World Wrestling Entertainment will be highlighted on Bloomberg News’ Bloomberg Enterprise programme this coming Wednesday (June 29th) at 9pm ET, taking a behind the scenes look at World Wrestling Entertainment .

Bloomberg has released two preview clips which both feature Stephanie McMahon — including a clip of her trying on husband Triple H’s mask from WrestleMania 27.

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Ladies and Gentlemen, children of all ages… well, I think it best if we go 13 and up on this one… It is time again for another edition of the weekly attribute to Diva Dirt known as the Impact Write-Up. I am your lovely Impact Wrestling correspondent and you know you’re in for one hell of a ride. Now, last week, we saw the return of a prestigious women’s wrestler, who had a former run in Total Nonstop Wrestling back in the day. We also saw some new colors on one of the bodacious Knockouts, just as we all requested. Not to mention, those left on the shelf in past weeks were finally able to rise from the shadows and display their awesomeness. What is in store this week on Impact? Well, I’ll tell you that we’ve got a tag match with camera angles bound to make you nauseous and a street fight of um, supernatural proportions? Not to mention, a glimpse into the future. It’s something you definitely don’t want to miss.

Starting things off on this fine and fiery night are the team of Velvet Sky and Miss Tessmacher! We first saw this duo together as a team last week, when Velvet accidentally cost them the match against the Knockouts Tag Team Champions, Sarita and Rosita. Obviously, they’ve made up after their little disagreement last week and are set to compete here tonight. They’ve somehow managed to coordinate their entrance in their time of aggravation, however, because as soon as Tessmacher sheds her jacket, Velvet…ahem, LETS THE PIGEONS LOOSE!

Yes. I said it.

Velvet aka Gangsta, takes to the microphone and says that after what happens to her last week, she and Tess went to the Impact offices. They petitioned to have themselves a good ole no-holds barred match but since the “old biddies“, as a friend called them, aren’t under contract, the match has to be done “by the books”. But hey, if it means payback and ass whipping, they’re both game. Even Tessmacher, who snatches the microphone, gets a little word in and demands they get their asses to the ring. Sure enough, after a moment’s wait, ODB and Jacqueline start making their way to the ring. And look at that, they match. How sweet. I need a trash can.

ODB immediately starts talking about her fat ass and demands for the ref to ring the bell but Velvet and Tess are ready. They charge the two intruders to the Impact Zone and the brawling begins. It starts on the ramp and soon makes its way over to the ring, battles on the outside. There are constant back and forth shots, Velvet on ODB and Jackie on Tessmacher. Or…well, vice versa. I guess it depends on how you look like it. I see choking and stiff right hands until finally, the camera manages to focus on ODB’s lacy orange bloomers. Yeah. They speak for themselves. Guh, this shit needs to straighten itself out real quick. Haha.

Where’s Judge Judy when you need some order in the court, hmmm?! I think she needs to fire Earl Hebner and take over. But I guess a commercial break will do for now. When we come back, Jackie is in the ring with Miss Tessmacher, showing her how the big girls wrestle. She hits her with a knee and a harsh forearm, basically deflecting any defense. ODB, meanwhile, is calling her a douche and talking about weaves. Jackie tags her in and ODB slaps her around, throwing that whore word around again. Tess tries to come back but as soon as it looks like she might have some kind of momentum, Jackie takes a handful of hair and jerks her back down to the mat. Velvet immediately goes on the defense and makes her way over, taking Jackie down on the outside.

This is not gonna be good for Tessmacher when she’s able to make a tag. She struggles to the other side and Velvet, too busy with Jackie, doesn’t quite make it. Almost looked like she was running in slow motion with that arm out. Slow ass. This gives the old biddies plenty of time to drag Tessmacher back to their corner, slamming her into the turnbuckles. I know that has to hurt. And Jackie makes sure the hurt sticks, not even giving a moment to breathe before she starts to wrench on the neck of Tessmacher. Another tag, before any true hurt can set in….Nevermind. I spoke too soon.

HIT THE LIGHTS! CUE THE EPIC WEDGIE!

Jackie, obviously forgetting for a moment that Tess could escape if she wanted to, grabs the bottoms of the younger girl and just drags her ass back with her. ODB is in, as soon as Tess gets up, and she takes her down with a harsh forearm. And another tag. Just make up your damn minds already! And get Jackie some water, she’s looking parched. Not to mention, she looks at ODB like she’s flippin’ crazy for tagging her back in so quick. I know I’m not the only one who saw that. Nonetheless, she goes right after Tessmacher but this time, she fights back and it sends Jackie back for ANOTHER tag. ODB comes in, popping the floaties and WHAM!

SPEAR! SPEAR! SPEAR!

No? Hell with you. Haha. The crowd loves it and so does Velvet, who is just dying to get into this match. She’s pounding on the turnbuckles and TAG! She comes in, taking down both ODB and Jackie with running clotheslines and as soon as they try to fight back, she hits them with a double. Something tells me that ODB is used to doubles. Drunkard. But Jackie, who is probably sober, takes to Velvet’s leg and her partner takes her down, but Tessmacher isn’t about to let that happen. She immediately goes after ODB and wrangles her to the outside. I do have to say, when ODB says “Oh my God! You suck!“, I almost peed myself laughing so hard. Just saying.

It doesn’t take long, obviously, for the more powerful of the two women to get the upperhand and she sends Tessmacher into the steel barricade. Insert dainty face flop here. Back in the ring, Velvet is choking the hell out of Jackie but ODB breaks it up, taking Velvet for some type of weird ride. It almost looks like a schoolgirl roll-up but..not..really. I don’t know. All I know is that Earl Hebner takes this moment to insert himself into the situation and powers ODB down to the mat, away from Vel Vel. This leaves Jackie free and as soon as Velvet stands up, she kicks her right in the va-jay-jay. If she fans it like Tara…I’ll die. Is she?! No. She just falls to the mat like any normal, boring guy would do and Jackie goes for the cover. Earl, back from his submission hold on ODB, counts the three and the old biddies have done it! They managed to murder the spine of Miss Tessmacher and prevent Velvet Sky from probably ever having babies.

Backstage, we see Tara all dolled up and she’s talking about July 14th. She’s finally going to get her hands on the self-proclaimed Queen Bee and destroy her. Oh, speaking of, Madison Rayne walked into the picture, right up to a seething Tara. She actually looks like she’s decided to ditch the weave and go au natural. At least it never looked like a sheared alpaca. Just saying. She tells her former bodyguard that she’s going to give her one chance to get out of this match. And if she doesn’t, she promises it will be her last. She gives her the opportunity to beg for forgiveness, let it all shift to the past and they can move on with their lives. But Tara, being the brash bitch that she is, passes on the chance.

Really? You’re going to pass this up? Madison isn’t impressed and before Tara can answer, she slaps her across the face, like a pimp to a ho. But Tara is quick on the draw. She lifts Madison up like she weighs nothing and slams her back first into the near wall. Oh hey. Handy placement. She screams “You’re mine, bitch!” and warns Madison to never touch her again. All while Madison stares at her like a child who has no idea why that just happened.

Later in the show, we see the preview for the upcoming streetfight between Mickie James and Winter but they can’t even wait until after the commercial break. As soon as we come back, they’re already battling it out in the lockerroom, conveniently with a referee. And it’s Earl Hebner, who just loves the Knockouts apparently. Winter has the upper hand and she just sends Mickie careening into a pair of metal trash cans. She tells the champion to give it up but the Virginia native fights back, only to be overpowered by the taller femme fatale. Winter drags her around the corner, shipping her into a…fence? Where the hell did that come from? Either way, Mickie sends a few boxes over in a sad attempt at defense, only to get her face smashed into one. Someone call UPS. This shit is going back!

Hebner asks Mickie if she’s ready to quit but Winter has other ideas. She’s removed her belt and slashes it down across Mickie’s back. The champ cries out and Winter taunts her, telling her she sounds like a little mouse. Our lash count makes it up to four before Mickie turns around, getting one across the stomach. Another pair to the backside and now they’re crawling up the steps, making their way to the ring. Something tells me that Winter has done this a time or two. Bobby, I’m looking at you.

From behind, Winter wraps that wide belt around Mickie’s throat and rears back, sucking the life out of her. Quick to maintain her hold, she rises up and starts dragging her new found foe to the stage, tossing her like a ragdoll across the metal when they reach destination. Mickie tries to crawl away, even managing to get a shot in when Winter stalks over to her but Morticia rounds her into the stage set. But Mickie is strong willed and gets a kick up, crawling up onto that same stage, coming down with a thesz press onto Winter. Multiple right hands but she isn’t going for a pin just yet. She’s looking for vengeance. She snags that leather belt and quick like a cat, Winter leaps out of the way.

WINTERLIKEAPUMA!

She jumps over to the ramp and tries to beg Mickie to step back but she keeps coming, sending them both rolling down the ramp. Rolling ALLLLL the way down the ramp. When they reach the bottom, Mickie tosses a couple of right hands then slings Winter, by the hair, down to the mat. She smacks her face against the floor but manages to shove Mickie into the guard rail in defense. She’s up and over at Mickie but the Knockouts Champion jumps up, wrapping those legs around Morticia’s neck. She executes the hurricarana, flipping Winter back down to the floor. Random thought but did anyone else notice the red gone from Mickie’s hair?

Anyway, Mickie takes a second to breathe then gets back on her opponent, rolling her into the ring. Come on! It’s a street fight! Fight on the street! Instead, she goes up to the top rope and as soon as Winter stands, she knocks her down with a high dropkick. It almost looks like she might have this one but she takes too long. Out of nowhere, Angelina Love springs into the ring and nails Mickie with that devastating backbreaker across the knees, rolling out of the ring before Hebner can notice. Winter had him distracted but it worked and with a crawl, she drapes an arm over the champion and gets the pin. You all know what it means when you pin the champion and so does Angelina. A smile spreads across her face and she gets in the ring, helping her mistress to her feet. She raises her hand in victory, smiling like she won the match while Winter…well, hot mess comes to mind. Haha.

Thoughts: Definite good showing this week. Both matches were very consistent and I definitely did not get bored. I think I’d have to say that the street fight was my favorite, even though I would kill to have made it last at least five more minutes. But we can’t always get what we want. Definitely wasn’t surprised with the outcome in that match, especially with the Angelina interference but hey, at least she looks normal again. I can’t say I’m surprised about Jackie getting the pin on Velvet either. It’ll be interesting to see if she and ODB actually “sign a contract” to become sanctioned Knockouts or if they just hang around, getting matches. From what I saw this week, Impact Wrestling is getting pretty good at that.

Also, cannot wait until July 14th when Tara and Madison finally get to go head to head. I would love for it to be a pay-per-view match but again, I refer back to my previous statement. Anyway, what did you guys think about this week’s Impact? Tell me about it! And until that time next week, my lovies! xoxo

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Tags Angelina Love Diva Dirt television Jacqueline Madison Rayne Mickie James Miss Tessmacher ODB Tara Velvet Sky Winter

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Wow, two matches on one show? How did we get so lucky? No, that’s not sarcasm. I’m genuinely pleased that there are two Divas matches on World Wrestling Entertainment Superstars this week, mostly because of the show’s reputation for producing longer, better Divas matches. Let’s see if these two matches deliver:

We start off with a 6-Diva tag team match, the team of AJ, Kaitlyn and Natalya making their way to the ring first. Next is the team of Alicia Fox (Christina Crawford) , Rosa Mendes and Tamina (Sarona Reiher). It’s interesting to see the different dynamics of these teams: the babyfaces enter practically arm-in-arm, while the heels are several feet apart. I like it: little touches like that sell their characters.

Natalya and Alicia, arguably the alpha females of their groups (unscientifically known as the one whose music plays during the entrance), are starting off the match. Natalya immediately takes control after the initial tie-up, slamming Alicia to the mat and locking in a side headlock. Quick as lightning, though, Alicia reverses control with a headscissors hold. Natalya leaps out of it easily, and the two have a quick exchange that ends with Natalya lifting Alicia off the ground, slamming her to the mat and attempting to lock in the Sharpshooter. Alicia immediately starts squirming, dragging Natalya along with her to her corner. She manages to tag in Tamina (Sarona Reiher) amidst all the thrashing, and Natalya, as she must, lets go of the hold.

The action slows down a great deal as Tamina (Sarona Reiher) enters the ring, and the two circle each other. Tamina (Sarona Reiher) shoves Natalya, who on the rebound latches on a side headlock. Tamina (Sarona Reiher) shoves her off again into the ropes, but this time she manages to take her down with a shoulder block. Tamina (Sarona Reiher) goes for the first pin attempt of the match, but Natalya kicks out at 2. Natalya takes another trip to the ropes, but is quick to leap onto Tamina (Sarona Reiher) on the return, twisting into a pin attempt. Tamina (Sarona Reiher) kicks out, and rebuffs Natalya’s renewed attempt at offense with a knee to the stomach. She takes Natalya into the enemy corner and tags in Rosa.

Rosa takes over and attempts a suplex on Natalya, only for it to be reversed into a delayed vertical suplex. She holds Rosa in the upside down position for a good long while before finally slamming her to the mat. A little slap to the face precedes a pin attempt, which Rosa kicks out of at 2. Natalya full-on carries Rosa to her corner, slamming her into the turnbuckle and tagging in Kaitlyn. Natalya whips Kaitlyn into Rosa, hitting her back-to-front. Kaitlyn picks up Rosa and hits her with a sidewalk slam, going for a pin that ends at the 2-count.

Jeering from the hell corner lures Kaitlyn over there, and Rosa takes the chance to attack her with her back turned. She drags her toward the center of the ring and full-on slams her face into the mat repeatedly, stomping on her stomach for good measure. She then tags in Tamina (Sarona Reiher), who strong-arms Kaitlyn into a clothesline. She then shoves her into the corner and chokes her against the 2nd turnbuckle, her foot on the back of Kaitlyn’s head. The referee objects, and with his back turned while he scolds Tamina (Sarona Reiher), Rosa and Alicia get to work choking Kaitlyn. When Tamina (Sarona Reiher) returns to the corner, she tags in Alicia.

Alicia man-handles Kaitlyn a bit before tagging Rosa in. These quick tag-outs are, I assume, aimed at keeping Kaitlyn stranded and weakened, and it’s a nice strategy. She can hardly catch her breath before there’s a new set of hands grabbing her hair. Rosa kicks Kaitlyn in the back and goes for the pin, which Kaitlyn kicks out of. Meanwhile, in the babyface corner, Natalya and AJ are trying to will Kaitlyn to battle back. Rosa holds Kaitlyn in a sitting position, straddling her shoulder and wrenching her neck. Kaitlyn seems to gather strength from her teammates, shoving Rosa off and blasting her with a shoulder tackle worthy of an NFL game. Dazed, both Divas crawl to their corners and tag out: Kaitlyn to AJ, Rosa to Alicia.

AJ is too quick for Alicia, going on a flurry of offense punctuated by a reverse of a tilt-a-whirl slam that ends with her landing on Alicia. She continues to pepper in offense before going for a pin. Apparently, Alicia’s teammates don’t have much faith in her ability to kick out, because they both bust in and break the pin. This brings in only Natalya, since Kaitlyn’s still recuperating, and she manages to take out both Rosa and Tamina (Sarona Reiher) single-handely, planting both with a double clothesline. As the mat clears of the extraneous Divas, AJ and Alicia battle for control, performing a series of twisting Irish whip reversals that resemble a strange dance routine. Alicia wins the “dance”, kicking AJ in the chest and attempting a scissors kick that AJ ducks away from, slipping Alicia into a surprise schoolboy pin. The momentum and quickness of this pin earns AJ the 3-count and the win for her team. The babyfaces exit, celebrating while the heels look furious.

I really enjoyed that match: it gave each Diva sufficient ring time. The in-ring work was great and told a story, each Diva’s style showing through: Kaitlyn and Tamina (Sarona Reiher) were hard-hitting, Natalya was quick and technical, Alicia showed her long-limbed athleticism and AJ was just plain fast on her feet. These 6 Divas work really well together, and though it’s a pretty standard good-girls-versus-bad-girls story, I like how it gives a decent showcase to each of them. World Wrestling Entertainment Superstars is a great place for this to play out, since (as we’ve seen recently) massive Diva Tag Team matches on the bigger shows results in few Divas actually getting in the ring, hasty ring work and a jumbled story. This match is proof that a show like this is perfect for Divas matches: the matches (and the Divas themselves) get to breathe. More, I say, more!

And we do get more! This time, it’s Divas singles action. Melina makes her entrance first, followed by her opponent and horrible friend Gail Kim. Before the match can start, the two stand in the middle of the ring arguing. This isn’t your standard trash talking, and you can tell it’s personal because it’s well after the bell rings that they even start the match. Melina rebuffs a handshake, and they circle each other before finally starting with a collar-and-elbow tie-up. The match starts very similar to the way the 6-Diva tag match started, with Gail taking Melina to the mat with a side headlock and Melina taking control with a headscissors hold. Gail, like Natalya, breaks the hold quickly and goes for a clothesline, which Melina ducks Matrix-style. she whips around and slams Gail with a snapmare, going for a pin. Gail kicks out after the 1-count.

Melina whips Gail into the corner and charges. Gail dodges the attack by slipping through the ropes, performing a sunset flip over the ropes to roll Melina into a pin attempt. Melina kicks out, and the two begin to trade blows, Melina being whipped into the corner. She stops herself, using the corner as leverage to leap bakcwards over a charging Gail. She lands on her feet but appears to hurt her left knee in the process. The ref tends to her and Gail, being a true babyface, waits for her to recover. Melina limps into a tie-up attempt, but her knee gives out, and Gail doesn’t attack, holding her up. She gestures to the referee, and this distraction allows Melina to slam Gail face-first into the mat, her knee miraculously healed. What a perfectly executed opossum play!

Melina takes control, battering Gail and hitting her with a dropkick in the corner. She props her up against the bottom turnbuckle, yelling repeatedly, “You were my best friend!” and then “How am I ever going to believe you now?!” She punctuates this with a slap and eventually relents to the referee’s objections, backing off. She hoists Gail up for a body slam, but Gail uses her weight to force the momentum in her favor, landing on Melina for a pin attempt, which Melina kicks out of. Gail immediately goes for another pin, this time with a backslide maneuver. Melina kicks out again. Both get to their feet quickly, and Melina manages to attack first, hitting Gail with a spinning facebuster. This prompts a pin attempt, but Gail kicks out at the 2-count.

Melina quickly latches on a sleeper hold, but with a few well-placed elbows Gail frees herself. Melina regains control though, punching Gail against the ropes and into the corner. Gail eventually battles back, hitting Melina with a dropkick and a flying clothesline, delivering a shoulder to the stomach when Melina retreats to the corner. She jumps and lands on the back of Melina’s neck sticking through the ropes and then scales the turnbuckle, hitting her with a missile dropkick. Both are moving slow after the attack, but Gail tries to get Melina in position for a pin. Melina senses this and hooks her arms around the bottom rope, trying to save herself. She kicks Gail away and goes for another well-placed kick, but Gail ducks out of the way, allowing Melina to land in a split on the mat. In this prone position Gail rolls her over in a cradle, pinning her for the 3-count and the win.

Instead of celebrating, Gail seems more concerned with the look on Melina’s face. Melina looks cold and angry, and Gail tells her that she’s crazy and that she was her friend. It doesn’t look like this match settled anything. Gail doesn’t even seem happy to get one-up on Melina, probably because it’ll result in more conflict between them.

I really enjoyed that match because, like the 6-Diva tag match, it really allowed the Divas to show their true colors and flesh out their styles. Melina was intense and pulled an excellent trick on Gail, while Gail was sympathetic (perhaps unwisely) and quick with her attacks, but not malicious. The story told in this match was great, though we still have no idea why they aren’t friends anymore. Gail seems reluctant to fully hate her, while Melina is clearly wanting retribution for some personal slight. Melina’s evilness was on full display with her playing opossum, and I wonder if she’ll try it again, trying to take advantage of Gail’s sympathy. I can’t wait for the next chapter in this feud, and I hope that they’ll get the chance (whether on the internet or on television) to flesh out the story a bit more and shed some light on why Melina feels so wronged and why Gail thinks Melina needs a straight jacket.

Both matches this week were great, in my opinion. They were similar in a few ways (starting off with similar moves and ending with a surprise roll-up) but both offered different things: the tag match gave much needed in-ring exposure to a good number of SmackDown girls, while Gail and Melina’s match further solidified the rift between those two. I wouldn’t complain if these two storylines continued on World Wrestling Entertainment Superstars, since it’s clear that the Divas matches on this show will, more often than not, be better and longer than those on the bigger television shows. It’s kind of fitting that the internet seems to be a haven for Divas, with Gail and Melina fleshing out their storyline on Twitter and YouTube and the internet-only World Wrestling Entertainment Superstars giving them a place for matches that don’t end in the blink of an eye. I say, use it to your advantage, Divas! The internet is a big place, and Raw and SmackDown are only 2-hour shows. The limits surrounding the Divas somehow seem to be lessened in this light, and I love it.

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Tags AJ Alicia Fox (Christina Crawford) Diva Dirt television Gail Kim Kaitlyn Melina Natalya Rosa Mendes Tamina (Sarona Reiher)

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Check out the new episode of WSU Uncensored ahead of the WSU Uncensored Rumble iPPV this Saturday:

“In this Uncensored Rumble iPPV Preview Edition, we recap all the latest personal issues that are going on in WSU. Also in this episode is a special look at WSU 2011 Hall of Famer, April Hunter. Mercedes Martinez, Jessicka Havok, Alicia, Brittney Savage, The Belle Saints, The Boston Shore, Nikki Roxx and Sassy Stephanie are just some of the WSU Wrestlers covered in WSU Uncensored #15.”

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Lucha Libre USA recently continued taping for their upcoming second season.

While a premiere date has still yet to be announced, below you can check out spoilers from the most recent set of tapings.

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In the emotional climax of Betty M. Park’s documentary Mamachas del Ring, champion female wrestler, Carmen Rosa, faced with an ultimatum by her husband to give up her wrestling career or lose her family, informs the camera that she “can’t leave wrestling and she can’t leave her family either.” It is in the moments that follow that the viewers see the exactly what is in Carmen Rosa’s heart, as her tears and anguish read on her face. Without saying a word, we come to see the emotional tax that balancing multiple identities (wife, mother, business owner, professional wrestler) has taken on our heroine and are almost forced to reflect on our own passions, and the highs and lows we have experienced because of them.

Mamachas tells the story of Carmen Rosa, champion cholita (female wrestler) of Bolivia, and three other cholitas, Yolanada, Julia and Martha, who experience unprecedented fame both in Bolivia and internationally as cholita wrestling gains prominence. Carmen Rosa was on top of the world. She and her fellow Mamachas were not only booked consistently by major wrestling promoter Don Juan Mamani’s Gitano League (think Vincent K. McMahon and the World Wrestling Entertainment ), they were also booked for a large scale tour of Peru, appearing on several popular Peruvian television shows; receiving national media attention.

And then it was all taken away.

Exclusive: ‘Mamachas del Ring’ Director Betty M Park Talks About the Film’s DVD Release, How the Film Came About More

A story of betrayal and struggle soon develops as Carmen and the Mamachas are banned from the Gitano League by the promoter, jealous of their success. There’s also a personal struggle for Carmen when her husband gives her the aforementioned ultimatum.

As we watch Carmen Rosa quickly dispose of a male passerby on the street, who compares her being a cholita akin to being a prostitute, we have no choice but to become invested in this traditionally dressed Aymaran (indigenous) woman in her bowler hat and long skirt, and wonder how such a matronly looking woman can become a champion.

Image Credit: Mamachas del Ring

Utilizing a character driven approach, director Betty M. Park puts the viewer in the driver’s seat, showing us via interviews and voice-overs, Carmen Rosa’s point of view as she and her peers experience the world of women’s wrestling in Bolivia. Yet what separates this documentary from many of its contemporaries is the creative use of claymation in order to reenact past conflicts as well as emotions that could not be displayed via traditional film. This is especially true in the scenes exploring the allegations that Don Juan Mamani became jealous of the Mamachas, kicked them out of his league and made it his mission to ruin the Mamachas’ careers forever. While a voice-over or interview from Carmen Rosa would state the point just as clearly, it is the clay animation that provides the viewer with a visual and places them in the heat of the moment.

If there are any drawbacks to the documentary (and any would be miniscule) it is that Carmen Rosa is so fleshed out and engaging that the other characters are often absent. While Carmen is certainly dynamic enough to carry a documentary on her shoulders, it would have been interesting to see a little more of her fellow Mamachas, Yolanda,Julia, and especially, Martha. I would be particularly interested to learn their perspectives on Carmen, for her passion is definitely strong enough to polarize those around her. However, the absence of these voices does not detract from the enjoyment of the film in any way.

‘Mamachas del Ring’ Documentary Coming to DVD Next Week, Watch the Trailer

It is the Mamachas’ attempts to not only make it in the wrestling world on their own, but balance their love for women’s wrestling with the gender roles that society restricts them to, that tugs at the viewer’s heartstrings. The world of independent wrestling is an unforgiving one, but as Mamachas del Ring demonstrates, it is arguably harder for women, as evidenced by Carmen Rosa taking extra bookings to financially take care of her children, and simultaneously battling the emotions involved with leaving her family for days at a time. Coming to a head in the scene described in the introductory paragraph, Carmen Rosa is set up to defy the odds again and again.

Image Credit: Mamachas del Ring

However, the most emotional aspect of this film, and the reason for my glowing review, is not in how these seemingly unbreakable foreign women defy the odds in a sport built for men, nor does it have anything to do with wrestling. It is in how universal these themes are for all individuals who have ever struggled with a passion against all odds. From those of us who grew up with single parents forced to meet that they can’t meet themselves, to those of us who wished to pursue an interest that is not popular with our peers, Mamachas del Ring serves as a a sense of motivation. If Carmen Rosa can run her own wrestling company, represent her Aymaran traditions, entertain her loyal followers and continuously fight to improve the plight of women everywhere, then why can’t we accomplish our own dreams?

In conclusion, this documentary is definitely one worth seeing. Director Betty M. Park has created nothing short of a masterpiece. In what could have been little more than a character study of a woman wrestling in a country many of us will never travel to, we are instead provided with an emotional and relatable human being, exposing every last strength and flaw.

Heart wrenching and raw, this documentary is one that belongs in your DVD collection.

Rating: 5/5

Mamachas del Ring is available on DVD now. Click here to purchase.

Visit the official Mamachas del Ring website here.

Follow Mamachas del Ring on Twitter and Facebook.

Watch the trailer below:

– Additional reporting by Melanie

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Another interview with World Wrestling Entertainment Diva, Kelly Kelly, from the E3 convention has been posted online.

In this interview, its confirmed that there will be a Divas Elimination Chamber in the upcoming World Wrestling Entertainment ’12 video game.

Watch below:

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Looks like the Smashing Pumpkins aren’t the only band featuring Shelly Martinez in their video. Shelly and Total Nonstop Wrestling Knockout, Winter, feature in the Electrolightz music video for Miss Outta Control.

Exclusive: On Set Pictures from Smashing Pumpkins “Owata” Video Shoot

Watch below:

Shelly will also star in the Pumpkins’ video for Owata which premieres June 28th.

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Tags Shelly Martinez Winter

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Image Credit: Vickie Guerrero

Vickie Guerrero recently spoke to Kevin Eck at the Baltimore Sun about a number of topics, ranging from her recent weight loss, her daughter in Florida Championship Wrestling and more. The interview touches on a lot of interesting topics and is well worth your time. A few highlights:

Talking about her recent weight loss, Vickie says:

“I’ve lost 52 pounds. My secret was to stop eating all the junk food after leaving the arenas. I never really trained the first four years I was with World Wrestling Entertainment , so I wasn’t happy with how I looked and I wanted to have some improvement, so I found a personal trainer and also started doing the nutrition side of it. I’m really happy with the results, and I probably have like 20 more pounds to go. You cut out breads; you cut out all the junk food. I don’t drink any more sodas. I just eat healthy chicken and steak and rice. I don’t have any fried foods. I do have my cheat days and I look forward to them because you have to enjoy life. It’s so bad at our catering at work because our dessert table is bigger than our entrée table, so I save my Mondays and Tuesdays for a piece of cake or something that’s sweet. That’s my reward if I work hard during the week.”

Vickie also discusses her feelings on jokes being made about her weight on World Wrestling Entertainment television:

“They really didn’t bother me. Well, I guess they did to an extent, but not to where I was feeling bad about myself. It was who I was. We have beautiful women that work with us, and when I was in the locker room with them and we’re dressing and stuff, I would look at them and be like, ‘Oh, this is ridiculous. I’m going to change.’ I wanted to feel good being a part of their group and to live a lifestyle that was going to be promoted with the World Wrestling Entertainment . Now when they say the jokes, it’s like, ‘Whatever.’ [laughs] The jokes have helped grow my character to what it is. I just kind of roll with it and leave it behind me when I leave the arena. Again, there’s the character and then there’s the real person. You can’t take what’s going on at work personally.”

On her daughter Shaul joining Florida Championship Wrestling as Raquel Diaz:

“I’m so proud of her. I got to see her a couple times in Tampa, and she’s working really hard. She’s always wanted to do this. She loves the lifestyle and she looks just like Eddie in the ring and has a lot of his characteristics. Hopefully, I can work with her later on up the road.”

You can read more of the interview here.

Vickie has also posted pictures from a recent photoshoot (see above) showing off her weight loss. You can seen them on her Twitter page.

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Several Divas, including Brie and Nikki Bella and Eve Torres, are spotted in the official promo for this year’s SummerSlam pay per view.

In the commercial, the Divas are seen strutting out of the water, not dissimilar to the classic scene in the James Bond movie, Dr. No.

Do the Divas do it better? Watch below:

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Tags Brie Bella Eve Torres Nikki Bella

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Watching this past Monday’s 14-Diva tag match, something dawned me: The Divas division has almost regressed in the span of a few weeks. With Lay-Cool done and dusted and Kharma on the shelf, there’s no real glue holding the division together. Seeing all 14 Divas on the roster right now all together made me realize that we’ve fallen into a lull.

This is not a knock on any of the girls themselves, because I truly think given the right opportunity, every one of those girls can surprise the audience in some way, rather, the problem I have is with World Wrestling Entertainment not utilizing the girls as they should. The harsh reality that we’ve all come to terms with over the past few years is that the Divas will always be second fiddle and we shouldn’t expect miracles, but even with severe handicaps on the division (i.e. lengths of matches), the division has managed to succeed best the past 18 months or so when focused around certain Divas, for example Lay-Cool or Kharma. In quick succession, we lost Lay-Cool and we lost Kharma. Now, perhaps the writers had long-term plans to build the division around Kharma which they had to scrap through no fault of their own (or Kharma’s), so we must offer them that concession, but really, by now, they should have dusted themselves off and found a new direction to go in.

I’m not one of those people that is in the school of thought that girls like the Bellas or Kelly shouldn’t be used. That we should only concentrate on the ‘wrestlers’ like Beth, Natalya and Gail. Those girls are obviously extremely talented, but this is the World Wrestling Entertainment after all and that is the nature of the beast. And as I said, I think given the right opportunities, girls like the Bellas and Kelly can surprise the audience. Case in point: The twins’ promo on Kharma a few weeks ago. That was one of the rare moments where they got an opportunity to sell themselves to the audience and they took that opportunity and ran with it. The next week? Back to a short match with no real storyline. A similar thing happened with Eve Torres last year when she cut a great promo on The Miz and was then back to doing the usual Diva thing the following week. None of these small flashes of brilliance are built upon, and thus the Divas stay one-dimensional, with no real flair to their characters to tell them apart. World Wrestling Entertainment may tout its girls as ‘Smart, sexy and powerful’, but we all know which one the emphasis is on. (Hint: sadly, it’s not smart and it’s not powerful.)

World Wrestling Entertainment put the Bellas in that segment with Kharma for a reason: To give them a rub from the outgoing star. They did a good job that night in utilizing the twins but the following week, aside from a passing mention on commentary, there was no real follow-up. That segment should’ve been a catalyst to continue to develop the Bellas the following week, and the week after, and the week after that. Put them in backstage segments, have them mock other Divas — or have other girls stand up for Kharma. Build their characters as with Lay-Cool and Kharma. Instead, it looks like we’ve gone back to the meaningless multi-Diva matches.

The 14-Diva tag match (complete with chorus line!) on Monday was symbolic to me — symbolic of the silly matches we saw on a near-weekly basis before the likes of Lay-Cool began to gain steam. Multi-Diva matches with no real bearing week-to-week on storyline, silly matches like the Diva Bowl and so forth. Of course, matches like this haven’t gone away all together but I feel like I’ve seen more focus on storylines and feuds in the past 18 months in addition to the silly stuff.

With Kharma, World Wrestling Entertainment proved that they can give Divas a spotlight. They promoted her all over the place, made her seem like a star attraction and thus the fans responded. The episode of Raw where she announced her pregnancy, that announcement was teased throughout the two hours — something we rarely see for a Divas segment. So we know that the writers can, in fact, write something more substantial for the Divas on a weekly basis, but as soon as Kharma was gone, so was that creativity. Kharma wouldn’t have worked if they put the same effort (rather, lack of effort) they put into the other Divas. She worked partly because she is indeed an attraction, but also because World Wrestling Entertainment put more effort into her character.

So, here we are on Monday. Seeing those 14 Divas in the ring together, it felt like something was lacking. There was no real star power in the ring. We had 14 girls that look great, but where’s the Kharma-like figure? Where are the Lay-Cool-like figures? Kelly and the Bellas have received pushes of late, but even their feud has been nonsensical — one week it’s on, the next week it goes no where. Beth Phoenix was an attraction in the division, but has barely been seen on television in the past couple of months and frankly, has been mishandled since her return from injury last November. Natalya, who was riding high at the top of the division going into 2011, is now a ‘coach’ on SmackDown. In fact, there’s probably something along the those lines that you could say about every Diva in that match. Again, this is not a knock on any of the girls; it’s through no fault of their own. But seeing all of our current Divas in the ring this past week, they all sort of got muddled together. No one stood out as a clear star in the division. Sure, the division has its problems, but I would say, we knew, as fans, where we stood. We knew that Lay-Cool were the top heels, or that Kharma was the big monster Diva. We knew. Right now, I don’t know that the Bellas are the top heels. (Okay, they have the belts but that doesn’t define your character.) I don’t know that Kelly is the top babyface. I don’t know what makes them stand out from their peers because they aren’t given the chance to.

What can World Wrestling Entertainment do to get the division on track? As I said, I think the division works best when centered around one girl or a duo. Fans may cry that they’re overexposed, but story wise, concentrating on one character or two characters has proven to work. Focus the division around the Bellas, they are your champions after all and have them do more. Give them a challenger who they can torment. Give them promos to build up their characters. Give them backstage segments interacting with the guys. Hey, if even a likable male wrestler is shown to dislike the Bellas in a backstage segment, that tells the audience something — even the guys don’t like these girls, they must be bad. Taking the storylines out of the confines of just the Divas division and giving them wider context in the show, i.e. the male wrestlers rooting for a certain girl, disliking a certain girl, could help make the audience care more too.

The division has its issues and those will probably always be there (three minute matches etc.), but there are things that World Wrestling Entertainment can do. Picking a star or two to succeed Kharma should be the first step.

– You can follow Melanie on Twitter at @MelanieTeamDD.

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Next week sees the DVD release of Mamachas del Ring, a poignant documentary following the journey of four female wrestlers as they challenge the male-dominated industry in Bolivia. As well as their professional struggles, the documentary depicts the personal struggles of Carmen Rosa as she juggles her love of wrestling with her life as a wife and mother.

Ahead of the DVD release, we talk to the film’s director, Betty M Park, about how she discovered the mamachas, how the film came about the process of producing the film, playing it at festivals and the DVD release. Diva Dirt is proud to support this documentary and hope our visitors will too!
Listen to the interview below:

Download the interview by right-clicking here and selecting ‘Save Target As’ or stream the interview below:

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Mamachas del Ring is out on DVD on June 21st. Click here to purchase.

For more information about the film visit the official website and follow the Twitter page.

Watch the trailer below:

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In a list of the top 25 managers in World Wrestling Entertainment history, Hall of Famer Sensational Sherri Martel ranked the highest female at #5, beating out the likes of Sunny and more.

Also making the list is Sunny (#11), Miss Elizabeth (#13), Vickie Guerrero (#15), Stephanie McMahon (#19) and Terri Runnels (as alter-ego Marlena, #24).

Of Sherri, World Wrestling Entertainment .com writes:

But it was the volatile valet’s relationship with a young Shawn Michaels that placed her so high on this list. “Go back and look at when Shawn really started to develop — Sherri was right there,” Striker said. “It was Sherri whispering in Shawn’s ear, ‘you’re the best,” that blew his head up and the World Wrestling Entertainment Universe can only be thankful that she did.”

Thoughts: I’m pleasantly surprised to see Vickie rank so highly, as she was so memorable with Edge (Adam Copeland). Perhaps the other person I would’ve added is Lita — you can’t deny the Team Xtreme craze. But then again, perhaps the emphasis is on the word ‘team’ rather than her being the Hardys’ manager.

Do you agree with the rankings? Anyone conspicuous by their absence?

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Tags Miss Elizabeth Sensational Sherri Stephanie McMahon Sunny Terri Runnels Vickie Guerrero

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Jessicka Havok‘s new promotion Dropkick Divas had it inaugural show last night in Canton, OH. Check out the results from the show below:

Match 1: Allysin Kay- AK def. Side Saddle Sally

Match 2: Angel Dust def. Brittany Force

Match 3:Amanda Ruffin def. Big Mama

Match 4: Jessicka Havok def. Sassy Stephie.

Match 5: 6 Woman Battle Royal – Big Momma eliminated first by all, Britney force eliminated 2nd, Amanda Ruffin eliminated 3rd by a double team from Jessicka Havok and Allysin Kay, Allysin Kay eliminated by Sassy Stephie, and finally Jessicka Havok eliminated by Sassy Stephie.

Winner: Sassy Stephie

Congratulations to Jessicka Havok on a successful first show!

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Every week, following World Wrestling Entertainment .com and Total Nonstop WrestlingWrestling.com’s photoshoot updates, we’ll take a look at the newest Diva and Knockout shoots and give you the opportunity to voice your opinions on them in a feature we lovingly call Unwrapped. Let’s unwrap this week’s eye candy, featuring Eve, Maryse, and Melina:

Eve
Eve looks quite pretty in this empire-waisted dress. It flatters her really well, showing off her toned arms and legs. Her big hair gives the whole look a kind of vintage feel, though it’s still undoubtedly modern. I love the simple color scheme, and how the accents at the waist are echoed in the bracelet. It’s all a very put together look. Her poses, though, are a little less interesting. She’s mostly cool and friendly, but there’s not much spark in the photos. I kind of understand, with the toned-down colors, why she’s not giving peppy wide-mouth smiles, but I still feel like the mood of the shoot is too toned down. The plain black background probably doesn’t help either. It’s just, when I look at these photos, I don’t see much that’s memorable, aside from the dress, and I always prefer it when the shoot is carried by the Diva, not the clothes.
Rating: • • • • •
• View the photoshoot.

Maryse
This is definitely a classic Maryse style photoshoot: she’s wearing something with a high fashion feel to it with some big, wavy hair and plenty of flashy jewelry. The dress looks gorgeous on her, with its fit and design complimenting her curves in a lot of ways. The lines of the dress pull the eye to her waist instead of her chest, and I think that’s a much more stylish way to look sexy. Her poses are, as always, evidence to her haughtiness: she frequently looks off-camera and tosses up her signature “talk to the hand” gesture. Maryse has really perfected the holier-than-thou poses, making them look anything but forced. The whole package, from the dress to the accessories to the poses is, like I said, classic Maryse. She looks beautiful and is posing like she knows it.
Rating: • • • • •
• View the photoshoot.

Melina
Melina, as usual, is thinking outside the box, and in this shoot has decided to pose alongside a semi truck. With its interesting colors and textures, it really adds something to the shoot, and Melina doesn’t let it go to waste, working several angles from posing in front of the grill to leaning against its side to hanging off the passenger side door. She creates a lot of interesting photos, showing plenty of attitude. It’s a different kind of attitude, though: she’s not sneering, but even her smiles show a bit of her heelish confidence. Her outfit compliments her slightly grungy surroundings, wearing black pants with lacy cutouts, high-heeled black boots and a corset-like tank top with a decidedly grungy font adorning it. It’s definitely an outfit that works better in these surroundings than it would in a regular studio shoot, because it’s got a lot going on and the big shiny semi kind of helps take some of the focus. Speaking of shine, her hair and makeup are gorgeous in their own right.
Rating: • • • • •
• View the photoshoot.

Which photoshoot did you like best? Vote in the poll below and speak your mind in the comments!

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Tags Eve Torres Maryse Melina

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