By WWE Diva Search contestant Alexis (AKA Leilene - costar of National Lampoon's Strip Poker)
When WWE personality Jonathon Coachman told me - live on TV, during Monday Night Raw - that I had just been eliminated from the 2005 Diva Search competition, I left the ring and took my lingerie-clad body backstage, where the WWE superstars reacted to my dismissal with a mixture of uncomfortable ambivalence and being genuinely pissed off. One of the other divas told me that world champion Batista - who was so supportive of me during my tenure with the company - actually snarled: "So, this is how it's gonna be, huh?" Nobody dared to answer Batista... which is understandable, considering that he's 300 pounds of pure muscle and strong enough to bench press a Buick.
And thus ended my abbreviated run as a WWE performer.
Since leaving the WWE a few days ago, I've been flooded with questions from sports entertainment enthusiasts from around the world. Everyone wants to know the inside story on what really goes on behind the scenes - and what it's like to be a member of the WWE family. So, without further ado, let me pull the curtain wide open... and answer all the questions that you're dying to know:
What are the WWE superstars like when the cameras aren't broadcasting their every move?
Well, almost without exception, everyone at the WWE is respectful, professional, and a delight to be around. Stephanie McMahon is incredibly cool and a big supporter of us ladies - and Vince McMahon truly loves the wrestling industry, constantly encouraging us to give just a little more effort. Eric Bischoff used to be the main competitor of Vince's when he ran WCW, but he's humble and gracious to everyone backstage, and couldn't help himself from chatting with us! Batista and I got along famously (he's half Filipino, and I lived in the Philippines until I was five). Edge is a Canadian citizen - as am I - and enjoyed giving me a hard time for wearing a red, white & blue bikini on July 4th. John Cena is a smooth dawg and certainly knows how to make a lady feel good about herself! We were told to refrain from socializing with the WWE performers, but we ended up interacting backstage anyway. Hey, it's awfully tough to keep a bunch of healthy young athletes separated from near-naked divas!
What were the other Diva Search contestants like?
Most of them are sweethearts. We were all in the same boat, so we tried to help each other as much as possible. Here's my breakdown:
Cameron is incredible; we're going to be very good friends for a long time to come. She'd be a much better fit on a runway in Paris or Milan than eating canvas inside the squared circle! Following the Bikini Boot Camp event, we laughed together over her head getting stuck in the net they placed over the wrestling ring. I told her that she looked like a giraffe! Simona is beautiful and sexy - and she certainly knows how to have a great time out on the town! With her European charm, she has an uncanny way of wrapping men around her little finger. Kristal is a warm, genuine person who I'll truly miss; she might've been angrier than I was when I got eliminated! Kristal also has a Big Show-sized crush on John Cena! But she needs to stop playing PLINKO; this isn't the Price Is Right , so chill on being a Bob Barker beauty - and concentrate on taking that cash home, girl! Ashley is a classy, wonderful lady, but I think she'd be better off being herself - instead of trying to be Avril Lavigne when the cameras are on. Some of the wrestlers didn't look too pleased when Ashley tried out a few wrestling moves in the ring last week, which hurt her feelings (plus, the crowd didn't seem too into it, either). Ashley, just stay true to yourself, and this contest is yours! Elisabeth is a great athlete, and of all the girls, I think she would make the best wrestler. Summer is a country girl who reminded me of Stacy Kiebler - which is a heck of a compliment. Yeah, everyone was laughing at her when she tried to do a high-leg kick two weeks ago... and promptly fell on her ass! But she got back up and persevered; I was so proud of her for that. I sometimes call her the "dopey diva" because she was practicing that move again in heels backstage... and nearly tumbled again! Physically, Summer looks almost too perfect... if such a thing is possible! And Leyla ? She took a number of shots at me on the WWE webpage this week, but I'm not taking it personally. With me gone, she's trying so hard to be the "heel" of the group, and I can't fault a girl for selling her character! It's a wise departure from how she portrayed herself before, which was as an airhead ditz. I encourage all of you to vote for the lady you want: http://www.wwe.com/superstars/2005divasearch/. Happy voting!
What was the deal with Leyla's "wardrobe malfunction" on the July 4 edition of Raw?
In a contest like this, you need to work hard to standout from the rest of the pack. So, to "pop" the crowd on Independence Day, I had white stars stuck over my nipples, so I could tear off my top and flash with impunity! But I wasn't really sure if that would be allowed, so I told Stephanie McMahon what I was planning a few hours before Raw hit the airwaves. She consulted with a few people and got back with me, saying that she appreciated the heads-up, but the WWE would prefer that I not show anyone my pasties. Leyla was planning on doing the exact same thing - only with red stickers - and one of the other diva contestants ratted her out to the WWE officials beforehand. That's why the WWE was so ready to disqualify her from the Bikini Boot Camp portion of the contest.
Still, her so-called "wardrobe malfunction" certainly got her lots of attention, so in retrospect, she did the right thing by baring flesh. I thought about going through with the boob-flash anyway myself... but with the WWE reserving the right to change the rules without notice, I thought it would be best not to antagonize anyone with a "McMahon" surname. Plus, I didn't know the TV or legal consequences of engaging in another Janet Jackson boobgate. Oh, well!
What were the WWE writers like?
Both of the writers we worked with hadn't been with the company for that long, and didn't seem as familiar with wrestling history as you'd anticipate. To be fair, they were new - just like us Diva Search contestants - and we were all learning the ropes together. On July 11, I was planning on making an allusion to Katie Vick in a poem I wrote for the talent competition... and one of the writers didn't even know who Katie Vick was. Very strange. (By the way, Eric Bischoff overheard my poem and was laughing his ass off, which made me feel pretty good!) When we Diva Search candidates wanted reliable feedback, most of us went to Stephanie McMahon.
Why do you think you were voted off?
I wish I could blame someone other than myself... but the bottom line is that I didn't do well in the Bikini Boot Camp competition, and out of all the girls, I finished the race with the worst time. But the WWE didn't reveal the online voting tally with any of us - other than to acknowledge a few voting anomalies that they had to correct, such as some girls receiving thousands of votes from single computers. Really, who knows what happened?
I just didn't think I'd fare well in the Diva Search battle by portraying myself as the typical happy-go-lucky Barbie doll, so I tried to stay true to who I am - which is an aggressive, cutthroat ass-kicker! Unfortunately, my skills are with the microphone and martial arts... which weren't all that helpful when you're getting timed jumping up & down in a potato sack, ala the Bikini Boot Camp!
Did the WWE give you those outfits?
Nope. We provided our own clothes, lingerie, boots, etc. The WWE had fabulous makeup artists on staff, armed with an expensive airbrush system. Those artists did an amazing job.
Of course, now I'm stuck with all this ultra-skimpy lingerie! Got any suggestions on what I should do with it?
Who was the best-looking wrestler in person?
Believe it or not, it's Romeo of the Heart Throbs. I know he's portraying a major cheeseball on stage, but he has piercing blue eyes and a damn good body. He's hella fine - and made me wish my name wasn't Alexis, but Juliet!
Speaking of your name, why was it changed to Alexis?
The WWE felt that Leyla and Leilene sounded too similar - plus, we both are Canadian, we both did work for National Lampoon, etc. So I chose the name Alexis, based on the bitchy Dynasty character. The name Alexis also comes first alphabetically with this group of girls, and I hoped that being listed first on the WWE website might give me an advantage with the voting. Guess not!
Were any of the wrestlers resentful towards the Diva Search contestants?
About a dozen WWE superstars had just been released from the company, so there was some considerable backstage tension. Trying to be sensitive about this, I didn't want to come across like a wannabe - or act as if I thought I was "one of the boys" when I hadn't come close to paying my dues yet - because I respect these performers so much. Instead, I took the attitude that the WWE believes that the right woman with the right look would only enhance their overall program, and tried to fit in the best I could.
What's next for you?
I might be out of the WWE family, but I have a home with National Lampoon! Check me out in National Lampoon's Strip Poker on Pay-Per-View and Video on Demand - where I'll show you a side of me that the WWE censors would never allow! Trust me - when I flash the cameras in National Lampoon's Strip Poker , my puppies won't be hiding under any lame stickers!
Originally posted by thecubsfanAre you Alexis? Because otherwise I have no idea why you just posted a complete article and had no comments of your own.
(If you ARE Alexis, you're still better off just giving the link and a few sentences. And also I know people who want your number/e-mail.)
Nah -- I'm not her!
I do have many thoughts, but was curious what others thought as well. (Hey, I already know what *I* think!)
First of all, when a diva search contestant is cognizant of the lack of wrestling knowledge by the paid WWE writers, it should be a pretty big warning flag... agree?
Batista is half Filipino? So, that would that make him the first WWF/E Asian (non-pacific islander) Champion? And, the 2nd Asian WWF/E champion behind the Rock (Asian-pacific islander)?
"You want to tempt the wrath of the whatever from high atop the thing?" --Toby, West Wing
Originally posted by thecubsfanAre you Alexis? Because otherwise I have no idea why you just posted a complete article and had no comments of your own.
(If you ARE Alexis, you're still better off just giving the link and a few sentences. And also I know people who want your number/e-mail.)
Nah -- I'm not her!
I do have many thoughts, but was curious what others thought as well. (Hey, I already know what *I* think!)
First of all, when a diva search contestant is cognizant of the lack of wrestling knowledge by the paid WWE writers, it should be a pretty big warning flag... agree?
Hey, not knowing about Katie Vick is quite all right by me. That's practically "Let us never speak of it again" territory.
Ling-Ling into battle go Fulfill destiny of the soul Sever skull of adversary Shove it in the poo-poo hole
All the children sing: Kill kill kill kill die die die Kill kill kill kill die die die....
Originally posted by ZeruelBatista is half Filipino? So, that would that make him the first WWF/E Asian (non-pacific islander) Champion? And, the 2nd Asian WWF/E champion behind the Rock (Asian-pacific islander)?
Originally posted by ZeruelBatista is half Filipino? So, that would that make him the first WWF/E Asian (non-pacific islander) Champion? And, the 2nd Asian WWF/E champion behind the Rock (Asian-pacific islander)?
What about Yokozuna?
I knew I would forget someone. D'oh.
By being Filipino, he's also the 3rd(?) Hispanic-origin champ behind Pedro and Eddy, unless I forgot someone again.
Originally posted by StaggerLeeI belive being Filipino qualifies as Pacific Islander. So, he would be the second one.
The Philippines are very close to mainland Asia. Here are some references from answers.com because I'm part Asian and I don't know what techinally count as an Islander.
Pacific Islander n. A native or inhabitant of any of the Polynesian, Micronesian, or Melanesian islands of Oceania. A person of Polynesian, Micronesian, or Melanesian descent. See Usage Note at Asian.
n. A native or inhabitant of Asia. A person of Asian descent. USAGE NOTE Asia is the largest of the continents with more than half the world's population. Though strictly speaking all of its inhabitants are Asians, in practice this term is applied almost exclusively to the peoples of East, Southeast, and South Asia as opposed to those of Southwest Asia—such as Arabs, Turks, Iranians, and Kurds—who are more usually designated Middle or Near Easterners. Indonesians and Filipinos are properly termed Asian, since their island groups are considered part of the Asian continent, but not the Melanesians, Micronesians, and Polynesians of the central and southern Pacific, who are now often referred to collectively as Pacific Islanders. See Usage Notes at Oriental.
o·ri·en·tal (ôr'ē-ĕn'tl, ōr'-) adj. often Oriental Of or relating to the countries of the Orient or their peoples or cultures; eastern. Oriental Of or designating the biogeographic region that includes Asia south of the Himalaya Mountains and the islands of the Malay Archipelago. Lustrous and valuable: oriental pearls.
Of or relating to a genuine or superior gem: an oriental ruby. Relating to or designating corundum that resembles another stone in color. n. often Oriental Often Offensive. An Asian.
o'ri·en'tal·ly adv. USAGE NOTE Asian is now strongly preferred in place of Oriental for persons native to Asia or descended from an Asian people. The usual objection to Oriental—meaning “eastern”—is that it identifies Asian countries and peoples in terms of their location relative to Europe. However, this objection is not generally made of other Eurocentric terms such as Near and Middle Eastern. The real problem with Oriental is more likely its connotations stemming from an earlier era when Europeans viewed the regions east of the Mediterranean as exotic lands full of romance and intrigue, the home of despotic empires and inscrutable customs. At the least these associations can give Oriental a dated feel, and as a noun in contemporary contexts (as in the first Oriental to be elected from the district) it is now widely taken to be offensive. However, Oriental should not be thought of as an ethnic slur to be avoided in all situations. As with Asiatic, its use other than as an ethnonym, in phrases such as Oriental cuisine or Oriental medicine, is not usually considered objectionable.
"You want to tempt the wrath of the whatever from high atop the thing?" --Toby, West Wing
Originally posted by ZeruelBatista is half Filipino? So, that would that make him the first WWF/E Asian (non-pacific islander) Champion? And, the 2nd Asian WWF/E champion behind the Rock (Asian-pacific islander)?
What about Yokozuna?
I knew I would forget someone. D'oh.
By being Filipino, he's also the 3rd(?) Hispanic-origin champ behind Pedro and Eddy, unless I forgot someone again.
Originally posted by StaggerLeeI belive being Filipino qualifies as Pacific Islander. So, he would be the second one.
The Philippines are very close to mainland Asia. Here are some references from answers.com because I'm part Asian and I don't know what techinally count as an Islander.
Pacific Islander n. A native or inhabitant of any of the Polynesian, Micronesian, or Melanesian islands of Oceania. A person of Polynesian, Micronesian, or Melanesian descent. See Usage Note at Asian.
n. A native or inhabitant of Asia. A person of Asian descent. USAGE NOTE Asia is the largest of the continents with more than half the world's population. Though strictly speaking all of its inhabitants are Asians, in practice this term is applied almost exclusively to the peoples of East, Southeast, and South Asia as opposed to those of Southwest Asia—such as Arabs, Turks, Iranians, and Kurds—who are more usually designated Middle or Near Easterners. Indonesians and Filipinos are properly termed Asian, since their island groups are considered part of the Asian continent, but not the Melanesians, Micronesians, and Polynesians of the central and southern Pacific, who are now often referred to collectively as Pacific Islanders. See Usage Notes at Oriental.
o·ri·en·tal (ôr'ē-ĕn'tl, ōr'-) adj. often Oriental Of or relating to the countries of the Orient or their peoples or cultures; eastern. Oriental Of or designating the biogeographic region that includes Asia south of the Himalaya Mountains and the islands of the Malay Archipelago. Lustrous and valuable: oriental pearls.
Of or relating to a genuine or superior gem: an oriental ruby. Relating to or designating corundum that resembles another stone in color. n. often Oriental Often Offensive. An Asian.
o'ri·en'tal·ly adv. USAGE NOTE Asian is now strongly preferred in place of Oriental for persons native to Asia or descended from an Asian people. The usual objection to Oriental—meaning “eastern”—is that it identifies Asian countries and peoples in terms of their location relative to Europe. However, this objection is not generally made of other Eurocentric terms such as Near and Middle Eastern. The real problem with Oriental is more likely its connotations stemming from an earlier era when Europeans viewed the regions east of the Mediterranean as exotic lands full of romance and intrigue, the home of despotic empires and inscrutable customs. At the least these associations can give Oriental a dated feel, and as a noun in contemporary contexts (as in the first Oriental to be elected from the district) it is now widely taken to be offensive. However, Oriental should not be thought of as an ethnic slur to be avoided in all situations. As with Asiatic, its use other than as an ethnonym, in phrases such as Oriental cuisine or Oriental medicine, is not usually considered objectionable.
Nice job, Zeruel. Speaking as a full Filipino, I never agreed either with grouping in Filipinos with Pacific Islanders and stand by the fact that I am Asian.
really random I know, but I hate that "AZN" term too. WTF?
Anyway, I had a feeling Alexis was of Filipino or some South East Asian descent.
As far as Alexis I knew right away she wasn't gonna win... what I didn't know right away was if she was a tranny or not and I thought the WWE was planning some sorta little surprise. Turns out she is not and looked better in her last two appearences then her first two where I thought for sure she was a guy.
She seems like a nice person, as well as being someone who was quite familiar with the product. I feel kind of bad because I felt that either her or Leyla should have been voted off next. But I don't recall her being very impressive physically (if I am remembering the right person), and "being competitive" only works as a character if your name is Chris Benoit.
Check out how The-W.Com's WWE Fantasy League is going at smartass.atspace.com. Thanks to SOK for the hosting! Last updated July 6th, 2005
Originally posted by ZeruelBatista is half Filipino? So, that would that make him the first WWF/E Asian (non-pacific islander) Champion? And, the 2nd Asian WWF/E champion behind the Rock (Asian-pacific islander)?
Antonio Inoki from Japan - took the title from Backlund in 79 but vacated it 6 days later. Does this count as the first Asain title holder considering Inoki was with New Japan and not under an official WWF/WWWF contract?
"Why are you wearing that stupid man suit?" -Donnie Darko
Originally posted by ZeruelBatista is half Filipino? So, that would that make him the first WWF/E Asian (non-pacific islander) Champion? And, the 2nd Asian WWF/E champion behind the Rock (Asian-pacific islander)?
Antonio Inoki from Japan - took the title from Backlund in 79 but vacated it 6 days later. Does this count as the first Asain title holder considering Inoki was with New Japan and not under an official WWF/WWWF contract?
Never acknowledged in New York, and never officially recognized by the WWE at all.
Originally posted by AlexisI’m sexy Alexis on this wrestling card, And Jersey boys make my headlights so hard!
I’ll make your body contort and quiver, I have Trish’s breasts – and Stone Cold’s liver!
I’m here to excite you – to titillate and tease, But those other girls are swimming in disease!
Those wannabe divas act so cute and cuddly, But without their implants, they look like Spike Dudley!
Inflated with saline, yet lifeless and sick, They’re deader in the sack than the corpse of Katie Vick.
I’ll strip my opponents ‘til they’re naked and bare, They’re fading faster than Sean Michaels’ hair.
They’ll be cut from Raw because they’re third tier, Cut short like Brock Lesnar’s football career.
So think of Alexis, so seductive and spread, Flair’s the dirtiest player in the game – and I’m the dirtiest in the bed! WOOOO!
I want to change my vote.*
That article really sounds like she's pimping for a job with WWE. And considering they're going to hire most of these divas anyway, and considering if she keeps saying the right things she's going to win the Internet fans over, I'd say she's on the right track.
*I didn't actually vote.
"It's the four pillars of the male heterosexual psyche. We like naked women, stockings, lesbians, and Sean Connery best as James Bond because that is what being a [man] is." -Jack Davenport, Coupling
Thread rated: 3.73
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