10 Years Ago: How to build a Diva feud for Wrestlemania

World Champion Number of posts : 1445 Registration date : 2011-06-10

At this point, it's not looking like we'll get a Divas Championship match at Wrestlemania. Again. If we get any Diva match at all, it'll probably another thrown together mess like last year.

Ten years ago, we had what is generally considered the best women's match in Wrestlemania history (It's either that or Wrestlemania 22). Wrestlemania 19's Women's Championship match was built towards over a period of six months, and involved every Diva on the Raw roster before it was done.

So, here's a look back on how to build a Diva feud.

Part 1: Three Championship Matches In Nine Days

First, a little background...

The previous Spring, Jazz was the Women's Champion, and feuding with the woman she won the title from, Trish Stratus. To be sure she kept the title, Jazz partnered with Hardcore Champion Steven Richards, who was feuding with Bubba Ray Dudley. Trish won the Hardcore Championship briefly in a melee after a Women's Championship match with Jazz. Trish and Bubba formed a team to challenge Jazz and Richards, ultimately leading to Trish winning the Women's Championship in a Hardcore Rules match in Toronto. After winning the title, Trish put Jazz through a table out of spite, putting her out of action. We haven't seen Jazz, since.

Richards, still Hardcore Champion, promised Jazz would be back in an interview with Terri Runnels, only to be challenged for the Hardcore title by Jacqueline Moore.

Bonus Video: Terri Runnels Wins the Hardcore... by ShatteredDreamsProduction

I do miss the Hardcore Championship...

The Summer and early Fall saw a feud between Trish and Molly Holly for the Women's Championship, with Molly winning. Molly brought in a protege, Victoria, to assist her in keeping her title. This led to a showdown at Unforgiven.

September 22, 2002

Trish Stratus vs. Molly Holly: Unforgiven by Jokerwilds

September 23, 2002

Trish vs molly vs victoria by lucifer528

September 30, 2002

09_30_02_ Victoria vs Trish Stratus by TheoMJ21

Backstage, Stacy complained to Bischoff about Trish getting all the exposure as Women's Champion, wanting a match with Trish. She and Bischoff began plotting...

Next: No Mercy, and a couple of Smackdown Divas for good measure

Yeah it is a shame they can't make good women's matches for WM like WM 19 and WM 22.

WM 21 [and to a lesser extent WM 23] did have a good build up but Christy [and Ashley] sucked so yeah..

WM 24 seemed like it was going to get some build up but Candice got injured again and that derailed it.

It is really a shame that they have yet to have a truly great divas WM match either in terms of build up or match quality since WM 22..

World Champion Number of posts : 1445 Registration date : 2011-06-10

King Silva wrote:: Yeah it is a shame they can't make good women's matches for WM like WM 19 and WM 22.

WM 21 [and to a lesser extent WM 23] did have a good build up but Christy [and Ashley] sucked so yeah..

WM 24 seemed like it was going to get some build up but Candice got injured again and that derailed it.

It is really a shame that they have yet to have a truly great divas WM match either in terms of build up or match quality since WM 22..

It starts with the talent. I don't know where Vince got it in his head (Well, actually, it was Johnny Ace's "vision" for the Divas that derailed things, but Vince could have overruled him at any time) that you could just take a pretty girl, without the physical conditioning, give her a minimum of training, and expect the fans to get as into their matches as much as they did the women signed by Jim Ross and trained by Fit Finlay.

Ashley, for example, had the charisma and desire. No one can question that. Her downfall, in fact, was insisting on doing things she just didn't have the physical conditioning or training to do. Even with the battle royal rules for the Divas designed to protect them by allowing them to be eliminated by going under the ropes or through them, she always insisted on going over the top rope. Gutsy, yes, but it's what got her injured all the time. She just didn't have the conditioning or training to do what she was trying to do.

Maria, meanwhile, was one of the most popular Divas in 2004-06, and one of the most entertaining people on Raw, just being a backstage interviewer. She developed a character, and you knew it was going to be a fun segment whenever she appeared on the screen. Same with Funaki, "Smackdown's #1 Announcer."

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Part 2: No Mercy

October 7, 2002

In Las Vegas for Raw Roulette, Bschoff manipulates the wheel to make Stacy's match with Trish a bra & panties, paddle on a pole match.

After Trish beat Stacy, in both senses of the word, she was once again attacked by Victoria, being tossed into the steel ring steps. Interviewed backstage, Victoria said she was doing it to show who Trish really was. She said Trish had a past history of hurting people. She knows, she said, because Trish hurt her. Unfortunately, there's no video of this available because it involved Trish spanking an underwear clad Stacy with a paddle, and was thus banned by Right To Censor.

October 14, 2002

Molly & Victoria vs. Trish & Jaqueline (Stacy... by Jokerwilds

October 20, 2002

No Mercy 2002: Torrie vs Dawn Marie by itorrie

No Mercy 2002: Trish Stratus vs Victoria by RatedREdgeHead316

Next: Survivor Series

Loved the back story for Trish/Victoria.

The tag match that night was pretty good.

The brawl was also great.

World Champion Number of posts : 1445 Registration date : 2011-06-10

Part 3: Survivor Series

October 21, 2002

Goldust Mocks Victoria - Raw - 10/21/02 by ShatteredDreamsProduction

Trish Stratus, Goldust and Booker T vs Chris... by RatedREdgeHead316

October 28, 2002

November 4, 2002

Trish Stratus vs Ivory + Victoria 11-4-02 by ebailey140

Afterwards, Victoria stormed into the dressing room, screaming at Terri, who was wanting to interview her. Victoria attacked Terri, beat her up, and stripped her.

November 11, 2002

Victoria vs. Terri Runnels (Trish Stratus... by Jokerwilds

Goldust & Hurricane vs. Test & Steven Richards... by ShatteredDreamsProduction

November 17, 2002

Trish vs. Victoria-Survivor Series 2002 by nitro_07

Non-kayfabe post-match interview...

Victoria Aftermatch by Jokerwilds

Next: Testicles

World Champion Number of posts : 1445 Registration date : 2011-06-10

Part 4: Testicles

November 18, 2002

Stacy Keibler Featuring Steven Richard & Victoria by Jokerwilds

Stacy Keibler vs. Victoria by Jokerwilds

November 25, 2002

Test with Stacy Keibler vs. Steven Richards... by Jokerwilds

Victoria Harassing Stacy Keibler by Jokerwilds

11.25.02 - Trish vs Victoria by AMStiers

A little detail I've noticed, here... We've covered two months, and have had eight televised matches for the Women's Championship, already. Talk about a title that was getting a lot of TV time...

Next: Armageddon

OMG this time period was just so fucking EPIC!

Loved everything involving the divas.

Victoria biting Steven Richards ear at the end was just wow..lol!

World Champion Number of posts : 1445 Registration date : 2011-06-10

Part 5: Armageddon

December 2, 2002

Trish Stratus vs. Ivory Featuring Victoria by Jokerwilds

Victoria vs. Jacqueline by Jokerwilds

December 9, 2002

12.9.02 Trish Stratus & Chris Jericho Backstage... by nitro_07

Steven Richards vs. Jaqueline by Jokerwilds

Victoria, Jericho & Christian vs Trish & The... by Kayla55

December 15, 2002

Trish Stratus vs. Victoria vs. Jacqueline by nitro_07

Next: Christmas

World Champion Number of posts : 1445 Registration date : 2011-06-10

Part 6: Christmas

December 16, 2002

Trish Stratus & Test vs Victoria & Steven Richards by Jokerwilds

December 23, 2002

Stacy Keibler, Jacqueline and Trish Stratus vs... by RatedREdgeHead316

January 6, 2003

Trish Stratus & Jacqueline vs. Victoria & Molly... by Jokerwilds

Next: Diva of the Decade

So many good matches in this time period.

I've been watching them all btw so keep em coming! :p

How to build a divas wm fued today?
Throw the champ in a random segment where she gets attacked and have a match with the opponent so they can have a match at rematchmania.
John Cena vs Rock
Miz vs Wade
Kaitlyn vs Kayla
Triple H vs Lesnar
Fat Dudes v Rhodes & Sandow (possibility as a pre show)
Shield v Orton, Sheamus, Big Show (Big show is new, however these teams have faced eachother)

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Part 7: Diva of the Decade

January 13, 2003

Victoria vs Trish Stratus vs Jacqueline by marshal99

Steven Richards vs Hurricane by nitro_07

January 14, 2003

Trish Stratus Diva Of The Decade by Jokerwilds

Next: The Chicago Street Fight

World Champion Number of posts : 1445 Registration date : 2011-06-10

Part 8: The Chicago Street Fight

January 20, 2003

Trish and The Hurricane vs Victoria (c) and... by TKODiva

January 27, 2003

Steven Richards, Victoria, & Trish Stratus... by Jokerwilds

Trish vs Victoria (c) - Chicago Street Fight... by TKODiva

Next...

The Bitch Is Back

Such a memorable match and after match BEAT DOWN!

I mean fuck that beat down was epic!

World Champion Number of posts : 1445 Registration date : 2011-06-10

Part 9: The Bitch Is Back

February 3, 2003

Victoria vs Molly Holly 2-3-03 by ebailey140

February 10, 2003

Jazz vs.Molly Holly by Jokerwilds

February 16, 2003

Jaqueline vs. Victoria (Lita Commentary) by Jokerwilds

February 17, 2003

Victoria (c) and Jazz vs Molly and Jacqueline by TKODiva

Next: Toronto

I love my baby girl Jazz! <3

Baby girl jazz?
I LOVED VICTORIA SHE WAS JUST THAT BITCH AND SHE KNEW IT LOVED ME SOME VICTORIA.
I wish molly was blonde during this time I really did love might molly she was fun!!!

Oh I love Victoria as well.

I LOVED the stare down that Victoria and Jazz had in the first video [Victoria beats Molly]. Poor Steven was just trying to calm them down and Victoria just stared right through him and he knew he had to back the fuck off or get the shit beat out of him by Victoria.

I wish Tara was crazy like she was then in TNA now..

World Champion Number of posts : 1445 Registration date : 2011-06-10

Part 10: Toronto

February 24, 2003

Jacqueline vs. Jazz by Jokerwilds

March 2, 2003

Heat - Victoria vs Molly by Brickhill

March 3, 2003

Trish Stratus & Jacqueline vs. Victoria & Jazz by Jokerwilds

Next: Who's the #1 Contender?

LMFAO at King saying Jazz was James Earl Jones' daughter!

Pic of him btw:

World Champion Number of posts : 1445 Registration date : 2011-06-10

Part 11: Who's the #1 Contender?

March 10, 2003

March 17, 2003

Trish Stratus & Jazz vs Victoria & Steven... by ebailey140

March 24, 2003

Jeff Hardy and Trish Stratus vs Steven Richards... by RatedREdgeHead316

Next: Wrestlemania

I LOVED Victoria's crazy Gollum like obsession for the title in her promo before her and Stevie's tag match against Trish and Jazz!

World Champion Number of posts : 1445 Registration date : 2011-06-10

Part 12: Wrestlemania

10 Years Ago: How to build a Diva feud for Wrestlemania WrestleManiaXIX

Victoria vs Trish vs Jazz WrestleMania XIX (19) by TakerLover

Great triple threat.

The match is just awesome.

All the ladies got to shine and Trish finally got her title back after a long 5 month chase.

The only bad thing is that she held it for less than a month..

It would have been nice if she had it for at least a couple months before Jazz got it. :-/

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