NOTES FROM THE WRESTLING CHICK 8.1.08

If I where a wrestler, which one would I be: WWE Diva or TNA Knockout?




Women in wrestling have come far from being just regular escorts at ring side. Now you got to have some in ring ability to make it in this business.

Many fans are annoyed of the Diva Search that takes place each year in the WWE. I share that type of frustration, because it gives the illusion that you can just be a pretty face to make it in this business. Women with no in ring abilities are paraded around television every week and all that the fans can judge are by their looks. A lot of them were models whose agents recommend they participate in this competition for exposure.


I think that there could have been a lot of potential in this Diva Search. The WWE could have picked talent from actual women wrestlers who work the independent circuit or even allowed some of the females performing from Japan to take part. Imagine how different the Divas roster could be. Every week these females would wrestle in a competition to find out who the next Diva is.

While there are some negatives to the current format of this competition, I don’t think it’s all that bad. After all, the Diva Search did give us some favorites like Michelle McCool, Maria, Christy Hemme, and many others. So while a lot of pretty faces are paraded around each week, only some talented few who decided to get their dirty are still going out on TV each week. Besides, the girls have to have to live up to the name of Diva. They really have to be Diva’s. I think that in order to be a WWE Diva, you have to be like a Spice Girl. I know that might sound stupid to some, but I think that the WWE Diva’s have a Spice Girl quality to them. They have variety and a little something for everyone. One is a little sporty, another is a little posh, and another is a bratty blond by the name of Kelly Kelly….you get the picture. Might I remind you that Trish Stratus was one of the greatest Diva’s in WWE history (and a great wrestler), when she began she was only a fitness model. While some of the girls don’t have the best of in-ring ability, they have entertainment value which is what the WWE is looking for.


If the WWE Divas are the Spice Girls, then the TNA Knockouts are like EN Vogue or Destiny’s Child. The Knockouts have variety as well, but have great in-ring talent as well as some credibility. Like an En Vogue or a Destiny’s Child, they can be powerhouses. TNA really has a great roster of women wrestlers who have incredible in-ring ability and who also provide some T and A. One cannot ignore women like Gail Kim, Taylor Wilde (current Champion), or Awesome Kong. In order to be a woman of TNA, she really must live up to the name – meaning she really has to knockout her competition. It is safe enough to say that Kelly Kelly wouldn’t last very long in a TNA Ring. Awesome Kong would tear her apart.

TNA Knockouts are not the same entertainers as WWE Divas. Knockouts remind me of the “women warriors” of Frank Millers Sin City who protect Old Town. The Knockouts are women warriors and they are fighters.

So if the choice came down to being a WWE Diva or a TNA Knockout, it would be a difficult one. If I wanted to be the best wrestler I could be and have the credibility that I wanted to earn, I’d be a TNA Knockout. However, to be honest with you I’d rather be a Diva aka a Spice Girl. I grew up as a girl with women like Sunny, Sable (although I wasn’t to fond of her), Chyna, Ivory, Lita, and Trish Stratus. So I have much more of a fondness for the women that I grew up watching. Also, there are great women like Mickie James (who is currently my favorite), Beth Phoenix, Natalya Niedhart, Victoria, Melina, and of course the new edition of Katie Lea. These women add the real Spice of the women roster.

I think that there are great women on both sides of the fence. It would be interesting to think about if these women in group ever crossed paths, who would win in a street fight: WWE Divas or TNA Knockouts?
Please Comment.

NOTES FROM THE WRESTLING CHICK 7.24.08

NOTES FROM THE WRESTLING CHICK
Punk Wins! Punk Wins! Punk Wins!
By Elif Bayrasli



On the night of June 30th, I didn’t bother to watch Monday Night Raw. I was tired and I went to bed early. When I turned off the light, I assumed Raw would be any other and that maybe it wasn’t worth taking away some more hours of sleep. Call me an idiot! I should have known better considering what had happened on the previous Monday’s draft.

The draft shook things up and left Raw with a roster of new talent. J.R. was replaced by Michael Cole. Triple H left for Smackdown. Batista joined the Raw roster. The most important addition, in my opinion, was CM Punk. I see this young wrestler as the future of the WWE. I was glad to know that he would be moving away from ECW, but a little worried.

The yearly movement of what is known as the WWE draft has, in the past, left some young hopefuls high and dry. Take for London and Kendrick for example. I remember watching Smackdown as they were the tag team champions. I loved to watch them wrestle, because they had reminded me of the earlier days of the Attitude Era tag team glory (a la The Hardy’s and Edge and Christian). Obviously L&K are different, because they had their own flair. Once they moved to Raw, I swear I haven’t seen them since. Sadly enough, Carlito was caught in a similar situation. Carlito had a wonderful place in Smackdown where he carried on a very memorable rivalry with John Cena. Since moving to Raw, he hasn’t gotten much face time. Hell, I can’t even remember the last time he was in a big storyline.

I was hoping that CM Punk wouldn’t be caught in that predicament. Smackdown seemed like a better place for a young talent. Now Smackdown seems like a totally different show since they have pumped it up with a lot of star power. Thinking about it now, it’s a good thing that CM Punk didn’t move to Smackdown. He might have been drowned out by all the older and more popular talent on that show. He might have not been given that chance to shine.

Tuesday morning I woke up, took a shower and turned on the computer. I was in total shock when I found out that CM Punk had won the World Heavyweight Championship. I quickly tried to find clips online of Punk winning the WHC and played it over and over again. I wasn’t expecting him to cash in the Money in the Bank so soon by the way that the company had handled him. He hasn’t been in any kind of real solid storyline in recent months. Punk made small appearances on Smackdown and Raw since winning MITB. He had a short tag team run with Kane. However, CM Punk wasn’t utilized for his vocal promo talent. I would see short glimpses here and there. I enjoyed the banter he shared with Edge on one episode of Smackdown. Sadly, he has to follow a script. He isn’t allowed to rip as he did in the ROH days. If one searches for CM Punk on youtube, one is bound to find tons of CM Punk/ROH promos. Punk is a very talented man on the mic, especially when he is a heel. I think that CM Punk is at his best when he acts as a heel. He has a certain type of charisma and arrogance that oozes out of him when he speaks. He can make any crowd love to hate him. That is probably why CM Punk has a faithful following. Wrestling fans know what he is capable of and continue to cheer him on even though his natural talent is being held back.


CM Punk is now being presented as the underdog, which isn’t a bad thing. It bothers me a little, because I feel that the WWE is presenting their World Heavy Weight Champion as weak. The match against Batista at the Great American Bash was a decent match until Kane got involved at which it ended in a double disqualification. This past Raw ended the same way with JBL interfering in the round 2 Batista Championship match (which by the way was a good match). The fans weren’t interested in either match. There was hardly a pop, except for a few cheers and jeers at the beginning and ending. This feels very troubling to me. This should be a moment for CM Punk to shine.
For whatever reason, CM Punk isn’t being utilized to the fullest…at for now. I don’t know what the plans are for him. The WWE recognizes the talent of Punk, otherwise why would they give him the win for Money in the Bank. Maybe, all this is a set up for something bigger. At least this is what I am hoping. Maybe, they are putting a leash on him at moment and later letting him go to roar in further glory. I think a rematch with Batista when he can beat him 1…2…3…will be a good push for Punk. Who knows when that will happen?
I am a hopeful person. I’m glad that CM Punk is getting a lot of face time on Raw. People who weren’t familiar with him are getting to know him better. Once the WWE can let him be, the fans can finally see the true champion that CM Punk is.