I’ll cut right to the chase.
Those of you who listened to Thursday’s final episode of Diva Dirt Weekly will know what’s up: as of today, I’m stepping down from my role as Editor-in-Chief of Diva Dirt. The reason why is simple: I want to have the time to pursue other dreams. For the time being, I’ll remain as an advisor, providing feedback and advising on the direction of the site. For all intents and purposes, though, my time as a hands-on contributor to Diva Dirt has come to an end.
Also departing will be Adrian, Chris, Cryssi, Eleri, Jake and Steven, but fear not: Jack, Josue, Kyle, Kevin and a fresh crop of recruits will stay on board to carry Diva Dirt into the future.
I’ll admit: the prospect of thoroughly chronicling my time with this website and the people I’ve been honored to share it with is incredibly daunting. I’m afraid I can’t do it or them justice or that, if I try, I’ll come across as some pompous asshole. I’m not here to eulogize Diva Dirt, because it’s not dying. It’s evolving. So, I’ll instead concisely thank those who have made the last eight years possible and hope that I can convey my gratitude that way.
First, the team. From Melanie (my original partner in crime!), Jason Deadrich (the reason this website is even live right now!), Adrian, Bobby, Chris, Cryssi, David, Eric, Eleri, Jack, Jake, Jen, Josue, Katelyn, Kevin, Kyle, Lee, Shanti, Steven, Stew (RIP) and Tiffany to everyone who’s contributed in big or small ways, like creating Diva Dirt Hype videos or writing guest pieces: I hope every single one of you realizes that, without your hard work, sacrifice and generous volunteering of your time, Diva Dirt wouldn’t have made it this far. Hell, it probably wouldn’t have made it out of 2008. I’m sure if you were to ask Melanie, she’d say the same thing. The team was the lifeblood of this site; Melanie and I just took turns steering it. All of you have been (and many continue to be!) cherished friends, and I’m confident that those friendships will live on for years to come.
Second, the wrestlers. Back when we established Diva Dirt in March 2008, I could’ve never envisioned that it would be read by more than a handful of women wrestlers, nor that any of them would contribute to it. Hell, I never thought that any would see it as more than a “dirt sheet”; our original tone didn’t help matters. To my immense surprise and gratitude, though, all of those dreams came to be, thanks to hard work, emotional growth, dedication and our shared love of this sport. Their support means the world to me, from every tweet to every interview. These women deserve a platform that supports them and provides a place for their fans to follow their careers, and I hope that Diva Dirt has and will continue to fill that role admirably.
Last (but certainly not least), the readers. Through the good and the bad – and yes, there has been plenty of bad – I’ve always believed that without the people that read our articles, vote in our polls, comment on posts and follow us on social media, we’d be sunk. We’d be irrelevant. We would have never made it to where we are today. Despite our differences, we all support women’s wrestling. We want to see it flourish. I’m so glad to have taken this crazy journey with all of you.
I guess it’s fitting that my last day at the helm of Diva Dirt is on the day the “Diva” era is being phased out. That gesture on behalf of the WWE means so much to me, but not in the sense that I wish the term “Diva” to be dead and buried. No, I’m excited by this because it’s a big step towards true equality for the women of the WWE. The WWE may not be the ultimate arbiter of gender equality in wrestling, but its efforts will inevitably signal to the rest of the business what can and will be achieved by these incredible women.
Make no mistake: a revolution in women’s wrestling is happening, and I’m unfathomably grateful to have been able to play a tiny part in it.
Thank you.
Video produced by Jake Verterano.
