Tag: WWE

DThe new Naomi

 

 On this past Monday’s Raw that took place from the U.K we saw a shift happen in the divas division and its a good one in my opinion. A battle royal took place to determine the new #1 contender for Nikki Bella’s  divas title. The final two in the match were the hometown girl Paige and the fun loving athletic Naomi.

Paige eventually eliminated Naomi earning her a massive pop from her hometown crowd along with a future title shot. After the match Byron Saxton was interviewing Paige. In the interview Paige got emotional in expressing how much it meant to get a victory in her hometown.

However that celebration was cut short since Naomi decided to attack Paige. Naomi wasn’t letting up at all. She even threw Paige into the barricade a few times. It was a vicious attack and what made it that much more good was the boos of the crowd.

I applaud the WWE for this move. Naomi is arguby the most athleticly gifted diva on the Roster. Some people  know her from her early days in FCW while others know her from season 3 of the completion show NXT.A show where she was runner up to that seasons winner Kaitlyn and not to mention Naomi is the only active diva left that competed in that season.

Over the years Naomi has always been billed as a face, from the silly things she did on NXT like dressing like the hambergur helper  to bring one of Brodus Clays’ funkadactyls, to fueding with Cameron and most recently her association with the Usos and feuding with Natalya.

 A new leaf has turned and you can just tell a fire has been lit inside her. In her backstage interview following the attack on Paige she said she was no longer waiting for opportunity, she was taking it. You couldn’t help but hear real life fustration in that interview and rightfully so.

Now the question remains, what is next for Naomi? Well with the news of Jay Uso recently being injured it’s safe to say the Usos may be taking a back seat which leaves the chance for Naomi to florish as a solo competitor and become a top heel in the company.

It’s obvious that Paige was never the true #1 contender. She’s going to be away filming the WWE film along side the Miz Santa’s little helper. Not to mention WWE has reported that she’s injured.

Wether we’ll see Paige written out of the title picture completely or a triple threat for the title, one thing is certain  Naomi is indeed in the title picture and I couldn’t be any happier about it. It’s been a long time coming and was hinted at happening sooner before she suffered an eye injury earlier last year.

I personally think Naomi would make a great champion. She has the athletisum and personality to win the universe over, but first I think she needs new entrance music and a new finisher.

What do you guys think? Do you like this new side of Naomi? Let us know in the comments.

-Vanessa (@GreatLove91)

The Killa Barbie 

  

On the April 15 edition of NXT we saw the debut of the  #TotalDiva Dana Brooke. In her debut match she took on Blue Pants.

Despite getting “you can’t wrestle” chants form the NXT crowd she dominated the match and picked up the win. I for one was impressed and I saw something special in her from the moment her music hit. With Dana Brooke being  a former fitness competitor I think it’s smart on WWE’s part that they may be using her as a “powerhouse” diva with a sexual side. If they do this she can appeal to tons of fans. Sure the crowd may have not reacted to her well on her first appearance but I feel with more training and matches she’ll win everyone over. It may be to early saying this but I think Dana Brooke is going to be a force to be reckon with and a future champion.

What did you guys think of Dana Brooke? Are you already a fan or do you need more time to decide? I know I’m excited to see what’s next for her

What to stay up to date with Dana Brooke? Then follow her on Twitter @DanaBrookeWWE 

-Vanessa (@GreatLove91

The Miz & Paige Being Written Of TV

The Miz and Paige will start filming for WWE Studios’ Santa’s Little Helper this month, which will be released this Holiday season on Digital HD, Blue-ray and DVD. Both stars will be missing TV while filming the movie.

Paige was written off TV this past Monday after being attacked by Naomi. The Miz is expected to be written of TV this upcoming Monday on RAW with his match against Damien Mizdow with the winner getting the rights to the “Miz” name and likeness.

Source: WrestlingINC.com

 

#ThankYouAJ: A Reflection

Art

The wrestling world lost one of its brightest young stars from in-ring competition when AJ Lee retired. Whether you loved her or not, there is no denying the powerful and lasting impact that AJ made during her time in the WWE, especially for the Divas Division alone. From that spunky fan who waited hours in line to see WrestleMania 20 to the underdog who finished 3rd on the divas season of NXT. From the self proclaimed geek to the manipulative lover and eventual RAW GM, Then finally, a multi-time Divas Champion, redefining what it means to be beautiful and tough as a WWE Diva.

On the August 26th, 2013 edition of Monday Night RAW, AJ Lee dropped a pipe bomb against the cast of Total Divas in a promo that can define her impact in the WWE:

Quotes such as,  “I have done more in one year than all of you have done in your entire collective careers. I have saved your divas division, I have shattered glass ceilings, I have broken down doors…I didn’t get here because I was cute, or because I came from some famous wrestling family, or because I sucked up to the right people. I got here because I am good. I earned this championship. No matter how many red carpets you guys want to walk, in your four-thousand dollar ridiculous heels, you will never be able to lace up my Chuck Taylor’s.”

While heel elements were added to the promo, AJ Lee was able to be in the ending segment of RAW during the summer of 2012 when she was in a love triangle with Daniel Bryan and CM Punk, her eventual real-life husband. That was only the beginning as she soon became the General Manager of Monday Night RAW and won the Divas Championship multiple times. After AJ’s rise in 2012, there became more focus on the Divas, including the hit E! reality show, Total Divas. Since then, The Bella Twins, Paige, Naomi, Alicia Fox, Natalya, and a majority of the Divas roster have made a name for themselves, receiving mercy, louder cheers from the audience, mainstream attention, and longer matches. In light of the #GiveDivasAChance campaign on social media, there is even more love given to the amazingly beautiful, talented, and tough ladies of the squared circle. In the not so far past of 2010 and 2011, NXT’s all divas third season was interrupted by Michael Cole’s rants and RAWs and SmackDowns were decorated with divas matches that would never go longer than two minutes.

That’s all changed now and it’s one of the best times for the Divas Division as all of the women are receiving positive love and support and are finally receiving the respect they all rightfully deserve. The diva who brought the division to light with the push of a lifetime during the Summer of 2012 was none other than AJ. With her “crazy chick” gimmick, fans were focusing more on here and her unpredictable antics as opposed to her male counterparts. It had been one of the most popular diva-related story lines arguably since the Trish Stratus/Mickie James feud of 2006 (LayCool and Maryse had popular story lines but failed to gain the momentum as AJ Lee’s).

AJ Lee’s time in the WWE will not only be remembered for her incredible talents, but for what she brought to the Divas Division—excitement, intrigue, and the light that helped to reignite interest in the Divas. While there are exciting things for the future (looking at you, Bayley, Sasha, and Charlotte) AJ Lee will be missed from the WWE. Her passion remained and it’s always a plus to see a Superstar or Diva who grew up as a passionate wrestling fan and were able to achieve their dreams and inspire others to be like them. The Divas Division has been the best it has been in years, and possibly ever. In the end, AJ Lee may not have single handedly started this trend, as credit should also be given to the Bella Twins combination of strength and beauty and the Anti-Diva allure of Paige, she was definitely instrumental in getting the ball rolling and giving the push the Divas Division has desperately been needing. Whether her retirement was due to being worn out from the business, a career ending injury, complications with the WWE as a result of her relationship with CM Punk, or just the idea that it was time to move on a pursue other interests, AJ Lee was able to leave on top and get that final WrestleMania moment. I’ll miss AJ Lee but I’m thankful for the impact that she left and I wish her only the best with her future as the next generation of WWE divas make their mark in the company. Let’s light it up!

-Celine

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The Briscoe’s Not Signing With WWE

The Briscoe brothers (Jay and Mark) will not be signing with WWE. They are expected to stay with Ring of Honor. F4WOnline reports that ROH recently made another offer to them and it was better than WWE’s offer. The Briscoe’s went back to WWE officials but they wouldn’t budge on their offer.

Source: WrestlingINC.com

 

WWE Announced Hulk Hogan As Grand Marshal For Susan G. Komen Event

WWE and Susan G. Komen announced today that WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan will serve as the official Grand Marshal for the 2015 Susan G. Komen Washington, D.C. Race for the Cure, taking place on Saturday, May 9, in Washington D.C. on the National Mall.

In addition to serving as the Grand Marshal, Hogan and WWE Diva Layla have created “Team WWE” at the D.C. Race. Fans can join the team be registering for the Race at http://komendcrace.info-komen.org and search “Team WWE” under the “Join a Team page.

 

Triple H Welcomes New Talent To WWE

This morning WWE announced new recruits for the WWE Performance Center. Triple H welcomed them with a post on Twitter and NXT Twitter page also welcomed them with a post:

NXT diva makes live debut 

  

According to diva365.com NXT talent  Dasha Kuret made her NXT  live debut. She had recently been doing some ring announcing at live events. It appears that Dasha has been given a nerd gimmick but that can change once she makes her NXT TV debut.

Dasha teamed up with Dana Brooke and Becky Lynch to take on the team of Alexa Bliss, Carmela and NXT’s backstage interviewer Devin Taylor.

She was signed last Summer along with Lina Fanine and Leyvonna, who have yet to make their in ring debuts. Either way whenever someone in NXT makes a debut it’s exciting because that just means more talent will be added to an already stacked roster.

Here’s to wishing Dasha nothing but the best in her future with WWE and if you’d like to you can follow Dasha on Twitter @dashajg 

-Vanessa(@GreatLove91)

3 Former WWE Talents Suing WWE

TMZ reports that three former WWE talents have sued WWE  on behalf of all current and former wrestlers who have suffered brain and other damage as a result of “egregious mistreatment” by the organization – Luke Reigns, Ryan Sakoda and Big Russ McCullough.

The lawsuit claims WWE “under the guise of providing ‘entertainment’… has for decades subjected its wrestlers to extreme physical brutality.” They say WWE has known for years that in-ring work they do has resulted in dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and other ailments. The suit claims WWE is in the business of “selling violence.”

The legal docs chronicle various matches in which wrestlers were destroyed. It mentions the 2014 Royal Rumble, in which one wrestler “demolished another with a series of brutal steel chair attacks.” and the doc refer to “the carnage created by the match’s victor.”

The suit claims, “The WWE coerces its wrestlers to work while they are injured by, among other methods, threatening to strip them of their position within the organization if thy refuse.” It says they are “universally encouraged to ‘wrestle through the pain.'”

The lawsuit also mentions Chris Benoit, who was “routinely hit in the head with a chair.” Benoit who killed his wife and son along with himself, was autopsied after his death. A doctor concluded that his brain was so damaged from CTE, it “resembled the brain of a an 85-year-old Alzheimer’s patient.”

The suit is asking for damage and an injunction that could prohibit WW from subjecting its wrestlers to the physical punishment that is claimed in the suit.

Reigns was signed to WWE from 2003 until 2004 but worked WCW and the indies from 1997. He wrestled until 2006 and suffered a stroke. Sakoda was signed from 2003 until 2004 and was paired with Jimmy Wang Yang on the main roster. McCullough worked in developmental and was released in 2001, never making the main roster.

Source: TMZ and WrestlingINC.com

WWE Coverage On ESPN Under Scrutiny

Michael Bradley has an editorial at the National Sports Journalism Center titled Let’s hope media outlets remember what “E” in WWE means. The editorial is about ESPN’s seemingly sudden adoption of WrestleMania as a legitimate sports event deserving of their coverage. It’s also, to an extent, a reaction to Richard Deitsch’s Sports Illustrated article about how this all came about.

Bradley overall argument is that while it’s not out of line for ESPN to give WWE coverage, covering it like it’s a legitimate sporting event creates ethical issues if it was done solely to eye more eyeballs on the network and it’s related properties. In a key passage, he writes:

“Forging alliances with legitimate leagues is one thing. Trying to build an audience by making something that isn’t real sport seem more legitimate is far more cynical and potentially explosive. First comes the WWE. Then comes full highlights of the Globetrotters’ next game. After all, that team has fans all around the world.”

Bradley also adds that “It’s fun to talk about Lesnar and his fellow rasslers, but it’s not journalism.” It’s not clear if he means that it’s not clear if he means that it’s not sports journalism or that he feels pro wrestling coverage inherently can’t be journalism.

Source: WrestlingINC.com