Friday, December 5, 2025
Submit News

WWE Bragging Rights Predictions

So the WWE Divas return to pay per view tonight for the second time in a month, but this time rivalries are put aside for brand pride. Melina, Kelly Kelly & Gail Kim will represent Raw as they go into battle against SmackDown’s Michelle McCool, Beth Phoenix and Natalya. Which trio of Divas will win … Read more

Unwrapped: Eye Candy for the Week Ending October 17th, 2009

In order to consolidate our Eye Candy coverage, we’ve developed a new feature: Unwrapped! We’ll take all the new photoshoots from the week and grade (or “brand”) each based on the following criteria:

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)

Brie Bella‘s Hallway Holdup
Appearance: In head-to-toe black, Brie’s wearing a fitted dress and a loose, cardigan-like vest. I’m sure it would look a lot worse if they were in any other color, but in black it looks like one piece. Her headband this time isn’t so bad, and her cork heels are super sexy and in its neutral color go perfectly with all the black. Damn, they’re high.
Poses: It looks like she’s sitting around in a hallway in the arena, using the massive curved wall of windows for a cool, futuristic setting. The way the light reflects on the floor almost makes it look like she’s sitting on a body of ice. She looks calm and relaxed in a good compliment to her casual look. I’d lose the chairs, though–they just look awkward coming out of nowhere.
Uniqueness: I love this setting, and it’s unique in its almost pristine feel, as much of what we see from non-studio settings in photoshoots is relatively gritty.
Grade: Sweet. Brie channels her unique style into a pretty cool photoshoot, not allowing her love for hippy-ish style to weigh her down, as the peace sign and headband are still prevalent, but in understated ways.
Click to see the rest of the photoshoot.

Christy Hemme‘s Electric Blue
Appearance: Christy’s wearign a form of what’s become her in-ring signature: bikini top and a skirt or shorts in one solid color, this color being a pretty shade of blue. Absent however are shoes, which kind of irks me for some reason. I guess I just feel like the floor isn’t that clean, so going barefoot isn’t all that sexy. She’s got enough accessories to make up for them in weight, though, piling on the bangles, a shiny belt, and big hoop earrings.
Poses: It wouldn’t be Christy if there weren’t a few manic facial expressions, right? They’re here, along with a bizarre jumping shot and a few strange crouching poses. They just don’t look sexy to me, and for some reason give me a dirty Lindsay Lohan vibe, especially in the 2nd photo. I don’t mean to deliver such a cruel insult to Christy, but yikes..
Uniqueness: Nothing new here..
Grade: Sour. Maybe if she actually wore a complete outfit, it’d look like more than just a half-baked photoshoot.
Click to see the rest of the photoshoot.

Eve Torres‘s Swept Up
Appearance: Eve’s wearing her signature ring gear, covered in silver and bright shades of green and purple. It’s kind of 80s-like in its coloring, but I like it. She almost looks like the 80s’ idea of sexy futuristic clothing. The cut of it is unique too, giving her a different look amongst her fellow Divas.
Poses: Her hair is the focus, with a well-placed fan giving her that wind-swept look that’s sending her locks flying around. It’s a little distracting, but it gives the photoshoot a unique edge to it, making it more than her just posing in her tights. It almost appears to be in slow motion, with her simple poses complimenting that idea. Some of the shots may look awkward, but most of them look artistic, almost graceful, in how her hair takes flight.
Uniqueness: Like I said, the wind-swept look gives the shoot a unique edge, and if I recall correctly, this is one of the few times Eve has posed in her ring gear.
Grade: Sweet. Nice ring gear and artistic hair placement? What more could a Diva ask for?
Click to see the rest of the photoshoot.

Read more to see the rest of this week’s photoshoots and vote for your favorite.

Read more

Unwrapped: Divas “Diva Bowl” Photoshoot

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.

Read more

Raw Redux (October 5th, 2009) – First Annual~! Diva Bowel Movement Bowl

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

Unwrapped: Eye Candy for the Week Ending October 3rd, 2009

In order to consolidate our Eye Candy coverage, we’ve developed a new feature: Unwrapped! We’ll take all the new photoshoots from the week and grade (or “brand”) each based on the following criteria:

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)

Brie & Nikki Bella‘s Double Vision
Appearance: Nikki’s wearing the top that every Diva seems to own/share, and she wears it quite well, pairing it with some white jeans. Brie has on a black knitted dress with a funky headband that Mischa Barton and girls in Urban Outfitters catalogs wear. I’m not fond of it on them, and I don’t really like it on her. That, along with the peace sign necklace, makes the whole thing look like a contrived hippy outfit, which for the Bellas has become par for the course–that is to say that a lot of their looks seem way too planned out and end up looking like costumes. Take a look back at their past few shoots, you’ll see what I mean. They’re both wearing killer heels, though..
Poses: This is some high contrast, black and white photoshoot that I assume is meant to be grungy, hence the tanks. It’s kind of silly looking, but the Bellas keep it fun, tossing up peace and “rock” signs. It’s when they put on sexy face that hey look like extras in a bad 80s music video. I say lose the props, and let them have fun.
Uniqueness: It’s certainly unique, but not for good reason.
Grade: Bland. It’s strange, but the Bellas don’t seem to have such great chemistry together, at least in this shoot. They just aren’t clicking.
Click to see the rest of the photoshoot.

Eve Torres‘s SmackDown Stunner
Appearance: Eve’s top and shoes look great, both in black. It’s when we venture beyond that that things get a little iffy. The skirt, in black and white plaid, looks a little bulky. I’m not against volume, but it looks bunched up and messy. I’m also not fond of the updo–it looks hastily pinned up, like she’s about to do housework instead of pose in a photoshoot. I’d much prefer if it was in a nice bun or something just a little neater..
Poses: The colors in the room are gorgeous–they just make the photoshoot pop, especially since Eve’s wearing neutral colors. She uses her surroundings to her advantage, sitting and standing on the seat. Sure, it looks a bit awkward, but Eve makes it look almost theatrical. I’m kind of mystified, though, at the fact that her face tends to freeze in a few photos.
Uniqueness: The colors mystify me, and I can’t recall too many photoshoots where the surroundings caught my attention this much. Of course, that’s not meant to insult you, Eve.. You look pretty too.
Grade: Sweet. Although the skirt and hair aren’t as fab as can be, Eve still looks pretty sweet to me.
Click to see the rest of the photoshoot.

Melina‘s Spanish Rose
Appearance: Melina’s wearign an immense ethnic top in a bright bright shade of orange. It’s pretty, but it kind of clashes with the jeans. Not color-wise, of course, but in style. They just don’t seem to fit together. Maybe if the jeans were in a darker wash, it’d work better. The feathery thing hanging from her neck doesn’t look as fashion-forward as it does like a scalp prop from Inglourious Basterds. I must say though, with the Spanish surroundings, the orange looks great. In one shot, where the top drape forward and hide the jeans, it looks like a gorgeous maxi dress. I kind of wish it was one.
Poses: Melina took full advantage of the overseas tour, posingin lush Spanish surroundings. The foutains and statues look absolutely gorgeous, and she doesn’t look too bad herself. Her facial expressions are reserved and simple, but look pretty sexy, not catatonic. I’m absolutely in love with the gate she poses in front of–so pretty!
Uniqueness: A photoshoot that looks like it was taken while the Diva was hosting a travle show? Nope, don’t see that every day..
Grade: Sweet. See? All one needs to garner a “Sweet” grade for a photoshoot is fly cross-country and pose in some pretty scenery. Easy as pie, right?
Click to see the rest of the photoshoot.

Read more to see the rest of this week’s photoshoots and vote for your favorite.

Read more

Diva Dirt Style Jury: Week of September 28th, 2009

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 #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.

Read more

Trish Stratus on Alicia Fox, Beth Phoenix, Natalya, Tara & More

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

Unwrapped: Eye Candy for the Week Ending September 19th, 2009

In order to consolidate our Eye Candy coverage, we’ve developed a new feature: Unwrapped! We’ll take all the new photoshoots from the week and grade (or “brand”) each based on the following criteria:

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)

Kelly Kelly‘s Little Black Dress
Appearance: Kelly’s wearing a rather casual dress that reminds me of an Ed Hardy style, and that’s not a good thing. It just looks kind of trashy, especially with the way she’s got it sitting off her shoulders. Clearly it’s not supposed to sit like that, and just makes Kelly look bigger in the awkward way its crumpled around her. It’s not so much a sexy dress as it is an over-sized t-shirt, and it looks like it.
Poses: This is a bit better than the standard “Kelly-bot” posing–it’s cute and sweet and she’s doing more than just the “hands on hips” stuff–but her face is still stuck with the same facial expression. I know she can’t be as vacant as she looks, but these photos aren’t giving me any proff to the contrary.
Uniqueness: Kelly’s never been a barrier-breaker when it comes to photoshoots, and this one falls in line with the others.
Grade: Bland. Kelly tends to rely on her clothes to make the shoot, so this one is let down by a “blah” dress.
Click to see the rest of the photoshoot.

Michelle McCool‘s Solid Gold
Appearance: A gold, poncho-like dress is super shapeless, but is so short that she’s not sacrificing the sexy. Gold accessories keep her looking like a million bucks, but is it a bit too much?
Poses: This is where the photoshoot hits a snag. Michelle’s trying to convey her heel persona in her poses, with serious faces and sneers, but God help me if I don’t get more of a “slow” vibe from them. It’s just the heavy lids don’t look as sexy as she’s intending, more like she was halfway through blinking when they took the photo. Michelle just needs to find a way to look evil without looking possessed.
Uniqueness: Not too many Divas take the risk of wearing shapeless ensembles, but Michelle shoots and scores in that department.
Grade: Bland. She’s getting more serious in her photoshoots, that’s for certain. I just don’t know if she’s got the formula down just yet.
Click to see the rest of the photoshoot.

Natalya‘s Hart Breaker
Appearance: It’s yet another ring attire shoot for Natalya, and quite frankly, they’re all blending together. The pink and black might as well be the same as we’ve seen in every other shoot, but she doesn’t look bad by any means.
Poses: The poses are what intrigue me–her screams and crazy facial expression as classic Natalya, and they set her apart from just about every Diva. A few are even kind of sweet. Nattie can show her personality in photoshoots better than almost any Diva, and I love her for it.
Uniqueness: It’s another ring gear shoot, and Nattie is rarely seen in anything other than hot pink, so this is almost the opposite of unique in a Natalya sense.
Grade: Sweet. The outfit might not be new or remarkable, but her poses are fantastic, and they elevate the shoot.
Click to see the rest of the photoshoot.

Nikki Bella‘s Indian Summer
Appearance: Is it just me, or do the Bellas just throw on random costumes from time to time? And not just costumes, but horrible ones at that. Here, Nikki tackles a well-treaded stereotype by smearing on some “war paint” and tying on a couple of feathers. It just looks ridiculous and makes her look kind of dim witted–who in this day and age still dresses up like the old Pocahontas-style Native American? (I mean, aside from Mickie James.) Now, I don’t want to act like some butthurt overly politically correct person, but this is just dumb and not well thought out, down to the title.. “Indian Summer”?? Really????
Poses: The sky background is kind of cool and unique, but Nikki looks like she smells something bad. Maybe it’s the cheesiness of her outfit.
Uniqueness: This is unique, but not in a good way. It’s proof that being different and unique isn’t always a good thing.
Grade: Sour. Please get some common sense and stop dressing like you’ve got the mentality of a Kindergarten student on “dress up day”.
Click to see the rest of the photoshoot.

Read more to see the rest of this week’s photoshoots and vote for your favorite.

Read more

Full SmackDown vs Raw 2010 Divas Roster Announced

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

Unwrapped: Eye Candy for the Week Ending September 12th, 2009

In order to consolidate our Eye Candy coverage, we’ve developed a new feature: Unwrapped! We’ll take all the new photoshoots from the week and grade (or “brand”) each based on the following criteria:

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.

Read more

Natalya: “My Time Will Come”

Arguably the best female wrestler on the WWE roster right now, fans and critics alike have been wondering just why third-generation Diva, Natalya hasn’t shot to the top of the women’s division. Well the SmackDown Diva has spoken out, in an interview with SunSport, saying ‘her time will come’: “I think sometimes if you get … Read more

SmackDown Redux (September 4th, 2009) – Maria’s Got 99 Problems But We Care About None

Last time on SmackDown: Melina and Layla went toe-to-toe with Michelle again standing at ringside, this time with crutches and a knee brace. Another rough shove by Melina leaves Michelle writhing in agony.

This week: Is there retribution in the cards for Michelle? Or will she let her “understudy” do the talking/walking? What about Maria–will she continue to play the damsel in distress?

Once again we start this week’s action with a backstage segment pilfered from the daytime soaps. And what else could it be about but Maria‘s woes? I personally can’t wait to see what epic twist the story takes this week! Fake pregnancy? Evil twin? Elaborately orchestrated death? Well, at the very least, I hope someone wears an eye patch..

We see Maria and Eve in the locker room, discussing tonight’s match. Maria tells Eve that all they need to do is go in there with a lot of confidence and passion, because when you don’t have talent, a whole mess o’ confidence will solve all your problems. (Though maybe having a scheme of selling broke-ass calendars with self-indulgent and hokey slogans for $25 wouldn’t hurt either..) Michelle takes the layup that Maria tosses her way, and shows up to remark, “..and you’ll still be losers.” Michelle tears down Maria’s makeup and passion for rhinestones, saying that no matter what she does, Dolph won’t keep his eyes off of other women, like her. (OMG, is that a hint of a twist? Probably not.) She says that Maria is nothing but his “flavor of the week”. (Damn, this has been the longest week of my life..) Maria counters, calling Michelle the most egotistical Diva on the roster.

Melina appears out of nowhere (Seriously, was there a door over there?), but Maria tells her that she’s got in under control. But one insult later, Melina gets in Michelle’s face, and Michelle threatens legal action if she even lays a finger on her. Obviously not interested in filing legal papers just yet, Michelle leaves before things can unravel. Melina apologizes on her behalf, but Maria tells her to stay out of her business. I couldn’t agree more with that sentiment–let’s all stay out of her business! No? Okay..

Read more

SmackDown Redux Does WWE Superstars (September 3rd, 2009)

SmackDown Divas Eve Torres and Natalya got the chance to mix it up on tonight’s edition of WWE Superstars, taking part in a mixed tag team match with their usual teammates–Eve with Cryme Tyme, and Natalya with the Hart Dynasty. It appears as though the WWE is reigniting their feud from a number of weeks ago, when Eve and Natalya mixed it up and had a few impressive matches with one another. But, like most good things, the WWE forgot about it and dropped it. But never fear, because they’ve (at least for the time being) brought it back. Let’s see how they fare:

PART 1


PART 2

After what seems like forever, with the men doing the legwork, D.H. Smith tags in Natalya, which brings in Eve. I feel like these matches would be a lot more interesting and compelling if the men were allowed to face the women–I know that they’re not gonna go toe-to-toe (Let’s not embarrass the boys!) but it would make things a lot more interesting if someone didn’t have to automatically leave the ring once a person of the opposite gender was tagged in. It feels like a function in a video game that you should be able to use a cheat code to get around. Then again, I don’t play too many video games, so there’s not much I could do other than pound on the controller and complain. Which, ironically, I’m close to doing now with this entire spiel. Enough with the diversions, onto the action!!

Read more

SmackDown Redux (August 21st, 2009) – Guess Who’s Back..

This week, we were promised the return of one Michelle McCool, Women’s Champion and recent victim of a knee injury. The details of her return were kept mum, so in what capacity will we see Michelle, if at all? Let’s watch and see if she turns up:

On the cards is a tag team match, teaming up Melina and her tag team partner (who we can only assume beat Eve in a coin flip) Maria. Going up against them will be Layla, Melina opponent last week, and Natalya, a Diva whom the WWE seemingly can’t decide if they want to wrestle or manage. This week, luckily, she’s on in-ring duty.

But who oh who makes the first entrance? Michelle! She makes her way (Gingerly? I couldn’t tell.) to the announcers’ table and takes a seat next to JR and Todd Grisham. We’ll see if they acknowledge her absence or just ignore the giant blonde hobbling elephant in the room. Melina and Maria then make a tandem entrance, and I wonder if Michelle visits Diva Dirt, because her first words on the duo express my sentiments exactly (“What is Maria wearing?!”). Gotta dig deeper than the obvious with these insults, Michelle.

A few more fashion-based insults pegged at Maria (Seriously, someone check Michelle’s browser history.), and Michelle shows a bit more charisma. Now, she’s not Trish Stratus or anything, but I sense some improvement. She just needs to work of her inflection and not sound dead-bored when speaking on the mic. As Layla and Natalya make their entrance, Michelle expresses some fondness towards who Todd describes as her “message girl”. Michelle refutes that claim, insisting that these past few weeks were just a vacation for her. Okay, so I guess the injury may not be as serious as once thought? You know, since they’re skirting around the issue and all..

Read more

Unwrapped: Eye Candy for the Week Ending August 15th, 2009

In order to consolidate our Eye Candy coverage, we’ve developed a brand 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)

Brie Bella‘s Flower Power
Appearance: Apparently, Brie’s celebrating the 40th anniversary of Woodstock, as she’s wearing a t-shirt of the poster for the famous musical festival. And, I guess to supplement that, she hippy-fied the rest of her look. Well, the shallow version of “hippy”, anyways. She’s wearing moccasin-like shoes, a tie-dye headband, and a shredded denim skirt. It’s a lot of things competing for attention, and it looks a little too costume-y. It’s like she took one person’s idea of what the 60’s were and threw it together for one outfit. I’m surprised she wasn’t wearing peace sign earrings or something. The pink is a pretty color, though–it’s the first thing that I noticed about this shoot, and as much of a mish-mash this look is, the pink makes it a little more pleasing to the eye.
Poses: It’s all peace signs and sweet smiles from Brie, all while lounging on an equipment trunk. It’s pretty dull, and can’t say I really understand the significance of the trunk–if anything, it exposes a stark contrast between the “buck-the-system” mentality of Woodstock and the “corporate stiff” status of the WWE. It just shows the shallowness behind the concept of the shoot. Not very well thought out..
Uniqueness: A silly, contrived WWE photoshoot? Come on, we see those things all the time.
Grade: Sour. It’s just another WWE mish-mash of a photoshoot–concept and execution don’t really meet. I know it’s ridiculous to even fathom a politically-charged photoshoot, but something like this is just silly and shallow. It’s akin to Miley Cyrus throwing around the peace sign just because it looks cute.
Click to see the rest of the photoshoot.

Follow the cut to see the rest of this week’s photoshoots.

Read more

The Week in Fashion: Best & Worst Dressed for August 15th

bestworstdressed

It’s a staple of tabloid magazines: hard hitting, investigative & highly entertaining! Best & Worst Dressed lists can make or break careers in Hollywood and for a site with ‘Dirt’ in the title, it’s only fitting we take this time tested feature & apply it to our Divas! Each week we’ll bring you the best and worst looks from the week gone by, it’s pretty simple right?

best

best_15aug09
Key: School-like grading scheme

Not a bad week for outfits/attire this week. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised by a few. Let’s dive in:

Raw’s Alicia Fox brought back the blue to her wardrobe and what can I say, it’s definitely her colour. Bright, electric blue suits her a lot. C

The usually overlooked ECW drew my attention this week also, as Katie Lea showed us the right way to wear leopard print *cough* I wouldn’t wear it myself, but Katie has been rocking her own unique style since moving to ECW and it works for her. C+

Hart Dynasty Diva, Natalya has pretty much been rocking the same pink and black top, pants and jacket for the past few months so it was nice to see her change it up this week. The tattered tee looked really cool and the design is eye catching. B-

It’s two for two for Melina, as she sports another great top this week. However I much prefer this one. I don’t know why she doesn’t wear more yellow, it’s not a colour that suits everyone, but Melina works the hell out of it. A-

Melina’s opponent for the night rocked the Nattie colours this week, in hot pink. Layla always has a great sense of style and manages to bring a look together. I’m really not a fan of hot pink, but Layla brings it altogether with the black rims with studs. My favourite part would be the boot covers that you can’t see in the above picture, it brings a sense of completion and I’m very much a fan of uniformity in an outfit. A

This week’s ‘Worst’ after the cut:

Read more

SmackDown Redux (July 24, 2009) – Eve Has Hart, Michelle’s A-List Makeover

sd24july09

We’re kickin’ it old school this week! For one week only, Melanie’s back, kids! Erin is off on her holidays this week but will return to the SmackDown Redux next week. Let’s hope I haven’t lost my touch…

This week’s SmackDown saw the final push into Night of Champions this Sunday, as Melina vs Michelle McCool was the final match announced for the card. For storyline purposes we have Melina ‘invoking’ her rematch clause for the Women’s Championship. Check out their segment below:

‘Monotone McCool’ is back this week — that’s what happens when you get rid of an amazing could-be mouthpiece. Yes, the scripting was kind of standard but I enjoyed the jibes: calling the make-up artist ‘historic’, forgetting Trish’s name. It could have come across well, but Monotone McCool strikes again. There’s no inflection in Michelle’s speech, there’s no emphasis on the words, I wouldn’t be surprised if Michelle flunked Drama in high school. It probably makes matters worse that I watched this segment after watching a promo by the Beautiful People on last night’s Impact. I watched this and in my head, I pictured how Velvet Sky would say it and how she’d hit the mark and have the right tone. Promos aren’t Michelle’s strongest suit granted, but the execution came off extremely flat & the truth is, this was one of the better scripted promos she’s received from the writers.

Melina on the other hand has always had great promo skills and we saw that here, I would say that Melina is the closest to Trish Stratus who was a master of the delivering humorous promos and interviews [click here for an example]. Melina’s promo called for humour, “Congratulate you… on being the biggest phony in WWE history,” and she pulled it off well. As a heel, Melina’s promos were awesome but as a face, it needs to be toned down so it doesn’t come off as bitchy and I think she found the right balance here. Melina’s the complete opposite of Michelle, she had the perfect inflection in her voice: “You know what that means.” My only advice to her would be to dial it up a little more on the humour a la Trish, using her hands and her face to match to kind of sell that comedy.

So on Raw we had the hairspray and on SmackDown we have the foundation, anyone sensing a pattern? The little punch line “I also tone hair,” was cute. Michelle walking away didn’t really work for me, isn’t she supposed to be aggressive and no-nonsense? Wouldn’t she turn right around and left-hook Melina? It was okay but I thought it was unrealistic for Michelle to walk away.

Anyway that sets up their match for Night of Champions, a match that hasn’t really been pushed until now which sucks. There was a lot they could have explored between The Bash and this PPV. But Melina has been set up as a strong contender and a ‘thorn in Michelle’s side’.

Thoughts on Eve vs Natalya after the cut:

Read more

SmackDown Redux (July 17th, 2009) – 2nd-String Players Take the Reins

After the fire returned to the Michelle/Melina feud last week, one would think that the WWE would want to capitalize on this and keep the momentum rolling. But of course, this is the WWE we’re talking about, so it only makes sense for them to leave those two off next show COMPLETELY. I’m not going to get into why this was a dumb move (you all can do that in the comments), so let’s just move past this logic fail and take a look at who did make it onto the show.

Layla, wearing a Miami Heat jersey (she was a dancer for them the year they won the NBA Championship, in case you didn’t hear JR say that every.single.time. she’s wrestled). JR says she’s part of the reason Shaquille O’Neal watches Smackdown. (Actually, I saw him in person at a RAW in Miami back in 2005, so maybe he’s a bigger fan of the red brand.) Layla takes the mic, saluting Miami. She displays some decent mic skills, though nothing to write home about. Though, when you’re going for a cheap pop in your home town, how much skill do you really need? She puts down the mic and cues a seizure-inducing music and lights combo and then starts to dance.

Her dancing is of the “basketball half-time dancer” variety, which makes sense with her background. Still, it’s a little strange with one woman doing it – it’s one of those things that look better synchronized with several other girls. Alone, she looks a little bit like she’s having a fit. This goes on a little bit longer than necessary before Carlito’s music hits (scratch that.. it’s Ricky Ortiz). Ricky mocks Layla dancing a bit and goes on a spiel about motivation and inspiration before going for the cheap heat, dissing the Heat. He attempts to “RALLY UP!” the crowd, while Layla looks unamused. He gives her a towel to spin around, and she plays ball a bit, but then drops it, giving him a disgusted look and exiting stage left. I’m not familiar with Ricky Ortiz’s schtick, but I assume dropping his towel is like dropping a cheerleader’s Spirit Stick? No? Okay, I won’t try to rationalize it.

Layla showed a bit more personality than she usually gets to in the various tag team matches she’s inserted into, but I always find it a bit lame when heels become temporary faces in their home towns, just in the name of getting some cheap pops or putting over a heel. Do it like Chris Jericho does – diss your home town! It makes you an even better heel, I promise!

Meanwhile, on the other side of town,

Read more

Breaking: 5 Divas Moved in McMahon’s “Mini Draft”

Tonight on Raw, Vince McMahon announced his plan to move 15 Superstars and Divas to various brands in a move to “shake up” the rosters (even though we had a draft 2 months ago, but shhhh..). The moves have been announced on WWE.com, and here are the Divas making a move: To Raw: – Gail … Read more

The Bash: Through the Years

bashthroughyears

Tonight, WWE holds the 6th incarnation of it’s ‘Bash’ pay per view, a former staple of the WCW PPV calendar. Up until this year, the event had gone by the name of ‘The Great American Bash’, but in an effort to make the show more globally-friendly, it has been shortened to ‘The Bash’.

Tonight at The Bash, the Women’s Championship will be defended for only the second time at the event when Melina defends against Michelle McCool. Neither Diva is a stranger to this particular event, Melina was involved in the very first Women’s Title defence in 2007. Meanwhile, McCool’s career landmark came last year, when she became the first ever Divas Champion at this PPV.

Let us take a look through the years at the various Bash events, ahead of tonight’s big pay per view! Remember to join us for our Bash live blog from 7.45pm ET/12.45am UK!

2004
Sable vs Torrie Wilson

The first Bash pay per view was held in 2004, when WWE ressurected the event for it’s SmackDown brand. With the advertising campaign based around the brand’s top Diva, Torrie Wilson, it only made sense to put her on the card. Sable and Torrie had started out as bitter rivals in 2003 before making up to appear on the cover of Playboy together in March 2004. They even notched up a huge victory together at WrestleMania XX for the SmackDown brand. But just a few months later, they were back at each other’s throats (both on screen and in real life!) which led to this match at the Bash:

It may not have been the most technical affair, but Sable could teach our current crop of Divas a thing or two about in-ring psychology. Her heel mannerisms are resemblant of current Diva, Maryse’s. Though Sable stole a win here, Torrie would get her revenge the very next week on SmackDown.

Read more

Bred From a Bigger Dynasty Than the Lakers

Natalya in “Dynasty Diva” We’re debuting a new format for our Eye Candy posts – complete with more detailed critiques and “graded” categories. View the photoshoot we’ve “hung” on our wall, read our critique, vote, and last but not least – sound off in the comments! The Look: You don’t get much more simple than … Read more

FCW Recap: May 24, 2009 – A Sign of Things To Come?

This past weekend, FCW held another one of its weekly event for our Divas. After not having any Divas action on the FCW card last week, we were definitely treated to a great match this time around. The reigning Queen of FCW, Angela Fong, put her crown on the line against the third generation Diva, Natalya. … Read more

Diva vs General Manger Angle in the Works?

This week’s edition of ECW saw Evan Bourne defeating Natalya‘s boytoy Tyson Kidd. However, off air, the WWE Mobile Exclusive brought about a confrontation between the third generation Diva and the interim General Manager of ECW, Tiffany. After his loss to Evan Bourne on this week’s ECW on Sci Fi, Tyson Kidd and his Extreme associate, … Read more

Tonight Matthew, I’m Going To Be Trish Stratus…

You probably won’t get the title unless you live in the UK and ever watched ITV’s Stars in Their Eyes, but anyhoo it looks like some of our current Superstars and Divas are hoping to mould their careers on the successful legacies carved by some of WWE’s biggest legends. Among them three Divas: Michelle McCool, … Read more