FORMER WWE DIVAS CHAMPION, NIKKI BELLA HAS SAID THAT REALITY TV SHOW TOTAL DIVAS HAD A BIG PART TO PLAY IN HELPING RE-ENERGISE WOMEN’S WRESTLING IN THE WWE.
The Fearless One has gone from being just a cast member on E! Entertainment’s hit television show to an executive producer says the show should receive more credit for what it does for the division.
Speaking to PWInsider, the thirty-three-year-old said that the show has meant that more women are becoming more involved in wrestling by coming to house shows.
“I think Total Divas helped start the women’s revolution, Total Divas led to more women started coming to our show. I think Total Divas has done so much for women’s wrestling. It was the first time that we got an hour of TV to ourselves, to really showcase what women do.”
In the exclusive interview, longest-reigning Divas Champion in modern history, said that the show is just as influential as those who join from the NXT developmental brand and says the bashing of Total Divas in promos ruined the credibility of the show.
“What is unfortunate is that when Total Divas was succeeding and we became a hit reality show, they let people with a mic in the ring just bash it and us Total Divas never got a response. So, with the fans, it began to give Total Divas a bad name, ‘Oh, they are just reality stars. I don’t feel Total Divas gets enough credit because the words ‘reality show’ has ruined it for people. I think certain people also, characters for the company, have ruined it as well out of pure jealousy. I’ll admit that.”
What Nikki Bella could be referring to is the August 2013 promo from AJ Lee who has since left the company. She was seemingly given the freedom of the reigns to air her views and the way it was delivered, seemed like a damning verdict on the divas division.
AJ Lee was a massive influence in the divas division during her time with the company and her positive reaction with the older demographic of fans made those who were on Total Divas look weak, with many of the divas named, unhappy in the words she used to portray them.
Since AJ Lee’s departure, women’s wrestling has become a more consistent thing in wrestling with the two brands both having a Women’s Champion and in the last eighteen months, we have seen a female Hell in a Cell match and a Women’s Money in the Bank match, earlier this year.
JORDAN’S THOUGHTS
Personally I feel that there is a good balance between Total Divas and the actual wrestling taken place on both brands.
A good example of this is Natalya who has worked extremely hard and until her recent title win, could be described as an underrated superstar. Her feud with Nikki Bella which was also shown on Total Divas shows how the show can benefit both WWE Television and E Television.
The show gives us an in-depth look to the lives of these divas and sometimes the personal stories that these women go through can help them receive more of a reaction from the crowd, for those who watch both Total Divas and WWE shows.
The show itself isn’t going to be a cup of tea for every wrestling fan but it’s good in what it does for selling the profile of a women’s wrestler. It has clearly shown it has a pull as a number of NXT Diva’s have chosen to go on the show, so in a way yes, Total Diva’s has helped shape the Women’s Revolution.
All in all, I believe that both those who have and haven’t appeared on Total Divas have helped contribute to the division and each superstar should be proud of their efforts to give the division a much-needed make over.