There has been something of an exodus of WWE/NXT/FCW women the last few months. Shaul Guerrero was released yesterday, Buggy Nova who they just signed is in WWE sponsored rehab and her return is questionable. Ivilesse from Tough Enough was let go. Beth Phoenix has apparently been given her release.
Originally posted by WONBarbara Blank, aka Kelly Kelly, was released today by WWE. The release was said to be mutual but she had told friends that is was unlikely she would be returning at any time soon when she first asked for a leave of absence.
Blank had been working on a number of non-wrestling related projects, including an Energy Drink ad campaign with several UFC fighters that was shot earlier this week. She had returned in August for a few weeks, and when on television it was treated like she was back for good. But those close to the situation told us it was only for a few weeks and she was still looking at doing her own thing.
Another woman who was reported here as leaving the company, and was taken off the NXT web site, Shaul Guerrero aka Raquel Diaz, is still under contract to WWE.
Shaul Guerrero being released is bizarre. Her success in the company was guaranteed. The sudden drop off of Divas is disturbing. Maybe the WWE is actually planning to get rid of the Divas division and make the women all managers and valets?
Kelly squared is leaving? I care more about Natalya's farts.
Originally posted by CruelAngel777Shaul Guerrero being released is bizarre. Her success in the company was guaranteed.
I thought I read somewhere that she asked to be released, or basically she quit. If that's true, then it would seem something with how developmental is being run, or something with the wrestling life in general rubbed her the wrong way.
Surprised by this. Been taking a break from current WWE programming, but Kelly Kelly had a big push last year. Guess it's "What have you done for me lately?"
Should have no problem being hired by another wrestling company if that's what she wants. UFC energy drink deal, interesting move. If UFC had a women's division, I'd maybe watch. Girls dressed in nothing but sports bras and bikini bottoms, beating the crap out of each other? Hmm.
On the other hand, UFC's very violent, so perhaps the fetish fuel would be drowned by twice as much fetish retardant.
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Originally posted by CruelAngel777Shaul Guerrero being released is bizarre. Her success in the company was guaranteed. The sudden drop off of Divas is disturbing. Maybe the WWE is actually planning to get rid of the Divas division and make the women all managers and valets?
The WWE doesn't take the Diva's division seriously, so why should the fans? It really is time to take a step away from the whole thing and just let them be valets, managers and general trouble makers. It is filler. We all know it is filler. Maybe you hold out hope for the Trish and Lita days, but those days aren't coming back anytime soon. There will be another good Women's Division, but not soon. If you crave American Women's Wrestling watch the Knockouts on TNA, otherwise you are just going to be let down by bad shoulder tackles and rollup pins.
If you are continually bad at something then you should stop doing it. The WWE should stop trying to feed us Women's wrestling until they decide that they want to do it right.
Originally posted by ekedolphinSurprised by this. Been taking a break from current WWE programming, but Kelly Kelly had a big push last year.
Yeah, but what an agonizing push that was to endure. The matches were brutal, the acting was atrocious, and nobody took her seriously to the point that the tail end of her push saw her getting more boos than anything else. I could buy a plucky Kelly Kelly hanging in there with Beth Phoenix, but by the fourth or fifth time they played that exact same card, it became tiresome. It didn't make Kelly look clever, it made Beth look stupid. And she showed almost no improvement through that entire year-long push. At least Eve Torres developed a personality after a while, which is more than I can say for Kelly. I can't say I'm going to miss her, because they could give just about anybody into her 2011 push and be alright. (And just because I'm a glutton for punishment, that remark is going to lead to a year-long Kaitlyn push. You just watch.)
I'm also surprised we've gone this far in the thread without John Orquiola referring to her as "Former World Heavyweight Champion, Kelly Kelly."
Originally posted by ekedolphinShould have no problem being hired by another wrestling company if that's what she wants. UFC energy drink deal, interesting move. If UFC had a women's division, I'd maybe watch. Girls dressed in nothing but sports bras and bikini bottoms, beating the crap out of each other? Hmm.
On the other hand, UFC's very violent, so perhaps the fetish fuel would be drowned by twice as much fetish retardant.
Ronda Rousey vs. Miesha Tate for the Strikeforce 135 lb. title.
Originally posted by CruelAngel777Shaul Guerrero being released is bizarre. Her success in the company was guaranteed. The sudden drop off of Divas is disturbing. Maybe the WWE is actually planning to get rid of the Divas division and make the women all managers and valets?
The WWE doesn't take the Diva's division seriously, so why should the fans? It really is time to take a step away from the whole thing and just let them be valets, managers and general trouble makers. It is filler. We all know it is filler. Maybe you hold out hope for the Trish and Lita days, but those days aren't coming back anytime soon. There will be another good Women's Division, but not soon. If you crave American Women's Wrestling watch the Knockouts on TNA, otherwise you are just going to be let down by bad shoulder tackles and rollup pins.
If you are continually bad at something then you should stop doing it. The WWE should stop trying to feed us Women's wrestling until they decide that they want to do it right.
... and Kelly Kelly sucks anyways
(edited by BigDaddyLoco on 28.9.12 2128)
The Knockouts division isn't doing that much better. Shimmer has the real women's wrestling in America, but I've recently heard that Daffney is starting up a women's indie company too for those interested.
It's fitting Kelly Kelly, who was named twice, would have threads about her being released twice. (The W)
Originally posted by It's False I'm also surprised we've gone this far in the thread without John Orquiola referring to her as "Former World Heavyweight Champion, Kelly Kelly."
Because she isn't a former World Heavyweight Champion. She just, in one circumstance, became the only Diva to ever successfully defend the World Heavyweight Championship for the reigning Champion, who was Edge.
6 years at WWE, now age 25, prospect of signing another 3-5 year contract, there's no surprise Kelly Kelly wanted out. She's done everything. Most of the girls hang on because they want to be Divas Champion. That belt may not mean anything to you, Internet smark, but it's the highest ranking belt in women's professional wrestling to achieve. They all want the pink butterfly and they want a "WrestleMania moment". Kelly Kelly had both now. There was nothing left for her to do and all her friends backstage like Maryse and the Bellas are gone.
"Kelly Kelly sucks anyways." Everyone loves both astute analysis and a broken record.
(edited by John Orquiola on 29.9.12 0626) @CMPunk “@ZackRyder: @CMPunk She played me bro” I got your back.
Kelly Kelly will not be missed by wrestling fans, and the WWE audience will likely also soon forget about her anyway just as they have been trained to do. The Knockouts aren't faring much better than the Divas nowdays either. Shimmer NCWFF and Shine are where it's at (as well as WAWW in the UK & PWWA in Australia and a handful of Japanese promotions) and hopefully Beyond can bring WSU up from being a 2nd rate company to being on equal with them. The slack is also being picked up by other Indy promotions around North America such as ACW in Texas and AIW in Ohio. PWS in New Jersey is trying their hand in the market with Bombshell Ladies too. The talent and good wrestling are out there but since it isn't on regular TV, the masses don't know about it, which is a shame. It's not even all the women's at WWE or TNA who can't deliver, it's the booking/programming that's holding them back. The unfortunate thing is that Indy wrestling doesn't pay too many people very well & of course there isn't the exposure, so when the opportunity to get signed comes, most people take it and either deal with the jumping through hoops or end up giving up.
Kelly Kelly? Nice enough to look at, never really developed the wrestling skills enough to elevate the division, given her top Diva push. I'll remember her for that frozen smile and vacant look in her eye while standing on the turnbuckle and pointing into the crowd. For my money, she never topped her ECW exhibitionist gimmick, just for the fun of seeing what would stop her from taking it off each week.
You wonder what the 'career path' is for WWE Divas, now that the PG-era has closed off the Playboy centerfold/Divas in Cabo San Lucas DVD paydays. Speculating here, but I can't imagine there's more than 3 or 4 Divas clearing much more than $100-150k considering they don't get many PPV dates, much less the major events. (And that money isn't what it sounds like if you're an "independent contractor" paying your own Social Security, health insurance beyond an OTJ accident, etc.)
TNA? We have the story of one of the Knockouts working at the Sunglasses Hut at some local mall before giving up on wrestling, they can't be doing so great. Shimmer does 2 or 3 back-to-back taping dates a year?
Don't get me wrong, there's a lot of 'love of the game' among those women, and I've been a fan all along. I'd love to be wrong on this, but I don't see much reason for someone to take this profession up, other than using 5 years to get some level of exposure, and move on to other projects. Stacy Keibler seems to have done it well, despite not having a tangible job - she's a big celebrity.
Originally posted by TheOldManDon't get me wrong, there's a lot of 'love of the game' among those women, and I've been a fan all along. I'd love to be wrong on this, but I don't see much reason for someone to take this profession up, other than using 5 years to get some level of exposure, and move on to other projects. Stacy Keibler seems to have done it well, despite not having a tangible job - she's a big celebrity.
I know of only a handful of women working the indie scene for whom wrestling is their sole profession. I would guess for many of them, even some of the bigger names, wrestling is at best a revenue-neutral proposition for them.
For many of the women working in US/Canada I equate it to people who get really into any fringe hobby. People who spend money traveling to Monopoly tournaments or billiards tournaments. For a few people there might be some fiscal gain, for others they're likely spending more than they earn on the endeavor. But they love what they do, they have a real life outside of that passion, and they know they're never going to be rich from it. But it gives them a chance to travel, to meet new people, and do something they love. Maybe a couple of them will eventually get to have a full-time career doing nothing but wrestling, but for most this is something they'll do for a time in their life, and eventually it will end and they'll keep doing whatever else they're doing.
The only true 'Diva' I know of still doing the Indy scene is Maria.
Speaking of women on the Indy circuit, a quick fix to jump start the division would be to bring in Angelina Love and Velvet Sky and just have them do their thing. Of course it's probably not the WWEs way to bring them in without making asses out of them first which would ruin the character, but they are at least capable in the ring.
(I also have some weird fixation with Angelina Love)
Yeah, first comment is I wish I had that magazine. Secondly who ever wrote that wasn't thinking 14 years later how true it would be. Wierd...yet cool finding.