Tuesday, November 26, 2024

Rosa Mendes Officially a Diva

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WWE has decided to forego the whole “She’s a fan” thing, as Rosa Mendes is now officially a Diva. The Diva has been added to WWE.com’s roster page, check it out by clicking here.

Sarah Stock Joins TNA

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TNA has made a play for one of the best independent workers on the market, Sarah Stock, it has been revealed today.

PWInsider’s Mike Johnson confirms that Stock has signed a deal with TNA to join the Knockouts division. She is the second newcomer in as many weeks, as TNA has just signed Madison Rayne to a deal also. It is believed that TNA is looking to expand it’s Knockouts division and has been on the lookout to hire many more female talents in the past few weeks.

Stock has previously worked for SHIMMER and CMLL. Johnson further speculates that given her caliber, Sarah could be used as a replacement for Gail Kim, which should indicate her in-ring skills.

Melanie’s POV: It’s great to see TNA taking their Knockouts division seriously now, it’s been touch-and-go since Gail left. The signing of new talents shows that they are still pushing for this division to work. I actually tuned into the gauntlet match last week, my first time watching Impact in a long time, and was thoroughly impressed. They just need to even out the heels and faces and I think they have a good division, the heels seem to be more well-rounded as characters and there seem to be more of them compared to the faces.

There are a lot of great workers out there including former Divas that I’d love to see head to TNA. I’m sure they’ve put out feelers to Victoria, but I get the impression she’s fully retired from wrestling and even if she’s not, she still has an allegiance to WWE.

Women’s Title on Raw: Melina or Beth?

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Tonight’s Raw features a pay per view caliber match – Beth Phoenix challenges Melina for the Women’s Championship in a Royal Rumble rematch. I certainly have high hopes and I hope that they pull out all the stops to give these two some prominent ring time and even the ‘big fight’ introductions.

But the big question is what will the outcome be? Will Melina successfully defend her title for the first time? Or will Beth join Melina in the ranks of three time champions.

And that’s not even factoring in intern, Rosa Mendes or the rumoured involvement of Trish Stratus! Vote below!

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Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves…

Sibling rivalry… seems to be a recurring theme with WWE at the moment. Friday night’s episode of SmackDown teased some tension between the Bella Twins, could these two already be splitting up? Check out the footage below:


BELLA TWINS BACKSTAGE

The fans already seem to be sick of the twin gimmick and have been slowly but surely turning on the Bellas. So far their stay on SmackDown has been somewhat uneventful, with the odd match here and there and somehow they’ve managed to hook up with the Colons. When you introduce a sibling duo to WWE, it’s eventual that they’ll split up and feud – but I didn’t see it happening this early.

It’s too soon to tell what’ll happen with these two, but that segment did tease some dissension. I think this feud could be very interesting and would add yet another dimension to the SmackDown Divas division. It’ll even up the heels and faces a little more too. But it’s doubtful that the fans care enough about either twin for it to work. We’d have to be able to tell them apart first…

What do you think, are the Bellas heading it splitsville? Which twin would you like to see as the heel and face? Can you figure out which twin it was that sided with M&M in that video?

Queen of the Ring: Top 16 Revealed

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For the past week you have been voting for the 16 Divas and Knockouts you want to see take part in our first annual Queen of the Ring tournament. The winner will be revealed during WrestleMania weekend, but from now until then, we have to wittle those 16 Divas down to just one!

Like the King of the Ring tournament, 16 will take part in the qualifying rounds, 8 will take part in the quarter finals, four will take part in the semi-finals and just two will take part in the finals. So let’s meet the 16 women you have voted to take part in the Queen of the Ring tournament!

Angelina Love
Beth Phoenix
Candice Michelle
Gail Kim
Jillian
Kelly Kelly
Layla
Lita
Maria
Maryse
Melina
Michelle McCool
Mickie James
Torrie Wilson
Trish Stratus
Victoria

    The 16 Divas will be drawn at random to determine who will face off in the qualifying rounds. The first two qualifying matches will take place this week, stay tuned!

    No Way Out: Least Diva Friendly PPV?

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    Rooting through the archives of past No Way Out events, I realised that No Way Out is possibly the least Diva friendly pay per view on the WWE calendar. With just one Divas match competed at the event, No Way Out hasn’t seen any Divas action since 2001. Okay well, there was an intergender match at the 2004 event but that doesn’t count.

    So as we squander our hopes for a Divas match tonight, let’s take a look back at the one and only Divas match at No Way Out, a grudge match between Trish Stratus and Stephanie McMahon in 2001.


    TITLE OF TRISH STRATUS VS STEPHANIE MCMAHON

    What Will She Do Now?

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    ashleyLast week, former Diva, Ashley Massaro had us shaking in our boots when she hinted at a possible WWE comeback. The self proclaimed ‘Dirty Ho Diva’ cited that she had a meeting with John Laurinaitius, Vice President of Talent Relations. Well that’s Ashley side of the story…

    Now it is being reported that (Tr)Ashley did indeed have a meeting with Johnny ‘Perv’ Ace, but how do I put this delicately… Bitch has no chance in hell of getting her old job back! Ashley left the WWE last year, following the Ashleygate escort debacle. At the time she said she was leaving to take care of her sick daughter.

    It’s not even been a year since Ashley left the WWE and already she wants back in? I’d hate (read: love) to speculate but I’m guessing Ash has fallen on hard times in the current economic climate, because the whole thing reeks of desperation.

    Meanwhile, the controversial Diva continues to cause drama. Her latest escapade includes calling a 13 year old girl a ‘trick’ and ‘f–king c–t’. I wonder how that would get over with WWE’s new PG rating?

    EDIT: Said 13 year old girl has posted a video blog reply to Ashley via MySpace, click here to check it out.

    Will Trish Mentor Melina to WrestleMania?

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    melinaCurrent Women’s Champion, Melina took part in a live chat with Comcast on Wednesday and dropped a line about legend, Trish Stratus. Though it is but an interview, could it perhaps be an indicator to the direction WWE is going in for WrestleMania 25? Read below:

    It’s awesome, and also there’s a lot of pressure… what is the Spider Man line? “There’s great power, but there’s great responsibility.” I feel like there’s a lot of people that are backing me up and I don’t want to let them down, but at the same time I’m coming back from an injury — my ankle is still hurting — and I’m always having this fear … that I could slip up and lose the championship… there’s a lot of people helping me train, like Trish Stratus is helping me, and she’s putting her name on me, so I don’t want to let anyone down. I’m putting my belt on this Monday  against Beth Phoenix

    The line about Trish definitely came out of left-field, so I can’t help but think it may be the implantation of a seed for ‘Mania. There have been various rumours floating around about Trish’s participation at ‘Mania 25, almost too many to dismiss them as just gossip. There were no rumours about Trish heading into WrestleMania 23 or 24.

    I definitely think that the focus should be on today’s talent, though for nostalgic purposes and just to add that ‘Mania feeling, I’m not opposed to Trish coming back for a programme heading into the biggest pay per view of the year. From the sounds of it, Trish could mentor Melina to a Women’s Championship match against Beth Phoenix. I don’t see that as a bad idea whatsoever, it keeps her involved but not in a match taking away the spotlight from the current performers – in the same vain as Ric Flair’s rumoured involvement at ‘Mania.

    With Rosa Mendes in Beth’s corner, WWE could easily bring in Trish as a surprise guest to help Melina out, playing off the fact that Trish got the better of Beth on Raw last December. I’d also use WrestleMania as an opportunity to finally give a Diva the chance to pin Beth ‘cleanly’ i.e. by way of their finishing move, rather than a quick roll-up that screams ‘fluke’. Beth has worked her Glamazon character for nearly a year and a half now, it’s about time she had a ‘clean’ loss; the storyline explanation could be that Melina managed to overcome her with Trish’s mentoring.

    Though this is mainly conjecture on my part, we still don’t know the direction for WrestleMania but I’m hoping we get some indication following the Women’s Championship rematch on Raw this Monday.

    The Ultimate Blonde Bombshell No Longer Blonde

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    Many a blonde has passed through the doors of WWE over the years, but the title of ‘Ultimate Blonde Bombshell’ has always gone to Trish Stratus. Well, the former 7 time Women’s Champ has done the unthinkable… changed her hair colour! As shocked as I was to see Trish no longer blonde, she looks effin’ hot with her new brown ‘tresses!

    EDIT: Yes, I do realise that Trish is naturally a brunette.

    SmackDown Watch: February 13, 2009

    After months of feuding, this week’s SmackDown features a grudge match between Maria and Michelle McCool. Check it out below:


    MARIA VS MICHELLE MCCOOL

    Looks like Friday the 13th has shone some topsy-turvy luck on Maria, as the Diva who is usually appalling in the ring, manages a passable match this week. I have to say, this match wasn’t bad at all, possibly because Maria’s offense was limited but it worked, these two managed to put on a decent to good match. I think it’s a testament to Michelle, because she looked on fine form this week. She really has become an outstanding wrestler.

    We knew that Maria would have to get some form of retribution over Michelle, but I didn’t want to see an unbelievable clean loss and I’m glad they didn’t do that. Having Eve help Maria and her getting a surprise roll-up win is believable and was fine in giving Maria her victory. I’m sure they could continue it so that Eve and Maria team up in trying to take down Michelle, which furthers this storyline. Good stuff.

    WrestleMania 25: Should-Bes, Could-Bes and Shouldn’t Bes

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    Continuing my theme of speculation as we head into WrestleMania 25, here’s another post that delves into the matter. This time, I’m going to be looking at the Divas who I think should be part of WrestleMania, the Divas I think could be part of WrestleMania and even though it doesn’t rhyme, the Divas who shouldn’t be part of ‘Mania.

    The Should-Bes

    Melina, Maryse: As the Women’s and Divas Champions respectively, these two Divas have earned a part of the biggest pay per view of the year. If any Diva is to wrestle at ‘Mania it should be one or both of these two Divas.

    Beth Phoenix: A Diva that has been so integral to the women’s division for the better part of two years, you can’t build up a girl for so long without giving her the big payday.

    Michelle McCool: Like Beth, Michelle has been such a huge part of SmackDown over the past year and has worked hard to earn her spot on the roster. As she continues to reach new heights on Friday nights, the All-American Diva has done enough to now deserve the chance to compete at her first ‘Mania.

    The Could-Bes

    Kelly Kelly: Here’s a Diva that has been given a consistent spot on Raw over the past year or so, although not part of any major storyline, it wouldn’t be out of the question to see Kelly as part of WrestleMania.

    Mickie James: It’s been two years since Mickie’s one and only WrestleMania appaearance. Although she gets some major screen time almost every year, it just never seems to come around ‘Mania time. Like Kelly, although not part of a storyline at the moment, don’t rule out Mickie’s chances.

    The Shouldn’t-Bes

    Most of the roster: Divas like Alicia, the Bella Twins, Eve, Katie Lea, Layla, Natalya and Tiffany don’t seem to have enough momentum behind them to be part of ‘Mania this year.

    Jillian: WWE’s resident jobber isn’t likely to get a spot at ‘Mania anyway.

    Candice, Maria: Though they’ve had a few bursts throughout the year in terms of matches and storylines, neither really cuts the mustard when it comes to the talent required to be part of WrestleMania. Though Candice has shown signs of life as an in-ring performer despite her trainwreck comeback last year, it isn’t nearly enough to salvage her career in time for a ‘Mania appearance. Maria is just an awful wrestler, while highly popular, last year proved that even WWE realises that it’s a mistake to put Maria in the ‘Mania picture.

    Trish Stratus Is Still Talking…

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    I’m back! I know y’all missed me, but I took a little hiatus; having 4 Biology tests in one week will do that to you! Seems like whenever I stop keeping up with the Divas,  big things start happening! TNA jabs WWE again, Ashley is hinting (again) at blessing us with her presence and curses out a teenager, Eve wrestled, Natalya gets drafted, and now Maria is set to spaz out on wrestle Michelle McCool this week! While looking around for some worthwhile news, I stumbled upon yet another Trish Stratus interview, this time by SLAM! Magazine. Check out this excerpt from the interview:

    Q: Do you feel that women’s wrestling (such as the WWE Divas and the TNA Knockouts) get the attention and respect that it deserves?
    Trish: Currently, not as much as it used to get. I was lucky to have been a part of a time when women’s wrestling actually got quite a lot of attention and respect — sometimes as much or more than the men! It did however, take years for us to get there, so maybe the current views about women’s wrestling will see a shift over some time and get it back there. There’s definitely enough talent out there to help get it there.

    Q: Who is one diva past or present that you wish you can or could have got in the ring and have a match with?
    Trish: I think a match-up with Nattie Neidhart or Beth Phoenix would deliver some serious Stratusfaction!

    Q: Any plans of returning, even for a limited run?
    Trish: If the right scenario presented itself — like my recent return in Toronto — it was the right scenario to come out of retirement just to whoop Beth’s a**!

    Q: Who do consider your greatest rival in wrestling?
    Trish: Hands down — Lita.

    I’m going to apologize in advance, but is anyone else getting really tired of listening to Trish talk? I mean, I’ll be the first to say she was phenomenal and I am a huge fan, but she retired about a year ago, faded away into obscurity, and now since her surprise return on Raw, hasn’t stopped talking about Beth and Natalya! Supposedly, there hasn’t been an effort on WWE’s part to extend any kind of offer to Trish to make an appearance at WrestleMania 25. However, things just seem to be up in the air at this point! Trish keeps talking about Beth and Natalya, Beth keeps talking about Natalya, and Natalya keeps talking about Trish. This little triangle could all be a ploy by the WWE to keep us guessing, but if it isn’t, then Trish is starting to look mighty desperate. As I’m pretty sure has been an established opinion by most of us including myself at Diva Dirt, a Trish appearance at WrestleMania would only detract away from the hard work that the other Divas have put forth over the past year. At any rate, all this Beth vs. Natalya, Trish vs. Beth, Natalya vs. Trish, and Beth vs. Trish vs. Natalya madness needs to stop! And Trish, either stay retired or don’t… but pick one!

    Bad Girls Wear Black

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    It seems as though Katie Lea and Michelle McCool‘s heel personas have manifested themselves into their wardrobe, as both are donning head-to-toe black in their latest photoshoots, “Fringe Benefits” and “Fur Your Eyes Only”, respectively. Katie Lea’s going for a rock star look, with the blonde strands of hair, leather pants, wristbands, thigh-high boots and a fringed top. Speaking of that top, the beads and crocheted look would look too hippy in any other color, so it’s a good thing it’s black. It keeps it more in an Aerosmith territory rather than Woodstock. Michelle’s sporting a fur vest layered over a tinier vest, paired with black pants and accessories to keep the look dark. I think the fur looks silly in vest form, as the “cooling” function is pretty much useless sans sleeves. But I know, I know.. It’s about the “look”, not the function. I mean, why else would these two heels be dressing like they’re extras in one of the Underworld movies?



    [poll id=”284″]
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    SmackDown Spoilers: February 13, 2009

    It really must be Friday the 13th this Friday, because something frightful indeed will occur! Read on for spoilers:

    Maria def, Michelle McCool after Michelle was distracted by Eve.

    Diva Dirt Launches Queen of the Ring!

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    Drumroll please! Diva Dirt is proud to announce the launch of our first annual Queen of the Ring tournament! I’m sure you all remember the old Internet Babe of the Year tournaments that WWE.com used to run, well Queen of the Ring is similar to that. You will vote for the Diva you want to crown Queen!

    But before the tournament can begin, we need to narrow it down to 16 Divas who will participate. So we’ve made a whole list of Divas, Knockouts and women of wrestling for you to vote from in this preliminary round. The 16 ladies with the most votes will compete in the tournament. Simple, right? Continue after the cut to vote:

    Extremely Natalya

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    Anyone who got to watch ECW last night, was probably just as surprised as I was to see everyone’s favorite third generation diva, Natalya. Last night Natalya officially debuted as a member of the ECW brand, accompanying her real life fiancee, TJ Wilson, now known as Tyson Kidd.

    To be honest, I don’t know I feel about this. While Natalya really wasn’t doing much on Smackdown, at least she could’ve have earned a title shot. Even with the current flood Divas migrating to ECW, there still is no division to speak of. She can only wrestle Alicia Fox and Tiffany so many times. Or maybe a feud with Katie Lea?

    Hopefully, this new arrangement will give her a chance to develop as a character and finally be top Diva she deserves to be.

    What do you guys think? Was the trade a bad move? Do you wanna see Nattie get extreme? Let us know in the comments.

      

    Ashley’s Late for 4th Period Study Hall

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    Say, ever wondered what it would be like to peer into the mind of one Ashley Massaro? Yeah, it’s a frightening prospect, but an interesting one at that. Well wait no longer, because the majesty of the inner workings of her brain have been exposed in her latest MySpace blog. Seemingly, Ashley has been wronged by a (former) significant other, and like any sensible 13-year-old girl that loiters outside the mall while wearing too much eyeliner and a Twilight shirt, she expresses her inner anguish through – what else? – a Dashboard Confessional song!

    Enjoy this presentation of “MasterpieceMassaro Theater” below:

    “The Best Deceptions”

    I heard about your trip.
    I heard about your souvenirs.
    I heard about the cool breeze, in the cool nights,
    And the cool guys that you spent them with.
    Well I guess I should have heard of them from you.
    I guess I should have heard of them from you.

    Don’t you see, don’t you see, that THE CHARADE IS OVER!
    And all the “Best Deceptions” and “Clever Cover Story” awards go to YOU!
    So kiss me hard ’cause this will be the last time that I let you.
    You will be back someday and this awkward kiss that tells of other
    people’s lips will BE OF SERVICE TO KEEPING YOU AWAY.

    I heard about your regrets.
    I heard that you WERE FEELING SORRY.
    I heard from someone that you wish you could set things right BETWEEN US.
    Well I guess I should have heard of that from you.
    I guess I should have heard of that you.

    Beth Phoenix Wants Natalya

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    bethMind… Gutter… Get it out. In the new issue of WWE Magazine, the Glamazon and former Women’s Champ, Beth Phoenix reveals that her ‘dream match’ would be against her SmackDown counterpart, Natalya. Comparisons between these two have passed for nearly a year now, from a similar build to their experience in the ring, Beth says:

    My dream opponent: Natalya. I’ll never be able to wrestle Bret Hart, so being able to get in the ring with her would be as close as I could get to taking on the Hart Foundation. I’d love to have a ladies’ ladder match with her!

    With Victoria now retired, I think this would be a dream match for many, in the same way Beth vs Victoria was. Natalya is my humble opinion, the most gifted Diva on the WWE roster right now and I have no doubt these two would tear the fricken’ house down. Nattie has a lot of untapped potential that I’m just dying to see come out; with both of these Divas as heels, who would play the face? I’ve always said that Natalya could easily transition to being a face, getting the fans behind her through her family lineage, no doubt WWE audiences even today love some Bret Hart. I definitely could see her becoming the top face Diva in WWE if they pulled at all the right strings, but it just doesn’t seem likely since she isn’t considered to have the ‘look’. Such a shame.

    Relocation, Relocation, Relocation

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    Over the past couple of days, Diva Dirt has been in the midst of moving homes! If you can see this post, you have propogated to our new server, so yay you! Unfortunately, a few posts and comments were lost in the switch but nothing too serious.

    If you spot any issues with the site, please do let us know.

    It’s Official… Maybe.

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    Recognize this face? It’s Ashley Lane, half of the SHIMMER Tag Team Champions. It looks like she may have one more credential to add to her resume: TNA Knockout. According to TNA’s Website Ashley will be competing in her second TNA match under her new ring name, Madison Rayne.

     There will be a Knockouts Gauntlet Match on “iMPACT!” as it will be Taylor Wilde vs. Angelina Love vs. ODB vs. Raisha Saeed vs. Roxxi vs. Velvet Sky vs. Sojo Bolt vs. Rhaka Khan vs. Madison Rayne

    Looks like Madison maybe the newest face to join the Knockouts roster. How do you guys think she’ll mesh with the rest of the roster? Will she be another generic face a la Taylor Wilde? Will she latch herself onto a prominant heel and go to the top, like Sojo Bolt? Check out her SHIMMER Spotlight profile for more info on this rising star. 

    Update: There are talks of adding Madison Rayne to The Beautiful People at this week’s iMPACT!. Makes sense to give TBP a third member to even things out against Roxxi, Taylor and ‘Governor Palin’ (Is TNA going to give her a real name?). She definitely has the look to be part of TBP (Pretty, Blonde hair). I hope she can play bitchy. 

    Royal Rumble Rematch on Raw Next Week

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    Announced for next week’s Raw is a Women’s Championship rematch between Melina and Beth Phoenix, in the new champion’s first title defence. Odd that it is booked for the night after a pay per view, rather than booked for No Way Out.

    MassaroMania? Let’s Hope Not…

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    Ashley Massaro

    If you’re a fan of Ashley Massaro, you may have come across a blog of hers, which if is true to the way I interpreted it, could mean the return of ‘The Dirty Diva’. That was only my interpretation though, so I’ll let you decide for yourself.

    WASSUPPPPPPPPPPPP!!!! Sp things have been awesome, making a few changes on the home front these days. Lex is doing great! So’s everything else, and….guess what. Happened to speak to Johnny Ace this week. Hmmmmm, let yall wonder about that one…hehe. So thanks fr all the support lately. I WILL be seeing you soon. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
    dd

    So it appears that Ashley and Johnny Ace, also known as John Laurinaitis, WWE’s Senior Vice President of Talent Relations, are getting chummy. Is this the inevitable return of Ashley Massaro? Will we really being seeing her soon on TV? Should Ashley return? Sound off in the comments!

    TNA Knockout Playing The Race Card?

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    In case any of you guys missed Impact this week, The Kongtourage had a little backstage confrontation with Jim Cornette. During the exchange Sojourner Bolt made a comment that I’m sure raised a few eyebrows. Let’s go to the footage: Fast forward to 5:22

     


    Kongtourage Backstage

    I have to say, as a young man of color(half black and half puerto rican, in case you were wondering) I was kinda offended at this. The use of a racial epithet is unacceptable, regardless of how humorously it’s delivered. I don’t blame SoJo. She’s probably just saying what she’s been told to. Shame on TNA though. They’ve been pushing the race thing for weeks in regards to the Kongtourage(SoJo in particular), but this was the week they crossed the line(no pun intended). If you happened to see TNA Spin Cycle featuring SoJo, note how she keeps harping on about how she needs a strong, black man. It just comes off as kinda rascist or maybe it’s just me. 
     
    Anyways, what do you guys think? Is TNA pushing the envelope too far? Am I just overreacting? Discuss!

    Should Sable Be Inducted in the Hall of Fame?

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    sableFor all of the stars that have been inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, you’ll find but a fraction of them are women. For every ten men, there is probably about one woman. While partly, this enforces wrestling’s prejudice against women, it’s not entirely WWE’s fault either. With women’s wrestling so sparse before the Attitude era, there hasn’t really been anyone to induct. And since WWE’s female wrestlers became Divas, the stars we’ve come to know and love over the past decade or so seem all too ‘new’ to be inducted just yet. However…

    The Class of 2009 seems to be the most progressive bunch yet, as the lead inductee of this year’s Hall of Fame is none other than Stone Cold Steve Austin. The man who defined the Attitude era. And since the Hall of Fame is getting more up-to-date with its inductees, it seems like a few of the older generation of Divas are ready to slip through the cracks and are ready for the Hall of Fame. I’m not saying every Sunny and Terri deserves a spot in the Class of ’09, of course you would have to have made a well-recognised, outstanding contribution to the business to be considered. There is one Diva who I think should be inducted this year and her name is oft associated with a whiplash. That iconic entrance theme exudes the sultriness and sexiness that this Diva possessed in her heyday, of course I am talking about Sable.

    It would be fitting to induct the Superstar who defined the Attitude era and the Diva who defined the Attitude era in the same year. If we can look past her somewhat misguided return to the company in 2003, Sable’s career in the late ’90s burgeoned at rocket-speed. Her popularity rivalled the likes of Stone Cold and The Rock and to this day, has been unmatched. A bold statement, I know but I find it to be true.

    While Trish Stratus is clearly the better all around Diva, by the time she came to prominence, the audience had sloped off. The audiences who watched the Attitude era in the ’90s had halved by the ‘noughties’ in those unfortunate Spike TV years, thus Trish, although she deserved it, didn’t quite manage to reach the entire arena in the way Sable could.

    Sable was almost a trial run for the likes of Trish, Torrie Wilson and Stacy Keibler – and before them, Debra and The Kat. She was the epitome of ‘bombshell’ though not a wrestler, learned her craft on the job. Her popularity was a catalyst for the launch of the women’s division we know today. I’m not saying it was the only reason, but it was certainly one. She may not have been the best wrestler but she was certainly a pioneer and though her 2003 comeback may have stalwarted her chances, I don’t think that’s any reason to begrudge Sable what I truly think she deserves: a spot in the Hall of Fame, Class of 2009.

    Maria-Michelle Grudge Match on SmackDown

    In a bonus clip for AT&T customers, Maria revealed to Todd Grisham that she will face off against Michelle McCool next week on SmackDown. Obviously, this is the culmination of the long feud these two Divas have had over the past few months. Hopefully, they really play this up and give it a ‘big time’ feel and let the girls really go at it.

    I was all but certain this match would take place at No Way Out, but it seems they’re prematurely putting it on SmackDown just two days before. I think it would have been a great vote of confidence to give these two a pay per view match, showing that the Divas can have rivalries and big matches on pay per view that don’t revolve around titles. Plus it seems too soon for another Women’s Championship match and Maryse is still recovering from injury.

    In any event, that match takes place next week on SmackDown. Check back next Tuesday for spoilers!

    FCW: The Savior of the Women’s Division?

    For the last few weeks, I’ve been covering FCW. More specifically, the ‘Queen of FCW’ tournament. After watching all the quarter final matches, as well as tonight’s Eve vs Michelle, I’ve come to the following conclusion: FCW is the best thing to happen to the women’s division.

    I don’t know what Steve Keirn and co. are doing with these ladies, but they need to keep it up. From ECW Divas Alicia Fox and Tiffany to the Bellas on SmackDown, FCW has been pumping out fairly competent wrestlers. Don’t get me wrong, these girls aren’t main event material by any means, but at the rate they’re going they will be soon. Even brand new faces like Jenny Cash and Angela Fong seem more comfortable in ring than some divas that have years in WWE *coughMariacough*. Right before our eyes, former models and Playboy playmates are turning into real competitors.

    I really think that some of the Divas on the current roster could stand to take a little hiatus and skip on down to Florida. Candice trained there for a little before returning and uh… um… er… bad example. But seriously people, FCW has to be doing something right. Here’s to the all our future Divas.