Diva Dirt presents its annual selection of women who have been most newsworthy and talked about in 2012. The 12 women selected have embodied the zeitgeist of the year by hitting the headlines, breaking boundaries, stopping the show, and becoming trending topics. The Diva Dirt editors and contributors have picked one woman as the Diva Dirt Woman of the Year, as well as 11 runners-up who have helped define 2012. Join us as we count down our runners-up before unveiling the Woman of the Year on December 31st.
BROOKE TESSMACHER
Model Behavior
When Brooke Tessmacher first popped up on Impact Wrestling in the spring of 2010, majority of the fan response was underwhelming. “Of all the women they could have hired, they chose a dancer from Extreme Expose?!” In just two short years though, that dancer and model has undergone an evolution unlike almost any other we have seen before.
Brooke Tessmacher got her first glimpse of wrestling when she tried out for the WWE Diva Search in 2006. While she ultimately did not reach the final eight participants, Adams was signed and received her first crack at TV in early 2007. As a part of dance troupe, Extreme Expose alongside Kelly Kelly and Layla, she danced and took part in a few battle royals from roughly January to November, when she was unceremoniously let go from her WWE deal. Like the majority of the “models”, many fans believed this would be the last we ever heard from her… but how wrong they were.
Over two years went by without so much as a peep from the Texan native, when out of nowhere during a special live Monday edition of Impact Wrestling, she debuted on screen as the secretary to Eric Bischoff. Known simply as Miss Tessmacher, she went through quite the ride of power until attaining a jaw injury in December that left her status in the company unknown.
She returned to Impact a few months later, and after a series of matches, found herself forming a team with veteran, Tara, dubbed TNT. The two would go on to become Knockouts Tag Team Champions, that of which they held for about four months. Following the loss, Brooke was pretty much MIA for a while, which brings us in to 2012 — without a doubt the most monumental year in defining her career as a legitimate competitor and athlete.
Tessmacher appeared for the first time in the new year as part of an eight Knockout tag team match, culminating in her attaining the victory over champion, Gail Kim. Over the following two weeks, she would go on to claim more victories over the champ, which resulted in Brooke getting a title shot at Sacrifice. Kim would ultimately leave with the title still intact after some tomfoolery involving the ropes, but Brooke stepped up to the plate and delivered what some feel is her best performance to date at the time.
Three days before Impact’s following pay per view, Slammiversary, she took part in a fatal four way alongside Mickie James, Tara and Velvet Sky to determine who would face off against Gail at the event. Tessmacher certainly went into it as the underdog in terms of experience, but Brooke proved we can never count her out, as she secured the victory and another crack at the title.
And so came the night she had been working nonstop for — Slammiversary. Emanating from her home state of Texas, Brooke defeated Gail to win the first singles championship of her career. It was a feel good moment for the woman everyone seemed to count out for so long, but the hard work and dedication finally paid off. Brooke would go on to hold the title for 63 days, before losing it to Madison Rayne and then winning it back four days later to become a two time champion.
Her next challenger was best friend and trainer, Tara, who wanted to prove that Tessmacher was the real deal in a straight fight. If Brooke could surpass her teacher, she was ready for all comers. Brooke ultimately did just that at No Surrender, which infuriated the veteran and caused her to snap on her protege. The two faced off once more at Bound for Glory, where Brooke’s second reign as champion came to an end at the hands of her mentor.
Title or not, no one can deny the impact Brooke Tessmacher made throughout the past year. In a field where women are looked down upon for coming from a certain background, Brooke Tessmacher has been an inspiration and proven that the “models” can kick ass too.
Check back tomorrow for another Women of the Year post.
More Women of the Year: Lita | Saraya Knight
