Really nice article on WWE.com at the moment, honoring the recent successes of two former Diva Search winners: Eve Torres and Layla. The article charts the two Divas’ growth from their Diva Search wins to present day, where they are the Divas Champion and Women’s Champion, respectively.
A few bites below from each Diva:
Layla
* “I think just within the last year or year and a half, I feel like my growth is noticeable to everybody,” Layla admitted. “I mean, it’s noticeable to me, and I’m my worst critic, but other people are bringing it to my attention. I feel like that’s a huge improvement. I feel like a totally different person.”
* “I feel like I can express myself in a very funny, entertaining way,” the Women’s Champion said. “If you ask people backstage what I’m really like, they’ll probably tell you that I am probably the prankster, the jokester. But I enjoy every single minute.
“I feel like my entertainment value has gone up, way up. Now maybe I can say I’m entertaining and you don’t want to change the channel when I come on. Or you just want to hate me … and I know you guys really love me.”
I totally, 100% agree with Layla’s comments. Since moving to SmackDown in the Draft last year, Layla’s work rate has improved ten-fold to the point where I think she is a solid worker and has a lot of passion in the ring. Meanwhile, her character has developed and she has honed herself to be one of the most entertaining Divas in the WWE — if not the most entertaining. Her humour is spot on and it’s her little quips in her promos that really make me laugh.
I’ve always seen something in Layla and I’ve always been a supporter of hers, I’m very proud to see her with the Women’s Title. In a year or so, she could be one of the few ‘total packages’ in the women’s division: ring work, great promos, wit, personality and charisma.
Eve
* “I have to say Natalya was a big part of that [her road to success as a wrestler] because I worked with her a lot on SmackDown, along with Michelle McCool,” Eve said. “Obviously the better the people that you work with are … you have to raise your standards to compete and try to get up to their level. I think both of them helped me take the next step, as far as my in-ring competition.”
* “This is the beginning of my career. This is a great thing to accomplish, but my goal is to face as many challenges as possible,” a confident Eve said.
* “Obviously there’s another championship out there – the Women’s Championship – so if that opportunity ever presents itself, I aim to go for that,” she promised. “But I aim to hold the Divas Championship as long as possible, to retain it and to continue to fight for it and always to try to reach the next level.”
When Eve won the Divas Championship in rather shock fashion in April, a lot of people — including myself — felt it was too soon. I still feel that way and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t. Eve wasn’t really in the spotlight much before her push came out of nowhere and she won the belt. I feel, such as the likes of Candice or Michelle, that title win should have been built up for several months. Use her in the ring more, let the crowd get a feel for her before elevating her.
While I enjoy some of Eve’s matches, there’s some that I don’t enjoy either — I think it depends on who she’s working with. The match with Maryse didn’t incite much interest from me, while her work with Natalya on SmackDown last year was great. Eve has a way to go and hopefully, the best is yet to come.
What say you? How have the two Divas developed from Diva Search to champions?
