DIVA BELIEVER

 

This may come as something of a surprise to those who saw me only as a very minor player on the biggest show of the year, but this past Wrestlemania week may have been my busiest one yet. With no match or substantial role to worry about,  I was able to take in the majesty of the occasion, and appreciate just how fortunate I was to take part in a veritable bonanza of Wrestlemania events. I visited a children’s hospital, presided over the WWE’s National Reading Challenge, walked the red carpet at a high-end fashion show, did a VIP signing at Axxess, attended the Hall of Fame induction ceremony and busted my butt to make my segment with Santino, Captain Keith and Ron Simmons the very best it could be. Truly, I felt like I was among the hardest working men in the WWE – with the keyword in that sentence being “men”.  For if 2000 was the year I main-evented Mania, and 2004 was the reunion of the Rock’n’Sock Connection, and 2006 was the year I captured my elusive Mania “moment”, I believe I will look back on 2012 as the year I finally understood just how hard our WWE Divas work, how their contribution to the company extends far beyond their work inside the ring, and just how fortunate WWE is to have such diverse, determined group of young women representing them.

 

There will always be part of me that is proud to be considered “old school” - for that romantic image of sacrifice, paying dues and respect that such a sacred term brings to mind. Several years ago, when I heard of WWE’s intention to actually recruit beautiful women and teach them to wrestle, I thought the notion to be utterly ridiculous. You didn’t find the female stars of tomorrow through a televised search; you found them the old-fashioned way – by finding that certain quality that allowed talent to shine in the armories, middle school gyms, and county fairs that dot the independent wrestling landscape. Female wrestlers, I was sure, could only be found training in the Dojos of Japan, like Kharma, finding bookings in whatever country would have her, like Lita, catching eyes and turning heads at every stop like Melina or Beth Phoenix, or born with the business in their blood, like Natalya or Tamina.

 

I still think I’m largely right; combing those Indy shows is still a great way to find those stars of tomorrow, and I hope one day I can suggest a few women who have done great things, and fallen just short of a well-deserved shot with WWE. But as I’ve come to see, you really can recruit beautiful women and teach them to wrestle – if they’re willing to work for it. This business has a way of weeding out the ones that don’t really want it. If you don’t learn to love it, you’re usually going to hate it – that’s just the nature of the beast that asks those lucky enough to be selected to find the joy in being slammed repeatedly, both emotionally and physically, while traveling the country and the world at a pace that few could withstand.

 

I began to see the possibilities about the time I realized Candice Michelle had somehow morphed from a charming, beautiful young woman into a hard-working, top notch performer.  I happened to be backstage getting ready for my match at the 2007 “Night of the Champions” when Candice returned from her match, tears of joy streaming down her face after winning her first World Championship. She’d learned to love the business – and it showed. It showed in so many of the new generation of Divas, too – from those mean girls in Lay Cool, to the naughty, demonstrative Maryse, (I’m still the only announcer to properly say her name) to the world’s most beautiful wedding planner, Alicia Fox, to my future partner in RAINN fund-raising, Eve Torres, to the two (or three, depending on how you look at it) most unlikely Diva success stories I could imagine – Kelly Kelly and The Bella Twins.

 

 

 

It’s hard for me to even fathom that Kelly Kelly has been in WWE since 2006. But go back to that summer and you can actually see footage of Ms Kelly dancing, with Melina and yours truly (yes, I was actually dancing on ECW, albeit poorly) while Joey Styles provides the very finest in shocked and bewildered commentary. I vividly remember thinking, “nice kid, beautiful girl…she’ll never make it”, after that initial dance extravaganza. Yet, there she was, six long years later, hitting a move I’d never seen, on the biggest show of the year in front of 78,000 screaming fans.

 

 

 

 I smile every time I think of Brie and Nikki Bella. Maybe because I honestly never thought I’d see them again after our inaugural (quite memorable) interaction over five years ago. Months later, I was stunned to see them hanging on - when I had the opportunity to address WWE developmental talent in the fall of 2007. I had thought the wrestling business would have chewed them up and spit them out almost immediately. Yet there they were, perspiring profusely, listening intently, looking down-right determined, giving me tiny, identical waves, as if to say, “yes, it’s us, we’re still here…surprised?”  

 

I’ve had a chance to see them progress from afar, and a little chance to get to know them as individuals since I’ve been back in WWE. I can even tell them apart most of the time.  Most recently, I had a chance to watch them represent the WWE over a five day period in Miami. Remember me telling you how I felt like I was the hardest working man in WWE that week? But  this particular man didn’t even come close to carrying the work-load of Brie or Nikki and so many of our wonderful Divas. They did everything I did..and then some – with  finesse, elegance, beauty, and high-heels!

 

Maybe the Bellas make me smile because they are symbolic of the idea that sometimes, you really can teach an old dog new tricks – that my way may not be the only way and that that the venerable old-school – as tried and true as it may be, is not the only place to instill a passion, a love and a commitment for one’s craft.  I used to resent those I encountered so frequently who judged my particular book by its tattered cover.  But recently, I’ve come to see that I can be just as guilty when it comes to matters  of pre-judging others in our business.  I think it’s just human nature to jump to conclusions, whether those conclusions are arrived at by pre-judging beauties or the beasts.

 

 

 

Funny how our WWE Divas can make me feel so good about being so wrong on so many different occasions.

Comments

[Shirlz]

I found this to be a really good read. It's nice to see someone show respect to the Divas in a time when they are treated like crap.

[DDPYogaDad]

Good read, Mick. I find that some people are so negative regarding the Divas that they fail to see the vast improvements and hard work ethic they display.

Kelly can flat out GO, and I don't care what anyone says to the contrary. She's a tough tough woman.

[Patrick Baker]

A move you'd never seen? I hope you aren't referring to Kelly Kelly performing a Molly-Go-Round?

As usual, great blog :)

[Steven Brey]

Cool read Mick...28 was my first Wrestlemania and needless to say I now have the bug and plan on going next year...didn't get the chance to meet you but I hope to someday...much respect for your dedication in and out of the ring.

[Wrestling not "Entertainment"]

WWE blew it with their divas from a few years back. At one point, they had Taylor Wilde and Angelina Love who are now or at one point were in TNA, Tracy Taylor, and Krissi Vaine at Deep South Wrestling and did nothing with them. Wrestling fans want to see women who can wrestle. Entertainment fans want to just see a pretty face in tight clothing for 3 minutes. It's a shame.

[Jackie Sweeney]

Nice read! The Divas don't always get the credit they deserve.

Jackie x

[Philly B]

RE: Kelly Kelly and The Bellas: Hard working? Yes. Entertaining? No. Deserving? No. Highly talented? No. Can they put on a good match? No. Do I want to see them on my TV screen? No. So many people have dedicated their lives to wrestling and would give anything to get to the WWE, and are individually ten times the talent of those three combined. Watch Shimmer, then you'll see girls who work as hard, even harder, and are far more talented than those three as well as many others on WWE's books right now.

[PercysPitBull]

Fantastic blog, as always. The biggest problem with the Divas is that they always seem to be thrown on camera way, way too soon, and the trainers can only do so much with them in a short period. Have there been female wrestlers over the years that had no business whatsoever being in the ring? Absolutely. But there have been many, many more that started their careers with memorably horrible matches and have gone on to be amazing, amazing talent. Their development just needs to be slowed down, creative needs to stop rushing to get the pretty girls out on camera and work on developing skills and creating ring sense. Cause the vast majority of women grapplers aren't born with rasslin in their blood like Nattie, and aren't coming from amateur wrestling backgrounds like Beth. They are models looking for screen time. Or even young women with the passion, but not the abilities. It takes more than a pretty face to be a Diva just as it takes more than a 7' tall muscular build to be a wrestler.

[Leanne Culverhouse]

I miss the Womens division of the 2000s, when we had Lita, Trish, Ivory and Victoria to name but a few. What I do like at the moment is the way that Rosa Mendes is working in a managerial capacity and hope that this is a way to bring new " divas" in while they learn to wrestle. I hope that Beth and Natalya soon get to have the wonderful match we all know they are capable of.
Great blog Mick, and certainly thought provoking

[charles]

This is not what I wanted to read about, Mick.

[Ken]

Good stuff, Mick. Interesting timing too...reports are the Bellas are choosing not to renew their contracts and are done at the end of the month. As for the girls being workers, WWE really needs Finlay back, or someone who can do what he did...he's the one that really made Trish and Candice shine. These days, Kelly Kelly tries, but she can't run ropes well at all.

[TimTJChurch]

Mick, I'm halfway wth you. I agree Kelly & the Bellas are very hard workers, but that doesn't mean they are doing the RIGHT work. Let them make public appearances, or do fundraising (like Eve did with you), or something like that.

I will flat-out stop watching the company entirely if Kelly ever wears that belt again!

[Something Else]

Oh boy, more creepy WWE Divas stuff that made me put down Hardcore Diaries

[RingsideChamp]

It's hard to take them serious when they are put in throw away matches. You're right - unless they are a Lita or Chyna they don't get the credit they deserve.

[Kevin]

There has to be some sort of talent there to be able to step into a WWE ring. I will never take that away from performer. The problem with the Divas is the writing. They just aren't interesting. It's nearly impossible to become emotionally invested in these characters when they are given so little time on TV to develop. Here you had the "Divas of Doom" in Beth and Nattie and they have done nothing but job them out since. The writing just doesn't make sense when it comes to the Divas and that's just unfortunate.

[jay fouz]

Looooow blow socko! Said it out loud by not saying it at all. Real personal

[Ashley]

Really good points here, totally agree, however, there is a huge double standard. No male wrestlers could perform in the ring or on the mic as poorly as The Bella's and still have their job. But because they were hired for their looks everyone goes, "oh, look how far they've come" well look how much further they have to go to be even half as good as Lita, Natalya and Beth Phoenix.
But overall I enjoy watching the Divas and no matter my feelings on the individual's themselves, I have to respect them for working hard and sticking to it. I just wish they had more of an opportunity to show the fans what they got!

[Lanoom]

Firstly, Mr. Foley, huge respect.

Secondly, I cannot begin to debate with you how tired the "they work hard" defense is.

They work so hard that their television appearance time has been steadily shrinking closer to zero.

They work so hard that the crowd is trained to sit on their hands for the 30-second classic they get weekly in the ring.

They work so hard that the champion makes no appearances for weeks at a time and nobody seems to question it.

They work so hard that Gail Kim walked out in the middle of a battle royal, eliminating herself because she was done with the company, and (according to er) nobody in management noticed until she told them.

The Divas have a problem. There is no denying it. The "they work hard" defense does not excuse WWE's constant, seemingly deliberate, attaempts to downplay their abilities and characters, the complete and utter lack of ability to keep them in compelling, coherent stories and thus build their characters.

In fact, defense makes it WORSE. If they work hard, why deny them bigger success and connection with the fans by leaving them high and dry with any time or material to work with on a weekly basis?

Simply put, I should not have to buy WrestleMania to get a women's match longer than a minute with an angle behind it.

Thirdly, Mr. Foley, there's a reason those first four names - Kharma, Lita, Beth Phoenix, Natalya Neidhart - are generally considered to be some of the few worthwhile women to have graced the company, women who and the Bellas and Kelly, and every other "model Diva" are...not considered that at all. There's a reason those first four can be pointed to, and you have a collection of not only the best women's matches WWE has ever put out in its history, but also the most cheered/jeered characters. You went through the reasons yourself.

Being more model-esque is fine, but it is no substitute for proven and trial-tested ability that can only come from earning one's dues in the ring *before they're snatched up by WWE because of a headshot.*

The sooner someone with pull in WWE acknowledges these problems, acknowledges that the Divas can do just fine if given ACTUAL time and effort, the sooner their matches will stop being referred to as piss breaks, and the sooner people can stop beating around the bush with this poor excuse of a defense that doesn't actually address the criticisms.

Because they - the women trying to perform in the ring, and the fans that want to see them succeed - deserve better.

[The_BarbarIAN]

Well that wasnt weird at all.

[Lanoom]

Fourth point, Mr. Foley: Why is it that one of the women you cited, Lita, has gone on record at WWE's own WM Axxess event sayign that it's sad to see where the division has gone?

Again, I have the alrgest amount of respect oen can have for you, your opinion ,and the women who survive WWE's schedule and machinations. But, there's a problem, and someone needs to stand up for it.

[The_BarbarIAN]

This is all one mans opinion, and he's entitled to it. But by the same token, there are countless wrestlers who have stated that a lot of these women (including two similar looking women Foley is defending in this article) are pampered far more than their male counterparts, get hired based on their looks alone and aren't against the idea of shagging their way into a regular place on the televised roster. Which I admit isnt exclusive to just the women (this is wrestling after all), but when Mick Foley was sitting literally pulling out his own hair at the very thought of Marc Mero being signed to far more money than him in 1996 based on his body and looks, maybe Foley will feel some kind of kinship in the idea that these women arent lost little puppies desperate for acceptance and their skills to be respected. Most are 10 a penny and dont add anything to the product, due to their idea of improving their craft being sitting under a tanning bed until their skin is as leathery as the title belt covers.

I'd have thought Foley would have far more sense than to write dribble like this, considering the paths he's had to over come to be the success he became.

[TheMasterofDisaster]

really? REALLY? this is the blog that took you a week to write? How bout putting over Dean Ambrose? That's what we really want to see....

[Shok]

I don't even know who Dean Ambrose is....

[Avjw77]

What do you mean, Patrick, a Molly-... oh. I get it. :P

Though it's not EXACTLY a Crack Smash. Okay, it's a standing top rope Crack Smash.

And as always, keep up this writing thing. Call me crazy but I think you know a thing or two about it...

[Ariel]

Hi, Mick! :) I must say, I agree with you. I'll say first hand, I'm not a fan of many of todays divas. But I think a lot of people, especially on the internet, don't give credit where it's due. And not liking said diva doesn't mean that they haven't worked hard, etc.

I've come to enjoy the Bellas... perhaps enjoy a few others. I LOVE Eve. I think she deserves a chance to shine... really shine. I think also that a lot of people expect girls like Lita and Trish all the time, while Trish and Lita are "gems" so to say, and aren't simply "made" like some seem to like to be. You can't just throw a wrestling outfit on a girl and expect Trish Stratus which I think in some peoples eyes, should be how it works.

I have a friend who trained to wrestle... who I know loves wrestling more than anything and she'll say first hand, how hard it was for her... and that not everyone is cut out to be the Lita or Trish, or Chyna. I think that many believe that as long as you're trained to wrestle, you will be that person and it doesn't seem that easy.

Still though, I think like you said, they do deserve more credit, and that they work their butts off. While I still wish that girls like Sara Del Rey and so many others who are working their butts off to be in that spot get their chance, it's not like they weren't put through moments where it was wrestling and not just high heels and smiles (as I've read that about todays divas, how that's all their "good" for). It just seems ignorant to me to say that they never worked for what they've done, as well.

I like that you stand up for people, Mick. It's something I've always admired about you and I love that you're not afraid to say something that others might not agree with. Stop being so darn amazing, you're making the rest of us look bad! Haha! Just kidding... but seriously, please keep being awesome.

[Joseph D.]

I really think if given that opportunity to perform longer matches and giving them some air time will eventually make them better, I mean look at NXT Redemption on WWE.com ...WOW I have my eyes on AJ on Smackdown and Kaitlyn and Maxine on NXT along with Natalya and Tamina Snuka have longer and entertaining matches and segments.

[Shawn]

I like you blog Mick. Not many people use the typepad platform anymore. Most have moved to wordpress sadly. :[

[Dustin]

Two words. Marc Mero.

Come on Mic, I've read all your books (the non wrestling ones too) You should know how frustrating it can be for someone not "wwe material) looking to get work in an industry where your ability to work seemingly means nothing compared to your looks.

A lot of the so called "talent" that WWE hires for their diva division is only there because of their plastic looks, not their ability to work. As a result the diva division has become a joke. Out of all the stupidity and silly skits modern wwe produces, diva matches are the only thing my family and friends will complain about during the show (except my dumber neanderthal friends, but they don't think with their brains and they most assuredly don't BUY any of your product).

Beth Phoneix and a few other divas with actual wrestling backgrounds work hard to produce decent matches. A lot of the TNA knockouts CAN work hard (when they're in indie promotions not weighted down by poorly written storylines) But I don't consider being half naked work, not when there is plenty of talented women on the indie scene who just want to do what they love. Not make an easy pay check.

I don't watch wrestling for sex, I have sex for sex, I can watch porn for sex and FOR FREE. I watch wrestling for wrestling. Real wrestling fans who put down their hard earned dollars (such as myself) feel the same damn way. I like a half naked woman dressed in revealing latex as much as the next guy but there's a time and place for everything and the WRESTLING ppv I pay for is not the place.

[Lucy]

There MUST be someone with enough influence in the back to campaign for more time for the Divas. Whether it's you Mick or Lita, it's all well saying how disappointing the Divas division is but someone needs to bloody campaign and insist on more time for the Divas!