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Welcome back to the Temple this week, Believers! The Cueto Cup continues this week and so does the twisted relationship between the Martinez siblings.

The first half of the season left us with a glimpse of Mariposa turning on her brother, who as we know likes to stalk and torture his victims. His latest infatuation is with Melissa Santos.

This week’s episode opens up with Melissa and Fenix innocently flirting while Marty “The Moth” Martinez creeps in the background:

Melissa approaches Fenix, who says he wants to win the whole tournament. Melissa says, she’ll bet on it and he responds by promising to win the tournament for her. Marty looks on from an abandoned building.

Later on in the show Marty defeats Saltador in a first round Cueto Cup match. After the match we’re taken backstage to Marty’s abode as he stands in a room with a bunch of pictures of Melissa pasted on the wall. He takes a picture of her out of his tights and talks to it. He then licks it. He starts smelling makeup and sees Mariposa in a compact mirror.

Mariposa walks in the room and asks “Do you remember what father taught us?” When Marty responds “Family always first,” she tells him that his lust for Melissa has made him week. She will be facing Fenix later and if victorious, it’ll be her versus her brother and she promises to hurt him.

He asks her if he remembers how they used to play? (what? I mean, things have always seemed off but, what?) and she slaps him across the face.

After that segment, Kobra Moon makes an appearance alongside Pindar. She commands him during the match when the bout comes close and taunts his opponent, laying in cheap shots when the ref’s back is turned. He defeats Mascarita Sagrada in the first round of the Cueto Cup.

We get to our main event of the night, which is Fenix vs Mariposa:

Mariposa comes out to a chorus of boos from the crowd while Fenix is met with support. Commentary puts over his triple crown status, the first ever to hold all three belts in the Temple.

Fenix shows good sportsmanship by extending his hand but Mariposa slaps it away. They square up but Fenix backs Mariposa into the corner. Mariposa comes back with clotheslines and attempts at kicks and strikes. He blocks them all.

Mariposa pushes him back and runs at him but she eats a dropkick in the jaw by Fenix. He comes at her but Mariposa kicks him repeatedly.

She forces him down with a tilt-a-whirl DDT and a drop kick. He rolls out of the ring. Mariposa comes after him with more kicks. She transitions into a huricanrana from the ring apron. She forces her boot in his face before rolling him into the ring.

She continues clubbing him down in the ring. Mariposa remains in control with a wheelbarrow slingshot maneuver off the ropes but Fenix won’t stay down. She makes him run the ropes but Fenix comes back with a release German Suplex.

She rises to her feet as Fenix primes himself for a super kick. She stretches out her hand to stop him and he hesitates before kicking the side of her face. He covers her but she refuses to give up.

Fenix gains control of the match and raises Mariposa up for a powerbomb. Mariposa reverses it into a sunset flip powerbomb instead! They start trading blows again and Mariposa rolls out of the ring to collect herself. Fenix goes for a 619 but Mariposa avoids it with a kick to his gut.

Mariposa goes up for a monkey flip but Fenix reverses it and they fight on the turnbuckle. Fenix hits her in the face. He sets her up for another high risk maneuver but Mariposa avoids it. She goes for a crossbody off the top rope but Fenix catches her. He stuns her with a Fenix driver for the win.

Marty comes out after the bout and attacks Fenix. Fenix wards off the Martinez siblings to end the show as Melissa blows him a kiss.

Thoughts: I enjoyed how this episode revolved around the siblings. When we last left off the earlier part of the season, Marty and Mariposa had moved on from Sexy Star and cracks were showing in their relationship. I am glad they are moving forward with such continuity.

This new feud with Fenix is giving rise to more character progression for him, which is a good thing. He’s always been a paper thin character, in my opinion, despite having quite the run. He was briefly chosen by Catrina in Season One as her champion but I’m glad we’ve moved away from that all together. The pairing with Melissa also gives her some more vulnerabilities and deepens her role in the Temple.

Kobra Moon continues to kill it in her role and I’m really enjoying the hold she has on her tribe. She aces all the classic heel traits and it’s refreshing to see a woman with such control.

And the match between Fenix and Mariposa was solid. I was disappointed to see Mariposa lose. I think the next logical step for her character is to face her brother head on soon and this would have given her the opportunity to do so. However, I can also see LU wanting to slow burn it. Marty is definitely not done with Melissa and he’s not done creeping around the temple.

I do want to see Mariposa in action more often though. I get the feeling that we haven’t seen everything she has up her sleeve and involving her in other feuds in the Temple will serve her character well in developing her more. I have a feeling that she could turn herself around while keeping her sadistic tendencies. But, one of the things I like about LU is its ability to give us characters regardless of alignment so good or bad, shades of grey is always something to root for when viewing a character as a wholly developed, well written, entity.

Also, I want to point out props to the brand for having Mariposa vs Fenix as the main event and having it be the most natural thing ever. It always warms me to see the women make such an impact.

What did you think of last night’s episode? What do you want to see Mariposa do next? Sound off in the comments below.

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Welcome to this week’s NXT review. Ember Moon returns to action this week and she’s looking for some retribution against the Iconic Duo.

Billie Kay and Peyton Royce have been targeting her on and off for months, recently lobbying to ban The Eclipse.

This week’s episode has her taking on Peyton Royce in an effort to get the women off her back once and for all as she sets her eyes on challenging Asuka again in the near future.

Let’s jump into it:

The Icons make their entrance and they playfully tease each other in the ring. Ember makes her entrance sporting cool warrior shoulder pads. The crowd supports her right off the bat as Peyton grimaces at her.

They aggressively square up into a few reversals and mat wrestling. Dueling chants ring out from the audience as Peyton slaps Ember across the face. She tosses Ember into the ropes but Ember winds up catching Peyton in a reversal and tosses her over.

Ember dropkicks Peyton and she crawls into the corner. Billie comes to her aid from the apron. Ember hits Peyton with a backhandspring punch and Peyton goes down.

Ember climbs up to the top rope early but Peyton rushes at her. She attempts a super fisherman’s suplex but Ember pushes her down. Ember situates herself on the top turnbuckle again but Billie winds up tugging her arm down and she tumbles off the top rope. Peyton capitalizes on this by throwing Ember into the ring post. She throws Ember into the post a second time as Peyton takes control as we go to a commercial.

When we come back Peyton continues to target Ember’s formerly injured shoulder. She continues wrenching it and punching it. Ember rolls her over for a pin but Peyton kicks out. They go toe to toe again, with Peyton in full on assault mode as she hits Ember again and again.

Peyton goes to run the ropes but Ember runs right at her and hits her in the throat with a right arm. Peyton tries to grab hold of Ember but she gets kicked repeatedly instead. Ember then hits a flying cross body for another two count. She continues fighting Peyton off. She goes for another backhandspring but Peyton kicks her in the midsection.

They trade covers and kicks again but Ember gains the upper hand with a low flying headscissor. Ember goes up for The Eclipse again but Billie yanks Peyton out of the ring. Ember launches herself at Billie and takes her down outside the ring. Peyton throws Ember into the ring and they trade pins again. Peyton traps Ember in the Widows Peak! However, it’s still not enough.

Ember crawls to the corner and they continue fighting. She throws Peyton face first into the turnbuckle with a wheelbarrow reversal. She goes up to the top rope and finally catches Peyton with The Eclipse for the win.

Our second women’s match of the night pits rising star Sonya Deville against Rachel Evers, also known as Rachael Ellering.

Sonya starts off striking hard and fast, completely catching Rachel off guard. Rachel tosses Sonya over but it’s not enough to put her away. Sonya continues to take control with rough strikes to the midsection. She continues pounding away with kicks to Rachel in the corner. She then grounds Rachel with a body scissor, while smashing Rachel’s face about.

Rachel stops Sonya’s momentum with a jawbreaker and a kick to the face. She hits her again but Sonya just glares at her. Sonya comes at her with a hard kick. She takes her glove off and starts punching Rachel in the stomach. Sonya puts her away with a double wristlock submission.

Thoughts: Wow, a good night for the women overall, which is very welcome after many months of on/off focus on the division.

The match between Peyton and Ember was so stiff and fast, I could watch them work together all day and I wish they got some more time. Peyton has really come into her own, she’s so slick and experimental when she wants to be. She’s cunning and I enjoy her work immensely. I’m just wondering where the Icons go from here now…

Ember was fantastic as usual. I really wish creative would tap into her “Warrior Goddess” mystique. I really, really want to see her character develop so much more before Brooklyn. It’s obvious she’s heading there, unless next week throws us a curveball, which I want to believe but, it’s almost always wishful thinking at this point.

I’m happy to see Sonya already out there and being featured as such a threat. I find her character so unique and since she’s new, the short match up isn’t as detrimental as it would be otherwise. She’s supposed to embody a strong MMA type striker and if you’ve ever watched MMA, those fighters typically come in fast and hot, with match ups rarely going all rounds or even 10 minutes. This works in her favor for now.

It’ll be interesting to see where she goes from here. WWE is desperate to create a wrestler/MMA hybrid. Ronda Rousey is the company’s wet dream, already Sonya will go far just based on preferences but I can also tell Sonya is more than ready. I want to see her engage in a long term story with someone after she proves herself in more matches.

That’s what’s missing for the undercard in the women’s division. We’re slowly moving in the right direction and all the pieces are coming into play, we now need compelling stories again outside the title picture.

What did you think of last night’s NXT? Where do the Icons go from here? What would you like to see Ember do next? How do you feel about Sonya? Sound off in the comments below.

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Hola Knockout fans and welcome to this week’s Impact Write-Up! Slammiversary is quickly approaching and our Knockouts matches are already in place for this year’s PPV event.

On this week’s Impact, we are treated to a somewhat preview to Slammiversary’s Women’s Title Unification match as the GFW Women’s Champion Sienna will team up with her ‘Hot Mess Express’ partner in crime Laurel Van Ness to take on, the unlikely pair, team of Allie and the Knockouts Champion Rosemary. Let’s see how things unfolded.

At the opening of this week’s show, we find Sienna trying to talk some sense to Laurel. She explains that Rosemary has not arrived to the building, thus leaving Allie all by herself. Sienna suggests that Laurel focus at the task at hand as Rosemary’s absence makes this the perfect opportunity for Laurel to get some revenge! Focus, Laurel, focus.

Later we meet up Allie backstage, who is in a bit of a panic upon hearing that Rosemary is a no-show. Despite some uncertainty, Allie convinces herself that her new guardian angel will come through by the end of the night.

Time for the moment of truth: Will Rosemary show up to be at Allie’s corner? Our Knockouts Tag Team Match is next:

The heels are out first and a listen from Jeremy Borash from commentary reminds us of the importance behind the title unification match taking place at Slammiversary. Laurel runs laps around the ring but Sienna is on hand to remind her that she needs to stay focus.

Allie’s music hits next and out comes Allie to a hearty welcome from the Mumbai, India crowd! She stays at the entrance ramp, weapon in hand, as Rosemary’s music hits… but Rosemary doesn’t come out. Poor Allie!

From the six sided ring, Sienna and Laurel mock Allie and begin to approach her. But what’s this? Rosemary has actually been hiding under the ring the whole time! She takes down the heels with a double clothesline before they can harm Allie and suddenly Allie’s face changes from worried to excited!

All four Knockouts make their way to the ring and the bell sounds off. Rosemary strikes Sienna with a corner splash with Allie following suit to Laurel afterwards.

Sienna manages to take Rosemary down by striking her right knee when her back is turned. Sienna follows by stomping a mud hole to Rosemary from a corner. The GFW Women’s Champion makes a tag as the audience begin to rally and chant behind Rosemary.

Laurel begins to choke out the Knockouts Champion with the use of the second ring rope and takes down Rosemary with a running dropkick. Allie tags herself in and wins control for her team by taking Laurel down with a clothesline and a codebreaker combo!

Just as Allie begins to climb a turnbuckle out comes Sienna’s cousin KM. Not so fast KM, Braxton Sutter is out too and fights off the interfering KM. Despite Braxton’s help, the distraction is enough for Laurel to knock Allie off the turnbuckle with a running elbow shot.

Rosemary steps in (did she even make a legal tag to Allie?) and gets a hold of Laurel but in runs Sienna to make the save with a big time German Suplex to Rosemary. Laurel adds in the Curb Stomp and Sienna pins Rosemary for the win. Wait a minute, did Sienna even make a tag!? Weren’t the legal Knockouts at the end of this match Allie and Laurel!? Ugh, the confusion of it all!

The heels celebrate their win as Allie and Braxton check on Rosemary.

Thoughts: It’s a bit sad to say at this point I’ve grown accustomed to these short three to five minute Knockouts matches. Damn, what the hell happened Impact? And am I the only one who was confused about who was legal towards the ending of this tag match?

On the positives, I have enjoyed how Impact have been slowly building up Rosemary’s face turn. Having read spoilers, I knew in advance that Rosemary was going to show to stand by Allie’s corner but seeing it play out on TV has been a treat. These two characters are truly the opposite of one another but yet told their story of coming together here.

One thing that did surprise me was hearing that fun fact from the commentary table that this was this first time Rosemary has been pinned since her debut. Guess I didn’t notice that before. Was it a waste to throw Rosemary’s first lost on a shortened throw away tag match? Maybe but in all honesty, it is one of the few momentum that Sienna can receive heading into Slammiversary.

I really wish that we were getting a Fatal Four Way match between Sienna, Rosemary, Allie and Laurel instead of the one on one between Sienna and Rosemary. These four women have really been the focus of the division this past month – maybe even within the last year! It would’ve been nice to see Allie and Laurel rewarded for their work with a spot on one of few real PPV events Impact holds.

It also could’ve made the match a bit more unpredictable, push Allie as a more serious in-ring competitor and used as a way to break Laurel free from this broken bride gimmick that has run its course.

There’s still one more week before the big show so let’s how things play out!

Now on a personal level, I do want to make note that I’ll be taking some time off from the site as part of my (long overdue) summer vacation. That being said, I’m going to miss out on Slammiversary this year and so I’ll give my predictions to the Knockouts matches a week early!

• Full Metal Mayhem Mixed Tag Team match – Angelina Love and Davey Richards vs. Alisha Edwards and Eddie Edwards: As I’ve said a few weeks ago, I think Angelina and Alisha being off television has cooled down the feud. Otherwise, it’s been the best feud Impact has put out this year! There’s emotion, an ongoing story of former friends and just back and forth brutality which will all end here. For this match, I’m hoping we’ll see something similar to the Monster’s Ball match from Slammicversary 2009 between Taylor Wilde/Abyss vs. Daffney/Raven. Davey and Angelina have had the ‘last laugh’ for most of this feud so I’m going with Eddie and Alisha Edwards coming out on top at Slammiversary. Alisha really needs the win here if she’s going to be more than “Eddie’s wife” and enter the Knockouts division full time; a win over a veteran like Angelina, in some form, would help give that rub.
• Women’s Title Unification match – Rosemary vs. Sienna: I wish I could be more excited for this match but there’s a lack of enthusiasm over a lack of real story here and the Knockouts division itself. This match (as well the World Heavyweight Title scene) are merely a way to get rid of the GFW Titles – which never had any true legs to stand on. I’m pretty confident that the Knockouts Championship will continue its lineage post Slammiversary, with maybe a new ‘Impact’ design to go with it. As much as I loved Taryn Terrell, Rosemary has been an absolute star for the division and if anyone is going to break Taryn’s record as the longest reigning Knockouts Champion, I’d love for it to be Rosemary! So I’m going to go with Rosemary for the win!

Good luck at Slammiversary ladies!

What did you think of this week’s Impact? Are you excited for this year’s Slammiversary? Do you miss seeing Angelina and Alisha on Impact weeks before the PPV? Let us know in the comments below!

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On this day in history:

June 23rd, 2002 | At King of the Ring 2002, Trish Stratus was in the midst of her second reign as Women’s Champion. Molly Holly, who had derided Trish’s “loose morals” and has been mocked for the size of her butt in return, was challenging Trish for the title. She didn’t go easy on Trish, at one point tossing her over the barricade into the seats. Eventually, she would turn a roll-up by Trish into one of her own, holding a firm grip on Trish’s tights. Dirty tactics? Yes, but now she was the Women’s Champion for the first time in her career.

What are your memories of this moment?

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GLOW, episode 2, opens with Ruth showing up for training as Roxette’s “The Look” plays over the credits; an appropriate opening for a show about a show where casting was based primarily on appearances.

Today I can reveal the spoiler alluded to in yesterday’s review of episode 1. Ruth had an affair with the husband of her best friend, former soap opera star Debbie (played by Betty Gilpin). Debbie found out about the affair in episode 1 and confronted Ruth at the audition, and the two got into a skirmish in the ring.

Sam Sylvia, the shlockmaster film director chosen to helm The Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling, saw dollar signs. At its heart, wrestling – just like film and television – is all about conflict and storytelling. Seeing real life emotion unfold in the ring sparked a blaze in Sylvia’s mind. Up until then, this wrestling TV show was just another gig; now it’s becoming a passion project.

Maron (after making the most un-athletic ring entrance of all time) tells Ruth that he wants Debbie (or, as he refers to her, “That smoking hot blonde who kicked your ass the other day”) for GLOW. Sylvia has fired trainer Salty “The Sack” Johnson (John Morrison), because he didn’t want to do a by-the-numbers wrestling show. Sylvia names Cherry (Sydell Noel) as the new trainer as he runs off to recruit Debbie. Sylvia begs Debbie to be his star. “You’re like Grace Kelly on steroids,” he says, “and I want to put that on television every single week, Debbie!”

Back at the gym, Cherry establishes herself as the locker room leader by choking out another girl who was goofing off during practice.

Sylvia begins browbeating Ruth, setting the seeds for casting her as a “home-wrecker” heel, already envisioning his dream match between good girl Debbie and the Ruth the Home-Wrecker. “She has nothing,” Sylvia says. “No man. No love. No friends. Her hair is brown … the color of shit.”

Sylvia’s first crack at a storyline goes over like a fart in church as he has Ruth and another woman work out a miscarriage scene, leaving some of the GLOW girls with second thoughts about participating in this bizarre new show.

Ruth is dismayed to find out that she is Sylvia’s choice to be the villain of the series. “I don’t want everyone to hate me,” she laments.

“Relax. The devil gets all the best lines,” Sylvia says.

Episode 2 is all about bringing Debbie into the fold and establishing the underpinnings of the animosity between Debbie and Ruth. Cherry and Melrose (Jackie Tohn) get a small bit of character development. A bit of a filler episode with less laughs and less action, but episode 2 establishes the conflict that will run throughout the season.

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Each week, The Backpage will wrap up some of the smaller news stories, rumors, editorials and gossip making the rounds in women’s wrestling. Got a tip for next week? Send it in.

* Charlotte Flair looks back on her journey to becoming The Queen in the series premiere of the new digital series “WWE Then & Now.” (YouTube)

* Awesome Kong, Jackie Tohn and Chavo Guerrero speak with TV Insider’s Scott Fisher to discuss training the cast of Netflix’s GLOW. (TV Insider)

* Dave Meltzer speculates that the reason The Miz and Maryse will kayfabe split up is because the WWE don’t want to duplicate a couples gimmick now that Mike & Maria Kanellis have debuted on SmackDown. (Cageside Seats)

* Asuka breaks another record as the third longest reigning women’s champion in WWE/NXT history. (Twitter)

* Reby Hardy sends out a series of tweets to Impact Wrestling’s Jeff Jarrett threatening to reveal “his drunk texts and DUI records”. (Wrestle Zone)

* Kairi Hojo has wrapped up her STARDOM commitments in Japan and arrived to Orlando at NXT. (Squared Circle Sirens)

* Brie Bella vlogs on Birdie watching Daniel Bryan on SmackDown for the first time. (YouTube)

* Cageside Seats highlights Becky Lynch‘s promo with Daniel Bryan from this week’s episode of SmackDown, making a case as to why it she is one of the best babyfaces in the business. (Cageside Seats)

* Trish Stratus talks to Flare on Netflix’s GLOW and her time in the ring. (Flare)

* Cathy Kelley looks at how Superstars reacted about the returning Maria Kanellis. (YouTube)

* Asuka breaks another record as the third longest reigning Women’s Champion in WWE/NXT history. (Twitter)

* Natalya blogs on how she balances a career and relationship with her husband TJ ahead of their fourth year anniversary. (Calgury Sun)

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WWE has taped several weeks worth of NXT. Spoilers below.

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On this day in history:

June 24th, 2007 | Candice Michelle had been chasing Melina‘s Women’s Title for some time, so their match at 2007’s Vengeance must have felt like the culmination of a lot of effort for the challenger. Melina dominated much of the match, seeming to have the match in the bag. But, in true underdog form, Candice came out of nowhere to get the victory. With the win, she became the Women’s Champion for the first and only time in her career.

What are your memories of this moment?

Also occurring today in history:
* 6/24/95 – The Fabulous Moolah is inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

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On this day in history:

June 25th, 2009 | Daffney and Taylor Wilde‘s “10,000 Thumbtacks” match placed a bag full of thumbtacks atop a pole and stipulated that the first Knockout to fall on them was the loser. Daffney was the first to grab the bag, spilling the tacks all over the mat. The Knockouts fought hard to avoid being tossed into the thumbtacks, but Daffney eventually took the fall, being dropped back-first onto them and thereby losing the match in painful fashion.

What are your memories of this moment?

Also occurring today in history:
* 6/25/00 – Road Dogg, X-Pac & Tori defeat the Dudley Boyz in a Handicap Tables Dumpster match at King of the Ring 2000.

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On this day in history:

June 26th, 2005 | The feud between Christy Hemme and Victoria could have been seen as the standard “veteran Superstar is jealous of perky newcomer” schtick, given that it all started when Victoria attacked a slew of women during a bikini contest. What made it different, though, was the attitude Christy took: she wasn’t afraid of Victoria. In fact, she seemed to be more fired up than Victoria was. Even so, when they met in the ring at Vengeance 2005, Victoria won the match, using the ropes as leverage when she pinned Christy in the corner.

What are your memories of this moment?

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Women’s Wrestling fans will have to wait a bit longer to see Io Shirai in a WWE ring. Dave Meltzer recently noted on on Wrestling Observer Radio that her debut is being delayed due to a neck injury.

According to Meltzer, it was found that she’s had the neck injury since May and WWE observed it during medicals in Pittsburgh.

However, Io is still coming to WWE once she recovers, but that it will probably be “quite a while” before then.

Before Io came to the states she was arguably STARDOM’s top star as well as one of the biggest women’s wrestling names in Japan.

She made a brief appearance on Lucha Underground as part of the Black Lotus Triad in December under the alias Hitokiri.

Diva Dirt wishes Io a speedy recovery!

What do you think about this news? Sound off in the comments below.

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Everything is coming together for the Mae Young Classic as WWE revealed today that Lita and Jim Ross will head the commentary team going into the event!

According to WWE:

“The Mae Young Classic will be called by WWE Hall of Fame announcer Jim Ross, who will be joined on color commentary by four-time Women’s Champion and WWE Hall of Famer Lita. The tournament, named after WWE Hall of Famer and one of the greatest WWE Superstars in history, Mae Young, will feature 32 of the top female competitors from around the world participating in a single-elimination tournament.”

Additionally WWE has announced that the first-ever Mae Young Classic women’s tournament will stream exclusively on WWE Network, starting Monday, Aug. 28, with the first four episodes available on demand. Episodes five through eight will be available on demand on Monday, Sept. 4. The final match will stream live from Las Vegas on Tuesday, Sept. 12 at 10 pm ET.

Competitors announced so far include Toni Storm from New Zealand; Princesa Sugehit from Mexico; Lacey Evans, Sarah Logan, Tessa Blanchard, and Abbey Laith from the United States; Kavita Devi from India; Jazzy Gabert from Germany; and Taynara Conti from Brazil.

WWE Network will also stream an exclusive special entitled, Mae Young Classic: Bracketology immediately following SummerSlam, on Sunday, Aug. 20 at 11 pm ET.

What do you think about this news? Sound off in the comments below.

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Episode 3 is where GLOW really begins to hit its stride as a series, fleshing out some of the GLOW girls, showing Debbie and her drunkest and most vulnerable, and delving into Sam Sylvia’s complex relationship with women.

The episode opens with Sylvia fighting with his ex-wife, tormenting her by claiming that their dog was hit by a car before giving her custody of the pet for the week. After a nasty exchange, the “neutered” Sylvia remarks “There’s one ball you can’t castrate – the mind.”

So, fresh off his castration epiphany, Sylvia goes to work on his first script for GLOW, developing an elaborate post-nuclear dystopia where  “leather virgins,” “lesbian sluts,” an ogress, and the vile Cuntar (“a vision of hideousness”) do battle for breeding rights with the surviving male “specimens.”

It’s pure post-divorce, misanthropic, misogynist revenge porn. But, at as Sam later reveals to the yuppie, trust-fund money mark producer Sebastian (“Call me Bash”) Howard, Sylvia has also written a script for another movie entitled Mothers and Lovers. The only way Sylvia can perceive women is to classify them in one of those two roles; they are either there to nurture or to bang.

Bash rejects Sylvia’s vision for GLOW in the most diplomatic way possible by bringing the whole cast out to his Malibu mansion to enjoy some of the finer luxuries, such as arcade-style video games, drug-dispensing robots straight out of Rock IV, and a wardrobe full of outfits for an impromptu costume party. Unlike Sylvia, Bash urges the actresses to develop their own characters as opposed to adhering to a director’s vision.

“Look at The Iron Sheik,” Bash said. “What’s his story? Where does he come from? It doesn’t matter. He wears a head scarf and hates America.”

In a sense, Bash is empowering his cast to become more than “gorgeous ladies,” even if he’s relying on stereotypes and appearances to guide him. For Sylvia, this means accepting women outside of the comfy roles he has established for himself. It leads Sylvia to storm off, only to be brought back into the fray by Ruth. “(This is) all I have right now,” she said.

Debbie maneuvers her way into the role of the All-American Girl, Liberty Belle, while Ruth falls flat when she tries to embrace her shortcomings as The Home-Wrecker. “It’s not working,” Bash said, following a promo attempt.

“Help us out, Ruth,” Sylvia said. “Who do you think you are?”

For the first time in the series, Ruth is speechless. As an aspiring actress, she wanted a significant role. But as an individual, she’s left without any identity of her own.

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Tonight Raw will make history by hosting the first ever women’s Gauntlet Match to determine the number one contender for the Raw Women’s Championship!

WWE‘s preview for tonight’s show is as follows:

“For the first time in WWE history, a Women’s Gauntlet Match will be waged on Raw. The winner will face Alexa Bliss for the Raw Women’s Championship at the WWE Great Balls of Fire pay-per-view event on Sunday, July 9.

Competing in this monumental contest will be Sasha Banks, Bayley, Dana Brooke, Mickie James, Emma and Nia Jax.

Which of these intrepid female competitors will make Raw history en route to a massive opportunity against the self-proclaimed “Goddess of WWE” in two weeks? Tune in tonight at 8/7 C on USA Network to find out.”

Watch the announcement below:

Tune in to Raw on the USA Network at 8pm ET.

Discuss the show in the comments!

The post Raw Discussion Post: June 26th, 2017 appeared first on Diva Dirt.

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On this day in history:

June 27th, 1999 | In 1999, Chyna became the first (and so far, only) woman to compete in the King of the Ring tournament. She was given her spot in the tournament by Triple H, who had vacated it. In the first round, she defeated Val Venis, taking her to the quarterfinals, which took place on Pay-Per-View. There, she took on former DX stablemate Road Dogg, and came close to advancing to the semifinals. It wasn’t meant to be, though: when she attempted to hit Road Dogg with her signature low blow, she ended up injuring herself, hitting what was revealed to be a steel cup. He then hit her with a pumphandle slam and pinned her, eliminating her from the tournament.

What are your memories of this moment?

The post Today in History: Chyna competes in the 1999 King of the Ring quarterfinals appeared first on Diva Dirt.

After a cocaine-fuelled writing getaway, Sam Sylvia and Bash return with a new game plan. Seemingly on the same page creatively, the director and producer inform the GLOW girls that they will be moving into The Dusty Spur, a run-down hotel in Van Nuys. A curfew will be enforced and all drugs and alcohol will be banned.

 “Like Olympic Village,” one girl remarks.

 “More like rehab,” Sylvia replies.

The girls are given room assignments and Ruth draws the eccentric She-Wolf. Ruth misreads She-Wolf’s apparent species identification with wolves as a method acting technique, and elicits her feedback on her latest attempt at a character, a wealthy Imelda Marcos-type Ruth describes as “A female J.R. with a touch of Cruella De Vil.” Like every other character Ruth has pitched thus far, it’s a flop.

Bash begins instructing the girls on the finer art of gimmicks, showing them a video of Gorgeous George to illustrate the importance of character and showmanship. Tamme (played by (Kia “Awesome Kong” Stevens in her most impressive performance of the series so far) develops the character of The Welfare Queen, a caricature of a lazy black woman getting rich off the public dole. However, Tamme soon has misgivings about playing such a stereotypical character, wondering what her son – a student at Stanford – will think if he sees it.

 Sylvia gives a pep talk about it being The Welfare Queen being a satire against Reaganomics, but Tamme is unsure if anyone else will catch the satire or simply take it as face value. It’s an astute look at the original GLOW, in terms of knowing whether or not the audience would know it was intentionally campy or whether they would simply take it as face value and miss the comedic sensibilities at play.

Training is interrupted when Goliath Jackson and his two sons (played by Tyrus and Carlito) show up demanding to see “the promoter.” Instead, they get a director in Sylvia. Jackson, a star wrestler, has come to demand that his daughter Carmen “Machu Picchu” Wade (played by Britney Young) quits wrestling and comes back home. Wade refuses. “People respect me here,” she says.

 “Nobody respects a lady wrestler,” Jackson spits. “It’s like the midgets. You’re a sideshow.”

 In a last ditch attempt to save one of his featured performers, Bash kisses Carmen and the two claim that they’re in love. Jackson doesn’t buy it, but respects the gambit enough to give his daughter his grudging approval.

The girls have a movie night, screening a VHS copy of Sylvia’s magnum opus Blood Disco. However, a few minutes into the shlocky film, they find Sylvia’s video dating profile taped over the movie. It shows Sylvia as a lonely man, perhaps even desperate for companionship, leaving the girls sobered and sympathetic.

Having been kicked out of her shared room by She-Wolf, Ruth falls asleep on a lounge chair by the pool. Debbie arrives at the hotel with her baby, having left her husband and having nowhere else to go. She sees Ruth asleep on the other side of the swimming pool. They sit on opposite sides of a chasm with no one else around as the credits roll.

The post GLOW, episode 4 review “Nobody respects a lady wrestler” appeared first on Diva Dirt.

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The last few weeks have seen a bit of a messy division, with all the women on the RAW brand trying to fight their way up the food chain. Last week, a lot of us were left extremely underwhelmed with the women being given only 6 minutes across the 3 hour show. So, how would the WWE try to pick things up – particularly when the women on SmackDown are stealing the show? Let’s find out in the RAW Redux!

Before the broadcast, it is announced online by Mike Rome that the number 1 contendership for the RAW Women’s Championship will be decided by a gauntlet match! Now, they keep referring to it as the first women’s gauntlet match, but I have a very soft spot for the New Year’s Revolution bra and panties gauntlet match of 2005 – so no WWE! No trying to erase the past to boost yet another ‘history making’ women’s match!

Dana Brooke, Mickie James, Nia Jax, Bayley, Emma and Sasha Banks will all compete in a traditional gauntlet match, with the winner being awarded a title shot against the Champion, Alexa Bliss, at the Great Balls of Fire event in 2 weeks!

Throughout the show, the women are shown drawing their match entrant number from a tombola.

Before the match, Alexa Bliss tries to catch her ally Nia Jax. She mentions how they both share similar experiences of looking different and being judged. Alexa continues to praise Nia, saying that ‘not a single woman in that match can drag [her] down’ and she wishes her luck. Although, Ms. Jax isn’t so receptive… she says that she doesn’t need her luck and she will be seeing Alexa and her Championship at Great Balls of Fire.

Onto our maaaiinnnnn event and our first entrant is our super underdog, Bayley! It’s a tough draw and it’s made even tougher when the second entrant is the most powerful woman on the roster, Nia Jax.

Bayley is straight on the offence to start the match, but it immediately halted when Nia drops her onto the top turnbuckle. The commentators mention Nia’s improved confidence in the ring making her that much more dangerous. After working over Bayley’s midsection, things almost take a turn, when Bayley hits a kick onto Nia who is drapsed along the ropes. She follows it up with an elbow drop to the back of Nia’s head, but can only secure a 2 count. Bayley keeps trying to keep Nia grounded and tries to buy enough time to hit another signature elbow drop, but it’s not enough time as Nia knocks her off the top rope. She picks up Bayley and finishes her off with a Samoan Drop for the first pinfall. Our recent former Champ loses another chance to win back her title as she heads to the back.

Meanwhile, the music of our veteran, Mickie James hits the sound system as she’s the third entrant in the gauntlet and the show heads to a commercial break.

Upon return from the break, as expected, Nia is making easy work over Mickie James. She traps her in a bear hug, which seems to suck most of the life out of her usually plucky competitor. Mickie tries several times to break out, but she still can’t ground the much bigger opponent… until she manages to hit her Mickie Thesz Press from the top rope! It’s only a 2 count, but she goes for her classic Mick Kick… but Nia still doesn’t go down! Mickie tries to go for one more move, her Mickie-T, but Nia throws her off and mows her down like a truck on a highway to eliminate her second opponent.

Out next is probably the real underdog in this entire match, Dana Brooke!

Despite seeing two more experienced competitors go out, Dana still enters the ring confidently. She tries to go toe to toe immediately with Nia, but gets thrown into the corner. She dodges an attack from Nia and tries to go for a springboard elbow, but get swatted out the sky by Nia in beautiful fashion and ends up flat on her face! Nia makes quick work of Dana, by hitting a huge running leg drop that finally ignites the crowd’s interest and gives Nia her third pinfall victory!

Our 5th entrant is our recently returning Emma!

She makes a slightly slower and more show-boaty entrance to the ring. Nia doesn’t even give her time to enter the ring, but Emma is able to trap her off the ropes. Emma hits two running dropkicks and scores a 2 count. She heads up to the top rope to seemingly finish off Nia, but she gets caught and is flipped into a deadly Samoan Drop to have her crash out the match. Nia now has one more woman left to go to get her shot at the RAW Women’s Championship.

Sasha Banks makes her way down to the ring and is the last obstacle in Nia’s way!

In a similar style to Bayley, Sasha goes right for Nia. They’ve wrestled each other several times over the year and you can see Sasha trying to take advantage of her more tired opponent. Sasha tries to hit a suicide dive to the outside, but gets caught by Nia! Nia tries to position Sasha into another Samoan Drop, but she wriggles her way out and shoves Nia into the turnbuckle! She hits a running double knees to the floor Nia as we head to another break.

When we come back, once again the tables are turned in Nia’s favour. We see a quick ident which shows that ploughing down Sasha against the ropes is what caused that turn. Now, the story towards the end of the match is interesting as Nia’s tactic is to keep dumping Sasha out the ring to score a count out victory. Each time Sasha tries to gain some steam, Nia runs into her like a brick wall and dumps her out the ring. It’s a unique tactic, which gives Nia time to recuperate on the outside and we see Nia inflicting punishment throughout.

Each time Sasha manages to get back into the ring, Nia gets more and more infuriated. After the 3rd or 4th attempt, Nia starts to change the plan and try finish off Nia in the ring. Nia tries to go for a leg drop, which allows Sasha time to roll out and hit a sick running knee. While they both try to get up, Sasha tries to go for a standing Banks Statement! It’s not all the way lock in and Nia is able to hit Sasha with another Samoan Drop!

Sasha is able to roll to the apron to avoid being completely put away! Nia tries to hoist Sasha one more time, but Sasha counters it onto a Banks Statement! Nia gets Sasha in an electric chair position, but Sasha is able to weasel her way back into a final Banks Statement that locks Nia’s arms away! The exhausted monster of the division falls to her knees and is eventually forced to tap out!

Sasha Banks is headed to Great Balls of Fire as the Number 1 contender for the RAW Women’s Championship! RAW General Manager Kurt Angle comes out to raise her hand in victory! However, out comes the RAW Women’s Champion, Alexa Bliss! She makes her way to the ring and raises her Championship belt in Sasha’s face, only to get dropkicked out the ring! Sasha raises the title above her head as Kurt tries to separate them – could this be a sign of the future! The dust has settled and The Boss is set to take on The Goddess!

Thoughts: So the WWE tried to give us something different, they tried to give us something ground-breaking, they gave the women the main event slot… and it just didn’t really do much for anyone involved. Overall, it further proved the divide within the division that has been the problem since the draft.

Emma, Dana and Mickie all looked like chumps there, sure you can say it helped to put Nia over… but it made all three of them – who are all plucky fresh faces that needed a good showing – look like a complete joke. Carmella is arguably the weakest wrestler on the roster and yet even she has never looked as weak as those three did on SmackDown. I mean sure, I completely understand that in gauntlet matches, there are always quick eliminations and it set out a really nice psychology for Nia’s journey through the match…

However, as noticed from the crowd reaction – Nia’s work in the ring is boring. The only time the crowd really got on their feet was for the big spots. To be fair, this isn’t a problem when Nia was in that match for 30 minutes! I definitely can’t fault her there, but seeing the same rinse and repeat combinations of running avalanches, hair biels and Samoan Drops was a crowd killer. It was only made worse when the match was slowed all the way down towards the end. Sure, most fans can appreciate the slow storytelling… but after seeing Nia use her ‘running into people’ move over 10 times in this match alone, showed that this wasn’t going to get us on the edge of our seats.

Finally, I guess I need to address the outcome. This match had so much potential… but they’ve given it to the woman who probably needs it the least. Mickie, Dana and Emma are dying for direction, Bayley’s character could have used the victory, Nia would have looked like an absolute monster… but nope, they’ve gone for the completely safe option with Sasha. As I say each week, I do love Sasha, but this was hardly the best way to put someone over and entire division of woman who need work. The RAW booking continues leaving me with a lot left to be desired, here’s to SmackDown and hopefully an another amazing Money In The Bank match – now that’s what you call groundbreaking.

Do you think Sasha should have won? Did you enjoy the gauntlet match? What did you think of the quick eliminations? Comment below and please keep it sensible you guys!

The post RAW Redux (June 26th, 2017): Through the Gauntlet & to the Fire! appeared first on Diva Dirt.

Your Two Cents is our interactive feature where we ask for the opinions of our Twitter, Instagram and Facebook followers.

This week, we’re asking this: Impact Wrestling is celebrating their 15th anniversary this week, so we want to know: what has been your favorite moment from Impact so far? We’ve read your responses on our social media pages and picked some of the best submissions to highlight here on the website. As always, you can join the debate by leaving your comments!

• Alejandro Gamboa: Tara vs Mickie James in a Steel Cage Match
• @BrieDivasChamp: Everything BP’s have done – Maria Kanellis – The Knockout Division itself.
• ??????? ????????????: Gail Kim became inaugural Champion and her feud with Awesome Kong and Taryn Terrell and of course the Hall of Fame ceremony in 2016.
• @GreatScottTx: Gail v Kong. It got people to take women’s wrestling seriously. Gail feud with Taryn was great too.
• @hishamdrain: When Maria Kannelis debuted
• @ItsCAViT: When Tara & Mickie James got into a huge brawl backstage along with the entire Knockouts Roster.
• @K2megafan14: The Beautiful People makeovers and all the trash talk with ODB.
• Matthew Brown: The Gail Kim/Awesome Kong feud back in 2007-2008. That was one of the greatest rivalries in he history of Women’s Wrestling!
• @reeceecup: When Rosemary won the KO Title and the last KO standing match between Mia Yim and Rosemary.
• @SummerAlexaRyse: Taryn and Gail rivalry, Madison Rayne and the legend Karen Jarrett.
• Tom Fox: The original Beautiful People between late 2007-2009.
• @TrampCorpse: Gail Kim Vs Taryn Terrell Last Knockout Standing match!

And now we turn it over to you…

Give us your two cents! What are some of your favorite Impact Wrestling moments within the last fifteen years?

The post 15 years of Impact Wrestling appeared first on Diva Dirt.

Tonight’s SmackDown is all about the women’s division as five competitors will compete in the second ever Money in the Bank Ladder Match following the controversy at MITB last week.

WWE‘s preview for tonight is as follows:

“The women of SmackDown LIVE will get another opportunity to make history tonight in the second-ever Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match.

The first match at WWE Money in the Bank was supposed to be a historic occasion, though it was arguably tarnished when James Ellsworth knocked Becky Lynch off a ladder, then climbed it himself. He retrieved the briefcase and tossed it down to a waiting Carmella. The Princess of Staten Island and Ellsworth gloated on SmackDown LIVE, flaunting in the faces of the WWE Universe that they had done nothing wrong by the letter of the law in the WWE Rulebook.

However, Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, Natalya and Tamina saw things differently, and the four women urged SmackDown LIVE General Manager Daniel Bryan to “do the right thing.”

After considering all options, Bryan revealed that all five women would compete in another Ladder Match for the guaranteed title opportunity. Bryan took the briefcase from an astonished Carmella and announced on WWE Talking Smack that Ellsworth will be banned from ringside.

With Ellsworth’s meddling out of the equation, will Carmella be able to retrieve the coveted contract again, or will one of the other four Superstars be calling themselves Ms. Money in the Bank? Find out tonight on SmackDown LIVE at 8/7 C on USA Network!”

Additionally, Naomi will defend her title once again against Lana.

WWE has this to say about the rematch:

“Lana will get another opportunity to challenge for the SmackDown Women’s Title tonight in a clash with Naomi.

The Ravishing Russian certainly impressed the WWE Universe in her battle with Naomi at WWE Money in the Bank, but she was distracted when Carmella and James Ellsworth arrived on the scene, as The Princess of Staten Island teased that she might cash in her Money in the Bank contract. The disruption gave Naomi an opening to trap Lana in a submission hold to retain her title.

Following a backstage confrontation on the June 20 edition of SmackDown LIVE, Naomi agreed to once again defend her title against The Ravishing Russian the following week on the blue brand.

Will Lana prove she can hang with SmackDown LIVE’s best and make the most of her title opportunity, or will Naomi make The Ravishing Russian feel the glow? Find out tonight on SmackDown LIVE at 8/7 C on USA Network!”

Tune in to SmackDown tonight at 8pm ET on USA Network.

Discuss the shows in the comments below!

The post SmackDown Discussion Post: June 27th, 2017 appeared first on Diva Dirt.

Last week, Lana demanded a rematch against champion Naomi for her title. The champ, whom is never one to back down from a challenge, schedule the bout for tonight.

In the singles contest, Naomi defeated Lana via a split-legged moonsault and thus retained the SmackDown Women’s championship.

Before the match began, Lana attacked Naomi from behind and inserted her spinebuster once the bell rang. However, Naomi kicked out of the pin and the match quickly came to a close.

The initial match took place at the Money In The Bank pay-per-view. Here, Carmella, the owner of the Money In The Bank, skipped down to ringside during the bout. Although she didn’t attack anyone or cash in, Lana was distracted. This soon lead to a submission that caused the Ravishing Russian to tap out. And because of this, the newcomer demanded a fairer rematch for the title. Naomi quickly accepted the challenge and was anything but afraid of the challenge.

What did you think of the match? Did the right woman win? Let us know your views in the comments below!

The post SmackDown Live Results: Naomi retains the SmackDown Women’s championship appeared first on Diva Dirt.