Melina will take her Women’s Championship to SmackDown.
EDIT: Fan report from PWInsider:
After Melina was drafted to Smackdown and Raw went to commercial, Mickie James and Kelly Kelly were hugging Melina goodbye and Melina was crying.
Click here to see a video interview with Melina courtesy of WWE.com.
Yes, this post called for an epic-ly long title, so shush. When one looks up the word “enticing” in the dictionary (er, Dictionary.com) it is defined as, “highly attractive and able to arouse hope or desire”. This, ironically, does not capture my reaction to Jillian‘s new photoshoot, titled “Enticing in Teal”. It’s very much your standard Jillian fare – average wardrobe and posing that takes a backseat to your reaction towards the distracting amounts of facial work she’s obviously received. Now, I’m not the one to harp on looks or debase a Diva due to things she cannot change (fashion sense and wrestling skills are fair game), but when she has changed herself, we find ourselves in a unique situation. Obviously, she chose to plump her lips to Angelina Jolie levels – I don’t feel as cruel mocking that as I would if she naturally looked that way. And to tell you the truth, it’s a shame she’s gone down this path. Maybe she feels changing herself into a living blow-up doll will get her that push she’s waiting for, maybe not – either way it’s unfortunate. I know we’ve touched on this topic many times, but it’s so jarring to see a Diva go from this to what we see today. You know the saying “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”? Well, it certainly applies here. Though, you could say that to any number of rich women around the globe and they’d still be lining up for shoulder implants, Karen Walker style.
Shock horror. Gail Kim‘s critically mauled movie, Royal Kill flopped at the Box Office over the weekend as expected, given it’s limited release. A trip to Box Office Mojo shows that the movie didn’t even make the weekend estimates chart.
The lowest grossing movie on the chart is Valkyrie, making $1,500 over the weekend. One must assume that ‘Kill’ did less than that number.
Who knows, maybe it’ll fare better on DVD? In fact, I think it could have made significantly more had it been released direct to DVD.
If anyone has seen the movie, we’d love to know what you thought e-mail us with your reviews.
In bonus news, the producers of the film have been shopping around a new press release based upon the review Erin posted at the weekend, trying to twist the bad review into giving the movie ‘cult status’, good luck with that…
“PAT MORITA CULT-FILM WASHINGTON POST DOES NOT WANT YOU TO SEE”
Los Angeles, CA – April 11, 2009 – Washington Post staff writer Dan Zak titled his recent movie review: “Royal Kill? Nah, It’s More Like a Royal Pain” is sure to help bring the independent film to the cult status. “Royal Kill needs to be seen to be believed, but don’t see it, under any circumstances” is the verdict. The film, which opened April 10th in select AMC Theatres in the Los Angeles, Washington DC, and Chicago areas and will continue its run until April 16th, proves that small projects can leave a gigantic impression.
On behalf of all of the Diva Dirt team, I’d like to wish everyone a very happy Easter! Enjoy your Easter eggs =)
Check back later today for not one, but two Diva Draft posts!
Finally, after a hiatus due to the events of WrestleMania 25, FCW has returned with another weekly event featuring our Divas in training. This week, we were treated to the encounter between ECW’s Alicia Fox and Raw’s Rosa Mendes. However, there was no Express News & Gossip featuring the Octo-Mom Jenny Cash; apparently she has adopted a new gimmick as the valet of a Frenchman and now wears a French Maid outfit to the ring. I’m kind of heartbroken and at a loss for words… anyway, check out the action below, featuring the Queen of FCW Angela Fong as the ring announcer.
Talk about a slobberknocker! This match was kind of slow to start off with and there were two botches I saw during the match, but looking at the bigger picture, I really enjoyed this match. Alicia Fox is really growing on me more and more every time I see her in the ring (hint hint WWE, I said in the ring not standing outside the ring doing nothing). She is really coming into her own as a wrestler and is truly unique. I also think Rosa Mendes is becoming better. Judging from this match and a few others she’s had, she’s not completely polished but she puts on a great show. As a heel, she does a great job by yelling at the fans, taunting Alicia, and screaming. With just a little more training, she probably wouldn’t botch that monkey flip that Alicia Fox tried to execute.
To top it all off, Alicia Fox also ended up getting a bloody lip! That either means Rosa messed up and really clocked Alicia in the face or these two are just getting better in the ring to where their fighting is that intense, which I love seeing.
Pretty much my only concern with this match other than the botch is the ending. I don’t quite get how Alicia lost. The axe kick she performed at the end is her finishing move, but somehow Rosa just “gets up” and two moves later, rolls Alicia up for the victory. Aside from how much I hate matches that end with a silly roll-up, isn’t the point of a finishing move to… finish the match? Granted if you’re HBK, you can kick out of a Tombstone. But to have Rosa play it off like it was just a regular little kick seems kind of bad to me.
My verdict of this match is that Alicia is ready to move on up out of the shadows in ECW and get drafted to either Raw or SmackDown. I think she’d do well on either show, so long as WWE does it right creatively. Rosa, however, could probably be better off on SmackDown to fix up the little glitches here and there. Angela still doesn’t do it for me as the ring announcer, but if the rumors are true and she is coming to Raw, then I’m not sure what will happen. Seems like the entire FCW roster is pouring out onto WWE television and I think that’s going to leave Jenny Cash and Wesley Holliday as the only ones left there full-time. Angela might not jump into the ring right off the bat, but the Divas roster will be around 19 or 20!
Overall, I loved the match and it’s great to see these two lovely Divas improving so much in the ring.
Hassan’s FCW Rating: 4 out of 5
The draft is swiftly approaching and the landscape of the Divas division could be drastically changed. However, we dont look at the dark side of the draft. Last year, several superstars were ‘future endeavored’ before they even debuted on their new brand. While no Divas suffered that fate, that may not be the case this time around. Here’s a rundown on who I think may be in danger this year:
The Bellas – WWE’s resident ‘hot’ twins, The Bellas, are probably in danger of release in the upcoming draft. When they debuted initially they had a good gimmick, but it fell flat once the “switcheroo” was revealed. Since then the fans just haven’t been behind them. WWE tried to liven them up by doing the “Good Twin/Bad Twin” angle, but that didn’t even last a month. While the Bellas are pretty talented in the ring, WWE has nothing for them and they don’t seem to be able to break away from the twin gimmicks. There are enough established Divas and talented rookies to make these identical beauties dispensible.
Chances of “Future Endeavors”: ModerateÂ
Katie Lea Burchill – This British vixen is one of the most talented Divas in the WWE an ECW’s Newest acquisition. Katie Lea came into the WWE with a controversial gimmick and was put into a feud against, then champion, Mickie James. Unfortunately, the matches didn’t impress and Katie was quickly lost in the crowd on RAW, before being shipped off to ECW. While she had a mini-feud with Alicia Fox, it’s not surprising to not see Katie on TV for weeks. Sad to say but if Katie get pink-slipped she might not even be missed.
Chances of “Future Endeavors”: Moderate to High
 Candice Michelle – Candice was once WWE’s golden girl. She was the first Diva Search contestant to ever hold WWE gold, and was in a intriguing program with top heel, Beth Phoenix. That all came to an end when Candice was sidelined with a broken collarbone. The injury put her on the shelf for almost a year. when she finally returned, she was injured in her return match, this time completely shattering her collarbone and effectively taking her out of WrestleMania. When she returned(again), she just couldn’t get the fans back on her side. Her feud with Beth was cut short and she was assigned to filling in the occaisional tag team match. I hate to say it, but WWE has no reason to keep the Candy-Coated Diva on the payroll. Due to injuries, Candice has had about 10 matches in the last year and a half, if that many. Candice’s release would upset a lot of Diva fans, but I don’t think it would surprise many.
Chances of “Future Endeavors”: HighÂ
So do you guys agree with these choices? Do you think there are other Divas that could be on the chopping block? Opinions in the comment box! Go!
And you thought the WWE-produced films got trashed! Gail Kim‘s new movie Royal Kill has been released in limited locations around the United States, and while reviews are few and far between (we could only find one), it doesn’t paint a pretty picture. Take the Washington Post’s word for it:
“Royal Kill” is not a train wreck. There’s no grotesque thrill to its utter failure. It is, instead, some kind of cosmic hiccup. It should not exist. Yet here it is, playing in a real multiplex on a real screen with real actors, as if beamed in from some alternate bizarro dimension where down is up and wrong is right and 2 + 2 = 5.
Ouch. Well, maybe at least the fight scenes are decent?
After the warrior gets to D.C., the rest of the movie is poorly choreographed gunfights and swordfights. The special effects look like they were created in Microsoft Paint. The movie is larded with artless dream and flashback sequences and purposeless flourishes (heartbeats, echoing voices, shoddily rendered slow-mo bullets). To top it off, the “twist” ending (pilfered from “Fight Club”) is so ridiculous it will make your head explode.
Damn. Anyone who knows my film taste knows I love me some Fight Club (it’s my favorite movie), so hearing Royal Kill blatantly ripped it off kind of gets under my skin. But hell, I can’t blame them – it was an awesome movie. ;)
I can’t say I was ever itching to check out Gail’s movie – kung fu movies aren’t really my bag – but this scathing review practically makes any interest evaporate. There is a certain perverse pleasure in seeing a so-bad-it’s-good movie, but it sounds like the movie doesn’t even reach that level. Though I must say, it’s dangerous to take the word of one critic – it would be best to wait until there’s more reviews to make a concrete decision. If you’re still interested in seeing it, head on over to the movie’s official site to watch the trailer and see if a city near you will be screening Royal Kill. Just try to keep your head from exploding. And if you happen to catch a screening, please let us know what you think!
• Read the full Washington Post review
• Royal Kill on IMDB
• Royal Kill on Rotten Tomatoes
A week ago today, the WWE held its annual Hall of Fame ceremony, and until now we hadn’t gotten a proper look at the Divas who attended. But now here they are in all their (partially dressed) glory. Some look elegant, some look a little too sexy, while others just leave you scratching your head. Though, this is the norm with the WWE, isn’t it? The instances where Divas look beautiful without drifting into trashy aren’t very common. It’s almost as if they think the more skin they show, the more appropriately dressed they are. It might be fair to equate the Hall of Fame with Hollywood’s Oscars – it’s the WWE’s prestigious event where they honor the best in their field, and everyone gets dressed to the nines. So, when you put it in that perspective, don’t they look a little ridiculous? I doubt you’d ever see a nominated actress or even an attendee wearing a see-through gown (Gwyneth Paltrow doesn’t count – I blame the flashbulbs) or look like they’re headed to a nightclub (both Bellas look like they’d be more at home dancing on the bar). It just goes to show the style that most of the Divas go for – look sexy or go home. Most of the time, they end up looking more like streetwalkers than sirens. I’d love to see at least a few of them reach a happy medium.
Last night’s Friday Night SmackDown saw something of a wrestling clinic from former Women’s Champion, Gail Kim and former Divas Champion, Michelle McCool. In what has been a hotly-anticipated match ever since Gail signed with WWE, we finally got to see these two Divas go at it and the result wasn’t disappointing at all.
Oh how the times change. It was five years ago, that these two Divas were on opposing teams in a scintilating game of ‘Diva Dodgeball’. Later that year, Gail was released for the likes of Michelle as WWE decided to take their women’s division in a different direction. But now five years later, Michelle has grown into a fine wrestler worthy of facing a talent like Gail.
This match was rough, it was tumble and it was every bit enjoyable. The intensity of the action between these two and the way they used their surroundings was very well done. There were spots in this match that saw Gail revisit her TNA days where there were no limits for the women, we saw a sick thud as Gail hit the ringpost and fell to the outside. And then we saw Michelle’s interpretation of Randy Orton’s punt kick – that vicious knee, which really looked like it hurt.
But when all was said and done, the Gail train continued to pick up steam as she scored a victory over the first ever Divas Champion which should now propel her into getting a title shot at the current Champ, Maryse. It was the right decision on this occasion, but what does that say about the Divas division? Gail gets a clean win over the Divas Champion last week but she rolls up Michelle in a less defined finish this week? It doesn’t look good for Maryse.
Personally, I liked the finish to this match because it doesn’t bury either Diva and I expect that these two will be feuding over that Divas Championship later in the year, so it sets up Michelle as a strong challenger if and when Gail picks up the title.
The match wasn’t without fault, the inspired double-leg jawbreaker that we saw on Maryse last week was botched this week on Michelle. Another something I missed in this match, was Michelle’s big boot which I think she should utilise more often. It looked awesome on Maria last week.
But in all honesty, you can’t fault this match too hard unless you’re a die-hard and nitpick at little things. This match was pay per view caliber, I know that’s not saying a lot considering the Divas matches we’ve seen on PPV but I would be very happy to see this match on an event like WrestleMania with just a few added minutes.
Today as I was cruising YouTube for matches from my favorite indies, I came across this gem of a match from OVW. It features not one, not two but four former and current WWE Divas. There’s even a well known Knockout participating. My favorite part of the match however was seeing Kelly Kelly flexing her acting chops. I’ll let you see for yourselves:
That has to be a record! I don’t think anyone has ever lost a match before they got to the ring. Good work, Kelly! The standout star here had to be Katie Lea. It’s really too bad WWE doesn’t let Katie stand out like this. Katie went from top Diva in OVW to jobber extraordinaire in WWE. But who knows? Maybe the Draft will change all that.
Get the barf bag box of tissues ready; this one is surely going to tug at your heart. As I mentioned last night, the WWE Mobile on AT&T Exclusive following SmackDown saw Brie Bella and Nikki Bella reuniting. Well, just to clarify that they did in fact reunite and are on speaking terms, Nikki Bella took to her blog to let everyone know how sorry she is about causing problems with Brie. Yawn! Don’t apologize Rebel Twin!
Now I wanted to talk to you all about what’s been going on with Brie and I, and I want to apologize to you all and her, as I already did, for my actions. If you check out the new WWE Mobile, I apologize to Brie and she accepts my apology. She truely is strong.
See sometimes, as you all know, you see differently for your family and will do whatever it takes to help your family succeed. I saw an opportunity for Brie and I and so I took it and tried to make her take it as well. Brie being sweet and kind-hearted declined and tried to show me something different. As family often does, we saw things differently. I wanted the guys to earn us and really show that they wanted us, where Brie wanted to stay because of how nice they are. Plus I know she had a crush on Primo as well as he did on her :) I love my sister to death and would never ever want to hurt her, I want the best for her, and taking a step on the dark side is what I thought would be the best. Obviously days before Wrestlemania I realized that I was wrong and that’s why I wasn’t around the boys during that time. Instead I spent a lot of time thinking….
So as far as The Bella Twins go…. WE ARE BACK!! And stronger then ever!! She and I can’t wait to tear it up in the ring again… TOGETHER!! We hope and pray for all of WWE Universe support!! As we say….
PEACE LOVE AND TWINS!
Nikki
Jeez, quit with the sappy! I would’ve been perfectly content watching a backstage segment between these two on SmackDown, but I guess WWE couldn’t do that if they have something planned for the Draft. From the looks of things, the Bellas don’t appear to be making the heel turn like some of us thought would be pretty interesting. Oh well, maybe the Draft will split them up and they can both blog about that!
Hot on the heels of Torrie Wilson saying ‘No’ to a possible turn as a TNA Knockout, another ex-Diva and Women’s Champion has quashed rumours of her possibly joining TNA. Victoria – real name Lisa Marie Varon – was spotted with TNA owner, Dixie Carter at a recent MMA show leading to some news sites to speculate her going to TNA. Well Varon spoke out on her MySpace yesterday:
I ran into a couple former WWE employees there. Bruce Prichard and Dan Stevenson, who were behind the scenes guys, who are now with TNA. They introduced me to Dixie Carter and her husband. I don’t know if she’s supposed to have a tough businesswoman image. But I’m gonna shatter that. She was supernice. It’s always weird to me when a tidbit of my personal life becomes wrestling gossip, because someone saw Dixie and I talking, and now “I may be going to TNA”. I’d be lying if I said it never crossed my mind, but they haven’t come to me with anything, and I am really focused on my MMA.
So there you have it. I highly doubt Victoria would wind up in TNA, despite not having the most flourishing end to her WWE career I feel Victoria is another Diva that is ‘WWE through-and-through’ like Torrie Wilson. She got a good sendoff from the company and they, in the end, did finally acknowledge her accomplishments. Right now, she’s considered a WWE Alumni which puts her in good steed to become a future Hall of Famer and moving to TNA could jeopardise that.
This most certainly doesn’t make any sense. The Bella Twins, Nikki and Brie, have apparently reunited. Following SmackDown, WWE sent out an exclusive for their WWE Mobile on AT&T, which featured the Bella Twins having a little chat with the Divas Champion, Maryse. Here is the official recap from WWE.com:
After SmackDown, Nikki & Brie Bella reunited on this week’s WWE Mobile on AT&T exclusive video. The twins also ran into Divas Champion Maryse backstage, and the SmackDown Divas talked about the WWE Draft, which happens Monday on a special three-hour Raw beginning at 8/9 CT.
Say it ain’t so y’all! Talk about a short-lived feud! I must say this really disappoints me! Just when the Bellas were finally getting some character, were finally being distinguishable, and finally getting an interesting storyline with a heel twin and a face twin, they suddenly “reunite?” Pardon my language but WTF! This absolutely makes no sense if you ask me.
I think them reuniting has something to do with the Draft. If the recap has them talking about the Draft, then something must be brewing with Creative. Miz & Morrison and Carlito & Primo are certainly not getting along and that feud is not over, so I don’t really see why the Bellas are suddenly getting along again. Two matches into their feud and things are cool? If they don’t get split up in the Draft, then I will be seriously puzzled. The Bella Twins’ feud between themselves was probably the best thing that happened to them since it was revealed that there were two of them.
And on top of all of this, the newly reunited Bella Twins are going to prance around and have a chat with Maryse?! Maryse? Really? How does this make any sense? If the Bellas are on friendly terms, then this means they will be faces again. Maryse is clearly still a heel, and the Bellas and Maryse are obviously not friends. Why would they just stop each other in the hall and chat about the Draft? Unless it was a rude little chat with Maryse saying how the Bellas should be shipped off away from the greatness that is Maryse, I don’t quite see how this fits into any type of storyline other than some lame advertisement plug for the Draft, unless the Bellas plan on turning heel… which I don’t think is the case.
Seeing as I don’t subscribe to WWE Mobile even though I have AT&T, I can only guess as to what went down, so if any of you readers are subscribers and would like to fill us in, please do!
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You know what time it is people! Really? You don’t? Well I’ll clue you in. It’s time your weekly dose of SHIMMER goodness. Every weekend, I’ll be bringing you profiles on the hard hitting ladies of SHIMMER. Everyone from the major players like MsChif to the up and coming rookies like Ashley Lane and Portia Perez. So lets get to the good stuff, guys.
Name: Sara Del Rey
Aliases: “Death Rey”
Age: 28
Entrance Theme: “The Final Countdown” by EuropeÂ
Finisher(s):Royal Butterfly(Standing Butterfly lock released into a suplex); Bridging German suplex
Associates: Larry Sweeney; Allison Danger; Chris HeroÂ
Accomplishments: SHIMMER Champion (1 Time); OCW Women’s Champion (1 Time, current); CWR Women’s Champion (1 Time, current); Ranked #6 ond PWI’s Female 50 in 2008
Sara Del Rey is arguably the best pure wrestler in SHIMMER to date. Trained by greats such as Bryan Danielson and Antonio Inoki, Sara has adopted a hard hitting style all her own. She even had a little stint in OVW (very little). Believe it or not, Del Rey had to put in a lot extra hours during the beginning of her training, as wrestling didn’t come naturally to her. Go figure.
 Since Volume One, Del Rey has been a mainstay of SHIMMER. She’s taken on some of the best and won on several occasions. Sarah Stock, Lacey and even Awesome Kong has tasted the “Death Rey”. Sara made history in 2007, becoming SHIMMER’s first ever champion, defeating Lacey in the SHIMMER Championship Tournament finals. She defended the title in SHIMMER before dropping it to MsChif in April 2008.
Del Rey also knows how to play well with others. She, along with Allison Danger, form Dangerous Angels. The team has competed on several volumes of SHIMMER, as well as Ring Of Honor.
Speaking of Ring Of Honor, Death Rey recently turned heel, Aligning herself with Larry Sweeney and Chris Hero to form Sweet and Sour Inc. The group even took a shot at the WWE divas. Sweeney implied he was grooming Del Rey for WWE and she replied by saying: “I’m a wrestler not a Diva” Ouch! She ended up leaving the faction after being yelled at by Sweeney, during a match against Daizee Haze.
While Sara’s style is better suited for TNA, I would rather see her in WWE. I could see having some epic match-ups against likes of Beth Phoenix and Natalya. Of course if WWE has anything to say about it, she’ll be jobbing to Maria or Candice a few months into her debut.
So what do you guys think? Does Sara fit the TNA mold or shoukd she go over to WWE and redefine what it means to be a diva? Sound off in the comments! As usual, videos after the cut, including a ACTUAL SHIMMER match! Enjoy!
Yes, you read that right. While it hasn’t been officially stated by TNA, it looks like Kong may be making a face turn judging by last night iMPACT! In case you aren’t up to date, Angelina Love and her BBFs Velvet Sky and Madison Rayne have been attacking and cutting the hair of rivals to prove their dominance going into Lockdown. They started with Daffney and Taylor Wilde, and last night was no different, as they victimized Raisha Saeed. Kong took on Sky and Rayne in a handicap match later that night. While Kong picked up the win, she ended up on the receiving end of another Mi Pi Sexy attack makeover. Before TBP could snip Kong’s locks, she was saved by Taylor Wilde, an unlikely ally to say the least.
I dont know how I feel about the prospect of Kong becoming a face. She wouldn’t be the first monster heel to turn face, but it would just feel so weird. And it also makes Kong look a bit weak, getting beat up by TBP and all. It seems TNA is pushing Mi Pi Sexy at the expense of the champ, which makes me feel like the title will be making it’s way into TBP’s camp on Sunday. Hopefully, this is just a temporary alliance and after Sunday Kong wiil go back to what she does best: Kicking ass and taking names! Discuss in the comments.
We’ve got your first look at tonight’s SmackDown, which features Gail Kim taking on Michelle McCool. Contrary to a rumor earlier this week, this match is not a #1 contendership match – just a plain old one-on-one bout:
Taking black and white photos is usually a tell-tale sign of trying hard to look “artsy”, so it’d be obvious to say that Natalya‘s new photoshoot “Light in the Dark” is a bit like watching an 80’s-era Leonard Cohen music video (minus the seagulls, of course). The wind-blown look and high contrast make Natalya look like an entirely different person, which I don’t think is a good thing. I mean, I appreciate that they’ve thought outside the box a bit, but it’s almost more of a Maryse-style shoot than one I could ever picture Natalya doing. But hey, at least she’s breaking character constraints. Most Divas get stuck in a rut with the same poses and looks, but Natalya always brings something different to the table, and I can certainly appreciate that, even if I don’t admire the aesthetics in this shoot.
We can all agree that, except for a few exceptions, Divas get the short end of the stick when comes to entrance themes. While the male superstars get music from actual bands and artists or custom made songs with lyrics, Divas get stuck with crappy production music. If I had the chance I would change all the Divas music to something a little… well, better. And that’s just what I’m going to do. Here’s a few changes I would make to the Divas’ soundtrack:
Â
The name say it all. If there was a phrase to describe this malicious trio, it would be “Drama Queen”. Besides the name, the song’s rock and roll feel fits their image perfectly. I originally picked “Bad Girl” by Danity Kane for them, but I didn’t think it complimented them as well.Â
I’m hearing that the Gail-Michelle match filmed for this week’s SmackDown may have been a number one contender’s match, though I haven’t been able to confirm that.
If true, adds some credence to my Maryse Draft post.
There’s a bunch of Divas and Knockout news that has made its way online, but each tidbit is not really big enough news to warrant an entire post. That said, I thought I’d post a potentially new feature called a News Quickie to keep all our devoted Diva Dirt fans well-rounded in their news.
– At the WrestleMania weekend Axxess events, it was noted that Raw Diva Candice Michelle was asked about her return to the ring. She reportedly shot down the rumors of her release again and said that she will be back in the ring and ready to compete within 3 weeks. Can’t wait that long? Catch Candice on The Wizards of Waverly Place this weekend on the Disney Channel. Sorry, I couldn’t resist posting that!
– Spotted: TNA President Dixie Carter schmoozing retired WWE Diva Victoria at a UFC event. That’s right, Victoria was in attendance at a UFC event, presumably to watch and take notes for her possible career in MMA. This is when Dixie approached Victoria about coming to TNA. There is definitely interest in bringing Victoria to TNA, and although I think it would be a bad move, I don’t even see it happening. Victoria has her sights set on MMA and I think she’s going to stick with that direction. No word on what Victoria responded back to Dixie Carter, but ultimately it will depend on what kind of contract she signed with WWE and when her no-compete clause finishes.
– Todd Grisham will take over as commentator on SmackDown while Josh Matthews takes his spot on ECW. So much for bringing in a female voice like Sunny to change things up a bit.
– Ex-WWE Diva “Desperate” Debra (new catchphrase alert! Melanie, we should do this more often!) is embarking on a radio tour across the country in an effort to rally fans to get TNA to sign her. I don’t know why she’d go on a radio tour; you have to have a lot to talk about to sit on the radio. How much can Debra say to a mostly-male audience other than that she used to be married to Stone Cold Steve Austin?
– Good Ol’ JR’s Blog addressed the Divas Battle Royal at WrestleMania. Good news from this is that JR seems to agree with us Diva fans when we kindly put that the match was a complete clusterf*ck (as Erin simply put). Here’s what JR said:
The Diva Battle Royal at ‘Mania was the darnedest thing I can remember seeing in a while as the ladies started scuffling before the bell rang and I swear that there were eliminations during the introductions. I was looking forward to seeing some of the Diva Alums…not only did I not see some of them in the match I did not get to see some of them during the week… I especially missed not getting to visit with Torrie Wilson. Hey, just because I’m on a “diet” doesn’t mean I can’t look at the “desert list.” Plus she always entertainingly busts my chops about her Boise State footballers upsetting Oklahoma a couple of years ago in the instant classic, Fiesta Bowl.
I did get to visit with Sunny, Nidia, and Molly Holly and thoroughly enjoyed those conversations. Nidia did not compete in the Battle Royal as she is busy being a mom but looked to be in tremendous shape. Sunny was having fun in Houston and Molly is still doing great things with under privileged kids. I’ve never met a Diva with a better heart for wanting to do good deeds than does Molly. I wish more people in this world had her wonderful attitude.
– In attendance at Booker T’s “Fight For the Kids” charity event this past weekend were TNA Knockouts Christy Hemme, Angelina Love, Velvet Sky, Sharmell, as well as Debra, Kim Page, and a jet-black haired Lita. It is still unknown if Booker T will continue seeking legal action against the WWE for “stealing” his other talents that were scheduled to appear, namely Torrie Wilson.
– UPDATE: TNA officials are not going to hold off on Ayako Hamada‘s debut. TNA was deciding between Sarah Stock and Ayako as their new Knockout, and they are definitely going to set her as Gail Kim‘s replacement as the top face of the company. Ayako is set to debut at the iMPACT tapings in two weeks. Ayako, age 28, has been wrestling for 11 years and some of her achievments include a two time World Heavyweight Champion for All Japan’s Women’s Pro Wrestling.
– UPDATE: WWE officials planted a rumor in the UK to a large number of media outlets that Stacy Keibler was dating Hornswoggle. It was believed WWE did this just to get attention for WrestleMania, but apparently the “real reason” was because Stacy refused to work the Divas Battle Royal. The story never got printed but media outlets were calling Stacy frequently to ask her about the story.
Well, there was your morning News Quickie! What do you think of the feature and the news? Sound off in the comments!
In WWE, it’s customary to ‘shake things up’ post-WrestleMania. Well we thought it would be fitting for Diva Dirt to follow suit and shake things up around here too!
We’re really pleased to introduce two new bloggers to the team: Lacey and Tiffany. Neither is a stranger to Diva Dirt as they both started as commenters like Hassan and Steven before them. If you’re a frequent visitor of the site, I’m sure you’ve read Lacey’s comments and Tiffany’s comments under the username, Malfunkshun.
We’re also happy to reveal that former Diva Dirt blogger Josie will be bringing back her unique style to the site, in a new weekly column. I’m sure you read the Sunday newspapers which feature a lot of comment pieces and columns and that’s what Josie will be bringing to us every weekend!
Please make them feel welcome!
PS: If you think you could be Diva Dirt‘s next blogista in training, click here. As you’ve probably guessed by now, it seems that our great additions to the team usually start off as regular readers just like you, who enjoy having their say in the comment box. So if why not hone your skills too? You never know, we could be knocking at your door!
During a press conference in Japan on Wednesday, April 8, Japanese wrestler Ayako Hamada announced that her last matchup with the Ito Dojo will be on April 19 as she has signed a contract with TNA Wrestling.
Ayako will be a second generation wrestling Knockout, as her father is Gran Hamada, who is from former WWE Superstar Taka Michinoku and his family’s wrestling organization, Michinoku Pro Wrestling.
I think it is great that TNA is branching out into Japan for new talent. She is apparently a decorated athlete and I can see her bringing a lot to the table in TNA. I don’t believe she would fit right in with the mold that WWE has for their Divas, but I can see her making a big impact in TNA. Unfortunately, the only flaw with this hiring is I think TNA is trying to make up for their loss of Gail Kim by hiring another Knockout who has a similar look and similar style in the ring.
Ever since they didn’t cough up enough money to match WWE’s offer and keep Gail Kim, the TNA Knockout Division hasn’t really been the same if you ask me. I think TNA is bringing in a flood of new Knockouts to try and fix this, including Sojo Bolt, Madison Rayne, Daffney, and now Ayako, but so far, it hasn’t worked. Maybe they are hoping that bringing in a Gail lookalike will repair their Knockouts Division. I hate to break it to you TNA, but you can’t replace Gail!
Up until recently, I’ve avoided posting Tiffany photoshoots on the basis that she wasn’t very relevant, and thus there wouldn’t be much to talk about. However, given her recent massive promotion on ECW, we’ve finally got a reason to know who she is. Her new photoshoot, “Baby Blue” shows a more professional side, which is quite suitable for her new position as GM of ECW. Granted, most bosses don’t flash cleavage at work, but it’s much classier than most outfits the Divas have concocted. I don’t think she looks very authoritative, but I suppose that’ll come with time.
So Tiffany has debuted as the new interim GM of ECW. Check it out below:
Now these big business types need evaluations right? So allow me to oblige:
Presentation: Decent, if a little frumpy. On her first night as GM, Tiffany went for the conservative suit but there’s nothing wrong with sexing up your image, if you’re a hot young executive. A day dress, maybe a loose fitting top or tight pants would have worked better (see Rosa Mendes‘ outfit from Monday’s Raw).
Authority: Average. It didn’t take long for the ECW Champion, Jack Swagger to undermine the doe-eyed Diva (New catchphrase alert! Copyright, Melanie). Vickie Guerrero certainly wouldn’t stand for that!
Crowd Control: Average. Hijacking the music of a beloved former Diva sets you back a little bit. ECW isn’t the WWE A-show but has some great Superstars (Christian, Evan Bourne and Tyson Kidd to name a few), give the people what they want and they won’t turn on you.
Communicative Skills: Pretty darn bad. She may look like comedy actress, Kaley Cuoco but she certainly hasn’t got any of the wit or charm. Monotonous, bland and boring come to mind when evaluating her microphone skills.
Overall: Slightly average. She’s no Vickie Guerrero, she’s no Torrie Wilson and she’s no Kaley Cuoco. Tiffany’s got a lot working against her, but could grow into her new role. I don’t wanna be too harsh, because she reminds me of Bambi, also doe-eyed.
Check out spoilers for this week’s SmackDown below:
Gail Kim def. Michelle McCool in a singles match.
EDIT: A fan in attendance recorded some live footage, follow the cut:
Talk about being in the right place at the right time, ECW Diva Tiffany has been announced as the new interim General Manager of the brand after Teddy Long upgraded to SmackDown at tonight’s tapings.
Remember, last night on Raw, Vickie Guerrero announced that she was giving up her SmackDown position to become the permanent GM of Raw.
And before someone says it, no I don’t see Tiffany becoming GM as a promotion – she’s still just a television character like any other Diva and like Vickie Guerrero. And no, I don’t think it’s because the Creative Team or Vince see something special in her. It just seems like she was introduced in the right position (as Teddy Long’s assistant) to be kayfabe promoted.
EDIT: Apparently, Tiffany has adopted Torrie Wilson‘s entrance theme, “A Girl Like That.” Is nothing sacred anymore? As a huge Torrie fan it annoys me. That music was written for Torrie for the Wreckless Intent album. You wouldn’t give away Trish’s music or Lita‘s or Victoria‘s. WWE slaps Torrie in the face once again.
