Diva Dirt presents its third annual Writers’ Choice Awards, the awards that celebrate the year in women’s wrestling, as decided by the editors and contributors of Diva Dirt. The Diva Dirt team has watched hundreds of episode of wrestling television this year, followed a countless number of wrestlers and reviewed tons of matches. Now, as we come to the end of 2013, we have picked the best of the best to be awarded our Writers’ Choice trophies.
Best Breakthrough: Kaitlyn
When Kaitlyn won the third season of NXT in 2010, many Diva fans were perplexed: how could she, a last minute addition to the competition, beat out the likes of AJ Lee and Naomi? Needless to say, Kaitlyn was vastly underestimated.
After winning the competition, Kaitlyn set to work on earning the title of WWE Diva, training and appearing sporadically on WWE TV, feuding with Maxine on NXT Redemption and forming the Chickbusters with AJ, the two mainly serving as rag dolls for Beth Phoenix and Natalya. The duo’s friendship couldn’t survive the Summer of AJ, though, with AJ’s mental turmoil over being spurned by CM Punk and Daniel Bryan leading to their breakup.
Kaitlyn appeared to get the better of that split, entering the title picture and feuding on and off with Divas Champion Eve Torres until January of this year. In her home town of Houston, Texas, she defeated Eve and was crowned the new Divas Champion. Fans were shocked at the result, and so was Eve, who promptly quit the WWE after the loss. This left Kaitlyn, still very much a rookie, alone at the top.
As Divas Champion, Kaitlyn continued to grow into herself as a performer and personality. No longer was she the hapless victim of a blonde attacker: she was the face of the division, defending and retaining her title against competitors like Natalya, AJ and Tamina Snuka with her brutal Spear. Many took notice, including a secret admirer, who began sending Kaitlyn gifts in the spring. This, of course, lead to the reveal that her former BFF AJ had orchestrated the whole thing to humiliate Kaitlyn and knock her off her game. She did just that, too, defeating Kaitlyn and taking the Divas Title at Payback.
Kaitlyn’s subsequent feud with AJ further cemented her status as a major asset to the division, the two frenemies becoming this generation’s Trish and Lita in the eyes of many fans. They had major chemistry and, perhaps most importantly, what many Diva feuds lacked: a detailed backstory. Each of AJ’s title feuds since then have paled in comparison, making fans long for the return of AJ and Kaitlyn’s feud – or at least the spirit of it. No one brought the same spark that Kaitlyn did.
Some claim that Kaitlyn’s 153 day Divas Title reign was uneventful, but we definitely think it served its purpose: to get Kaitlyn on the main stage. With that platform, the former NXT season three underdog was able to carve out her niche, eventually becoming one of – if not the – most over babyfaces in the division. All of that, practically out of nowhere.
Honestly, who thought this time last year that Kaitlyn would soon have her own t-shirt? Exactly. Now that‘s a breakthrough.
Stay tuned for more Writers’ Choice Award reveals over the next few days.
