. Mickie sells the spot well as Nattie takes the lead and throws Mickie back in the ring and capitalises on hurting Mickie with a quick pin fall.

Natalya grabs Mickie by the hair and slams her straight back onto the mat, before locking Mickie into her patented surfboard submission move. With Natalya’s shoulders down, the referee begins the three-count in Mickie’s favour but Nattie breaks the hold, causing her to fall smack-flat on her face. Great spot here.

The Hart Dynasty Diva follows up with forearms and stomps Mickie in the corner with no relent. In a very nice Melina-esque spot, Natalya attempts to force Mickie out of the corner by her legs, Mickie holds onto the ropes with her arms and ends up jumping to her feet and comes at her with forearms. Natalya then comes back with a forearm of her own, then shoves Mickie into aforementioned corner and lays in knee strikes to Mickie’s body. Mickie manages to hit her patented hurricanrana from the corner and then gains momentum with clotheslines, Natalya then comes back and somehow Mickie ends up jumping through the bottom rope. O… kay…

Natalya runs at Mickie on the apron, Mickie with a shoulder block and goes up top, the two Divas then trade blows. All of a sudden we cut to Layla and McCool coming down to the ring with a few choice garments from Mickie’s lockerroom. In the ring, Mickie hits a Thesz Press from the top and goes for a cover but Natalya kicks out. Mickie becomes distracted by Layla & Michelle, who [wearing gloves, by the way] cut into Mickie’s purple wrestling top.

In the ring, Natalya takes advantage with a clothesline from behind and locks in her finisher, the Sharpshooter and Mickie eventually taps out. Meanwhile, Layla & Michelle are now cutting into Mickie’s pants. Mickie, who seems to be emotionally invested in her clothes, is visibly in tears. I know clothes can hold a sentimental value but this just came across silly. Wouldn’t you expect her to jump out of the ring and chase them? Not watch on in a flood of tears like they’ve run over her cat.

The match itself was very solid and featured great work from both Divas; it was hard hitting, it was at times rough and thoroughly enjoyable. It’s a shame that the fans in attendance weren’t more into it, which is unusual for UK crowds who pretty much cheer the whole show. The commentary also, was rather bland and monotonous for the most part and added little to the match. Perhaps those two factors could have helped a little more but other than that, I thought this was a great match and both Divas did a great job. I can’t help but feel that with more time and perhaps a little less restriction, it could’ve been even better. This came across as just 25% of what they can do and hopefully one day we’ll see them go all out.

Next up, the Glamazon Squash Tour stops by Britain:

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Diva Dirt Style Jury: Week of November 2nd, 2009

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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: I like the cut of the tops — it’s unique. But that gold color is kinda putrid, especially seeing it in two places at once. 5/10
Melanie: Enough already! Too much of the same colour, break it up please. 3/10
Steven: Sweet Lord, how many colors do these outfits come in?! Please change it up ladies. 4/10

EVE TORRES
Erin: She kind of looks like she’s wearing a bunch of those reflective safety stickers. I like that she’s going for a unique type of ring gear with the non-matching top and shorts, but it just doesn’t fit together well and makes the outfit look kinda slapdash. I like the purple, though, if that’s worth anything. 6/10
Melanie: The shimmer-y purple is off-putting to me, to be honest. I like purple but not like this. I think there’s far too much Bella-like matchy-matchy going on here too with the arm bands etc. 5/10
Steven: ame old gear, new color. I like the color though, even if it is a little bright for my taste. 6/10

Read on for more of this week’s outfits and to see who’s been branded our winner and loser.

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SmackDown Redux (November 6th, 2009) – Glamazon Squash Tour Continues

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This week’s SmackDown saw the continuation of the ‘Glamazon Squash Tour’, with Beth Phoenix facing New Jersey local, Brittany Carter. Meanwhile, Layla and Michelle McCool developed a fun new gimmick of sorts, which I liken to the evil stepsisters from Cinderella. Does that make Mickie James, Cinderella? If so, despite scare tactics from McCool & Layla, Mickie shall go to the ball that is Survivor Series in three weeks time. We learned that we’re going to see a good old fashioned elimination match on November 21st with McCool and James as team captains of opposing teams.

Let’s check out all the action, beginning with Beth:


Skip to 00:40

So one week after decimating Jenny Brooks, Beth gets a new toy to play with and from the outset, it’s surely obvious that this one will go the same way as last week’s bout, right? Beth’s opponent is a slighty over-tanned Brittany Carter aka WSU’s Brooke Carter aka Brittney Savage.

The Glamazon gets physical from the outset, hoisting the smaller visitor over her shoulder and driving her into the corner. Welcome to the big leagues! Just in case that wasn’t enough, Beth repeats the same move in the opposing corner and Brittany may wanna stop by the gynae to check her womb is still intact. Beth applies what looks like a Von Erich-esque claw [much more effectively than Lacey, I might add] before backing up at the referee’s request. Beth then hits a a running butt-bump a la former WWE Superstar, Umaga. Hey Brittany, may wanna add a plastic surgeon to that ‘medical to-do list’ for your nose.

Before Carter can get to her feet, she is picked up by Phoenix who then slams her over her knee, not once but twice. The Glamazon then grabs Carter by her hair, seemingly dragging the poor girl around the ring by her roots — no ‘weavedrobe malfunctions’ here unlike TNA. Beth picks up Brittany over her shoulder in a dominator position and spins her around before wrenching her and then dropping her to the canvas like litter. Carter drops face first, adding further insult to that nose.

Phoenix wraps up her tour date this week by picking up Brittany for a Glam Slam, which much like last week is elongated with Beth coming across like a fierce lionness flaunting her prey as she lets the whole audience get a look-see. And again like last week, she takes a moment to compose herself before pinning her opponent.

Following the same simple formula as last week, Beth is made to look strong in a one-sided affair. The danger with this is that I am almost 90% certain Diva fans will begin complaining already about it being predictable. I dare say, some have a shorter attention span than the average fan. WWE, for that reason, perhaps needs to be careful about how much longer they follow this formula before giving Beth a more suitable opponent, i.e. Layla before working up to Michelle McCool and/or Mickie James. The purpose of these squash matches is to re-establish Beth and they are a doing a good job so far of having her come across as a big bad take-no-nonsense heel. The general idea of these squash matches with Superstars like Sheamus and Umaga before him, is to create hype around a Superstar and make them look menacing and make the fans care about that character in that sense. Given that the average fan cares little about the Divas roster, it surprises me then that that same effort is going into Beth; I hope it pays off and the fans begin showing some sort of reaction towards her i.e. deafening boos.

Anyway, follow the cut for the backstage segment:

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Michelle McCool Stumbles on ‘5th Grader’ + Video of Full Episode

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Women’s Champion and former school teacher, Michelle McCool raised money for charity on today’s episode of ‘Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?’ — but unfortunately, not as much as she could have. The champion struggled on the $125,000 question and ended up winning only $2,500 for her chosen charity, Make a Wish Foundation.

Watch the full episode below:

PART 1

Rest after the cut:

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Survivor Series Divas Match Announced

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In a minor spoiler, WWE will announce this Friday night on SmackDown, a traditional Survivor Series elimination match for the Divas. It will be Team McCool vs Team James, of course those teams will be captained by Women’s Champion Michelle McCool and Mickie James. Given the lack of Divas readily available on SmackDown, I’m going … Read more

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