Oct 15 2009
The Diva Trade
There was a diva trade this week that sent seven women to new homes. The composition of the shows has really changed. In my opinion, horribly. I will get to that later.
First, the big trade was Melina moving to Raw. She showed up the same night to add more momentum to this trade by winning the Diva’s Championship. That caused the controversial switch from Mickie James to Jillian to Melina. Melina becomes the new top face of the show. There is one thing my paranoid mind wants to add. It is interesting how there were rumors earlier this year that Melina was unhappy about leaving Raw. Those turned into rumors about her being unhappy to be away from John Morrison. And rumors came up about her backstage attitude again at least once. As usual, I do not trust the majority of these reports, unless cited by a credible source, such as an interview. But now that Melina is back on Raw, why are these rumor sites not vomiting up reports about that being due to her unhappiness on Smackdown? Why are these sites making it seem like the whole trade was done to punish Mickie James? I have seen other fans make similar comments about Melina. Triple H spent more time on Smackdown than she did. Interestingly enough, Triple H left Raw with gold, and then returned the next year with gold. Melina left Raw with gold, and then returned to win gold straight away. Draw your own conclusions. I just find it interesting, I am not going to try to imply anything about it.
The next big move, announced right on Raw, was Beth Phoenix to Smackdown. She has been on Raw her entire WWE career. Many would say that the Diva’s Championship would look stupid on her. Matter of opinion, but she is now on the brand where the “real” title is. And the fact that they did announce her move specifically on Raw shows that she is still supported by the WWE. Beth fans really need to stop crying. Beth is not dead yet. She may even be feuding for the title very soon.
Mickie James, right after losing her title, gets drafted to Smackdown. She does not get a rematch. She does not get to continue her feud with Maryse. However, she had to be moved. How can Mickie and Melina coexist on the same show? Raw has two popular faces treated as credible wrestlers? Smackdown is left with…..Maria? Surely, they could have sent Kelly Kelly there instead of Mickie, right? That would have made for some good matches on Smackdown. Fact is, Mickie James is now the top face on Smackdown. A lot of rumors are saying it was all a punishment for Mickie’s weight, sloppy matches, frustration, and whatever else. I did not really want to revisit it, but since a reader recently left me a comment basically treating the rumor as fact, kind of an insult after I spent time trying to explain that Mickie James is not usually the one to blame for the sloppy spots in recent months, I may be talking about Mickie James a lot more in coming days. Mickie James had been on Raw for four years, longer than any of the current divas. She finally gets traded, which was rumoured to suppose to happen last year. In my opinion, it is a great move. Smackdown’s diva division is sometimes treated with a bit more respect than on Raw. The least experienced heel is Layla, but even she has stepped up. Hopefully, Mickie can finally shake the bad luck she has been having.
Speaking of bad luck, as I mentioned yesterday, a lot of it was found in her matches with Rosa Mendes. Rosa could not hold up her end too often, which led to Mickie James taking the heat. But Rosa has a nice reward now. She is on ECW. That is sarcasm. It was the smartest move to get her away from real wrestling. Just like taking her away from Beth illustrates, the WWE knows that Rosa is not good. Many rumor sites treated that as a punishment for Beth, and for the last time (probably not really the last time), I stand by the idea that it is now even clearer that it was for Beth’s own good. It amazes me how the WWE did Beth that favor, but continuously made Mickie work directly against Rosa. Mickie James is not FCW. She can only try to help get the woman over and looking good, she cannot perform for her. Point is, Rosa has fallen from grace. One of the last great diva storylines on Raw was Rosa’s debut. That got killed off in a matter of months. Looking back, I am sorry I wished they treated her debut better. They never should have rushed her so fast. I am glad they killed it. I have no high hopes for her on ECW. She is one step closer to release.
Staying on ECW, they lost the Bellas to Raw. I do not know where to begin. In one year, they go from Smackdown to Raw to ECW to Raw. Obviously, they will be used better on Raw. They might as well be on Raw, since they were constantly showing up there anyway. Good to see them staying together too.
The final trade was Smackdown’s Eve going to Raw. No real complaints. They were not building a feud between her and McCool anyway, which I wanted, so she can get another slow build on Raw.
Now I am going to explain why I do not like this trade. The ratios are just horrible. Just mentioning ECW, they lose two divas and gain one who may be on her way out sooner or later. I will not even say more.
On Raw, they lose Mickie James, Beth Phoenix, and Rosa Mendes. They gain Melina and Eve. Unless someone turns heel, Melina, Eve, Gail Kim, the Bellas, and Kelly Kelly are the faces. Jillian and Alicia Fox are the healthy heels. Maryse will return soon. Six faces and three heels? Two of the faces have good enough experience in the ring. One heel has that right now. That is right, until Maryse returns, Jillian is the top heel, apparently. That is another reason why they had to give her the title for at least a while. Without that, who is the leader between Alicia and Jillian? Jillian has the experience, but Alicia has probably pinned more people since coming to Raw than Jillian has all year. Plus Jillian has a gimmick that makes her a joke. For Jillian to be taken seriously for the brief role as top heel she may have, she needed credibility fast. Mickie James jobbing to her as she did was meant to do that. As I mentioned before, even though Jillian’s feet were on the ropes, Mickie sold the finish strongly enough to make Jillian look good. How long will it last, if that is where the WWE even goes? At least until Maryse returns. But I really do not expect to see that many great matches out of this set up. And why does it seem so glamour-orientated? Melina and Eve, the new divas, have that going for them. Kelly Kelly is about looks. Maryse is obviously in the same league. Alicia Fox is there somewhat. The Bellas were used on Raw as models. And Jillian is singing Lady Gaga now?
On Smackdown, they lose Eve and Melina, but gain Mickie James and Beth Phoenix. They gain two women hired for serious wrestling ability and lose the Paparazzi Princess and a model learning to wrestle? It may be that they are really trying to stack Smackdown as a serious place for women’s wrestling. Why would that be a punishment for Mickie James? Then again, there is one huge problem. Who are the faces? Mickie James and Maria? Unless someone turns face, who are the heels? Michelle McCool, Beth Phoenix, Natalya, and Layla? You have one experienced face. Almost all the heels are experienced. In terms of number and experience, you once again have a mismatch. Although, it seems they may tease some tension between Beth and McCool over the Women’s Championship. If that happens, someone, probably Beth, may turn face. They seriously need another credible face. With the way the Smackdown diva roster is composed, I would not be surprised if they debut some of their experienced women in FCW there.
Looking at the whole picture, I think it is a mess. Obviously, the WWE were in trouble in that it will not be around six months until the Draft, but many diva feuds had been exhausted. People were tired of seeing Beth take on Mickie on Raw, although you now get to see it on Smackdown! 
Melina vs. McCool has happened too many times. The only persons getting title shots since the 2009 Draft were McCool and Melina. No one else was being built up. Mickie James having to work with the inexperienced Rosa was not doing her any favors. There were no fresh title feuds on Raw. The WWE were building them up poorly and just letting them go to waste. They switched their top two faces around. Rumors are saying that Mickie James is frustrated about being traded and how it went down. I will say more on that another day, but keep in mind that rumors said almost the same exact thing for Melina. Just like I said for her, these rumors are pretty much crap most of the time. Beyond that switch, the others should bring fesh feuds and matches, although the ratios are a huge problem. How long until feuds run stale again? In any case, at least Rosa is away from anything major.
I didnt mean to insult you or anything because i love reading your blogs and opinions on everything cause you explain it well with facts. I wrote what i was thinking at the time. Yes i do look at pictures and my dad and I both said mickie has gain some weight but i dont care about that I think she is the most beautiful woman in the whole wwe hands down. I think this move is great for her because i wanted her to go to smackdown for a long time because she has done everything she can to me on raw.
Yes i did read the rumors and everything but i dont believe them. When mickie lost her divas belt like that my dad and I just turn off the t.v because we were shocked and felt that mickie should have not been embrassed like that. Honestly in my opinion i think mickie is frustrated with everything that is happening now. I love the woman but she does need some time off.
She’s been working non stop since her debut in 2005. I hope this move will help out with her storylines and get something going. But there is one thing you said it was that WWE doesnt care about mickie’s popularity, did you ever think that maybe they are tryin to get people to not like mickie so she can become a great heel character. Honestly if mickie turned back to crazy mickie everybody would love her and that is not what a heel character is, they are supposed to make people hate them.
I still disagree about Mickie’s weight gain. If you are going to talk about weight gain, you have to realize that Mickie’s weight is going to fluctuate. And because she is so small in comparison to all the other divas, and thicker, it is going to show more. But look at pics from her during the match where the divas were wearing boxing gear.
http://gi271.photobucket.com/groups/jj139/3JQPCGOL22/normal_RAW_848_Photo_051.jpg
Without that baggy wrestling gear, she looks even better. There are times where she has gained a bit of weight, that is true. But I disagree that it is the case now. She was looking pretty good. And if you say you don’t believe the rumors going around, I don’t think you should give much credibility to the weight idea they are tossing around. I will talk about it in a blog article, but it is just idiotic.
I also agree greatly that Mickie deserved time off. Not time off of WWE TV, but time off from either being pushed heavily but not well or not getting anything at all. When she gets depushed out of the title scene, she usually just ends up as a random tag partner or gets nothing at all. Title feuds or nothing should not be the only options to get used on TV. They should give her actual storylines outside of the title picture. Mickie James has never had a real storyline that saw a real finish since her debut angle. It has all been a series of title pushes, nothing, and a bunch of angles that got killed before anything could be done. That is frustrating, especially when the wrestlers she is expected to work with through her only outlet of staying over (ring action) are sometimes so inexperienced. Sadly, now that she is on Smackdown, she will not get a good break out of the main scene anyway. She is the only credible face right now, unless they turn one of the heels. Maria cannot carry the division. It will be more work in the ring for Mickie. The way I wanted it, Mickie would lose the title in a more credible fashion, Gail Kim would step up to the title scene, and Mickie would get a good angle to build her up as a main-event player.
That is an interesting idea you have about the WWE trying to kill Mickie’s popularity so she can be a good heel. I may actually talk about that one day. However, I can just say that if that is the WWE’s intention, they are going about it horribly. Burying a talent so fans will stop liking them so they can then turn heel is not how it is done. A burial kills momentum. A face can turn into a good heel without the burial of momentum. CM Punk is an example of that. If they really wanted to turn Mickie heel, and obviously not psycho Mickie, they can do it smarter through actual storylines, not by killing popularity.
Hi Ragged ;
Havent been able to post, site wouldnt scroll down far enough for months, now its working.
Mickie wasnt buried Monday night, she was executed. You can’t create a new # 1 Diva in the Company til you whack the old one, thats what happened. Changing of the Guard, the Company # 1 Diva works Raw.
Jobbing to the Company Jobber ?
WWE humiliates talent who are headed out the door that way. Vince loves Melina and Maryse, and Raw is more of a sitcom/variety show than a wrestling show these days, he wants more “excitement”.
(Which is another slap at Mickie).
The Gail Kim match was BAD, Mickie got reamed out by Stephanie McMahon for unprofessional conduct, the tv close up shots were terrible.
Getting on the bad side of the Head of WWE Creative and the Boss’s daughter is a bad place to be.
The stuff about her weight is the WWE coverall excuse,
My God…………..did you see the photo shoot with the football jersey ?? She looks fantastic, healthy and NORMAL. WWE has never “gotten” that about Mickie, that she looks NORMAL (and one of the reasons she gets big pops), they want the blond stick figure Supermodel look.
Her work ethic ? They had no problem with her work ethic when she worked Raw (and got destroyed by Beth and Alicia) and the South American Tour, just a week after having surgery.
Mickie has been doing this 11 years, lots of bumps, matches and miles.She has more in -ring experience than some of the guys on the roster. That comes with a price. Age catches up with all of us, and Mickie too.
Has she slowed down, lost maybe a step. Yes. Can she work like she did 2 years ago, No. (Especially with the Rosas of WWE). She’s 30, not a kid anymore. Trish and Lita walked away at 32, Trish only worked 7 years, no matches at County Fairs or used car lots like Mickie did on her way up.
Smackdown wont be any better, there’s only 1 Diva (with considerable backstage clout) that shines there.
WWE should be taking care of Mickie, not humiliating her.
Monday night was a DISGRACE.
Thanks again for letting me post, enjoy your writing.
Documented the History for you.
FromDivaDirt.com (Great site, check it out)
Source is Credible (Inside the Diva locker room)
Diva Trade Details: Mickie Punished, Jillian Push & More » Diva Dirt
The fallout from the Diva Trade last night is still being felt and now details are starting to pour in. A source backstage at Raw last night tells us:
- The reason for Mickie James‘ move to SmackDown was put down to her work ethic of late as well as her weight.
The decision was made to move Mickie to SmackDown, sending her a message to shape up, both “figuratively and literally’.
Fans of Jillian may want to start planning a party; her title win last night is expected to be the start of a programme with Melina over the Divas Title. As with all things Creative though, plans can change in a heartbeat but as of now, that is the plan.
Diva Trade Rumours: Beth Phoenix, Bella Twins & Melina » Diva Dirt
More rumours on each of the Diva trades has circulated. This time, NoDQ.com reports why Beth Phoenix, the Bella Twins and Melina were moved:
Beth Phoenix was moved to Smackdown because it was felt that she lost momentum on RAW. It’s been rumored that she could be paired up with Dolph Ziggler.
The Bella Twins were moved to RAW because Vince McMahon was said to have “fallen in love with them” following their guest host skits on RAW several weeks back. They are expected to be featured in guest host segments on a regular basis now.
WWE is said to be high on both Jilian Hall (McMahon likes her act) and Melina (which is why she was moved to RAW).
More On Mickie James’ Unhappiness, Last Night’s ECW On Syfy Rating, More
source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter, PWInsider.com
– Mickie James was said to be unhappy with the manner in which she dropped the Divas title to Jillian Hall on Monday’s Raw, as well as the news she was being moved to SmackDown. It’s interesting to note that before her match with Hall, she kissed the belt goodbye before handing it to the referee.
Mickie James Not Happy About BeingTraded
WreslingNewsWorld
Oct 15, 2009 - 4:01:00 PM
Mickie James was upset with how her Divas Championship loss went down at Monday’s Raw and was seen crying after learning that she was traded to SmackDown. Mickie was in the WWE doghouse several weeks ago over an in-ring incident on Raw during a match with Gail Kim where she showed her frustration with Gail.
I’ve also heard Mickie has been unimpressive in recent WWE house show matches and officials continue to stay on her regarding her weight >>
I actually dont know if Mickie james gain weight or not, but i agree with the fact that the trade screw up the divas roster. maybe another face on Raw just move to smackdown???
The WWE could indeed send a Raw face over, but it would probably be Kelly Kelly. It would not make sense to move any of the 4 who just came to Raw. Gail Kim has only been there a few months. Kelly Kelly has been there the longest, although it would be better for a credible wrestler like Gail to move to Smackdown.
No need to repost all the rumors for me, I have seen almost all of them and have already said a bit about them. I honestly believe you should not give these rumors too much credence.
And I would not go as far as to call what happened to Mickie on Raw an execution. The WWE did try to cushion the blow by having Mickie dominate and win the Diva Bowl the week before. I said the night of that match that something bad was going to happen to Mickie. Maybe a punishment, but maybe also a necessary evil. In the weeks before Wrestlemania last year, Mickie got a similar win before her depush. Back then, the real reason for the depush was not the doghouse reasoning some dirt sheets used, but the simple fact that Candice was returning to get the Wrestlemania push. That was a necessary evil. And Mickie also had the better of Jillian for most of that match. She countered everything except the final move. If it was a squash, I would agree that it was an execution. Embarrassing? Yeah.
And if Jillian is going to get her push, Mickie jobbing to her was a necessary evil. It was the only way to distinguish her from Alicia Fox, who has more momentum since coming to Raw than Jillian has had all year. Alicia is too new to deserve that spot. Beth was going to Smackdown to get a better push. Jillian needed the title to get some momentum. It will really be her and Maryse for a while.
And now Stephanie is criticizing Mickie? Do you work for the WWE? <_< I remember hearing that Stephanie was high on Candice. A lot of good that did. Mickie did not do anything wrong with that finish. She tried for a finish that was credible but still watched out for Gail’s safety. That failed too. How was Mickie supposed to act? Smiling like nothing happened? Nope. People would criticize her for that too. Let anger show and storm out the ring? No. Extremely unprofessional. She had a lot of things on her mind, including Gail Kim’s well-being (which Mickie may have done some damage too), embarrassment, letting the fans down, and still trying to figure out what to do next. Is there any clear answer to how Mickie should have acted that would not get her criticized, especially if Gail did end up with a more serious injury? Mickie still kept the show going.
And of course Mickie is getting older. That is basic biology and Father Time at work. But Mickie still shows that she can perform and can think on her feet. Look back at that spot last week where she tried to counter Jillian’s monkey flip. Jillian bounced right in the way of where Mickie’s hand was coming down. Had Mickie not still had some fast thinking in her, she would botched the spot and possibly hurt Jillian. But she did think on her feet, risked injury to herself, and still managed to counter. Obviously, she did not counter as she had planned, but she still showed something there. And what she does in the ring will be dependent on what her opponent brings as well. Then you have the added idea that the WWE throws expectations for Mickie. If she has to make garbage, inexperienced, or injured divas still look at a higher level, she is not going to shine as well. I said the same thing for Gail Kim months ago. And never forget that Mickie has had bad knees for a long time. That will impact her. It is worth giving her credit for still continuing and trying as hard as she still does.