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Unwrapped: Eye Candy for the Week Ending October 31st, 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)

Jillian‘s Seven Year Itch
Appearance: This is obviously a Halloween-themed shoot, as Jillian’s wearing the famous white dress that Marilyn Monroe wore in “The Seven Year Itch”, along with the iconic Marilyn hairstyle and her signature beauty mark. I can’t say that Jillian wears it as well as Marilyn did, but it’s an amusing costume. I still prefer her electric guitar costume, though.
Uniqueness: Everyone and their mother has “paid tribute” to Marilyn, and this is one of her most famous images, so it’s not anything that hasn’t been seen a million times.
Grade: Bland. It’s cute for a Halloween shoot, but other than that, it’s just another Marilyn Monroe impression, and it’s not even a very good one at that.
Click to see the rest of the photoshoot.

Michelle McCool‘s Linked Up
Appearance: A gray racerback top and black pants–both shredded in some way– are nice, but don’t look that great together. Her hair is something odd, too, but I can’t explain it. The chain seems random too, and kind of looks like she stole it off of a bicycle. None of it seems to go together well, even though they’re all shooting for a “tough” look.
Poses: Michelle seems intent on selling her heel persona through serious glares at the camera, and not much else. They don’t look intimidating at all–more like she’s tired.
Uniqueness: Michelle hasn’t altered her poses much, even though her “tough girl” glares need some work.
Grade: Bland. Even though she’s wearing ripped clothing and sporting an actual chain, it comes off as incredibly boring.
Click to see the rest of the photoshoot.

Rosa‘s Fringe Benefits
Appearance: A simple black top and matching fringed skirt aren’t very adventurous, but the sheer portion of the top and fringe at the bottom of the skirt make it just interesting enough, and the shoes are extraordinary. She takes what could be a bland all-black ensemble and takes it to the next level.
Poses: Rosa tosses a few smiles our way, which is an improvement from her usual stony, serious faces. She chooses a nice variety of poses that still keep a relaxed mood, but are far from dull.
Uniqueness: Rosa’s smiling! That’s breaking news, folks.
Grade: Sweet. The whole shoot is simple, yet *just* interesting enough. Rosa shows that you don’t have to go all out to make a photoshoot sexy.
Click to see the rest of the photoshoot.

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

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Unwrapped: Divas “Scream Queens” 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. Today, as it is Halloween, our “Eye Candy” will be the kind associated with jack-o-lanterns and bags of sweets. We are looking at the 3-part “Scream Queens” photoshoot, in which the Divas show off their Halloween costumes. Click the following links to see the full photoshoots: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3.

Alicia Fox
Costume: Vampire
Creativity (on a scale of 1-10): 7. A vampire is one of the most cliche Halloween costumes, sure, but I like that she put some effort into it, wearing a cape and fangs and not being too concerned with looking sexy. Her poses are cool too, and make what could be a rather bland costume pretty exciting. Bonus points for looking a like an old school vampire, too.
Grade: Sweet. She looks cute and the extra thought put into it–not just plastic fangs and lingerie–makes it interesting.

Beth Phoenix
Costume: Nurse
Creativity (on a scale of 1-10): 1. Talk about cliche–what’s a more cheesy “sexy” costume than a nurse? Frankly, I expected better from Beth, but she seems content to pose in a skanky costume suggestively holding a stethoscope. Come on Beth, I didn’t think you were that uncreative.
Grade: Sour. This looks so strange on Beth. It’s just not “like” her, if you get my drift, and this is not an instance where that would be a good thing.

Brie & Nikki Bella
Costume: Belly dancers
Creativity (on a scale of 1-10): 4. The sexy “belly dancer” costume is pretty cliche, especially in so scantily clad a fashion. But hey, it’s kind of cool, what with all the veils and such. There’s more to it than other “sexy” costumes.
Grade: Bland. It’s not original by any means, but they certainly look cute. There’s just so much potential with twin costumes, and they sort of dropped the ball on this one.

Read on to see the rest of the Divas’ costumes and vote for your favorite.

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SmackDown Your Vote: Who Deserved to Win Halloween Costume Contest?

The fans in attendance at SmackDown voted Mickie James as the winner of the SmackDown Divas Halloween Costume Contest. But what do you think? Did Mickie deserve the win or would you have picked someone else? Based on the looks above & the little ‘performances’ each Diva gave, who would you have picked to win? … Read more

SmackDown Redux (October 30th, 2009) – Worst. Costume. Contest. Ever.

Note: As a result of the ‘Diva Dirt Trade’, the SmackDown Redux is now written by Melanie! Like Mickie James, I have left behind Raw after two years of the Raw Redux but left it in the very capable hands of Erin. You can read Erin’s Raw Redux every Tuesday here at Diva Dirt.

In the words of Comic Book Guy: “Worst. Costume. Contest. Ever.” Much second hand embarassment was felt for the four Divas involved; from the unflattering costume choices [that’s you Mickie!] to the ‘white people dancing’ [thanks Michelle!], this one didn’t look too hot.

However earlier in the night, we kicked things off on a much brighter note when the Glamazon, Beth Phoenix made her in-ring debut as a SmackDown Diva in a squash match. This to me was the perfect set-up. Since her debut in 2007 [let’s ignore the original debut], Beth has been pushed as the monster heel of the women’s division; the powerful and dominant Glamazon. In the past year, it’s safe to say she’s waned a little as a character as a result of poor booking but all that seems to be changing thanks to the move to SmackDown. Usually with these monster heel types, they’ll have squash matches for weeks on end against the ‘jobber of the week’, we’ve seen it with the likes of The Great Khali, Umaga, Mike Knox and most recently, Sheamus on ECW. I think it’s really intriguing for a Diva to be given similar treatment and really have that time to be put over as a ‘big bad monster’. This almost re-introduces Beth, putting out of mind what she’s been doing on Raw lately, and sort of starting from scratch. So it would Beth Phoenix versus local jobber known as Jenny Brooks, who it’s explained has some history with Beth:

Fresh from defeating Melina to take a win for Team SmackDown at Bragging Rights, Beth gets her first match on SmackDown. We kick off with Beth throwing Jenny to the mat and laying in some kicks & punches and then literally, kicking Brooks out of the ring. That definitely looked impressive.

Beth then drags Brooks back into the ring by her hair and then picks her up for a standing suplex, hoisting Jenny into the air for a good 30 seconds or so. This is something we’ve seen before in Beth’s arsenal and really is a sight to see, so it’s nice to see that it’s dusted off here. Beth then picks up Brooks by the neck and slams her over her knee, before just throwing her into the corner like a rag doll. Jenny then tries to fight back but is thrown against the ropes by Beth and then gets hit with an axehandle across the head. The end is here for the visiting Brooks as Beth sets up an epic looking Glam Slam, once again just holding that position as with the suplex, and as you’ll see she does a 360 on the spot so all the fans in attendance can see her sheer dominance which is a very nice touch, and then slams her down. Beth then takes a moment to adjust herself, looking composed and not in a rush, before pinning Brooks with ease.

I really enjoyed this. Like I said, it almost re-introduces Beth and her dominance with the use of the elongated standing suplex and Glam Slam, using Beth as a spectacle almost. She really came across great here as a non-chalant bad ass heel. The little touches like taking her time before pinning her opponent, while just a small touch, added that much more to atmosphere and I really like that. I hope they can keep this up and continue to have Beth booked strongly & break the mould of what it means to be a Diva today; as mentioned earlier, Diva squash matches are unthinkable but for that to be used as a storyline device for Beth shows some progression. Good segment.

After the cut, the Divas Halloween Costume Contest:

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Trick or Treat! Going Halloween Costume Shopping: Part 1

We’re baaack! You may remember us offering costume advice last year to Divas participating in the now-defunct Cyber Sunday Halloween costume contest. Well, we’re extending that tradition this year, extending the love to TNA’s Knockouts as well. We’ll offer costume possibilities to nearly every Diva and Knockout over 3 installments, all leading up to Halloween night. Get your popcorn ready!

Alissa Flash
Costume: Horror movie victim
Why?: It seems like every Melissa Anderson character is getting “killed off” of TNA, or at least decimated. What better way for her to poke fun at this massacre than to smear yourself with fake blood and scream your head off? Bonus points for fake wounds. Let’s see Awesome Kong do this kind of damage.
Get the look: Make some fake blood, tear up some old clothes, and apply some strategically-placed dark makeup for that crucial gaunt look.

Brie & Nikki Bella
Costume: The twins from “The Shining”
Why?: Have there ever been two creepier twins in horror movie history? I think not. Dress the Bellas up in those famous blue dresses and place them in an empty hallway. Get them to say “Come play with us!” in unison and you’ve got something even scarier than Jack Nicholson armed with an axe.
Get the look: Find your twin (or someone who bears a striking resemblance) and dress yourselves in matching prim and proper power blue dresses. Don’t forget the blank stares!

Jillian
Costume: Lady Gaga
Why?: Jillian’s adoration may have shifted from Britney to Lady Gaga, if her performance of “Paparazzi” following her Divas Championship win was any indication. From one outrageous Diva to another, Jillian could make the transition easily with her blonde hair. She just needs to pick any crazy outfit Gaga’s worn (such as her infamous bubble ensemble), apply some heavy eyeliner, and she’s golden!
Get the look: Toss on this Lady Gaga-inspired wig, apply some bold makeup, and pick your favorite Gaga fashion statement. FYI–chances are you won’t be wearing pants.

Read on to see more costume suggestions.

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WWE Bragging Rights Review: SmackDown Glam Slams to Victory

brrreview

The SmackDown team may have been led by WWE Women’s Champion, Michelle McCool but it was the newest addition to the roster that was a blue beacon of success for the brand. Decked in SmackDown colours, a royal blue Glamasuit [as we have affectionately started calling them], Beth Phoenix Glam Slammed her way to victory and had a helping hand in SmackDown taking the Bragging Rights trophy last night.

To the beginning now, let’s take a look at the match as it happened… Team SmackDown make their entrance first with the Women’s Champion debuting a new piece to her attire — a robe. Proving she can do nothing right, this one has already hit a sore spot on the interwebz with “AJ Styles rip-off” comments. Mmm… trivial. Meanwhile, Beth Phoenix is looking mighty Glamariffic in royal blue. While Team SmackDown have opted for eye-popping colours like royal blue, emerald green and hot pink, Team Raw are much more subdued in their colour choices.

We kick things off with Beth Phoenix and Gail Kim, in something of a dream match. Beth starts off with a kick to the gut followed by the Divas exchanging forearms. The crafty former Women’s Champion, Gail Kim goes for a mid-rope crossbody but is caught but the powerful Phoenix. Gail manages to flip things over into a pin attempt but Beth kicks out. The Glamazon begins woman-handling Kim before Michelle McCool blind-tags herself in. Gail manages to subdue the Champ with a lovely hurricanrana that is sold well by McCool, who then cowers into her corner allowing Natalya the tag.

Another dream match here; Nattie vs Gail. The physical third-gen Diva slams Gail to the mat. As things progress Gail hits her lovely launch through the ropes on Natalya followed by that unorthodox jumping butt bump. Kelly Kelly is then tagged in to the biggest pop so far, Kelly works well with Nattie and keeps the pace up with a twilt-a-whirl hurricanrana. Natalya then hangs Kelly on the ropes, showing her prowess. Natalya, with her brute force, drives Kelly into the corner and begins kneeing her. This all looks rather ferocious which is perhaps the biggest difference between Natalya and the Glamazon; while both share powerhouse quality — there’s nothing pretty about Nattie’s offense while Beth is a little more Diva-esque. In the corner, Kelly goes for a sunset flip but to no avail as Michelle tags in. After a short exchange, in comes Beth as Team SmackDown begin their ‘wear down’ of Kelly. Kelly makes a desperate effort to tag in Melina or Gail but the powerful Beth manages to drive her back to the Team Blue corner. Michelle is back in now and hangs in there with her team mates, throwing Kelly around like a rag doll. Beth Phoenix then blind-tags herself in much to McCool’s shock, Kelly begins fighting back with a hurricanrana into a rollup but Beth kicks out. Kelly with a jawbreaker on Beth and finally hits a tag to Melina.

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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

Diva Dirt Style Jury: Week of October 19th, 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!

THE BELLA TWINS
Erin: Going for business casual? I guess they’re just trying to compliment Snoop’s dapper look, but it looks so faux-classy. But wait, is Brie wearing anything under her blazer? Okay, not even faux-classy. 4/10
Melanie: I don’t get how Snoop Dogg = business attire. Well at least we didn’t have the Divas coming out dressed as video vixens, no we’ll save that for when Flo Rida guest hosts. Like Erin, I felt this looked faux-classy rather than genuinely classy. I guess I just can’t buy the Bellas in this type of attire. 5/10
Steven: On their first week back on the Raw roster, The Bellas go for classy as opposed to trashy. They definitely look a lot better in darker colors than their usual bright  red. Good to see them leave the big ass flowers home, as well. 7/10

BETH PHOENIX
Erin: I like layering as much as the next person, but this is ridiculous. Cover up your bra, girl! 4/10
Melanie: Is Beth trying to pass on lingerie as an outfit? Good Lord… 2/10
Steven: Did the lights blow out in the Divas’ locker room, because Beth obviously got dressed in the dark this week. Did no one feel obligated to tell her that her bra was showing? The only thing saving The Glamazon from a 0/10, is the hair (which is looking great). 2/10

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 (October 23rd, 2009) – Divide and Conquer

Last time on SmackDown: Mickie and Beth made their SmackDown debuts, both confronting Michelle backstage. Mickie wants to wrestle at Bragging Rights, while Beth wants the Women’s Championship.

This week: Will we finally see SmackDown’s newest Divas in action? How about any buildup for Bragging Rights? Will SmackDown’s team, despite the fact that they seem to be gunning for each other, be able to band together and beat Raw on Sunday?

We start the night, as is usual with SmackDown, with a backstage segment. Mickie James is speaking with WWE legend Mae Young, having a friendly conversation. Things, however, get messy when Michelle McCool shows up (Skip to 1:45):

Michelle tells Mae that it’s nice to see her. Mickie? Not so much. Michelle expresses her sympathies that Mickie didn’t make the team for Bragging Rights and says that there’s always next year. Mickie says she knows why she didn’t make the team–Michelle says it’s because Beth Phoenix and Natalya are way more talented than she is. This high school-level tête à tête continues until Mickie tells Michelle to “break a leg” this Sunday, leaving the scene.

Michelle can barely take a breath before Beth appears behind her, pretty much reiterating what she said last week, threatening to take her title. She tells her she’ll see her Sunday and heads off, leaving Michelle with Mae who says, “She told you!” (Burn!). Michelle tells Mae to shut up, and gets a slap in the face for her rudeness.

Later, it looks like we have a match, as Mickie makes her way to the ring. She’s followed by Layla, and we get started:

They start with a tie-up, Mickie getting control with a side headlock. Layla fights free, shoving Mickie into the ropes. On the return, Mickie knocks Layla down with a shoulder blast. She goes to the ropes for momentum, and Layla flattens herself to the mat to avoid her. Mickie cartwheels over her, dropkicking her the moment they both get to their feet. She attempts a pin, but Layla kicks out, and she drags her back to her feet.

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Bragging Rights Match Expected To Be…

As revealed on SmackDown last week, the WWE Divas will also be involved in the Raw vs SmackDown aspect of Bragging Rights this Sunday on pay per view. The match announcement will likely be announced tonight on Raw, but it’s expected to be Divas Champion Melina (representing Raw) taking on Women’s Michelle McCool (representing SmackDown), … Read more

Diva Dirt Style Jury: Week of October 12th, 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
Erin: I like the colors, as you don’t see that combo on Divas very often. (Not girly enough?) Though I’m not sure what design accent’s going on on her leg and top. It’s not the most creative ring attire, but hopefully she can develop an interesting signature style pretty soon–this is a decent start. 7/10
Melanie: This, to me, has a touch of the Glamazon mixed with the Rosa about it. It definitely seems like an amalgamation of the two, but I like it. I like Alicia’s little belts every week too. Alicia looks great in the darker colour scheme, but I hope she begins incorporating some brighter colours soon too. 7/10
Steven: I’m really becoming a fan of Alicia’s gear as of late. As usual, Alicia is simple without being boring. Also, the copper accents really work for her. 8/10

BETH PHOENIX
Erin: It’s tough to judge this outfit when you can only see the top at one angle, but to me it looks like a tube top with a sequined vest layered over it. It really doesn’t look that bad, but I’d probably like it better if it were all in one matching piece. It looks like it would be a cool, stylish cut. 6/10
Melanie: From what we could see on screen, it looks like a cute outfit for Beth on television. Not something you’d wear everyday but for TV, it works. I love the hair band and the way her hair looks here and the shiny vest is cute. 7/10
Steven: Something about this outfit is just off to me. Maybe if the vest wasn’t so tight. I know it’s meant to be that way but it gives the illusion that she’s busting out of it. I could live without the sequins too. 5/10

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

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Divas House Show Results: Indication of Upcoming Plans

House show results from the past couple of days are in, with the new Divas rosters working for their new respective brands. House shows often share some indication of where WWE plans to go with television storylines, allowing Superstars to familiarise themselves with each other before TV tapings or pay per views. For the Raw … Read more

SmackDown Redux (Oct. 16th, 2009) – The Times, They Are A-Changin’…

Last time on SmackDown: Michelle and Eve did battle, with the Women’s Champion coming out on top. Meanwhile, Maria’s untimely chair stealing cost Dolph a match and the both of them their relationship. This week: To say that Monday’s “Diva Draft” put a different spin on things would be an understatement. How will SmackDown two … Read more

Unwrapped: Eye Candy for the Week Ending October 10th, 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)

Beth Phoenix‘s On the Spot
Appearance: In a very un-Beth-like move, the Glamazon is wearing a girly polka-dotted dress. It looks good on her, though, and the cut shows off her rock-hard back in a very sexy way. I can’t help but think it’s probably too girly for her frame, with the frilly-ness and the polka dots and the bow, but I like that she’s venturing out a bit. The color is quite pretty, too. The black heels are killer.
Poses: She goes for a whole variety of poses, some serious, some sweet. It shows her range, and I absolutely love the back-exposing pose–it shows off her sculpted frame, and she almost looks like a statue (in a good way, not a Kelly Kelly way).
Uniqueness: Beth’s wearing a pretty little party dress! That’s new to me!
Grade: Sweet. I’m sure this isn’t a lasting thing, but I like seeing this different side to Beth. It shows that she’s more than the “muscular chick”.
Click to see the rest of the photoshoot.

Lacey Von Erich‘s Peep Show
Appearance: Lacey’s wearing a hot pink tube top and black leather shorts, but I have a feeling the clothes don’t matter, because she sheds the top. Maybe that’s a good thing, because she’s one pair of thigh-high boots away from looking like a streetwalker.
Poses: I’ll forgive Lacey for this, since she’s new, but this is the absolute opposite of subtlety. It’s worse than cheesy, it’s cheesecake-y. I wish we were beyond girls in wrestling taking their tops off, but I guess we aren’t.
Uniqueness: Playing into a stereotype is about the least unique a person can be. Yuck.
Grade: Sour. I think I slipped back into the late 90s with this shoot. It wasn’t a fun trip.
Click to see the rest of the photoshoot.

Layla‘s Voyez les Vues
Appearance: Layla’s a jet-setter, donning head-to-toe black and striking sunglasses. It’s not very exciting, but I suppose the sights are meant to take center stage. She tosses on a beret in a few shots, which, while cute, is kind of distractingly cliche.
Poses: A few are fun (jumping for joy in from of the Eiffel Tower), but others are just kinda blah.. I understand that the scenery is the focus, and it’s gorgeous, but Layla is kind of just standing there. She could make it look a whole lot more exciting instead of just looking like a tourist caught in a candid photo.
Uniqueness: Ah, Paris! That’ll beat the traditional black backdrop any day..
Grade: Bland. The sights are gorgeous, but the Diva isn’t pulling her weight. The poses bore, and make me look at what’s behind her instead, which I’m sure wasn’t the objective of the shoot.
Click to see the rest of the photoshoot.

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

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SmackDown Redux (Oct. 9th, 2009) – Big Boots, Breakups, & Blubbering

Last time on SmackDown: The 10th Anniversary of SmackDown took center stage, as Divas from every brand served as Lumberjacks for a Women’s Championship match between Michelle and Melina. With some help from Raw’s heels, Michelle retained her title.

This week: With Michelle defeating Melina, does that close the curtains on their feud, and if so, will both go their separate ways this week? Will Maria finally take some initiative?

We kick off the show with Eve Torres making her way to the ring. It’s been a while since we’ve seen her in one-on-one action, so this should be a bit of fresh air. Next out is Michelle McCool, bedazzled knee brace and all. I wonder if Michelle’s having violent flashbacks to that ill-fated house show match with Eve that landed her with that bum knee in the first place..

At the start of the match, the two fight for momentum, struggling against one another in a tie-up. Michelle eventually gets Eve in the corner, pounding her fiercely. Eve tries to get out, but Michelle shoves her back in, showing some great aggression. She pauses for a moment and Eve takes advantage of this, turning the tables and taking her to task in the corner. Dragging Michelle to the center of the ring, Eve whips her back into that same corner, as if Michelle were a boomerang. She goes for the attack, but only gets a face full of Michelle’s elbow.

Michelle goes after Eve, but Eve sweeps her legs out from under her, mounting and pounding her in the head. This turns into a bit of a cat fight, Michelle flipping to the top and putting in her licks. Eve eventually shoves her off, and Michelle retreats outside the ring. Eve follows, and they go for a quick chase before Michelle slides back into the ring, looking to attack Eve upon her entrance. Eve, though, telegraphs Michelle’s kick, catching her leg. She clotheslines her and goes for a unsuccessful pin attempt. Both are slow to their feet, but as Eve goes to grab Michelle, Michelle makes a grab of her own, pulling Eve face-first into the second turnbuckle. She lays prone in the corner, and Michelle takes a run at her, slamming her thigh into her face.

Eve demonstrates some great selling, looking absolutely exhausted as she’s sprawled out on the mat. Michelle admires her work before yanking Eve foot-first to the middle of the ring, mounting her and punching her in the head. Eve looks to be moving slower and slower as Michelle hovers over, kicking and driving her braced knee into her head one, two, three times, finishing it off with a good old-fashioned leg drop. She then grabs Eve behind by the neck, placing her knee square on her back and yanking her head back, choking her. The referee checks her hands to make sure it’s not an actual choke, but it’s close enough–Michelle’s obviously not focusing on taking out Eve’s back.

She grows tired of this, letting for and allowing Eve’s face to slam into the mat. Not giving her any time to breathe, Michelle grabs her hands, criss-crossing them in front of herself and pulling back. This submission isn’t as easy, as Eve seems to be fighting back a bit. Resistance is futile though, because Michelle eventually gets Eve to her knees, locking in the hold and shaking her back and forth violently for good measure. Eve tries to fight out, but Michelle keeps her on her knees. Eve finally gets to her feet, using brute strength to get the advantage. She goes to flip Michelle forward, but the Women’s Champ only performs a cartwheel in response, staying on her feet. Though, Eve meets her quickly with a clothesline, finally knocking her down.

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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.

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That Michelle McCool, She’s So Heinous!

Stop the presses! We have breaking news: Michelle McCool is *gasp* the evil, lecherous witch you all thought she was! Here she is doing the unthinkable… slapping a fan?! Oh wait… except she’s not. This, my friends, is the latest Internet meme and hate propaganda being used against the Women’s Champion. Just this past week … 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

SmackDown Redux (October 2nd, 2009) – Mind Your Own Brand Business!

Last time on SmackDown Superstars: The dynamic duo of Michelle and Layla defeated the not-so-dynamic team of Maria and Melina. Maria played rag doll and Melina wasn’t there to save her from interference from Michelle, so the loss only served to push the former friends ever further apart.

This week: Are we going to see a blow-up anytime soon, or will this simmer longer? Are we in for more skits, or will this 10th Anniversary special be more wrestling-based, with the drama reserved for a less prestigious event?

Justin Roberts tell us that this is a Lumberjack match for the Women’s Championship. We are then graced by the presence of Divas from all three brands (All entering to Eve’s music.. I guess because it’s the most generic?), and it’s easy to figure out who’s the challenger by eliminating each Diva that walks down the ramp in her awkward street clothes. Next through the curtains is Melina, and as she makes her way to the ring they cut to a quick shot of Maria. I suppose that will suffice for this week’s storyline advancement? I absolutely loved Natalya’s reaction to Melina’s entrance, like she was appalled. Kinda cute. Michelle is the last one out.

They start with a tie-up, and Michelle quickly uses her knee brace to take Melina down, planting it into her gut. She attempts a pin, but no luck. She pulls Melina to her feet, pummeling her into the ropes and then dragging her back to the middle by her hair. A shot to the spine later, she attempts to whip Melina into the ropes, but she reverses it, stopping her momentum and nailing Michelle in the face. She hoists herself onto the ropes and perform her patented leg attack, choking Michelle. She attempts to finish it off with a chop to the head, but Michelle pushes her up and over the ropes. Melina lands on the apron, fighting Michelle through the ropes.

Michelle reaches for a jab but Melina splits–literally–by landing in a split on the apron and then nailing her with a shot to the stomach. Michelle responds with a dropkick, sending Melina out into the Lumberjack’s domain. Thankfully, she landed on the “good girl” side, because all they want to do is help her to her feet. Michelle sees this and brings Melina into the ring herself. Michelle continues with her attack, kicking Melina and pounding her face into the mat. A few uppercuts, and Michelle attempts another whip, but Melina reverses it again, using this momentum to go on offense.

A few strikes later, she plants Michelle with a flapjack, going for the pin. The ref counts to two, and meanwhile I wonder how absurd it would be for a Diva to win the Women’s Championship with a flapjack. She gets the champ to her feet, but Michelle kicks her, whipping her into the ropes. On the return, Melina meets her with a kick of her own, then striking her in the head and dropping her to the mat. She goes for the ropes again, but she overestimated the kindness of strangers, venturing by the “bad girl” side. And sure enough, Jillian grabs her leg, distracting her.

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Diva Dirt Style Jury: Week of September 21st, 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
Erin: Very sexy and sleek. With those super-high boots she looks badass without looking like she just auditioned for a biker gang. This is a “heel” look if I ever saw one.. 9/10
Melanie: I really like this look, it’s cute and simple. Only a girl with a figure like Alicia could pull off those boots too! 8/10
Steven: Something about the black-on-black look on Alicia does it for me. Looks casual without looking like she’s going club-hopping. 8/10
Tiffany: Alicia looked really good sitting at ringside, as most Divas attempt to. I like that she went simple with the look, which is refreshing. I’m just a bit perplexed by those boots – they go up impossibly high! 9/10

BETH PHOENIX
Erin: The cape is a nice dramatic touch, but she should have put another color in the suit to break up all the red. The gold phoenix is a cool accent, though. 7/10
Melanie: I love the design but honestly, I’m not a huge fan of the colour. It just seems so bright for a dark, broody Glamazon. 8/10
Steven: A little too bright and shiny for my taste, but it works on Beth. Don’t know why, but I like cape thingy she has going on. 7/10
Tiffany: Beth’s new outfit looks much better on paper than it did on broadcast. All that red… it was all a little too bright for me. I’d like to see some darker hues to balance off that red. 7/10

EVE TORRES
Erin: The bottom half looks good, if plain, but the top is kinda strange. It looks like she found a bunch of lime green ribbon and went to town on it. Not a good look unless she’s planning to audition for DX. 5/10
Melanie: The bottom half looks good but Eve’s vest tops are getting really old. 5/10
Steven: Nothing spectacular here. That top looks like something out of The Beautiful People’s closet, and that’s not a compliment. 6/10
Tiffany: Let’s look on the bright side. If teaming up with Cryme Tyme doesn’t work out… at least she’s a shoe-in for D-Generation X. 5/10

LILIAN GARCIA
Erin: If Lilian had a signature look, it’d be a “New Years Eve” theme–always sparkly and flashy and party-ish but still on the demure side. This is the epitome of that, because she literally looks like a disco ball. That’s not meant to be an insult–I really like it. It helps that the rest of the look is colored simply in black. 8/10
Melanie: Not a huge fan of the dress. I guess short dresses & high boots have been Lilian’s trademark for the past 10 years so it makes sense. 4/10
Steven: Lilian, you could have done better for your last night. Reminds me of a disco ball… Me likey the boots though. 5/10
Tiffany: To compliment our last memory of her, Lilian chose wisely. The flash and the flare and the shooting star-like presentation are all very reminiscent of her WWE career. 8/10

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

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Injury Updates on Several Divas Including Previously Unreported Injury

– As you guys saw on Monday night, Mickie James is back in the ring after suffering a ruptured implant at the beginning of the month. Mickie is said to be doing fine. Though I would question whether it’s wise to take a Glam Slam after getting your boobs fixed up… – Raw Diva Kelly … Read more

SmackDown Redux Does WWE Superstars (September 24th, 2009)

Following a bust-up between Maria and Melina on last week’s Smackdown, one would assume that the two wouldn ‘t be in the same corner from here on out. Not so fast, though, because this week on WWE Superstars, they’re doing just that, teaming up to face Michelle McCool and Layla. Let’s see how these ex-BFFs fare against the fast-forming friendship of Michelle and Layla:

As the match starts, Maria still doesn’t seem too pleased with Melina, shooting her a look as she heads out of the ring (What is she, 12?). Michelle starts out the match for her team, and she and Melina circle each other before meeting with a tie-up, Michelle taking advantage. She locks Melina in a belly-to-back hold before Melina breaks out, but is met with a knee to the stomach, Michelle then slamming the back of her head to the mat. After a braced knee to the face Michelle attempts a pin, but only gets 1.

A few knees and punches later, Michelle irish-whips Melina, and Melina uses her momentum to her advantage, spinning out of an attack and ending by planting Michelle’s face to the mat. It almost looked like a hurricanrana/face plant hybrid of sorts. (A hurrican-face plant?) A stunned Michelle sits up, only to be met with a low dropkick. She scurries to her corner, tagging in Layla.

Layla comes in like a bat out of hell but Melina bends back, avoiding a clothesline. Layla turns around and attempts a kick, but Melina blocks it with one of her own, continuing with this diversion a bit before planting Layla to the mat and tagging in Maria. Maria comes in quick, performing a flipping head plant on seated Layla. She then delivers a fist to her head in a split maneuver, going for the pin but barely getting 2. Layla reverses an irish whip, but Maria stops her momentum with the ropes, kicking her in the face. Maria goes to bounce off the ropes but Michelle makes a grab for her hair. Maria takes the bait, turning and taking a swipe at Michelle. Layla takes advantage of this distraction, booting her in the stomach as soon as she turns around, twisting her into a neckbreaker. A pin attempt, and a 2-count.

Layla tags in Michelle, stretching Maria out like a canvas so Michelle can kick her a few times in the midsection. Michelle continues to use her knee brace as an unofficial weapon, knocking it against Maria’s skull. She attempts a pin, but only gets 2. She mounts Maria, pounding her head against the mat, whic hthe referee takes offense to. (Oh, she can’t grab her hair, but she can use a hard knee brace to strike with? Okay, solid logic..) She keeps messing with Maria, kicking her around and practically stepping on her as she crawls around the ring in a daze. Maria heads to the safe haven of the ropes, but Michelle decides it isn’t a safe zone, choking her against the bottom rope with her knee. Choking Maria some more, she drags her closer to her corner, choking her against the second rope this time. After driving Maria into the corner, Michelle tags in Layla.

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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.

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SmackDown Redux (September 18th, 2009) – The Proof is in the Pudding

Last time on SmackDown: Michelle and Layla attempt to frame Dolph Ziggler with a camera phone and a timely crutch mishap. Said crutch helps Layla defeat Melina in a match later that night.

This week: Will Maria discover Michelle’s “evidence”, and will Melina feel the brunt of her fury? What about Michelle–is she gonna get off scot-free?

It looks like the WWE is going the extra mile to ~mix it up~, because we have a match to start out our night! That’s right, no lead-in backstage segments! I know, it’s not much, but you gotta cherish the little things in life.. Melina is the first one out, and Michelle follows, noticeably limping on her bum leg. I gotta wonder why she’s wrestling if she’s struggling to even walk down the ramp..

It should be noted that this is a non-title match, so don’t get too excited.. As it begins, Michelle shies away from an actual lock-up, and Melina’s right after her, trying to pull her away from the ropes. They eventually do tie-up, and Michelle knees Melina in the stomach, pummeling her a bit before irish-whipping her. On the return, Melina reverses Michelle’s attack into a flip that lands her on her feet, nailing Michelle with a reverse kick.

Michelle escapes to the outside, and Melina tries to give chase, only to be stopped by the ref. Gotta wonder why the ref doesn’t start the count until Michelle’s outside for a few seconds, not that any Diva match has been resolved by count-out ever.. (Feel free to correct me on that, historians..) Michelle starts to limp around the ring and Melina gets tired of the delay, sliding out of the ring and giving chase. Michelle, of course, hops back into the ring, and when Melina tries to follow, she grabs her by the hair, forcibly dragging her in through the second rope.

She takes Melina to task, beating her down and bashing her head against the mat. Melina, woozy, tries to right herself with the ropes, but Michelle brings her to the middle of the ring, kneeing her in the face. Another kick, this one to the side of the head, drops her to the mat again. She brings her up, stretching her backwards into a Dragon Sleeper. Melina’s bent into the shape I used to meld my Barbies into when I bent all of their joints.. (No, I wasn’t a problem child..)

Melina fights to get free, punching and kicking Michelle. Before she can free herself, Michelle hammers her in the stomach, releasing the hold. She sends her to the corner and begins work, kneeing her repeatedly and choking her with her bad leg. (See, the knee brace is good for something!) As Melina lays prone on the mat, Michelle rubs her hands together like one does after a job well done, running the ropes and looking to baseball slide Melina out of the ring. Melina, however, plays Jerry to Michelle’s Tom, hoisting herself out of the way just in time, letting Michelle go flying out of the ring. Though, I’m not sure what kind of mouse has that type of leg strength..

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