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Former WWE Divas Unite for ‘DivaMania’ World Tour

Three former WWE Divas have announced that they will be uniting for a world tour by the name of ‘DivaMania’. The ex-Divas involved are Maria Kanellis, Jillian Hall and Taryn ‘Tiffany’ Terrell. Kanellis made the announcement this morning on Twitter: “ANNOUNCEMENT!!! Tiffany, @Jillianhall1, and myself will be doing a tour across the WORLD!!” No word … Read more

Exclusive: Former WWE Diva Jillian Speaks on Her Release, Her Transition to FCW Trainer, Being Unhappy in Her Position & Much More

Joining us for her first post-WWE interview, former WWE Divas Champion speaks to Diva Dirt about her release and much more. We spoke to Jillian about her release, the story behind her requesting her release, working as a trainer in FCW and much more. We discuss Jillian’s career from the independents to OVW, to SmackDown … Read more

Jillian Reveals That She Asked for Release

Former WWE Diva, Jillian has revealed that she asked for her release twice before the company announced her release a couple of weeks ago. She wrote on her Twitter page: “Many don’t know the truth about my release, but the truth is I asked for my release a couple times before I actually was officially … Read more

Jillian & Tiffany Released

WWE has announced that former Divas Champion, Jillian and SmackDown Diva Tiffany have both been released. Neither Diva has been seen on television in quite some time due to various reasons. For Jillian, it’s because WWE wished to move her into the role of trainer for the female talents in developmental. For Tiffany, she had … Read more

Trick or Treat! Going Halloween Costume Shopping: Divas Edition

For the past two years around Halloween, (view 2008 and part 1, part 2, and part 3 of 2009) we’ve suggested some tongue-in-cheek costumes for Divas and Knockouts. This year, we continue the tradition. We started with the NXT rookies, and followed with the Knockouts. Now, finally, it’s time for the Divas to get costumed. Enjoy, and be sure to vote for your favorite below!

Alicia Fox
Costume: Foxy Cleopatra to Santino’s Austin Powers.
Why?: Diva Dirt’s not one to pass up some wordplay, and Miss Foxy Alicia certainly lends herself to be called Foxy Cleopatra. She definitely rivals Beyonce for her fantastic figure, and her self-assuredness lends itself to playing the secret agent who’s constantly introducing herself as “a whole lotta woman!”. Seeing her dolled up 60s-style with a bright jumpsuit, prop gun, and afro while Santino goes appropriately over-the-top as Austin Powers would be a funny sight. Hey, if anyone’s got to be paired with Santino, it might as well be a Diva who can keep him in line.
Get the look: Get the outfit and the hairdo.

Beth Phoenix
Costume: A zombie.
Why?: She’s back from the dead injury! Beth is unstoppable, evidenced by her return, and is ready to take out anyone who stands in her way. Like an undead zombie, she rises from apparent defeat, hungry (in Beth’s case, for victory). What better way to scare the life out of her fellow Divas than to make her return as if from the grave, skin rotting, eyes lifeless, bloodthirsty attitude? It’s hard to think of a Diva more intimidating, but zombie Beth just might surpass the living one.
Get the look: Go in-depth with these tutorial videos.

Eve Torres, Gail Kim, & Kelly Kelly
Costume: Modern-day Charlie’s Angels
Why?: Taking a cue from the modern “Charlie’s Angels” movies, these babyface Divas would be matched up to their counterparts easily. Eve would be the spunky Dylan (as played by Drew Barrymore), Gail would be the serious Alex (as played by Lucy Liu), and Kelly would be the free-spirited Natalie (as played by Cameron Diaz). Striking the signature pose, these Divas would make for a convincing double of that trio, and the WWE could fill their Hornswoggle quota by pairing him with the angels as Bosley. Your standard 6-Diva tag team match would never be the same!
Get the look: Find two friends, assume the specific personalities, and prepare to kick ass, wire-fighting style. Be sure to wear clothes that best fit your angel (tomboyish for Dylan, dark and sleek for Alex, sexy and girly for Natalie).

Read on to see more costume suggestions.

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Jillian to Release New Christmas Single

Raw Diva, Jillian is set to give Mariah Carey a run for her money this Christmas by releasing her own ‘unique’ version of ‘Santa Baby’. You may remember that back in 2007, Jillian released her own Christmas EP, ‘A Jingle with Jillian’, via iTunes. This, her not-so-much awaited follow-up is now also available for download … Read more

Jillian Confirms New Role as FCW Trainer

WWE Diva, Jillian has confirmed reports that she will be heading down to FCW to become a trainer for the female developmental talent. However, the former Divas Champion says she is ‘taking a break’ rather than being retired by WWE as we previously reported. On her Twitter page, Jillian writes: Taking a break to share … Read more

WWE Superstars Redux (September 30th, 2010): Twintuition Comes Through Again

The Divas return to WWE Superstars as The Bella Twins take on Alicia Fox and Jillian. Check it out below:

Alicia (accompanied by NXT Rookie, Maxine) with her Tina Turner esque outfit, and Jillian are the first tag team to make their way down to the ring. Jillian, of course, begins to speak to the audience about the laryngitis rumor being completely untrue and tries very hard to prove it to those watching by showing off her redonkulous singing skills. Her song of choice? “Love the Way You Lie” by Eminem and Rihanna.

This may be my very first time being excited to see the Bellas. My ears are thanking them for interrupting the drowning cat… err, I mean Jillian. They are accompanied by their NXT Rookie, Jamie, looking prepared for a war with their camouflage get up. Can’t say I’m a fan of the curtain like material covering their boots, though.

Alicia is in the ring to start the match with Bella #1. Bear with me, you guys. I have no idea which twin it is and of course Cole & King didn’t bother to help. Alicia and Bella #1 lock up before Alicia pushes her off. Alicia tries to go after her with the clothesline, but she is monkey flipped by Bella #1. Numero uno delivers a couple of forearms to the face of Alicia, who tries to counter by ramming her head into the turnbuckle, but Bella #1 is able to block it with her foot and throws Alicia into the turnbuckle face first. She gives Alicia a kick in the gut for good measure before tagging in Bella #2.

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Raw Redux (September 27, 2010): All That Glitters is Not Gold… It’s Pink & Black!

On last week’s installment on Monday Night Raw, Melina lost her rematch against Layla, leaving the #1 Contender spot wide open for the newly formed Unified Divas Championship. You know that means, right? BATTLE ROYAL! Watch below as Melina, Gail Kim, The Bella Twins, Eve, Natalya, Tamina, Alicia Fox and Jillian compete to determine who will be the next Diva to face Lay-Cool for their Divas Championship:

We return from commercial to find all the Divas already in the ring. (All the Raw Divas, that is. Sorry Kelly and Rosa. Better luck next time!). Before the referee can signal for the bell, Lay-Cool’s music hits and they make their way down the ramp in matching hoodies/dresses. Once they settled in, the bells rings and match is underway.

Within the first few seconds of the match, it quickly breaks down into a mess of flailing limbs, as is the norm when it comes to these sorts of matches. Tamina goes straight for her rival, Natalya, but Natalya is saved by former champion Melina. Melina clings to the back of the formidable Samoan beauty, but is quick thrown down to the mat. Tamina picks Melina up and tosses her over the top rope for a shocking first elimination.

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WWE ‘Retiring’ Jillian as Active Performer

WWE is said to be looking to ‘retire’ WWE Diva, Jillian from her current position as an active performer, according to Wrestlezone via PWInsider. The former Divas Champion will transition into the role of trainer for female developmental talent in FCW, keeping her part of the WWE family. Quite frankly, I feel this could be … Read more

WWE Superstars Redux (September 9, 2010): A Shattered Dreams Production Starring Gail Kim and Jillian

This week on Superstars, we have our first look at the new NXT rookies accompanying their Pros in a mixed tag match. We have Goldust (accompanied by Aksana) pairing up with Gail Kim going head to head with Primo (accompanied by AJ Lee) teaming with Jillian. Definitely a possibility of interference by the rookies, but will it happen? Will the winning streak started on Tuesday be continued by Primo and everybody’s favorite Songstress Jillian? Or can will a new Shattered Dreams production break the box office? Lets find out!

(Quick note: If you didn’t see William Regal’s rap at the beginning of the program, seek it out! It was funny as hell and he even tried to “groove” whilst rapping! If Jillian can get an iTunes album, I think Regal should have one of his own. Now back to our Divas report!)

Out first is the (somewhat odd) pairing of Goldust and Gail Kim, with Aksana at his side. Quite a good reaction for this team! Gail is in her lovely lavander gear while Aksana is staying with her pro’s colors, a black top and pants with leopard print trimming. She’s stunning, no doubt about it. Next out is Primo and Jillian, accompanied by AJ Lee.  Jillian’s sporting her usual outfit but this time it’s sea green – very nice color on her! AJ’s in a purple top and black shorts, very bouncy and energetic. The rookies exit the ring as the bell chimes, and it’s Primo and Goldust starting things off.

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In Pictures: Sunday’s SmackDown House Show (Divas in Bikinis… with Water)

Happy Labor Day! And what better way to celebrate Labor Day, boys, than seeing some of your favourite Divas in their bikinis? We’ve got a little bit for everyone — are you Kelly Kelly inclined? Rrrrosa Mendes, perhaps? Or are you a Layla kinda guy? Diva Dirt reader, John, had a perfect view of all … Read more

Raw Redux (August 23, 2010): Three Champions, Two Belts, One Offer

Last week, Jillian managed to score her first win in almost a year, pinning Eve in a 6 Diva tag match. As a reward for her hard earned win, WWE decided to give her a shot at the Divas Championship against Melina on this week’s edition of Monday Night Raw. Will The Shrill Songstress be able to pull out the win over The Paparazzi Princess? Check out the match below and find out:

We come to ring after commercial to find Jillian in the ring with her ever-present headset. She lets everyone in attendance know that she’s about to become Divas Champion once again, before torturing serenading us all with her own rendition of “Not Afraid” by Eminem, prompting Michael Cole to start singing as well. Kill me now… Fortunately for us, Melina’s music hits, cutting Jillian’s performance short. Melina makes her way to the ring in her usual extravagant fashion and the referee rings the bell, signaling the start of the match.

The two start off with a lock-up with Jillian getting the upperhand and pushing Melina to ropes, forcing a break. Surprisingly, Jillian breaks clean but goes right back on the attack with a stiff forearm. Jillian tries to follow up but is stopped in her tracks by a headscissor/heel kick combo from the champion. Melina tries to keep the heat on Jillian with a kick to the gut but is caught and pulled down into a painful looking split. Jillian goes to kick Melina in the back, but the A-List Diva ducks the attempt and lands a kick of her own, sending Jillian across the ring and into the ropes.

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Raw Redux (August 16, 2010): Jillian, It’s Your Lucky Day!

As we all know, Melina picked up a huge win last Sunday at SummerSlam over Alicia Fox to win the Divas Championship, but her moment was ruined by the BFF champs, Lay-Cool. Will Melina get her revenge on the Flawless Ones? Will Alicia get a chance to redeem herself and win back the Divas Title? Will Melina come to the ring as a Vegas showgirl again? No. None of that happens. Instead we get a 6 Diva tag match pitting the team of Melina, Gail Kim and Eve Torres against Alicia Fox, Maryse and Jillian. Check out the match below:

Out first are the babyfaces and I must say, they look like a rag-tag group of super heroines. but I like it for some reason. Next, we have the heels, led to the ring by Alicia, who gets right in Melina’s face. This lead to a bit of a scuffle between the two teams. The referee finally gets control of the situation and signals for the opening bell.

Gail and Maryse start the match off for their respective teams. In her usual arrogant manner, Maryse shoves Gail, before narrowly dogding a bitchslap to the face. Maryse charge but is quickly taken down by a drop toe hold. Gail follows up by slamming Maryse’s face into the canvas repeatedly. Maryse tries to get back into the game by reversing an Irish Whip but Gail using the ropes to hit a springboard crossbody. Gail ties Maryse up it the Tree of Woe and tags in the Divas champion, Melina. Gail grabs the still incapacitated Maryse by the hair and Melina leapfrogs over her partner, coming down hard on Maryse’s mid-section.

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Raw Redux (August 9th, 2010): Only Fools Rush In

After an exceptional 6 Diva tag match and a huge return by Melina last week, Diva fans were waiting with bated breath to see what was in store between the returning Melina and Divas champion Alicia Fox. WWE decided to give us a treat this week in the form of Melina vs Alicia in a non-title bout. Unfortunately for us, the action didn’t quite live up to the hype. Check it out below:

First out is Melina, who is looking great, followed by Alicia Fox, who is looking rather… interesting. The two alpha females stare each other down before the referee starts the match. Melina goes for a lockup, but Alicia scoops her up and powers her into the corner. After a fierce elbow, Alicia flings Melina across the ring by her hair. While Melina is getting her wits about her, Alicia kicks her in the gut, forcing her to retreat to the apron. Alicia tries to follow up, but Melina lands a shoulder block and slides between the champ’s legs, pulling Alicia down over her knees for a unique backbreaker and a near fall.

Before Alicia can get back to a vertical base, Melina starts wailing on Alicia with strikes to the back. Alicia tries to get back into the mix with a clothesline, but Melina dodges with a matrix move, followed by a snapmere driver and a flying faceplant. Alicia retreats to the outside to regain her composure, but doesn’t get the chance, as Melina is hot on her tail. Melina charges around the ring to bring Alicia in the hard way, but is laid out by a vicious clothesline.

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Raw Redux (August 2nd, 2010): An A-List Return

Last week, Alicia Fox managed to overcome The Bella Twins switcheroo and pull out yet another win. She even took out her buddy Jillian afterwards, proving that no one is safe from the ‘Foxy One’s’ wrath. This week, Alicia teamed up with Jillian and Tamina to face off against the team of Eve Torres, Gail Kim and Natalya with a very special appearance by a certain A-List Diva. Check out the match below:

We start off the match with the face team already in the ring, posing to the crowd. Next the heels make their way to the ring and to be honest, Jillian doesn’t look too thrilled to be teaming with Alicia after last week. More on that later. The referee rings the bell and the match is underway with Jillian and Gail kicking things off for their respective teams.

The two Divas lock up and jockey for position, with Jillian getting the upper-hand, taking Gail down with a handful of hair and laying in with some stiff right hands. The non-melodious siren follows up with a hair beel for a two count. Frustrated, Jillian pulls Gail up by the hair and drives her head into her knee repeatedly, followed by a backbreaker for another near fall. Jillian drags Gail over to her corner and takes a moment to stare down her partner Alicia before tagging her in. Guess who’s still bitter?

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Raw Redux (July 26, 2010): Gone in Sixty Seconds

After a mysterious (and illogical) absence from last week’s Raw, Divas Champion Alicia Fox is back in action this week in a non-title bout against Brie Bella (Bella Twin #1). Will the twin Divas manage to switch their way to a upset victory over the champ? Check out the match below:

First out are The Bella Twins, who are dressed identically (I wonder why…) in electric blue. Cole and King use this time to plug the sponsor, which means I have to hear more of the Bellas entrance theme than I should. I think I’d rather watch a Khali match… The champion is out next and she’s making her way to the ring rather quickly. I guess Cena went over his allotted time this week, so the Divas have to pick up the slack as usual. The referee rings the bell and the match is on.

Alicia doesn’t waste any time going to work on Brie, laying in a kick to the gut. Alicia throws Brie into the turnbuckle, then rams her back first into the corner. Alicia snatches up Bella #1 by the hair and executes a fierce irish whip, sending Brie to the mat. Alicia proceeds to stomp out poor Brie until the ref pulls her off.

While the referee is preoccupied with Alicia, Nikki and Brie go for their patented switcheroo to turn the tables on the champ. Unfortunately for the identical beauties, Jillian makes her way to ringside and blocks their attempt to switch out. Alicia and the referee turn their attention back to the Bellas and Alicia lands a stiff kick on Bella #2, sending her down to the floor. Alicia tries to get back in control of the match, but Brie rolls her up with a school boy for a near fall. Before Brie can get in anymore offense, Alicia kicks her in the gut before landing a brutal axe kick for the win.

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WWE Superstars Redux (July 8th, 2010): Double Your Pleasure, Double Your Fun

On WWE Superstars, we were treated to Divas starting the show and ending the show. First match we saw Gail Kim teaming with Yoshi Tatsu to take on Jillian and Primo. But what of the feud between Jillian and the Bella Twins?

As Superstars begins, we hear “You can look but you can’t touch” blare over the loudspeakers. Out come Nikki and Brie Bella – in matching referee outfits! The announcer tells us that the Twins are our special guest referees for the following match. You can guess hijinks are about to ensue. Out first is Primo and Jillian, and our Songstress does not look happy to see who the referees are. Jillian’s sporting a nice sky blue outfit tonight. Out next is Yoshi and Gail Kim, who’s looking good in yellow tonight. We hear Michael Cole explain that one Bella will be inside the ring and one will be on the outside. But neither him nor Lawler can tell who’s inside the ring at the moment… and neither can I.

Gail and Jillian start things off. They lock up and Gail has Jillian by the arm but not for long – Jillian simply SHOVES Gail down with a hand to Gail’s face. Jillybean’s temper is flaring already! Picking her up via the hair, Jillian takes the moment to jaw at Bella Ref #1, before throwing Gail back down using her hair. She goes for the cover but only gets one. Disgust is all over the blonde’s face – she clearly should’ve gotten the win right there!

Picking her up once again using the hair (Bella Ref #1 repeatedly warning Jillian about abuse of hair), Jillian snaps Gail down to the mat and follows up with a stiff kick to the back. Whipping Gail off the ropes, Jillian is met with a kick to the head, followed up with a clothesline that sends both women to the mat. Jillian crawls over to Primo and tags out. According to mixed tag rules, Yoshi comes in automatically but not before Primo eyes Gail with a rather unpleasant grin. She rolls to the side as Yoshi comes in.

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Raw Redux Does WWE Superstars (July 1st, 2010): Two Bellas, One Jillian

Last week, we were treated to Brie Bella vs “The Singing Sensation” Jillian. This week, perhaps seeking some revenge, Jillian faces off with Nikki Bella. Where one goes, the other follows. Will we see more twin hijinks, or will Miss Hall score a victory? Lets find out!

The Bellas are first out and we get our first hint of trouble: matching outfits and flowers in their hair on the same sides. The sky blue is a nice color but the ruffles on the legs… honestly ladies, switch up the design! You don’t have to have ruffles on everything you wear. Just a tip.

We get a recap of last week’s shenanigans before Jillian comes out in a nice purple ensemble. She looks all business tonight as she climbs into the ring. The poor dear looks fustrated! She then speaks words that drive a dagger into my heart: after last week, after what the Bellas did to her, she can’t even sing. Woe to her fans! Our weekly perk has been denied us thanks to that devious duo! However the twins clap as does the audience. Everyone’s a critic. Jillian removes her portable mic and the referee calls for the bell. Michael Cole gets one of his oh-so-witty jabs in, “Instead of Lady GaGa, they should call Jillian Lady Gag.” I hope he doesn’t write his own material. I choose to tune out the commentary and focus on the match.

Nikki and Jillian lock up, with Nikki forcing Jillian into a corner. The ref calls for them to break it up. Nikki backs away but the pop star rushes out, nailing Nikki with a strong right hand to knock her on the ground! Vicious move and the crowd signals it’s displeasure. Jilly follows up with a kick to the shoulder then grabs Nikki by her hair, jerking her back against her knee. Waiting until the last moment, Jillian finally releases the brunette, who’s grimacing in pain. Hall goes for a pin but only gets a two-count.

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Raw Redux Does WWE Superstars (June 24th, 2010): Two-on-One

This week on WWE Superstars we have Jillian taking on the Bella Twins. Okay, so she’s really facing Brie Bella, but by now we know that when you face one Bella, it’s pretty much a 2-on-1 affair. Watch the match below:

Jillian comes to the ring all microphoned up and in keeping with the World Cup fever sweeping the world, she sings the “Olé Olé” tune until she’s interrupted by the entrance of the Bellas. With Brie in the ring and Nikki at ringside, the match begins. They start with a tie-up, Brie getting control and wrenching Jillian’s arm, but Jillian slams her to the mat. Brie regains control, twisting her arm behind her back, but Jillian quickly trips her up and causes her to hit face-first onto the mat. For good measure, I suppose, she slaps Brie on the butt. Good lord, I hope that doesn’t become some recurring thing. I can only dread what the WWE would do with a spanking gimmick.

Brie seems to take this as a personal insult, as she immediately leaps onto her and starts a bit of a tussle on the mat. After all the scrambling and hair-pulling, Jillian reverses an Irish whip into the corner. Brie braces herself against the corner, leaping and latching her legs around Jillian’s neck, but it’s telegraphed and Jillian pulls her free of the turnbuckle, letting her fall full-on onto the mat. Jillian then chokes her against the second rope, bashing her throat against it. After toying with her a bit, Jillian hits a snapmare and kicks her square in the back, attempt a pin that only garners a 2-count.

She grabs Brie by the arm and twists it back, wrenching her shoulder. When Brie starts to fight out, she simply slams her face onto the mat. Jillian hits her with a scoop slam and goes for her cartwheel splash, but is met in the midsection with Brie’s knees. This slows her down considerably, and allows Brie to go on the patented Diva babyface offensive tear (I’m sure it’s in the manual somewhere, with illustrations of dropkicks and clotheslines), hitting a series of dropkicks, a clothesline, and a bulldog. She goes for the pin, but Jillian kicks out at 2.

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Raw Redux (June 7th, 2010): So Much Time, So Little Divas

Tonight’s Raw, being billed as a 3-hour, “viewer’s choice” show featuring wrestlers from both Raw and Smackdown, was destined to be a little cluttered, given how many elements were in the mix. Unfortunately, very little of that mixture consisted of Divas. In the whole span of three hours, the Divas (all 12 of them) took up about 4 minutes of time. That’s a “needle in a haystack” situation if I’ve ever seen one. But, there’s always hope that they make the most of the little time they were given. Did they? Let’s see..

The stipulation of the Divas match was, like the rest of the matches, determined the fans’ vote. The choices were either: a 6-on-6 Tag Team match, a battle royal, or a champion vs. champion match, which would pit Eve vs. Layla. The fans picked the battle royal, and I’m sure the WWE were glad for that (if the vote wasn’t rigged, which it probably was) because that means MORE DIVAS!!!~~~~~. Nothing can ever go wrong with fitting as many Divas as possible into a 4-minute slot, amiright?:

We start with the 64 12 Divas in the ring, and they all more or less pair off. A double-team by Brie and Nikki Bella sends Rosa Mendes flying out of the ring. Sucks for her, but it’s better than when she practically threw herself out of the ring in the last battle royal. Tiffany is eliminated next, falling from the top turnbuckle while pummeling Michelle McCool. Kelly Kelly gets knocked off the ring apron by Michelle while trading blows with Layla.

Gail Kim and Alicia Fox eliminate each other while tussling on top of the ropes, a modified hurricanrana taking out both the deliverer and the recipient. Michelle and Layla stop a Bella Twins attack on Maryse and eliminate the both of them with tandem dropkicks. Eve attacks Laycool, fighting valiantly and hitting some impressive spots before eliminating the both of them by shoving Layla into Michelle, causing them to slip through the middle rope.

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In Pictures: What Did Your Divas Look Like in High School?

In the words of Usher, “Oh my gosh!” WWE.com has a new feature to celebrate the high school graduation season with  side-by-side pictures of some of our Divas as they currently look and as they looked in high school. The pictures come with quotes with the Divas coming up with something they’d tell their high school selves.

Check out the rest:

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WWE Superstars Redux (June 3rd, 2010): Two for the Price of One


WWE gave us a double-whammy of Divas last night on WWE Superstars with Raw delivering Gail Kim vs Jillian and SmackDown offering up co-Women’s Champion, Michelle McCool vs Tiffany. Two matches from two different shows — this calls for a super-sized Redux with input from both our Raw columnist, Erin and SmackDown columnist, Melanie. Which brand had the better night?

Raw — by Erin
We start off the show with some Raw action, pitting Gail Kim against the woman she defeated on this show back in April, Jillian:

The match starts with a tie-up, Jillian backing Gail into a corner. she kicks her in the midsection and takes a moment to flaunt before turning back, but Gail slips out of her reach and flips over her, rolling her into a quick pin attempt, which earns her only a 1-count. Jillian, frustrated, gets to her feet quickly and slams Gail to the mat by the back of her head. She goes for a pin of her own, and Gail kicks out at 1.

Jillian whips Gail into the ropes, but on the return Gail turns the tables, latching onto Jillian’s midsection with her legs and rolling her forward into another pin attempt. Jillian kicks out. Gail goes on a rush of offense, nailing Jillian in the corner and then hitting a free-standing monkey flip. She dropkicks Jillian one last time, with sends her out of the ring. Jillian stumbles about outside, catching a breather. Unfortunately for her, Gail latches onto her neck with her legs, slipping through the ropes and hitting a hurricanrana outside the ring. Wow! I don’t think I’ve seen that done before. It’s creative, but doesn’t look as deliberate as it could have. To take full advantage of Gail’s moves, I think it’s vital to keep that unpredictable feeling in her matches and so far, this match has delivered that very nicely.

Jillian gets her revenge pretty quickly, though, pushing Gail so that she nails the ring apron face-first. She slips back into the ring and lounges a bit while Gail tries to shake away the cartoon birds flying around her head. She manages to get back inside the ring before the referee counts her out, but Jillian doesn’t give her a moment to recover, as she’s on her instantly, kicking her and slamming her face into the mat. She tries for a pin, but Gail kicks out at 2. Focusing on Gail’s loopy head, Jillian props her up against her knee, pulling her by her hair and knocking the back of her head against it. She lets go eventually but stays on Gail’s case, whipping her into the corner. Gail can barely stay vertical, though, and slams into the turnbuckle and falls back to the mat. Jillian senses Gail’s weariness and goes for yet another pin, getting only 2 again.

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Raw Redux (May 24th, 2010): Old Tricks and New Faces

After the underwhelming Divas Championship match at Over the Limit, I was hopeful that the following Raw would pick things back up and continue the Divas Championship feud down the more unique path we’ve been enjoying these past few weeks (exhibits , B, and C. Not so, folks, because it seems that we’re back in “piss break” territory. Of course, all could turn around next week, but a week’s stay in “piss break” territory still leaves you smelling of.. well, you know. Putting it in more eloquent terms, instead of continuing with the more unique ways of building this feud between Maryse and Eve Torres, the WWE decided to book them in a tag team match, effectively packing their feud together with the one between Alicia Fox and Gail Kim. That’s one 2-for-1 sale I’m not happy about. Watch the match below:

Gail and Alicia start things off. Gail goes for a tie-up but Alicia has a better idea, booting Gail in the stomach. She blasts her wit ha forearm before irish-whipping her into the corner. When she attacks, though, she gets a face full of elbow, setting Gail up to hit a top-rope hurricanrana (How long has it been since we’ve seen one of those??). Alicia flops around, sans equilibrium, finding a corner to lean against. Gail stays on the attack, hitting her hit-and-slip move. While on the apron, Maryse tries to sneak an attack, but Gail kicks her in the stomach. Gail stops another attack from Alicia, burying her shoulder into her midsection and vaulting over the ropes into a sunset flip pin attempt. However, she can’t even roll Alicia onto her shoulders, and Fox takes the momentum, holding onto the ropes. Maryse takes this opportunity to tag in, and as Gail rolls Alicia back into a pin, Maryse slips in and kicks Gail square in the back. This of course, breaks the non-pin.

Maryse lays another boot into Gail before going for a pin of her own. Gail kicks out at 2. She hoists her up into a backbreaker and toys around with her a bit before Gail kicks her away. Gail moves to tag in Eve, and Maryse tries to stop this, but Eve ducks out of the way of her haymaker, hitting a right hand of her own before finally getting tagged in. Eve goes on a string of offense (a clothesline here, and dropkick there, and a neckbreaker for good measure) before trying for the pin. Maryse kicks out at 2, but before she can pop up to her feet Eve kicks her back down, leaping over her and hitting a standing moonsault. She goes for the pin again, but Alicia break it up.

This brings in Gail, and with the referee distracted by her, Alicia boots Eve right in the face. This allows Maryse to set up the French Kiss, hit it, and get the pin.

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Raw Redux (May 17th, 2010): Nothing (and No One) Wasted

I think, if tonight’s Raw taught us one thing, it was this: less commercials means more Divas. Of course, that’s a bit of a leap in logic, but that fact is that tonight’s show, whilst being commercial free, featured more Diva face time than we’ve seen in a long time: 2 (count ’em, 2) matches, a backstage segment, and 2 faux-commercials. That adds up to a load of Divas being utilized, including 2 Divas that aren’t even technically apart of the brand. That’s a kind of efficiency I was beginning to think that the WWE didn’t know existed (that string of 1-minute-and-less matches didn’t help). Let us observe:

The beginning of our Diva-filled night was signaled by the appearance of a familiar face, home-country girl Trish Stratus. Unfortunately, that face was printed on a magazine cover rather than being flesh and bone, and we soon saw that Maryse was the face behind it. It was a slick move to get fans excited while risking disappointment, but it was smart to make Maryse be the one to “break the news”, so to speak. Let her be the one to put out the Trish Stratus bait and yank it back. It is a neat heat-generating maneuver that worked. Talking to the makeup woman, she details how Canadians suck and that fact that she’s French Canadian is a completely different thing. She starts trash talking Eve, and if summoned by the gods, Eve appears behind her, grabbing some baby powder and pouring it over Maryse’s head.

A makeup table fight ensues, with Eve smashing Maryse’s face against it a few times before the girls are separated. The fire in this feud continues to burn, and in this segment they showed real intensity. I mentioned this in the Post-Raw show, but I feel like whenever the WWE needs to inject some intensity in to a diva feud, they have the girls fight at the makeup station. But hell, it works! It allows the Divas to have a real, scrappy fight and makes the heat feel that much more real. It’s worked for countless Divas feuds before, and this one was no exception.

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Raw Redux Does WWE Superstars (May 13th, 2010): Maryse Lacks Team Spirit

This past Monday’s Raw was lacking in actual Divas action, but this week’s episode of WWE Superstars is looking to make up for that. It doesn’t hurt that these matches are consistently longer than their Monday night counterparts, so I’m all for the Thursday night matches. This week, we see Maryse and Jillian taking on Brie and Nikki Bella, I guess in some small way following up Maryse’s defeat of Brie over a week ago. Let’s see if the Bellas manage to get some measure of revenge:

Nikki and Maryse start things off, with Nikki getting in Maryse’s face, Maryse-style, and hitting a leaping snapmare. Nikki immediately goes and tags in Brie, and the two hit a leg split maneuver than sends Maryse flipping backwards. Brie goes for the pin and gets a 2-count. Right out of the pin, Maryse takes control, nailing Brie in the stomach and bringing her to her team’s corner and tagging in Jillian.

Jillian gets some licks in before backing Brie into the ropes, grabbing fistfuls her of hair and talking some trash. She Irish-whips Brie into the ropes, and Nikki makes a sly tag when Brie hits her side of the ring. Brie hits a cross-body off those ropes, allowing Nikki to come in and grab a bridged pin attempt. Jillian kicks out at 2. Nikki maintains control and whips Jillian into the corner, hitting a monkey flip after yelling “Bellas baby!” on the top rope. Not sure if that’s t-shirt worthy, but I appreciate her gusto.

Nikki climbs the turnbuckle but is distracted by Maryse. Jillian takes advantage of this distraction, getting a quick shot on Nikki, hoisting her across her shoulders, and hitting a Samoan drop. Jillian goes for the pin, but only gets 2. She keeps Nikki on the mat, planting a knee into her back and pulling her backwards by her hair. She relents when the referee gets close to the requisite 5-count, and brings Nikki over to her corner, bodyslamming her and tagging in Maryse.

They both hoist up Nikki–Jillian with the hands, Maryse with the feet–and slam her back onto the mat. Maryse tries for the pin, but Nikki kicks out at 2. Maryse goes for a suplex (dangerously close to the ropes.. watch your position, girl!), but Nikki blocks it, pounding Maryse on the back and shoving her into the ropes, sending Nikki to the mat and Maryse all the way to the floor. Wait.. what just happened here? Did both girls get knocked loopy? Anywho, Maryse gets back in the ring, but not quick enough to stop Nikki from tagging in Brie.

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