Hello all! This column has been transformed this week, breaking from the traditional one-subject tone to cover some “quick hits” on various things going on in women’s wrestling at the moment. As always, I’d leave to hear what you think, too, so leave a comment!
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Are we on the verge of a new generation of WWE Divas? It feels strange to see more and more names that we’ve come to know and cover here at Diva Dirt disappear over the past couple of years. The latest Divas to depart are the Bella Twins, leaving just a small handful of “established” Divas such as Natalya, Beth Phoenix, Kelly Kelly, Layla, Eve and Alicia Fox. Having lost the Bellas, Maryse, Melina, Michelle McCool, Gail Kim and Mickie James in the past two years, that’s a big chunk of Diva Dirt history! I’m not sure how I feel about a “new generation”, to be honest — perhaps because the thought of one makes me feel old!
Idealizing a potential “new generation”, there are names I’d like to see rise through the ranks much as Layla, Eve and others did. AJ, for one, deserves to a central spot in the division based on her work with Daniel Bryan; Maxine clearly is a triple threat talent; Naomi, if and when she breaks away from Brodus and Cameron, should be a talent to watch; and then there’s Divas in FCW such as Caylee Turner and Sofia Cortez who I am keeping an eye on.
It will be interesting, however, as the generation subsequent to Trish and Lita‘s was subject to intense comparison, though the division then and the division in recent times are two different beasts. Will people compare a “new generation” to the current one? What seems pretty clear to me, though, is that any new generation — much like this one — will be hampered by lack of investment. I sadly don’t see that changing, thus continuing the vicious cycle of Divas not being as “over” as the likes of Trish, Lita etc. during their era.
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Speaking of the Bellas’ departure this past Monday, truth be told, I’ve had an up and down relationship with Brie and Nikki on my TV.
I saw potential when Brie debuted, but that quickly turned to indifference. The Bellas were just “there” for a while, not really capturing my attention. Then came NXT Season 3, which, in my opinion, was a turning point.
The Bellas’ characters — particularly Nikki’s — were on show more and I have fond memories of their series of matches with AJ. I’ve been a fan since.
I would be willing to wager that this isn’t the last we’ve seen of Brie and Nikki in WWE, though. If we believe what we read, they are amongst Vince’s favorites. Whether it’s one-off appearances or a full-time return somewhere down the line, I expect to see them on our screens again one day.
But for now, best of luck to Nicole and Brianna on whatever may be next for them.
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It’s great to see Layla back in WWE. As long-time readers of this site will know, I’ve always been a fan of Layla and seen a “spark” in her and have waited for that spark to ignite. It did, thankfully and now she’s enjoying much deserved success.
I don’t really have an issue with Layla becoming Divas Champion right off the bat, because what we have to remember is that the Divas Title’s “credibility” isn’t exactly a top priority amongst WWE’s head honchos, but I do worry that WWE may be losing what makes Layla, Layla.
Layla has always been known for her big personality and her comedic timing, however, in her first two television appearances so far, we’ve seen her play the generic babyface. Layla, who as part of LayCool, was given so much microphone time to develop her character now can’t get a microphone upon her return?
I hope WWE doesn’t lose what makes Layla unique, because her bubbly and funny personality could make her a great babyface, not just a generic one.
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I’m excited to see Brooke Tessmacher in the Knockouts Title picture this month.
Of course, I fully expect her to lose to be just another victKim (see what I did there?) come the Sacrifice pay per view, but I’m excited to see this young talent get a chance to shine and compete with someone of Gail Kim‘s caliber. It can only help her get better.
To Brooke’s credit, she is continuously improving and shows just that little bit more in each of her performances. She may have come into the business as a “model” and could be easily dismissed as one, just like fans tend to dismiss several of the WWE Divas, but Brooke has held her own against some talented wrestlers in the Knockouts division.
TNA has an opportunity here to exemplify through Brooke, what WWE could be doing. She’s ever-improving in the ring, but also takes beautiful pictures and can be a “pretty face”, too.
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A lot of ado has been made about the WSU title flip-flop between Mercedes Martinez and Jessicka Havok this past weekend, but looking at it from a business perspective, it makes sense.
Rather than doing a straight rematch with a clean finish, wouldn’t you also drag it out to the next Internet pay per view — which is a much more lucrative show — if you were a promoter?
WSU needed a way to set up a third match on iPPV, because as proven by March’s iPPV, this is a main event that works and drew in fans.
The added stipulation of a “Casket Match” should be very, very interesting. I’ve never seen this done outside of WWE (that’s not to say it hasn’t been done, I’ve just never seen one). I’m intrigued to see how it will play out and what kind of casket WSU will purchase. For those who have been lucky enough to never have to deal with purchasing caskets — that sh*t is expensive, and WSU doesn’t have a WWE budget.
What do you think of these various quick hits? Tell me in the comments or on Twitter by clicking the button below!
