Friday, September 20, 2024

Picture of the Day: Bayley Shows Off “Schweet” Custom Wristband

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With October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month and WWE’s partnership with the Susan G. Komen Foundation, it’s no surprise to see the Superstars and Divas taking part in the fight to find a cure for breast cancer.

Some may get their own t-shirts or hats, but what about for those who aren’t able to get WWE-sponsored merchandise just yet? Well never fear, because one certain NXT Diva has taken it upon herself to create her own special way to get involved. Who, you ask?

Why, it’s none other than that chick with the pogo stick, Bayley!

Bayley posted the above photo on Twitter, tweeting:

After seeing how great the finished product turned out, we totally want to hang out at Bayley’s house. In addition to making bracelets together, we could try on hairbands and jelly bracelets to our hearts’ content.

Impact Wrestling Feedback: October 3rd, 2013

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Get your weekly dose of Knockouts action on tonight’s Impact Wrestling. Tune in to Spike TV at the start time of 9pm ET.

Discuss the show in the comments!

RELATED: Impact Wrestling Spoilers: October 3rd, 2013

NXT Redux (October 2nd, 2013): The Cobra Joins the Emmalution

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What’s up Diva fans and welcome to this week’s NXT Redux. We have mixed tag team action on the cards tonight as Summer Rae and her man, FAAAAAHHHHNNNNNDAAAAAAHHHHNGOOOOOOO, or Fandango for the less dramatic of you out there face off against Emma and her tag team partner, Santino Marella. Yes, the inevitable has finally happened. Love or loathe the kid friendly gimmicks of Emma and Santino, this was bound to happen and now it has. Brave enough to stomach it and watch? TO THE VIDEO!

Thoughts: Well, I was going to properly recap what Emma and Summer did in this match, yet they didn’t do much! Both girls showed just how good they both are both in terms of perfecting their characters and with the solid in-ring work we saw. Yes it was basic and moves we’ve seen before, yet they delivered.

Now onto the comedy. After all, that’s the main factor in this segment considering there wasn’t a lot of wrestling. Emma and Santino are like Marmite: you either love them, hate them or absolutely despise them. I found them hilarious together.

THERE I SAID IT!

I admitted that I’m an Maremma fan. So much so I’ve made a palindrome for them, Glamarella style. I better get it copyrighted before WWE try and use it. You’ll be able to find a Team Maremma shirt in the Diva Dirt Shop sometime soon. I’ll make it happen, mark my words! But back to the comedy, at times, it felt like they were just doing the same thing over and over too much, such as the frequent high-fiving/tagging in and the rolling away from Santino, yet it was just enough on the tolerable side for me to enjoy and not start to get annoyed with.

Also yet again, Renee Young, you are a star on commentary. She wasn’t too cheesy and her humor came across as really cool and genuine. I’m so glad Renee has been given this chance by WWE. Keep doing what you’re doing Renee, you are most certainly nailing it.

In closing, the segment did exactly what it needed to do. Emma and Santino got major spotlight and although Summer lost, she wasn’t pinned. Sasha wasn’t dragged into this so her and Summer’s team can carry on undeterred too. The match made me legit laugh out loud at some points, so if you ask me, it’s a job well done from WWE. As a one time thing, I was entertained and happy to get wrapped up in it and take it for what it was. Don’t be doing this every week though WWE!

Also, sorry to end on a negative, but Emma, you need some new gear ASAP. I can’t not mention it anymore. I’m not biting my tongue anymore. Emma’s new attire this week looked like Barney the Dinosaur and his two other friends (wasn’t there like a green one and a yellow Triceratops girl?) defecated on some fabric and Emma wore it. And the straps? I’m not an expert in female clothing by any means, but she just doesn’t look good in this particular style of gear.

And with that, stay tuned, Jack will be back! (As will Paige next week too, WOO!)

WWE Considering “Top Divas” and “Best of Bra and Panties” DVDs?

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Are DVDs focused on the WWE’s top Divas and Bra & Panties matches coming soon to a store near you?

They might, depending on how fans react to the idea. WrestlingDVDNews.com is reporting that the WWE, as they’ve done in the past, has sent out a survey gauging fans’ interest in potential DVD releases. Among the ideas are “Best of Bra and Panties” and “Top Divas”.

“Top Divas” may resemble the long-rumored Divas countdown DVD, while you can probably guess what “Best of Bra and Panties” would entail.

I think we speak for most Diva fans when we say yea to “Top Divas” and a big fat nay to “Bra and Panties”.

Which DVD would you rather see?

Your Two Cents: Booking the AJ Lee/Brie Bella Feud Beyond Battleground

Your Two Cents is our interactive feature where we ask for the opinions of our Twitter and Facebook followers.

This week, we’re asking this: Tell us how you would book the AJ Lee/Brie Bella feud, up to and beyond Battleground. We’ve read your responses on our social media pages and picked some of the best submissions to highlight here on the website. As always, you can join the debate by leaving your comments!

* Ashley Matthew: Nikki Bella interferes and costs Brie the title or after Brie wins it, Nikki attacks her causing Brie and Nikki to feud where Nikki states that she is tired of Brie hogging the spotlight and now it’s time for her to shine again.

* @_EricHolt_: There are so many ways to book this feud, I can’t decide on just one. This feud is unpredictable, which is a good thing because the unpredictability of this feud is going to be what is going to make fans invested in this feud. The fans are going to be on the edge of their seats and feel excited and anxious to see what happens next. No matter how this feud is booked, I cannot wait to see how things play out.

* @Jaffney_Quinn: I would have AJ retain the title via interference by Randy Orton at Battleground, merge Brie into Daniel Bryan‘s feud and maybe have AJ on Randy’s side, to his displeasure, put Naomi into the title picture, and then have Naomi win it via interference by Brie, which also helps the Total Divas alliance thing they have going on.

* James is A: I would like to see Randy’s music HIT after Brie has hit the Bella Buster. Eva Marie and Nikki (who confirmed will be at her side) run away and leave Brie sitting scared in the ring. AJ rolls out and gets counted out.

Then Brie is left standing in the middle and Randy appears on the ramp. He stops mid way and laughs and clicks his fingers. Then we hear the dreaded Sierra – Hotel – India – Echo – Lima – Delta … Shield. The Shield run out of nowhere and surround the ring. They kidnap Brie and take her to Randy who says “Daniel you can have your fiance back if you lay down at my feet and let me pin you in the middle of the ring.”

* @jen07201: Have a segment with AJ and Randy where they agree to help each other against Daniel and Brie and show that they’re true champions.

* Jon Vega: Brie loses due to a mistake by Nikki, causing the two to split, allowing Brie to be by Daniel’s side.

* Josue Guzman: Prior to the Divas Championship match between AJ and Brie at Battleground, there is a segment featuring Daniel Bryan and Brie. The couple are each wishing each other good luck to their respective matches with Daniel telling Brie that after Battleground they will be the next great power couple of WWE.

Brie is accompanied to the ring by her sister Nikki while AJ brings her muscle Tamina to ringside. Brie has the upper hand over AJ but an altercation between Tamina and Nikki cause an enough distraction for AJ to pick up a quick pin over Brie. Later that night, despite her loss the same night, Brie accompanies Daniel Bryan to his match and cheers him on to victory!

The following night on Raw, Daniel Bryan, again with Brie by his side, comes out to the ring and thanks the WWE Universe for always believing in him. He then gives a special thanks to Brie and says that her love is what allowed him to pick up the win. He then suggest the idea of pushing their wedding to an earlier date but before Brie even responds to Daniel’s suggestion, out comes AJ with Randy Orton.

AJ and Randy mischievously remind Brie that Daniel almost married AJ on Monday night Raw a year ago, going as far as to playing old clips of the AJ/Daniel Bryan relationship. Once in the ring, AJ taunts Brie to losing to her at Battle Ground and warns Brie to be careful for she may even lose Daniel to her again someday. A fight breaks out between AJ and Brie with Randy and Daniel exchanging blows all leading up to a Mixed Tag Team match as Raw’s main event.

* Megan Travis: Orton’s music hits when Brie just about has the win. AJ gets the win. Next night the main event is Brie and Daniel vs. Randy and AJ.

* OJ Von Erich: When and if Brie wins the Divas Championship, I would love to see her feud with Alicia Fox and Natalya (possibly even Layla & Aksana) after their previous matches, all the while slowly teasing tension with Nikki, leading to the sister vs. sister brawl in the style of No Way Out’s Stephanie McMahon/Trish Stratus match!

* Randi Parker: Brie is controlling the match, Orton comes ringside during, looking likes he’s going to attack her. Bryan comes out, they fight, causing Brie to get distracted. Once the ref gets a handle on things, Brie gets back to the match, but AJ has had time to recover, and either rolls her up or hooks up the Black Widow!

And now we turn it over to you…

What are your two cents on the debate? How would you book the AJ/Brie feud?

Fast 5: Female Enforcers

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Diva Dirt’s Fast 5 will take on a theme and present to you – in no particular order – five related things from the world of women’s wrestling.

Tamina Snuka has recently taken on the role of AJ Lee‘s bodyguard, prompting us to take a look back at wrestling’s most memorable female “enforcers”.

Click on the arrow below to see our first featured female bodyguard.

SHINE 14 Card Announced: Rain vs. Matsumoto, SHIMMER Tag Titles on the Line & More

Mere days after the dust settled on SHINE 13, the card for the next SHINE show has been announced – and with a host of international stars set to be in the US at the time for the SHIMMER tapings the week before it looks likely to be one of their most stacked shows to date!

Valkyrie once again dominate the upper card of the show, with group leader and SHINE Champion Rain defending her title against joshi star the “Lady Destroyer” Hiroyo Matsumoto. Meanwhile, her cohorts Allysin Kay and Ivelisse will challenge SHIMMER Tag Team Champions Kellie Skater and Tomoka Nakagawa for their titles in the hope of bringing yet more gold to Valkyrie.

Elsewhere, there remains a whole lot of bad blood between Jessicka Havok and Saraya Knight from SHINE 11, when a brutal assault from Knight cost Havok her chance of progressing in the SHINE Championship tournament. She’ll get her chance of revenge at SHINE 14 in a Last Woman Standing match.

Also on the card are three high-profile International Dream Matches, as Amazing Kong (aka Kharma) takes on Australia’s former SHIMMER Champion Madison Eagles, Scottish sensation Nikki Storm takes on the veteran Nikki Roxx, and “Portugal’s Perfect Athlete” Shanna makes her second SHINE appearance in a three-way match with Mia Yim and Savannah Summers.

See below for the full card:

* SHINE Championship Match: SHINE Champion Rain (w/ April Hunter) vs. Hiroyo Matsumoto

* SHIMMER Tag Team Championships: Kellie Skater & Tomoka Nakagawa (c) vs. Allysin Kay & Ivelisse (w/ April Hunter)

* Last Woman Standing: Jessicka Havok vs. Saraya Knight

* International Dream Match #1: Amazing Kong vs. Madison Eagles

* International Dream Match #2: Shanna vs. Mia Yim vs. Savannah Summers

* International Dream Match #3: Nikki Storm vs. Nikki Roxx (w/ Daffney)

* Mercedes Martinez vs. Kimberly

* Leva & The American Sweethearts (Santana & Amber O’Neal) vs The S-N-S Express (Sassy Stephie, Nevaeh & Jessie Belle Smothers)

* Su Yung vs. Solo Darling (w/ Daffney)

SHINE 14 takes place on October 25th at the Orpheum in Ybor City, Florida, at 9pm ET (2am GMT), and live on Internet Pay-Per-View. Click here to order the show.

Photos: Natalya and The Prime Time Players Meet Fans at Community Health Event

On Tuesday, Natalya joined the Prime Time Players for a Susan G. Komen sponsored community health event in Biloxi, Mississippi.

The trio signed autographs for fans, posed for pictures and spoke to the media about the partnership between Komen and the WWE.

Check out some photos from the event below:

You can see the full gallery on Community.WWE.com.

OVW Spoilers: October 3rd, 2013

Ohio Valley Wrestling filmed today’s episode last night in Louisville, Kentucky.

The show (#737) can be seen at OVWrestling.com. Spoilers below:

Spoiler
* The Mobile Homers are still playing with scratch-off tickets when Jessie Belle approaches and asks Brittany to team with her. Brittany is too busy with the scratch-offs. We then see the Bodyguy with 4M, trying to rally Elvis Pridemoore, Aaron Sky, the VIP Club, & Stephon J. Baxter III to join him against the Assassin. They ignore him and as Stephon walks off, Jessie Belle grabs him and asks him if he knows anyone she can team with. She then pulls him away and says she has an idea.

* 4-CORNER FEMME FATALE TAG MATCH: Hannah & Holly Blossom vs. Taeler Hendrix & Lovely Lylah vs. Lei’d Tapa & Ray Lyn vs. Jessie Belle & “Stephon-E”. “Stephon-E” is on fire until (s)he gets unwigged by Ray Lyn to see that it is Stephon J. Baxter III. The women team up on him and he gets smacked by Taeler and a big boot from Tapa. Taeler takes the pin to eliminate him & Jessie Belle. Lylah is taken out by the Blossoms next, eliminating her & Taeler. Tapa then eliminates the Blossoms for the win. Winners: Lei’D Tapa & Ray Lynn by pinfall.

After the match, Tapa throws Holly out of the ring and delivers her finisher to Hannah twice.

(Source)

Picture of the Day: All Hail King Louis!

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A few weeks ago, Natalya lost her beloved cat Gismo, who died due to an undisclosed illness.

Many Diva fans, who had seen Gismo all over Twitter and on Total Divas, were heartbroken for Natalya. Fans will be happy to see, then, that Gismo’s spirit lives on in a lookalike kitten Natalya introduced today on Twitter.

She posted the above photo, tweeting that her husband Tyson Kidd had surprised her with the pet:

We already love Louis, and can’t wait for him to make his Total Divas debut. We’re sure he’ll do Gismo proud.

Brie Bella Talks Raising a Family, Traveling With Daniel Bryan & Why Wrestling is Perfect for Her

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Brie Bella spoke to Rochester, New York’s Democrat and Chronicle about discovering wrestling, traveling with Daniel Bryan and eventually wanting to settle down to raise a family.

On discovering wrestling at age 21: “I said, ‘These girls are not only hot, but they’re really awesome in the ring. They’re kicking butt, and they’re strong and empowering. Nicole, I think that’s our calling!'”

Why wrestling was perfect for her: “My sister and I, growing up, always loved to entertain. We loved to put on little skits for our family and friends. … But we were also tremendous athletes and soccer was a big part of our childhood … so WWE was probably the only industry that really fit what my sister and I enjoyed, and that was entertainment and athletics.”

Leaving her dog Josie behind while on the road: “I can’t even express to you how leaving her on Friday mornings is heart-wrenching! And I think about her all weekend long, and I’m like, ‘What is she doing?'”

Talking Bryan’s ear off while on the road: “I’m such a Cathy Chatters. We’ll have a five-hour drive and I’m like ‘Yes! Him alone in a car — I can just express everything and talk to him.’ And I’m sure he’s like ‘Oh gosh, music!'”

On eventually wanting to settle down: “I’m Mexican and Italian. I want to raise my babies, I want to be home with them every day. And I’m excited for when that chapter in my life happens.”

You can read the full interview at the Democrat and Chronicle.

Vote for October’s Addition to the Diva Dirt Shop!

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We recently launched the Diva Dirt Shop, a way to get your women’s wrestling merchandise in the form of trendy slogan tees and tanks.

Every current Diva and Knockout have been given “Team” tees, but what about the former Divas and Knockouts? Well, that’s where you come in.

You’ve already voted in Lita, so who will be next?

Monthly, we will post a poll allowing you to vote in the next alumni to join the Diva Dirt Shop. This poll will run until 8pm ET tonight, when the winning shirt will appear in the shop.

It’s a short time frame, so be sure to tweet your pick to encourage others to vote in your favorite:

You’ve got hours to rally fellow fans to the cause, so vote below and share now!

Mickie James Talks “Piggie James” Storyline, Her Future in Wrestling, Daniel Bryan & More

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Former TNA Knockout Mickie James has spoken to WrestleNewz.com, shedding light on her feelings about the infamous “Piggie James” storyline, going back to the indies, her favorite TNA matches and her hopes for her future in wrestling.

Favorite TNA matches and feuds: “I really loved the angle where I came in with Madison (Rayne) and Tara, obviously, and to be able to have that steel cage match in the main event of the show was incredible. I also enjoyed the Falls Count Anywhere matches I had and really enjoyed working with OBD, and then Gail (Kim) recently.

But as far as matches go, that steel cage match was my first cage match ever and something I’ll never forget.”

Her closest wrestling friends: “Oh, I’ve had so many incredible friends, like my friend Bobbi who traveled the roads with me when we were first coming up together. She watched me grow but since then she’s gone on to have kids and a family. Then I’ve had amazing friends like Trish (Stratus) and Amy (Lita), and like I said, Lisa (Tara). You catch up with each other with texts now and then most of the time, but we’ll also see each other in passing. Lisa has her restaurant now so she’s doing that, and Trish is in Toronto doing her yoga and having a baby, and all that good stuff. So with the passage of time, everybody’s lives are all on different paths that sometimes cross at wrestling events and appearances. And it’s always great to catch up with them.”

Does she was the current TNA and WWE programs?: “I try to DVR the shows and catch up when I can, but no I really don’t have the time with my music and everything else. With TNA, I would watch the show that I’m on, obviously, and if I’m at an independent event I’ll try to sit back and watch most of the show. But I really don’t see much of the WWE programs on television, so I’m not all that aware of what’s going on. I probably should be watching.”

Her connection with fans: “It’s also been cool to see the fans over the years and watch the kids grow up in the audience. There’s one fan in the Philly area, and he’s followed me since I was Alexis Laree, working little shows in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. So, he’s seen me from the very beginning, when I was so bad. Well, so semi-bad (laughs).”

How it feels to go back to the indies: “It is pretty humbling, and obviously now I’m in a different position, but what I find really inspiring is you’ll see so many young wrestlers who have that same fire, that same passion, and that same hunger that I remember so well when I was first coming in. I was just so hungry for knowledge, and you can see it in these people at these indie shows. So, regardless of where you’re at in your career, it’s a good thing if you can keep that passion and that love and keep wanting to up your game and just keep getting better and better.”

The “Piggie James” storyline: “Looking back on it now, I think it shed some light on a big issue in our school system and on the internet now, with technology at your fingertips. It’s so easy for bullies to do it now, sitting behind a keyboard because there’s no face-to-face interaction. And that storyline, I think, was an attempt to address bullying and tell a story with it. Michelle (McCool) and Layla had already been playing the role of the “mean girls,” but I don’t know where exactly that storyline came from.

And honestly, I feel like it was one of the most difficult storylines to take, as I found it difficult to take my personal feelings and emotions out of it. But I can see how it may have resonated, because at some point most of us have been bullied or picked on, so most of us can relate to it in some aspect. Because you’re going to have sympathy for the character and understand where she’s coming from, impacted from the perils of bullying.”

Do wrestlers have a lot of self confidence?: “Oh no. I think wrestlers, especially, we have the lowest confidence in the world, you know. And I think because we feel like we’re always being scrutinized, we look at ourselves in a similar vein. At the same time, it drives us though because it makes us strive to continue to be better and be the best that we can be. So, no, when it comes to our sexuality and physicality, I think we’re hardest on ourselves.”

On Daniel Bryan’s recent success: “It’s so great to see someone like him come from that whole background, through the indies and Japan and all that. And then make his way all the way up to being the world champion, that’s pretty freakin’ awesome. I think that says a lot about him and it will continue to inspire people in our business, who really, really want it and have the drive.”

Her hopes for the future: “I would love to travel the world with my music, playing in different venues and festivals and continuing to make new music. And with wrestling, I would love to go to Japan as I’ve never wrestled in a Japanese ring or wrestled in that style. I just love being a performer.”

The interview, released in two parts, can be read on WrestleZone.com: part one, part two.

Leah Von Dutch Unveils “Wrestling for a Cure” Merchandise for Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Indy wrestler Leah Von Dutch, who made a big splash at last Friday’s SHINE 13, is doing her part to support Breast Cancer Awareness Month by donating merchandise proceeds to breast cancer charities.

Leah describes her own connection to the cause, telling Diva Dirt, “A few years back I lost my aunt to breast cancer and I have been participating in charity events every year since. This year I will be trying to raise money on my own through wrestling in different cities and towns.”

Available for purchase will be a t-shirt designed by Brad Myers and three different 8x10s shot by Blake Thomas, all made specifically for this cause.

Over 50% of the proceeds from each $19.99 t-shirt sale will go to charity, while 100% of the $10 8×10 earnings will benefit the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.

View the t-shirt design and one of the 8x10s below:

The t-shirt will be available on ProWrestlingTees.com this week, and the 8x10s can be purchased at every show Leah works in October.

New Diva Signing Heads to NXT

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It looks like the WWE has added yet another prospective Diva to their ranks: former Patriots cheerleader and Laker girl Leah Van Damme.

Leah, real name Leah Vandale, is the daughter of former WWE Superstar Paul Van Dale.

Van Damme tweeted about arriving at the WWE’s Performance Center, ready to start her training:

She then posted a photo of herself in the Performance Center-branded t-shirt:

Best of luck, Leah! Here’s hoping you don’t hear too many Rob Van Dam jokes.

You can learn more about Leah on her official website.

What do you think of this new signing?

Lay-Cool Makes WWE.com List of 50 Greatest Tag Teams

WWE.com has compiled an updated list of its 50 greatest tag teams in WWE history, and you may be surprised that a Diva duo made the cut.

Yes, the team of Michelle McCool and Layla, better known as Lay-Cool, has landed on the list at #37. Flawless choice!

WWE.com explains the pick in detail:

Real talk. Latent sexism will lead many to balk at the idea that two Divas earned their way onto a list dominated by Superstars, but the truth is no duo terrorized their division quite like Michelle McCool and Layla in 2009.

Gleefully evil, unflinchingly vicious and better looking than everyone on this list besides Rick Martel, Team Lay-Cool tormented their opponents to the point that Mickie James broke down in tears when they infamously dubbed her “Piggie James” in front of a disgusted crowd. They were a nightmare, a pair of Roddy Pipers in press-on nails who toted around a bifurcated Divas Championship as if it was their very own tag title. Lay-Cool weren’t just attitude, though. When an unfortunate victim finally worked up the courage to fight back, Mich would kick them in the face while Lay cackled in the corner. They were wicked, but being bad never looked so good.

You can check out the full list on WWE.com.

Does Lay-Cool deserve to be on the list?

Picture of the Day: Two Former Divas Champions Reunite

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Layla and Michelle McCool? Nope. Beth Phoenix and Natalya? Not quite. How about Melina and Jillian Hall? You’d be incorrect as well.

In referring to two former Divas Champions, we of course mean Eve Torres and Maryse, as shown above. Why did we name various other options when the picture is shown before them? Let’s not question that…

Maryse posted the snapshot on her WhoSay account, captioning it, “Eeeeevveeerrrr, so nice to see u last night!!!!! @EveMarieTorres”.

Maryse and Eve may have never seen eye to eye on screen during their respective WWE careers, but we’re fortunate that the story is a bit different behind the scenes. Truthfully, anything to get additional pictures and updates on the two is a plus for us fans.

Can we assume topics discussed during the meet up included their successful post-WWE ventures? That and the occasional Gobbeldy Gooker costume joke, but that goes without saying.

SmackDown Spoilers: October 4th, 2013

Below are spoilers for this week’s SmackDown:

Spoiler
* Rob Van Dam and Fandango go to disqualification when Summer Rae gets involved. Ricardo Rodriguez was also at ringside. After the match, RVD hit the Van Terminator with a trash can on Fandango.

* Brie Bella defeated Aksana. The Bella Twins celebrate after the match but Tamina Snuka and AJ Lee interrupt. AJ cuts a promo on Brie and their match at Battleground.

(Source)

Brie Bella Talks Daniel Bryan’s Proposal: Was it Filmed for ‘Total Divas’?

WWE.com has gotten the scoop on Brie Bella and Daniel Bryan‘s engagement, straight from the bride-to-be herself. In an interview with the website, she reveals how the proposal surprised her and that the Total Divas cameras were present for the moment.

In addition, Brie’s sister Nikki and fellow new bride Natalya have given their two cents on the engagement.

Though she knew it was coming, Brie says the proposal caught her off guard, telling WWE.com, “I was definitely ready for it, but I was definitely shocked when Daniel proposed to me. I felt like I knew it was coming sooner than later, but I wasn’t expecting it, on this beautiful hike in Big Sur. It was so amazing.”

According to Brie, even the Superstars were giddy about the news. She revealed, “Not only were the Divas so excited and wanted to see my engagement ring, it was crazy to see how many Superstars came up to me and gave me such a huge hug. All the Superstars wanted to hear the details. It was really cute to see the guys like that.”

Brie isn’t ready to share her full guest list yet, though, saying, “Oh, Randy Orton for sure will not be invited. And, you know, some of those Total Divas. I don’t know if I’m going to have the whole cast. If Eva Marie is behaving herself, she can come, but I don’t know.”

Brie’s sister Nikki is thrilled to add Daniel to her family, sharing:

“I’m really, really happy and excited for my sister, and nothing makes me happier than being her maid of honor. I just love Daniel, [even though] he and I couldn’t be more opposite. I’m really excited because he’s very honest with me, so I know I can always go up to Daniel and get honest advice even if it kills me. So I’m very excited to have him as my brother-in-law.”

Fellow Total Divas star Natalya offered Brie some advice:

“Just take it one day at a time, because with WWE, everything is big, so it’s going be a big deal. She’s going to have people wanting to give her suggestions and offering advice. So she just needs to take it all in, but mainly stay true to herself and Bryan, and what’s important to them.”

Brie revealed that the moment was, of course, captured by the Total Divas cameras, saying, “The one thing I want to say is that this is such a special moment in my life, and the fact that ‘Total Divas’ was filming, I’m so excited to let the WWE Universe see what I went through, and could experience a moment that I will remember for the rest of my life.”

Perfect 10 for the Week Ending September 30th, 2013

For each week’s Perfect 10, the Diva Dirt team will compile a list of the top 10 women in wrestling. Placement is determined by performances and achievements from the past week.

The list will be presented in video form by Diva Dirt’s Jake.

The Perfect 10 will follow Raw, taking into account all events leading up to and taking place on Monday night.

Watch the video below to see the countdown:

Visit our Perfect 10 page to see it in list form.

Tweet us your top five using hashtag #DivaDirtPerfect10.

What do you think of this week’s list? What changes would you make?

Maria Kanellis: “Life After WWE”

Diva Dirt is pleased to have former WWE Diva and the First Lady of Ring of Honor as a columnist. Stay tuned for new blogs from Maria.

What’s up all you Stars and Studs!!

Life after World Wresting Entertainment. Instantly, most fans think of failure. Fans think of the death. Fans think of careers being over. It’s sad that some fans don’t realize for a lot of wrestlers LIFE begins after wrestling. WWE is a rough road. Four to five days on the road and two to three days off. Two days in your own bed, just think of that for a moment. Snuggling with your favorite Spongebob pillow in your comfy GI Joe PJs and eating Biancci’s pizza in bed only to jump on a plane and out of your warm home cocoon. Maybe, eight days in a month will be spent with the people, pets, and things you love outside of wrestling.

Maria in the WWE.
Maria in the WWE.

It’s amazing when the wild ride is happening, don’t get me wrong, but it is a Wonderland. Once you fall down that rabbit hole, time no longer exists. It’s an endless cycle of shows, travel, laundry tanner, gym, travel, shows, etc etc etc… You can’t have much of a LIFE while on the road that much. Most fans believe that my life is over after the WWE, but it isn’t. I still am at wrestling shows almost every weekend. I am going to school full time. I did two films this year, Army of the Damned and A Bet’s a Bet. Army of the Damned will be out later this year. I was a host for King of the Cage on HDNET, Code Red DVDs and Afterbuzztv.com. I learned to sword fight while doing a fight for fantasywomenbattles.com. I recorded music. I’m a spokesperson for paythefan.com. I am planning my wedding!! I am currently on TV for Ring of Honor wrestling. But, none of that matters to the WWE wrestling fan if you aren’t on WWE TV.

I often wonder why that is. Do fans just want you to fail after WWE? Are fans not really a fan of the person but of the company? Do some fans want your life to be over because they don’t want to think of you doing anything else? I get asked everyday when are you going back? Don’t you miss WWE? I tried to go back, I sent my EPK to WWE, but they decided to not move forward with the storyline. Politics at WWE is a two-faced blessing and I am thankful to be working at Ring Of Honor. (I’ve almost been there for 2 years!!) I’m now happy to be moving forward with my life but I feel as if WWE fans aren’t ready for me to do so. They want to hear more about the Bella twins debacle. They want me to insult the girls that are on Total Divas. But, the truth is I have a lot more on my plate that what those chicks are up to or the happenings at WWE. Also, I don’t stay angry for that long. It’s bad karma and there are too many beautiful, positive people in my life to worry about the people that hurt me.

I don’t know what the answer is to make people understand my main goal in life has nothing to do with twins or to make people understand LIFE is good even without WWE. I will tell you this: when fans tell me I failed, it saddens me. I am sure that so many former WWE wrestlers feel this exact way. Because our lives aren’t over. I’m not dead. And I most certainly am not a failure. What is so great about WWE? The fame? The money? Or the traveling around the world? I guess all of it is great but to me it was just five and a half years. To me it was not the greatest or the worst experience in my life. I’ve lived for 25 and a half years without WWE and I would like to live at least 70 more. So, in the grand scheme of things my time at WWE is just a fabliau in my life and to ruminate on it is to live in verisimilitude.

Maria in ROH.
Maria in Ring of Honor.

So, many of my wrestling friends are starting to move forward as well, getting the dreaded “real” job, going back to school, having kids, and getting married. Some are still in wrestling and wrestling on the independent circuit. Most former wrestlers get to a point when it is time to move forward and become part of society. It’s scary and for the most part it is unexciting which is so far from what wrestlers are used to. BUT, there is a certain glow that emanates from wrestlers after WWE because it’s almost like you have survived a run in with the evil Queen and you still kept your head. I have shed a lot of tears this year, especially in February when my contract from WWE got pulled, for my old life as a Diva. It hurt and I felt like my life was over but I quickly learned that I still have so much left to offer. So, I picked myself up out of my puddle of useless tears and got to work. I am studying film and hope to make a transition to one day be behind the scenes, in wrestling. My road with the WWE may be over, but I still have a lot of road in my journey in LIFE.

Yes, this entire blog is a contradiction because on one hand all entertainers want to be in front of the massive crowds, but on the other hand, submitting to the political landscape of any major corporation such as WWE is draining. What I have concluded from this intense feeling of hypocrisy is that it is best to love what is good for us and not just what is only in Wonderland. WWE will always have a special place in my red heart but luckily I have a lot more space in my heart for LIFE.

With respect,

Mary Kanellis
“The First Lady of ROH”

http://mariakanellis.com
http://twitter.com/MariaLKanellis
http://www.facebook.com/OfficialMariaKanellis
http://paythefan.hoozon.com/hub/Maria_ptf1
http://fantasywomenbattles.com

Catch me on Ring of Honor: rohwrestling.com.


Maria Kanellis is a professional wrestling personality currently working for Ring of Honor, a former WWE Diva, Playboy covergirl and Celebrity Apprentice contestant.

Tweet about Maria’s column using the hashtag #MariaDivaDirt.

In Video: Divas’ Roles Expanded in WWE 2K14 Universe Mode

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2K Sports, the brains behind WWE 2K14, hosted a live stream yesterday that detailed the new features added to the game’s Universe mode.

Among the additions was a fundamental change for the Divas: when setting up events, fans will be able to set the Divas Championship as their “major title”, allowing the Divas to wrestle in the main event.

As a result, players can book all-Diva shows featuring AJ Lee, Aksana, Kaitlyn, Layla, Lita, Natalya and Stephanie McMahon. No Superstars required!

Watch the live stream below:

Are you excited about this change?

RELATED: ‘WWE 2K14’ Roster Revealed: Seven Divas Make the Cut

Raw Redux (September 30th, 2013): The Braniel Love Story Takes Center Stage

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Today was an amazing day for me. I walked around in a cloud of awesome, totally high off the Breaking Bad finale. Things just kept getting better and better, especially when it was announced that Brie Bella would face AJ Lee for the Divas Championship at the Battleground Pay-Per-View. Brie has been nothing short of amazing lately, making the most of the biggest push of her career. There’s no doubt that there will be a lot of Brie tonight, and if the weeks past have proven anything, it will provide us with plenty of Diva perfection.

Summer Rae is our first Diva sighting of the night and she looks amazing if I do say so myself. Fandango is also wearing his new pink merchandise shirt. As announced earlier, the Susan G. Komen foundation has once again partnered with the WWE and twenty-percent of all merchandise sales will be going to breast cancer research. I plan on buying a ton of this because it’s one charity I support full force, and I love the color the pink! Kudos to the WWE for doing this again.

Unfortunately for our favorite ballroom dancer, Kofi Kingston was able to pick up a victory and we didn’t get to see much from Summer tonight. It also pains me to report that I wasn’t feeling her sequins tonight. But that’s okay, because for like the millionth week in a row, she got a chant and that makes me very, very happy. It also makes me happy that Bray Wyatt came out after this match was over. I love him.

Seriously… I’m available. DM me your number…

Anyway.

To follow-up last week’s perfect, amazing, beautiful, not to mention brilliant backstage segment, Randy Orton decided to creep on the Bella twins once again. While Nikki absolutely slayed in silver, Brie expressed her excitement over getting a title shot against AJ Lee at Battleground. Of course, Randy came in and made it weird.

I’m not even going to lie, I thought for sure Brie was going to respond with a slap right to Randy’s kisser when she looked at Nikki for support. But Brie stood there and she took it, seemingly not wanting to draw the ire of Randy or the McMahons for that matter. What I’m most interested in is the fact that more about Brie and Daniel Bryan‘s engagement was promised for later in the night.

Stephanie McMahon, our goddess and Queen, provided the next bit of Diva goodness. She came out to the ring with her hubby, Triple H, and apparently has a business proposal for the Rhodes family – Cody, Dusty, and Goldust.

Stephanie and Hunter’s proposition for the Rhodes brothers is a match at Battleground. If Cody and Goldust can beat the tag team champions, Seth “Saint Tyler” Rollins and Roman “I’d Hit It” Reigns, they will have their jobs. The catch is, that if they lose, not only will they never work for the WWE again, their father will lose his job down in NXT.

Ohhhhh the drama!

Stephanie continues to be a breath of fresh air on my television screen each and every week. I know that she’s a wife and a mother, as well as a very successful business woman, but she is in a league of her own when it comes to being an onscreen character. Little known fact about me, but I really got into the WWE product during the first McMahon-Helmsley Era. So this second go around not only reminds me of my younger years, happier times when I was a carefree teenager living a debt free life, but it makes me love wrestling entertainment just that much more.

Later on, Brie and Nikki are seen walking backstage towards the ring area. Brie, the new number one contender, will be in action next. She’s going to face Alicia Fox.

Okay first of all, this match KILLED IT. If you didn’t even somewhat like this match then you are just a hater. Alicia looked SOOOOOO good and Brie was nailing everything. Their chemistry was absolutely perfect together and my only regret is that this match didn’t last longer. And that’s saying something because it got a decent amount of time for a Raw match. I’m so excited to see Brie and AJ face off this Sunday, and you better believe that the championess was watching backstage. I’m curious to see if Tamina Snuka decides to insert herself into the picture this weekend, or if she tries to take out Nikki.

I love AJ having solid back-up in the form of Tamina. You guys already know that I’m advocate for having every Diva involved in whatever. Not everyone has to wrestle. While I’m not entirely convinced that Brie will win on Sunday, and if she does I expect the McMahons to take it away from, I’d love to see Tamina get involved and Nikki go out of her way to protect her sister.

Speaking of protecting, Stephanie showed up again to save the Big Show from getting arrested. Earlier in the night, he went postal during an interview with Renee Young and vowed to knock out Triple H.

Does this segment really need to be recapped? Stephanie letting the entire world know that Show’s wife was disappointed that he wasn’t living up to her expectations pretty much says it all. There’s not one single line that Stephanie won’t cross. And we love her for it.

And speaking of love, oh my God. Words can’t even begin to express the love I have for everything that happened at the end of the show. I had a feeling that it would end up being some huge defining moment for Brie, and my goodness. It was absolutely everything I hoped it would be and then some.

When Randy decided to bring Brie up to Daniel’s face, I was literally holding my breath. There’s absolutely no way Daniel was going to stand for that, and I knew it. You guys knew it. The question was, how far could Randy push? Well, it didn’t take much. The beating Daniel took was pretty bad and when Brie ran out there – to stop it, to help, I’m not sure – she was forced to watch the worst part. A lot of people are questioning why Brie didn’t try and shield Daniel with her body, or get physically involved. If Randy Orton gave you that evil, rapey scare would you get involved?!

Remember when he destroyed Stephanie and gave her that creepy kiss?!

Daniel and Brie, bless their hearts. Both of them have title matches come Sunday and I don’t see either match ending well for them. I don’t know what else is going to happen in this amazing saga, but I know that I can’t wait for it. Brie was an absolute star last night and I can only hope that however the Diva’s Championship match ends on Sunday, that it gives both ladies something to build off of.

AJ needs something fresh and new, and the sky is the limit for Brie right now. I have quite a few storyline ideas that would work for both women, and hopefully I’ll be able to write a piece with those ideas some time this week! With that said, I’m going to turn things over to you guys. I know we have a love/hate relationship but I want to know what you guys want to see come Battleground! A lot of you have great storyline ideas and don’t be surprised if I take them and put them together in a piece for the site this weekend.

Until then… Cryssi out!

Trish Stratus and The Fabulous Moolah Featured on ‘The History of WWE’ DVD Cover

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Courtesy of WrestlingDVDNews.com, we’re getting our first look at the upcoming WWE DVD release titled The History of WWE. It, as the name suggests, celebrates the company’s 50 year anniversary in retrospective fashion.

Trish Stratus and The Fabulous Moolah, two women who figured heavily in the WWE’s past five decades, are featured on the DVD’s cover:

WrestlingDVDNews describes the DVD in saying it “sheds light on the ups and downs in the company’s 50 year history, exploring such topics as the launch of WrestleMania, growing from a regional promotion to a global brand, the steroid scandal, the XFL and many others still to be named.”

The DVD and Blu-Ray will be released on November 19th. You can preorder them on Amazon.

In Video: AJ Lee and Brie Bella Talk Divas Title Match at Battleground

This Sunday at Battleground, AJ Lee will defend her Divas Championship against Brie Bella. The Divas didn’t cross paths on Raw, but they had plenty to say about each other backstage on the WWE App

Brie and Nikki caught up with Josh Mathews after Brie’s victory over Alicia Fox, discussing Randy Orton‘s intimidating words and Brie’s title shot.

Brie says that, despite the encounter with Orton, she’s on cloud nine. If Randy knew Daniel Bryan like she did, he would know that he’s good for business.

Nikki’s advice to her sister was to just keep doing what she’s doing. Brie, she says, has been proving herself for a while now, and if she continues on the path she’s on now, the Divas Title will be hers.

Watch Brie and Nikki’s interview below:

AJ, meanwhile, isn’t too concerned about Brie. With Tamina Snuka by her side, she dismisses Brie’s win over Alicia Fox, saying that Alicia is nothing compared to her.

AJ says that Brie is distracted with everything going on with Daniel Bryan, and her head isn’t in the game. Her own eyes, though, are on the prize.

She closes out the interview by wishing Brie luck with Daniel Bryan, who she dubs her “sloppy seconds”.

Watch AJ’s interview below:

Do you think Brie is too distracted to defeat AJ?