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Deonna Purrazzo vs. Awesome Kong at WWR

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Deaonna Purrazzo

Free Match Friday is a weekly feature from Diva Dirt. Every Friday, we’ll spotlight a great indie match available to watch for free online. Some of the best wrestling in the world is happening in high school gyms and sports bars and even, occasionally, in an appropriate venue for a wrestling match. This week, our free match is the main event of WWR The Show Must Go On featuring Deonna Purrazzo and Awesome Kong.

Recently, Deonna expressed her frustrations with hecklers who chant “Marty Scurll” at her during matches an NXT live events. She has amassed quite the list of accomplishments in just five years. So, it’s easy to understand why she would want to be recognized for her hard work; not who she’s dating.

At The Show Must Go On, the Virtuosa took part in a classic David vs. Goliath style matchup with the legend, Awesome Kong. There is always something so compelling about seeing a smaller athlete try to overcome a bigger physically imposing opponent. This match was no exception.

Initially, Kong rushed Purrazzo, forcing her to use her quickness to evade. Eventually, Deonna tried to go for a crossbody but Kong quickly overpowered her and tried to wear her down with holds. In response, the Virtuosa started targeting her bigger opponent’s limbs.

What made this match more interesting is Kong didn’t rely on the usual style of wrestling for someone her size. She used her strength as an advantage. But she also used her experience to pull off some crafty reversals to combat Deonna’s technical prowess.

In the end, true to her namesake “the Fujiwara armbar specialist” countered a two-handed chokeslam and transitioned into the armbar to win via submission. It was a gutsy underdog win for Deonna Purrazzo.

Afterward, she gave a passionate speech. Coincidentally, she addressed a girl in the back, who claimed she got where she was because of her boyfriend. “I hope you’re watching because even if my boyfriend helped me along the way he didn’t just win that match,” she exclaimed. “I did.”

Check back in with Diva Dirt next week for another great free match from the world of independent women’s wrestling. You can find even more matches AND support independent women’s wrestling over at ClickWrestle.

Laura DiMatteo upset over WWE’s Saudi Arabia decision

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During an interview with Xenia from Xenia Did That, a YouTube channel located in Russia dedicated to entertainment, wrestling, beauty and fashion, wrestler Laura DiMatteo discussed the politics behind professional wrestling.


Xenia asked DiMatteo if she saw wrestling as a way to shine a light on political issues, or as a way to educate the public on such issues, and asked for her thoughts on WWE’s decision to move forward with a show in Saudi Arabia.

“Personally, I’m not into politics, at all. Like, I’m not interested,” DiMatteo noted. “But, I was very upset with the fact that, in Saudi Arabia, women can’t wrestle. I don’t think that’s a good example if you’re promoting women’s wrestling, and then you go to a country which don’t allow women to wrestle.”

DiMatteo was in Russia to compete in a show for Independent Wrestling Federation, where she won the IWF Women’s Championship. The Italian wrestler recently came out as lesbian, which clashes with the Russian “gay propaganda” policy. The country believes that the law, which prevents LBGQT members to openly discuss or promote their sexuality, will “prevent harm to children” by putting a stop to homosexuality as being seen as a norm in society. DiMatteo was asked her thoughts on the legislation, and if it caused any hesitation in coming to Russia.

“Some friends, actually, before coming here, were like telling me like as a joke, but I guess it wasn’t much of a joke. They’re like, ‘Don’t mention you’re gay, like don’t do anything.'”

DiMatteo is a staple of PROGRESS Wrestling and Pro Wrestling:EVE. She’ll debut with DEFIANT Wrestling on March 16 in Sunderland.

See the entire interview in the video above. If quotes from this article are used, please credit Diva Dirt for transcription of video.

Do you agree with Laura DiMatteo on her views regarding Saudi Arabia?

Tenille Dashwood vs. Bea Priestley at SPW

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Free Match Friday is a weekly feature from Diva Dirt. Every Friday, we’ll spotlight a great indie match available to watch for free online. Some of the best wrestling in the world is happening in high school gyms and sports bars and even, occasionally, in an appropriate venue for a wrestling match. This week, our free match is a stellar scrap between Tenille Dashwood and Bea Priestley at Southern Pro Wrestling.

Tenille Dashwood is about to run out her contract with Ring of Honor. It’s possible she will sign a new one, of course, but it’s just as possible she’ll walk away from ROH and into the warm embrace of All Elite. Certainly, it’s what many are hoping for. If she does jump ship to AEW, we may soon see a rematch of this week’s free match, Dashwood’s only previous meeting with New Zealand’s Bea Priestley, who recently signed with the upstart promotion.

For many a wrestling fan, especially in North America, the distinctions between the nationalities of Dashwood, an Aussie, and Priestley, a Kiwi, may well seem trivial. But in front of a hungry Invercargill crowd, both women play to the fierce, albeit friendly, sports rivalry their homelands have shared over the years. I can hardly think of a better bit of pandering than Dashwood choking Priestley with an All Blacks jersey.

Tenille Dashwood largely dominates the match, and fair enough. Her repertoire is simple, effective and well-done. She knows a lot of moves, she can do them well, and she makes them fit her character. It sounds like basic stuff, but honestly so many wrestlers of all genders get to main event giant pay-per-views without nailing this stuff down. I truly mean it as the highest praise when I say Tenille Dashwood proves herself an extremely competent and technically sound wrestler in this match, even if she doesn’t do anything flashy. Flashy is great, but it’s not everything.

Priestley acquits herself well as the home favorite, playing the wounded deer to Dashwood’s komodo dragon. (Komodo dragons are extremely cruel to their prey, it’s messed up. Don’t look into it if you’re squeamish.) Lots of people hate leg matches and others based around someone targeting a body part, but too bad, because this is a great leg match and you should watch it. Dashwood works Priestley’s knee over without giving it an obnoxious amount of attention and Priestley sells the knee handicap well without coming off non-credible. Just a well-balanced, well-executed match. Congratulations to everyone involved.

Check back in with Diva Dirt next week for another great free match from the world of independent women’s wrestling. You can find even more matches AND support independent women’s wrestling over at ClickWrestle.

Lana wastes a lot of salt and declares her WrestleMania match

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In case you haven’t heard, Lana and Rusev have their own YouTube channel, and to call it entertaining is an understatement.

Earlier today, Lana posted a video with the caption “Lana aka #CJPerry is #SALTY and has #BREAKINGNEWS for #SDLIVE & #Wrestlemania !” In the video, Lana complains about the title landscape in the women’s division.

Specifically, Lana complains that Mandy Rose is declaring her own title matches.

“Only the McMahon family can make official title matches that are on Raw or SmackDown, or pay-per-views. So how is Mandy making a declaration that she has a title match at Fastlane versus Asuka?”

She also mentions people “just declaring when they were in the Elimination Chambers” and that she feels dumb for just waiting around for the McMahons to give her a chance, instead of just declaring a match.

Her breaking news?

“I’m declaring…that I’m going to face Asuka at WrestleMania for the Women’s SmackDown Live Title.”

“I’m declaring it, I’m grabbing the brass ring.”

She continues on by calling us all “salty” and then throwing Rusev into the mix.

“I think Rusev needs to declare to freakin’ face Daniel Bryan. Sorry, Kofi! Or make it a fatal three-way. If we’re just declaring!”

The video is being filmed on what appears to be a tour bus, with what appears to be Rusev behind the camera. Lana also clutches on to her dog, Joy. Watch the entire video above.

We’re not entirely sure what we’re watching, but we know one thing: Lana is wasting a lot of salt.

Do you think Lana’s declaration is real? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!

*If used, please credit transcription to Diva Dirt.

Brie Bella announces retirement

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On last night’s episode of Total Bellas, which was filmed back in October, Brie Bella announced she planned to officially retire from in-ring competition. Her and husband Daniel Bryan plan to move back to Phoenix to focus on expanding their family.

Transcription of quotes from the episode are provided by Fightful.

“So I decided after Evolution, I’m gonna be fully retired,” Brie states in the episode. “Fully done, and that Bryan and I are looking for a house in Phoenix, because we’re moving back.”

This comes as no big surprise, since Bella has been talking about retirement for some time. Brie had semi-retired a couple of years ago, so she could have a baby, and last year, she made a comeback to the ring. During her comeback, she was able to team back up with her sister Nikki, and also work a storyline with her husband against Miz and Maryse.

The comeback wasn’t as smooth as she had hoped for. Bella had a decent amount of ring rust and accidentally concussed Liv Morgan during a match on Raw. The backlash on social media took a huge toll on Brie, and she openly-admitted on another episode of Total Bellas that she later sunk into a depression. This probably had a hand in leading Bella to the ultimate decision: it was time to hang up the boots.

Nikki Bella gave her thoughts about her sister’s announcement during the episode.

“I’m a bit shocked right now hearing Brie say that she’s going to retire and move to Phoenix. Like, talk about dropping two huge bombs. I guess retirement, I always thought that’d be something Brie and I would talk about together. I just did not expect this big change after such an incredible comeback.”

Read the entire article with transcriptions from Fightful here.

What do you think of Brie retiring from wrestling? Leave a comment below and let us know.

Madison Rayne on Scarlett Bordeaux and returning to Impact

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Madison Rayne spent a year-and-a-half with Ring Of Honor, before being released. One day after her release from ROH, as previously reported, Rayne returned to her home at Impact Wrestling.

During a media press call, Nick Hausman asked Rayne why she returned to Impact, and what made the promotion different than other promotions. Quote transcriptions provided by Wrestling Inc.

“The main difference goes back to my personal feeling that Impact is home. I’ve been given a lot of creative freedom at Impact in the last 3-4 years.

Impact Wrestling is home for me and I’ve said many times how grateful I am for every opportunity that last year gave to me, including Impact Wrestling. But all of my appearances last year here, none of them were under contract – it was just a short visit.

At the end of the day, I have written so many chapters in my career, I have quite a few left to write, but I want to make sure those are written here at home with Impact Wrestling.”

Hausman also noted that newer Knockouts addition Scarlett Bordeaux seem to fit in with gimmicks from early in the women’s revolution. She was asked by Hausman if Bordeaux would fit in with the “Beautiful People”.

“Scarlett’s a character and it goes back to my love for the theatrical aspect of what Impact Wrestling brings to the table. I appreciate what Scarlett does for the company. She brings a level of sex appeal…and has no shame in showing her sex appeal.

But she’s also an athlete, so I’m starting to wonder if all of these vignettes aren’t a bit of smoke and mirrors to distract us from the fact that she actually is a competitor.”

Readers can view the entire article from Wrestling Inc. here. See the entire press media call in the video above.

Impact will stream United We Stand on Twitch, live from Rahway, New Jersey on April 4.

Should Madison Rayne have returned to Impact? Let us know in the comments below.

Kris Wolf vs. Little Miss Roxxy at NORTH Wrestling

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Free Match Friday is a weekly feature from Diva Dirt. Every Friday, we’ll spotlight a great indie match available to watch for free online. Some of the best wrestling in the world is happening in high school gyms and sports bars and even, occasionally, in an appropriate venue for a wrestling match. This week, our free match is an unorthodox match-up between Kris Wolf and Little Miss Roxxy at NORTH Wrestling.

Kris Wolf announced her retirement last month on her YouTube channel, citing a variety of health problems as a result of a series concussions, including blackouts, memory issues and loss of vision. She will finish out her currently scheduled tour dates and then leave the ring for good. With the announcement earlier this week that Pro-Wrestling: EVE will host a special “Kris Wolf Retirement Show” to celebrate her career in April, it felt only right that this week’s Free Match Friday should spotlight one of the most wonderful wrestlers to grace women’s wrestling this millennium.

This match is everything that made Kris Wolf one of the most charismatic and beloved women’s wrestlers of the modern era. She’s silly and weird, yeah, but she’s also quick and cunning and vicious in the ring. Because, you know, she’s a wolf. You get it. She literally stalks Roxxy around the ring, takes a big bite out of her leg and wipes her ass on her, and it’s all just fabulous stuff. She also targets Roxxy with so many groin attacks that the male commentators get flustered about how to describe what’s going on, which is hilarious.

None of this is to take anything away from Little Miss Roxxy, who gives a great performance of her own. Without giving anything away, she pulls off a pinning combo at one point in the match that’s honestly a little mind-blowing. I can’t imagine having that level of precision at anything, and Roxxy pretty much does it blind. But as good as she is, Kris Wolf walks away with this match, and the audience’s heart.

Check back in with Diva Dirt next week for another great free match from the world of independent women’s wrestling. You can find even more matches AND support independent women’s wrestling over at ClickWrestle.

Ronda Rousey says she doesn’t need WWE

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Ronda Rousey has been making the news left and right, as of late. They say even bad press is good, but in Rousey’s case, it may not be.

Yesterday, we reported that Rousey is legitimately upset over the heated Twitter exchange between her and Becky Lynch.

This past week on Raw, Rousey laid down the WWE Raw Women’s Championship by Stephanie McMahon’s feet, and walked off. She had demanded Lynch be added to her WrestleMania match with Charlotte, and was not happy with Stephanie’s “hard no” in response.

In an episode of “Ronda on the Road” filmed after the Raw held in Atlanta, she had some harsh words to say about her career at WWE. The quote below was transcribed by Fightul.

“Thing is, I love this job. I really love this job. I don’t need it at all. Not in the least, little bit. So, the second I’m not happy, I reserve the right to walk out the door and live happily ever after with the love of my life, and The Authority, so they are called in this company, are use to just bullying everyone around, and like I said, they give them just enough for them to live a lavish lifestyle but still have to come back… and I don’t.”

Fans have really started to turn their backs on Rousey, in the last couple of months. Add the exchange with Lynch on social media, and one could read her statement as evidence that the former UFC fighter may be getting a bit overwhelmed.

Readers can check out the entire Fightful article with transcribed quotes here.

What do you think of Ronda Rousey’s statement? Let us know in the comments below!

Shanna vs. Emi Sakura at AWW Breaking Point 2013

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Free Match Friday is a weekly feature from Diva Dirt. Every Friday, we’ll spotlight a great indie match available to watch for free online. Some of the best wrestling in the world is happening in high school gyms and sports bars and even, occasionally, in an appropriate venue for a wrestling match. This week, our free match is a legendary bout between Shanna and Emi Sakura at AWW Breaking Point 2013.

One of the things that makes wrestling such a magical art form is that, in the hands of its most skilled performers, an all-time great match can be turned out at the drop of a hat. This match was originally supposed to be Shanna vs Kay Lee Ray, but Ray was sidelined with a last-minute injury. Emi Sakura happened to be in England that weekend for a title defense at EVE, and she graciously agreed to fill in for Ray in what ended up as one of the best independent women’s matches ever.

I know that’s a big claim, but I defy anyone to watch this match and tell me this isn’t two masters of the craft at the height of their powers. Lots of wrestlers sacrifice some precision to deliver moves with more speed and therefore more brutality. But both performers pull off a litany of devastating moves with perfect form at breakneck speed. Sakura absolutely wrecks Shanna early in the match with a swinging neckbreaker that would be the highlight of most women’s matches in any of the major promotions. But it’s just a taste of what’s to come.

Emi Sakura is rightly considered a living legend of women’s wrestling, and she’s on incredible form here, from the biggest spots to the smallest details. She kicks out of a pin like it’s life or death. Shanna is almost as brilliant, at least enough to look credible against Sakura. Her ring awareness is astounding, as demonstrated in two nail-biting rope breaks, and she lays out her opponent with a discus forearm off the ropes at one point that looks a million bucks.

But I don’t want to give away too many spots. Half the fun of this match is how dynamic and spontaneous it feels, how the spots grow organically out of the flow of the match, yet still manage to surprise. (Also, not to veer credit away from the wrestlers, but the ref does an amazing job counting what feels like the closest near fall in history. It’s really something else.) This Wolverhampton crowd clearly had no clue who Emi Sakura was at the top of the match, but by the end, both performers get a standing ovation, and rightly so. I can’t praise this match highly enough. Just watch it.

Check back in with Diva Dirt next week for another great free match from the world of independent women’s wrestling. You can find even more matches AND support independent women’s wrestling over at ClickWrestle.

First look at this week’s WOW on AXS TV

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In just a few shorts weeks since Tessa Blanchard captured the vacant WOW Championship, she is feeling the heat. All eyes are on her title as Jungle Grrrl will continue to claw her way back to the gold. Jungle Grrrl has the longest reign of the title’s history, and is out to snag a second reign.

One of the upcoming matches for the new episode includes the Monster Of Madness, Havok, taking on the energetic Eye Candy. Eye Candy is currently healing up from neck surgery, and we here at Diva Dirt wish her a healthy recovery. Fans who would like to keep up with her recovery can visit her on social media @w_nightingale_ and @wow_eyecandy. Episodes of WOW were filmed last year, explaining the difference in Eye Candy’s health.

Other matches on this episode include Jessie Jones vs. Chantilly Chella, The Temptress vs. Fire, Azteca vs. Kobra Moon, and The Beverly Hills Babe vs. Jungle Grrrl. Jungle Grrrl has Blanchard in her sights, but is she focused enough on her current challenger to get that chance?

https://twitter.com/wowsuperheroes/status/1101165185077784578

Check out a first look of the newest episode in the video at the top of this article!

Check out new episodes of WOW every Friday on AXS TV, starting at 9 p.m. EST.

Check back with Diva Dirt on further action and news from the Women of Wrestling! Who will be after Tessa’s title next?

Jokey vs. Holidead at Rising Sun

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Free Match Friday is a weekly feature from Diva Dirt. Every Friday, we’ll spotlight a great indie match available to watch for free online. Some of the best wrestling in the world is happening in high school gyms and sports bars and even, occasionally, in an appropriate venue for a wrestling match. This week, our free match is a fierce contest between Jokey and Holidead at SUN Rise with Heart.

Jokey is a rising star in independent women’s wrestling, one of the breakout talents of Italian Championship Wrestling and currently performing for Insane Championship Wrestling under the ring name Aivil. (Aivil is, like, a demon possessing Jokey, or something, it’s awesome). She’s versatile, pacey and light on her feet in the ring, comfortable in the air and has a great sense of character. This match begins with Jokey giving Holidead a balloon and then punching her in the face, and there’s little better could sum up her harlequin-inspired character than that.

Holidead, a little older and a lot more seasoned than Jokey, plays the role of veteran well in this match, sitting down on an audience member for a rest at one point. She is the classic power match to Jokey’s agility, effortlessly catching her in mid-air, and has that veteran ring awareness. She more than manages to put Jokey over without making herself look weak in the process.

It’s lovely that this show, organised to raise money for charity, featured two women in the main event and the match gives both performers plenty of time to show off their skills. Jokey is a great seller who loves the crowd as much as the crowd loves her. Holidead fits the heel role like a glove and makes herself look incredibly powerful. It’s just a great little match.

Check back in with Diva Dirt next week for another great free match from the world of independent women’s wrestling. You can find even more matches AND support independent women’s wrestling over at ClickWrestle.

Rusev and Lana launch new YouTube channel

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Rusev and Lana launched a new YouTube channel yesterday. The channel was initially created in 2012 as a place to showcase Lana’s acting reels, but the couple re-branded the channel following the news they would be taken off Total Divas.

The two plan to release “a lot of different series” on the page, including a vlog. Interestingly, the channel is under their real names, C.J. & Miro Barnyashev, which will surely play into rumors surrounding their status with WWE.

This also comes in the aftermath of their frustrations with their portrayal on and recent departure from Total Divas. On a recent episode of Lilian Garcia’s Chasing Glory podcast, Lana spoke candidly about resentment towards the creative process, which she believes caused a disconnect with fans of the show.

“In edit, they can do whatever they want and that’s out of your control,” Lana said. “If they want to make me look annoying, if I need to play that annoying girl, they’ll do that. But, you know, I understand that that’s what I signed up for and I also understand that when you sign up for reality TV, you have to be ready to not be perfect. That’s fine, but don’t screw me over when you go, ‘oh, all of a sudden, you’re not liked,’ and it’s because your editors are doing that.”

Wrestlers have used YouTube before to create some buzz, so it will be interesting to see how this turns out. Could this help them or possibly hinder them? Drop a comment below.

ICYMI: Taya Valkyrie’s street fight defense vs. Tessa Blanchard

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In case you missed it, Impact Wrestling aired its Uncaged event; which was essentially a free pay-per-view show. The show itself was headlined by Johnny Impact’s Four Way title defense, but the big takeaway coming out of the event is its opening title match. That match was a Street Fight between Knockouts Champion Taya Valkyrie and the challenger, Tessa Blanchard.

The match served as Taya’s very first title defense since winning the title at Homecoming last month. It was only fitting that her first defense was not only against the former champion who she beat for the belt, but a woman who she’s been embroiled in a bitter rivalry with since September.

The match is being hailed as an early contender for Match of the Year and with good reason. Both Knockouts traded slaps, chops, spears and chair shots for several minutes until Taya stomped Tessa through a table to retain her Knockouts Championship.

In case you missed it, Impact posted a Top 5 highlight reel of the match’s most insane moments to their YouTube page. Check out the video above.

New episodes of Impact Wrestling can be viewed every Friday night at 10 p.m. ET/PT either on the Pursuit Channel or on Impact’s Twitch livestream.

“Road to Double Or Nothing” announces women’s triple-threat

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Today, Cody and Brandi Rhodes announced via Twitter that they would release the newest episode of “The Road To Double Or Nothing” on Cody’s YouTube channel, Nightmare Family.

Brandi encouraged fans to view the video, in anticipation for a women’s division announcement.

All Elite Wrestling’s short behind-the-scenes video lasted just over five minutes, and included snippets from last Thursday’s Double Or Nothing rally, as well as fans’ and wrestlers’ reactions to the news announced during the rally.

In one particular scene, Dr. Britt Baker, DMD, calls Brandi Rhodes to voice her concerns that the other women’s division signees, Kylie Rae and Nyla Rose, seem to have “their own thing”, stating she felt “let out of the picture”. Brandi, the Chief Brand Officer, reassured Baker by stating, “We have big things for you.”

Towards the end of the episode, Cody hands Brandi some promotional images to approve for the upcoming Double Or Nothing event in May. On one of the photos, the promotional image for a triple-threat match can be seen, featuring Nyla Rose, Britt Baker, and Kylie Rae.

Cody notes that Brandi is once again leaving herself off the card, with which she replies that the show is not about her, but about placing focus on the women wrestlers in their division. AEW seems to be placing a heavy emphasis on the division, which Brandi reiterates during the episode. Brandi states, “The women are putting the work in, and they deserve it.”

Visit Nightmare Family for other Double Or Nothing hype videos, watch the entire episode of “The Road to Double Or Nothing” above, and check back to Diva Dirt for more AEW announcements, as they happen.

Former Divas discuss creative struggles in WWE

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Former WWE Divas Molly Holly and Lisa Marie Varon (known as Victoria during her career) shared their experiences with rookie Divas, and what it was like to pitch ideas to the McMahons.

DS Shin of Ring the Belle sat down with the legends to discuss fan-voted top five moments of each woman’s career.

Shin asked Holly and Varon what it was like to work with rookie Divas, after a wave of new talent emerged in the division with no previous wrestling experience. Varon spoke on the expectations Divas were made to uphold, and how they got new talent over.

“It’s a tough sport. I always say to fans that come up to me and want to wrestle, go to college or play golf or something like that. It’s a tough, tough business. Only the tough survive. You’re fighting for your own spot. You have to be thin, you have to be pretty, you can’t wrinkle, you can’t get gray hair, you always have to have a smile on your face.

I think our forte was working with the rookies and making them look good; better than they are. I mean, we would sacrifice our form and everything like that just to make them get the big pop, and people to cheer for them and boo us.”

The former champions also discussed creative struggles women in WWE had to face, and how it felt pitching to the McMahon family.

Varon participated in the first-ever women’s steel cage match, which aired on Raw in November of 2003. She explained how the women wanted to make the match hardcore, but faced discrimination.

“Interesting fact about this gigging. We gig our forehead to bleed sometimes, or we have the ref gig us, or something like that, and I wanted to gig [during the match]. Fit Finlay goes, ‘No, no, no, you’re not allowed to.’ And I go  ‘What? We’re doing a cage match, though.’ You know? We were hardcore at the time. I would never do it now, but at the time I was like, ‘Oh, were so hardcore and we can do anything the guys do.’ We didn’t think it through. I went to Vince to ask him and he goes, ‘No, thank you Victoria for wanting to do it, but no one wants to see a Diva bleed.’

I did tell Lita, ‘Throw me as hard as you can against the cage so I can get color gigging, naturally.’ And I didn’t know how to do it, so I went ‘thunk’ and I got a big knot.”

Molly Holly faced her own creative barriers. Holly faced Victoria at WrestleMania 20 in the infamous “hair match” for the WWE Women’s Championship, with the added stipulation that if Holly lost, she would have to shave her head bald. Victoria won the match.

Holly spoke on how the championship match almost never happened.

“I was the champion, and the writers told me that there was only room for one match, girls’ match, at WrestleMania. They were going to do like a pillow fight, or a mud thing with the Divas. I was like, what? Like, I’m the champ and I don’t get to defend my title at WrestleMania? I was really devastated, so I thought, ‘I’ve got to come up with something that makes them change their minds.’

So, I put a bald cap on and had my photo taken. Then I made a booklet with a bunch of different storylines that could go either way, like, with showing my head getting shaved. I presented it to Stephanie McMahon. I presented it to some of the writers, and said, ‘I’m willing to shave my head, can I please be on WrestleMania?’ And sure enough, they came back to me couple days later and said, ‘All right, we’re going to let you get your head shaved at WrestleMania.'”

With the Royal Rumble only a few days away, fans have speculated as to who the remaining nine unannounced women’s Royal Rumble match entrants might be. Varon and Holly are two names that are frequently in the discussion. Varon spells out how WWE returns usually happen.

“It is not my decision. They have to call and invite you. I still do the indies and a lot of signings at Comic Cons. A lot of people think I have a choice. The company has to decide. It’s out of our hands.”

Check out the entire interview with the Divas above, and be sure to visit Ring the Belle’s YouTube channel here.

Watch to see if the legends make an appearance in the women’s Royal Rumble match on Sunday, Jan. 27, live on the WWE Network at 7 p.m. EST.

First look at second episode of WOW on AXS TV

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Last Friday, Women of Wrestling (WOW) debuted their first episode of the season on AXS TV, marking their return to network television for the first time since 2001.

The premiere episode was a success, with fans and critics expressing their eagerness for more episodes of WOW.

This season, Tessa Blanchard, the former Impact Knockouts Champion and legacy, makes her debut on WOW for their fifth season, and it’s clear from the first episode, Blanchard will play a huge part in the title landscape. As seen in the above video promo, Blanchard is out for WOW Champion Santana Garrett’s blood.

Ahead of their second episode, set to air Friday, Jan. 25 at 9 p.m. EST, WOW and AXS TV released a first look at Tessa Blanchard’s backstory and official in-ring debut. In the video, Blanchard aims to refute the claim that she’s only in wrestling because of her family, stating that as a “born legend”, she still has to “back it up.”

“If people get in my way, I steamroll through them,” Blanchard says. “Here at WOW, I want that Championship.

Blanchard can also be seen in the video in ring fighting The Beverly Hills Babe, Amber O’Neal.

Take a peek at the first look below:

Diva Dirt will return will full coverage of this week’s upcoming episode. Check back for news throughout the fifth season.

Did you watch the first episode of WOW? Will you return for more, this week?

Former Diva on issues with AJ Lee and possible WWE return

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Ariane Andrew, who was known as Cameron during her stint at WWE, recently spilled details on her relationship with AJ Lee, wardrobe malfunctions at WrestleMania, working with Ember Moon, and a possible WWE return.

The former Diva sat down with DS Shin of Ring The Belle to countdown fans’ top five Cameron moments.

Andrew touched on her torrid relationship with WrestleMania, including her canceled tag match against the Bella Twins on WrestleMania 29, and a wardrobe malfunction during the Vickie Guerrero Invitational Battle Royal match for the Divas Championship, at WrestleMania 30.

“[WrestleMania] has not been my best friend. We got the match cancelled then we had my top come off. Luckily, I was out early and not later, because, you know, the fans would’ve gotten a full preview of these little nuggets right here.”

Andrew experienced her first championship match at Elimination Chamber against AJ Lee, in Feb. 2014.

The Total Divas staple was asked what it was like to work with AJ Lee during a period when Lee was at the top of the division. At first, Andrew pleaded the fifth, then decided to elaborate.

“Wrestling fans are going to hate me out there because [AJ Lee] did make a huge impact in the division. But what I will say is, I respect her, her work ethic, and what she’s doing now with her books, and stuff like that. But I will say that for someone who was new, I wish I could’ve had someone who was a little bit more guiding and not leave me out to the wolves. That is what it kind of was, with dealing with her. It was major tough love.”

Andrew would continue by making a comment about needing guidance from a wrestler who didn’t show up to matches at the last minute. Also alluding to the fact that the Elimination Chamber match with Lee almost didn’t happen, due to an illness Andrew questioned.

“I’m gonna spill some tea here because [AJ Lee] said she was sick. Her stomach was hurting, but then she told me to do my move where I drop the leg on her stomach. So, I was like, ‘Girl, I’m confused.'”

After the Funkadactyls broke up in 2014, and Andrew experienced an unsuccessful singles run, she was sent to NXT in late 2015. When describing the chemistry she had with Superstars, Andrew spoke fondly of Ember Moon.

“Someone who was my complete favorite was Ember Moon. She wasn’t on the roster on my time, and this is when I was back down in NXT. We had some great matches. We just vibed. Our chemistry was just always on point, and I had the best matches with her.”

When describing a finisher she developed in NXT that was not seen on television, Andrew let it slip that she might return to WWE, soon.

“Actually, I had another finisher when I was down in NXT, as a comeback. You guys didn’t get to see that. But maybe you guys will in the future. I may have an announcement to possibly make. Who knows what it’s about? To possibly, maybe come back in WWE.”

See the entire interview from Ring The Belle in the video above.

What do you think about Andrew’s comments on AJ Lee? Will we see a Cameron return at the Royal Rumble?

IMPACT announces weekly simulcast on Twitch

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IMPACT Wrestling has announced that they will be simulcasting their weekly show on two different platforms.

During IMPACT’s pay-per-view Homecoming, the company sent out a tweet announcing that starting this coming Friday, IMPACT’s weekly show will be simulcasted on both Pursuit and Twitch.

This week’s episode also marks the debut of the show at their new home, the Pursuit Channel.

Fans are pleased to hear news of the intention to simulcast. After announcing the move of IMPACT’s show from PopTV to Pursuit, many IMPACT fans were disappointed to find they didn’t have access to Pursuit. The decision to simulcast the show on Twitch will ensure fans will have more options to watch the program.

Twitch is a live streaming video platform and subsidiary of Amazon, bringing “real life” streams, music and entertainment broadcasts, various competitions, and creative content to the homes of viewers via live or on-demand streaming.

Be sure to tune into Pursuit or Twitch this upcoming Friday at 10 p.m. EST to see the aftershock of Homecoming.

Will you watch IMPACT now that they’ve added Twitch as a viewing platform?

Full results from Christmas Eve edition of Raw

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Last week, WWE filmed Raw and SmackDown Live early, so that the wrestlers could be with their families during the holidays.

Holidays are best spent with loved ones, so for those who can’t tune into Raw this evening, below are the full results of tonight’s episode, as provided and written by Wrestling, Inc.

SPOILERS BELOW:

  • Elias kicks off the Christmas Eve edition of RAW with a Christmas song in the ring. Elias knocks Bobby Lashley and Lio Rush with the song. They interrupt and it’s time for the Miracle on 34th Street Fight.
  • Elias defeated Bobby Lashley in a Miracle on 34th Street Fight. The highlight of the match was Elias busting open a present that had Legos in it. Elias back-dropped Lashley onto the toys and shattered a violin over his back. Lio Rush received an Egg Nog bath after the match.
  • RAW Tag Team Champions Chad Gable and Bobby Roode retained over The Revival when Gable rolled Scott Dawson up for the pin
  • Sasha Banks, Bayley and Ember Moon defeated Mickie James, Dana Brooke and Alicia Fox. The Riott Squad attacked Moon, Banks and Bayley after the match.
  • Finn Balor defeated Drew McIntyre and Dolph Ziggler in a Triple Threat. Drew announced himself for the Royal Rumble match in a pre-match promo. Balor won the match by pinning Ziggler. McIntyre came back into the ring for a post-match attack but Ziggler connected with a Zig Zag before he could do anything.

  • Paul Heyman comes out for his “Celebrating the Holidays with Paul Heyman” segment. He declares WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar will defeat Braun Strowman at the Royal Rumble. Strowman interrupts, not wearing the sling on his arm, and taunts Heyman, terrifying him. Braun places a Santa hat on Heyman’s head, taunts him a bit more and promises to beat Lesnar for the title at the Rumble.
  • RAW Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey retained over Natalya. Rousey made Natalya tap to the armbar.

  • Heath Slater defeated Jinder Mahal by DQ due to interference from The Singh Brothers. Rhyno comes out dressed as Santa Claus to make the save for Slater. Rhyno ends the segment with a Gore to Jinder.

  • Seth Rollins defeated Baron Corbin in the main event. Rollins won with a Stomp.

See Wrestling, Inc.’s article with spoilers here, and be sure to tune into tonight’s Raw, starting at 8 p.m. EST.

Will you be watching the show tonight?

Melissa Santos wants to see other talents in Rousey’s spot

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Melissa Santos conducted an interview recently with Women’s Wrestling Weekly. During the interview, Santos was asked several questions regarding her personal life and work in the ring. 

Some questions pertained to her recent engagement to Brian Cage and finding out she was pregnant. She then dives into a discussion on what she looks forward to next in Lucha Underground. Santos also discusses her future on Impact Wrestling. 

The topic regarding Gail Kim’s comment on WWE having racist tendencies was addressed early on. Melissa Santos was asked if she found Lucha Underground to be more inclusive. Santos answered the question quickly by stating that, “It is a male dominated industry but I feel that it takes the men in that industry to set that and protect that standard for us and help bring us up”. With such an influx of talented women wrestlers, the male division has a duty to help elevate them this new era.

When the topic turned to the “100 Best Female Wrestlers” list by PWI Insider and Ronda Rousey was mentioned, Santos gave a drawn out sigh. She conveyed that she felt that there were so many other ladies who could have taken that top spot. Santos also said that since Ronda is so new and there are so many other more qualified ladies, Ronda simply did not deserve the first spot.

Santos then gave details on her Lucha Underground fight choreography. She absolutely loved being able to fight throughout “the temple” and being thrown through glass made out of sugar. When asked what she looks forward to the most in the next season of Lucha Underground she responded, “I would love to have something with me and Bryan”. Perhaps a couple gimmick will be on the way?

Now that Melissa is planning to head over to Impact Wrestling, the question is how will she be involved in the promotion? Melissa stated that she might ring announce but may be involved in several different ways. Although her role is yet to be determined you can expect to see her on Impact Wrestling.

Santos also mentioned her original plan to ring announce for WOW and how she got started in wrestling. She was one half of the tag team known as “Tropical Storm” in WOW, along with her tag team partner Paradise. Even though Santos will not ring announce for the new WOW there might still be some possibilities in the future.

Be sure to check out the full interview on Women’s Wrestling Weekly Youtube channel.

Vote for Diva Dirt’s 2018 Fan Awards

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The nominations for the Diva Dirt 2018 Women’s Wrestling Fan Awards have been tallied, and voting can now begin!

Polls close Monday, Dec. 17 at 3a ET/12a PT, and there’s only one vote for each category, per voter, allowed, so be sure to vote for your favorite!

Diva Dirt partnered with Ring the Belle for the announcement of the nominees, which can be seen more in-depth in their video above.

Thank you to the readers who have voted! Remember to check back for announcements on when the winners of the 2018 Diva Dirt Women’s Wrestling Fan Awards will be announced!

WWE Women’s Division really want Tag Team Championships

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On this week’s episode of Raw, Sasha Banks and Bayley were featured in a segment with new Raw Women’s General Manager, Alexa Bliss. During the open forum, Bliss was fielding questions, and during one of the question and answers, Bayley and Sasha Banks hinted that they want to be the first-ever WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions.

Back in march Diva Dirt’s Landon Buford spoke to Bayley prior to the Raw and SmackDown Live invasion of Dallas, and asked her if she thought it was time for the company to implement tag team titles for both brands.

“I have said this a couple of times in past interviews, but I think it has been discussed as far as the women in the locker room. The women’s division is strong on both Raw, Smackdown, and NXT, and I think we would be able to highlight a lot of us in a tag team. Maybe it is not too far off, as we already had the opportunity for a lot of firsts this year. I do not think it is too crazy to believe that there will be a women’s tag team division pretty soon.”

Back in October, Buford also spoke to both Mickie James and Naomi about the leaked match card before WWE Evolution, which had the Tag Team Title match featured it in.

“Now they are putting three women’s matches on the show, but aside from a personal issue, the only thing that is valuable to grab a hold of is the Raw and SmackDown Women’s Championships. There can only be one person going after those championships at a time, in the reality of things. So, what is it that will give everyone a different way of fighting and getting more camaraderie and storylines?  In the same way that they do with the men who have the tag team championships, the Universal Championship. They have a plethora of championships and storylines to be able to go after, where the women only have one per show,” said James.

She would continue:

“I think the tag team championships, even if it’s just one belt that’s then defended on both shows, but you have the IIconics now that are coming up. Think about it, like when Layla and Michelle were together, it would have been a great storyline when they were with the company. Or Alicia Fox and I can be the veteran team in the division. It would just give everyone, I think, a different catalyst for things, too, and ideas from different stories. Storylines could also spawn off from those stories. It would also show how diverse the women’s division could be, because tag team wrestling is a whole different dynamic. You would be building towards different moments than there are in singles competition.”

“I’m so ready for it, tag teaming is so exciting, and it’ll be great for the division, because it will give us another championship to fight for, which we need. Being married to a tag team specialist, and in my opinion, one of the best to ever do it, I will have all the coaching and guidance I need to be the first to hold those titles,” said Naomi.

Naomi would continue by even naming who she would like to win the titles with:

“Asuka!  We have a lot in common, surprising, and she’s just badass inside that ring point-blank period. There are no holes in her game. If there’s anyone I could learn from, grow with, and dominate with, it’s her.“

Recently, Lana was interviewed by Nerdist’s Fangirling host Markeia McCarty, and spoke about her desire to implement them in the women’s division while dishing on WWE’s all-women’s pay-per-view Evolution.

The discussion of implementing Women’s Tag Team Championships is an ongoing decision, and is something the Superstars and the WWE Universe want to see. The Superstars have even started the hash tag . The last time a hash tag campaign was started was #GiveDivasAChance, which demanded Divas, now Superstars, the opportunity of longer matches.

There’s no telling when, or if, WWE will ever implement them, but Tables, Ladders, and Chairs: TLC would be the perfect opportunity to debut them. Especially, since it is a pay-per-view made famous by The Hardy Boyz, The Dudley Boyz, and Edge and Christian.

WWE TLC will air on Sunday, Dec. 16, streaming live starting at 6 p.m. EST, on the WWE Network.

Lita and Trish Stratus discuss top 5 moments as Team Bestie and retirement

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Recently, DS Shin of Ring The Belle got to sit down in an exclusive interview with WWE Women’s Division legends Lita and Trish Stratus to talk about their top five moments as Team Bestie and how they felt about retiring from the business.

Diva Dirt got the jump on the highlights of the interview, where Lita and Stratus commented on Ring The Belle’s Top 5 Team Bestie Moments, “sexy” Diva gimmicks, and retiring from WWE.

The women reflect back to when Lita saved Stratus from taking a dangerous nosedive off a platform, at Invasion 2001.

Trish: “If you guys will continue to watch the clip, you will see that she saved my life.”
Lita: “As we’re backing up giving them ‘what for’.”
Trish: “Yeah, ‘what’s up, we won, that’s right!’ And then woah! But you didn’t see my face. I kept the composure. Like, woah, I almost fell!”
Lita: “I swooped in and saved her life.”
Trish: “And that’s the moment we became besties.”
Lita: “Good that we still have her. We could’ve lost her.”
Trish: “Thank you.”

The legends shared their comments on “sexy” gimmicks Divas had to endure, including rolling around in toxic farm mud.

Ring the Belle: “The Divas division had to often compete in these sexy matches, but you always showed that you are kicking ass, it’s like, all strong and powerful. What was your mindset going into these matches?”
Trish: “For me, personally, was like, make the best out of it. I know when I had a gravy match, I was like, ‘A gravy match, really? Okay, I’ll do this gravy match…if I can be thrown off the top ramp into the bowl of gravy.'”
Lita: “Mud, right? It was like some toxic farm mud.”
Trish: “Actually we found the packaging after, and it wasn’t good. Do not ingest!” 
Lita: “Or, ingest a lot of it!”
Trish: “Or wrestle in!”

While watching the top five Team Bestie moments, Lita and Stratus describe the moment Stratus turned against a hostile live crowd for calling Lita a “slut” during a Raw segment in April 2005.

Ring the Belle: “You were doing a segment for a more of a hostile crowd. What was it like going through this together?”
Lita: “We had some telepathy going on.”
Trish: “We went completely off script for this one. We went our own way, and went with the crowd, and tried to wrangle them in. It was interesting.”

Shin asked the Hall of Famers to reflect on their experiences retiring from WWE, including Lita’s struggle with the notion.

Ring the Belle: “You two often talk about how your careers were very Yin and Yang. Your retirements also looked very different from each other’s, too. What’s your thought on that?”
Lita: “I mean, I’ve always been the redheaded stepchild. It was not gonna end any different way. Literally the redheaded stepchild, it’s okay.”
Trish: “Different characters and different storylines going into it. Our’s was focus on our feud and our rivalry.”
Lita: “As a baby face too, and retiring as a heel. I’ve never been, like, quiet about it. I was super uncool with it. I went up the chain. I went to the producers, I went to the writers, I went to Vince. I went back to the producers, back to the writers, back to Vince. It was a hard ‘no’.”

Watch the entire video to see the full list of best Team Bestie moments, as well as see Lita and Trish sing and lip sync to Trish’s WWE Original tune, released in 2004, “I Just Want You”.

Historic TLC Match Announced! Becky Lynch Invites Conor Mcgregor to WWE

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Historic First-Ever Women’s TLC match is booked on SmackDown! But on Raw, Ronda and Nia seem to be in a weird love square where their heads are at Charlotte and Becky on the blue brand.

This week’s news and rumor go over the confirmed matches for the highly anticipated WWE TLC happening in two weeks. We look into some of the rumors surrounding Nia Jax and Natalya. Also, Connor Mcgregor is on the Women’s Wrestling news, who would’ve guessed, thanks to The Man, Becky Lynch. We also delve into the exciting announcement and controversy surrounding NXT UK.

I’m heading to LA next week to meet up with Victoria and Molly Holly at the Wrestling Guy Store. If you’re on the east coast, come over to say hi to me and the two legends of WWE Women’s division.

Wrestling Guy Store, December 8th Saturday 12-2pm

6085 State St. Huntington Park, CA

Lana really wants WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles

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In an interview with Nerdist’s Fangirling host Markeia McCarty, Lana spoke on her strong desire for a women’s tag team division within the WWE, while reflecting on her time at WWE’s first-ever all women’s pay-per-view Evolution.

“It was incredible. I think that so many of us girls, we couldn’t have even imagined having an all-women’s pay-per-view. To be able to experience this and be a part of it, I’m just very, very thankful. One of these days we’re going to get tag titles. I’m like, we have to do that! I was hoping, really, that we were going to announce it at there. Because when they told us ‘oh, we have to come out at the end and everyone has to come out on stage.’ I’m like, ‘Oh, they’re going to announce tag titles. It’s happening!’ And then I was like, ‘Oh, this is just a major hope spot.’ But keep on going, it’s going to happen. But it’s exciting to be able to work towards those things.”

Lana isn’t the only female WWE superstar who has spoken out about their desire for tag team titles for women.

The discussion of a possible women’s tag team division is an ongoing one, and it’s clear that fans and wrestlers are in support of the much-needed change.

WWE has communicated to fans that they are dedicated to the continuing evolution of their women’s division. The addition of tag team titles is the next step in that evolution.

Catch new episodes of Fangirling with hosts McCarty, Dani Fernandez and Sam Maggs every Thursday on Nerdist.com

FOX aims for Ronda Rousey on SmackDown next year

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As reported by Wrestling Inc., FOX wants Ronda Rousey on SmackDown for 2019.

It’s been known for some time that FOX will host SmackDown, starting next year. The network has recently shared that it wants SmackDown to have a more sports like feel to it, rather than a comedy-heavy show, so that it will fit in with the network’s other sports programming.

In order to fit in with that scheme, Fox is looking to add Ronda Rousey to the SmackDown lineup, which they expect to make her a key player in their efforts to do cross promotional campaigns between FOX’s other programs, and WWE.

FOX has stated they feel Rousey’s MMA history, her rise to the top of WWE, credibility, and name recognition will be a major selling point for SmackDown, as well as the network’s intention of being sports focused.

Rousey is the standing RAW Women’s Champion. Traditionally, trades between brands and Superstar Shakeups happen after WrestleMania. Will Rousey get traded immediately after WrestleMania, or will they decide to wait until closer to next year?

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