Op-Ed – Page 21 – Diva Dirt

Krissy Vaine’s Vainety Fair: Anatomy of a Grizzled Diva

June 9, 2017September 3, 2009 by Kristin Astara

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krissyvf1 Hey y’all and welcome to the first Vainety Fair! We can all applaud Melanie for the clever name for my new column. When I was pondering about what to write for my first contribution to Diva Dirt, I thought to myself… what can I talk about that would be interesting to the masses? I want to keep my audience captive, but I also want to keep it real. So I decided after much deliberation to use myself as the ‘butt of the joke’ and talk about the aging Diva. During my tenure as a full-time entertainer, I look back and believe that in the span of only about two years, I aged at least five to ten! How does this happen? Good question! I lived it and am still not completely sure but the proof lies in the pudding. Of course, I can look back now and laugh (I’ve managed to ‘de-griz’) but as this was going on in front of me, it was not so humorous and damaging to be truthful. It was heart wrenching and terrifying! You have to understand your ‘beauty’ tends to be the most important thing you’ve got as a female in the wrestling business. Unlike actresses, females in wrestling can never be too attractive. Jessica Biel has often stated that she hasn’t gotten specific movie or television gigs because she is too easy on the eyes… How is this possible, you ask? In acting there are different roles, different characters — the most beautiful woman in the world will receive an Oscar for dimming herself down to look ‘homely’ and ‘unattractive’. Now count how many homely women in wrestling ever ‘get over’, or better yet are ‘pushed’. Bet you can count them on one hand. I am happy to see that some places nowadays are thinking outside of the box and that is refreshing. But I can only speak of what I know…

krissyvf2 I, one time tried to pitch a ‘nerd’ character while I was under contract and was actually quite good at it. Think Neil Goldman from Family Guy. I have a retainer I still have to wear at night, y’all! No joke! I sound ridiculous and look even more silly. However, it was kind of funny in it’s on way and I had an idea. Possibly a very good idea. Never have I been comfortable with being the so-called wrestling ‘sex kitten’, so I decided to suggest something different and actually portray that awkward stage that at some point in our lives, we all go through. I thought it would be brilliant for a babyface female to become this character’s ‘protector’ and help her emerge after many trials and tribulations as a beautiful swan. Redemption right? Wrong! Needless to say this ‘character’ did not go over so well with management… in fact, it was more like a turd in a punch bowl. So I was told to drop it and become as ‘sexy’ as I could be. Ugh. I was not happy, but this is the way you’re making a living so you do as you must. As I said on the Roundtable, it’s either be a ‘perfect 10’ or buh-bye Diva wannabe. Is this ridiculous? I think so… I conformed for a while, tried to be sexy. Eek! I’m not very good at that. Yes, I photograph well, but am I a sexpot in the ring? No and I don’t want to be. I think its tasteless and if you are talented, you are selling yourself short.

Saturday Supplement: What’s in a Name?

June 9, 2017August 29, 2009 by Erin

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In the Saturday Supplement, the Diva Dirt team will aim to discuss a news story, a televised event or other relevant and current topics. The objective, like the average weekend newspaper, is to offer more indepth and lengthy discussion.

With last week’s debut of Courtney Taylor I thought, amongst other things, how awful that name was. But let’s be honest–for a girl that used to be named Wesley Holliday, you can only go “up” in the name department. That thought led me to think of how and why the WWE and TNA name their Divas and Knockouts the way that they do. Some names stick, some don’t, and others just boggle the mind with their awfulness. I’ll ponder that, and take a look at some of the aliases that have become some of the most recognizable names in business, as well as some that just don’t make a damn bit of sense.

Of course, a discussion on wrestling names wouldn’t be complete without mentioning Victoria, er.. Tara. The internet breathed a collective “Huh??” at the unveiling of the new name. After all, how would that sound on television? “Tara hits the Widow’s Peak!” Eh, not really feeling it. After having a name as fitting as Victoria, is was strange to see her suddenly have to change monikers. But let’s figure out why she had to do it: did the WWE have a trademark on the name? Probably, but WWE-to-TNA transfers have often found loopholes and ways to get around that. Christian Cage, anyone? After the recent debut of Lashley, who of course didn’t have to change his name from his recognizable WWE moniker, it makes me wonder if Victoria was forced into changing her name, and if so, why? She had a long, storied history with the WWE, and if any Knockout commanded respect right from the get-go, it was her. Unless I’m wrong and it was her idea to change names, I think it’s pretty crappy to make her switch from something she’s been associated with for so long. After all, don’t TNA love getting a rub from the WWE’s past successes? Why would they want to sever that mental tie to Tara’s success in the WWE by completely changing her name? And for the love of God, why Tara? It’s such an un-intimidating name (Yeah, I get the Tara-Terror connection), and just sounds silly in the context of a wrestling match. Maybe if she had a faux last name with it, it would be easier to digest. Though I will admit, it’s been growing on me after a while, but probably just because I’m getting more used to it.

But while we’re on the topic of TNA, that company has a pretty storied history of questionable Knockout names. ODB, for instance, stands for One Dirty Bitch, clearly a moniker fitting for her over-the-top character, but it’s so damn weird. All I think of when I hear it is the rapper Ol’ Dirty Bastard, which probably isn’t too far fetched, since he often went by the initials ODB as well. Now, I can’t knock her for doing something out of the ordinary, but I personally wouldn’t name myself a bitch. I probably wouldn’t drink from a flask on my way to the ring either, so we’re probably not destined to see eye-to-eye on much.

Dead Ringers: Layla and Marsha Thomason

June 9, 2017August 26, 2009 by Melanie

Have you ever thought that a certain Diva resembled another celebrity out there? Ever done double-take while watching a movie or TV show and thought “Hang on, isn’t that so-and-so?” Well we certainly have! Diva Dirt’s Dead Ringers aims to seek out our Divas celeb dopplegangers and highlight them here, for you to vote whether … Read more

Sunday Supplement: Will The Knockout Tag Titles Sink or Swim?

June 9, 2017August 24, 2009 by Steven

sundaysupplement. In the Saturday Sunday Supplement, the Diva Dirt team will aim to discuss a news story, a televised event or other relevant and current topics. The objective, like the average weekend newspaper, is to offer more indepth and lengthy discussion.

ss7-christytara TNA is setting out to live up to their tagline, ‘Cross the Line’, but not in the ways you would think. In an attempt to push even more boundaries and utilize their ever-growing roster of Knockouts, they’ve decided to implement a tag team division. In the coming weeks, a tournament will take place to determine the first ever Knockouts Tag Team Champions. The question is will the division work?

Serious women’s tag team wrestling has been a niche for quite some time now. During the mid-80s, it was rare to see a women’s match let alone a tag team match. However, that didn’t stop the World Wrestling Federation from making a tag team division for the ladies. In 1983, Velvet McIntyre and Princess Victoria’s NWA Women’s Tag Team Championship belts were converted into the WWF Women’s Tag Team Championship when the two defected from the National Wrestling Alliance and joined WWF. In it’s six years of existence, the belts passed through the hands of several teams before they were captured by the Jumping Bomb Angels (Noriyo Tateno and Itsuki Yamazaki), who would be be the last women to hold the titles before they became defunct in 1989.

Women’s tag team wrestling became all but extinct until the mid-2000s, when all-female promotions such as Women Superstars Uncensored and most notably SHIMMER brought it back into the limelight.

Saturday Supplement: Women in Power & Representation of Divas

June 9, 2017August 23, 2009 by Melanie

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With TNA President, Dixie Carter set to make her first official on-screen appearance for TNA this coming Thursday, this week we are looking at what it means to be a woman in power in the wrestling industry in relation to promoting women’s wrestling.

ss6-steph It is assumed that any women in professional wrestling with a position of power would want to advocate their women. Surely they would want to create a strong, empowered representation of their Divas, Knockouts et al for the audience? Given hindsight, it can be argued that isn’t the case. In fact, looking at the McMahon family and the two women in prominent roles, Linda and Stephanie McMahon, what have either of these women really done for the Divas in WWE?

It is almost shocking that in the time that Stephanie McMahon has been in power as head of WWE’s Creative Team, that the women’s division has been on a decline. The emphasis on sex appeal rather than brain & braun can date back to the early soap opera-esque feuds on SmackDown in 2002, including a lesbian angle with Dawn Marie and Torrie Wilson. Publicly, McMahon has been acknowledged as somewhat of an advocate, including by the aforementioned Dawn Marie. In a shoot interview also featuring Torrie Wilson, Dawn said something along the lines of how Stephanie worked with the girls in order to be portrayed as having brains and not just being sold as a sex object on television.

However, looking at the television output — there has been countless situations in which under McMahon’s governing, the women of the company were perceived as just that, sex objects. The Diva Search in 2004 particularly changed the way the WWE Divas brand was run and the way that the women’s division would be considered. The after effects of which are still felt to this day. However in today’s WWE, there seems to be a bigger emphasis on wrestling due to the PG rating, yet the Divas segments continue to be an afterthought and unregarded by the writing staff which McMahon heads. It is true that the senior McMahon, Vince, is ultimately the one that signs off on most of the television but given their personal dynamic, would it not be easy for Stephanie to stand her ground if she were truly an advocate of the women in the company?

How To Make Yourself Stand Out as a New Diva

November 2, 2018August 19, 2009 by Melanie

Fans know better than anyone what they want to see. And while it seems WWE and even TNA thinks it can dictate to the fans what they think we want to see, most of the time they’re wrong. Take for example, we fans at Diva Dirt, we may be just that – fans – but … Read more

Making Sense of “Hard Justice-Gate”

November 2, 2018August 17, 2009 by Melanie

For a company with a female president, TNA sure proved that wrestling is still a man’s sport. Despite boasting the most progressive women’s division on national television, TNA’s Knockouts division was not, this time, exempt from TNA’s recurrent reckless booking. Having already shot themselves in the foot several times with stale and lousy booking for … Read more

Saturday Supplement: Formula for the ‘Perfect Diva’

June 9, 2017August 16, 2009 by Steven

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ss5-melina We’re in a era of women’s wrestling where it’s not only possible, but likely for former porn stars and models to get title shots, while professional wrestlers with years of experience get put on the backburner. With that said, I ask the question: What are the components for the ‘perfect Diva’? And even if you have the total package, will you still be marketable to the WWE Universe?

The first ingredient to the ‘Perfect Diva’ recipe is skill. An extremely valuable asset to any Diva (though you wouldn’t know it judging by some of the girls in recent years) should be in-ring skill. A pretty smile and a great rack can only get you but so far in the wrestling world. If you want to be taken seriously by a wrestling promotion and their audience, you should at least be able to take a decent bump.

The next component is sass. While in-ring skills are extremely important, personality is just as vital. It doesn’t matter if you’re the best wrestler to ever step foot in a wrestling ring; no one is going to care if you have the personality of a brick wall. The biggest offender of this rule is current Women’s Champion, Michelle McCool. While McCool has come leaps and bounds since her debut, in regards to her wrestling ability, her lack of charisma has been her downfall. The fans just can’t seem to get behind (or against) Michelle and some might attribute this to absence of spunk outside of the ring.

As shallow as it may sound, another important aspect of women’s wrestling is beauty. Professional wrestling for women, especially in this day and age, is based mostly on aesthetics. If you don’t have the so-called ‘look’, chances are you won’t make it very far in a mainstream promotion. That said, in the last few years, wrestlers such as Awesome Kong, ODB and Beth Phoenix, who may not be considered ‘beautiful’ in a conventional sense, are breaking the mould of the typical Diva. They are prime examples that a female wrestler doesn’t have to look a certain way to get noticed.

Last but probably the most important part of this formula is passion. While passion is probably one of the most important tools for a wrestler, male or female, a lot of women’s wrestlers in a certain mainstream promotion seem to be lacking. It’s not surprising given how girls are recruited these days. Talent scouts seem to be looking for models they can turn into wrestlers, as opposed to actual wrestlers.

Most Divas possess some of these qualities that I have listed but a select few have the ‘total package’. There is an elite group of girls, who are able to captivate audiences with their skills, attitude and beauty. Only a minuscule percentage of ladies who have dedicated their lives to learning every subtlety and nuance of pro-wrestling. Unfortunately, these Divas never get the push.

Your Diva Dirt: ‘Feuds From the Vault’ By Steven_D

November 2, 2018August 12, 2009 by Melanie

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We are going to by highlighting some of the best blogs written by you, the Diva Dirt faithful, over at our social networking site, MyDivaDirt.com. Head over there now to create your free user account & publish blogs of your very own. If you’d like to recommend your blog for posting on Diva Dirt, visit this thread.

For our first ‘Your Diva Dirt’ post, we have a great look at SHIMMER stars Allison Danger, Daizee Haze and Rebecca Knox by Steven_D:

yourdd_danger Feuds From The Vault: Allison Danger & Daizee Haze vs. Rebecca Knox
Feuds from the vault returns this week and on its second outing I’ll be writing on little known Irish born Rebecca Knox and her enthralling encounters with Allison Danger and Daizee Haze.

The K-Nox arrived on Shimmer shores in 2006 from Ireland and was a technically orientated athlete. Not only was she a Queens of Chaos champion but she held the ECCW Women’s championship for over nine months.

Mirroring the success of her rival; Allison Danger is no stranger to a title and is also a technically gifted athlete in her own right. She has held the ICWA Ladies Championship along with several other accolades.

The two compliment each other perfectly which added a lot to their matches, despite not being the longest feud. It was one of the best in Shimmer, through match performances alone.

Trying to do the matches justice is no easy feat, the technical ability of the two ladies is almost unrivalled in the independent scene in America.

Where better to begin than Shimmer Volume 3 and Knox’s debut match in Shimmer taking on (the dilute Canadian) Allison Danger.

Shimmer Volume three and the stage was set, with the traditional light hearted start to the match over. The fans were behind both competitors and they begin their technical showcase. The style of both women compliment each other and it is apparent from the onset.

It’s almost an obvious fact that when someone steps into the ring with Allison Danger they are going to be put over and well. This was no different, even though they were on par with one another but to me the experience of Danger gave her a slight edge. The fans in attendance seemed to be impartial as the match was relatively even throughout the early going. However as Rebecca Knox contemplates grabbing the ropes the fans gasp, is this signs of thing to come from the crowd?

Saturday Supplement: Have the Knockouts Lost Their Edge?

June 9, 2017August 9, 2009 by Tiffany

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sstbp Since its inception, the TNA Knockouts division has been a burst of fresh air to many who have been soured to the world of women’s wrestling. Over the past years, the TNA Knockouts have opened many eyes to what an ideal women’s division could look like during a time when its popularity was not as its highest. A growing fanbase, a 2-hour syndication, a women’s championship, and a locker room of talented women would seem like the ideal formula for success. However, to every victor goes the spoils, and with the spoils often comes hindrances. TNA has not been without faults over the years, especially when it comes to the Knockouts, yet the company still manages to redeem itself and reserve its spot for quality wrestling. So, does TNA’s booking do more harm than good or do the Knockouts still remain at the top of the food chain?

Diva B-Sides: Eve Torres

June 9, 2017August 7, 2009 by Steven

We can all agree that, with 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 … Read more

Saturday Supplement: How Long is Too Long?

June 9, 2017August 2, 2009 by Erin

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Some may have thought that the Women’s Championship match at Night of Champions signaled the end of the feud between Melina and Michelle McCool. Some may have even been hoping for that. However, for better or for worse, the feud isn’t stopping just yet. After upstaging the more hyped match last Sunday, Melina and Michelle are still showing the fire and intensity of a brand new feud, despite having been foes for nearly 3 months. They obviously haven’t had enough of each other just yet, but some fans aren’t feeling quite as content. Calls for its end or complaints about this “never-ending feud” have got me wondering: when it comes to Diva feuds, how long is too long?

The WWE has seen its fair share of extended feuds. The likes of Triple H, The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, John Cena, and even Edge have participated in slow-burning feuds that spanned months and headlined PPV after PPV. But when it comes to Divas, those examples are few and far between. One could say that Lita and Trish Stratus feuded for quite some time, but with that we aren’t talking about a constantly-running feud. In between their battles were moments of comradery and truces, so I wouldn’t quite count that as a “long-running” feud, but more so a career-long love/hate relationship. So, what could be considered a long feud in Diva-dom? Read on and speculate with me.

Another feud, also connected to Trish Stratus, is the epic “obsessive fan” feud between her and Mickie James. It commenced on October 10th, 2005, and through the twists and turns, it lasted all the way until Backlash 2006, precisely April 30th, 2006. Doing the math, the feud lasted a total of 171 days. Now, it may not be fair to compare it to the Melina/Michelle feud, as this was a full-blown storyline, complete with the introduction of a brand new Diva, an awkward friendship, a slow heel turn, and finally commencing with a more standard heel/face feud at WrestleMania and Backlash. This was much more than a simple feud, and simply cannot be duplicated without some major groundwork being laid. In this day and age, with the WWE running on a surplus of Divas, I can’t see anything like that happening again in the near future. In fact, the feud only ended when Stratus dislocated her shoulder and was forced on to the disabled list. Who knows how long this could have gone without her injury?

Diva B-Sides: Jenna Morasca

June 9, 2017August 1, 2009 by Steven

An Open Letter to Jenna Morasca

November 2, 2018July 28, 2009 by Melanie

In the past 24 hours I have watched ‘Jennagate‘ unfold and decided not to add comment. But having read her long blog yesterday and having just now, read another comment from her, I want to use this space to offer Jenna some advice. So those of you who have access to her MySpace, please feel … Read more

Saturday Supplement: Is WWE Grooming Eve for Top Divadom?

June 9, 2017July 25, 2009 by Melanie

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eveside When we look at the Divas roster today, there are only a handful of girls that can call themselves a ‘top Diva’ despite there being 20 Divas on the main roster. Only that select handful are really, if we think about it, likely to be Women’s Champion in the near future. Among them are Mickie James, Maryse and Beth Phoenix for Raw while Melina and Michelle McCool have the stranglehold on SmackDown. In an ideal world, talented Divas like Natalya and Gail Kim would be at there at the top of the division and who knows, they may eventually get that push as may the ‘bubbling under’ Divas such as Kelly Kelly or Maria.

But one Diva that seems to have come out of left-field and surpassed the ‘bubbling under’ Divas is SmackDown’s Eve Torres. It’s hard to believe that until WrestleMania, Eve’s main role was as a backstage interviewer. But in the four short months since then, she has seen regular competition on SmackDown and is already onto her second feud. Her strong booking combined with the tide-turning reaction Eve seems to be getting of late from Internet fans, leads me to wonder if Eve just may be the next Diva to be pushed to the next level. In fact, I have begun to wonder if in a limited pool of Divas, if Eve could even be Michelle McCool’s next challenger for the Women’s Championship. Let’s explore…

As mentioned, the 25 year old was just four months ago, a backstage interviewer and had seen limited in-ring action. All that changed after the WWE Draft in April, when SmackDown had begun to flourish in the Divas department: incoming talent included Melina, Alicia Fox and Layla. While SmackDown mainstays, Michelle, Gail and Eve were seen regularly. Eve got her first high profile feud against fellow Diva Search winner, Layla immediately following the Draft, admittedly it was a one-sided feud in Eve’s favour. The 2007 Diva Search winner defeated Layla in a dance-off, arm wrestling match and two eventual singles matches — one of which was highly advertised in the week prior, which is an unusual occurence for Diva bouts.

And now having aligned herself with Cryme Tyme since they hosted the dance-off between her and Layla back in April, Eve has joined them in a feud with The Hart Dynasty. The Dynasty transferred to SmackDown from ECW in the ‘Trump Trade’ of June, a move that brought third generation Diva, Natalya back to SmackDown. Perhaps Eve’s alignment with Cryme Tyme that led into this 3-on-3 intergender feud was a stroke of luck, but no doubt about it, the Diva has found herself in a strong position.

Teaming with Cryme Tyme last week on SmackDown, Eve lost her match after a powerful discus clothesline from Natalya but got her receipt on last night’s show, when she defeated Natalya one-on-one with a moonsault. Eve has been booked very strongly in the past few months, even moreso than the Divas involved in the Women’s Championship picture — Melina and Michelle McCool. Consistent wins and hype from Jim Ross and Todd Grisham on her improving ring skills, have elevated Eve in the eyes of WWE & now the fans too, are beginning to jump aboard.

Looking at the past few months, there seems to be a very specific turning point when Eve’s tide began to turn from being a ‘bad, green worker’ to an ‘ever-improving worker’. I will share my theories after the cut:

Diva B-Sides: Tara and a Bonus B-Side

June 9, 2017July 25, 2009 by Steven

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We can all agree that,Â with a few exceptions, Divas get the short end of the stick when comes to entrance themes. While the male superstars get musicÂ 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 littleâ€¦ well, better. Hence, Diva B-Sides was born; a Diva Dirt exclusive where we match WWE Divas and TNA Knockouts with new entrance themes. This week I’m getting a little help from the one and only, Melanie. I also have a bonus B-Side for everyone’s favorite *cough* Diva. So let’s kick things off withÂ today’s B-Side for TNA Knockout, Vict… er, I mean Tara.

wm7-victoria Â STEVEN’S PICK: “MOVING TO SEATTLE” Â BY THE MATERIAL

Let me start of by saying, even though TNA’s stock music is the bane of my existence (see Jenna Morasca’s music), they’ve done a pretty good job with Tara’s music. It fits way better than her WWE music ever did.

That said, if I had toÂ pick a new song for Tara, this would be the perfect choice. Like her current theme, ‘Broken’, “Moving To Seattle” starts of slow and dives head first into a guitar intro. It has that rock and roll feel that I always thought suited her more than her hip-hop-esque WWE entrance theme. It even has female vocals, which seem to be present inÂ all of her entrance theme since her debut.Â

[audio:02 Moving to Seattle.mp3]

MELANIE’S PICK: “UNTOUCHED” BY THE VERONICAS

Â The chords in the intro of this song are reminiscent of “All The Things She Said”, Tara’s first ever theme. Because of the softer verses, this song would probably need a good edit before it’s entrance theme worthy. Maybe have the intro go right into the chorus?

[audio:Untouched.mp3]

Bonus B-Side after the cut

WWE’s Real Role for the Divas?

November 2, 2018July 19, 2009 by Melanie

For years, I’ve been hearing about how it’s a no-no for lower-card wrestlers to score a date with a Diva and for years, I’ve never really, whole-heartedly believed it. Surely, a publicly funded company wouldn’t be so sexist? Surely they couldn’t be so disgusting and vulgar? They can and they are. Former Diva Torrie Wilson‘s … Read more

TNA Has a ‘Flash’ of Brilliance

June 9, 2017July 19, 2009 by Steven

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After this week’s edition of TNA Impact, the name Alissa Flash is surely on everyone’s lips. Alissa opened eyes and got the fans on their feet in her TNA debut.Â An event years in the making, it made me cast my mind back to the first time I laid eyes on this surly competitor.

I’ll be the first to admit that four years ago Cheerleader Melissa, real name Melissa Anderson, was an absolute mystery to me. Raised off the glitz and glamour that is the WWE, I was completely oblivious to the independent circuit. I had no idea what kind of treasures were hidden in the small, virtually unknown promotions littering the country. However, all this changed when I laid eyes on what was soon to become the most watched DVD in my collection: SHIMMER Women Athletes Volume 1.

As I read the match listing, one name in particular caught my eye: Cheerleader Melissa. I immediately thought the worstÂ ofÂ the situation. No doubt it was just another lame, cliche and mildly offensive gimmick that would serve no greater purpose than to give the crowd a rise. After years of being force-fed that kind of crap, the mere thought made my eyes roll. Oh, how wrong I was.

An Ode to Eve: A Look at Other Diva Moonsaults (Kinda!)

February 14, 2020July 18, 2009 by Melanie

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Former Diva Search winner, Eve Torres has mystified fans by adopting a unique spin on the moonsault as her finisher. When I first saw it, my jaw dropped and on the two occasions she’s busted it out, it’s been perfection! The exciting move came as a shock from such a Diva — I mean Eve’s not exactly known for her in-ring prowess. But it only takes only one move to wow fans and Eve is bound to turn heads & be taken a little more seriously with her fierce handspring moonsault.

Watch Eve’s finisher, which we’ve dubbed ‘Forbidden Fruit’ below:

So as an ode to Eve, we have collated some of the other Divas who’ve used the moonsault in their arsenal — well kinda. We didn’t get too far so we included some other moonsault-esque moves too!

Follow the cut for more:

Tara Has the Belt, But Who’s Next?

November 2, 2018July 15, 2009 by Steven

Unless you’ve been living under a rock this past week, you know that the TNA Knockouts Championship changed hands on Thursday’s Impact. The wrestler formerly known as Victoria, Tara, now has the strap firmly in her grasp. Now while all that is just peaches and cream, I’ve found myself asking a question I’m sure is on everybody’s mind: Who’s next in line for a shot at the title? Here are my picks:

Angelina Love: This one is a given. No way is Angelina Love going to let her title go without a fight. I expect to see her in a rematch in the very near future.

Awesome Kong: Awesome Kong may have had Tara’s back during their tag match with The Beautiful People, but chances are she has her mind set on getting that belt back. Kong has been out of the title picture since losing it to Angelina Love and now would be the perfect time to get back in the game.

See the rest of my picks after the cut.

Dead Ringers: Melina and Rosario Dawson

June 9, 2017July 13, 2009 by Erin

Should SmackDown Share Its Wealth With ECW?

November 2, 2018July 12, 2009 by Melanie

It’s unanimous that the ‘Trump Trade’ two weeks ago helped beef up Monday Night Raw, gaining the services of two Diva Dirt favourites, Alicia Fox and Gail Kim. Meanwhile, it’s becoming clearly evident that SmackDown is now suffering due to the lack of Divas available — case in point, we pretty much saw the same … Read more

Dead Ringers: Michelle McCool and Kadee Strickland

June 9, 2017July 4, 2009 by Melanie

Diva B-Sides: Maria

June 9, 2017July 4, 2009 by Steven

divabsides

We can all agree that,Â with a few exceptions, Divas get the short end of the stick when comes to entrance themes. While the male superstars getÂ musicÂ 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 littleâ€¦ well, better. Hence, Diva B-Sides was born; a Diva Dirt exclusive where we match WWE Divas and TNA Knockouts with new entrance themes. Today B-Side is for Smackdown’s resident (and I use this term loosely) fashionista, Maria:

Mariabside

PICK #1: “DROP THE GIRL” BY HIT THE LIGHTS

Maria actually happen to be one of the only Divas on the roster to have an actual song for her entrance theme. Unfortunately, that doesnt make it any less annoying.

I was never a fan of Zebrahead (the band that made her theme),Â soÂ I was cringing long before I heard the entire song. I decided to pick a band that is equally nasally, butÂ half as annoying.

“Drop The Girl”Â sounds strangelyÂ similar to “With Legs Like That”.Â They both have a punk rock feel that compliments Maria image,Â or at least the image she’s trying to convey. The best part however, is the subliminal messagesÂ not-s0-hidden in there. “DropÂ the Girl/She’s not worth the time”. Hmm… I’ll leave it at that.

HearÂ Maria’sÂ B-sideÂ andÂ my second pick after the cut:

Half-Year Awards: Melanie’s Guide to the First 6 Months of 2009

November 2, 2018July 2, 2009 by Melanie

It’s hard to believe it but we are already half way through 2009! It feels like it was just yesterday we announced the winners of our 2008 Year-End Awards but here we are, July already. And as we acclimatise ourselves to the summer weather, I’m feeling a tad reminiscent of the first six months of … Read more

Has Maryse Lost Her Mojo?

November 2, 2018July 2, 2009 by Erin

As of late, we here at Diva Dirt have witnessed a bit of a tide turning against Divas Champion Maryse. That’s not to say fans have become hostile or spiteful, but (with the exception of a well-received turn at the commentary table this week on Raw) fans aren’t loving Maryse as much as they used to.

I feel that with this, like most other investigations, it is best to start from the beginning. While on SmackDown, Maryse went from lowly Diva Search reject to Divas Champ, all the while picking up fans and changing steadfast negative opinions to ones far more in her favor. Wrestling skills and ring presence seemed to spring from nowhere, and she quickly ascended to become one of SmackDown’s top Divas. Her heel character, cocky and arrogant, seemed to capture people’s attention and display plenty of charisma, despite the apparent language barrier. Love her or hate her, you can’t deny that the difference between the beginning and end of her SmackDown tenure is like night and day. Don’t believe me? Check out this clip, back from when Maryse’s top skills including saying “welcome back to SmackDown” and blowing air kisses:

Granted, those vignettes, which aired throughout 2007, didn’t give her much of a chance to show her worth, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t write her off right then and there. I mean, who needs another blonde chick who can’t do more than lie around in skimpy clothing? Which is why, when Maryse started wrestling in early 2008, I was quite shocked to see at what level of skill she was. No, she wasn’t the next Wendi Richter by any means, but in comparison to someone like Maria, who had many more years in the company (and seems to be metaphorically pedaling away on a stationary bike), Maryse was improving at light speed. She showed a comfort level in the ring that you can’t fake. So it came to be, with less than a year of experience of wrestling on television, Maryse won her first WWE title:

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