On this day in history:

July 24th, 2013 | Both Emma and Paige had the opportunity to make history when they squared off in the finals of the NXT Women’s Title tournament. The women fought tooth and nail, raising the bar for NXT matches in their dual quest to become the first NXT Women’s Champion. In the end, it was Paige (and a Paige Turner) that would claim victory. An emotional Paige was awarded the title, her fellow Superstars and Triple H joining her in the ring to celebrate the historic moment.

What are your memories of this moment?

Also occurring today in history:
* 7/24/87 – Sensational Sherri defeats The Fabulous Moolah to win the Women’s Title.
* 7/24/05 – Melina defeats Torrie Wilson in a Bra & Panties match with Candice Michelle as guest referee at Great American Bash 2005.

The post Today in History: Paige becomes the first NXT Women’s Champion appeared first on Diva Dirt.

The next page for the SmackDown Women’s championship takes place here. A new number one contender will be crowned, and it’ll be interesting to see where it goes. Could the Queen reclaim the opportunity? Could it be the Lass Kicker? Or may be the Ravishing Russian will come out on top? The Queen of Black Harts could climb to the top? Or could the daughter of the Superfly carry on her reign of dominance?

On the Kickoff show, the two-time undisputed Miss Money In The Bank Carmella (as she makes very clear) shows up. Renee Young asks ‘Mella how she feels about not having a match at SummerSlam. The contract holder is quick to correct Young, stating that she could very easily even be the champion at SummerSlam. True that.

She also says that regardless of people crediting James Ellsworth for her win, and the intense match coming up, she isn’t bothered by any of it. She’s beaten the women in the match two times so is pretty confident that she can do it again – whenever she wants.

After being asked about overcoming being the last draft pick, Carmella looks at her briefcase and prepares her answer. She states that she went from being “Miss Irrelevant” to “Miss Money In The Bank” – she definitely has a way with words.

On the topic of her fellow competitors, Carmella says that she is rooting for Natalya to win because of their former alliance within the Welcoming Committee. She also says that she doesn’t care that fans are calling Charlotte Flair “the Queen” of the blue brand as “queens are old” and princesses are young and pretty!

WWE.com caught up with Lana before the night’s events, and it appears that the Ravishing Russian is feeling very ravishing – go figure. Lana states that Philadelphia needs somebody “ravishing” to look up to – and somebody as “ravishing” as her. So of course, they need her as a role model. She goes on to say that despite everyone trying to bring her down, she will go on to face Naomi at what she dubs “RavishingSlam”, to then become the very first “ravishing” Women’s champion. Strong words… fourth time lucky? Well, let’s see what happens!

SmackDown Women’s champion Naomi is on commentary for the match, and gives her two cents as each woman makes their way to the ring. Commentary make it a point to highlight how this is Natalya’s 38th pay-per-view match. Interesting.

The match starts off with a bang as Charlotte goes after Lana, and the rest is pretty much a brawl. We see the beginning of the match continue to be quite rapid as Becky Lynch is tossed to the outside and Lana knocks down Natalya. Tamina and the Ravishing Russian then go back into the ring and are met with the Queen… This is where things (are supposed to) get interesting. Lana and Tamina corner Miss Flair, knocking her down and making her scream in pain. After a little too long of taking her down, Becky comes to the rescue, leading to a Bexploder onto Lana – with Charlotte doing it to Tamina.

The tea-time besties then compete for a little while until Natalya gets involved. Pretty soon we see the Queen of Black Harts hold the Queen in a Sharpshooter. Unfortunately, Lana makes the rookie mistake of knocking Natalya down, meaning Charlotte is still in the match.

Becky manages to get Lana in a submission, but Tamina knocks her down. The same then happens, and Tamina knocks her down again. Tamina then finds herself in the Dis-Arm-Her, and despite Lana being nearby, she doesn’t help out her friend, and leaves her to tap out. Lana then receives the same result moments after, meaning that the duo are both eliminated. Quickly after, we see Natalya roll up the Lass Kicker with a hold of the tights, eliminating her.

And then there were two. The Queen of Black Harts versus the Queen…

Charlotte and Natalya have a heated few moments, one involving a powerbomb by Flair and an arm bar by Neidhart. After a Moonsault reversal, leading Charlotte to be hurt, Natalya slams her opponent’s head into the corner and quickly pins her, giving the Queen of Black Harts the victory!

After her victory, Natalya is greeted by a clapping Naomi. The champ offers her hand, but Neidhart refuses to accept it, and walks away… Enough said. Let the games begin!

An emotional Charlotte is found in a Fallout clip where she discusses the match. Despite being upset about the loss she compliments Natalya for being a strong competitor, and that this defeat gives her the chance to “rebuild and come back stronger.” She also insists that she wants the title so badly that she is willing to take on both Naomi and Natalya at SummerSlam for the title.

On Talking Smack, the number one contender took to the panel, expressing how it “felt good to end tea-time” as everyone was so focused on her opponents Charlotte and Becky. Jerry “The King” Lawler brings up the fact that Carmella chose Natalya as her winner, but Neidhart isn’t buying it. The Queen of Black Harts insists that Carmella is trying to keep her enemies close – could this be hinting at a potential cash-in?

Despite this, Natalya is feeling confident about her win. She always knew that she was the best, but after this win she’s proven it to us all. Neidhart cites how she defeated the multiple time champion Charlotte, the first SmackDown Women’s champion and draft pick Becky, the dominant Tamina and Lana. And, much like Lana, Naomi isn’t in her league – according to Natalya that is.

Later on in the night, Maria Kanellis escorts her husband Mike Kanellis to his match against Sami Zayn. Despite pulling Mike out of the way, and even getting in the ring at one point to avoid Zayn’s Exploder Suplex into the turnbuckle, Mike is pinned for the first time in his short time at WWE. I guess the power of love wasn’t enough to overcome the Underdog from the Underground…

Thoughts: It’s 2017 and Natalya Neidhart is getting a one on one opportunity for the Women’s championship at SummerSlam – and it’s against Naomi. I’d ask to be pinched but I’m afraid it’s already too good to be true.

This is a long-time coming for Natalya, and it’s something that will most definitely be interesting to watch. But let’s discuss the match first.

The Fatal-Five-Way Elimination contest could have been better. It had good spots and allowed all of the women to shine, but it also had some bad parts.

We started off with a pretty rapid brawl. Charlotte went straight for the woman she despised the most, and everything erupted from there. The moves were fierce, the speed was good, the beginning was decent. But then we got to the point where Tamina and Lana were dominating Miss Flair.

Snuka is a great talent, as is Charlotte. The two did a very good job. But although she was clearly putting in a lot of effort, Lana failed to impress here with her moves. The Ravishing Russian has a great lock on her character, and she exemplifies it here. She constantly screams in anger, she yells in her opponents faces and she boasts to the crowd. It’s lovely. But her wrestling work has a lot of improvements.

I don’t blame Lana for this match being bad. I mean, I kind of do, but it’s the fault of whomever booked this. Why did they expect a talent as green as Lana to be able to carry a good portion of the contest? This was a very poignant moment, but it felt slow and far too extended. At this point, we could’ve seen a decent bout between Flair and Snuka, with Lana on the sidelines cheering her ally on. This could’ve been a perfect opportunity to highlight yet again how underrated Tamina is by allowing her to have a decent battle with Charlotte. But instead, Lana was made to do things that she isn’t capable to do, and ended up making the match feel slow and look like a botch-fest.

The eliminations for this match are pretty interesting. At first glance, Tamina being eliminated first is frustrating. She’s tough-looking and has been dominating the division for a while now – so why would she be the first to leave? Well, if it’s to increase her anger, it’ll definitely work. Tamina was eliminated after saving Lana multiple times, only to be left for dead by her ally. Could this lead to a feud in the future? Is it an actual feud we want? Who knows? But I just hope that after the weeks of build for Tamina that they aren’t just going to let her drop down the rankings so soon. She’s one to watch, and I’m all for it. And on top of that, Tamina did do well with her wrestling. She may need to retire the spear outside of the ring, but everything else she did was great.

It’s great that Becky is now being rebuilt as a challenger to watch. She eliminated two women with her finishing move, so she’s definitely looking tough. And on top of that she also held her own against Charlotte both here and during last week’s SmackDown. The Lass Kicker is also one to watch, and this match did her justice.

The best part of the match however, is when Charlotte and Natalya are left alone. Whenever these two are in the ring with one another, magic happens. They constantly put on great matches and this short moment wasn’t an anomaly. Charlotte’s impressive powerbomb was great, whilst Natalya held her own with her aggressive arm bar and slam to the turnbuckle. This is a feud that SmackDown Live could possibly do better than WWE did with the pre-draft days, and I’d be all for it.

Charlotte is clearly a great addition to SmackDown. She isn’t the overbearing force she once was on RAW, and is instead giving us good matches and putting over other competitors. She’s still looking strong whilst making others look stronger. So I guess she’s kind of doing what Nikki Bella did.

So in the end, Natalya was finally victorious. Battleground seems to be her pay-per-view, doesn’t it? The little moment at the end with Naomi is a good sign of what could be to come. Natalya is refusing to befriend her ex-friend, whilst Naomi wants nothing but great sportsmanship. We can see this a great way to push Natalya as a heel, and to solidify Naomi as the leader of the division. These two have had some great matches in the past, with a bit of a feud going all the way back to 2014. So this should be a classic!

Overall, it was a decent night. Lana was given more than she can chew but did her best. Tamina and Becky had some great moments, Charlotte proved how great of an addition she is to SmackDown, and we’re now getting a much deserved feud between two women that can always be counted on to put on a show.

What are your thoughts on tonight’s antics? What will happen Tuesday night? Let us know your views in the comments below!

The post Battleground in Review: The best there ever will be appeared first on Diva Dirt.

Mark your calendar Total Bella fans; season two of E!’s hit reality show is set to premiere on Wednesday, September 6th at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

The announcement was made by WWE and E!, the network home for Total Bellas and Total Divas which reads as follows:

“Los Angeles, CA –July 24, 2017– E! Entertainment gives viewers an up close and personal look at the lives of WWE® Superstars, The Bella Twins, when ‘Total Bellas’ returns for an emotionally-charged new season Wednesday, September 6 at 9:00pm ET/PT. The eight, one-hour episodes will once again give viewers an exclusive look inside their lives, including their evolving professional careers, romances and family lives as Nikki Bella and John Cena temporarily relocate to Phoenix, AZ to help Brie Bella and Daniel Bryan through their first pregnancy.

Season two of “Total Bellas” kicks-off with Nikki and John’s in-ring return to WWE, while Brie and Daniel are in need of extra support as they enter the final weeks leading up to the arrival of baby Birdie. This season also follows Nikki on her road to WrestleMania® as she prepares for her dream tag-team match alongside John, all while balancing twin sister duties and being there for Brie as she prepares to become a mother. With Daniel back on the road with WWE as the General Manager of SmackDown® Live and John’s career in Hollywood rising, The Bellas’ bond is put to the test, but they grow stronger than ever. The sisters go head-to-head with an exhilarating pregnancy and an emotional road to a long-awaited proposal as they step into the next chapter of their ever-changing lives.”

Watch a sneak peek to season two of Total Bellas below:

The cast for season seven of Total Divas has also been revealed, confirming the previous rumors of Nia Jax, Alexa Bliss and Carmella as newcomers to the show as well as the return of the Bellas Twins, Naomi, Natalya, Lana and Maryse,

Will you be tuning in to Total Bellas? What are you most excited about this season? Thoughts on the new cast members of Total Divas? Let us know in the comments below!

The post Total Bellas season two premiere date revealed, new cast for season seven of Total Divas confirmed appeared first on Diva Dirt.

When she is on Lucha Underground, she is Kobra Moon, the villainous Queen of the Reptiles. When she’s not on LU, she is Thunder Rosa, rising star on the women’s wrestling scene. While both are the same person, it’s no surprise that Thunder Rosa has become the talent to watch no matter where she goes.

As the other half of the Twisted Sisterz tandem with Holidead, they have won several tag team championships along the way, including the Sabotage Wrestling Tag Team Championship.

In an interview conducted by Diva Dirt’s Matthew (with major thanks to Sabotage Wrestling officials), Thunder Rosa discusses her origins as well as the upcoming Sabotage Wrestling event, as well as the origins of the promotion and other topics.

1. Let’s talk about Sabotage, for those who don’t know about it. How did it all got started?

It got started thanks to a great opportunity last year. A couple of us got together and put an amazing show where we had women from many countries in one night in Baldwin Park.

2. You and Holidead, the other half of Twisted Sisterz are becoming a dominant force in the women’s wrestling scene. What is it like to be a part of a tag team?

It is definitely a different ball game. Working with another person means that you have to compromise during your matches. It is fun to have a partner that you can share experiences and fun memories. We have work really hard in the last year to show that we deserve a spot in the main card and that we are ready to take anyone to make this happen!

3. When you’re up against Ray Rosas on August 5th in San Diego, what do you expect to see in that matchup? 

Well you guys should expect to see some hard hitting action. Ray Rosas is not someone to play with. He is very experienced, skilled and talented player that don’t give any breaks to their opponents. I expect a pretty dirty match, Ray doesn’t play with any emotion but with HATE. He has no mercy on his opponents so I’m not expecting to get an easy win. This is going to be by far one of the hardest matches for me to win.

4. What are your thoughts on Sabotage GM Donovan Troi?

Well Donovan Troi though the years has worked to earn a spot in this business. He saw Sabotage as a great opportunity to put himself over and he did. He just does whatever he wants to make our lives difficult.

5. Who do you want to replace Donovan with?

Donovan Troi is irreplaceable. I don’t know, I haven’t seen someone as polarizing as he is as a manager.

6. Fans of Lucha Underground recognize you as Kobra Moon, the leader of the Reptile Tribe. How it’s that going for the stable?

The stable its going great! I’m very hopeful that after season three ends, our tribe will be established as one of the most dominant ones. I’m hopeful that as the story continues, this will be a character that people really love to hate because she is the most evil and powerful in the temple.

7. In closing, do you have any last comments to our Diva Dirt readers?

I want to thank everyone for reading this article, and to Diva Dirt for the platform that they offered us to promote ourselves and out future projects. We are working really hard to make Sabotage something new, fresh and exciting for wrestling fans and for those who are not fans yet.

Also please make sure you continue to follow me on my social media because there are so many more adventures to come!

• Follow Thunder Rosa on Twitter: @thunderrosa22
• Like Thunder Rosa’s Facebook Page: Facebook.com/thunder.rosa
  
• Follow Thunder Rosa on Instagram: @thunderrosaa22

The post Learn More About Lucha Underground Star Thunder Rosa appeared first on Diva Dirt.

Tonight on Monday Night Raw, Bayley and Sasha Banks square off to determine who will challenge the Raw Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss at SummerSlam.

Bayley and Sasha both spoke to WWE.com ahead of tonight’s number one contender match:

Read WWE.com‘s preview to tonight’s match below:

“Bayley and Sasha Banks have each gotten the better of Alexa Bliss lately, both overtly and on a technicality. Therefore, Raw General Manager Kurt Angle has decreed that the two best friends will battle it out for the right to challenge Bliss for the Raw Women’s Championship at SummerSlam. Monday’s matchup puts The Boss and The Huggable One on a familiar collision course, with the Women’s division’s top prize at stake. With Bayley on the rebound and The Boss holding strong, which Horsewoman will ride into Brooklyn for a date with Little Miss Bliss?”

Discuss the show in the comments!

The post Raw Discussion Post: July 24th, 2017 appeared first on Diva Dirt.

Tonight on Monday Night Raw, Bayley became the new number one contender to Alexa Bliss’ Raw Women’s Title.

.@itsBayleyWWE and @SashaBanksWWE put their friendship aside as they vie for an opportunity to face @AlexaBliss_WWE at #SummerSlam! #RAW pic.twitter.com/ZScckDLj31

— WWE (@WWE) July 25, 2017

WHAT A MATCH! @itsBayleyWWE pins @SashaBanksWWE to go onto face @AlexaBliss_WWE for the #RAW #WomensChampionship at #SummerSlam! pic.twitter.com/8vc7BlZvvx

— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) July 25, 2017

Bayley earned the title opportunity by defeating Sasha Banks in competitive match-up that ended with Bayley reversing a top rope Frog Splash from Sasha at the two count with a pin cover of her own.

See you at #SummerSlam, @itsBayleyWWE… #RAW @AlexaBliss_WWE pic.twitter.com/ygrEDUaQIT

— WWE (@WWE) July 25, 2017

Post match, Alexa Bliss came to the ring for a stare down with her new challenger.

As seen on last night’s Battleground, the SmackDown Women’s Champion Naomi will defend her title against Natalya.

WWE’s SummerSlam takes place Sunday August 20th on the WWE Network.

Are you excited for this match?

The post Bayley wins number one conterndership to Raw Women’s Title at SummerSlam appeared first on Diva Dirt.

On this day in history:

July 25th, 2016 | Sasha Banks was on a mission to dethrone Charlotte Flair’s 300 plus day reign as champion. In match up against Charlotte with the Raw Women’s Title on the line, Sasha got the chance to do so after managing to send Charlotte’s protégé Dana Brooke (who would tried to get involved in the match) to the back. Sasha then turned her focus on the champion – where she wore Charlotte down with her signature knee drops and going as far as landing a suicide dive to the outside ring. For her part, Charlotte hit a moonsault to Sasha, dazzling the crowd. But in an emotional finish of Charlotte declaring that Sasha “will never beat her” Sasha countered a strike to lock in a Bank Statement in the middle of the ring, giving Charlotte no choice but to tap out and giving The Boss her first Raw Women’s Championship.

What are your memories of this moment?

The post Today in History: Sasha Banks wins her first Raw Women’s Title appeared first on Diva Dirt.

By Dan Murphy and Matthew Hollie

Princesa Sugehit 

5’1’’, 121, Monterrey, Mexico

2016 PWI Female 50 Ranking: n/a

Previous wrestling identity: Princess Sugey

Bio: Lucha libre star is the “grizzled vet” of the field, having made her pro wrestling debut in 1996. A lucha fan since childhood, she trained under Bello Kalifa, Carnicero Aguilar, and Centurion Negro. Known for her signature butterfly-styled mask, Sugehit has competed all over Mexico, including AAA, CMLL (where she held the REINA International title and currently holds the National women’s title), and Lucha Libre Feminil where she held the extreme, juvenil, and tag team titles. In 2004, she won the first ChickFight tournament, scoring wins over Candice LeRae, Nikki Roxx, and Cheerleader Melissa.

Style: Primarily a mat-based technician with a strong repertoire of submission locks and lightning quick cradles and roll-ups at her disposal.

What to Watch For: Chain-wrestling and quick roll-ups that will likely keep most off the competition back-pedaling. The Michinoku Driver and the hurricanrana are two of her go-to finishers.

Biggest Strength: Superior counter-wrestler. An opponent might be able to apply a hold to Sugehit, but good luck holding on to it. She knows escapes and counters to moves many of the rest of the field have never seen.

Biggest Weakness: Susceptible to early pinfalls. In Mexico, many of Sugehit’s singles matches tend to be best-of-three falls, and she has a habit of losing the first fall only to rally back and win the second two. Perhaps it’s her way of feeling out an opponent. There’s no room for that kind of thinking in a single-elimination tournament, and old habits die hard.

Diva-Dirt Odds of Winning: 10: 1

Summary: Sugehit is an interesting attraction, and a win over her is going to be a feather in the cap for anyone who’s able to put her shoulders to the mat. However, her age (37), style, and look are not currently what’s in vogue in today’s WWE. She would make for a very unlikely victor.

Kay Lee Ray

5‘8’’, 112, Glasgow

2016 PWI Female 50 Ranking: 28

Bio: Long-rumored to be on the short list of potential WWE prospects, the redheaded Scottish lass is a two-time Queen of Southside champion, Scottish women’s champion, and the reigning Insane Championship Wrestling women’s champion. One of SHIMMER’s most popular competitors, she has challenged for both the Heart of SHIMMER title and the tag title (with partner Mia Yim), but has yet to win gold in the U.S. She has had runs in SHINE and STARDOM and participated in TNA’s British Boot Camp in 2014, alongside Nikki Cross.

Style: SLAM! Wrestling one described her as a cross between Sabu and Lita, and we think that’s a pretty apt comparison. A high-flier known for doing “stupid stuff” (her words), Ray makes up for a lack of power with a variety thrilling daredevil dives and high-risk moves.

What to Watch For: Keeps opponents flummoxed with suicide dives and stiff kicks before going to the Gory Bomb for the win. If that doesn’t work, look for Ray to mount the ropes for a swanton. That usually does the trick.

Biggest Strength: High-energy, fearless offensive attacks. A natural babyface, Ray always brings the excitement.

Biggest Weakness: High risks can bring high rewards … but there’s a reason why they’re high-risk. If Ray misses on one of her signature dives or gets caught on the top rope and slammed, that’s likely to be the end of the match. Much like Jeff Hardy, she has shown a propensity to value entertaining the fans more than getting her hand raised when the bill rings.

Diva-Dirt Odds of Winning: 1:15

Summary: Regardless of her success in the MYC, Ray has a tremendous upside. She could bring a new aerial element to the NXT/WWE women’s divisions.

Lacey Evans

5’10”, 130, Parris Island

2016 PWI Female 50 Ranking: n/a

Previous wrestling identity: Macey Estrella, Macey Evans, Ruby Mobs

Bio: A former United States Marine, Lacey Evans has all the tools to be one of the best women’s wrestlers today. She signed with WWE in September 2014.

Style: Lacey has a technical style, more suited for her military pin-up persona.

What to Watch For: Armbar

Biggest Strength: Technically Sound. If five years in the military taught her anything, it has to be efficient on both sides of the battle.

Biggest Weakness: Promo. Needs plenty of work on that one.

Diva-Dirt Odds of Winning: 4:1

Summary: It’s one thing to serve her country, is another to becoming a star in women’s wrestling. I see Lacey as like a Michelle McCool-type athlete who works hard to get to where she is today.

Kavita Devi

5’9″, 139, Haryana

2016 PWI Female 50 Ranking: n/a

Bio: Kavita Devi may be new to this industry, but in the past she was a weightlifting champion in her native homeland of India. A student of former WWE Superstar The Great Khali, Kavita is bound to be a star in the making.

Style: Unknown. She’s an X factor. She’s likely to rely primarily on power, but there isn’t a lot of film to scout on her yet.

What to Watch For: Nothing as of yet.

Biggest Strength: Strength. Hence the fact she was a champion weightlifter.

Biggest Weakness: Inexperienced. She may be green, but she will be able to go with the flow of the match.

Diva-Dirt Odds of Winning: 1:15

Summary: While Davita has the least experience of the field, but she makes up for it with her ability to learn quickly. Look for that to be her advantage. The Mae Young Classic should be a learning experience for her. Any success she experiences along the way is gravy.

The post Mae Young Classic profiles and analysis – Princesa Sugehit, Kay Lee Ray, Lacey Evans, Kavita Devi appeared first on Diva Dirt.

“The Biggest Party of the Summer” is fast approaching and despite weeks of tussling between the women on RAW, two women have managed to get to the front of the line. Both Sasha Banks and Bayley have managed to one-up the RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss over the past few weeks. However, only one woman is going to get that final invite to the Summerslam bash. Let’s see what happens when this best-friend duo are forced to against each other!

Ahead of tonight’s RAW, WWE.com posted videos of both potential #1 contenders. Bayley recalls her fond memories of her main roster debut at this exact date and exact arena at Battleground 2016.

Her opponent Sasha Banks is a lot more confident, she mentions how she’s managed to prove that she’s tougher – referring to her battles with Charlotte, compared to Bayley falling short to a kendo stick. She’s ready to prove everything once again, but she assures us that they will still remain friends following the match.

We’re also treated to a side treat, with Emma interrupting RAW General Manager Kurt Angle to voice why she’s being left out… something she’s done since 2014, but hey it’s being done again! She insinuates that maybe she needs to date Kurt’s son Jason Jordan to start getting some attention. Her intentions are noted by Kurt, but probably not in the best way as her sets her up in a match… with Nia Jax.

The match between Nia and Emma is pretty much a squash. It’s sad to see the woman who helped elevate the entire credibility of the NXT women’s division get treated as a joke. You can’t help but think that this was some form of punishment for her tweet the other week, but I’ll comment more about this in the thoughts section. The take home from this match is seeing Nia do a running front flip senton!

Before the #1 contender showdown, Renee Young catches up with RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss. The ‘Goddess’ of WWE seems quite relaxed knowing that she’s got 2 strong competitors ready to come for her – she seems more into the fact that this friendship that has been a thorn in her side over the last couple of weeks. Maybe this can be the break up she’s finally looking for!

Bayley and Sasha also bump into each other backstage ahead of their match. It’s clear to see the particularly ‘friendly rivalry’ between them both. Although, it is Sasha that seems to be in stating that ‘the best will win’ as she confidently heads to the ring.

The match is a solid bout, with both the faces evening each other throughout and the crowd being torn between them both. The closing scenes of the match see both women trading blows – elbow, forearms, slaps, even running shining wizards. The end comes with Sasha knocking Bayley from the apron, which gives her an opportunity to move to the top rope. She hits Frog Splash as a tribute to her idol Eddie Guerrero and tries to go for the final cover, but gets rolled over onto her back! 1.. 2… 3! Bayley has countered and is going to Summerslam!

While Bayley celebrates, Sasha looks shocked while Alexa makes her way to the ring. She faces off with her future Summerslam opponent and raises the RAW Women’s Championship above her head. The path of Summerslam has begun!

WWE.com caught up with Bayley after her impressive win over Sasha Banks calling it “bittersweet.”

Thoughts: Booking wise, I was quite looking forward to this match actually. We know that Bayley/Banks is an amazing combination that the WWE have held off on for a long time, so it’s definitely not a bad thing to see their names billed against one another on the card. My biggest fear going into it though, was that the crowd would turn on Bayley. These are two extremely popular draws, but Bayley’s crappy booking over the last couple of months have really taken a hit to her popularity. However, I was pretty pleased with how the crowd gave both of them an equal shot!

I was slightly anticipating a triple threat scenario, but I guess that would probably be a better decision because SmackDown has been doing a lot of multi-women action lately. This also makes the picture a bit more tense, while there are 2 main opponents, Sasha and Nia still haven’t been written out the situation and I’m sure they’ll be factors heading towards Summerslam. I think I’m still a bit pressed that Sasha still hasn’t gone heel and the tinges bring me back to her top days of 2015, but at least we know that Bayley VS Sasha is still a button that the WWE have in their back pocket. It was a good fun match and we know that they have amazing chemistry, which I felt was a very feel good match to see.

However, let me not start about how they did Emma… like has she pissed someone off backstage? The way they’ve treated her over the last few years has been dreadful. From the awful Emmalina push to not winning a singles match since her most recent return, it’s almost like they’re punishing her for something. What rubs it in, is how literally everyone else is getting a shot around her – now that’s no discredit to any of the other women being pushed, but if they can… they why does Emma get treated to a 2 minute squash match?

Overall, the two-tier division gap continues to be the biggest problem and it was portrayed this week! Once again, Emma draws the short straw, while all the other women move forward. Next week Mickie? Dana the week after? How many times can we see the same combination of these 4 women. Also, where the hell has Alicia Fox gone?!

Are you happy that Bayley is going to Summerslam? What do you think about Emma getting squashed? Hit me up in that comment section!

The post RAW Redux (July 24th, 2017): Hugs at the Biggest Party of the Summer appeared first on Diva Dirt.

What will happen during tonight’s SmackDown Battleground fallout show after Natalya became the new number one contender to Naomi’s Women’s Title.

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

Discuss the show in the comments!

The post SmackDown Discussion Post: July 25th, 2017 appeared first on Diva Dirt.

The countdown to the premiere of WWE’s Mae Young Classic Tournament is on!

As we approach the August 28th air date, WWE.com spoke with NXT Assistant Head Coach Sara Amato, praised for her backstage contributions and the development of WWE Women’s division, to discuss the significance behind historic the event, participants she looks most forward seeing compete in it and more. Highlights of the interview below.

Significance behind the Mae Young Classic: “It’s huge. The women of WWE are breaking barriers monthly, it seems. I just think about when I was an active wrestler. There was an independent promoter, Dave Prazak of SHIMMER, that believed in women and put us all together and gave us our own events. That was so significant for me and my own development, to be around all these strong, competitive women who pushed each other. I’m blessed right now to have that at the WWE Performance Center with my group of ladies. It’s just so significant to bring them all here and put them on a platform like this, and for WWE and WWE Network to trust them to carry their own tournament TV show is huge.”

Why the tournament will be a must-see show: “It’s difficult to explain. I think a lot of people are going to surprise you. I have girls at the PC who went through the tryout process and who come from all different backgrounds. What WWE has done now is really highlighted women as athletes, so we’re drawing much stronger, more competitive women, whereas before there was a stronger focus on sex appeal, right? Speaking from my experience coaching at the PC, you have these super high-level athletes, and now they’re going to be in the ring with other women who have tremendous experience, like the girls who’ve wrestled in Japan, or Princesa Sugehit from Mexico, or Mercedes Martinez. It’s hard to put into words, but I think it’s going to be very compelling.”

Competitors she looks most forward seeing participate: “Well, I have a very special place in my heart for Mercedes Martinez because she was my first rival in SHIMMER, and I’m just so fond of her and her work. She’s been doing this for so long, and so she’s come a long way to be in this environment. I know from training with Bianca Belair and Lacey Evans that they’re going to surprise a few people, too. They’re probably my top three picks that I’m pulling for and watching for. I’m also curious to see Piper Niven. She just has great conditioning and is unique. She moves well and is very unpredictable, very agile for her size and strength.”

The importance of an all-women’s platform: “It’s so empowering and motivating for young girls to have these strong women to look up to, to know that anything’s possible and that you can shoot for the moon. That’s one of the things that I love so much about Bayley, for example. It’s so important for the little girl watching at home to see that sort of thing.”

You can read the Sara’s full interview here.

What did you think of the interview? Who are you looking most forward to compete in the Mae Young Classic? Let us know in the comments below!

The post Sara Amato weighs in on the Mae Young Classic appeared first on Diva Dirt.

On this day in history:

July 26th, 2009 | At Night of Champions 2009, both of the female belts were put on the line. Mickie James sought to end Maryse‘s then-record 216-day Divas Championship reign, while Michelle McCool put the Women’s Title on the line against Melina. Mickie would win her match by reversing the French Kiss into a DDT of her own, becoming the Divas Champion for the first and only time. Michelle retained her title by folding up Melina for a sudden pin, bringing a quick end to an extremely hard fought match.

What are your memories of these moments?

Also occurring today in history:
* 7/26/98 – Sable defeats Jacqueline in a bikini contest at Fully Loaded 1998. The decision was reversed the following night on Raw due to the fact that Sable’s attire – hand prints painted on her chest – was not technically a bikini.

The post Today in History: The Divas and Women’s Titles are defended at Night of Champions 2009 appeared first on Diva Dirt.

We have a number one contender, tea-time besties and impending rivals – all of which is courtesy of Battleground! The fallout from the pay-per-view gave us some interesting feuds to look forward to, so let’s see what the blue brand has in store for us!

Backstage, Dasha Fuentes catches up with the Women’s champion Naomi to discuss her encounter with Natalya at Battleground. And speak of the Devil and She shall rise… The Queen of Black Harts tells “Dash” to leave the two alone so they can have a war of words. The number one contender tells the champ that she has “tarnished everything that a WWE championship stands for” and goes on to emphasize how Naomi has turned the Women’s title into a “kid’s toy”. She states that the champ has “no respect for legends like the Hart Family” – the kind that “paved the way” for her. So, at SummerSlam, the Queen of Harts intends to take the title and “restore honor back to the women’s division.” Tough words from Natalya, but of course, Naomi never backs down.

Miss Glow fires back, stating that Natalya is “so stuck in that dirty dungeon of the past” that she can’t even see that the title she holds – as well as the Women’s Evolution – is about the future. Naomi confirms that she didn’t “tarnish” the title, she “earned” it, and even added a little piece of herself to it. And to end of the conversation, the champ insists that Natalya keeps “throwing [her] shade,” because regardless, at SummerSlam she shall be “blinded by the glow.” Oh it’s on.

Once Natalya leaves however, Miss Money In The Bank Carmella knocks (on her briefcase) as she enters the room. The Princess of Staten Island – sporting a “Free Ellsworth” t-shirt, tells the champ to not mind her, as herself and the briefcase are simply “looking into the future.” Capiche.

We then have our only match of the night, and it’s a tag team contest as tea-time besties Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair take on Lana and Tamina!

Lana appears to be starting the match off against Becky, but quickly tags out to Tamina. Snuka, looking disappointed in her partner, goes in anyway. Her and Becky have a decent fight, but it seems that Becky takes charge very quickly. Lynch immediately tries to implant the Dis-Arm-Her, the same move that eliminated both of her opponents two nights ago. Unfortunately she fails and ends up on the receiving end of a beatdown. Lana then makes Tamina tag her in once she realizes that they have the upperhand. The Ravishing Russian takes charge and puts in a few moves, targeting the back of Becky. A decent suplex followed by some holds and taunting follows through. Lana then tags in Tamina, whom inserts her dominance even more.

Eventually Becky manages to tag in her eager partner Charlotte. Flair takes care of business but soon finds herself knocked down by Tamina. Snuka is then blind-sighted by a self-tag by her partner – and this is where things go south, for Tamina and Lana at least.

Charlotte quickly gets to her feet to take down Lana, and manages to knock Tamina onto the outside mat. She then inserts a big-boot onto the Ravishing Russian and pins her: 1-2-3. The tea-time besties get the win!

As the winners vacate the ring, an angry Tamina makes her feelings known to a vulnerable Lana. I guess this pairing isn’t going to last quite as long as we thought.

Here it is, the very first episode of #SmackingTalk exclusively on TOUT ft. @ReneeYoungWWE & @WWEGable. VERY big news breaking on this show! pic.twitter.com/fJiqyThWy9

— Daniel Bryan (@WWEDanielBryan) July 26, 2017

On a typical night we’d have a Talking Smack segment to get through. But fear not, Renee Young and Daniel Bryan brought it back in the form of Smacking Talk! The two discuss how Bryan is the father of more than one Birdie Joe-Danielson. Turns out that Daniel was a very frisky five-year-old, and managed to be the father of Chad Gable. Wonderful!

Thoughts: The direction that WWE has been using for Lana is quite interesting. Initially it appeared as though she was going to replace the role of Eva Marie by being perceived as though she is getting opportunities without working for them, and thus attaining heel heat. But it appears that that may not be the case any more. After being defeated by Charlotte tonight, Lana is embarrassed in the sense that it almost makes you feel sympathetic. She doesn’t look around, humiliated that her haters are being proven right. Instead she tries to hide her shame as she seems disappointed in herself. And with the yelling of Tamina not too far away, the intimidation and embarrassment she feels must be pretty big. Could Lana be on the verge of a babyface push? And could this be a way for Tamina to become a big heel in the division? The Ravishing Russian may openly try to become a better wrestler, and with time we may be able to root for her. Let’s just work around those “you can’t wrestle chants” for now.

I have to admit that I’m kind of disappointed that Tamina didn’t address Lana’s lack of help at Battleground. A quick segment of Snuka pointing out how useless Lana is could have aided this intimidating dynamic between the two – even if the aforementioned babyface push isn’t happening. It would’ve been a nice way for the audience to understand the animosity a bit more, and to add some continuity to the storyline.

On a positive note, it’s great to see Charlotte retain some momentum. I was fearing that SmackDown were going to turn Flair into a bit of a punching bag to elevate new talent again and again. And whilst it did well for the past three showings, it was time for her to regain some momentum. She isn’t “the Queen” just because. She’s got that nickname because she earned it – and this win was very justified.

But where will this lead? Down the line Lynch and Flair will come to a crossfire. I mean, they are both very competitive Superstars going after the same goal – it’s an age old story in WWE. I just hope that when one of them inevitably turns heel that it is Becky that does it. We’ve seen Becky be blind-sighted far too often for her own good. And for someone that is supposed to be seen as one of the best, she should know better by now. So what better way to solidify her strengths by making her take down the Queen? In a few months, this would be a perfect story. And I can’t wait to see it!

The title picture appears to be the more interesting aspect of the division. Natalya and Naomi are wonderful talents and their backstage segment is a great beginning to their tale. Natalya needs to look like a tough heel – but not too tough because her awkwardness is what makes her so entertaining. We don’t need to see Trish Stratus or Victoria levels of heel from her, but we do need to despise her to an extent. And her relationship with Naomi is perfect for that. Natalya is holding on to her family’s legacy whilst Naomi is busy building her own. It’s a great way to combine a jealous, delusional heel with a kickass, inspiring face.

And speaking of kickass, inspiring faces, Naomi exemplified that and more in her promo tonight. Her championship belt design has been receiving critics from the WWE Universe – as Natalya made clear with her “toy” comment. And I can’t help but appreciate SmackDown giving the champ the platform to set them straight. Naomi is everything a role model should be, and then some. She overcame adversity, she pushed past some challenging opponents, and she did it all on her own. Adding her own glow to the belt is the perfect way to embody that. Go Naomi!

This week wasn’t a super thrilling one for the women as it appears the WWE and US titles were the main focus. But it still did a great job for the Women’s championship by establishing the roles the women will play. Let’s just see where it leads from here.

How do you feel about tonight’s events? Do you see a babyface push for Lana? What’s your opinion on the Women’s title picture? Let us know your views in the comments below!

The post SmackDown Redux (July 25th, 2017): A Ravishing fall appeared first on Diva Dirt.

Welsh wrestling star Nixon Newell has been wrestling since 2013 and is ready to kickoff her WWE career after signing with NXT earlier this year.

Although it was initially reported that Nixon would partake in WWE’s Mae Young Classic tournament, a torn ACL injury would force her to withdraw from the event.

A new mini documentary by The Tag Rope titled ‘First Female of Fight Club’ tells Nixon’s story of how she first got in to the wrestling business, her time with Fight Club: Pro and her goodbye to independent wrestling. The piece also features interviews with some of Nixon’s peers including Candice LeRae, Kay Lee Ray (whom Nixon refers to as mentors) and Session Moth Martina.

Read The Tag Rope’s press release on the feature and watch it below:

“It was announced today that The Tag Rope have officially released ‘First Female of Fight Club’, a 25-minute documentary chronicling one of the final weekends in independent wrestling for Welsh-born professional wrestler, Nixon Newell. The piece hits upon some key themes that have been prevalent throughout Newell’s career, namely intergender wrestling, the struggle of being a female in a male-dominated sport and the importance of family. Speaking within the piece, 22-year-old Newell states: “[Wrestling’s] my life, it’s my love. Without it, I genuinely don’t know what I’d be doing.” Newell would go on to officially sign with World Wrestling Entertainment in March, before reporting to the Performance Centre in June. It was speculated that Newell would compete in the Mae Young Classic tournament, before having to withdraw due to injury weeks before filming. When asked to comment on the signing, Newell says: “It’s scary. It’s very, very scary. But, I’m excited. I’ve done it all off my own back…being offered this incredible opportunity and seeing the world…I’m just ridiculously happy right now.” First Female of Fight Club also features comments from Newell’s contemporaries, namely Candice LeRae, Chris Brookes, Kay Lee Ray, Travis Banks, Session Moth Martina and Will Ospreay.”

What did you think of the documentary? Are you excited to see Nixon Newell in WWE/NXT? How would you book her debut? Let us know in the comments below!

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Tune in to NXT on the WWE Network at 8pm ET.

Discuss the show in the comments!

The post NXT Discussion Post: July 26th, 2017 appeared first on Diva Dirt.

With season seven of E!’s Total Divas coming this fall, one of the show’s newest cast member Carmella spoke with Muscle & Fitness Hers to discuss the upcoming season, her relationship with fellow WWE Superstar Big Cass and more.

On joining Total Divas: “We’re actually always all together on the road, so you know it wouldn’t hurt to just add a camera in front of us. I’m excited because I think this is such an amazing time for the women in the WWE and female wrestlers in general. There’s so much going on in women’s wrestling right now, and I was just excited to kind of show what we do and what we’re all about and I know that Total Divas is about six seasons now and there’s Total Bellas and everything. So I’m excited to kind of share, you know, my story and what I am all about here in the WWE. “

On her relationship with Big Cass: “One of the struggles I’m facing this season is a real-life struggle, with my boyfriend Big Cass, who’s on Raw, and I’m on Smackdown. So, you know, we see each other one day a week if we’re lucky. Sometimes we have to go a few weeks without seeing each other, sometimes we’re traveling on different, separate tours, to different countries. But, I mean, it is what it is, so there’s nothing we can do about it, we make do and we make the most of our time together that we do get. So again that is something that we struggle with, and I’m excited because I think you can kind of get to know us because we’ve been very private with our relationship, a lot of people don’t realize we’ve been together for almost four years. So, I’m excited for people to kind of get to know us and see, you know, what we’re all about.”

Growth as a Superstar since her debut: “Well, I mean I can’t even—during NXT I was just the manager. I managed [Enzo] Amore and Big Cass. And then when they got drafted I kind of had to start all over again and figure out what I’m going to do and how I’m going to be different. And, three months later I was drafted to Smackdown Live, very last draft pick, most irrelevant, if you will. And I think the last year has done nothing but light a flame under me, I just wanted to prove, you know—you can pick me last, that’s fine, but I’m going to show you what a mistake that was because you should’ve been picking me first. Because, I have a lot to offer, so I just felt like I really had to prove myself, and here I am: two-time Ms. Money in the Bank, first contract-holder here in the ladder match. So, I think I’m doing pretty well for myself. [laughs]”

Reaction to Mae Young Classic: “Honestly, it’s, I can’t even explain how lucky I feel and happy I am to be in women’s wrestling at this time. It’s a revolution, again everyone keeps saying the women’s revolution, and to actually have the opportunity to go to the Mae Young Classic and watch the matches, I was so inspired. A couple of the girls that I’d never even met before, I had to go up to them and give them a hug after their match. I was like, “Thank you so much you’ve inspired me to be in women’s wrestling.” I already am, but all I want to do is work that much harder, and these girls are just—you can just see the passion in their eyes and their faces, and how bad they want it; and I mean, it’s such an exciting time, it just makes you, you can never get complacent. You always have to work hard, because you never know. Everyone’s vying for a spot and a position just to get here, and I’m going to do whatever I can to stay here and, you know, continue to make history.”

You can read Carmella’s full interview here.

Are you looking forward to seeing Carmella’s appearance on Total Divas? What are you most excited about next season? Let us know in the comments below!

The post Carmella discusses joining upcoming season of Total Divas appeared first on Diva Dirt.

On this day in history:

July 27th, 2003 | Sable and Stephanie McMahon took their highly personal feud to the next level at Vengeance 2003, wrestling in a No Countout match. This allowed Stephanie to take out her frustrations on her father’s mistress in and out of the ring. Her anger brought her close to victory, but it couldn’t defend her against A-Train, who ambushed the ring, mowed down Stephanie and allowed Sable to steal a win. Stephanie’s vengeance would have to wait.

What are your memories of this moment?

Also occurring today in history:
* 7/27/01 – Bertha Faye passes away at age 40.

The post Today in History: Sable vs. Stephanie McMahon at Vengeance 2003 appeared first on Diva Dirt.

This week our regular NXT reviewer Steph isn’t feeling too well at the moment unfortunately, but don’t fret guys! It’s your RAW Reduxer Alex stepping into her spot this week to step into her wonderful shoes with this week’s NXT Redux! The road to Takeover: Brooklyn is being paved and it seems clear that one woman is ready for another shot at the gold – let’s find out what happened on this week’s NXT Redux!

Blazing her path to the top of the division is Ember Moon and this week she’s set to take on a tough challenger in former TNA Knockout, Lei’D Tapa.

Standing several inches taller, it’s clear to see that Moon’s game plan has to change to try and defeat her bigger and more powerful opponent. The start of the match sees Tapa taking most of the control due to her power advantage. The tide of the match changes when Ember manages to hit a suplex on the larger Tapa. Ember then aims for Tapa’s legs with several kicks to try and ground her. The end of the match comes when Moon can finally get Tapa down. She climbs to the top rope and the target is there for her to hit her Eclipse for the victory!

Post-match, Ember takes to the mic to officially lay down the challenge to NXT Women’s Champion Asuka. She tells her that she’s all the competition that she needs. Ember wants to face off with the Champion at Takeover: Brooklyn III and warns that she’s ready to defeat the undefeated… but is Asuka going to accept the challenge?

IT'S OFFICIAL: As per @RealKingRegal, @WWEEmberMoon will challenge @WWEAsuka for the #WWENXT #WomensTitle at #NXTTakeOver: Brooklyn III! pic.twitter.com/o7aJlRRVGE

— WWE (@WWE) July 27, 2017

NXT General Manager William Regal, later makes the match official – it’s going to be Ember Moon attempting to dethrone the dominant Champion Asuka at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn III.

.@KillianDain & @TheWWEWolfe sent a message to the #AOP but it is @Rezar_WWE & @Akam_WWE who are left standing tall in the ring! #WWENXT pic.twitter.com/eqTJcAk4GY

— WWE (@WWE) July 27, 2017

Elsewhere, Nikki Cross makes an appearance to distract a match between NXT Tag Team Champions The Authors of Pain and two local wrestlers. As the Champions make their way to the ring, Cross cuts them off… while her fellow SANitY members Killian Dain and Alexander Wolfe make quick work of the local wrestlers. The Tag Champs try to make the save and throw SANitY out of the ring, but Cross does her best to save her boys from getting back into the ring. SANitY are clearly not finished with their plans for the Tag Team Champs just yet!

Earlier today, @WWENoWayJose received a WARNING of sorts from @AndradeCienWWE's mysterious friend! #WWENXT pic.twitter.com/KKvOjg4Dgj

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) July 27, 2017

Finally, we’re treated to another small appearance from the former Thea Trinidad, Zelina Vega. She catches No Way Jose in the parking lot and lets him know that by getting involved with their post-match attack on Cezar Bononi, he’s now ‘lit a fire under Andrade Cien Almas, that he can’t dance around’.

Thoughts: The NXT women’s division is like a big juicy burger, with so much potential dripping from all sides, but something with the booking over the last couple of weeks has been so lazy. These writers are working with some of the freshest workers at the moment, but they just seem to be really lazy with their current booking. Takeover: Brooklyn is meant to be their second biggest event, but I kind of feel that this feud between Ember and Asuka has been overlooked a little bit – just like the first time around.

Asuka IS THE top woman of the company. She has a streak like no one else and has been sitting on top of the mountain for ages now. Sure Lei’D Tapa isn’t your conventional opponent and it was a nice sight to see her in a mainstream ring again, but a victory over her does little in the way of making Ember seem like a legitimate threat and the post-match segment still didn’t sell the potential of how big this feud should be.

We’ve done the whole streak VS streak with these two, there needs to be a new layer to this feud. Asuka should have been out there taunting Ember or she should have been out there with a more well-known talent, trying to make Ember lose. Or, if Asuka wasn’t available, then Ember should have done something drastic to get the win… as I mentioned, sure Ms. Tapa is tall, but she’s still not a character for the crowd or viewers at home to be invested in, for Moon to become a legitimate threat.

Either way, the battle lines were clearly drawn this week and this is definitely not a bad combination for the match we now have guaratneed. Sure, it would have been nice to see some other women involved, but if the booking of this feud picks up, then Ember Moon VS Asuka II could be the match that places both woman firmly on that map for that main roster promotion.

Did you enjoy the match this week? Are you a fan of Ember going for the title or would you prefer one of the other NXT women to remain in the title hunt? Sound off in the comments below!

The post NXT Redux (July 26th, 2017): Ember sparks the fire for Brooklyn appeared first on Diva Dirt.

For those who don’t know much about wrestling in the golden age, women’s wrestling wasn’t thought of at that time. There were not much women to be involved in the sport. But one woman changed all that, and her name was Mildred Burke. She was one of the pioneers of women’s wrestling who helped build women’s wrestling from the ground up, and for that we have her to thank. A former World Champion and a proud member of the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame, and the WWE Hall of Fame, she has built an incredible legacy and laid the foundation of legendary women’s wrestlers in the process.

She also was a pioneer of intergender matches, where legend has it that she faced over 200 men during her career, but only lost to one of them. Today those kinds of matches are rare, unless it’s El Rey Network’s hit series Lucha Underground. If Mildred Burke was alive today, she would have been amazed at how the sport has come a long way since her heyday.

From her battles with the likes of Mae Young and June Byers to teaching the basics to the likes of The Fabulous Moolah and Bertha Faye, Mildred was one of a kind. Throughout her storied 20 year career, she was force not just in the ring, but also at the Box Office as well. She was on posters, magazines, newspapers, television, you name it. She wrestled in storied sporting arenas like the Dallas Sportatorium and the Cleveland Arena. In her day, she was a popular face in women’s wrestling.

While Mildred Burke has long since passed on in this world, her legacy lives on through the women of the sport. Some women in my opinion have the same qualities of Mildred Burke; Beauty, Toughness, and Excellence. If you look at Trish Stratus during the 2000s, you might know what I am talking about. Trish was the standard of women’s wrestling in WWE, and always the toughest woman there is. A former 7 time Women’s Champion, she defined excellence to the highest degree. She had many great battles in the squared circle, but her rivalry with Lita was historic because of the storylines these two did, and the matches they put on. She’s one of women’s wrestling’s true icons, and is one of the greatest women who stepped for in the ring, like it or not.

Same holds true for Chyna, believe it or not. She was physically imposing, willing to beat someone up whether it’s a man or a woman, and dominating the Women’s wrestling scene in WWE’s Attitude Era, and she was the symbol of girl power in that particular era. In 1999, she beat Jeff Jarrett to win her first of three Intercontinental Championship reigns, and she proved that women do belong in the ring with the men. Chyna was the first woman to hold a singles championship in a promotion, and also held the WWE Women’s Championship as well. Somewhere along the line, Mildred Burke would be proud.

Cheerleader Melissa is another name that comes to mind. Although she is one of the many talented women to never wrestle for WWE, she is a trailblazer in her own right. While Mildred Burke had the looks, skills, charisma, in her time in the ring, Melissa has all of those. Looks, skills, charisma, she’s got it. A SHIMMER original and a two time SHIMMER Champion, she got involved in TNA Wrestling in two different characters, Raisha Saeed and Alissa Flash. After her short TNA run, she went on to make wrestling history by becoming the first woman to win a major championship in a wrestling promotion, winning the River City Wrestling Championship in San Antonio, Texas in 2010. Everyone knows Chyna was the first woman to win the WWE Intercontinental Championship, but no one was able to win a top title in any promotion. Melissa did as did Sexy Star on Lucha Underground just last year.

Nowadays, we see her on Lucha Underground as Mariposa, the evil Moth sister of the Martinez clan along with Marty “The Moth” Martinez. While her nickname throughout her career is “The Future Legend,” but Melissa is a legend and a true pioneer of women’s wrestling in the modern era. She brings a high impact style,  she is in a class all her own. She deserves to be mentioned along with Mildred Burke, and both changed the way women’s wrestling was made.

I also see some of Mildred’s qualities in Taya Valkyrie as well. A two time AAA Reina De Reinas Champion, her first reign was the longest championship’s history, an astonishing 945 days; she has built credibility as a women’s wrestler in this generation. She is also a fixture on Lucha Underground, and she has faced off with some men in the ring. While you may say Taya is the total package, she is still getting started on building her legacy.

What Mildred Burke built in the world of women’s wrestling, others helped building that legacy to the highest degree. While some of the names I mentioned might have qualities of that of Burke, they have solidified their legacies to the highest degree. Some might dispute that, but there is one thing that is not up for debate; Mildred Burke was, and still is in my opinion, one of the greatest women’s wrestlers of all time.

The post The Legacy that Mildred Burke built appeared first on Diva Dirt.

It’s official, Madusa aka Alundra Blayze is joining RISE as the latest addition to our team of facilitators for their World Class Development Seminars. A WWE Hall of Famer and former Women’s Champion, Madusa is joining RISE on multiple dates, beginning with RISE 4 – WARRIORS RISE on September 15 at Epic Studios in Norwich, England, home of WAW/Bellatrix.

As confirmed by RISE, joining Madusa in the same seminar is SHIMMER Champion Mercedes Martinez.

PIPELINE Executive Producer Kevin Harvey said the following;

“I do not have the words to express how much Madusa joining the program means to RISE. Undeniably one of the most influential women in the history of wrestling, having her as a part of Developing Tomorrow’s Women Athletes is incredibly important. This is big, HUGE, and it makes sense for her involvement to begin as we take our first steps as a worldwide brand of talent development this September.”

In addition, Madusa will also be making an appearance at RISE 4 – WARRIORS RISE, so fans will have the chance to meet the Original Paul Heyman Girl. RISE 4 – WARRIORS RISE happens in conjunction with Bellatrix Female Warriors and World Association of Wrestling UK September 15.

Portia Perez will be also facilitating Seminars in the month of August through VOICE, the Online Seminar Program associated with RISE.

To every women wrestlers, do NOT miss this amazing training opportunity with two of women’s wrestling’s top names of their era. This Seminar also gives you direct visibility to the promoters of RISE, SHIMMER, Bellatrix, WAW, BEW and more.

Visit wrestlingpipeline.com for more info.

Follow RISE Wrestling on Twitter @RISEdtwa

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