Sunday, November 24, 2024

Weekend Analysis: Two Times a Lady Diva

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Diva Dirt‘s Weekend Analysis is hotter than the Sunday newspapers… free DVDs included! This is the feature we aim to analyse our favourite and not so favourite Divas as well as the current news stories. This week, we ride the gravy train that is Gail Kim‘s TNA departure!

Keeping up to date with this news story has been one of my top priorities this week, which shows A) that I have little to no life and B) that this is major, major news. The turnaround between the announcement of Gail leaving TNA and the announcement she would be re-joining WWE has to set a world record. No one in history has jumped ship that quickly, surely? My esteemed colleague *cough* Erin thinks that this fast turnaround suggests that Gail has been considering the jump to WWE for some time, allowing this to take place so quickly. Gail has words with WWE officials, Gail is offered a contract, Gail waits for her TNA contract to expire and immediately signs with WWE. Sounds like a logical story. However, other reports suggest that Gail held out for TNA to match or better WWE’s financial offer (which is assumed to be a significant amount) and when they couldn’t give her the money she wanted, she took the more lucrative opportunity. This, in my eyes, does not make Gail a “bitch” or “traitor”, this my friends, is simply business.

I’ve made my feelings real clear on the site this week, I love that Gail is coming back to the WWE because she was one of my favourite Divas during her 18 month tenure and she would go onto become my favourite Knockout. Gail really put the TNA Knockouts division on the map with Awesome Kong and accomplished so much in just under a year with her fellow Knockouts. I would say in the last year, Gail has come full circle in TNA and I think in the past few months, without a lucrative storyline she began to wane in the same way Mickie James has in WWE. After being involved in a huge storyline with Kong, Gail lost the title and the lack of singles storylines for her over the past few months have left her a little stale. Even without the storylines, she was winning all her matches like Mickie, but with no real character development, I think Gail had eased into a Mickie type role in TNA. She was their top Knockout but not really that exciting anymore, TNA failed to book Gail strongly as a title contender or give her a feud in the meantime. Creatively, it’s said that Gail had no problems with how she was used in TNA, but my take is that she had come full circle in TNA and perhaps leaving the company was for the best.

So Gail is going to be a WWE Diva once more, earlier I wrote that this is just business but let’s look at the other side of the coin. Even if it is just business, will Gail – for all the money it’s thought WWE is willing to pay her – be able to have the same excitement and appreciation of her job in WWE? Compared to the fast paced Knockouts division, Gail won’t have the opportunity to go all out in the ring and hell, she may not even appear on TV for weeks at a time. If her decision is purely financial, can and will Gail Kim be as appreciative of the WWE fans? In the entertainment business, you have to have passion and drive. Gail’s new WWE deal will be for a “significant amount”, but has she thought about the other aspects? I should hope Gail doesn’t expect to just turn up at TV tapings, do her job and go home. There’s a lot of fan interaction for wrestlers and we know that Gail loved her job in TNA, but can she bring that same enthusiasm to her new job in WWE. Will she want to sign autographs for the WWE fans? Will she care about her work in the ring?

Even though I am a fan and I’m really excited about Gail coming back to the big time, these doubts have crossed my mind. When WWE released Gail in 2004 they said it was because they were going in a different direction with the women’s division, this was the truth. However here and now, in 2008, WWE has a renewed focus on women’s wrestling and here and now, in 2008, it seems WWE wants a great female wrestler like Gail to add to that focus. Or is this simply pot shot at TNA? Time will tell if Gail and the WWE are a good fit, here’s hoping they are!

SmackDown Redux – August 22, 2008

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This week on SmackDown: Natalya and Maria faced off in the opener of this week’s show. Maria got the win via DQ after being attacked by Natalyta and Maryse before Michelle McCool made the save.

Thoughts & Reactions
Upon reading this week’s spoilers, I felt an initial surprise – the result was something new and different. But in execution, I felt this week’s SmackDown was the same old, same old and not very good. This week, the real question was what could the experienced favourite Natalya pull out of the inexperienced and somewhat annoying Maria? Well the answer was, a little. While I’m never really impressed with Maria, this week was an improvement on the past few weeks proving what an uber-Diva Natalya is.

The third generation Diva continues to exert her unique prowess in the ring, bringing in-ring psychology into the mix while trying to stumble from one move to the next, carrying the Playboy covergirl. I liked the whole deal with Natalya going after Maria’s knee. This was a surprisingly long match – I’m used to quickies from the Divas, but the length really helped Natalya and Maria get their story across.

If Maryse is interfering, why would her entrance music play? I didn’t really like the end, I felt this could be a good match if they had a clean win. Instead we have the involvement of Maryse and Michelle and the end, as usual over the past month on SmackDown, felt unresolved. No storyline continuations, just matches with undefined endings. I mean where is this all going? Are we just going to have a random combination of matches every week? Can they not just announce a Maria vs Maryse match for next week or something? Can they not just give Natalya her rematch already? Why do we need to go around in circles every freakin’ week? The booking leaves a lot to be desired.

Overall, the match was okay but the end I wasn’t keen on.

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Style Showdown: Dearly Departed

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Style Showdown is back with avengeance! This is the contest where we put our favourite Divas and Knockouts up against each other, not in the ring, but in a battle of who looks better!

This week, we’ve taken two dearly departed Divas/Knockouts in Cherry, who was just released from WWE and Gail Kim, who recently left TNA. Which girl looks sexier? Vote now!

[poll=154]

Gail’s Final TNA Match

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Since we’ve been on a Gail Kim hype the past couple of days, why not continue? Diva Dirt has taken the liberty to cap and upload Gail’s final match for TNA Wrestling and talk about goin’ out all guns blazing! It’s fitting that Gail’s final match for TNA is with the woman with whom she put the Knockouts division on the map – Awesome Kong. At the time this episode was taped, I doubt TNA knew Gail was on her way out, but by chance they gave us a really fitting end. Not only did Gail face Kong, they delivered one hell of a match for old time’s sake!

Now that Gail’s becoming two times a Diva, I doubt we’ll see her taking insane bumps like we see in this match, kendo stick shots and all so relish this for all it’s worth. I thoroughly enjoyed this match and hope you do too.

PS: It’s a shame that Gail won’t be able to finish her storyline with “sister” Katie Kim, because for an amateur Katie shows some real acting chops during this match. Hopefully TNA will keep her around, she’s really good!

YouTube Classics: Beth vs. Katie Lea in a Ladder Match

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Welcome to the YouTube Classics! With Beth Phoenix‘s Women’s Title victory at Summerslam, our theme this week will be “The Age of the Glamazon”, showing some of Beth Phoenix’s greatest moments. Today, we have Beth Phoenix vs. Katie Lea in a Ladder match from an edition of OVW television. These two Diva are currently on the heel side of things on RAW, but they were hardly on the same side in one of OVW’s most innovative matches:

Gail’s TNA Deal Already Up

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According to overnight reports, Gail Kim‘s TNA contract is already finished, so she is free to turn up on WWE television as soon as next Monday, just three days after her final TNA appearance. As we noted yesterday, Gail had a meeting with WWE’s Head of Talent, John Laurinaitis in Tampa, Florida. Well it turns out that Gail also attended last night’s FCW taping in Florida according to Mike Johnson, presumably with Lauriniatis who was also in attendance.

Talk about a fast turnaround!

Interview: Jackie Gayda-Haas on the Hotseat

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Former WWE Diva and TNA Knockout, Jackie Gayda-Haas joins our new friend W.D. Hatfield on the Wrestling Hotseat this week. As we revealed on Monday, Diva Dirt has teamed up with the Wrestling Hotseat to provide to you first hand the latest and exclusive Diva interviews!

Listen by clicking the player below as W.D. and Jackie talk about her current pregnancy, her new business venture with husband, Charlie Haas and WWE Superstar, Umaga as well as her careers in WWE and TNA!

[audio:hotseatjackie.mp3]
Run Time: 39:15

For more fantastic audio interviews be sure to visit the Wrestling Hotseat, where you can listen to interviews with the likes of Torrie Wilson, Dawn Marie, Missy Hyatt and loads of male stars too. And all for free!

This post was brought to you by

Holy Sh*t Part 2: Gail Headed to WWE!

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The plot thickens… Gail Kim is heading back to the WWE! And the crowd roars! Earlier today, we reported that Gail is done with TNA. It has now been revealed Gail’s TNA leave was not a big scandal as first popped into my head when I heard the news, truth is her contract is up and WWE offered her a sizeable contract i.e. big money! Gail’s contract expires soon, as soon as it does she is expected to join the WWE.

While it’s sad to see the pioneer of the Knockouts division leave, I, for one, welcome her return to the WWE with open arms! Over the past couple of years, WWE has tried to hire more Asian stars to cater to the Asian market and there were reports that WWE had felt they missed the boat in losing Gail and that they had wanted her back. Now the dream is becoming a reality!!! This would explain why WWE has hired the likes of Lena Yada and Angela Fong, whom I hope they now drop. One would hope Gail will become part of Raw roster and in a big way, I think she could be a huge asset considering it’s become pretty stale with Mickie James at the forefront all the time. I cannot wait to see Gail vs Mickie, Melina and Beth Phoenix! Bring it on!!!

According to reports, Gail left TNA on the best of terms and the door has been left open for her. Gail’s final appearance for TNA will air tonight, in fact, it’s a bit of a downer as tonight was to be the start of a major storyline plot for Gail featuring her “sister”, Katie Kim. As I’ve reported here on Diva Dirt, one of the things that I admire about Gail is that even though she was unceremoniously dropped by WWE in 2004, she’s never out-and-out blasted the company and always acts like a consummate professional. Congratulations Gail!

EDIT: Gail signed her TNA contract on September 6, 2005. Since her contract is up, one must assume she signed a three year contract ending on September 6, 2008. Pure speculation on my end, but Unforgiven falls on Sunday, September 7th so I would expect Gail to return (if she returns to Raw) on Monday the 8th.

EDIT #2: WWE has reactivated it’s trademark of “Gail Kim”, confirming Gail’s jump.

EDIT #3: According to the latest report from Mike Johnson at PWInsider, Gail met with WWE’s Head of Talent, John Laurinaitis today in Tampa, Florida. This is the same man who informed her of her release back in 2004. Looks like this whole deal is moving at lightning speed! Hopefully, Gail will be under contract very soon =)

Natalya: The Epitome of Elegance

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Now, Erin usually handles these “Eye Candy” posts, but after seeing Natalya‘s latest photoshoot for WWE.com – I felt I needed to gush over them myself. It’s not often we see a Diva dressed down, with little make-up, and all around, looking pretty natural but in “Laugh Now…” Natalya’s doing just that. And the result? Such beauty and elegance. I loved looking through these pictures, because Natalya herself looks a picture – her hair looks gorgeous straightened and that outfit really flatters her body. Throw in some cute poses and you have a really beautiful, elegant photoshoot without the wild hair, make-up and hoochie outfits we’re so used to seeing in these shoots.

[poll=153]

Holy Sh*t!!! Gail Kim Gone From TNA!

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I go to bed. I wake up. Madness ensues. Excuse me while I finish picking my jaw up from the floor, because seriously, when I read Gail Kim‘s name – it dropped. The major word on the Internet right now is that Gail has left TNA Wrestling, after their website removed Gail’s profile and all pictures of Gail.

What the frig is going on???!!! I am in complete and utter shock so I won’t write too much more at this point until I’ve managed to compose myself! Speculate in the comments.

Que Está Indo Sobre Aqui?

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I’m going to be honest with you – whenever I do a Candice post, I’m always mentally skating the line between speaking my mind and holding back. You see, this Diva is probably one of the most “controversial” topics on Diva Dirt, and it’s tough to get in an honest opinion when there are people constantly ready to accuse you of *GASP* bashing. Anyways, despite that, I’ve decided to be completely honest in my judgment of Candice’s latest photoshoot, “Hot Pink”. Hold on, let me get out my bashing stick..

I was watching Brazil vs. Brazil in Olympic beach volleyball, and quite frankly, I think I would have understood them speaking in Portugese better than I’d understand the thought process behind this shoot. (Thus the Portugese title of this blog..) First of all, the dress is tacky (too tight, too shiny, too pink), and when paired with badly styled hair and a random pair of sunglasses, it all looks tossed together and pretty damn bad. That and seeing Candice flash her new “love” hand symbol like a kid that learned a new trick makes me go “WHA?”. It makes absolutely no sense, and perhaps that’s what they were going for, but I doubt it. I mean, the outfit makes you think they’re going for “sexy” while the hand symbol looks more “13 year-old-girl on MySpace”. It’s a weird combo. I have to admit that Candice looks great in the picture I used above, but the rest make her look like a seriously confused woman. Alright, I’m done. Let the bile flow..

[poll=152]

Taylor Gets Her Knockout Induction

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You know, you’re not officially a Knockout until you’ve posed in a bikini top for the website! TNA Knockout Champ, Taylor Wilde gets her official induction into the Knockout camp with this colourful albeit car crash of a mesh. Methinks a certain champ hasn’t got much of a fashion sense. Anyhoo check out the pictures below:

Traci Brooks Named Head Knockout

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The original Knockout is now the head Knockout. In a kayfabe article on TNAwrestling.com, Traci Brooks was officially named as the head official of the Knockouts division in the company. Now I don’t know if this simply means she’s going to referee all the Knockouts matches or if this means that she is referee-cum-General Manager of the Knockouts. Personally, I’d love to see Traci really lay down the law by becoming the new on-screen GM/referee i.e. make the matches and such. I think all us Diva/Knockout fans have at least once dreamed of a GM for the Divas/Knockouts. Or is that just me? Read the full article below:

She is TNA’s original (and perhaps, most popular) Knockout. She is a superior athlete, an experienced businesswoman, and one of the hottest women in all of television.

Now, she is the law.

After weeks of speculation, it’s official: Traci Brooks has been named the head official in TNA Wrestlings “Knockouts” division… and not everyone is happy about the news.

“Are you kidding me?” shrieked fellow TNA Knockout Velvet Sky. “How can TNA put that plastic bimbo in charge of us? Everyone knows that she’s all jealous of Angelina and I because we are way hotter than she could ever be.”

“Don’t even sweat that, Velvet,” replied Angelina Love. “Let Busty Brooks do whatever she wants. If she gets in the way of “The Beautiful People,” we’ll paper-bag her ass back to the stripper’s pole where she belongs.”

On the flip side, some of TNA’s finest wholeheartedly support Traci’s latest career move.

“Well, Traci and I haven’t always been on the same page,” admitted Gail Kim. “But I’ve known that girl for a long time, and I know that she respects our division as much as I do. She definitely cares about giving female athletes a real chance to succeed in TNA, and I am confident that she has what it takes to keep things nice and fair around here.”

Still, is putting all of that power in the hands of a competitive pioneer of the Knockouts division a smart idea?

“Look, I see nothing wrong with allowing our superstars to cross over to other areas of our company if they are qualified to do so,” explained TNA Management Director Jim Cornette. “I’ve had similar opportunities throughout my career, and I won’t hold anyone back from proving themselves in new ways. Heck, Matt Morgan was always going to be a force in a TNA ring, but he wanted to establish himself here by using his mind. He had the skills and experience that I needed in an assistant, so I had no problem with that. Eventually, he got restless and wanted to get his hands dirty, so I pushed him out of the office and into the ring. If Traci ends up feeling the same way, then we can end this little experiment at any time. Until then, I remain thoroughly convinced that she has the ability and know-how to bring some much-need order to the Knockouts division.”

“Plus,” Cornette chuckled, “she’s a hell of a lot nicer to look at than Earl Hebner.”

Thus far, Traci has proven capable of handling her new job with authority, class… even a little fun. Will the world’s sexiest stripe-wearer continue to be a model of officiating excellence in TNA, or will she get swallowed up by the often-catty world of the Knockouts Division?

YouTube Classics: Beth vs. Melina vs. Mickie

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Welcome to the YouTube Classics! With Beth Phoenix‘s Women’s Title victory at Summerslam, our theme this week will be “The Age of the Glamazon”, showing some of Beth Phoenix’s greatest moments. Today, we have Beth Phoenix vs. Melina vs. Mickie James from the December 31st, 2007 RAW. This trio of Divas put on one of the best matches of the year on the very last day of the year:

SmackDown Spoilers: August 22, 2008

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This week’s SmackDown spoilers below, as usual:

Maria vs Natalya ended in a no contest due to interference from Maryse and Michelle.

Glamazon Put On Blast By Webmaster

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She may be the new Women’s Champion, but Glamazon, Beth Phoenix has been put on blast today by her now former official website owner. The webmaster of bethphoenixglamazon.com sent out this e-mail to many news sites recently and seeing as myself and Erin run Torrie Wilson and Melina‘s official sites, it’s time for us to weigh in!

I would like to issue this statement in regards to the Official Website of Beth Phoenix being “hacked”

There is some sites reporting that someone hacked the website, and placed the TNA logo there, other sites are reporting that it was just a disgruntled webmaster… tis is what happened

I was the webmaster for Beth’s Official website for its entire 9 month run, and at this point I’d like to explain what has gone on. Disgruntled is only the beginning….

I approached Beth Phoenix in regards to an Official website when she was still working down in OVW before being called back up to the WWE main roster last year. I believe we launched the site sometime around April, 2007, with the full support and input of Beth herself. We spoke about how the site should be and Beth sent on some cool ideas for some video promos that I ended up making as teaser trailers for the countdown to the opening of the site.

I had told Beth that I would look after all the registration and hosting costs of the site, because I am a pro-wrestling fan, I wasn’t bothered about spending some money each year to become the webmaster for Beth’s official website and stay in contact with her.

She wasn’t the easiest to stay in touch with, even when she was still down in OVW, but I still continued on with the site. Then some of the Beth Phoenix fansites, which may I say do an excellent job, started to get some exclusive news that I felt should’ve been reported first and exclusively on Beth’s official site. I asked why we couldn’t do it through our site, and was promised by her husband, Joey, that he would now handle reporting all news etc. to me (At this point Beth had been called back up to the main WWE roster).

More after the cut:

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Looks Like Eve’s Been On Safari This Whole Time

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I think, by now, it’s become pretty obvious that Eve isn’t a top-tier Diva. So, needless to say, I’ve run out of things to say about her in these “Eye Candy” posts. I think I’ll just stick to the shoot.. This one’s titled “Black Gold”, though I think a far more suitable name would’ve been “Going on Safari”, because she’s in the classic “safari” garb – animal print, earth tones, cargo.. I really don’t like the whole look. It’s just not grabbing my attention. Eh, the whole photoshoot is pretty dull in itself. Excuse me.. I think I need to take a nap.

[poll=150]

Comeback Queen or Party Crasher?

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The Divasphere is a-buzzin’, will Candice make her comeback tonight on Raw? And if so, how do we feel about it. Yay or nay? Vote below and sound off, as always, in the comments!

[poll=149]

Systematic Breakdown of SummerSlam

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History was made at the 2008 edition of SummerSlam. Not only was the Women’s Championship defended for the first time in nearly a decade, but for the first time in the event’s 21 year history – the title changed hands at a SummerSlam. And what a match to make history in, because in my humblest opinion, the Winner Take All match stole the show from the all the hotly tipped matches on the undercard. For all four stars involved, they should be proud because this was one hell of a match, fun and fast paced with a historic title change to boot. While the Internet is rumbling today about the Hell in a Cell match and the first ever encounter between Batista and John Cena, this intergender match is definitely third in the rankings, beating out both the World Heavyweight and WWE Championship matches. Beth Phoenix and Mickie James have just cemented their places as the two top Divas in WWE today.

Like I said, the pace of this match was so fun and fast paced with Mickie and Beth really bringing their A-game. Given the multiple encounters they have had in the past, I wasn’t really looking forward to seeing them square off again but they really did the business at SummerSlam last night, seemingly working more cohesively than ever before. I really have to hand it to them, because their past matches have done nothing to excite me but I was definitely into all of the action in this match.

I would have loved to see more interaction between the females and the males, I mean come on, we’ve got Beth and Mickie in the ring not Kelly Kelly and Layla. These two Divas can mix it up with the men, I wish WWE’d gone just that extra mile and given us some of that intergender action. And hey, if Mickie’s amazing DDT on Santino was anything to go by, I think the women wrestling the men would have only enhanced what was a fantastic match. Speaking of that DDT, what a moment that was – the execution of that DDT by Mickie, wow!

Beth Phoenix picks up the victory with the Glam Slam on Mickie, I was expecting a little more of a controversial finish i.e. Santino pinning Mickie but at the same time, I think this was a nice moment. I guess Beth pinning Mickie finally closes that chapter and ends this feud. I certainly feel we’ve come full circle and Beth pinning Mickie symbolises that. I’m expecting Candice to show up on Raw tonight, so I’m glad that they had that closure in the Beth-Mickie feud that has occupied our screens on and off since Candice was injured.

I was hoping Beth would take the Intercontinental Championship, but I think WWE put the kibosh on that by having Lilian announce Beth as the Women’s Champ and Santino as the IC Champ. I guess they read the rumours and speculation on the Internet and wanted to solidify that wouldn’t happen by having Lilian announce the winners the way she did.

If you haven’t seen SummerSlam, I advise you to watch this match however which way you want, but just get it done!

Michelle Shows Her Dark Side

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Michelle McCool didn’t defend her Divas Championship last night, but she’s still holding dominance over the SmackDown Divas division. Her latest photoshoot, “Black & Blonde”, shows the other side of her “top Diva” status, as she’s shown she can pose with the best of them. She’s never been the most innovative in her photoshoots, but she still looks quite pretty in her simplicity. I can’t say I’m feeling the top – it’s a bit too “club hopper” for my taste – but the head-to-toe black scheme suits her blonde hair, and that’s why I quite like this shoot.

Now, if only she could get rid of that hideous Divas Title – give it a overhaul or something. I mentioned this in the Summerslam Live Blog last night, but it honestly looks like an accessory that comes free with a “Magical Fairytale” Barbie doll. Blegh.

[poll=148]

Interview: Torrie’s First Post-WWE Tell-All

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Diva Dirt is proud to announce today, that we have engaged in a partnership agreement with the Wrestling Hotseat, the hottest ticket in town to exclusive interviews with wrestling stars from the past, present and future! Our new partnership will allow us to share exclusive audio interviews featuring some of your favourite Diva names, directly on Diva Dirt.

Joining host, W.D. Hatfield last week was none other than my home girl, Miss Torrie Wilson! Listen as Torrie talks about who she keeps in touch with at the E, what she’s currently up to, her appearance on Project Runway and more.

[audio:hotseattorrie.mp3]
Run Time: 20:07

For more fantastic audio interviews be sure to visit the Wrestling Hotseat, where you can listen to interviews with the likes of Dawn Marie, Missy Hyatt and loads of male stars too. And all for free! Joining W.D. this week is former WWE Diva and TNA Knockout, Jackie Gayda Haas. We will have that interview up later in the week!

This post was brought to you by

YouTube Classics: Beth Phoenix vs. Victoria

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Welcome to the YouTube Classics! With Beth Phoenix‘s Women’s Title victory at Summerslam, our theme this week will be “The Age of the Glamazon”, showing some of Beth Phoenix’s greatest moments. Today, we have Beth Phoenix vs. Victoria from the June 13th, 2006 RAW. Beth had Trish Stratus in her corner, while Victoria had Mickie James in hers. This match marked the end of Beth’s first WWE tenure, with her jaw being broken in the course of the match. That injury sent her to the sidelines until her return (this time as a heel) in 2007:

Beth Phoenix Captures Women’s Championship

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The age of the Glamazon begins once again… or should that be the age of Glamorella?! Beth Phoenix and Santino have re-captured the Women’s and Intercontinental Championships respectively, at SummerSlam. Beth pinned Mickie James after hitting her with the Glam Slam.

So Beth is once again the Women’s Champion. Yay or nay? Sound off in the comments!

Diva Dirt’s SummerSlam Tip Sheet

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It’s time for the biggest party of the summer tonight! And for the first time in nearly a decade, the Women’s Championship is on the line as champion Mickie James teams up with Intercontinental Champion, Kofi Kingston to take on Beth Phoenix and Santino with both titles on the line! Check out predictions below!

Erin: Since it seems like Santino & Beth have the upper hand, I can’t help but think Mickie & Kofi are going to win this one. There hasn’t been that long of a buildup, and I can’t see Mickie dropping the title that quickly after feuding with Katie for much longer and managing to hold on to the title. As for Kofi dropping his title, I don’t see that being that huge of a deal. He’s destined to be a pretty big star, so losing the belt, and instead chasing the heelish Santino could build his profile a bit more. But still, I can’t see it happening this early. I know they didn’t allow themselves that much time for buildup, but it still seems like it would be a rushed job to turn over both titles like that. Plus, if Santino and Beth were to lose, it would only add to their dysfunctional relationship. Let them still be sort of at odds with each other, and let that pairing grow before crowning them both champions. I’m definitely envisioning the two faces being triumphant – this is the 2nd biggest PPV of the year so far, so I wouldn’t put it past the WWE to stick more of a feel-good ending on it.

Melanie: I think this is the opportune time to cash in on the progress Santino and Beth have been making as characters and give them the titles. As champions, they will fun and exciting and I fully expect them to get the win tonight. There’s been a lot of speculation that Beth will take the IC title and Santino the Women’s Championship, if so, I think this could be fun! However, if they book this more seriously and have Beth as Women’s Champion – that certainly leads to the return of Candice Michelle with whom Beth has some unresolved issues. Either way, I expect a fun comedic match but with great in-ring work. Let’s not forget, this is an intergender match and both Beth and Mickie are fine wrestlers, I’d certainly love to see Beth and Kofi lock it up or even Santino and Mickie. Beth and Santino get the win, but who’ll carry which title remains to be seen.

SmackDown Redux – August 15, 2008

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This week on SmackDown: Natalya and Maryse were victorious over Maria and Michelle McCool, with Natalya scoring the win once again.

Thoughts & Reactions

After last week’s Olympic fiasco, I thoroughly enjoyed this week’s SmackDown match and it really did accomplish a few things… some intentionally and some not. 1) Natalya is still the most dominant Diva on SmackDown and is still being booked strongly as Michelle’s challenger for the Divas Championship. 2) Maryse really came into her own this week, showing all the signs of a truly believable heel. 3) Michelle really displayed her in-ring skills this week, proving just why she is the Divas Champ. As for Maria, well I guess we have yet to solve that problem.

While Maria may be the weak link, the other three Divas really showed a lot of progression and I found myself enjoying this match thoroughly. Seriously, I never ever thought I’d ever like Maryse, but she has grown on me so much and she continues to prove what a fantastic asset she is to SmackDown. I never thought I’d say that, Maryse is slowly becoming a “one to watch” among the WWE Divas, she’s developed at an exponential rate and this week was so much fun to watch with her little heel-ish poses. Maryse is coming into her own, sure she has a long way to go but I am really impressed with our Frenchie so far!

Natalya, ever the trouper, carried this match despite Maria’s slowness and has really been booked strongly over the past couple of weeks. Last week, she rolled up Maria and this week Michelle, proving to us that WWE isn’t done with the Michelle-Natalya programme, but can they please hurry up and give us a rematch or some sort of singles development? I think they’ve been booking all this tag matches of late as a vehicle to get both Maria and Michelle on screen because God forbid we have two Diva segments. While Maria and Maryse seem to be developing a feud, I am still awaiting some sort of development from the Great American Bash – sure Natalya’s won a couple of matches, but there has been no storyline development between Michelle and Natalya.

Meanwhile, I was so impressed with Michelle last night. Michelle has her detractors, but I urge them to watch last night’s match – I know that they will try and fault her anyway, but Michelle really delivered the goods on SmackDown and was a lot of fun in the ring. From the moment she was tagged in, the whole pace of the match sped up and her and Natalya seemed to work really well together. Michelle was just on fire! A lot of great fast paced action between these two and even Maryse a lil bit. Despite a slow start (thanks to Maria) this was a decent match and I appreciated the work of Maryse, Michelle and Natalya.

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Weekend Analysis: Katie Throws Away Opportunity

Melanie
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8

With weekends being unanimous for slow news, I thought we’d start something new with a “weekend analysis” where we make the news, by analysing some of our Divas. This week, I’m kicking off with Katie Lea who after a decent push failed to meet viewer expectations.

It seems when the opportunity knocked at Katie’s door, she just wasn’t home because Katie received a big push for the Women’s Championship this summer and a programme with Mickie James. Despite an impressive start on Raw with her “brother” Paul Burchill, Katie’s first singles feud failed to break her away and make her a Diva star. Katie showed a lot of potential when she joined Raw, with great microphone skills and an impressive wrestling resume but when she stepped into the ring with Mickie, there was little to no flare in Katie’s moveset. Katie is very awkward in the ring and pretty bland, if you ask me. Despite a golden opportunity – literally – Lea failed to connect with the fans and failed to set us alight with her in-ring skills.

Compared to the talented wrestlers who’ve passed through WWE’s doors before her, Katie got cut a real break. She got the opportunity to break away and become a legitimate wrestler in the women’s division when the likes of Jillian are stuck with stupid gimmicks. For some reason WWE likes to have the non-wrestlers pushed as wrestlers and the talented ones stuck in gimmick-mode. But Katie, like so few before her (Mickie, Melina, Beth Phoenix) had an opportunity to wrestle and she blew it. It aggravates me that Katie received this opportunity but didn’t take the ball and run with it because the likes of Trinity, who was a very enigmatic wrestler in TNA, was stuck in an eye candy role on ECW during her time with WWE, when she could have added some passion and fire to the women’s division and even be a future Women’s Champion.

So far, Katie has shown she is fantastic on the mic and has a great character but in the ring, she’s a letdown.

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