WWE Divas Who Never Got the Chance They Deserved

WWE Divas Who Never Got the Chance They Deserved

In the WWE, we have seen Superstars and Divas come and go. Sadly, some of these Superstars and Divas never really got the chance to make an impact and use their talents to shine in the WWE before being released. Many releases have been due to budget cuts and WWE’s Creative Department not having storyline ideas for that particular Superstar and Diva. However, sometimes releases have been speculated to have occurred for reasons fans would find completely unfair and unreasonable. Here is a list of WWE Divas I felt never got the chance they deserved in the WWE, their career accomplishments and how I think they could have been successful in the WWE if they has been given a chance.

Jackie Gayda-

Jackie Gayda was the co-winner of the second season of WWE’s Tough Enough. She debuted on June 26, 2002 on WWE Velocity before being sent to Ohio Valley Wrestling for additional training. On June 16, 2003 she returned to WWE as Miss Jackie, the manager of Rico.  She and Former WWE Diva Stacy Keibler would develop a feud between the tag team of Former WWE Divas Torrie Wilson and Sable in early 2004. Jackie Gayda also had a notable feud with Former WWE Diva Dawn Marie.

Jackie and her real-life husband Charlie Haas were both released from their WWE contracts on July 5, 2005. Jackie made a one-night return for a Wrestlemania battle-royal match in 2009 but was the seventh Diva eliminated in the match. After being released from WWE, she briefly worked with Impact Wrestling from 2005-2006, having a notable feud with Gail Kim before parting ways with Impact Wrestling. She is now a mother and co-owns a nutrition store called Custom Muscle Nutrition and Smoothie Shop with her husband in Frisco, Texas. With her stylish gimmick during her time with WWE and with her now more athletic lifestyle, she really could be a good addition to WWE again with proper wrestling training.

Brooke Adams-

Brooke Adams started off as a dancer on WWE’s ECW brand with Layla El and Former Diva Kelly Kelly. Growing up, Brooke played basketball, rugby, track and volleyball. She also competed in beauty pageants and modeled. She tried out for the 2006 WWE Raw Diva Search but didn’t make the top 8. WWE still hired her and had her debut on ECW on January 23, 2007. 

Brooke wouldn’t start actually wrestling until May 28, 2007 and had very few matches in the WWE before being released on November 1, 2007. With just a little bit more training, Brooke could have been a strong Diva who could have helped lead the Divas Division. However, after her release, Brooke would eventually be hired by Impact Wrestling and go under the ring name of Brooke Tessmacher. She started off in Impact Wrestling in a non-wrestling role but eventually transitioned into a wrestler, having a notable feud with her previous tag team partner, Tara. In Impact Wrestling, she has been Knockouts Champion twice and has previously been one-half of the Knockouts Tag Team Champions with Tara. 

Brooke's first Impact Wrestling match was on December 16, 2010. Unfortunately, Brooke would break her jaw in an accident out of the ring on December 25, 2010. She would return on April 21, 2011, stating that she had been training to improve as a wrestler. After only having 3 months of training, she had definitely shown improvement. She ended up being awarded the Knockout of the Year Award in 2012 and also was ranked #7 of the best 50 female singles wrestlers by Pro Wrestling Illustrated in 2012. 

Serena Deeb-

Serena made her wrestling debut in March 2005 and eventually made her WWE debut in a backstage segment on their ECW brand on May 19, 2009. She officially signed a contract with WWE on July 1, 2009. On January 22, 2010, Serena made her debut on WWE Smackdown as an audience member who wanted to follow CM Punk and his straight-edge lifestyle. She would then have her head shaved bald moments later as part of CM Punk’s initiation to be a member of the Straight Edge Society. Serena would only have one televised match in the WWE before her release on August 20^th for reportedly not living out her straight-edge gimmick in public.

 Serena became a wrestling fan at the age of 11 and from the age of 5 to 18, she played soccer. At the age of 18, she began to pursue her dream of being a wrestler. Pro Wrestling Illustrated ranked her as #16 of the best 50 female singles wrestlers in 2011. Serena is currently working as a yoga instructor and will be making her return to the ring on April 6, 2013 for Shimmer Wrestling after an 18 month break following doctor’s orders to treat a serious concussion. Serena’s passion and dedication to wrestling really could have played a more important role in the WWE to promote her as a serious female competitor during her employment.

Christy Hemme-

Christy Hemme made her break in wrestling when she won the 2004 WWE Raw $250,000 Diva Search. During her career with WWE, she had notable feuds with Former WWE Divas Trish Stratus, Melina and Victoria (Now known in Impact Wrestling as Tara). She also feuded with Carmella DeCesare who was the runner-up in the Diva Search. With her energetic and spunky personality, Christy could have been one of WWE’s top Divas with additional training.

Christy Hemme was released from her WWE contract on December 5, 2005. WWE cited the reason for the release as a budget cut and WWE’s Creative Department not having any storyline ideas for her. However, in 2008, Christy Hemme stated that the reason for her release from WWE was on her own terms and further went on to say that she asked for the release because WWE wanted her to do something that was against her morals.

Christy would then begin working for Impact Wrestling on April 23, 2006. She would win the Knockout of the Year award for 2006. She would also have notable feuds in Impact Wrestling with Velvet Sky and Former Knockout Angelina Love. In 2008, Pro Wrestling Illustrated ranked her #42 of the best 50 female singles wrestlers. Despite greatly improving her wrestling skills, she would end up suffering a neck injury days before a scheduled match with Former Knockout Awesome Kong in January 2009.

After returning in August 13, 2009, Christy would wrestle matches until October 29, 2009 before semi-retiring as a professional wrestler due to an injury-scare. She continues to work with Impact Wrestling as a backstage interviewer and ring announcer. She also is the lead singer and founder of a rock band called Hemme.  She also directs seasonal promotions for the Knockouts. Despite no longer wrestling, she is one of the highest paid Knockouts in the company and has a multi-year contract with the company.

Katie Lea-

Katie Lea made her WWE debut on February 11, 2008. She had a notable feud with Mickie James. She was a Diva underappreciated due to her constant losses due to WWE making her job to the model turned Divas who were less skilled with their wrestling abilities to make them look better. She would end up being released from her WWE contract on April 22, 2010. Eventually, she would begin wrestling for Impact Wrestling from 2010- 2012 under the ring name, Winter where she would have a notable feud with Velvet Sky.

During her tenure with Impact Wrestling, she would also become the first British Knockouts Champion after defeating Mickie James for the title on August 7, 2011. She is a 2 time Knockouts Champion and also has previously won the Knockouts Tag Team Championships with tag team partner and former Impact Wrestling Knockout, Angelina Love. On September 6, 2012 she announced that her contract with Impact Wrestling had expired. Pro Wrestling Illustrated ranked her #18 of the best 50 female singles wrestlers in 2012. With her wrestling abilities, WWE really could have given her more opportunities to shine in the ring during her tenure there.

Jillian Hall-

This young woman was put in really terrible gimmicks during her employment with WWE, from a woman with a deformed face to a tone-deaf American Idol reject; she deserved so much better considering how great of a wrestler she was. Sadly, she was another Diva underappreciated by many fans due to her constant losses even though WWE was making her was job to the model turned Divas  who were less skilled than her to make them look better. Jillian could have been used to help strengthen the Divas Division by being able to showcase her skills and be shown as a strong female athlete. Jillian has an athletic background growing up as she competed in cheerleading and gymnastics classes as a teenager. Starting her professional wrestling career in 2008, Jillian Hall would sign a contract with WWE in 2004 and would make her debut on Smackdown on July 28, 2005.

On October 12, 2009, Jillian would defeat Former WWE Diva Mickie James for the Divas Championship, only to lose the title to Former WWE Diva and real-life best friend Melina Perez a few moments later, sadly making Jillian Hall’s reign as Divas Champion the shortest Divas Championship reign in history with 4 minutes and 30 seconds.  On October 2, 2010, Jillian announce that she would be taking a break from being on WWE’s televised shows to help train future Divas and Superstars at WWE’s developmental territory, Florida Championship Wrestling. Pro Wrestling Illustrated also ranked her as #24 of the best 50 female singles wrestlers in 2010. Her contract expired on November 19, 2010 and WWE decided not to renew it.

Nidia Guenard-

Nidia was one of the co-winners of the first season of Tough Enough, earning her a WWE contract. She debuted on June 6, 2002 on Smackdown. She had a notable feud with Former WWE Diva Torrie Wilson. She was later released on November 3, 2004. She showed to have a spicy personality once she started appearing on Raw on March 22, 2004 and WWE really could have used that personality to build her up as an interesting female wrestler in the WWE more than they had did during her tenure with WWE. She now works at the Culinary Institute LeNotre in Houston, Texas and is also a mother.

Shaniqua-

Shaniqua was the co-winner of WWE Tough Enough Season 2 in 2002. She has a background in basketball, having previously played for the women’s basketball team at Rutgers University until she graduated in 2001. After heading to Ohio Valley Wrestling for training, she eventually ended up becoming the manager of The Basham Brothers.  She had notable feuds with Former WWE Divas Torrie Wilson, Dawn Marie and Nidia. She eventually was released in early 2004.

Having an athletic background, WWE could have used that more to their advantage to make her one of the top Divas in WWE. She is now a substitute teacher for Cincinnati Public Schools. Previously before that in 2007, she was a study hall teacher at Colerain High School in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Cherry-

This young lady had a very unique 50’s Roller Girl gimmick. With the way she carried herself as the sweet and innocent girl-next door type, WWE really could have made her into a positive role model for little girls and older female wrestling fans. She and her team, Deuce n’ Domino’s gimmicks were so unique; they really could have been used as a beloved family-friendly team which would be great for WWE’s PG-rated shows today. Cherry had notable feuds in the WWE with Maryse Ouellet, Vickie Guerrero and Natalya. Cherry has been a wrestling fan since watching the first Wrestlemania in 1985 and her favorite wrestlers included Miss Elizabeth and Macho Man Randy Savage.

Cherry made her wrestling debut in January 1999 with her ring name as Miss Kara. She later signed a contract with WWE in January 2006. She would make her WWE debut as Deuce n’ Domino’s manager on Smackdown on January 19, 2007. She wouldn’t start wrestling for the brand until March 28, 2008, quickly becoming a fan favorite. Pro Wresting Illustrated even ranked her #27 of the best 50 female singles wrestlers in 2008.

Her last match would be a loss against WWE Diva Vickie Guerrero, shortly after just losing to WWE Diva Natalya. She was then released from her contract on August 15, 2008, having very few matches with the WWE. Some fans speculate the reason for her release was that some people backstage felt she was too fat to be a WWE Diva, despite only weighing 130 pounds.

Joy Giovanni-

Joy Giovanni started off as a contestant in the 2004 WWE Raw $250,000 Diva Search but placed third in the competition. She would later be hired by WWE just a few days after being eliminated but wouldn’t debut until after the Diva Search had ended. She debuted on Smackdown with a massage therapist gimmick. She would have a notable feud with Former WWE Diva and fellow Diva Search contestant, Amy Weber. Joy would go on to win the 2005 Rookie Diva of the Year award after her feud with Amy Weber was dropped when Amy left the company due to personal reasons.  

Joy was the first and only Rookie Diva of the Year winner. She would later be released from her WWE contract in summer 2005. She would make a one-night return for a Wrestlemania battle-royal match in 2009 but was the second Diva eliminated in the match. She was a fan favorite when employed with the WWE and perhaps with some training, she could have potentially become a great female wrestler as some Divas from the Diva Search contests have gone on to become great wrestlers. She now continues to be a model, actress and mother.

Jamie Keyes-

Jamie made her wrestling debut in 2009 as a ring announcer for a woman’s wrestling promotion called Wrestleicious. While that was short-lived, she would later go on to be the manager for Kevin Nash in Impact Wrestling on December 20, 2009. After seeing her photos from Wrestleicious, WWE would hire Jamie in 2010 where she started off as a ring announcer for WWE’s developmental territory, Florida Championship Wrestling. She would not make her wrestling debut in FCW until May 12, 2010. On June 8, 2010 she debuted as a ring announcer for NXT.

Jamie wouldn’t start actually wrestling on NXT until the third season of NXT. She was then released on October 14, 2010 but made one final appearance on NXT on November 30^th, 2010. Jamie was very athletic and left the company with no losses from her NXT matches.

Jamie has had a very athletic life, competing in many sports including gymnastics, boxing, power lifting, dance, tennis, volleyball, karate, weightlifting, cheerleading and track & field. She is a lifelong fan of wrestling and would have been a strong female competitor in the Divas Divison if they had kept her around. She now works as a fitness instructor and continues to model.

Ivelisse Velez-

 Ivelisse started off in the WWE as a contestant in March 2011 on the fifth season of Tough Enough but had to leave the competition on May 10^th due to an in-ring injury to her leg when training with Former WWE Diva Christina Crawford. WWE later signed Ivelisse in November 2011 where she eventually wrestled on NXT. Her ring name on NXT was Sofia Cortez and she often teamed up with WWE Diva Paige. Ivelisse was released by WWE in August 2012. Some speculate her release occurred due to attitude problems. Ivelisse would later start competing in MMA and also tried out for a competition to win a contract with Impact Wrestling, giving up an MMA fight to compete in Impact Wrestling’s Gut Check Challenge in February 2013 with another female wrestler, Lei’ D Tapa.

The judges of Impact Wrestling’s Gut Check Challenge would then decide on March 7^th, 2013 to award Lei’ D Tapa a contract instead of Ivelisse Velez, despite Ivelisse winning the match that her and Lei D’ Tapa had against each other on February 28, 2013. Ivelisse started wrestling in 2004 when she was only fifteen years old.  She also played basketball and volleyball in high school. WWE really could have built her up to be one of the strongest and most powerful Divas in their company as she has many years of wrestling experience.

Conclusion

With the Bella Twins recently returning to WWE and rumors circling that other Former WWE Divas have been contacted for possible returns, fans can only hope that some of these ladies were the ones that were contacted and that they make a return, hopefully this time with them getting the chances they deserve.