Join Diva Dirt every week as we go live all over the world for our first ever interactive Internet radio show, Diva Dirt LIVE. Tune into Diva Dirt LIVE exclusively here at Diva Dirt and BlogTalkRadio from 10pm ET every Wednesday night! Plus, you can call in and talk to the team — David, Jennifer & Melanie — and take part in our fun and games!

Interact with us throughout the show by calling in to have your say! You can help set the agenda, call in with your own topic for us to discuss or weigh in on our topics. You can also tweet to @divadirt on Twitter, or comment with your opinions in this post. We’ll read out a sample of tweets/comments throughout the show. For full details on how to interact click here.

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The original TNA Knockout, Traci Brooks sat down with Diva Dirt earlier this week in her first interview since being released from her TNA contract back in March. Traci spoke to David and Cryssi in this 50 minute interview, and had plenty of stories and great humor to boot!

Traci discusses how she got into wrestling in Canada, coming up the ranks with Gail Kim before discussing her time in TNA from the early days of working at the Asylum in Nashville to TNA’s current home of Orlando. We get Traci’s thoughts on working a high profile program with Payton Banks, to the birth of the Knockouts division and her role in the division. Traci offers her insight into the current direction of the Knockouts division, also. Other topics include her work on the independents and whether Canadians really do produce the best wrestlers.

To listen to the interview directly on the website, just click on the play button below. You can also download it in MP3 format straight to your computer by right-clicking here and choosing ‘Save Target As’.

Please Note: This audio is the exclusive content of Diva Dirt (diva-dirt.com), for which we hold copyright. By downloading our audio you agree not to repost the content elsewhere including but not limited to other websites, blogs or message boards. Failure to respect copyright may result in legal action.

Follow Traci on Twitter at @TheTraciBrooks. Also, check out her eBay store by clicking here.

Tonight’s jammed packed episode of NXT brought forth a well deserved elimination, a ton of Lay-Kav-Ool cuteness, more Percy Watson idiocy, and a newly ranked number one rookie which some people may very well find questionable. With so much going on tonight, it’s going to be hard to touch on all of it. So buckle your seat belts. Welcome everyone to NXT (the Lay-Kav-Ool recap version)!!!!!

Those of us who love Kaval definitely got all we could handle of him tonight and then some! In addition to an in-ring promo, we got a Kaval video package, backstage segment with Laycool and Husky Harris, and a great match. The backstage segment began immediately after Kaval’s video package concluded. Michelle McCool and Layla were making a fuss over him, like usual. They were wanting to know why he wasn’t smiling, where his pink Laycool shirt was, and then Layla demanded to know if Kaval was hurt. Before he could answer, Michelle wanted to know who did it too him and while Kaval was trying to speak over the two pros, Husky Harris purposely bumped into the smaller man. Husky, in the role of schoolyard bully claimed he didn’t see Kaval standing there because you know, Kaval is so little. Husky went on to say that Kaval just isn’t very noticeable which drew the wrath of Laycool. Michelle flipped out and screamed at Husky that Kaval was noticeable which is why he was ranked number one. Layla got an attitude and started screaming number one while Michelle continued to berate Husky and ask him where he was in the last poll. They attempt to get up in Husky’s face but Kaval holds them back from doing any damage to the Army Tank. Husky is just beside himself with amusement over this whole situation. He calls the situation “precious” and accuses Kaval of letting his girlfriends do the talking for him. Kaval fires back that he doesn’t have to speak. He does all his talking in the ring. Both men agree that they are going to have fun with each other tonight. Kaval smirks at the end and walks away, and the girls follow him. But believe me, they get their parting shots in as well. Michelle, with attitude and malice dripping from her voice, stares down Husky Harris and tells him that that is real talk. Layla echoes and they follow behind Kaval as the scene fades on a sneering Husky Harris.

When NXT returns, Michelle’s theme is playing and Kaval is in the ring. Jamie Keyes, who looks amazing, announces him and the bell rings to start the match. Husky goes right for Kaval, but the 10-year veteran has everything under control as he kicks at Harris and sends him back. Harris plans another course of attack, but Kaval is ready for this as well. Finally, Husky manages to use his size advantage to take Kaval into the corner and he begins to beat him down. Kaval absorbs the blows and when Husky goes to toss him across the ring, Kaval pulls off a somersault to land on his feet and get back into the match. Laycool cheer for this and encourage the crowd to do so as well. Kaval gets poised to strike in the corner as Husky comes charging at him. Kaval’s feet connect with Husky’s face and then as Husky is off balance, Kaval flies at him and sends him down to the mat. Laycool absolutely mark and I wish I could say what Cody is doing, but the camera doesn’t want to show him. Ha!

Kaval seizes the moment to go for a cover, but Husky is out before you can blink an eye. Kaval assumes a fighting stance and from the look on his face, I wouldn’t screw with him. Husky lumbers to his feet and Kaval fires off two stiff kicks. Laycool orgasm over this on the apron but their joy is short lived because Husky manages to get a shot in on Kaval. It takes Laycool’s man down and Husky is able to capitalize. He sends Kaval into the ropes (nearly knocking Laycool down in the process) and scoops the smaller superstar up in the air. It appears to me that Husky wants to go for a slam of some type, but Kaval is far to squirmy and it cocks up whatever Husky was planning to do. Showing off his smarts, Husky brings Kaval down to his feet and nearly rips his head off with a clothesline. We finally get a shot of Rhodes on the apron of the ring and he is pleased with his rookie to say the least.

Laycool is not happy, especially Layla. She’s down on her knees on the apron and screams at Husky that she hates him. Amazing. Michelle starts pounding on the turnbuckle to get the crowd going and they follow her lead. Both members of Laycool are encouraging Kaval to get up and he does fight his way to this feet. Sadly, Husky has him wrapped in a vicious bear hug and there isn’t much he can do. Laycool turn around and hype up the crowd, then turn their attention back to Kaval. He is still desperately trying to fight off Husky and he begins throwing elbows to the face of his opponent. Husky has to relinquish his advantage and Kaval is able to start kicking Husky again which is bad news for the Army Tank. Kaval uppercuts Husky into the ropes, slices him up with a brutal chop, and goes to send Husky across the ring. Husky reverses it and Kaval finds himself thrown into the corner. Husky gets down in a three point stance and tries to barrel into Kaval, but Kaval moves and Husky’s head slams off the turnbuckle.

Kaval is in control now and after showing off even more fancy footwork, he sends Harris across the ring. Kaval runs towards Husky, but Husky strikes with another devastating clothesline. Michelle literally dies on the outside of the ring and Layla looks horrified. Michelle begs Husky to get off Kaval but he goes for a cover instead. Kaval is able to kick out much to Laycool’s relief. Husky brings Kaval up and tosses him into the corner closest to Laycool. He runs for Kaval, but Kaval jumps up and tries to lock his legs around Husky. Husky throws Kaval to the outside of the ring, but the Brooklyn native lands on the apron. Husky flops back into the ropes, exhausted, and that sends Laycool flying to the outside. Both girls hit the ground with a unanimous thud and everything pretty much stops for a split second. The referee is checking on them. Cody has stepped over to make sure they’re okay. Husky looks stunned by what he’s done. And Kaval, bless his heart, he goes to rush to Laycool’s side. Husky snaps back into reality and uses Kaval’s distraction to his advantage. He grips Kaval by the neck and smashes him into the steel. Then he brings him into the ring and plants him face first. One Army Tank with the Ferrari Engine later (is that seriously the name of his finisher??) Kaval is done for. Husky picks up a much needed win and Cody Rhodes’ stupidly addictive theme music hits. Laycool are so upset on the outside and rightfully so. Poor Kaval! (I’m seriously making a sad face right now.)

After the Harris/Kaval match, the NXT elimination took place.

Because he won immunity last week, Michael McGillicutty was not eligible for elimination. Turns out, it didn’t matter anyway. Michael was revealed as the new number one in the NXT poll, taking over for Kaval who dropped to the second spot. Moving up to third, was Alex Riley, and in a fun turn of events, Percy dropped to fourth. Lucky Cannon was solidly in the fifth place which left the bottom as Husky and Rottenwood. They teased for a hot minute before showing the final two spots, and Eli was in last place. Instead of giving us a passionate speech a la Titus O’Neil, Eli decided to attack everyone. He finally left the ring area and Striker asked a few people to speak. At the end of that Eli came out again and attacked. And that was how NXT ended this week.

In other NXT news, Percy became the first NXT rookie defeat a pro this season by beating Zack Ryder. Talk about a miscarriage of justice. McGillicutty defeated Cottonwood in what is now Cottonwood’s last NXT match. The show began with all the rookies coming to the ring. They were allowed to cut a promo on any subject except for why they should NOT be eliminated. And yes, Matt Striker looked man beautiful as always. I just had to get that in. Kaval’s promo was excellent, as was Husky’s and Alex Riley’s. McGillicutty’s was actually entertaining because he went after The Miz. The Miz fired back by putting McGillicutty in his place. Very nice exchange between the two men. Percy and Kaval were given video packages. Everyone seemed to agree Percy was charismatic, but no one seemed to take him seriously. It wasn’t a bad review, but it wasn’t stellar either. Kaval’s was excellent and the only negative thing the pros had to say was that Kaval needed to loosen up. Other than some other highlights, that’s basically it.

Tonight’s episode was pretty good. The in-ring action was stellar and Eli Cottonwood absolutely deserved to get the boot. Thank goodness he is gone and I can only hope and pray that Percy Watson is next on the chopping block. There’s absolutely nothing attractive about this guy. All he represents is everything that’s wrong with the WWE. I half expect him to show up in some random backstage segment with John Cena where they sit around a campfire and sing “Kumbaya” with underprivileged children from broken homes. This bothers me because number one, I don’t like kids. And number two, I’m just in a feisty mood. Percy Watson is nothing more than a sideshow freak and the sooner people wake up and realize that, the better. His only future in the WWE is starring alongside Santino, Kozlov, and the Great Khali in comedy skits that take away time from our divas. Get this people: I would rather watch a soulless and pointless Eli Cottonwood over Percy Watson any day.

Now moving on…

The backstage segment between Husky Harris and Lay-Kav-Ool was all kinds of adorable. Kudos to Laycool for allowing Husky to guest star in their segment. That was mighty generous of the co-Women’s Champions. How precious was Kaval when he was holding the girls back? They looked like they ready to pounce on Husky Harris and claw his eyes out. I loved every second of this. Kaval seems more and more at ease with them now doesn’t he? He’s certainly coming into his own as Laycool’s number one and again I stress that I want these three to stay together for all eternity. Kaval was the man tonight. His match with Harris was brilliant despite the outcome. I really want Kaval to pick up a few more wins but it doesn’t seem like that’s going to be happening any time soon. It sucks for Kaval but despite the string of losses, he’s remaining at the top of the polls. This week he dropped to number two, but that’s not a big deal to me. I didn’t think he would remain at the top and honestly, I’m surprised he’s as high as he is. I don’t know if it’s because of the fans votes or what, but it’s totally a positive thing for our main man.

During the match, Laycool took a pretty good bump to the outside of the ring. They sold it in their own way and Kaval was able to get distracted because of it. At least Harris’ win was a bit on the cheap side and up until that point, Kaval had had the match firmly in hand despite a few hiccups. Love the fact Kaval is so protective over Laycool. This pairing remains my favorite. It’s so fun and cute, and sweet, and adorable, and all that other stuff in between. I hope we get much more Lay-Kav-Ool flawlessness next week!

Michael McGillicutty at number one really did surprise me a bit. I didn’t really feel as if he had done anything to connect with the fans and get them behind him. His personality is very dull to me. He’s just generic. His record is perfect, blah blah blah. He is going to win NXT and be the next WWE breakout star blah blah blah. McGillicutty is great in the ring and there’s no denying that. But as far as the charisma factor goes, he just doesn’t have it. I truly thought tonight was going to be Alex Riley’s night. He absolutely slaughters everyone when it comes to promos. He’s just so comfortable and so free. Tonight was a perfect example of everything he brings to the table. Alex Riley definitely has everything going for him.

It wasn’t to be Riley’s night. Instead, it turned out to be the night Eli Cottonwood got eliminated and went crazy. And hopefully, for my colleague Jennifer’s sake, I hope tonight turns out to be the night John Morrison shaves that thing off his face. Until NXT time (… see what I did there?); Cryssi out!

Diva Dirt LIVE is back tonight at 10pm ET (9pm CT/7pm PDT/3am UK)! Here’s what’s coming up tonight and how you an get involved…

Tonight: We discuss what’s ahead for the Raw and SmackDown brand in the upcoming week. Please be aware of SPOILERS before tuning in.

Plus, we have the second semi-final round of the call-in quiz tournament. Chris and Cyndi will be battling it out for a place in the final in two weeks time.

Note: Chris & Cyndi if you are reading this, please send us an email at divadirt@gmail.com to confirm your phone numbers/plans for tonight.

MAILBAG
This week, we are launching the DD LIVE Mailbag, which is a feature we once had on past audio shows. If you have a question for David, Jennifer and/or Melanie, copy and paste the following into the comments with your Qs:

Name:
Question for David:
Question for Jennifer:
Question for Melanie:

All the details you need to call in, tweet and comment are after the cut:

You can either call, tweet or comment during the live show:

* Call in: We’ll be on the air live from 10pm ET/9pm CT/7pm PDT/3am UK. US listeners can call us toll free from landlines on 866-588-9257.

Alternatively, listeners worldwide can call us for free via Skype and BlogTalkRadio. Make sure you have an active user account and are logged into both Skype and BlogTalkRadio. Then, during the live show visit tinyurl.com/divadirtlive9 and click the ‘Click to Talk’ button (see below). By clicking, this will open up Skype and put you through to us.

* Twitter: If you can’t call in or you’re too shy, why not send us a tweet during the show? Tell us what you think of the topics we’ll be discussing, tell us what you think of the show and more. Send your tweets to @divadirt. We will read out some of your tweets throughout the show!

* Comment: As well as Twitter, you can leave your thoughts the old fashioned way — in our comments section! Just leave your comments in the post for Diva Dirt LIVE, which will go online at 9.30pm ET. Again, tell us what you think of our topics and of the show, ask us questions etc. We will read out a sample of comments throughout the show, so keep ‘em coming!

Be sure to join us at 10pm ET live!

See you all tonight!

Support Diva Dirt LIVE: Each week, we hope to give away a great prize to one lucky caller. Please feel free to make a donation to Diva Dirt by clicking this link. All donations that we receive are poured right back into the site and will be used to purchase prizes for competitions. Thank you!

Former WCW Nitro Girl, Spice (real name Melissa Bellin) was the latest special guest on Monday Night Mayhem, and commented on the possibility of a Nitro Girls reunion at WrestleMania 27 next year. Of course, ‘Mania will take place in Atlanta, the old stomping ground of WCW.

She says:

The likelihood of a complete Nitro Girls reunion at WrestleMania XXVII in Atlanta (the home of WCW) and whether or not she could actually see that taking place: “It would make phenomenal sense. A lot of are still pretty accessible to the area. We would all be completely open to it. Two years ago, we did a reunion for Jimmy Hart down in Orlando. Five of us got together, did a choreographed routine in the ring, and the fans loved it, and it was a ton of fun. So if there is interest from the fans, I think it would be great.”

Melissa also spoke on the popularity of the Nitro Girls and how she doesn’t feel the concept could have lasted longer:

What she liked and/or disliked about the direction of the Nitro Girls and the transition of being just dancers to in-ring performers & valets: “I think it was a shame because it was such a popular concept. I think it was an element that’s really been missed. We still hear it from the fans all the time on Facebook. People reach out to us all the time and say ‘Man, we really missed the Nitro Girls.’ When the group was created, Eric Bischoff was saying that valets were a thing of the past and that they wanted to move things in the right direction. I always remember that opening night. The response was tremendous, and it continues 13 years later. On one hand, I think it was just wrestling on a whole was remise to not continue with that concept in some form or fashion, because the fans really enjoyed it. Then at the end of the day, everything changes. I think they could have still differentiated themselves, but I think the problem WCW made is that they tried to be like the competition. When they tried to play the same game as WWE, they couldn’t hang, because Turner was a whole different media outlet, and we had a lot of restrictions.”

To download the interview, right click here and ‘Save Target As’.

And just for lulz, here’s some Nitro Girls performances:

Check out the details below:

Today, if you check out WSUVideo.com, WSU has four brand new DVDs available to purchase. We are extremely proud of these DVDs and guarantee that you will get your monies worth with these DVDs. Fans are calling “Martinez Vs Alicia” & “Smokestacked Lightening” WSU’s greatest shows yet. Find out what all the hype is about by checking out these DVDs.

Fans can pick up these four new DVDs for a special internet sale price at the brand new WSUVideo.com.

Here are the new DVDs that are for sale:

WSU Presents Martinez vs. Alicia, Featuring: The Uncensored Rumble 3!
The Uncensored Rumble Match – Over 45 Minutes of Action in One Match w/Jazz, Angel Orsini, Rain, Awesome Kong, Brittney Savage, Amber O’Neal, Nikki Roxx, Amy Lee, Mickie Knuckles, Daizee Haze, Jana, Cindy Rogers, Niya, Sassy Stephanie, Divina Fly, Latasha, Jessicka Havok, Rick Cataldo, Amber, Lexus, Tina San Antonio, Marti Belle, Cherry Bomb & much more!

WSU World Title Match
ICON vs ICON
(c) Mercedes Martinez vs Alicia

Price: $15.00

More after the cut:

WSU Presents Smokestacked Lightning!
Daizee Haze vs Cherry Bomb

WSU Tag Team Title Match
(c) Cindy Rogers & Jana vs Divina Fly & Niya

Uncensored Rumble Lottery Match
Jessicka Havok & Rick Cataldo & Amber & Lexus vs Latasha & Sassy Stephanie & Tina San Antonio & Marti Belle

Amy Lee vs Mickie Knuckles

WSU Spirit Title Match
(c) Brittney Savage vs Becky Bayless

Uncensored Rules Match
Amber O’Neal & Nikki Roxx vs Angel Orsini & Jazz

Main Event
Rain w/Lacey vs Awesome Kong

Price: $15.00

—–

WSU Presents Spring Tour 2010: May & June (Road To Uncensored Rumble 3)!

Match Listings:
WSU World Title Match
5/1 at EVOLVE
(c) Mercedes Martinez vs Brittney Savage

WSU Dream Tag Team Match
5/15 at ICW
Mercedes Martinez & Alicia vs Brittney Savage & Velvet Sky

WSU Grudge Match
6/5 at NYWC
Angel Orsini vs Jana

WSU Tag Team Match
6/12 at ACE
Mercedes Martinez & Alicia vs Belle Saints

WSU World Title Match
6/19 at NYWC
(c) Mercedes Martinez vs Jana
(c) Mercedes Martinez vs Rick Cataldo
BULLROPE MATCH
(c) Mercedes Martinez vs Brittney Savage

—

Match Listings:
WSU World Title Match
3/13 at EVOLVE
(c) Mercedes Martinez vs Sumie Sakai

WSU World Title vs WSU Spirit Title Match
3/19 at ICW
(c) Mercedes Martinez vs Brittney Savage

WSU Spirit Title Match
4/10 at NYWC
(c) Brittney Savage vs Traci Brooks

WSU Tag Title Match
4/17 at NYWC
(c) Mercedes Martinez & Angel Orsini vs Jana & Cindy Rogers

WSU Spirit Title Match
4/24 at NWS
(c) Brittney Savage vs Niya

—

Also, don’t forget to check out WSUVideo.com to get special DVD combination prices.

For more on WSU, visit WSUWrestling.com.

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She writes:

On behalf of myself, the Wrestlers’ Rescue organization, and the many volunteers and donors, I’d like to strenuously deny and condemn the false and baseless defamatory statements currently circulating concerning an alleged investigation and corruption in Wrestlers’ Rescue. Not only are the accusations false they contain no merit and they are disrespectful to the volunteers who have invested their time, energies, and hearts into helping former professional wrestlers in need.
These statements (most of which appear to have begun following comments made by Mike Aldren) are defamatory and contain no basis or fact. These unfounded false allegations have put at risk our efforts to help the former stars who currently face major personal, medical, and financial crises. The damage these falsehoods may have done to real people (not wrestling “characters”) is immeasurable.

I am currently weighing options for an appropriate and comprehensive response. When I have decided on my best course of action, as well as exploring legal options on behalf of both myself and Wrestlers’ Rescue, I will address all allegations.

A full and complete refutation of all false claims will accompany our forthcoming formal response, in the courts and/or other venues. More importantly, though I wish to express the anger I feel that for the sake of a few web hits and some false ego-gratification, all those who spread his falsehoods as “truth” may have put at risk Wrestlers’ Rescue’s attempts to aid good and well-loved people facing enormously difficult circumstances. Unfortunately, internet rumor mongers feel that they can tarnish people and an organization’s reputation without any evidence and still have impunity. It is truly shameful that I must even dignify these individuals who have nothing more than time and a computer, to address these harmful and baseless allegations.

I give thanks to all my friends and colleagues who have called and written to express their anger at this attack and their support of me. It is for people like you and not the Mike Aldren’s of the world that Wrestlers’ Rescue exists and will expand.

Dawn Marie

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At tonight’s SmackDown taping, Layla defends the Women’s Championship against Tiffany. In Diva Debate, we argue both sides of the coin as to who will win and then you get the casting vote in our poll! First, our arguments…

Why Layla will win…
After picking up a win over Kelly Kelly at the pay per view a couple of weeks ago, it doesn’t seem likely that Layla will be losing the belt on an episode of SmackDown to a girl that wasn’t even in the title picture until a week ago. While Tiffany has obviously shown great improvement, she hasn’t been the focal point of this storyline — that was Kelly Kelly — so why would she win? If anyone has a real shot at taking the belt from Layla, storyline wise, at this point, it’s Kelly. But she’ll likely just be standing at ringside.

Despite winning the belt in May, Layla’s title reign is only just beginning after getting a much needed confidence boost with her successful first title reign. It seems silly to take the strap off her now, before she can really get into her stride. Surely she deserves several title defenses before finally losing the belt? She’s still coming into her own as champion and the next few weeks will be formative. If she can beat Tiffany tonight, she’ll have beaten all the babyface competition on SmackDown and really established herself as Women’s Champ.

It looks to me that this match with Tiffany is but a pit-stop to something bigger. Perhaps a rematch with Kelly, perhaps the beginning of the end of Lay-Cool leading to a Layla vs Michelle feud, or perhaps the arrival of a new Diva giving Layla some fresh competition. Either way, she’s leaving with the belt tonight. – Melanie

More after the cut:

Why Tiffany will win…
First off, she’s come a long way as a character. We’ve seen her evolve on camera from the Assistant General Manager of ECW to the GM; then after ECW was canceled, she was shifted to SmackDown where she finally got to step into the ring. Getting her trained in FCW before putting her in matches on tv was the right thing to do as she’s had very few mistakes, and she’s pretty solid in the ring. The WWE has invested time in her and as a result, she’s fairly over with the crowds. We know she’s smart as well as aggressive and not afraid to mix it up. She may be pretty, but Tiffany’s more than just a cute face. All this we know thanks to her slow but steady character progression.

Although Kelly’s been on TV longer, Tiffany’s been able to wrestle from the first time she had a match on SmackDown. Thanks to her training, she’s got a solid knowledge of the basics and knows how to move in the ring. She can pull out some moves we normally don’t see from the women (the atomic drop comes to mind). Her forearm strikes look real and her aggression against Layla and Michelle in the past is very convincing. Plus the bumps she’s taken in and out of the ring were pretty stiff, showing she’s not shy about getting roughed up. If she does win her match against Layla and become the new Women’s Champion, it would show the faith the WWE has in her to carry that esteemed title. It may just be the fact that there’s only two faces on SmackDown as to why Tiffany has a title shot, but I’d like to think that it’s because they see the potential in her. – Jennifer

Now it’s your turn to cast your vote! Who’ll walk away with the belt tonight?

After a mysterious (and illogical) absence from last week’s Raw, Divas Champion Alicia Fox is back in action this week in a non-title bout against Brie Bella (Bella Twin #1). Will the twin Divas manage to switch their way to a upset victory over the champ? Check out the match below:

First out are The Bella Twins, who are dressed identically (I wonder why…) in electric blue. Cole and King use this time to plug the sponsor, which means I have to hear more of the Bellas entrance theme than I should. I think I’d rather watch a Khali match… The champion is out next and she’s making her way to the ring rather quickly. I guess Cena went over his allotted time this week, so the Divas have to pick up the slack as usual. The referee rings the bell and the match is on.

Alicia doesn’t waste any time going to work on Brie, laying in a kick to the gut. Alicia throws Brie into the turnbuckle, then rams her back first into the corner. Alicia snatches up Bella #1 by the hair and executes a fierce irish whip, sending Brie to the mat. Alicia proceeds to stomp out poor Brie until the ref pulls her off.

While the referee is preoccupied with Alicia, Nikki and Brie go for their patented switcheroo to turn the tables on the champ. Unfortunately for the identical beauties, Jillian makes her way to ringside and blocks their attempt to switch out. Alicia and the referee turn their attention back to the Bellas and Alicia lands a stiff kick on Bella #2, sending her down to the floor. Alicia tries to get back in control of the match, but Brie rolls her up with a school boy for a near fall. Before Brie can get in anymore offense, Alicia kicks her in the gut before landing a brutal axe kick for the win.

Post match, Jillian decides to serenade the champion with her very own rendition of Queen’s “We Are The Champions.” Obviously unimpressed, Alicia cuts her off with another impressive axe kick before leaving the ring with her head held high.

Once again, not a great week for the Raw Divas when it comes to in-ring action. The match just barely cleared the one minute mark, which is just a damn shame, to be honest. That said, this match wasn’t about the ringwork. It was about putting over Alicia as a dominant champion and in that respect, I think it served its purpose. Alicia needs to pick up some decisive victories if she wants to be seen as a serious competitors and the Bellas were the best Divas for the job.

I also enjoyed Jillian’s involvement in the match as a secondary character. It allowed her to appear on the main show as well as continue her feud with the Bellas. Her altercation with Alicia at the end was also a very nice touch. It really cemented Alicia’s place as a top heel and also planted the seeds for a future conflict between the two Divas.

All in all, it was a middle of the road night for the Raw Divas. While they didn’t quite deliver in the ring, all the little things like Jillian’s involvement, helped them avoid a truly dismal night. Unfortunately for Diva fans, this kind of performance has come to be expected from Raw in the past few months. On the bright side, at least we have something to look forward to next week…

Hit ‘show’ to see the video:

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Thanks to Diva Dirt reader Vincent for the spoilers:

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Join Diva Dirt every Monday night as we discuss the Divas action from Monday Night Raw. The matches, the segments, the fashion. It’s all analysed and there’s nothing off limits! Tune in with Cryssi, David, Jennifer & Steven Monday nights exclusively here at Diva Dirt.

To listen to the show directly on the website, just click on the play button below. You can also download the show in MP3 format straight to your computer by right clicking here and selecting ‘Save Target As’.

Please Note: ‘The Post-Raw Show’ is the exclusive content of Diva Dirt (diva-dirt.com), for which we hold copyright. By downloading our audio you agree not to repost the content elsewhere including but not limited to other websites, blogs or message boards. Failure to respect copyright will result in legal action.

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Thoughts after the cut:

Melanie
She’s backkk! I have no idea why they would put this on a taped show instead of on a live show, however. Kinda sucks the excitement out of it.

Get your Monday night Divas fix by tuning in to Raw tonight at 9pm ET on the USA Network.

Discuss the show in the comments!

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The company is pretty much seeking some new faces to supplement the current female roster and will be doing specific casting sessions in the next few months in New York City, Los Angeles and Las Vegas, among other cities. The company will offer contracts to specific women (likely developmental deals) with the breakdown noting the deals would be negotiated, “specific to each woman.”

The breakdown for the Divas, according to solicitation issued by Prouty noted they were looking for all ethnicities and noted that Divas would be involved in different aspects of WWE programming, including wrestling, dancing, singing, interviews and more. (Source: PWInsider)

It looks as though they are specifically targeting young actresses/models to train.

Dawn Marie Damatta, who performed with WWE from 2002 to 2005 and whose profile is still on the company website, said she has used steroids during the course of her wrestling career, which began in the late-1990s.

“I chose to take that shortcut,” Damatta said. “Did Vince tell me to take that shortcut? No. Did WWE? No. Why did I do it? Because I thought that’s what I needed to do in order to keep up . . . There was no testing policy.”

She said it is clear just from looking at the physiques of today’s WWE talent that steroid use is not as prevalent as it used to be. And she believes the drug-testing policy is also reducing the abuse of drugs such as painkillers and saving lives.

Damatta said she likes and respects Linda and Vince but believes they could do more to assist former talent.

“Wrestlers are taken as children, thrown into this industry and then we’re dumped back out as adults. There’s no learning in the world. We’re on the road, traveling, hustling, getting beat up,” Damatta said. “Where do I go? What do I put on a resume?”

Since being released while pregnant in 2005, Dawn has gone onto found Wrestler’s Rescue, a charity aimed at supporting retired professional wrestlers.

Additionally, yesterday’s Chikarasaurus Rex event featuring Del Rey & Haze vs Kong & Saeed is on DVD already. Pick it up by clicking here.

The issue goes on sale in September.

Congratulations to Mia! Big things are coming for this girl.

Former Knockouts Champion, Awesome Kong will face former Women’s Champion, Mickie James for the first time ever on October 1st in Waterbury, CT.

This is probably the biggest women’s match that could ever be announced right now, with both women such hot free agents. This is a PPV caliber match, for sure.

To pick up tickets and read more info, click here.

Diva Dirt’s own Jennifer recently shared a great story:

In an interview I had a few weeks ago, we were asked, ‘If money was no question, and if you didn’t have to work for your livelihood, what would you do?’ My hand shot up. I was honest; I said, ‘I’d wrestle.’ The whole room erupted into laughter. The interviewer said, ‘Really?’ I said, ‘Yeah, I would love to wrestle.’ She thought I was the most interesting person in that interview, hah. I make no apologies – I’ll admit I’m a wrestling fan and if the conversation goes farther I admit my real passion is for women’s wrestling. If folks aren’t mature enough to handle that, then sucks for them. They don’t know what they’re missing.

 
I love this story for several reasons.  First of all, I love people’s passions.  I don’t care if you love the Civil War, collecting bottle caps, or writing poetry.  I am interested in hearing more about it.  I like seeing someone’s eyes light up when they talk about something they care about.  I love how Jennifer didn’t worry about the reaction in the room.  That’s the great thing about believing in something, about having a true passion.  You feel it inside of you and that’s all that matters.  I also love this story because it made me think, “Jesh, how would I truly answer that question?”  What would I truly love to do with my life?  

Well for starters, I know I wasn’t born to be a project manager.  The job is fine, I work with nice people, and I enjoy business travel, but I don’t jump out of bed every day and mark out because I get to generate project plans.  When I was a kid I saw the movie JAWS and wanted to be a marine biologist, but now I’m afraid of the ocean.  Plus I don’t really want to be in a small boat all the time…I like my TiVo too much.  So I’m glad I didn’t follow through with that.  The truth is that I’ve always kind of known what I wanted to be when I “grew up”.  I was born to be a booker.  I was born to script professional wrestling.  I never figured out how to pursue this dream, but I started to feel this way the night I saw my first match, October 1985 at the Hershey Park Arena.  The next thing I know I am buying my first Big John Studd action figure and I’ve been booking ever since.  Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the actual matches, but I have always been more interested in putting together the card, of building the excitement of an entire show from one match to the next.  I think I’m pretty good at it too, because ever since 1985 I have been putting asses in seats.

(Actually, what I was REALLY born to do was be on ABC’s “The Bachelor”.  I can’t believe I will live my entire life and never participate in a rose ceremony.  Apparently you can’t be married and be on the show (I’ve checked) and they are not interested in letting me host it.  I love the current host Chris Harrison, but if he ends up duct taped to a tree someday, well, I don’t know anything about that.  At some point I plan to write a book called “The Bachelor: How to Guarantee Yourself a Home Town Date”.  It WILL be a best seller.  “The  Bachelor” Wii game comes out August 3 and my wife and I are gearing up for a big night of champagne and roses.  And yes, I am serious.)

I started booking shows when the WWF released their initial line of LJN action figures.  The first 5 figures were Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant (with the Speedo trunks and afro), “Superfly” Jimmy Snuka, the Iron Sheik (minus the drugs), and Big John Studd.  The LJN figures were made of hard rubber and although the paint would always chip off and you couldn’t “bend’em” very well (like the commercial promised), you could throw them around and have a great time.    Over the next few years the line of LJN action figures grew exponentially and pretty soon I had a solid roster to work with.   I was running shows all over the country and doing my best not to mimic the current WWF storylines, although Hulk Hogan did always seem to have the title, until Ted DiBiase bought it from him (coincidence!!)  I meticulously drew up the cards and recorded the match results.  Admittedly some of the LJN figures were poor replicas of the real stars, but the overall line remains my favorite set ever made.  At the time my parents felt I may have played with these things a little too much (well into my high school years, but that’s off the record of course.)  I do think it’s funny that while many teens were stuffing Playboys under their beds I was hiding George “The Animal” Steele from my mom.  The LJN figures have become rather valuable over the years and thanks to eBay I have been able to go back and complete my collection.  (I swear if my wife and I ever file for divorce we will have no problem slitting up the furniture, but if she ever comes after my mint condition Terry Funk LJN it will be ON like Donkey Kong!)

I enjoyed booking the LJN figures, especially because I could completely control the storylines as well as the results.  Towards the end of the 80’s, however, wrestling video games started to migrate from arcades to home video game systems.  I wasn’t a huge gamer, but I played the WWF video games because I was so into the WWF back then that I consumed everything Titan Sports could spit out (yes, including the famous ice cream bars).  In hindsight, the first WWF video game, WRESTLEMANIA, for Nintendo was so horrible it defies description.  (I hope I never find out in person, but I’m pretty sure “hell” is nothing more than playing this game as Andre the Giant with a big foot floating around the screen.)  Slowly new games started coming out and the graphics started to improve.  The game play started to improve.  The WWF rosters started to become more exciting.  By the time I hit college I started booking WWF shows on my Sega Genesis, enjoying the transition from action figures to video games for two main reasons: 1) video games are more socially acceptable in college, and 2) it really is difficult to wrestle a 6-man tag team match when you’re playing by yourself and the figures keep falling over.  The one drawback to video games – I’ve never been a very good player so I would sometimes get disappointed in the actual match results when the computer opponent would beat me.

During the late 90’s wrestling video games really started to take shape.  Graphics and game play were immeasurably better than just a few years before and each release would feature additional wrestlers and match types.  I tried each game that came out, but since I wasn’t 100% on board with the WWE Attitude Era I decided to take a break from booking shows.  I needed to refresh my batteries (although I did go through a brief spell where I broke out the old LJNs again…I’m not really proud of that.  Guys old enough to rent cars shouldn’t be touching up the paint on Corporal Kirshner’s boots.  On a related note, I was single at the time.)   I started to follow wrestling more intently during the later stages of the Monday Night Wars and found that I enjoyed the WCW product quite a bit (another thing I am not real proud of).  Around that time WCW released a few video games and on the way home from work one day I decided to dust off my booking skills and give it another go.  That started a 4 year journey through the NWO, the Four Horseman, Sting, Goldberg, and the Filthy Animals.  At the time I thought I was really hitting my groove…like before, I was putting asses in seats around the country.  Sadly I stopped booking these shows when WCW was sold to Vince.  I even worked that into my storylines.  More than Turner’s wrestling company died that day my friends.

I stayed away for a few years until I stumbled upon a nice little game called “Fire Pro Wrestling”.  The game had a really nice “create your own superstar” feature and so I spent the next 32,760 hours recreating the old WWF roster from the late 80’s.  “This is going to be great!” I thought, now I can mix the old school roster I love with modern video game features (which is what the recent “Legends of Wrestlemania” game was supposed to do until you realize Michael “P.S.” Hayes is on that roster and the last time I checked he was in as many Wrestlemanias as I was.  Stupid.)  Fire Pro was a cute game and again I started booking shows around the country, recreating the “booking style” of the late 80’s, not the current Raw, Smackdown, monthly PPV structure of today.  I would let the computer simulate both opponents because, as I mentioned before, I was never very good at mashing buttons.  For a while I enjoyed this but there were problems on the horizon.  I had fun creating the storylines, but once again I was getting a frustrated by the match results.  For example, in my Wrestlemania main event Hulk Hogan won the WWF championship over Randy Savage…by submission…using (are you ready for this)…an arm bar.  Major fart.  That’s not sending the fans home happy.  Eventually the pressures of family, maintaining a home, and working fulltime made it difficult to keep my little Fire Pro wrestling company running smoothly.  With little fanfare I closed my booking sheets forever.  I still buy the WWE Raw vs. Smackdown games but that is just because they feature the Fabulous Firebird and the other Divas.

I recently went back and looked at some of my WCW match results, especially the few months leading up to my final Starrcade in 2002.  It’s funny, at the time I thought I was being so clever, showing so much creativity and ingenuity as the WWE was invading my virtual WCW.  But now what jumps out at me is that there is no “f-ing” way any of these storylines would ever happen!  Sure I thought they were cool ideas, but check this out.  This was the main event of that Starrcade:  Hulk and Vince McMahon defeated Ric Flair and Eric Bischoff for full control of WCW.  Oy!  Also, Goldberg defeated “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and Sting defeated the Rock.  Um…I don’t think so.  The balance of “what I wanted to see happen” and “what would really be possible” was terribly out of whack.  Then it kind of hit me – that’s really no different than what many of us feel every week when we watch wrestling on TV. We always think we know what the booking sheets should say, regardless of the backstage politics or reality of the situation. 

Before we get to the point of this article (it’s about time no?), I am going to clear up the biggest booking travesty in the history of the WWE.  A mistake so egregious that it bothers me even to this day.  Go back to Wrestlemania 4 and the world title tournament.  Coming off of the landmark Hulk vs. Andre main event at WM3, the WWF came to Atlantic City and booked a 14-man tournament for the WWF title that was eventually won by the “Macho Man”.  But do you realize that the WWF robbed us of a Randy Savage – Ricky Steamboat rematch in the second round of that tournament?!  Their match at WM3 is universally regarded as one of the most important, influential, and exciting matches in Wrestlemania history.  So what does Vince do?  He has the Dragon lose to Greg “freakin” Valentine in the first round of the tournament.  Really!?  A Savage – Steamboat rematch where Randy gets revenge on the Dragon wouldn’t have been a great moment?  Instead Vince has Steamboat lose clean to the Hammer (his only win after 1986) as a “thank you and bend over” since Ricky was leaving to spend time with family.  Sensational.  I hope Vince bought Ricky dinner first.  Thinking about this makes me want to grab my Adrian Adonis action figure and poke my eyes out.

I started thinking about writing this column after TNA and WWE booked big women’s title matches for their recent PPVs.  At TNA’s Victory Road Angelina Love challenged Madison Rayne and the WWE booked 2 Divas matches for Money in the Bank.  Holy cow!  At the time I thought this was a huge opportunity for all the girls to show they belong on PPV.  So in the end, did these shows deliver what I had hoped?  Did TNA and WWE book these matches properly?  Sadly no.  Unfortunately I think each federation committed a huge PPV mistake.  Let’s start with Victory Road, a match that saw Madison lose the championship to Angelina thanks to the interference of a mysterious biker.  Here is how our Cryssi described Madison’s title defense:

There’s really no kind of clever, interesting, or amusing way of introducing what happened on Victory Road. Madison and Angelina squared off in their long anticipated championship match and instead of just letting the girls have a hard fought match with a well deserved victory for Angelina, TNA had to throw us a curveball. No doubt, they think they’re being clever. Idiots….I’ve decided that stifling my opinions for the benefit of others is a horrible thing to do as a writer, but sheesh. Victory Road hasn’t given me much to work with because the majority of it wasn’t just ugly. It was disgustingly ugly and that’s a whole lot of ugly. In fact it’s so much ugly, I don’t even know where to begin.

As Cryssi points out, TNA had a solid championship match booked for the show, and Madison and Angelina should have been given a script that showcased their talents and left the viewers satisfied.  They should have been given a match that, regardless of the result, featured two women battling hard for the Knockouts title.  However, for some reason TNA thought the interference of a “mystery biker” would be a good idea, an unexpected outcome that would throw the viewers.  And maybe it WOULD have been a cool idea on a regular episode of Impact.  What resulted at Victory Road was confusing, deflating, and ultimately dissatisfying.  When you are asking people to buy a PPV you need to deliver a match that feels important so they believe they got their money’s worth.   I’m guessing you don’t want people using words like “disgustingly ugly” when they are done watching it.  I guess TNA is following the “Who Shot JR?” approach of using a cliff hanger to increase interest in their weekly program.  The flaw in this theory is that if people think Impact is where the main storyline points occur they will be less likely to pay for a show that is merely a footnote days later.  Major swerves on PPVs ultimately negate their importance because only a percentage of their weekly viewers can afford (or choose) to order the show.  I believe weekly television should be used to generate interest in the product and PPVs should be used as the payoff.  Madison and Angelina deserved better.

WWE’s Money in the Bank was a decent show that saw both champions retain their belts.  Now, we already covered the quality of these matches on the audio shows.  It wasn’t Layla’s best performance and her defense against Kelly was marked by a few missed spots.  Ultimately that’s OK.  Not every Ricky Steamboat match was Hall of Fame caliber either.  Layla defeated Kelly and at the end of the day I thought this was the best result for the company.  On the next episode of Smackdown Layla didn’t wrestle but at least she and Michelle film a backstage promo that kept them on TV and kept their storyline moving forward.  However, after a solid victory over Eve at MITB, Alicia was nowhere to be seen on Monday Night Raw.  No match.  No backstage segment.  No audio commentary.  Nothing.  To make matters worse, Eve was in action and she came to the ring looking like she just got engaged.  She was smiling, happy.  What?!?  Less than 24 hours before she lost a championship match and I would have expected her to be in a foul mood on Monday night.  Nope.  So basically there was no carry-over from Money in the Bank, both for Eve or the champion Alicia.  So why exactly am I ordering these shows again?  Remind me why I care what happens on PPV if the next night basically erases the emotion that should be evident in their program.    

On the Diva Dirt audios we were very critical of these booking decisions.  Sometimes our disappointment can be misconstrued as criticizing the actual performers, and in the case of Layla and Kelly Kelly, I do feel they shoulder some of the blame for an average match.  I think they were a bit nervous given their relative lack of experience on pay-per-view.  They’ll be fine.  Most of our disappointment, however, was directed right at the writing teams for both TNA and WWE.  For me personally, I felt the MOST let down by Eve’s character following her loss to Alicia.  It’s no shame to lose.  But I want to feel the correct emotion from the wrestlers, a sense that they “give a crap” if they win or lose.  I’m willing to suspend my disbelief regarding the competitive nature of the matches, but I expect the wrestlers to hold up their end of the bargain and steer us on this emotional journey.  More and more we’re seeing this kind of disjointed booking severely impact the faces in these companies, like Eve and Gail Kim for example.  Heel characters are inherently more interesting and can somewhat get by on personality despite shaky booking (there is a reason Chris Jericho never wants to work face again.)  Hell even Jillian seems like a lunatic recently because the Bellas keep tricking her.  You’d think a girl would actually be upset about losing a Divas title match.

 I agree with Prescott’s recent comment on Diva Dirt: 

What really suffers is development and storylines because all of these seeding feuds feel awkward as you really like the heel anyway, they’re the ones that really get to emote and invest, and the time window is so short fans aren’t compelled to care about the face and their integrity, ambition and tenacity. These things can work, vanilla as they are, if they’re properly held on to and cultivated in this ADHD era.

Prescott has a point there.  Properly cultivating feuds and characters ultimately comes back to the writers (I almost wrote bookers again, but then I remembered they prefer to be called “writers”).  I think both TNA and WWE wasted a golden opportunity here to put over their women’s divisions.  I know one thing, if I was booking these shows, Eve would have come to Raw hell bent on recapturing her status as the #1 contender and there wouldn’t have been a silly “mystery biker” riding around the Impact Zone.  Hmmm, that gives me an idea.  Say, when does Raw vs. Smackdown 2011 come out anyway?  I’m feeling the creative juices flowing again!!

- Mr. Glamazon

PS – I’ve decided to release the “Mike Knox Jokes” from their contractual obligations.  I wish them all the best in the future endeavors.  (In truth, I just couldn’t squeeze any more humor from that stone…although if he ends up in TNA I’m back in business baby!) 

PPS – This column would have been finished 3 days ago but then Mattel thought it would be a good idea to unveil a new Beth Phoenix doll at Comic-Con last week.  I reacted like Fred Sandford finally having the “Big One”.  After doctor-ordered rest and rehabilitation I am once again back on my feet.  Mattel can expect a bill from my insurance company any day now.

PPPS – Follow me on Twitter @dlb19338 and if you are follower #100 I’ll send you my extra King Kong Bundy LJN figure…of course the paint IS chipped a little bit.

Sara Del Rey & Daizee Haze def. Awesome Kong & Raisha Saeed
It is interesting to note that before the show, three promos were aired. One was for the main event, one was a generic CHIKARA promo and the last was the “I Need a Challenge” promo for the womens match. This promo got the loudest cheers by far.

Death Rey and Haze out first as heels. Kong and Saeed as faces. Saeed has a new hijab. It’s glittery like a Christmas bulb or a pretty, pretty gift bag from your grandmother. I liked it. Daizee was in full on comedy heel mode. The match began with Haze begging Saeed not to hit her “because she is little”. Several times she tried to interfere. One time she literally stuck her thumbs in her ear and stuck out her tongue at Kong, distracting the ref in the process. The match had great back and forth action, with Kong way over. Several chants such as “Kong is gonna kill you” and “Kong is gonna eat you” erupted each time she entered the ring. Surprise ending when Del Rey pulled Saeed out of the ring and Daizee Haze hit a German suplex on Kong (this got lots of gasping) to pick up the win.

Our own Allison Danger and Canadian Ninjas star, Nicole Matthews were also spotted at the show.

On July 24th in Lebanon, TN, MsChif defended her title against Tasha Simone. These two women battled all over the NWA Top Rope arena and then some, even going outside in the parking lot in a No Time Limit, No Disqualification match for the NWA Women’s World Championship.

As these two are no strangers to one another, a packed house of 225 people watched for 32:09 as these women brutalized one another back and forth. From being tossed down a flight of stairs to having their head busted open on a car hood nothing seemed to be out of reach for either competitor. Both women put everything they had into this match and then some.

In the end, these two fought throughout the arena and even through the concession stand, and finally back to the ring when MsChif sprayed green mist into Tasha Simone’s eyes, and everyone thought it was over. MsChif immediately ran for water at the concession only to surprise everyone when she washed Tasha’s eyes out. As the fans watched this happen you could hear a lot of fans talking wondering what MsChif was doing. As soon as the mist was removed, MsChif continued to brutalize Tasha, and finally MsChif gave Tasha one opportunity she will probably regret as Tasha dropped MsChif face first to the mat, and we saw a three count and a NEW NWA Ladies World Champion crowned.

MsChif had held the belt over 800 days, after becoming champion in April 2008.

Watch highlights of the match below:

The longest reigning & defending champion in all of womens wrestling today, WSU World Champion Mercedes Martinez, who recently surpassed her 500th day as champion and making her 28th World Title defense, defeated Tina San Antonio to retain the championship on 7/23 in Union City, NJ at EVOLVE.

Martinez increased her win/loss record in EVOLVE to 4-0, previously defeating Niya, Sumie Sakai & Brittney Savage.

However, after the match, Martinez asked for more competition and again challenged Amazing (Awesome) Kong. This time, over the video screen, Awesome Kong accepted the challenge. WSU & EVOLVE officials have signed the match. On 9/11, in Rahway, NJ, Mercedes Martinez, if still champion, will defend the World Title against Amazing Kong.

We say “if still champion”, because Mercedes Martinez is scheduled to defend the WSU World Championship at an ICW event on 8/7, when she faces her most high profile challenger to date – MICKIE JAMES. If James is to win the WSU World Championship, James will be signed to give the winner of Martinez/Kong a World Title shot at a future WSU event.

If Martinez is no longer champion, Martinez/Kong will be a number 1 contenders match to the WSU World Title. Champion or not, Martinez wants this match with Kong to prove that she is the greatest womens wrestler in the world today. However, Kong is no push-over, and guarantees to put up the biggest fight to date in Martinez’s EVOLVE career.

Wrestlicious has now put up episode 10 online, so those of us who are unable to enjoy it on tv can partake here! Will Glory, the newly crowned Wrestlicious Champion, find herself putting the title on the line? Will Felony be out for revenge? Will that horrendous commentator be fired? We’ll find out!

We open with Cousin Cassie standing with the ring announcer (Johnny C, I believe?) and his son (who remains nameless). Johnny tells his son that he’s retiring from ring announcing and wants him to take over. He just got married (“That’s right!” Cassie chirps) and wants to spend time with his new wife. His son didn’t think he’d ever stop announcing. Johnny replies that his new love has cast a spell on him and it’s just magic what’s happened between the two. From stage left comes White Magic (aka The Lovely Lacey), who just about tackles Johnny. With a shriek, Cassie takes off. White Magic starts to cackle as Johnny squeaks out a “Hi honey.” His son backs away, looking apprehensive. “Do I have to call her mom?” is what he wants to know. And with that, the show is underway.

After the opening scenes, we come to Jimmy Hart who welcomes us to the show and says that things are just getting better. Enter Savannah, who apparently has taken Brooke Lynn’s place as co-host. Savannah claims she likes Jimmy because he’s a real southern gentleman. He proceeds to make a comment about having a drink with her later and hoping she’ll lose her inhibitions. And I’m reminded of exactly why I find Jimmy Hart so greasy.

Another break and we’re back with a new segment entitled “Country Quickie with Cousin Cassie and Tyler Texas.” (Tyler being SHIMMER’s Lorelei Lee.) Oh dear, I’m hesitant to watch this due to the title but being made of sterner stuff, I forge on. Cassie & Tyler are infront of a cornfield backdrop. Cassie goes first, “Tyler, you might be a down home wrestler if your dinner bell and ring bell are the same thing.” Tyler: “Cousin Cassie, you might be a down home wrestler if your energy drink is moonshine.” I admit, I chuckled.

Next, we cut to the ring where Johnny’s son has dutifully taken up his father’s job. They’ve taken the show on the road to a club in Minneapolis and thanks in part to the crowd and in part to the commentator, I can’t hear the first woman introduced. Turns out to be Juvi Hall (the daughter of Roxy Astor, a part of GLOW, Kayla Meltzer). Juvi’s out in a pink corset top, black ultra-shorts, and her hair is blonde, black and purple. Nice! Playing up her naughty girl character, she sits in the lap of an older man in the audience but immediately gets back up and heads into the ring. Commentary man remarks, “I hear she’s a runaway. If my hair was that many colors, I’d run away too!” So wonderful to hear his voice again. Gonna have to tune him out like I do with Lawler.

She will be facing off against Cousin Cassie, who, as far as we know, has no previous wrestling experience. I’m laying odds this match will be short and possibly painful. But I do learn that the ring announcer’s name is Johnny C, Jr. Originality must run in the family. After much pandering to the crowd, the bell rings and the two lockup in a collar and elbow tieup. Juvi gets Cassie into a headlock. As the camera angle switches, we see Naughty School Girl Faith (one half of SHIMMER’s Canadian Ninjas, Portia Perez) come to ringside. Cassie manages to push Juvi into the ropes but as they collide, Cassie gets knocked to the ground. Juvi whips herself off the ropes but Cassie gets a hiptoss in, followed by a snapmare. A dropkick and Cassie’s jubilant at getting this run of offense in on the newcomer. Whipping Juvi into the corner, she goes for a running forarm but J-Hall is quick to dodge, allowing Cassie to run into the turnbuckle. As she turns around, she’s met by two kicks to the midsection, followed by a fist to the stomach. Juvi moves to whip her into another corner but Cassie reverses, sending Juvi into the corner. But Cass is slow to follow up and as she moves in, she’s met by an elbow to the jaw. A clothesline follows, then a few kicks while Cassie’s down. Juvi’s extremely cocky, mocking the crowd for cheering the southern gal.

Juvi chokes Cassie on the middle rope but when she turns her back on Cassie, the blonde puts a finger to her lips. She’s apparently playing possum…and as Juvi Hall turns around, she’s met by a flying headscissors! A cover only gets two. Commentator, “Shades of Rene Goulet!” Somehow…I don’t think so. Cassie’s up first and as she goes to pull Juvi up, she gets a rake to the face.  As Cassie stumbles around, Juvi nails a very nice springboard enziguri (not unlike Allison Danger’s Shimmering Warlock). Pulling Cass up by the neck, Juvi twists her arm in an armbar then sends her off the ropes, but as she bends over for a backdrop, Cassie executes a sunset flip and somehow gets the 3 count! As Juvi exits the ring, Faith comes in and starts in on Cassie. It’s not long before Tyler Texas hits the ring, sending Faith scurrying to the outside. Tyler and Cassie celebrate the latter’s win.

This wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. Cassie is improving, slowly but surely, and it looks like Juvi has some skills (courtesy of her mother, perhaps?). Will this lead to Juvi becoming an honorary Naughty Girl alongside Faith, Hope and Charity? We’ll have to see where this leads.

A break, then we come back to Wrestlicious Rewind. It shows parts of the crowning championship matchup between Glory (SHIMMER’s Christie Ricci) and Felony (SHIMMER’s Rain). A leaping leg lariat and leg drop enable Glory to come Wrestlicious’ first Champion! As JV Rich awards her the crown, she says she’ll defend it anywhere against anyone. Prophetic words?

Switching to a diner, we see Sha-Na-Na (indy wrestler Kristin Flake) on a bar stool, surrounded by the Be-Bops, sipping on a milkshake. She says her date told her to meet her at the diner and that they would be working on her ’57 Chevy. How does she know? Apparently her date said he wanted to take care of “the junk in her trunk.” “Ohhhh!” the Be-Bops nod seriously. And I’m shaking my head. Next!

Wrestlicious Spotlight is on Kickstart Katie (SHIMMER’s Nevaeh). Which by spotlight, they mean gratuitous shots of her in a bikini on a beach. Which, she’s lovely but no thanks. Next!

The next segment is entitled, “You’ve Got Male.” We see Paige Webb (WWE’s Serena Deeb) seated at a computer in her ultra cute blue & black top. She loves to get email so lets see what the fans have sent her. This week, someone writes, “I heard you were a Girl Scout. How do you like my cookies?” Before I can warn her, Paige clicks on the attached picture and immediately regrets it. Ew! She quickly deletes the not-quite-cookies picture. Maybe next time she’ll get something better.

A graphic shows that tonight’s Main Event features the Naughty Girls Faith & Hope (Canadian Ninjas Portia & Nicole Matthews) taking on Marley (SHIMMER’s Daizee Haze) and the debuting Coco Montego (OVW & SHIMMER’s Josie)! Awesome, four women who are solid in the ring! This is what I love about Wrestlicious. Makes sitting through the camp worth it.

Quick break and it’s time for the main event, whoo hoo! Introduced first are Faith and Hope, but Faith comes out alone. When J.C.,Jr asks where her partner is, Faith claims Hope’s parents sent her away to boarding school. But not to worry, she has a partner! When she whispers the name to J.C.,Jr, he can’t believe it. Reluctantly he announces Faith’s tag team partner – White Magic! Out comes Junior’s new step-mother, with something that looks like a vine with a mace at the end in her hands. She shows Faith how to do her voodoo dance in the ring. Should be a very interesting pairing!

Out second are Marley and Coco Montego, who (seeing her for the first time since leaving TNA) looks extremely fit and ready to go! She takes the mic and makes a prediction: “Miss Coco predicts we’re going to kick your butts!” The crowd likes the sound of that! But whats this? White Magic has a doll that resembles Coco! She has Faith take hold of it and stab it with a needle. Coco’s driven to the ground, clutching her chest! Magic’s voodoo is taking effect! While Coco rolls out of the ring in pain, Magic takes out another doll that resembles Marley. She has Faith stab the doll, but to no effect! Marley’s doing yoga in the ring and apparently her yoga is shielding her from the voodoo! White Magic is enraged and, taking the doll back, stabs it multiple times – no dice. Marley is in Warrior’s Pose I before moving into Warrior Pose III. The voodoo cannot penetrate Marley’s Nirvana!

(Did I just type that? This is so campy, it’s hilarious!)

As Coco applauds, special guest referee Austin Aries (from ROH), grabs both dolls and gets them out of the ring. This sends Magic into a fury. As both Faith and Magic blast Aries, Marley has completed her yoga. Together, they attack F&M, whipping them off the ropes and connecting with two sharp elbows. Faith and Magic roll out of the ring as Marley and Coco celebrate. After a moment, Marley heads to the outside, getting Faith in the back with a forarm before rolling her back into the ring. Coco and White Magic take their places at opposite corners.

Marley gets both of Faith’s arms in armbars, manuvering her to the mat. Somehow Faith grabs Marley’s hair and yanks, but although they stand up, Marley still has one of Faith’s arms. She executes a nice armdrag, cranking more pressure on the arm before backing up so Coco can tag herself in. Whipping Faith off the ropes, Marley gets a drop toehold on her, and Coco follows up with an elbow to Faith’s back. Getting her back up, Coco whips her into the ropes, leapfrogs over Faith then nails her on the return with a beautiful dropkick. Putting Faith into a front facelock, Coco tags in Marley, who gets a hard forarm to the back. Shoving her into the ropes, Marley lets loose with a knifedge chop, then a second. She goes for an Irish whip, but Faith reverses, sending Marley into the ropes where White Magic grabs her leg. While Faith distracts the ref, Magic gets a neckbreaker off the second rope on Marley. For the first time, Faith takes control of the match and after dragging Marley to her corner, tags in White Magic.

White Magic hits her with a hairmare then a sharp kick to the hippy’s head. Gathering up Marley, the voodoo queen clubs her back before choking her on the second rope. Tagging Faith back in, Marley tries valiantly to fight them off but the dastardly duo get a double suplex on her. Faith goes for a cover but Coco is quick to break it up. Faith locks in a rear chinlock that looks suspiciously like a choke. After a moment, she simply grabs Marley’s hair and yanks her head backwards, taunting her. Stomping her back onto the mat, Faith simply sits on Marley and chokes her whilst jawing at Aries. As Faith breaks the hold, she goes to pull Marley up but the hippy lady rolls her up into a pin! Faith reverses it into a pin of her own but it’s only good for two. Marley tries to get to her corner but Faith’s on her like a pitbull, dragging her back to tag in White Magic.

Magic lands another hard neckbreaker, cackling at Marley’s pain. She crosses Marley’s arms across her chest, holding her down for a two count. (Gimmick infringment! You’ll hear from the Undertaker and WWE’s lawyers, Wrestlicious!) Marley and Magic have a test of strength, with Marley slowly driving Magic towards her own corner. But just as a tag is made to Coco, Faith distracts Austin, so that when he turns around to see Coco enter, he kicks her out, not having seen the pin! While Coco argues, “Evil” and “Naughty” double team Marley, kicking and choking the cannabis outta her. When Aries finally turns around, he sees Magic exiting the ring whilst Faith chokes out Marley. He breaks that up and oddly enough takes Magic’s word for it that they tagged out. Double standards, he has them.

Faith whips the blonde off the ropes and lands a hard elbow to Marley’s chest. She goes for a cover but again, only good for two. Another pin, another two. Faith gathers her up, pushing Marley into a corner where she gets a chop. Whipping Marley into the opposite corner, she charges but is met with an elbow! Another charge – she meets Marley’s foot this time! A final charge and Marley deftly dodges and rolls up Faith into a bridging pin! Faith kicks out but unforunately for her, Marley is able to tag in Coco! White Magic comes in but Coco takes both Faith and Magic down with several elbows! Grabbing Magic, she whips her into the corner where Faith is, sending Faith down to the mat and Magic stumbling out in a daze. She turns – only to be met by a hard missile dropkick from Marley!

Coco hoists Faith up on her shoulders and performs a rolling fireman’s carry. Leaving Faith on the mat, Coco climbs up on the turnbuckle and jumps from the second rope, twisting in midair to nail Faith with a beautiful senton! (And you released her TNA? Great job there.) She goes for a cover – but Faith kicks out at two! Coco can’t believe it and neither can I! Fustrated, Coco tags Marley back in, then hauls Faith back onto her shoulders for a fireman’s carry takeover. Marley’s up on the turnbuckle and Coco helps launch her off and onto Faith, a monster crossbody! She covers and the ref counts but before he can get to three, White Magic’s in and pulling Aries to his feet. She WHACKS him on the head with her Voodoo Mace! (Different from a normal mace..?) Aries calls for the bell, holding his head in pain as another referee comes out to help with the carnage. Magic’s on one knee, whirling her mace maniacally. Faith’s still down, Coco’s on the apron, Marley’s checking on Aries and the second ref is afraid to enter the ring while Magic’s still armed! It’s chaos!

While this is going on, the screen shrinks and we see Cousin Cassie and Tyler Texas telling us to “come on back now, ya hear?” They blow us kisses, at which point Wrestlicious comes to a close.

Not gonna lie, I enjoyed the whole thing. I can easily overlook the too-campy scenes in exchange for great matches featuring experienced women. Wrestlicious doesn’t have their talent locked up, so the women are still able to perform on the indies while fulfilling their obligations to Wrestlicious. They’re given the chance to grow as actresses/characters as well. I know I’ve been skeptical in the past, but I love the chance to see good wrestling – in this regard, it’s better than GLOW since the wrestling wasn’t nearly as good. I hope somehow or another Wrestlicious continues to give us good shows like this. Cheers!

Kong def. Del Rey
Finish came when Kong got a rollup after almost losing due to interference from the Kings of Wrestling. (Source: Wrestling News World)

Del Rey and Kong will be on opposing teams today at CHIKARA’s Chikarasaurus Rex event. Kong reunites with TNA manager, Raisha Saeed to take on Del Rey and Daizee Haze.

Is there anything you’re burning to know? Leave your suggestions in the comments!

It’s back! Welcome to the third annual 50 Sexiest Divas competition! What is your definition of sexy? Each year, we find out in our countdown of the sexiest women in wrestling as voted solely by you. For the past two years, WWE’s Melina has taken the top spot — will she make it a three-peat? Let’s get started…

HOW IT WORKS

We have compiled 100 names from the world of women’s wrestling that have had some prominence in 2010 thus far. Whether it be in WWE, TNA or independent promotions like SHIMMER, Wrestlicious etc. We have also taken into consideration, for the first time, coverage on Diva Dirt. These 100 women have in the past six months either contributed on television, in the ring or made the headlines here at Diva Dirt. This year, we have taken serious consideration to not include older names that are no longer focused in the wrestling industry to allow a more accurate 50 Sexiest Divas list that we feel is representative of 2010.

The 100 women who have made our longlist have been randomly placed in five groups (Groups A-E), with 20 women in each group. For the next five weeks, we will give you a chance to vote for your favourite woman in each group. From each group, the 10 Divas with the most votes will secure a place in the top 50, and the 10 with the least votes will be cut. Once you have voted for every group, we will have the 50 Divas who will make up the ‘Sexiest’ list for 2010… but it doesn’t stop there! You will then vote for your favourite woman in the top 50 to secure their place in the chart. This is when you’ll decide who is #1 all the way up to #50.

Vote now for Group D:

CLICK HERE TO VOTE

Kresa and the monstrous Kong (real name Kia Stevens) were two of the diverse female characters who struck a chord with TNA fans. But once the Bischoff/Hogan era began, it quickly became obvious that beauty was going to get pushed over brawn. Kresa, Stevens and Nicole “Roxxi” Raczynski are three of the original Knockouts released by TNA this year.

“I’m not dumb,” said Kresa, who was a college hockey player at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota before becoming a pro wrestler. “I noticed the change in the Knockouts division with Kong being gone and a lot of girls leaving. I was the next one.

“We were the ones who built the Knockout division. People wanted to watch because we were all so different. That’s what guys like. They’re going back to the cookie-cutter (performers), I think.”

To read the full piece click here.

Jay Briscoe, teaming with Mark Briscoe and Amazing Kong, gets the pin on Chris Hero, who teamed with Claudio Castagnoli and Sara Del Ray. Kings of Wrestling went for a double team maneuver on Jay but Mark broke up the attempt allowing Jay to roll up Hero. (Source: Wrestling-Radio.com)

Great to see Kong & SDR in the main event of the show. The two will battle tonight in Chicago in a rematch from their Supercard of Honor V match back in May. We’ll hopefully have results tomorrow.

With a big feud of Kong vs Del Rey on ROH shows, I have to wonder if things will spill over into the SHIMMER tapings in September. Perhaps a big blow-off match on one of the volumes?

Check out the latest Women of Wrestling Podcast featuring Del Rey by clicking here.

Welcome to Diva Soup! This show does exactly what it says on the tin: it’s a satirical look at the week in wrestling. Not dissimilar from a certain show on E!, Diva Soup has all the nutrients you need! Join Steven, Cryssi and our latest audio contributor, Eric every Friday to open up a fresh can of Diva Soup!

This week on Diva Soup: Join us this week as we discuss Tiffany’s title shot, Money in the Bank and Sojo Bolt kicking Steven’s ass.

To listen to the show directly on the website, just click on the play button below. You can also download the show in MP3 format straight to your computer by right clicking here and selecting ‘Save Target As’.

Please Note: ‘Diva Soup’ is the exclusive content of Diva Dirt (diva-dirt.com), for which we hold copyright. By downloading our audio you agree not to repost the content elsewhere including but not limited to other websites, blogs or message boards. Failure to respect copyright will result in legal action.

Be sure to follow the Diva Soup crew on Twitter: Steven (@HarderTheyFall), Cryssi (@_trophyWAG) and Eric (@thefamouseric)

We’ve been sitting tight-lipped for a little while now but we can finally confirm the reports!

We are extremely excited to reveal that our own Kristin Astara‘s fiancé, Ryan O’Reilly, has signed a new deal with WWE to return to the company.

The couple will move to Tampa soon where Ryan will return to his old stomping grounds of FCW.

Kristin (wrestling as Krissy Vaine) and Ryan previously worked for WWE before requesting their releases in 2007.

Kristin is, of course, part of the DD family and by extension, we like to think of Ryan as part of the family too. To Ryan and Kristin: We are ecstatic for you both! What a journey you’ve had over the past few years, we are so proud of you both. Congratulations, Ryan!

After exchanging gifts, which miraculously end up being two halves of one pendant [they're psychic apparently], in comes GM Teddy Long to announce that Layla will defend the Women’s Title next week against Tiffany, or as she’s now dubbed, ‘Skirt Tiffany’.

Despite being a short segment, I can’t even lie — I cracked up on more than one occasion. First at ‘Skirt Tiffany?!’ and then the Teddy-isms. Very funny. Again, Layla’s comic timing is perfect. I find her extremely enjoyable to watch in these little skits.

As for the match between Tiffany and Layla next week… wow! What a fast turnaround for Tiffany from wrestling debut to title shot. I think she’s worked really hard over the past few months, had consistently good performances in the ring and I look forward to seeing her wrestle Layla. Do I think she will win? Probably not, but it’s nice to see her being given an opportunity. She’s no worse than Kelly, Alicia, Eve or Maryse, who have all been in the title picture in the WWE of late, so why not?

My only gripe is that I tend to feel there should be some storyline development leading to a title shot i.e. a No.1 Contender’s Match or a battle royal. It is quite random that Tiffany is just granted a title shot, especially so soon after Kelly’s. Perhaps this will be a pit-stop leading to Kelly getting a rematch? We’ll see how it plays out last week.

Nothing more to really write about SmackDown this week. I enjoyed the humour of the segment, though.

If you want to see this week’s obligatory ‘Rosa in Training’ segment, click here. Not even worth discussing, to be honest.

Last night, Ring of Honor debuted in Louisville, KY at the Danny Davis arena. Yours truly was in attendance for the sole fact that the Women of Honor were on the card. In a bout before their team up at Chikarasaurus Rex this weekend, Sara Del Rey took on Daizee Haze. Accompanied by the Kings of Wrestling, Chris Hero and Claudio Castagnoli (who has one of the best 6-packs I’ve ever seen, by the way), Del Rey was actually on the defensive for part of the match. Never let Daizee’s size fool you, she kept Sara on her toes at all points in the match. In the end, she did manage to pull off the win, getting Del Rey in a rollup.

Seeing these two in person for the first time was an absolute thrill. Del Rey has some of the stiffest kicks and forarms — stiffer than most of the men! Daizee’s athletic ability and agility are amazing. Both are outstanding physically — Haze is ripped and Sara’s guns are so buff, she ought to register with the NRA. (Cue crickets here.)

Also, after the show I ran into former TNA Knockout and current OVW star Josie aka Sojo Bolt. She’s an incredibly sweet woman who took the time to let her fans know she appreciates all the support she’s gotten throughout her career. She’s still wrestling in OVW, but now she’s mainly helping to build the next generation of women wrestlers. She also let me know that she’s a huge Diva Dirt fan!

All in all, Ring of Honor had an excellent show last night. I’m glad they came to Louisville — it gave me a taste of what’s to come in September and a chance to catch up with Josie!

And if any of you were wondering what happened to the lengthy matches on RAW, or why a Diva like Eve might get stuck in match that only last for one minute…well, Gewirtz and Kosky had something to say about that too. “On RAW we have a live show,” Gewirtz said. “And often times you can put aside a certain amount of time for the matches that you want to see and believe it or not, and I can’t speak for this panel [smiles right at The Miz] but sometimes the talent will go over the allotted time [crowd laughs] and that creates a domino effect that cuts into the time in the next segment and then the next segment and on a live show, if a segment goes three, four minutes heavy, you’ve got to take time out of something else.” “Kind of like the Main Event stuff, with the beginning, middle and end, is going to take up the majority of the time so if something runs long then it’s the in-between stuff that gets cut,” Kosky clarified. “And that’s when you usually get your two minute matches. It’s just the cost of doing business when you do live TV.”

Read the rest here.

There you have it! Funny how it always seems to affect the Divas, though.

Take a look at the official poster for Trish Stratus‘ feature film debut, ‘Bail Enforcers’. The 7-time WWE Women’s Champion is front and center on the artwork and looks phenomenal!

Image Credit: TrishStratus.com

Thanks to Frank for the tip off.

WWE and Mattel has unveiled the first ever Diva doll as well as slew of new action figures at this week’s San Diego Comic Con.

Beth Phoenix becomes the first Diva to get her own doll created by Mattel, who also produce the Barbie dolls.

New action figures include Kelly Kelly, Melina and Michelle McCool.

Check out all the pictures below. Full credit to The Pop Culture Network.

Thanks to Peter for the tip off.

Always first for originality, TNA’s next pay per view — Hard Justice — has been renamed Hardcore Justice: The Last Stand and will be a tribute show featuring many ECW originals. But of the names rumoured so far [Jerry Lynn, CW Anderson etc.], there doesn’t seem to be any women from the original ECW. Hmm, just an oversight I’m sure…

To help out Dixie and co., here’s our guide to the four women we’d like to see:

Beulah

Hardcore history: Making her ECW debut in 1995, Beulah was introduced a major catalyst in a feud between Tommy Dreamer and Raven. The two feuded over Beulah and there were many twists and turns including a fake pregnancy. After siding with Dreamer, Beulah was then revealed to have had an affair — with a woman! Perhaps her biggest highlight is a bloody brawl with Bill Alfonso. Beulah re-emerged in the WWE incarnation of ECW, catfighting with old rival Francine at One Night Stand in 2005 and then competing in a six-person tag match involving Lita in 2006.
Why she should be at the PPV: As Tommy Dreamer’s wife, it’s entirely possibly that Beulah may turn up at Hardcore Justice. Dreamer is reportedly putting the show together and it’d wouldn’t be a surprise to see his wife by his side at the pay per view. Perhaps a Dreamer/Raven rematch for old time’s sake with Beulah at ringside?

Watch Beulah’s match with Alfonso below:

More after the cut:

Dawn Marie

Hardcore history: Known in ECW for managing the Impact Players (Lance Storm and Justin Credible), Dawn Marie guided her boys to the ECW Tag Team Championships. But most people know her from her WWE days, where she was the original cougar of SmackDown. Her infamous feud with Torrie Wilson provided some of the highest rated segments at that time, as she married Torrie’s dad Al, who later died on their honeymoon. She also came between Charlie Haas and Miss Jackie in another feud before being released in 2005.
Why she should be at the PPV: As one of the most recognisable ex-ECW names due to her time in WWE, why not? It’s been years since we’ve seen Dawn on our screens. Since Karen Angle left, we haven’t really seen a cougar in TNA — and no, Dixie Carter doesn’t count. She could definitely provide some nostalgic appeal. As for what role she could play, who knows? She did manage Simon Diamond and Johnny Swinger near the end, and word is they’re booked for the TNA PPV.

Watch Dawn’s infamous kiss with Torrie below:

Francine

Hardcore history: Nicknamed the ‘Queen of Extreme’ (before Lita, that is), Francine was one of the original ECW bad girls. She has had a catfight with just about every name you can think of from Beulah and Dawn to Kelly Kelly and Shelly Martinez! The original ECW Vixen, Francine was brought up to ECW TV in 1995 as Stevie Richards’ manager. Later in 2006, she joined the WWE incarnation of ECW, competing in bikini contests with Kelly on house shows and feuded with Shelly Martinez’s goth princess, Ariel, on the TV show. She also had a brief stint with TNA in 2002.
Why she should be at the PPV: You can’t have Francine without a catfight! Whether it be Beulah, Dawn or even Lacey Von Erich, let her have at it!

Watch Francine vs Beulah below:

Jazz

Hardcore history: The incredible two-time WWE Women’s Champion, Jazz, is one of the toughest women in wrestling. Though in ECW for just a short time, her stint was incredibly memorable — she wrestled men! The tough-as-nails wrestler victoriously defeated Jason Knight on PPV before joining WWE in 2001. The rest, as they say, is history. As a two-time Women’s Champion, Jazz competed in two consecutive WrestleManias and had a lengthy and brutal feud with Trish Stratus.
Why she should be at the PPV: Jazz is not only an ECW original but as tough and powerful as any Knockout I’ve ever seen. Like her ECW vs WWE match with Mickie James, you could put her on the card against a current TNA Knockout i.e. Angelina Love, who is the top babyface right now. A pay per view needs a women’s match and bringing in Jazz to wrestle will help do that while playing into the ECW theme. Plus, we just really want to see Jazz back on our TV screens.

Watch Jazz vs Jason Knight below:

So those are our four ECW Vixens we’d like to see at Hardcore Justice. Any other names that you’d bring back? Sound off in the comments!

Last week on Impact, the Knockouts took an unexpected, yet welcomed step in the right direction in terms of their booking. Whoever wrote the show or whatever gave all of us long suffering KO fans a well deserved treat in the form of a brilliantly scripted and well acted in-ring segment and a pretty darn good streetfight. Personally, it was almost to much for me to handle you know what I’m sayin’? This week, the action wasn’t overwhelming but it was still great, and very enjoyable to watch.

Tonight’s Knockout portion of Impact kicks off with a segment featuring Madison Rayne, Sarita, Velvet Sky, and Lacey Von Erich. Sarita and Madison are hanging out in the women’s lockerroom and they’re gossiping. Eventually the subject gets switched to Velvet, and Madison starts to run her mouth unaware that Velvet and Lacey have both walked up behind her. Lacey attempts to cover Velvet’s ears so she can’t hear the mean things Madison is saying, but it fails and Sarita goes quiet. Madison wants to know what’s going on and of course, Velvet is standing behind her when she turns around. Lacey begs them to stop, but Velvet’s not having that and she looks down her nose at Madison. She tells Madison that if she has something to say then she better say it to her face. Sarita is in the background smirking, but Velvet calls her out next. She basically accuses Sarita of being the mystery biker chick and tells her that she should keep the helmet on her big ass head. Bitching ensues and once again, Lacey tries to break it up. Both Madison and Velvet snap at Lacey like she’s a five year old, and then Madison gets all cocky, saying that tonight she is going to be handed back her TNA Knockouts Championship. Velvet just rolls her eyes and mentions that she still has her title because she never lost it. Both girls try and buck up to one another, and poor Lacey. She’s just stuck in the middle of all of this and getting treated like crap. Sarita and Madison both walk away, and Velvet and Lacey go off in the opposite direction. TNA goes to commercial.

After a bit of pointless crap, Angelina Love and Taylor Wilde make their way to the ring. Angelina is still wearing the Knockouts Championship but that’s about to change. The Beautiful People music hits and Sarita walks out with Madison. Sarita and Taylor are jawing back and forth at one another during the entire entrance  and Madison is literally bouncing to the ring with a bright smile on her face. Once all that is finished, senior referee, Earl Hebner, stands in the middle of the ring with a microphone in his hand. He informs Angelina, as well as the crowd, that the Board of Directors have no proof that a member of the Beautiful People was riding that bike therefore Angelina has to surrender the championship. Madison starts demanding that she be handed the belt, but after Angelina passes it off she cold cocks Madison right in the kisser. Taylor attacks Sarita and the fight between these four talented ladies is underway!

The bell rings, but things are ridiculously out of hand. Sarita ends up getting thrown out of the ring at one point which leaves Madison prone to a double team inside the ring. Taylor is forced out of the ring and into her corner, while Angelina takes down Madison. Sarita is back up on the apron so Madison is able to make the tag. Angelina controls the limited offense and then begins to drag Sarita towards a waiting Taylor Wilde. Sarita is able to shake free, but Taylor has already come into the ring. Sarita’s not really one to back down from a fight so she kindly greets Taylor with an innovative take down. Sarita taunts Taylor, which prompts the blonde Canadian to fight back stiffly. Sarita’s not really game for this type of onslaught and she eventually ends up on the mat.

Sarita finally figures out that she needs to get in some offense, so she manages to catch Taylor off guard and send her spinning into the mat. Taylor rolls over towards her corner to make the tag to Angeline, and meanwhile, Sarita has gotten to Madison. Madison comes running in, but quickly reverses her position once she sees Angelina coming at her full steam ahead. Madison doesn’t make it in time to her corner, but it doesn’t matter anyway. Sarita’s not even on her feet. Angelina takes her foe down a couple of times before finally just slamming her. Sarita comes in the ring to break it up and Taylor decides to assert herself into the melee. She jumps Sarita and the two fall down and begin to brawl. Their fight spills out of the ring right as Madison attempts to hit Angelina with her finisher. Angelina is able to put a stop to that and she knocks Madison out for the three count thanks to a fancy little inverted face plant thing.

Taylor brushes off Sarita and gets back in the ring, just in time to congratulate Angelina on picking up the victory for their team. While that’s going on, the biker babe comes driving down to the ring. That completely overrides Velvet’s theory of Sarita being the woman on the bike. The confused Tag Team Champions make their way to the ring which leaves Angelina and Taylor even more perplexed. The distraction allows Madison and Sarita to jump them from behind. The biker chick gets in the ring and goes right for Angelina. This allows Velvet and Lacey to plaster on their confused expressions. Eventually the biker woman gets out of the ring, and So Cal Val hands the Knockouts Championship back over to Madison. Sarita and Madison get out of the ring and head for their mysterious friend, and much to Velvet’s horror, Lacey runs off and goes with them! To be perfectly fair, Lacey looks torn in half over the situation and she does her best to get Velvet to join them. Velvet’s not having it and finally Lacey, Sarita, Madison, and the mystery woman just leave. Velvet shakes her head and looks in the ring where her eyes lock with Angelina’s. The two literally look like they’re having a silent conversation and the looks on their faces say it all. Neither one of them know what their next move is going to be.

The Good: I often gripe about combining storylines, but this one worked because it wasn’t hastily thrown together and everything actually made sense (for the most part). I don’t really feel like picking apart the little things because really, it gets us nowhere. I’m pleased with Madison getting the championship back and I truly hope that next time we see the Knockouts Championship change hands its at the conclusion of a hard-fought match with a fair ending. It’s time TNA started to bring some prestige back to the belt.

For the second week in a row, I feel like everyone shined. Each girl played their part well. Lacey is becoming quite the little actress and I’m loving her role in all of this even more so than Velvet’s. It’s so interesting and intriguing to me to see Velvet Sky play the victim. I loved the silent exchange between Angelina and Velvet this week. I can’t help but feel and hope that a reunion, even if it’s short-lived, takes place soon. They both have a common annoyance now and that’s Madison Rayne and her massive ego. I feel like it’s only a matter of time before they join forces to try and stop her.

The Bad: I felt the match was slow and sloppy in some places. Taylor and Sarita seemed unsure of where to go next at a few parts. I don’t know if it was miscommunication or if they simply didn’t have the timing down. Either way, there were a few spots in there that seemed weird to me.

The Ugly: Sarita and Taylor continue to dress funky. I know wrestling is not a quote “fashion show” but neither are the Academy Awards, Golden Globes, ect. and we still comment on the dresses worn on the red carpet. I’ll never understand the Beautiful People fashion sense either, but I’ve given up on them. We know that they’ll always dress bad, but for once they looked presentable. At least I thought Velvet did in her little yellow dress.

Tonight was the second week in a row of good Knockout action. I didn’t enjoy it as much as last week, but I’ll chalk that up to the funny spots in the match. I’m really just grasping at straws though. Everyone played their part well, once again, and I hope next week goes over just as well. I haven’t read spoilers and honestly,  I don’t even know if anything has been taped. I just want this fun run for the Knockouts to continue. God knows they deserve it after wasting away in purgatory for the longest time.

Author’s Note: At the time of posting, no video was available for the match. Once a video is location, it will be added.

Get your weekly dose of Knockout action on tonight’s Impact. To watch, tune in to Spike TV at 9pm ET.

Discuss the show in the comments!

“Don’t catch her eye… she’ll KILL US ALL!!!” Thankfully, real-life Sara Del Rey isn’t the unstoppable killer she portrays in the ring, so we took the chance to catch up with Del Rey before she steps into the ring this weekend for Chikara Pro to preview Chikasaurus Rex and her partnership with Daizee Haze. We also talk about how difficult she found wrestling training at the beginning, travelling internationally to Japan & Mexico, early days in IWA:MS, the impact of her work in SHIMMER, the evolution of the “Death Rey” character, being recognised in the street (or not), her amazing fitness regime, working for TNA recently (as part of a deal with JAPW) and whether her future lies in WWE or TNA. Oh, and Golden Girls. Really.

You can direct feedback to the hosts either via the Women of Wrestling Facebook page or by sending a message to Stew or Lee on Twitter.

To listen to the Women of Wrestling Podcast directly on the website, just click on the play button below. You can also download the Women of Wrestling Podcast via iTunes to put on your iPod/iPhone or download the MP3 file straight to your computer by right clicking here and selecting ‘Save Target As’.

Please Note: The ‘Women of Wrestling Podcast’ is the proprietary content of Stew Allen and Lee Burton. By downloading this audio you agree not to repost the content elsewhere including but not limited to other websites, blogs or message boards. Failure to respect copyright will result in legal action.

If you have a problem you need Allison and Amber to solve leave it in the comments or email it to steven@diva-dirt.com.

NOTE: Due to time restraints, not every question can be answered on the show.

According to the Wrestling Observer, there is indeed a new Diva coming to the SmackDown brand — and all signs point to AJ Lee.

While this could change, the reason Smackdown hasn’t aired the vignettes introducing the new woman that were taped is a decision was made for only one at a time, and right now the vignettes are introducing Del Rio. Once he’s on TV, then they will start building up her. I believe the woman is April Jeannette, or A.J. Lee as the name she’s now using. She’s really small, like less than 100 pounds. She’s 23 and has been in the program for 14 months and did indies in the Northeast before that. (Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

As we revealed last month, AJ recently travelled on the road with the Raw brand — perhaps a sign of her pending call up.

Wrestlicious TakeDown will no longer air on Mav TV in the US or Bite TV in Canada, Diva Dirt has learned.

Nine of the 13 episodes scheduled for season one aired on the two networks, however after a brief hiatus in June, the series was not brought back for the final four episodes which began airing earlier this month on America One.

Bite TV executive producer Jason Agnew tells Diva Dirt that the show will ‘no longer be airing’ on the network, as well as Mav TV, “due to the change in direction and aesthetics the series has taken.” It should be noted that Mav TV will continue to air re-runs of episodes one through nine.

I’m told that the networks didn’t respond well to the final four episodes [dubbed 'TakeDown on Tour'] being filmed at real wrestling venues, preferring the studio feel of the first nine episodes.

Meanwhile, Wrestlicious producer, Johnny Cafarella says that the show will return to a studio for season two and both networks have expressed interest in airing the next season.

Wrestlicious TakeDown episodes will, however, continue to be posted online at bite.ca/wrestling. Episode 10 is expected to be posted this week.

The show will continue to air new episodes on America One, Tuff TV and The Fight Network.

As announced on Diva Dirt LIVE, Mia Yim will be working the next set of SHIMMER shows in September. Mia will wrestle on the pre-show, SPARKLE on September 11th and 12th.

Catch the replay of DD LIVE by clicking here.

To pick up your SHIMMER tickets, click here.