We’ve modified our Unwrapped feature a bit. On top of our grading, we’ll give you the chance to give your own grade to each photoshoot, “branding” each like so:
Sweet (Great)/Bland (Iffy)/Sour (Awful)
Eve Torres‘s Like a Glove Grade: Sweet. Eve’s minidress is in a gorgeous color, and though it’s super tight, it doesn’t look all hoochie. She wears it well–keeping it from looking trashy by posing in sort of a “retro”, pin-up fashion. Her big hair adds to that retro feel as well.
• Click to see the rest of the photoshoot.
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Katie Lea‘s Living Art Grade: Bland. The graffiti takes center stage and makes for awesome scenery, and she doesn’t look too bad herself. The clothes and poses are typical Katie Lea, though, so it’s nothing we haven’t seen before in that department.
• Click to see the rest of the photoshoot.
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Read more to see the rest of this week’s photoshoots.
Welcome to the Diva Dirt Style Jury! No more are the separate ‘Best’ and ‘Worst’ lists, instead we have come up with a scientific approach *cough* to compiling our weekly fashion column. The Diva Dirt team will weigh in on the different looks from the week gone by & mark each look with a score out of ten. The look with the highest average score will be our best look and the look with the lowest average score will be the worst look. Click each photo to see the look in full size.
Let the proverbial runway show begin!
ALICIA FOX Erin: I usually like it when Divas go with unique colors for their ring gear, but I just can’t like this pukey shade of green. Not to mention the outfit itself kind of looks like a weapon, what with all the pointy-ness sprouting from it. 4/10 Melanie: As I wrote somewhere, she looks like she could double as a bike light. Seriously, it’s like she stuck deflector stickers over a set of pants/bra. 3/10 Steven: I hated this gear when she only had the top, and I hate it even more now that she has the bottoms to match. I would suggest setting it on fire, but all those burning sequins could be dangerous… 2/10
BETH PHOENIX Erin: I hate those types of tops–the tight, uncomfortable blouses that never look right on anyone. This one looks especially awkward on Beth’s build: the sleeves cut into her arms, the blouse itself is too short, and the jeans do nothing to compliment it. 4/10 Melanie: Predictable for Beth. Not an exciting look but not a bad one either. Just blah. 5/10 Steven: Go ‘head, Ms. Glamazon! Loving this look on Beth. After her ‘look-at-my-bra’ debacle, I was starting to lose faith in her. 8/10
Read on for more of this week’s outfits and to see who’s been branded our winner and loser.
Welcome to the Diva Dirt Style Jury! No more are the separate ‘Best’ and ‘Worst’ lists, instead we have come up with a scientific approach *cough* to compiling our weekly fashion column. The Diva Dirt team will weigh in on the different looks from the week gone by & mark each look with a score out of ten. The look with the highest average score will be our best look and the look with the lowest average score will be the worst look. Click each photo to see the look in full size.
Let the proverbial runway show begin!
GAIL KIM Erin: The strapless top is cute, the jeans look nice, and the yellow is a much more fun color than most Divas wear as “street clothes”. I like the lighter side, though–not everyone needs to wear leather and bras when they’re not wrestling. It’s not an outstanding look on its own, but I like it on Gail. 7/10 Melanie: Not exactly an amazing outfit but damn, Gail looks super cute! 6/10 Steven: The pale yellow looks awesome on Gail, but I’m not a fan of the maternity-esque top. 7/10
JILLIAN Erin: Was it “managers wear strapless tops” night? I prefer Gail’s more causal look, personally. Jillian’s is super tight and looks like it’s a bit in danger of slipping down. I like the purple color, but all together the look would probably benefit from the top being a wee bit longer. You know, to balance out the bounty up top by covering up the midriff at the bottom. 5/10 Melanie: Seriously, Jillian’s wardrobe consists of only strapless tops and jeans. Boring. 5/10 Steven: Jeez, does Jillian ever NOT wear jeans? All in all, a decent showing. Not bad, but nothing spectacular. 5/10
Read on for more of this week’s outfits and to see who’s been branded our winner and loser.
Welcome to the Diva Dirt Style Jury! No more are the separate ‘Best’ and ‘Worst’ lists, instead we have come up with a scientific approach *cough* to compiling our weekly fashion column. The Diva Dirt team will weigh in on the different looks from the week gone by & mark each look with a score out of ten. The look with the highest average score will be our best look and the look with the lowest average score will be the worst look. Click each photo to see the look in full size.
Let the proverbial runway show begin!
THE BELLA TWINS Erin: I like the cut of the tops — it’s unique. But that gold color is kinda putrid, especially seeing it in two places at once. 5/10 Melanie: Enough already! Too much of the same colour, break it up please. 3/10 Steven: Sweet Lord, how many colors do these outfits come in?! Please change it up ladies. 4/10
EVE TORRES Erin: She kind of looks like she’s wearing a bunch of those reflective safety stickers. I like that she’s going for a unique type of ring gear with the non-matching top and shorts, but it just doesn’t fit together well and makes the outfit look kinda slapdash. I like the purple, though, if that’s worth anything. 6/10 Melanie: The shimmer-y purple is off-putting to me, to be honest. I like purple but not like this. I think there’s far too much Bella-like matchy-matchy going on here too with the arm bands etc. 5/10 Steven: ame old gear, new color. I like the color though, even if it is a little bright for my taste. 6/10
Read on for more of this week’s outfits and to see who’s been branded our winner and loser.
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.
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.
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! (Check out part 1 here.)
Alicia Fox Costume: Beyonce from the “Single Ladies” video. Why?: This music video became a sort of phenomenon earlier this year, with even SNL spoofing its famous dance sequence. The single-sleeved black leotard, cyborg-esque glove, and heels are simple but instantly evoke the style of the video. I have no doubt that Alicia would be able to pull off Beyonce’s glamorous style flawlessly. Get the look: Get a black unitard (and cut off the right sleeve), find a cheap substitute for her robotic hand, don some strappy heels, put your hair up into a bouffant half ponytail, and be sure to learn the dance moves!
Beth Phoenix Costume: The “Bear Jew” from “Inglourious Basterds” Why?: The infamous bat-wielding “basterd” from Quentin Tarantino’s Nazi-blasting hit movie is destined to be a popular costume this year, and why not? It’s easy to replicate, and which Diva would better convey the intimidating air of Sgt. Donny Donowitz than the Glamazon herself? She’s certainly the most intimidating Diva at first glance, and she has an attitude that says that she’d beat you senseless if so much as looked at her wrong. Sure, it’s a gender-bending look, but if you’ve got Beth swinging a baseball bat at your head, I doubt you’re going to be too concerned with her X chromosomes. Get the look: Why not get tips from the Bear Jew (Eli Roth) himself?
Daffney Costume: “Zombie Hot” Why?: For those of you who are confused, “zombie hot” is what Daffney has been dubbed by TNA announcer Tazz. Clearly, he’s referencing her gothic style, pale skin, and ferocious attitude, but why not take it literally for Halloween? The costume wouldn’t be too different from a regular old zombie, but Daffney could wear some of her sexy outfits over her pasty, decaying flesh. She’d easily be the hottest zombie you’ve ever seen. Get the look: Smear on some homemade fake blood, follow these gory makeup tips to achieve the decayed look, toss on some sexy gothic clothing, and perfect your dazed zombie walk (unless, of course, you’re of the running variety, à la Zach Snyder’s “Dawn of the Dead”).
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.
Just under 24 hours removed from last night’s Diva Trade, what do the moves mean for each of the 7 Divas that have changed homes? We aim to offer our insight into what they could be getting up to:
The Bella Twins
Returning to Monday Night Raw, the Bella Twins’ brief excursion to ECW seems to be over… unfortunately. That said, given the fact they have been making trips to Raw over the past month or two anyway, it only seems fitting to make it official, right? I don’t expect the Bellas will be doing much in the way of wrestling on Raw, nor will they probably have much part in the women’s division at all — except at house shows. If they do wrestle, it will likely be as rarely as they did on ECW. So what does that leave them to do? What they’ve been doing already — backstage segments with the Guest Host for the week, maybe even a few skits here and there with Santino. It looks to me as though they were brought back to Raw for that reason, to serve as characters rather than wrestlers which I guess, is okay.
Beth Phoenix
I’m not entirely happy with this move for Beth, I truly feel not all of the avenues of the Beth Phoenix character were explored and there was more that she could have offered to Raw; feuding with Gail Kim, Kelly Kelly and possibly even Melina again. On SmackDown, while there is the possibility [technically] that she could go toe-to-toe with Michelle McCool or Natalya — both of which are salivating prospects — it just doesn’t seem likely with all three as heels. That just leaves two Divas: Maria and Mickie James. One of those feuds we’ve seen already and would be like beating a dead horse, the other of those feuds seems like an extremely mismatched affair. Nonetheless, it seems like Maria vs Beth could be the only avenue they explore in a singles situation. There is always the chance of a three-way feud with Michelle McCool and Mickie James also. Beyond those two storylines, I don’t see there being much for Beth to accomplish on SmackDown.
So I woke up this morninMg and wondered, “Did last night really happen?” A brief moment later, after rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, I realised no, I wasn’t in some parallel universe or WWE’s beloved Bizzaro World. Last night did happen. Jillian the Jobber really did win a major championship. Melina really did return to Raw. Mickie James really did get traded to SmackDown. On top of all that, Raw ‘guest correspondent’, Maria Menounos got in the ring and wrestled — and looked better than the real Maria!
Watch the craziness unfold, all over again:
Divas Championship Matches
So apparently title opportunities are no longer earned as Jillian, who has a larger loss record than Paris Hilton has sexual conquests, is handed a title shot. For the record, I absolutely hate title shots that are just handed out. But after Kelly, Mickie, Beth, Gail & even Alicia Fox were given Divas Title shots on Raw this year, it only seems right that Jillian gets one too, right?
Honestly, though as short as it was, I enjoyed the work between Jillian and Mickie. Jillian proves here just what a great worker she is, able to have a nice, kind of fast paced exchange with Mickie. We start with a lockup which goes into a headlock, Mickie throws Jillian against the ropes and goes for a hip toss but Jillian nicely counters into a monkey flip. Mickie sells it oddly, which is covered up as a ‘counter’, getting on her feet & charges at Jillian with a Thesz press. Mickie with a dropkick & pin attempt. She then sets up the tornado DDT but Jillian counters and goes for her facebuster, but Mickie manages to block it and goes for a flip into a pin. Mickie kicks Jillian and throws her into the corner, Mickie launches at Jillian, she ducks and Mickie ends up climbing the ropes. Jillian hits a powerbomb, goes for a pin using the ropes for a leg-up and gets the win. Jillian is the new Divas Champion!
Incredibly short, but I enjoyed the little work that we did see and would’ve liked it to be a little longer. These two work well together and are able to go from one move to another seamlessly without the awkward moments that usually linger in Mickie matches. Good effort, I’d say. Rushed finish which is explained by what’s to come…
So Jillian celebrates her title win with a rendition of my favourite Lady Gaga song, ‘Paparazzi’ and messes up the lyrics. [Yes, I paid attention!] Nancy O’Dell, who sounds kind of annoying if you ask me, interrupts and announces that Jillian will defend the title right now against Raw’s newest acquisition, Melina!
This here, was PRICELESS. Jillian realises what we all realise: her title reign is about to be cut incredibly short. Her acting here was pure genius, the facial expressions, the amazing way she clinged onto the belt as the match was about to start. “It’s mine! Please, it’s mine…” The comedic acting was perfection! And the way her head kinda sank when Justin Roberts took the belt, a little “Aww” moment. Seriously, the acting here was so good.
So it’s time for Melina vs Jillian, and you just knew this was going to be short as hell. Melina almost instantly goes for the leg-split drop but it’s botched by Jillian, who goes down too early. Melina doesn’t quite know what to do but mounts Jillian, I guess they were having a little impromptu pow-wow here with Melina telling her to go into another finish. The set up into the Last Call was a little awkward, though understandable due to it being impromptu. Melina hits it and becomes the Divas Champion.
I really appreciate the work ethic here, yes the match was so short and incredibly botched but the fact Melina showed a cool, collectedness and an ability to think on the spot proves just why I think she should be WWE’s new top Diva. Showing initiative and opting to go for a second finish rather than pinning her on a botched leg-spit drop was a good move. In comparison, Mickie in that match with Gail… A world of difference. Melina showed initiative and handled the situation and it was nicely done given the unfortunate circumstance.
I also want to point attention to Melina’s reaction after the match. This girl is really sweet in real life and very emotional at times and that often comes across on TV too. Melina and Jillian are really great friends and you have to think that it was bittersweet for her to pin her friend, who I’m sure she would want to be champion too. After pinning her, she sort of looked at Jillian a little sadly, and again looked down at her sort of “I’m sorry” as her hand was being raised. At the end of the clip, you’ll also see her saying “I’m sorry,” more in character this time, but still not consistent with her role as a babyface. If you’d just won the title, you’d be flaunting it in your opponent’s face. For Melina, I think her some of her real personality & her real emotional nature came across and I thought it was really sweet. Looking at some of the comments being made towards Melina, I don’t know how one can be pissed off at or ‘hate’ someone who doesn’t even make the decisions; it’s as though the girl booked herself to be the champion.
Just for the sake of compilation and to give you [and us] a picture of what your new Monday, Tuesday and Friday nights will look like, we have made lists of the new Divas roster on each brand: Raw Faces: Melina (Divas Champion) Brie Bella Eve Torres Gail Kim Kelly Kelly Nikki Bella Heels: Alicia … Read more
As teased on Raw, the Diva trades are as follows: Raw – Melina [Moves from SmackDown, new Divas Champion] – The Bella Twins [Move from ECW] – Eve Torres [Moves from SmackDown] SmackDown – Beth Phoenix [Moves from Raw] – Mickie James [Moves from Raw] ECW – Rosa Mendes [Moves from Raw] Stay tuned for … Read more
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.
Somebody pinch me, this match is too bad to be true. When it comes to backing horses, those of you who went with a fake blonde maned stallion named ‘Rosa Mendes‘, I’m sorry to break this to you — you’re out of pocket. Her match last night, her first in a long time [I wonder … Read more
Raw Diva, Rosa Mendes played the babyface last night in a house show match against Alicia Fox in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Rosa reportedly came out to Primo’s music and played the face, by slapping hands with the fans during her entrance. In the match however, she lost to the new#1 Contender for the Divas Title. … Read more
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: My sister thought she was wrestling in jeans. I think that says a lot about this outfit–it just doesn’t look right, bottoms-wise. Slap a different color on them and we might have something here. Other than that it’s just kinda generic. 5/10 Melanie: I’m not a fan of the pants, they look like jeans. Not the best Alicia’s worn. 4/10 Steven: Ever since she moved to Raw, Alicia’s wardrobe has been less than exciting. This week is no exception. 4/10 Tiffany: The copper color compliments her hair and her skin tone quite nicely. Not sure how I feel about the denim-copy bottoms. 6/10
THE BELLA TWINS Erin: Red red red.. Flowers flowers flowers.. It’s the same old same old and when you see it twice as much, you get sick of it even faster. 3/10 Melanie: I actually like the detail on the dress but once again, it’s far too much of one colour & it makes you feel sickly. 5/10 Steven: Once again, the Bellas assault us with red, but this it’s a hit. The simple, red dresses look awesome on them. However this is like the 18th time I’ve seen them wear it. 7/10 Tiffany: I’m not feeling the whole matchy-matchy thing. They’re twins. We get it. There’s no excuse for looking like they’ve just stepped out of a Conga line. 5/10
LILIAN GARCIA Erin: I really like the burgundy color of the dress, but the numerous chains give off a Mr. T vibe. It’s a bit too much for me. 6/10 Melanie: Not a fan of this look, too much of one colour like the Bellas. The attempts at ‘edgy’ i.e. the cut out shoulders miss the mark for me too. 5/10 Steven: Looking great as always! Love the color on her and the heels are a nice touch. 8/10 Tiffany: Lilian hardly ever gets it wrong. I like the color, the drapery of the dress, and those shoes and jewelry compliment the outfit. It looks very well put together. 8/10
MADISON RAYNE Erin: I nearly choked when I saw this outfit for the first time in a photoshoot a few weeks ago. This time, since I’ve had a warning, my reaction wasn’t nearly as violent. Unfortunately, the outfit’s still awful and should be burned.. 1/10 Melanie:Honestly, their overuse of colour sets off my gag reflex. They have nice legs though, so good to ditch the pants. 2/10 Steven: I guess there was a sale on black lace this week, huh? Either that or the lights blew out in the locker room… 2/10 Tiffany: This outfit looked bad enough in the photoshoot and even worse in live action. I haven’t seen this much overindulgence of lace since Lady Gaga at the VMA’s. 4/10
Read on for more of this week’s outfits and to see who’s been branded our winner and loser.
Welcome to the Diva Dirt Style Jury! No more are the separate ‘Best’ and ‘Worst’ lists, instead we have come up with a scientific approach *cough* to compiling our weekly fashion column. The Diva Dirt team will weigh in on the different looks from the week gone by & mark each look with a score out of ten. The look with the highest average score will be our best look and the look with the lowest average score will be the worst look. Click each photo to see the look in full size.
Let the proverbial runway show begin!
THE BELLA TWINS Erin: Is there a 2-for-1 special going for red ruffled polyester? I dig wrestlers having signature looks but this one stinks, especially on twice the Divas. 3/10 Melanie:Honestly, their overuse of colour sets off my gag reflex. They have nice legs though, so good to ditch the pants. 2/10 Steven: I’m ready to see this cha-cha inspired gear make it’s way to the garbage bag. 3/10 Tiffany: This outfit gets a 4 from me, for lack of imagination and too many damn ruffles. I think I’m being generous. 4/10
JILLIAN Erin: Too bad she was stuck behind a podium on “contestant’s row”, because I really want to see more of the outfit. From what little we could see, I kinda liked it. 7/10 Melanie:She looks good but nothing too exciting here, so she gets a middle of the road score. 5/10 Steven: Cute and simple, but nothing mind-blowing. 8/10 Tiffany: Jillian looked great this week. I love the simplicity, and it’s well put together. 8/10
KATIE LEA Erin: I’m not quite sure if I like it. I definitely think it fits her character and demonstrates some creativity on her part, but I can’t imagine being able to even stomach it on any other Diva. That’s a testament to her spooky persona, I guess.. Still, I think the look could be a lot more cohesive. 6/10 Melanie:Not a fan of this particular style, but it’s unique and her own & she makes it work Tim Gunn-style. 6/10 Steven: Loving the gothic look on Katie, especially the top. The blonde dreads gotta go however. 7/10 Tiffany: Katie gets an automatic 8 for this outfit. I’m a fan of the gothic-kooky girl look. Or as Tazz would say, “Zombie hot.” 8/10
KELLY KELLY Erin: Kelly’s gotten the memo that if you keep a look simple, and you’re less likely to fail. The glaring hot pink is kinda much (We know you’re a girl!), but it doesn’t really hurt the overall look. 7/10 Melanie:Extremely pleasant surprise from Kelly. Simple and classy. 7/10 Steven: I love that Kelly went for classy rather than trashy. The high-waisted skirt looks great on her. 9/10 Tiffany: Kelly made me proud this week. She looked all grown up. Hardly the glorified stripper of yesteryear. 7/10
Read on for more of this week’s outfits and to see who’s been branded our winner and loser.
It was a bittersweet episode of Raw last night. On the one hand, Bob Barker was a lot of fun but on the other hand, you just knew with Barker hosting Raw most, if not all the Divas would be relegated to ‘Barker Beauties’. And lo-and-behold, that’s exactly what happened. In fact, WWE felt there weren’t enough ‘Beauties’ on Raw, they decided to import the Bella Twins from ECW — with no explanation, I might add. I guess they have to earn their paycheck somehow.
Seeing them last night made me realise just how jealous I am of them, it must feel pretty great to get paid a ton just to coast along and do little to no work. It’s not their fault however, but in an economic downturn, shouldn’t WWE be putting all their stars to work to justify their wages? The Bellas get to travel the country, look pretty, hardly ever wrestle and get paid! Like I said: jealous.
So I don’t even have anything to write about in this week’s Redux because there wasn’t a match! I think WWE’s logic is that they had two matches last week, so they can afford to skip this week. Plus with the ultimate Diva, Trish Stratus hosting Raw next week — those stupid Diva fans, they get Trish next week, that’s enough ‘Divas action’ to justify not putting them on last night. Somehow I doubt Trish will get quite as much screen time as Bob Barker did last night, though. I fear also, that next week’s Raw may be a throwaway in the Diva stakes. If Trish really were really the booker and it wasn’t scripted, one would assume she’d want to put over the Divas and give them a prominent role next week. But because Raw is scripted, the writers will probably put Trish in a match as our quota-filling Divas bout next week. Sure it’ll be nice and nostalgic to see Trish wrestle again but Raw is already in a lull and we need some semblance of storyline to break this holding pattern. Honestly, I am not expecting anything out of the norm that will champion the women’s division next week, even though the guest host is a legendary former Diva that was once part of said division. That’s WWE writers for ya…
Speaking of Trish, she is the first female guest host of Raw since the gimmick began in July. So what do you do? You tack on a much hyped guest appearance from an injured top Superstar! Because God forbid, a woman… A WOMAN… is not a big enough draw on her own. Yes Trish, not even you — the quintessential, legendary Diva — can be trusted to carry Raw on your own. Even though she has more personality than most of the past guest hosts and will be more exciting to watch than Dusty Rhodes’, Sergeant Slaughter’s, Jeremy Piven’s and Freddie Prinze Jr’s weeks combined! It just shows how much faith WWE has in a female guest host, even the most popular female wrestler of all time, can’t get a show to herself without the added Batista appearance. Don’t be surprised if over the next week, the Batista announcement gets more hype from WWE than Trish Stratus as guest host.
With Kelly, Jillian, Rosa and extra added flavour in the Bella Twins, four Divas were left off the show and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Thank God they were! Alicia Fox, Beth Phoenix, Gail Kim and Mickie James were given the shove last night and perhaps it was for the better. I’m actually a little surprised they decided not to use Alicia Fox when she fits the same ‘Barker Beauty’ model role they used Kelly, Rosa and the Bellas for. But I think Alicia should be flattered and consider it a compliment, considering the company she’s in with the other Divas that got snubbed. It suggests to me that Alicia isn’t seen as a ‘model’ by WWE anymore and in my eyes, that’s a good thing. She has too much potential and talent as a wrestler to be doing double duty that kind of degrades the progress she’s making.
Anyway for the rest of this week’s Redux, I am going to critique the Divas we did see in a ‘Best & Worst Dressed’ of Raw. And in honour of Bob Barker hosting Raw, instead of ‘Best’ and ‘Worst’, I’ll use ‘Right’ and ‘Wrong’. Follow the cut for more:
In order to consolidate our Eye Candy coverage, we’ve developed a new feature: Unwrapped! We’ll take all the new photoshoots from the week and grade (or “brand”) each based on the following criteria:
• Appearance(hair, clothes, makeup.. you get the drift)
• Poses(are they versatile or just glorified statues?)
• Uniqueness(have we seen this photoshoot a billion times before?) Grading scale: Sweet (Great)/Bland (Iffy)/Sour (Awful)
Brie Bella‘s Red Hot Appearance: Both of the Bellas seem partial to the color red, as more often than not, they wearing red tights or are sporting red flowers in their hair. I can’t say it’s a bad thing, though–they look terrific in red. Their bright red ring attire may not be my favorite, but Brie’s dress in this photoshoot is absolutely gorgeous. It’s cute and sexy, but looks like something even your average girl could wear, unlike some of the more “ambitious” Diva outfits. The gigantic flower looks like it may give her a neck ache, so a downsize in that department wouldn’t hurt. The shoes are red as well, and have little rosettes on them. This hyper-coordination brings it just a hair away from overkill–black shoes would’ve kept the look from being too matchy-matchy. Though, as is, Brie still rocks it. Poses: Sweet grins and knowing smiles are her obviously strong suit–she pulls them off without looking too try-hard or air headed. She’s a prime example that a Diva can look drop dead sexy without sticking out her butt or making fish lips all day long. Uniqueness: Just your standard studio shoot.. Grade: Sweet. Red is her color, and though the look could use a bit of a reduction on that hue, she looks great. She looks very at ease in the photoshoot, and shows that even though the WWE seems keen on packaging the Bellas in a one-size-fits-all way, she’s got a spark of her very own.
• Click to see the rest of the photoshoot.
Christy Hemme‘s Untitled Appearance: Sticking to the familiar ring attire she’s worn since the WWE, Christy’s wearing a teeny weeny bikini top and matching skirt. The color is gorgeous, and the ribbed fabric adds a little bit more substance to it. Her red hair compliments the color of the outfit really well–it just pulls the whole thing together, as simple as it all is. Poses: TNA’s photoshoots are notoriously small, so a Knockout only has a few photos to show some variety. Christy does this pretty well, showcasing both her sex appeal and the spunkiness that she was so associated with in her time with the WWE. It’s all toned down compared to her more in-your-face shoots. Uniqueness: Well, Christy is rarely this toned-down and mellow, so I suppose that gives this shoot a unique edge. Grade: Sweet. With that beautiful greenish-blue outfit, how could I rate it any differently?
• Click to see the rest of the photoshoot.
Follow the cut to see the rest of this week’s photoshoots.
In the Saturday Supplement, the Diva Dirt team will aim to discuss a news story, a televised event or other relevant and current topics. The objective, like the average weekend newspaper, is to offer more indepth and lengthy discussion.
Talks of Divas in the media has been ample and well… I’m striking while the iron is hot. A woman’s personal life is her personal life, whether or not she may be in show business. And don’t you try to tell her any differently. However, when it comes to the disesteemed offense of “Dating while Diva,” is there a double standard?
We’ve seen this trend more recently this past week. In break of some rather personal news, Superstars like Batista will be called “man-whores” by boasting their alleged sexual prowess to the masses… while Divas such as one Kelly Kelly will receive just as much, if not more criticism for being spotted in a harmless social engagement. The very same can be said for Divas like Michelle McCool who have been accused for dating for power. It seems as though the Divas can’t catch a break when it comes to relationships outside of the ring.
Recently, it was reported that Batista has courted none other than Raw’s Rosa Mendes. The reaction to the story was universal. “What a pig/sicko/pervert…how disrespectful…women are not to be objectified.” So on and so forth. It became apparent that the Animal plows through Divas like cornfields, and Diva fans were none too pleased with the discovery. Somewhat of an outpour of outrage and disgust commenced as news broke on the Internet. Some even suspect that Rosa’s success on Raw can be somewhat attributed to any passed relationships she might have attained. Whether or not there may be any truth to that, there is little question that men like Batista have major pull backstage. So, what’s the appeal?
WWE’s resident man whore, Batista has already fessed up to boinking Melina and Kelly Kelly, but in a new radio interview he has revealed that a third lucky Diva has pet the Animal… Raw’s Rosa Mendes. Diva Dirt reader, Jason writes in: The host brings up his book Batista Unleashed and says in it he … Read more
Check your local weather forecast for flying pigs, folks! We’ve seen the occasional ‘two Divas matches in one night’ on SmackDown, more common we see two Knockouts matches on any given episode of Impact but Raw? Raw?! Following last week’s Vince birthday debacle, this week it was the Divas Champion’s birthday. I wonder what she wished for… Better yet, neither match was a three minute wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am affair either! Cloudy with a chance of Divas.
First up was a six Diva battle royal to determine who faced the birthday girl, Mickie James, later on in the night. Rather than the standard clusterf*ck we usually see, they did a good job of getting the dead weight out of the ring early and letting the ‘wrestler girls’ do what they do best.
First, the entrance — so the Divas finally get their own entrances for one of these battle royals and Gail Kim decides: “Oh no, not me… I want to be ~suppressed~ by this turgid Diva lifestyle. I have been taken away from my beloved Knockouts and have to work here just for the money. But I shan’t enjoy it! Woe is me.” So what does a girl do? She hijacks Kelly Kelly‘s entrance. It definitely looked like a miscue to me, I guess she accidentally walked out and realised she made a mistake because Kelly didn’t even see her behind her, Gail had to tap her on the shoulder. And you’ll even notice a pause from announcer, Lilian Garcia, possibly because she was surprised to see Gail come out with Kelly. “Introducing first…” Pause. “Kelly Kelly and Gail Kim.” Also interesting to note that Beth Phoenix, arguably the top heel on Raw came out second while Alicia Fox came out last. The last spot is usually reserved for the top Divas/Superstars. Maybe Gail was supposed to come out after Alicia?
Anyway that over with, let’s skip to the match: We kick off with three different matches going on at once, Beth-Kelly, Gail-Rosa, Alicia-Jillian. Kind of hard to keep track of all of this. I noticed Rosa attempting to hit some awful looking slaps Gail’s way, before being pushed into the Glamazon. Despite being her former protege, Beth is having none of that — and Rosa & her weave go flying over the top rope. After this, we see some work between Gail and Beth which is always an enticing prospect, while Kelly hits a few forearms to Jillian and Alicia. Ms Fierce kicks Kelly in the stomach and delivers a really nice ace kick, delivered much better than the one on Mickie last week. Unfortunately our girl Foxy isn’t long for this match as she’s next eliminated by Gail Kim. She’s followed by Kelly, who’s dropped out of the ring by Beth who picks her up almost as if she’s cradling a baby. In the ring, Gail and Jillian ‘hit it off’, you could say, with Jillian launching Gail into the turnbuckle, Gail moves out of the way and Jillian eats ring post. Beth attacks next, but Gail manages to fight back and has Beth against the ropes, she falls out of the ring but manages to hold on thankfully for her. Beth teeters off the apron, I like this, it reminds me of those Royal Rumble matches when people are trying to eliminate the Big Show for example and the ‘big man’ kinda teases he’s about to fall. I guess Beth is our Diva equivalent of that.
Now it’s time for what I felt was some good work between Gail Kim and veteran, Jillian. They do a little exchange, which Gail gets the best of, tossing Jillian out of the ring but again — she hangs on this time. Gail tries to finish the job, but gets tossed out herself by Jillian before sliding back in through Jilly’s legs and almost going for a rollup, err… Anyway then she misses another crossbody but good news folks! She doesn’t knock herself loopy this time. Risky move going for it in the first place though, Gail. Jillian goes for a handspring elbow but meets Gail’s knees, Jillian stumbles to the canvas and crawls around like a retarded cat. Jillian grabs hold of Gail trying to throw her over the top rope, but Gail fights back, leading into a really awkward, awful looking hurricanrana that turned into a butt bump. I don’t even…
Did Michael Cole really just call Gail ‘dead weight’? Jillian tosses Gail over the top but in HBK-esque fashion, Gail skins the cat as they say [I don’t know why]. Another amazing observation from the amazing Michael Cole: “Jillian surprised that Gail’s still alive.” That is just… wow. Gail uses her legs to hit a legscissors on Jillian who falls out of the ring… finally! Unfortunately for Gail, Beth is still in this thing and with a stiff kick, eliminates Gail and takes the win!
Good battle royal, I felt. I enjoyed the work between Jillian and Gail minus a few glaring awkward moments.
We’re again bringing you a special edition of Unwrapped, where we cover multi-Diva shoots in a miniaturized version of our regular “unwrappings”, focusing on the looks and ensembles our Divas have put together. This time, we’re taking a look at the “Raw Boxing” photoshoot, where the Divas who took part in Raw’s boxing-themed tag team match show off their Everlast gear. Click here to see the full photoshoot.
Alicia Fox Grade: Sweet. I can’t help but think of two things when I see Alicia’s gear: Captain America and the Harlem Globetrotters. Both are a good thing–they’re iconic! The stars and stripes are cute and kitschy enough to catch your eye, but not in a ultra-girly and cheesy way. She kind of looks like she’s set to fight in that old “Mike Tyson Punch-Out!” video game.
Beth Phoenix Grade: Sweet. OMG, Beth actually gets to take part in a themed match! Beth doesn’t disappoint, either, actually adhering to the theme and looking more like an actual boxer than any of the other Divas. The gold and red Everlast gear looks sexy, not sleazy, and it doesn’t look like a Halloween costume gone wrong like one I have a feeling I’ll be seeing on a particular Diva still to come..
Gail Kim Grade: Sweet. It’s pretty simple, but the little silver shorts are cute. She also uses pink, but not overwhelmingly like she needed to reinforce the fact that she’s a woman. “I gotta say, though, the “Boxer Girl” on her top looks like it says “Boner Girl” on first glance. Good thing or bad thing? Judge for yourselves.. :P
Follow the cut to see the rest of the Divas in the photoshoot.
What do you buy a man who has it all? Nothing. You just let him hog Raw for most of the show. On a night where everything else played second fiddle to Vince McMahon’s birthday celebrations, there wasn’t much in the way of anything groundbreaking or storyling progression. In fact, judging by the pinfall last … Read more
– “Mayweather Melee,” say that three times real fast. – Kelly ‘Kendra Wilkinson’ Kelly seems right at home in sports gear. – At least this time she has an excuse for wearing sneakers in a match. – Beth Phoenix’s pigtails… bless. – Is it just me or does Mickie James look hotter in boxing gear … Read more
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)
Gail Kim‘s Full Force Gail Appearance: Gail’s wearing what looks like knee-high boots and a loose-fitting striped dress. I love stripes, so the dress is right up my alley. It’s rather simple and just hangs there, but on Gail’s tiny frame, it’s enough so that she doesn’t need to spice it up with anything else. In a few of the photos, she’s made cute makeshift pigtails in her hair, and in the rest just lets it hang loose. This is the definition of a simple look–a dress that catches your eye but doesn’t overwhelm, light makeup, relaxed hair, and no jewelry. Poses: I really like the look, but the poses kind of let me down. They’re uninspired and lack that extra something to give this shoot some excitement. Show some personality, Gail! You’re not posing for a JC Penny catalog. Uniqueness: Gail keeps it simple in a way few Divas do, and I like it. But aside from that, the shoot doesn’t really “pop”. Grade: Bland. As much as I like the look, the poses drag the shoot down and make it much more dull than it should be. If she showed a bit more personality and excitement, this shoot would definitely be a sweet one.
• Click to see the rest of the photoshoot.
Follow the cut to see the rest of this week’s photoshoots.
Eve Torres‘s Like a Glove
Katie Lea‘s Living Art
The Bella Twins
Beth Phoenix
Talks of Divas in the media has been ample and well… I’m striking while the iron is hot. A woman’s personal life is her personal life, whether or not she may be in show business. And don’t you try to tell her any differently. However, when it comes to the disesteemed offense of “Dating while Diva,” is there a double standard?
