WWE Divas Championship
Encyclopedia
The WWE Diva's Championship is a unified professional wrestling
championship in WWE. It is competed for by WWE Diva
s. The championship was created by WWE in 2008, and was introduced in storyline
by then-SmackDown General Manager Vickie Guerrero
as an alternative to Raw
's Women's Championship
. Michelle McCool
became the inaugural champion on July 20, 2008 when she defeated Natalya at The Great American Bash
. After former Divas Champion Maryse
was drafted to Raw as part of the 2009 WWE Draft, she took the title with her.
Michelle McCool
won a match to "unify" both the WWE Divas & Women's
titles at the September 19, 2010, WWE pay per view, Night of Champions (2010)
, thus creating the Unified Divas Championship. The championship is generally contested in professional wrestling matches
, in which participants execute scripted finishes.
, Ashley
, Torrie Wilson
and Nidia
challenging for the title while on the SmackDown! brand, but none were successful.
As a result, WWE created the WWE Diva's Championship and introduced it in a storyline on the June 6, 2008 episode of Friday Night SmackDown when then SmackDown General Manager Vickie Guerrero
announced the creation of the title. The championship belt was officially unveiled on the July 4, 2008 episode of SmackDown. After winning respective matches to earn the opportunity to wrestle for the new championship, Michelle McCool defeated Natalya at The Great American Bash
to become the inaugural champion. When Maryse
won the title from McCool in December 2008, she dislocated her kneecap at a live event
later that month. Similar to how Trish Stratus
kept the Women's Championship when she was sidelined with a herniated disc in 2005, Maryse was able to keep the Divas Title upon her return in late January 2009. As part of the 2009 WWE Draft
, then-Diva's Champion Maryse was one of the people drafted to the Raw brand, in the process making the championship exclusive to Raw.
It was announced on the August 30, 2010 episode of Raw that the Diva's Championship would be unified
with the Women's Championship at a match at Night of Champions
. And with that, the title (known briefly as the WWE Unified Diva's Championship) is now accessible to both WWE brands and the champion can appear on both shows.
on July 20, 2008 in Uniondale, New York
. Maryse
was the first Canadian to win the Divas title and is currently the longest reigning WWE Divas Champion in history, holding the belt for 216 days, while Jillian
is the shortest reigning champion, with her reign lasting four minutes and thirty seconds. Maryse, Melina , Michelle McCool, Eve Torres and Natalya are also the record holders for the most Divas Championship reigns with two reigns, with Maryse being the first to achieve this. The current champion is Beth Phoenix
who is in her first WWE Divas Championship reign, she defeated Kelly Kelly for the title at WWE Hell in a Cell 2011.
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
championship in WWE. It is competed for by WWE Diva
WWE Diva
Diva is a term used by World Wrestling Entertainment , an American professional wrestling promotion, to refer to its female talent. The term is applied to women who appear as wrestlers, managers or valets, backstage interviewers, or ring announcers....
s. The championship was created by WWE in 2008, and was introduced in storyline
Narrative thread
A narrative thread, or plot thread , refers to particular elements and techniques of writing to center the story in the action or experience of characters rather than to relate a matter in a dry 'All knowing' sort of narration...
by then-SmackDown General Manager Vickie Guerrero
Vickie Guerrero
Vickie Lynn Guerrero is an American professional wrestling personality, manager, shifting authority figure and occasional wrestler. She is the widow of professional wrestler Eddie Guerrero, currently signed to WWE on its Raw brand...
as an alternative to Raw
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
's Women's Championship
WWE Women's Championship
The WWE Women's Championship was a professional wrestling championship in the World Wrestling Entertainment promotion. Created in 1956, it was the oldest active professional wrestling championship in World Wrestling Entertainment history until its retirement in 2010 as a result from a unification...
. Michelle McCool
Michelle McCool
Michelle Leigh McCool , is a retired American professional wrestler who is best known for her time in WWE.McCool originally worked as a middle school teacher in Palatka, Florida. She joined WWE in 2004 after participating in the 2004 WWE Diva Search. In her initial on-screen role, she acted...
became the inaugural champion on July 20, 2008 when she defeated Natalya at The Great American Bash
The Great American Bash (2008)
The Great American Bash was the fifth annual Great American Bash professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment...
. After former Divas Champion Maryse
Maryse Ouellet
Maryse Ouellet is a Professional Glamour Model and a former professional wrestler, better known simply as Maryse. She most recently worked for WWE...
was drafted to Raw as part of the 2009 WWE Draft, she took the title with her.
Michelle McCool
Michelle McCool
Michelle Leigh McCool , is a retired American professional wrestler who is best known for her time in WWE.McCool originally worked as a middle school teacher in Palatka, Florida. She joined WWE in 2004 after participating in the 2004 WWE Diva Search. In her initial on-screen role, she acted...
won a match to "unify" both the WWE Divas & Women's
WWE Women's Championship
The WWE Women's Championship was a professional wrestling championship in the World Wrestling Entertainment promotion. Created in 1956, it was the oldest active professional wrestling championship in World Wrestling Entertainment history until its retirement in 2010 as a result from a unification...
titles at the September 19, 2010, WWE pay per view, Night of Champions (2010)
Night of Champions (2010)
Night of Champions was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , that took place on September 19, 2010 at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois. It was the third annual event to be promoted solely under the Night of Champions name and the tenth...
, thus creating the Unified Divas Championship. The championship is generally contested in professional wrestling matches
Professional wrestling match types
Many types of matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, can be found in the form of performing art that is professional wrestling....
, in which participants execute scripted finishes.
History
With the first WWF Brand Extension, a storyline division in which WWE assigns its employees to a different program, the other being Raw, in 2002, the WWF Women's Championship was to be defended on both brands. At some point that year, however, it became exclusive to the Raw brand. Thereafter, only Divas on the Raw brand were able to compete for the WWF Women's Championship, while the Divas on the WWF SmackDown brand were unable to compete for a women's-exclusive championship. However, on a few occasions the regulation was bypassed with MelinaMelina Perez
Melina Nava Perez is an American professional wrestler currently signed to Women Superstars Uncensored. She is best known for her time with World Wrestling Entertainment under the ring mononym Melina....
, Ashley
Ashley Massaro
Ashley Marie Massaro is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to World Independent Ladies Division Wrestling. She is best known for her work with World Wrestling Entertainment and her appearance on Survivor: China....
, Torrie Wilson
Torrie Wilson
Torrie Anne Wilson is a retired American professional wrestler, fitness competitor and model. She is best known for her tenures in World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment , where she worked on both their SmackDown and Raw brands throughout her eight-year run.As a fitness...
and Nidia
Nidia Guenard
Nidia Guenard better known simply Nidia is a former professional wrestler who worked for World Wrestling Entertainment...
challenging for the title while on the SmackDown! brand, but none were successful.
As a result, WWE created the WWE Diva's Championship and introduced it in a storyline on the June 6, 2008 episode of Friday Night SmackDown when then SmackDown General Manager Vickie Guerrero
Vickie Guerrero
Vickie Lynn Guerrero is an American professional wrestling personality, manager, shifting authority figure and occasional wrestler. She is the widow of professional wrestler Eddie Guerrero, currently signed to WWE on its Raw brand...
announced the creation of the title. The championship belt was officially unveiled on the July 4, 2008 episode of SmackDown. After winning respective matches to earn the opportunity to wrestle for the new championship, Michelle McCool defeated Natalya at The Great American Bash
The Great American Bash (2008)
The Great American Bash was the fifth annual Great American Bash professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment...
to become the inaugural champion. When Maryse
Maryse Ouellet
Maryse Ouellet is a Professional Glamour Model and a former professional wrestler, better known simply as Maryse. She most recently worked for WWE...
won the title from McCool in December 2008, she dislocated her kneecap at a live event
House show
A house show is a professional wrestling show run by a major promotion that is not televised, though they can be recorded. Promotions use house shows mainly to cash in on the exposure that they and their wrestlers receive during televised events, as well as test reactions to matches, wrestlers, and...
later that month. Similar to how Trish Stratus
Trish Stratus
Patricia Anne Stratigias , better known by her ring name Trish Stratus, is a Canadian professional wrestler, actress and television personality currently signed with WWE. She is also a former fitness model....
kept the Women's Championship when she was sidelined with a herniated disc in 2005, Maryse was able to keep the Divas Title upon her return in late January 2009. As part of the 2009 WWE Draft
2009 WWE Draft
The 2009 World Wrestling Entertainment Draft was the seventh Draft produced by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE. The Draft took place over two days: the first day was televised live for three hours on April 13; the second part, the "Supplemental Draft", was held on April 15...
, then-Diva's Champion Maryse was one of the people drafted to the Raw brand, in the process making the championship exclusive to Raw.
It was announced on the August 30, 2010 episode of Raw that the Diva's Championship would be unified
Championship unification
Championship unification is the act of combining two or more separate professional wrestling championships into a single title.-History:In professional wrestling, championships may be unified to consolidate the number of championships in a given promotion, or to add legitimacy and prestige to a...
with the Women's Championship at a match at Night of Champions
Night of Champions (2010)
Night of Champions was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , that took place on September 19, 2010 at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois. It was the third annual event to be promoted solely under the Night of Champions name and the tenth...
. And with that, the title (known briefly as the WWE Unified Diva's Championship) is now accessible to both WWE brands and the champion can appear on both shows.
Reigns
The inaugural champion was Michelle McCool, who defeated Natalya at The Great American BashThe Great American Bash (2008)
The Great American Bash was the fifth annual Great American Bash professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment...
on July 20, 2008 in Uniondale, New York
Uniondale, New York
Uniondale is a hamlet as well as a suburb of New York City in Nassau County, New York, United States, on Long Island, in the Town of Hempstead. The population was 24,759 at the 2010 United States Census.-Geography:...
. Maryse
Maryse Ouellet
Maryse Ouellet is a Professional Glamour Model and a former professional wrestler, better known simply as Maryse. She most recently worked for WWE...
was the first Canadian to win the Divas title and is currently the longest reigning WWE Divas Champion in history, holding the belt for 216 days, while Jillian
Jillian Hall
Jillian Faye Fletcher is an American professional wrestler who is currently signed to Women Superstars Uncensored. She is also known for her tenure in World Wrestling Entertainment under the ring name Jillian Hall or simply Jillian...
is the shortest reigning champion, with her reign lasting four minutes and thirty seconds. Maryse, Melina , Michelle McCool, Eve Torres and Natalya are also the record holders for the most Divas Championship reigns with two reigns, with Maryse being the first to achieve this. The current champion is Beth Phoenix
Beth Phoenix
Elizabeth Kocianski is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to WWE where she wrestles on the Raw brand under the ring name Beth Phoenix, where she is the reigning WWE Divas Champion....
who is in her first WWE Divas Championship reign, she defeated Kelly Kelly for the title at WWE Hell in a Cell 2011.