Next’s week Raw is being taped tonight. Spoilers below:
WSU Uncensored Rumble 6 Updates: New Rumble Entrant & Match Announced
WSU has made two updates to the card of its Uncensored Rumble 6 show, set to take place on Saturday, August 10th.
Jody D’Milo is the fifth entrant announced for the Rumble match. D’Milo, a Canadian wrestler, has recently competed for AIW and APW.
Also added to the card is a Mixed Tag Team match: Addy Starr and Matt Tremont against Chris Dickinson and a partner of his choice.
You can buy tickets to the show by clicking here.
Nikki Storm to Make United States Debut in October
Scottish wrestler and Pro Wrestling: EVE Champion Nikki Storm is set to make her US debut in October.
She’ll be taking part in AIW’s taping of Girls Night Out 9 and 10 on October 6th in Cleveland, OH.
Recently released TNA Knockout Taeler Hendrix is confirmed to be making her AIW return on the same shows, with Allysin Kay also set to defend her AIW Women’s Championship against Veda Scott.
In what has been dubbed “Female Fight Season”, several other top women’s promotions will be holding shows around the same time: Bellatrix (also on October 6th–Nikki, who made her debut for the company at their show in June, will miss it), SHIMMER (October 19th and 20th), SHINE, WSU and NCW Femmes Fatales (November 2nd), so it’s not inconceivable to imagine that Nikki could also be appearing on one or more of them.
Purchase tickets to see Nikki’s US debut by clicking here.
Photos: Thea Trinidad’s Behind the Scenes Look at ‘Army of the Damned’
Former TNA Knockout Thea Trinidad has posted several images on her Instagram account that give us a sneak peak at her new movie Army of the Damned.
Trinidad, formerly known as Rosita in TNA, plays Officer Lawson in the film. IMDB describes the plot as: “A hit reality TV show goes horribly wrong when a group of small town cops respond to a call that brings a whole new meaning to the phrase, domestic disturbance.”
Amongst the photographs uploaded, Thea is seen posing with a gun, getting doused with fake blood and being worked on by her makeup artist.
Trinidad is not the only wrestler taking part in the film. Former ECW Champion Tommy Dreamer and ex-WWE Diva and current Lady of Honor Maria Kanellis also star in the horror flick.
Army of the Damned is scheduled for a 2013 release.
Check out the images below:
[nggallery id=654]
In Video: Stacy Keibler Talks Wrestling Career, “From Lingerie Matches to Dinner With Obama”
Stacy Keibler is finally opening up about her wrestling career.
It seemed that many in the entertainment industry had all but forgotten that the host of Supermarket Superstar was once a leggy WWE Diva–until Keibler appeared as a guest on The Sam Roberts Show this past Sunday.
In addition to promoting her upcoming show, Stacy was asked about being a former wrestler.
“I was a huge fan. That’s how I got into it,” Keibler said. “I just started getting involved and going to all of the events and holding the signs and got into it.”
Keibler, of course, won the Nitro Girls competition in 1999 to become a dancer for WCW. She explained how it all went down, saying, “The fans voted for me and I thought I was going to dance with the girls once a week and then a month later they asked me to be a character on the show and sent me to the wrestling school while I was being a character. I kind of had to learn as I was going…hence why I was being so terrible,” Keibler joked.
Stacy also played the role of one of Vince McMahon‘s many “assistants” during her time in the WWE. She revealed she was actually scheduled to make out with the Chairman!
“The day I was supposed to make out with Vince McMahon something happened with Steve Austin being accused of beating his wife, whatever it was, we x-ed our segment out,” Keibler said.
Stacy pretty much did it all in the WWE and faced her fair share of tough competitors. On who was the toughest, she said, “Lita was pretty tough. I got a lot of brusies. But we became good friends.”
Stacy also opens up about being “The Duchess of Dudleyville”, her table bump, her first physical activity in wrestling and whether or not George Clooney is a wrestling fan. Check out the interview below:
Would you like to see Stacy make a one night return to the WWE?
Jim Ross Clarifies Paige Comments, Says She’s “Exactly Where She Needs to Be Right Now”
Comments made by WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross regarding NXT standout Paige have gotten tongues wagging over the last few days.
JR has provided additional comments on the situation in his latest blog post.
Yesterday, Jim took to his Twitter account to further verify his stance on “The Diva of Tomorrow.” A lot of fans were under the impression that Jim was saying that Paige wasn’t talented, yet the announcing legend set the record straight regarding opinions on that topic. He tweeted:
For those obsessing w/ it, Paige is one of NXT's top prospects. She's young. She's exactly where she needs to be right now & doing great.
— Jim Ross (@JRsBBQ) July 22, 2013
JR then more broadly addressed the age of developmental talents in his blog. He said:
“My comments regarding my personal opinion regarding the idea age for performers to be called up full time to the main, WWE roster has draw a gambit of responses here on our Q&A section of our website and on Twitter @JRsBBQ. This has zero to do specifically with the talented Paige who I am a major supporter of and feel that she will have a successful run on RAW or Smackdown some day soon but some idiots made it such. No 20 year old, no matter the precedent for any man or woman is generally ready for the non in ring requirements and challenges that go with being a WWE Superstar who tours extensively. The amount of social maturity that comes with life experiences and natural maturity is absolutely necessary. Is it always there or has it always been there over the years with some young talents who have had a variety of issues, some minor and some not so minor? Of course not. Every human being is different and they all handle challenges in their own way and one way to eliminate some of those immature mistakes is to make sure that the talents are socially and emotionally ready to make the road their home.”
RELATED: Jim Ross on Paige: “20 Years Old Don’t Belong on the Main Roster”
In Video: Bella Twins Tease ‘Total Divas’ with NBC
They’re at it again!
Former WWE Divas Champions Brie and Nikki Bella are once again promoting Total Divas. This time, the twins stopped by NBCUniversalDirect.com.
In the clip, The Bellas talk about how WWE’s mix of athletics and entertainment was perfect for them and how they act with their boyfriends–including that they like PDA!.
The sisters also give a brief introduction to each of the Total Divas cast members.
Check out the clip below:
Total Divas premieres Sunday, July 28th at 10pm on E!
Want more Total Divas? Check out our full coverage here.
Raw Redux (July 22nd, 2013): Eva Marie Makes a Name for Herself, but Is It the Right One?
Okay so we all know that this week is Total Divas week, officially or unoffically… whatever. And last night, the WWE decided to indulge us and introduce us to the cast via a segment on Miz TV. Naomi, Cameron, Brie and Nikki Bella, Jo-Jo, and Eva Marie were all given the spotlight, but perhaps it was the flaming red-headed vixen we’ve seen cause trouble on the previews that stole the spotlight from everyone! Lets take a look at what went down when Jerry “The King” Lawler was brought into the situation.
Like seriously, Eva Marie. Talk about finding a way to get everyone to talk about you! This girl doesn’t seem like the type to play around, and I am more than okay with that. We all know how Lawler is when it comes to a pretty face, and Eva Marie made it more than clear she wasn’t going to put up with his wandering eyes! Now if John Cena had been in the ring… well that might have led to a different outcome. We’ve already seen one of the Total Divas sneak peak that Eva Marie is the type of woman who won’t hesitate to do whatever it takes to make it! Sunday’s premiere is going to be amazing! I can’t wait to see more.
Something I didn’t necessarily need to see more of was the ongoing drama between Dolph Ziggler, Big E. and our Divas Champion, AJ Lee. YES AJ!!! YOU ARE THE DIVAS CHAMPION! Quit being such a clingy ex and start worrying about your title! Never mind the fact that if Prince Dawlf was my ex, I would be a bit pyscho too. Never mind the fact I would cling to every single moment we shared together and do whatever I could to keep myself in his line of vision. Okay… so just ignore me. Keep doing the crazy, girl.
The only possible thing that concerns me now is the championship taking a back seat. I’m choosing to believe they had something else planned with Kaitlyn, but that had to take a backseat for a bit while Kaitlyn is off television. Either way, SummerSlam is coming up soon, and there needs to be a plan! Maybe instead of worrying about Brad Maddox and the McMahons, Stephanie McMahon could do something about our distracted little champion?
I don’t know what’s going with the McMahons or what this story is even going to turn into. I’m done trying to figure out what that clan is up too because at the end of the day you ever really know! And with the lack of action last night, I’m just going to go ahead and post a video featuring Summer Rae and Fandango. If for nothing else, Summer probably had on my favorite outfit so far last night.
That about sums it up folks. Not the best night for the Divas, but an awesome teaser at the type of character Eva Marie is. I cannot wait to see more of her! Until next time… Cryssi out!
In Video: Latest ‘Total Divas’ Peek Exposes Rocky Relationships, Medical Emergencies
Total Divas is premiering this Sunday, so E! is pulling out all the stops to promote their newest reality show.
The latest commercial released by E! details each relationship on the show, as well as Diva-on-Diva drama and a few medical emergencies.
We’ve already seen a lot of Brie and Nikki Bella‘s relationships with Daniel Bryan and John Cena, but now we’re getting a better look at the show’s other romances.
In the commercial, we see that Natalya‘s relationship with longtime beau Tyson Kidd seems to be cooling, Jo-Jo‘s romance with Justin Gabriel has the young Diva on the road to heartbreak and Naomi‘s bringing her frustrations with Jimmy Uso into the ring.
The video also details Nikki’s recent leg injury, as well as a concussion suffered by Jo-Jo.
Watch it all below:
Which relationship are you most interested in seeing on the show?
Total Divas premieres Sunday, July 28th at 10pm on E!
Want more Total Divas? Check out our full coverage here.
In Video: ‘Total Divas’ Drama on ‘Backstage Fallout’
The women of Total Divas took over Raw last night to promote the show, which premieres this Sunday on E!.
Perhaps the most memorable moment of the segment was Eva Marie slapping WWE Hall of Famer Jerry Lawler. All of the other women were certainly shocked by the newcomer’s bold actions.
Eva Marie, Nikki Bella, Brie Bella, Jo-Jo, Natalya, Naomi and Cameron talked with WWE.com’s Backstage Fallout crew following their segment.
Brie immediately snatched the microphone and ordered Eva Marie to answer the question of what to expect on Total Divas. After a little hot potato with the microphone, the veteran Divas talking about how disrespectful Eva Marie was to Lawler, the Bellas and Natalya stormed off.
Natalya then requested some time to voice her feelings.
“I just can’t seem to get a word in edge wise with all the other girls talking over each other and the fact that Eva Marie, who has never even had a match in WWE, just kind of wants to take the spotlight. It’s really hard to compete at times girls who are selfish,” Natalya said. “I just want people to be excited about seeing Total Divas. It’s not just about drama and cattiness, it’s also about relationships and uniting each other at the end of the day and working through problems.”
It seems like Nattie and the other Divas have had about enough of Eva Marie. What drama went down while filming the show? Well, we’re about to find out Sunday.
Check out the segment below:
Brie Bella Comments on Her Wardrobe Malfunction on Raw: “You’ll Never See That Again!”
While giving us a sneak peek at E!’s new reality show, Total Divas, on Raw last night, poor Brie Bella gave fans a sneak peek at something she didn’t bargain for, as she accidentally exposed her nipple during an in-ring segment with her cast mates.
Well, horny teenagers around the Internet, we hope you caught an eyeful of Daniel Bryan‘s lady love while you can — because Brie is adamant you won’t be seeing her assets again!
She tweeted:
I apologize 4 my wardrobe malfunction I'm embarrassed & it looks as though the humidity made my tape come off You'll never see that again! B
— The Bella Twins (@nicoleandbri) July 23, 2013
Perhaps the former Divas Champion was just way too excited for the premiere of Total Divas this Sunday, or she was shocked out of her dress when newbie Eva Marie slapped Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler? Either way, as they say in the biz, all publicity is good publicity, and this surely can’t hurt the hype for Total Divas!
Brie’s wardrobe malfunction follows former Divas Champ Kaitlyn‘s embarrassing exposure just last month.
WWE Superstars Spoilers: July 26th, 2013
Spoilers for this week’s episode of WWE Superstars, taped last night before Raw:
Picture of the Day: ODB Uncovers a Blast From the Past
You may think we’ve all somehow been transported back to the year 2006 with the above photo making headlines, but fear not. It’s actually a rare photograph of current TNA Knockout ODB and indy star Serena Deeb taken during their time as top prospects of the OVW Women’s Division.
ODB posted the shot on Twitter with the caption, “Look what I found @SerenaDeeb n the @ovwrestling girls locker room last wed nite #BAM”.
In light of ODB’s one night return to the company, perhaps Serena could follow suit sometime down the road? Of course, she’s currently on her way to Japan so wouldn’t bet on that happening any time soon. Never say never though, right?
Raw Response & Live Blog: July 22nd, 2013
Get your Monday night Divas fix by tuning in to Raw tonight on the USA Network at 8pm ET.
Discuss the show in the comments!
Follow along with our live blog below:
Perfect 10: Week Ending July 21st, 2013
The Perfect 10 has returned, and it’s better than ever! Each week, 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 Perfect 10 will be posted every Monday, taking into account any Pay-Per-View events.
Ready to dive into the list? Click the arrow below to see who landed at #10.
Exclusive: Mickie James Hosts Album Launch Party in London, Talks New Record, Knockouts and More
TNA Knockouts Champion Mickie James was in London, England, last night for an extra-special launch party to celebrate the release of her new album, Somebody’s Gonna Pay, and Diva Dirt was on the exclusive guest list for the event!
Mickie — currently in her third spell as Knockouts Champion and her record-breaking ninth title reign across WWE and TNA — was her usual bubbly, down-to-earth self, showing exactly why she’s been so popular with her fanbase throughout her career, and treated the select group of wrestling and country music fans in attendance to a Q&A session, where she talked in depth about her music career, the current state of TNA’s Knockouts division and much more.
Read below for some of the highlights from last night:
On filming the video for lead single “Somebody’s Gonna Pay” with Trish Stratus and Nick ‘Magnus’ Aldis: “I called Trish and said I was doing my music video, and I really wanted to bring some of the wrestling side to it… I thought it’d be really cool to have someone who was so influential at the start of my career to be a part of – this beginning, I guess – ’cause this is the first real release of a real album, you know, with the whole machine behind you. And she said yes ,so we flew her down and she hung out in Nashville. Nick did a fabulous job playing that awful boyfriend, and Trish was obviously a great bartender, because everyone was feeling right by the end of the night!”
On her dream country music collaboration: “Tim McGraw, I think. That’s who I really connected with growing up… I grew up on all types of music, but I think Tim McGraw in my young adolescent era was the first person I really connected with as an artist.”
On the writing process for the album, and whether she hopes to write more of her own music in the future: “It’s hard, because there are a lot of incredible songwriters who write songs all day long. I kind of write my own style – I’m more of a lyricist really. So I’ll hear a melody in my head and I’ll start to write with that. I mean, I’ve written whole songs but then I’ll go to a guitarist or a fellow writer who plays the guitar, and we’ll go back and re-write that song, so it just depends. I find I write my strongest when I’m working with somebody else who can sit there and play while I’m writing, and, you know, have some input in the thing as well.”
On the independent wrestler she’d like to see in TNA: “I’ve gone on record and will continue to go on record saying Serena – she’s one of the most talented people I’ve ever had the chance to step in the ring with. I’ve watched her from day one when she first stepped in the ring, she is technically one of the best wrestlers I’ve ever worked with.”
On the current state of Knockouts division and recent departures: “You’re always hopeful [about the division]. I mean obviously within any division there’s that revolving door, and it’s sad to see so many of the girls that I love with so much talent, you know, Madison and Tara [leave TNA]. Of course, everybody knows that Madison’s having a baby, she’s made that publicly clear. But you know, I feel like both of them are way too talented to not be doing something somewhere. I know that Tara recently tweeted a picture that she was getting ready for something; she’s as hard a worker as anybody else and she’s one of the most talented people I’ve ever had the chance to work with.”
On Taryn Terrell: “She’s come a long way, and I feel she’s really taken it to another level and come past that stereotype of just being the blonde model who learned how to wrestle – plus she’s a stuntwoman, so you have to be a little crazy for that!”
The Knockouts Champ was in town to celebrate the launch of her second album and rubbed shoulders with fans at the exclusive event at Grace Bar in London’s Piccadilly Circus.
Somebody’s Gonna Pay is available on iTunes now.
In Video: Former Diva Featured on WWE.com List of “One-Hit Wonders”
WWE.com has compiled a list of 12 “one-hit wonders” from wrestling history: wrestlers who appeared suddenly and disappeared from television just as quickly.
Krissy Vaine‘s September 2007 attack on Torrie Wilson landed on the list at number 10.
The attack was considered a “one-hit wonder” because Krissy left the WWE soon after. She would later explain to us in detail the reasons behind her abrupt departure.
After leaving the WWE, Krissy wrestled for a few years on the independent circuit under her new alias Kristin Astara before retiring in 2011.
She married NXT star Conor O’Brian last month.
Longtime Diva Dirt readers will remember Krissy’s stint writing a column and hosting an audio show as a member of Team Diva Dirt.
Watch the full countdown below:
Do you think Krissy could have been a successful WWE Diva?
Mickie James Addresses Tara and Madison Rayne’s TNA Departures
Knockouts Champion Mickie James has a fair bit of history with recently-departed TNA Knockouts Madison Rayne and Tara, and so it was only fitting that she took a moment to pay homage to them during a Q&A session at her album launch party for Somebody’s Gonna Pay in London, England last night.
Diva Dirt was in the house at the event and caught James’ comments on the recent losses to the Knockouts division.
She said: “It’s sad to see so many of the girls that I love with so much talent, you know, Madison and Tara [leave TNA].
“Of course, everybody knows that Madison’s having a baby, she’s made that publicly clear. But you know, I feel like both of them are way too talented to not be doing something somewhere. I know that Tara recently tweeted a picture that she was getting ready for something; she’s as hard a worker as anybody else and she’s one of the most talented people I’ve ever had the chance to work with.”
The Knockouts Champ was in town to celebrate the launch of her second album and rubbed shoulders with fans at the exclusive event at Grace Bar in London’s Piccadilly Circus.
Stay tuned for more coverage of Mickie’s album launch party.
Somebody’s Gonna Pay is available on iTunes now.
Kharma Making a “Fun Return to Television”
She’s performed for both WWE and TNA, but could Kharma be bringing her talents to another television show?
Kharma, real name Kia Stevens, tweeted yesterday that she was preparing for a “fun return to television”:
Preparing for a fun return to television. More details to follow!
— Kharma (@Kharma) July 21, 2013
With such scant details, there’s really no telling what Kharma’s return to TV would be. Personally, we’d love to see her invade Total Divas. Finally, revenge on those damn Bella twins!
She has promised to deliver more details soon, so we’ll provide more info when it comes along.
What do you think Kharma’s return to TV will be?
Jim Ross on Paige: “20 Year Olds Don’t Belong on the Main Roster”
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has provided many a respected opinion over the years, and in the latest blog post on his official website, he has given his thoughts on NXT Diva Paige and why, in his opinion, she is not yet ready for the main roster.
Back in April, when asked about the progress of both Paige and Summer Rae, JR stated that he felt both women needed “more time in NXT”.
Now he has spoken out again after receiving messages on Twitter regarding his stance on Paige following her impressive advancement to the NXT Women’s Championship tournament final.
JR said that he believes, despite Paige’s experience, her age is still an issue. He made this perfectly clear in response to a fan earlier this month:
“@RobbieS83: @JRsBBQ @MrKrisMark I find this Q&A totally disrespectful 2 "paige" Talk about demoralising a person”. She's excellent. Just 20
— Jim Ross (@JRsBBQ) July 20, 2013
Fast forward to today’s blog post, and Jim has clarified and defended his opinion on the “Diva of Tomorrow”. He stated:
“Amazing how when people ask an opinion of a NXT talent and I provide it, then it becomes a manure storm on Twitter because I merely expressed how I felt per their question. Amazing times that we live in, right? I was asked if NXT’s Paige was ready for the next level and I simply said ‘No’ because she was only 20 years old and needed more time in development before being elevated to the main roster. One can’t even rent a car in the USA until they are 25 and, no, I’m not suggesting that the talented Paige will be in development for that length of time. Point is, I am of the belief that 20 year olds don’t belong on the main roster unless it’s a rare exception.”
Could Paige be that rare exception? It wouldn’t be the first time a Diva or Superstar had debuted aged 20 or younger. Back in 2006, Kelly Kelly debuted on ECW at 19 years old. In terms of Superstars, Kenny Dykstra also debuted in the WWE at age 19 in 2006. He even went on to win the WWE World Tag Team Championship less than a month after his 20th birthday.
You can read JR’s entire blog post by clicking here.
Do you think Paige’s age should impact whether or not she is called up?
Brittney Savage Posts Cryptic Tweet: Big Plans Ahead?
What major news could Brittney Savage be about to spill?
Earlier today, the independent star tweeted a very cryptic message, stating that after something big happened to her, retirement is no longer on the horizon.
Brittney tweeted:
Due to something big that just happened for me, I will not be retiring from wrestling, unless things fall through ????????
— Brittney Savage (@TheBrittySavage) July 21, 2013
Back in June, Brittney announced that she was planning to retire from the wrestling business.
Brittney has competed for WSU from 2008 to 2012, and more recently for SHINE Wrestling.
What do you think Brittney’s news could be?
Picture of the Day: Brooke and Taryn Are Looking a Little Fishy…
No, that’s not an America’s Next Top Model challenge you’re looking at–it’s TNA Knockouts Brooke Tessmacher and Taryn Terrell goofing off on the set of their newest photoshoot.
Brooke posted the above photo on Instagram, captioning it, “A shoot ill never forget! Love this girl!”.
We’d have loved to see them bust out some Tyra-approved serious poses in the water, but goofy works too!
You can see other tank shots on Brooke’s WrestlingKnockouts.com page.
Lita Update: Former Diva Explains the “S****y and Difficult” Thing That Happened to Her
Earlier this week, a cryptic message about something “shitty and diffcult” happening to former WWE Diva Lita sent the internet in a tizzy.
Tonight Lita, real name Amy Dumas, hosted her radio show Amy’s Discordia and shed light on what had happened to her this past week.
She explained that she had taken her godson on a trip to Six Flags and, as she knew it would be an expensive trip, stocked up on cash. While at the park, she and her godson’s bags were stolen. They eventually found his backpack in a garbage can, but everything of hers–including her photo-filled phone and cash-filled wallet–was gone.
Lita stressed that everything was fine with her and, having cancelled her credit cards and gotten a new phone, she’s putting the incident behind her.
After last week’s message sent everyone in a tizzy, it’s nice to know that she’s doing just fine.
You can listen to Amy’s Discordia Sunday nights at 8pm ET on SFMTV.com.
Katarina Waters Talks WWE/TNA Return, Treatment of Women in Wrestling
Czech wrestling website Art of Wrestling have published an interview with former WWE Diva and TNA Knockout Katarina Waters.
The woman formerly known as Katie Lea Burchill and Winter was asked if she would ever consider returning to a full-time wrestling schedule with either of the two top companies. She replied, “Perhaps if it was the right opportunity. I enjoyed myself in both places. I just don’t know if I would want to be quite so restricted again as I would be in WWE.”
The two-time Knockouts Champion was also asked about her opinion on whether women are treated differently to men in the wrestling business. She responded, “Yes, to an extent. Obviously they get less coverage and airtime than the men, but I think that is also due to the nature of the business and the demands of the audience. I don’t think that a show that was 50% women’s matches would do as well in a mainstream capacity. So there are less women’s matches which is fine, but sometimes people equate that with ‘less important’, which is a mistake.”
Katarina also discussed what she is up to recently, and revealed that she has just wrapped up work on her own short film. She said, “I am in Los Angeles, pursuing acting and writing. I just shot my own short film and would like to put more of my own projects together. In the meantime, I am still wrestling independently and having a great time doing it!”
Katarina also discussed her time in OVW, her wrestling influences and her favorite moments of her career. You can check the whole interview here.
Five Teasers for ‘Total Divas’: What to Expect When the WWE Divas Take Over E!
In exactly one week — that’s seven long days, 168 arduous hours! — the WWE Divas will take over E! with their own (constructed) reality show, Total Divas, and we can’t freaking wait!
Diva Dirt had a chance to screen the first episode and while we’ll post a full review of the show in the coming days, here are five little teasers to whet your appetite in anticipation of the new show!
1. “Broadway with bodyslams” | WWE is described, rather aptly, by the Bella Twins as being like an over-the-top musical with extra added kicks and punches, and there is plenty of this in Total Divas. The E! cameras take us backstage at WWE in a way that hasn’t really been done before and while some of the drama is clearly constructed for the sake of the show, it’s still a fun peak behind the curtain!
2. Ryan Gosling eat your heart out | Perhaps one of the cutest moments of the premiere episode is seeing one of our loved-up WWE couples adorably recreate a scene from The Notebook. Well, if you can’t run into Ryan Gosling’s arms, you may as well run into the strong, muscly arms of a WWE Superstar!
3. Natalya bites back | It seems Natalya‘s story arc in this show is her being worried about losing her spot on the Divas roster and being overlooked by WWE for the other Divas. Pretty close to reality, right? Even if it’s just being played out for the cameras, we love seeing our favorite third-generation Diva challenge authority and fight for her spot!
4. This isn’t your grandmother’s John Cena | Forget the John Cena you’re used to seeing (and ridiculing) on WWE television. Total Divas‘ John Cena — beau to the feisty Nikki Bella — may be one of our favorite things about the show. Sweet, caring and sensitive? Swoon!
5. “We got cut” | The first episode of Total Divas is all about the lead-up to WrestleMania 29 and even takes us backstage at the biggest event of the year. We can’t think of a better way to kick off this show than focusing on the drama that came with this year’s axed Divas match. Poor Naomi!
Total Divas premieres Sunday, July 28th at 10pm on E!
Want more Total Divas? Check out our full coverage here.
OVW Write-Up (July 18th, 2013): ODB Returns to Her Roots
Hola there everyone, and welcome to this weeks OVW Write-Up. We had another week of absolutely nothingness, which we’ll try to forget ever happened, like that last time we went through a dry spell. Never fear though, because the ladies of Ohio Valley are back with a vengeance.
And speaking of being back, none other than TNA Knockout, ODB makes her grand return to the place where many fans, including this one, first learned of her wrestling existence. She’ll take to the microphone to let us know what she has in mind for her appearance tonight, but with appearances also being made throughout the show by Lei’D Tapa, Taeler Hendrix, newcomer Envy, and Women’s Champion, Trina, will any of them be during ODB’s big moment?
Scroll on down to find out…
Can it be? Why yes it can. The ODB is back to her roots tonight as she makes her way down to the OVW ring and lets a commentator slap her ass. ODB looks extremely fan friendly this evening, making her way around the entire ring and receiving a microphone. She takes a sip from her flask and runs down some of the memories from her time at OVW, including being champion, Rio De Janero, and getting arrested. She then talks about the huge group of women they had back then such as Beth Phoenix, Serena, Katie Lea, Alicia Fox, and Kelly Kelly! She’s now married and tatted up a bit more, but the main reason she’s come back to OVW is to see what the women are made of now.
ODB calls anyone out from the back and here comes none other than the Fall Out Boy themed Women’s Champion, Trina! ODB asks her name, and Trina lets her know that she’s the toughest Diva here. This doesn’t set well with Lei’D Tapa, who steps out as well and makes her own presence felt to the two women. ODB amusingly tells Tapa now to eat her, but Lei’D steals the microphone and bops ODB on the head. She turns her focus to Trina and says that even if she holds the title, she’ll never be as big and powerful as Lei’D. ODB takes the microphone back and motions for a triple threat match to begin. The referee runs out and we’ve got a match underway after the break!
We’re back and underway as Tapa shoves Trina from the start. ODB now begins unleashing on Lei’D Tapa with some shots and runs forward with a splash. Trina hits a punch, but ODB chest bumps her and she tumbles a bit, but gets back up only to be slammed down.
ODB with a headlock, as Trina backs her into a corner and slams her head into the abs. Trina then nails a clothesline, but Lei’D Tapa breaks the pin up. Tapa with a pair of slaps and a double clothesline, slamming ODB’s face down and locking in a submission as Trina stays down on the other side of the ring. She grabs ODB’s flask and drops it to the outside, leveling ODB with a set of kicks and a foot choke in the corner.
Tapa hits a bodyslam and scratches ODB’s back, before decking Trina and taking her away. She sends ODB flying but misses an attack as ODB rolls through. ODB goes for the fallaway slam, but Tapa falls on her! Trina breaks a pin up and locks a choke hold on Lei’D, but Tapa stands up and slams the champion down.
ODB now goes for Tapa and the two of them Irish Whip her into the ropes. They duck a clothesline attempt and work together to take Tapa down! Trina now rolls ODB up out of nowhere, but ODB kicks out and hits the fallaway slam on Trina. She kips up and goes for a running attack, however Trina grabs the ropes and sends ODB flying. She then turns right around into a huge superkick by Lei’D Tapa, who picks up the win over the Women’s Champion.
And so that you were kept guessing if anyone else would appear of the aforementioned list, I’ve decided to include the following segment after those that appear above. Enjoy!
We spot two leggy women walking down a hallway, and they are none other than Taeler Hendrix and Nik… Envy. I’m not sure if we need to file a missing persons report of Nikki St. John or not, but let’s give her a few more weeks to appear before doing so.
The two banter a bit about what color is supposed to go on their nails when it comes to Wednesdays, before ultimately opening the bathroom door on a clothes changing Jessie Godderz. Tara certainly won’t be happy about that, but it seems she has nothing to worry about because the duo call him a loser and say he can’t get with them unless he becomes a winner.
Thoughts: Well, to focus on the bright spots first. I enjoyed having ODB back. I especially loved her promo as I was a monster OVW fan back in the days of the division she named off. Another positive is that I enjoyed what they were going for in having ODB challenge the toughest woman from the back, and then bringing out the champion and the dominant monster who has been on a rampage since debuting.
The negatives though, would pretty much have to be most of the match. Triple threats rarely come off well that I can recall, and I don’t think this showed Trina or Lei’D Tapa in their finest moment. I did find ODB to be well though and you could tell she was definitely the strongest of the three performance wise, but a lot of moments just seemed off to me in timing, or like they weren’t sure what to do next. Hopefully being that this is treated as a developmental program of sorts, Tapa in particular can get help from trainers if she’s being groomed to join TNA’s rather small division. Either way, not the best match for me, but it was great to see ODB return to the first place I became familiar with her and reminisce on some of the memorable events she had partaken in.
I could go on about how I’m disappointed that Taeler and Heidi‘s storyline has pretty much been dropped, but to be honest I’m not really affected since it hadn’t really taken off as I’d hoped. And of course, I’m mourning the fact that my heart and soul, Saint Epiphany is no longer an active wrestler. At least she left with a memorable and hilarious segment!