Spoilers for Friday’s SmackDown are below, highlight to read:
Opinions after the cut:
Raw Redux (April 20, 2009) – Melina Bows Out, Beth Pinned Clean… Gasp
The Women’s Champion said goodbye to Raw last night with a huge exclamation mark ending her three year stint on the Monday night show. Melina‘s Raw farewell (for now) closed the chapter on the past three years of her life as well as her feud with Beth Phoenix in grandiose fashion and we loved every second of it!
As I wrote yesterday in the spoilers post, it looks as though WWE is opting for blow-off matches for the Divas before they move over to their new brands. Last week on SmackDown, Gail Kim and Maryse finally went one-on-one before Maryse moves to Raw and last night, it was Beth and Melina. I know some were disappointed that the new rosters didn’t take affect last night; there was no Maryse, Bella Twins – or for that matter, any of the Raw mainstays such as Mickie James and Kelly Kelly. However I must point out that because of the current ‘WrestleMania Revenge’ tour, the rosters are currently pre-Draft as advertised, thus Maryse is still touring with SmackDown and likely competed at their house show in Scotland last night. It does mean that we may see Maryse on SmackDown this Friday, spoilers should be up before the end of the day. However, this does call into question the point of the Draft – as the new rosters won’t shape up until two weeks after the fact. So we will likely see the new rosters finally take shape next week on Raw, the night after Backlash. Why not just do the Draft after the European tour then?
Anyway back to last night’s Raw which emanated from glorious London! A befitting end to Melina’s time on Raw as she faced off against her most recent rival and quite possibly, her best rival, Beth Phoenix for the Women’s Championship.
This match was one that Melina can be extremely proud of, her final match on Raw and quite possibly one of the best Divas matches on Raw in 2009 so far. I think I’d go as far as to say it was even better than their Royal Rumble match. The chemistry these two have was one of the highlights of 2008 for many a Diva fan and it was on show tonight. Beth’s brute force countered by Melina’s agility and flexibility; from the outset there were some great, memorable spots throughout this match.
One thing I immediately noticed was Melina’s fantastic selling of the powerslam by Beth; being able to take the most simple of bumps and sell them well is something that some of the newer Divas have but Melina demonstrated here just how to take a bump and sell it well and it looked awesome. Then we saw some of that great flexibility we’ve seen from Melina in the past in her matches with Beth, as Beth almost contorts Melina’s whole body around her shoulders, reminiscent of their One Night Stand match last year. A very unique submission move and it was great that the fans got into it as Melina was seemingly out and the referee was starting to count her out. And now in shades of the Royal Rumble match, we again see Beth use Melina’s foot to club her over the head… ouch. But a true testament to what a great worker Melina is, her matches always have that extra flare and uniqueness.
Melina’s newest addition to her moveset, the handspring elbow could use some polishing judging the two occasions that I’ve seen it used, but the one legged drop kick into the split was again, another great unique move. I wonder if that could rival Gail’s leg jawbreaker? Melina’s bringing all her top moves out for her final night on Raw, we see the return of the hair smash from the top rope! This segues into the finish…
And here’s where things get interesting. Beth spears Rosa off the apron, which nicely sets up eventual friction between these two. I have no doubt we’ll be seeing a feud between Rosa and Beth in the near future, so it was great to see them start to build what could be Beth’s next feud. And for the first time in, well ever I think, Beth is pinned clean! Melina hits the Last Call with perfect precision for the three count and what a defining moment it is for her, she finally topples the Glamazon without having to resort to a shifty roll-up.
I’ve been saying it for ages, it’s about time Beth was pinned clean. She’s been doing the Glamazon shtick for two years now and has never really lost to a finishing move and it’s about time she did. I felt that Melina should have won using her finisher at the Royal Rumble to win the title but they opted for a roll-up there, which sucks. But at least we got definitive closure on this feud last night on Raw.
This match was really enjoyable, if you haven’t watched it, definitely seek it out. Beth is a great wrestler and all, but I honestly think Melina brings out the best in her because she’s able to use her flexibility and agility to help create new, unique situations that you wouldn’t see in a Beth-Candice match or a Beth-Mickie match. These two have had a great feud, probably one of my favourite Diva feuds in recent memory and I think the way it ended was perfect; all wrapped up with a bow on it.
TNA Watch: Angelina Love Wins Knockout Title at Lockdown
It’s finally here! Videos from Lockdown have finally surfaced and here we go… First up, I’m going to dive right into the match we all want to see. Angelina Love defeating Awesome Kong and Taylor Wilde to become the new Knockout Champion:
LOCKDOWN: TRIPLE THREAT KNOCKOUT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
A very good match, as always from the Knockouts. Tying Kong’s braids to the cage was inspired lol… whoever thought of that, great stuff. It kept her distracted for Angelina to pick up the win. It’s a shame the match had to end the way it did, after Angelina got knocked silly from that crossbody by Taylor. I would have liked a more definitive finish i.e. Angelina hitting her finisher on Taylor for the three count, but I understand they had to rush to the finish because Ang was out of it thus the quick pin after Kong hit the big boot on Taylor. You could tell that she was still out of it in her post-match celebration. It’s a shame, but hey she is Knockout Champion now so all is well.
The Queen of the Cage match is after the cut:
Ashley Clears Up Twitter Rumours & Important Lesson From Diva Dirt
Over the course of last week, people started posting on message boards, littering our comments and e-mailing us about news that infamous ex-Diva, Ashley Massaro was returning to the WWE – all on the basis of a Twitter page. The ‘Dirty Diva’ cleared up rumours of a return on her MySpace page yesterday:
It;s so funny how easily people fall for poser accts that claim to be me when they are not. It has =been reported on a certain Twitter acct that I’ve have claimed to be making a return to WWE by Summerslam. Now, as much as I’d love to say that it is true, it’s not. Because it ain’t me folks. Like i’ve said I have no other accts likre that!
Now the reason I write this post is not because Diva Dirt ♥ Ashley, the real reason I write this is to hopefully instill some sense in those of you who took part in the Ashley rumour madness. It’s very, very easy to tell if someone’s Twitter is fake. Or for that matter, if their Facebook page or MySpacce is fake. However time and time again, people fall into the trap and someone, somewhere is gullible enough to believe it and it spreads like wildfire, like this instance.
Look at the entire page, most of the time it’ll look utterly ridiculous and overstated with collages of pictures, dumb comments like that Twitter page (which has since been deleted). The user only seemed to harp on about Ashley being in the WWE, “What was your favourite WWE moment of mine?” I doubt even Ashley is that narcissitic. If it sounds fake, if it looks fake, it’s fake. Please engage your brains in future!
New Knockout Champion Speaks
New Knockout Champion, Angelina Love took to her MySpace, speaking for the first time on her title win at Lockdown this past Sunday.
First off, thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who wrote me to see if I was okay and to congratulate me on winning the TNA Knockouts Championship last night at Lockdown.
In an update, I did receive a concussion from Taylor Wilde‘s top rope crossbody. Guess thats her payback for us cutting her hair! I caught her hip bone in my jaw and it knocked me clean out. Unfortunately, I dont even remember winning! When I watch it back, I’ll be able to try and put the pieces of my scrambled brains back together! and my jaw!
It was a hell of a match and being inside a cage with those two was like nothing I can explain. Two former TNA Knockout Champions took it to me but somehow I made it out alive (thanks to referee Rudy Charles for practically carrying me to the back afterwards!). Now its time to take this wonderful title to a whole new level…………….A BEAUTIFUL level!
Angelina Love as TNA Knockout Champion will NEVER disappoint!!
The new Knockout Champ will be seen on Impact this week, holding an in-ring celebration with the Beautiful People.
Raw Spoilers for Tonight (April 20, 2009)
Tonight’s Raw has been taped from the UK, right here in London at the O2 Arena! Check out Divas spoilers below:
– Beth Phoenix interrupted a Santino promo saying that Santina must kiss The Great Khali at Backlash.
– Melina def. Beth Phoenix to retain the Women’s Championship. Melina pinned Beth after hitting the Last Call.
Opinions after the cut:
Trish Stratus: Current Women’s Division “Disappointing”
In a focus piece on the lifes and times of one of the great female wrestlers, the Times & Transcript has posted a new interview with Trish Stratus. The legendary 7 time Women’s Champion however, has some criticism for her former employer – calling the current WWE women’s division “disappointing.” Considering some of the stuff we’ve put up with as viewers, who can fault her?
She says the current state of WWE’s women’s division leaves a lot to be desired. Storylines, character development and in-ring action aren’t really the focus.
“It is disappointing,” she says. “I think what it is, they have too many women. And I think they can’t even see who’s who because there’s so many of them. I think they need someone maybe that can focus on the women.”
Trish would like to see WWE realize that they have different personalities and women who can provide different elements to the show. She still chats with current WWE divas and says they are frustrated with the lack of direction their division has.
If WWE can’t listen to it’s audience, surely the greatest Diva in it’s company’s history pointing out the same issues that we have is a glaring insight? I would hope someone, somewhere in the company reads this and maybe they’ll finally see what we see. The fact that Trish boycotted their biggest event is also very telling and I’m really glad she stood her ground, it would’ve been hypocritical for her to appear at WrestleMania and then make these remarks. I admire Trish’s stance, why appear on their show if you don’t believe in their product?
I agree, there are far too many women on the roster right now and it’s unnecessary to have that many girls. I wouldn’t have a problem if they actually used all of their Divas in roles that contributed, but you have girls like the Bella Twins, Eve Torres, Tiffany and Maria to name a few, that just stand on the sidelines and do nothing. And when they are used, they take away television time from Divas that actually are well-rounded and have the potential to get over.
There are currently six Divas on the roster that have the true potential to be top Divas, yet not all of them are given the time and attention they deserve: Beth Phoenix, Gail Kim, Mickie James, Melina, Maryse and Michelle McCool. WWE needs to focus on where their talent is and not on the ‘lesser’ Divas.
However, one of the reasons they have so many women on the roster right now and part of the reason they push so little Divas and throw them out there collectively with 25 Diva battle royals and 18 Diva tag matches, is because of Trish Stratus. There is certainly a correlation between Trish’s departure and this new mass-booking. Since she left, WWE has been reluctant to put the time and effort into pushing a single or even two or three Divas, as their new top Diva(s) and their ‘Trish replacement’. It all boils down to the fact that WWE are not willing to give any of the current women the same opportunities as Trish, even though the likes of Mickie, Melina and Beth deserve it. Hence why instead of pushing one-on-one feuds, we get crappy feuds that involve all of the Divas.
Knockouts Ladder Match on Impact
What are you doing this Thursday at 9? Grey’s Anatomy? Maybe some Supernatural? Well, far be it from me to ask anyone to watch the Knockouts over the Winchester boys or McSteamy, but just an FYI… There will be a Knockouts ladder match this week on Impact. Watch it how you can; when it airs, on Tivo, y’know… illegal internet download.
The match will pit Taylor Wilde against Sojo Bolt for the #1 Contendership to to new champion Angelina Love‘s Knockout Championship.
Angelina Love Captures Knockout Championship
At last night’s Lockdown pay per view, TNA crowned a new Knockout Champion in Angelina Love of the Beautiful People. Love defeated previous champion Awesome Kong and Taylor Wilde in a triple threat match inside the Six Sides of Steel.
In recent weeks, the Beautiful People have upped their game in the Knockouts division with the addition of Madison Rayne to the team and it looks as though Kong is now a tweener, making them the top heels in the division.
I’ve always said that Love should be considered for the title, of the then-two members of the Beautiful People, she definitely exceeds Velvet Sky in ability. I also thought it would be cool if the Beautiful People shared the title, we’ll see what happens.
With her victory last night, Love becomes only the fourth Knockout to hold the title.
Perfect 10: Week of April 13th, 2009
Welcome to the Perfect 10! Following a week of rough-and-tumble Diva and Knockout action, where do our ladies rank? Who scored an impressive victory? Who faltered in the ring? Were championships decided? The Perfect 10 ranks the ten best Diva performances for the week! Check back every Sunday for a new countdown!
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THIS
WEEK |
MOVEMENT
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DIVA
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LAST
WEEK |
 |
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 BETH PHOENIXThe Glamazon scored some bittersweet revenge on boyfriend Santino this week, following a chat with Vickie Guerrero. ‘Santina’ must kiss Khali next week… |
 |
 |
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 ALICIA FOXHoly upgrade, Batman! Alicia got great news, moving up in the WWE ranks from ECW to SmackDown. |
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 |
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 MELINAMelina became the first Diva to be drafted in this year’s WWE Draft, making history as she takes the Women’s Championship to SmackDown. |
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 |
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 NATALYAHer team scored a victory for SmackDown on Raw but just days later, she was officially united with boyfriend Tyson Kidd on ECW. |
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 |
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 MARYSEThere was good and bad news for Maryse. She’ll be taking her Divas Championship to Raw but was beaten by Gail Kim on the way out. |
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 DAFFNEYTeaming up with Abyss certainly helps, but Daffney scored a big tag victory over ODB and Cody Deaner. |
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 AWESOME KONGKong beat one of her Lockdown opponents on Impact but was sent over the edge when she had her locks cut. Will it put her off her game tonight? |
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 THE BEAUTIFUL PEOPLEDespite a team loss, the blondes decimated Raisha Saeed, Taylor Wilde and sent the ultimate message to Knockout Champion, Awesome Kong. |
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 MICHELLE MCCOOLSmackDown mainstay, Michelle McCool scored a huge win and a draft pick for her brand on Raw, when she pinned Mickie James. |
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 GAIL KIMGail’s blazing winning streak continued with a non-title victory over the Divas Champion, one week after her win over the previous champ. |
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Backlash 2009: How Will It Play Out?
WWE’s Backlash is set for April 26, and with the pay per view fast approaching, I’ve decided to examine the possibilites of what kind of Diva match the WWE could give us. The 2009 Draft is complete and with the record-setting numbers of Divas that changed brands, there are multiple new ways this could play out. Of course, it will depend on what happens on Raw and SmackDown over the next couple of weeks, but even the creation of WWE’s newest show, WWE Superstars, allows for interpromotional matches of all kinds to be arranged. Let’s take a look!
Option #1: Maryse vs. Mickie James: Diva’s Championship
Typically, Raw has been getting more Divas matches at pay per view events than SmackDown. If WWE keeps this up, not to mention how Maryse is viewed within the company, then Raw could be awarded the coveted timeslot for a match. With the Glamazon busy with the Santino/a angle, this leaves the door open for Raw’s top face to take on the top heel. I think this would be a great match to see, especially considering it would provide Mickie with the chance to be the first ever Diva’s and Women’s Champion. If the WWE goes this route, though, I’d still see Maryse retaining for now.
Option #2: Maryse vs. Beth Phoenix: Diva’s Championship
This could also be an alternative for a title match. I think it’s a bit too soon for this to happen though. WWE does tend to rush into storylines, so it’s a possibility. But Backlash is only a week or so away, so it doesn’t really give Beth a chance to turn face in a timely manner in order to compete with Maryse for the gold. This is a huge feud that WWE will want to spend a lot of time developing and playing out, so again, it’s way too soon for this to happen. Nontheless, this match is bound to happen; it’s just a matter of when, not if. I predict that Maryse will retain her gold until she faces Beth at a pay per view event where she will drop the gold to the newly-turned-face Beth Phoenix.
Option #3: Melina vs. Michelle McCool: Women’s Championship
If SmackDown gets the Divas match at Backlash, I see this option as being the most likely. Melina coming onto SmackDown as the face Women’s Champion will most likely put her right into a feud with Michelle McCool, who has already taken to her blog to talk about beating Melina and being the first-ever holder of both the Women’s and Diva’s Championship. Michelle is the top heel on the brand, so she would probably get the first title shot. However, like Maryse, I see Melina retaining the gold in this situation. I don’t think that either Maryse or Melina will lose their respective titles this early coming off the Draft, where they’d only have 1-2 weeks of being the Champion. I think Michelle will chase Melina’s gold and will probably be the one to beat her for it and win Erin’s Race To The Double Championship, well, unless Beth or Mickie does it first!
Option #4: Melina vs. Gail Kim: Women’s Championship
This final option is also a possibility. It’s been suggested that Melina will make her SmackDown debut as a heel, thus filling out the face/heel ratio for the blue brand. If Melina does this, Gail Kim will definitely be the top title contendor. Since her debut, Gail has beaten Maryse and Michelle McCool individually and even in tag-team action. Pinning the champion in a non-title match almost always makes you the #1 contendor, and by beating the former #1 contendor, Michelle, Gail has secured her spot as one of SmackDown’s biggest names.
Option #5: Raw vs. SmackDown Tag Team Match
This option is probably the biggest longshot out of them all, but we all know anything is possible in the WWE, especially when they like to give our Divas just one match and clump them all in there (I don’t think you need me to write the list of examples). This one could play out to involve Maryse, Mickie, and possibly Kelly Kelly or Beth Phoenix vs. Melina, Gail, and Michelle in a variety of combinations, either 2-on-2 or 3-on-3. It could also be a face vs. heel match. This way, no title would be on the line just yet and it would allow for some storylines to play out before any of the Divas get a title shot against their brands’ new Champion. Another option would be a “pandemonium match” as I like to call them, basically any tag team match that involves 10 Divas or more, which have been much too common as of late and really do nothing at all but serve to let the Divas have their 5 minutes of air time. Let’s hope that doesn’t happen.
Option #6: No Divas Match
I hate to be a Bitter Betty, but let’s face it, WWE wouldn’t surprise us if they didn’t even bother making a Divas match. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time the Divas have been left off. Depending on how many Superstar matches WWE books for the event, the Divas could find themselves left off. This way, Creative would have more time to begin more solid storylines and feuds and allow for a “build-up” to culminate at a pay per view. Not an option I want to see at all, but it could happen.
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Reader Poll: Which Brand Has Benefited Most?
[poll id=”338″]
Exclusive Fan Report: Beth, Melina Wow Scottish Audience
Don’t you just hate it when you visit a news site and read house show results and they have paragraphs dedicated to the men and one line for the Divas? I know I do. Well Diva Dirt reader, Iain sent along this exclusive fan report from WWE’s WrestleMania Revenge European tour which is currently stopped in Glasgow, Scotland.
Check out Iain’s thoughts on tonight’s show which saw Beth Phoenix and Melina compete for the Women’s Championship:
It was unbelievably awesome! Melina defended her title against Beth Phoenix in one of the most satisfying diva matches since last year. Kelly Kelly acted as special ref while Rosa Mendes watched from ringside. It was fairly long, probably about 10 minutes with Melina picking up the win. The crowd were really into it and a lot of impressive moves were used. Melina also used a couple of moves I had never seen before which were:
1) A bodyscissors around Beth’s waist so that they were facing each other then Melina bent right back and performed a hurricanrana, throwing Beth onto the ropes (619 style).
2) Melina kicked Beth in the stomach so she bent over then ran, bounced off the ropes and delivered a big boot to Beth’s head with Melina falling into the splits.
Both moves were really impressive! The match was simply awesome.
Also, I attended the WWE signing with Kelly Kelly and Melina. Both of them looked even more incredible in real life and couldn’t have been nicer to me and my friends. They reminded us to cheer as loud as we could and then Melina started laughing at Kelly who kept making sound effects when she was signing things. Two lovely ladies! :)
Hopefully we’ll have some pictures from the event to accompany this post, so stay tuned. Thanks to Iain for the report! If you’d like to send in your own exclusive Diva-centric house show report, please e-mail us at [email protected].
SmackDown Redux & Watch (April 17, 2009) – Gail In, Maryse Out
In her final SmackDown match before heading over to Raw, the Divas Champion Maryse faced off against a woman who knows Raw all too well, Gail Kim in what is potentially a blow-off match to their recent feud. Check it out below:
So it looks like Maryse’s being drafted to Raw puts a pin into the feud that was being planned over on SmackDown between the Divas Champ and the returning Gail Kim. I’m guessing this may be the blow-off match as Gail went over the outgoing champion, rather than giving Maryse a win. I think that’s a fair move. The writers of SmackDown need to keep their current roster strong and it sucks for Maryse because she is the Champ but she’s moving to Raw, so it’s only fair she jobs on her way out.
The match, I have to say, didn’t grab my attention in the same way as Michelle vs Gail last week. I didn’t really feel the same chemistry, it just didn’t work for me. That said, it wasn’t a bad match but it wasn’t the best. So perhaps it’s for the best that we didn’t get a full-on feud between these two? Because judging from this, the pay-off match wouldn’t be great. I’m not saying it was awful, but it was passable at best. There were some good spots i.e. Maryse throwing Gail out of the ring. That’s the second week in a row that Gail has taken a big bump on the outside. I wonder if she’s not working in those spots herself to get back some of that creative control she had with her matches in TNA. Maryse’s backbreaker was great as was Gail’s diving neckbreaker from the top rope. The end however, was where things went a little downhill perhaps due to miscommunication. The diving crossbody nor Gail’s double-legged jawbreaker were hit with the same precision as we’ve seen in the past.
Anyway, Gail picks up a huge win over the Divas Champion which puts her in good steed for the incoming Women’s Champion, Melina when she makes her SmackDown return (I’m assuming next week). With Gail getting a big victory this week and continuing to be put over as the top face, I think there’s a 50-50 chance that Melina may come in as a heel next week. We’ll see what happens!
Dixie Carter To Make Official On-Screen Debut
The TNA Pay Per View “Lockdown,” set to air on Sunday, April 19, will mark two events in the company’s history. Firstly, wrestler Eric Young will take on celebrity Danny Bonaduce in a dark match prior to the event. But more importantly, TNA President Dixie Carter will be making her official on-screen debut.
While not known what capacity Dixie will play in the event, it surely is a milestone. You really have to wonder why TNA is deciding to do this. I think TNA has done pretty well for itself keeping Dixie off-screen, but it appears TNA is going to follow in the WWE’s footsteps with both of these events. John Cena vs. K-Fed anyone? Big Show vs. Floyd Mayweather? Mickey Rourke punching Chris Jericho? Seems like TNA is taking notes right out of WWE’s playbook for this one, and trying to use Hollywood as a method for garnering attention and ratings. Hey, if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em right?
At the same time, I’m kind of excited to see what she does. It’s pretty safe to say she’s going to debut as a popular face with the crowd, but there’s no telling how things will turn out. If she chooses to mimic Vince, she will no doubt turn heel and trying to emulate some of the popular storylines WWE has. As far as the Knockouts, Dixie coming on-screen could be beneficial in this aspect too since she can kind of play the match-making powerhouse that the Knockouts can go to.
I guess we’ll see how this all plays out. It may be a one-time appearance or Dixie Carter could be here to stay. I’m not a huge TNA fan, but here’s hoping that the Knockouts benefit from this big move TNA is making!
What do y’all think… is this a good move on TNA’s part? Are you going to tune in because you’re excited to see what happens? Do you even care?
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Race to the Double Championship: Week One
The WWE certainly shook things up when they drafted Melina and Maryse to opposite brands – with them went their respective championships. Thus, a new record suddenly looms, and the race is on: who will be the WWE’s first ever double champion? We’ve taken possible candidates (former Womens Champions and Divas Champions) and calculated their odds, ordering them in rank of most likely to least likely. Over the following weeks we’ll be updating this chart, taking into account wins, losses, and budding feuds. Place your bets folks because it’s happening, and it’s happening soon.
| Beth Phoenix |
Raw/Divas Championship
|
#1
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| Mickie James |
Raw/Divas Championship
|
#2
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| Michelle McCool |
SmackDown/Women’s Championship
|
#3
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| Gail Kim |
SmackDown/Divas Championship
|
#4
|
Candice Michelle |
SmackDown/Divas Championship
|
#5
|
Given the Odds… Beth is one of Raw’s top Divas (not to mention the last Women’s Champion), so it’s likely that she would get a shot at Maryse’s title. That, paired with rumors of a face turn make it extremely likely that she could be the one to get the first crack at a feud with Maryse.
Candice has been moved to SmackDown, and thus is out of range of a Divas Championship match, but never say never! She’s been out of commission as of late, and thus her chances are even slimmer. Though, I wouldn’t put it past the WWE to pull a fast one on us.
Gail faced Maryse on her very last SmackDown appearance (read spoilers), and it’s not out of the question that their feud could spill across the brands. Friday’s results make one wonder if this earns Gail a shot at Maryse’s title, and if that were to happen, we may have the first dobule champ on our hands.
Michelle is very likely to be Melina’s first feud on SmackDown. She’s the brand’s top heel, so it’s quite obvious that those two will butt heads. The question is: will Michelle be able to best Melina?
Mickie has been put on the back-burner time and time again, but perhaps this is her time to shine – the “shaking up” the draft did could be just what she needs to “get her groove back”, so to speak. She’s easily Raw’s most popular Diva, so it would be easy for the WWE to pit her against the new, arrogant heel in Maryse and produce a attention-grabbing feud.
Help Diva Dirt Stop Plagiarism
It has come to our attention that someone has been copying and pasting entire blogs and images from Diva Dirt and passing them off as their own on the popular sports community, Bleacher Report.
Not only is this absolutely pathetic but such a slap in the face to myself and the other writers at Diva Dirt, who spend so much time and energy into creating content for this site only to have some dumbnut plagiarise it.
Please help stop this person by flagging and reporting their posts to the Bleacher Report’s support team. You can find a complete list of their stolen posts by clicking here, I know it’s time consuming but please report as many posts as you can.
Maryse: Living Fire Hazard
I’m always saying how I love originality in photoshoots, but Maryse has taken it a little too outside the box in her new shoot, “A-door-able” *twitch*. Yes, the name is hokey as hell, but that takes a back seat to the choice of scenery – Maryse is parked in front of two double doors, and her poses are just asking for a few crude “going in through the back door” jokes. I kind of like the look of the wood grain as the backdrop, but I can’t say I love the aesthetic of her butt holding doors open – it just looks so awkward and not at all sexy. Though, I can imagine a large catering cart busting through at the wrong moment and sending her flying – now that would make for some interesting photos.
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Glamazon Go Good?
Interesting rumour following this week’s Raw… could the Glamazon, Beth Phoenix be turning face? It’s being reported that the two time Women’s Champion will be ‘seeing the light’ and eventually feud with Raw’s new top heel, Maryse.
With Beth serving as a foil to Santino’s antics as Santina, it looks as if WWE is following the path of turning Beth face. I’m not sure how I feel about it, considering she’s a great heel but at the same time, this could be very interesting. I’m all for fresh feuds and storylines so this could be just what Raw needs!
Given her penchant for comedy, I think she could do some great stuff to piss off Maryse like Trish used to back in the day.
What say you, Diva Dirtians? Can you dig a babyface Beth?
Reader Poll: WWE Draft 2009
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Why Trish Turned Down “Miss WrestleMania”
Clearing up some nasty post-WrestleMania rumors, Trish Stratus spoke to SLAM! Wrestling about why she declined her invitation to take part in the Miss WrestleMania Battle Royal, implicity stating that is had nothing to do with the match’s outcome:
“Simply, there were no finishes, no ‘What’s going to happen? Will I win?’ discussed,” Stratus said. “It was just, ‘Would you like to be in this 25-woman battle royal at Wrestlemania,’ and I said, ‘Thank you but I’m going to decline.'”
“Actually, I wanted to stay home and watch Wrestlemania for one time with my family. That was part of it,” she says. “[Also], I had just made a return recently and I never want to wear out my welcome.”
That’s a great thing for her to say, as one of my personal fears was Trish returning for WrestleMania, building up a temporary feud (as rumors suggested), and pretty much ruining the legacy she left behind for one quick ‘Mania moment. Divas don’t have much of a “legacy” anyways, so it’s easy to ruin your image by consistently coming back and not giving the fans a chance to actually miss you (a la Mick Foley, the worst offender when it comes to leaving and returning and leaving and returning). It’s fantastic to know that we (probably) don’t have to worry about that happening with her, at least not yet.
Still not averse to the idea of returning to the ring, Trish also specifies the conditions under which she would return:
“I’ve always said to come out of retirement is a big deal to me – so if I was to come out it is for something special,” she said “To be honest, I feel Wrestlemania is a place to create memorable moments in one’s career and frankly, with 25 women in the ring, I was just not sure how anyone could come out having their ‘Wrestlemania moment,’ maybe if it was a little clearer that could be accomplished for someone, I would have been a part of it.
“If I were to go back, I would like to do something that is new and fresh, there are so many girls right now that can work, I’d want to be able to mix it up with someone I hadn’t gotten the chance to before I left.”
And what about that natalya/” target=”new”rumored feud with Natalya?
“Oh my god, I would love to work with her,” Stratus revealed. “I think she has so much potential; they’ve just got to do the right thing with her, especially with the built-in history. I get excited when I think about what they can do with her.”
Here here, Trish! You’ve taken the words right out of our mouths (or keyboards?). I appreciate any Diva’s attempt to hold some sort of standards when it comes to return appearances and special events. I know a lot of us were holding out hope that she’s show up for WrestleMania, but it really would have been a shame to see her involved with the suckfest known as Miss WrestleMania. Wise move, Trish, wise move. (Read the entire article here…)
Melanie Observes: Is It Cool to Hate McCool?
As well as writing about Divas day in, day out, I like to make sure I know my field as best I can. I try and keep up to date with all of the companies and stuff, anything special or out there. And one thing I often do, is gage the reaction of the audience. From your comments on Diva Dirt, to people’s Twitter accounts to trolling Diva message boards.
In the past 24 hours, I’ve noticed an abundance of comments along the lines of, “If Michelle McCool wins the Women’s Championship I will…” usually ending in ‘kill myself’, ‘kill her’, ‘boycott SmackDown’… whatever takes your pick really. Not to mention her personal relationship with the Undertaker, which for some reason, seems to draw a lot of ire from Diva fans on the message boards. I’ll be really honest, Diva fans are not the easiest audience – you’ll find a dozen people who will fault anything and everything, anywhere you look. Why watch the product if all you ever do is bitch about it? Surely you need to apply credit where it’s due? Nope! Women’s wrestling in WWE, the predominant form of it in North America, is not taken seriously by the company but by the fans it’s somewhat held up on a pedestal. While maybe more knowledgable fans will be able to understand and comprehend WWE’s standpoint when it comes to Divas, the majority will not.
It’s a double-edged sword: Those in-the-know fans that know that WWE has a somewhat disregard for the Divas, will likely roll over and play along with the product, like myself. I will take it at face value and try my hardest not to over-scrutinize because I know that the product I’m being delivered is mediocre, but what can I do but try and look for the best in it? I, and the entire Diva Dirt team, try our best to look for the best on Raw, SmackDown and pay per views. Then there are fans who are less knowledgable and less likely to play along, who expect nothing but the best – but they never actually get the best, nor will they unless something drastic happens to Vince. See where the problem lies? It’s these fans that continue to poke holes in issues that won’t ever be rectified, I’m sorry to say. There’s nothing wrong with being this type of fan, I guess, it shows that you believe in the potential of the women and respect the talents of the thoroughbreds i.e. Beth Phoenix, Mickie James etc.
But back to task… Michelle McCool. It seems almost as if it’s cool to hate McCool. And for the life of me, I can’t begin to understand why. Is it because she is dating the Undertaker? If so, what business is it of ours? People assume that anytime Michelle gets a title shot or anytime she gets a push, that her relationship and potential backstage stroke has something to do with it. I say potential backstage stroke, because yes, while she does have the power to go to her boyfriend and make things happen for her – what evidence have we got to suggest that she has done that?
Could it not be that Michelle is pushed regularly because she has proven to become one hell of a wrestler? In my humble opinion, McCool is the most decorated and talented wrestler of any female to stumble out of the Diva Search banner. Could it not be that Michelle is pushed regularly because has proven to be a consistent worker? She’s been wrestling nearly every week for the past year and has yet to have an injury (touch wood). Her wrestling style has remained consistent while others have dropped their game in the past. With her heel turn, Michelle now shows a lot of flare and character, which was the downside to her turn as a face.
If Michelle were to win the Women’s Championship and become the first Diva to hold both of the WWE’s female titles, in my estimation, it will be because she’s proven to be a great all-around Diva and she, like Beth, like Mickie and like Melina, is worthy of such an accolade.
Maybe she’s just doing her job right, getting everyone to hate her? What do I know? I am but a lowly blogger on the ‘interwebz’. But if this blog has struck a chord with you, maybe made you take it to heart a little bit, then good. And maybe in a last little message, I can offer you some advice? Find a new song to sing, please.
– Do tell me what you think of this ‘Melanie Observes’ she-bang, should it get picked up for a whole season as they say in TV talk?
April Showers Bring May Flowers
Spring has sprung, so it’s only natural that the Divas are already donning their bikinis for some beach-themed photoshoots. Mickie James is leading the pack in what I can only assume will be a trend in the coming weeks with her new shoot, “Summer Sun”. Summer doesn’t start until June, but I can look past the misnomer given how spectacular Mickie looks. The scenery is gorgeous, and Mickie blends in perfectly with her wet hair, simple makeup and accessories, and a gorgeous bikini. I love that her choice of wardrobe wasn’t just some skimpy number, because we’ve seen enough Sports Illustrated wannabes – she actually looks like she’s having fun, making for a natural looking shoot. Mickie knocked this one out of the park, and it’s not exactly an easy task – we’ve seen how bikini photoshoots can be hit or miss, whether it be due to over-the-top poses or skanky scenarios (no showers, please). This shoot’s certainly a “hit” in my book.
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Reader Poll: Supplemental Draft
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Divas Also Upset at Miss WrestleMania Match
The outcry that poured in, in the hours after WrestleMania 25 on April 5th wasn’t just limited to fans. The women involved in the match, themselves, were said to be upset at the way the segment turned out.
It’s reported that most of the Divas involved in the match were not happy following the event. One of the women involved in the match felt that they ‘were made to look stupid’, serving as a backdrop to the Santino Marella angle.
Just my speculation, but I’m guessing that is part of the reason that several Divas were given the opportunity to go out and have an actual decent, competetive match the next night on Raw.