Velvet Sky, Divas revamp needed in WWE

I have watched WWE for a long time, and this past Monday, I watched the historic 1000th episode of Monday Night RAW. It was great to see Lita back, defeating Heath Slater. Ron Simmons was right... "DAMN" indeed! Lita still looked great and she is definitely missed by the fans. I then saw a WWE.com interview featuring she and another great diva in Trish Stratus. When asked who would be the defining divas to take WWE to the future, they both had trouble answering the question. It then became clear that they don't believe any of the current divas can do it, and that it is still up in the air. To me, that spoke in volumes.

Here's a little history: The Divas division has been struggling for a long time. I believe it started not long after Mickie James was released after that horrible "Piggie James" storyline. Since then, the division has lost Michelle McCool, Maryse, Gail Kim, Melina, the Bella Twins, Maxine, and Kharma. Also, the Women's Championship became defunct. Needless to say, the Divas were hit hard. In addition, the Divas hardly ever get airtime on RAW or Smackdown, and when they do, it's usually for three minutes or less. It's usually one meaningless match in which one diva gets pinned by a schoolgirl roll-up in the blink of an eye. They are not given any real time to showcase their skills in the ring, which former WWE diva Maria Kanellis has publicly stated on more than one occasion. Also, the Divas title isn't taken seriously as it has been passed around through nearly every diva like a hot potato, and there are no storylines... at all. It is clear that the WWE has pretty much given up on them. Fans on Facebook even refer to their matches as "bathroom breaks." The girls deserve better than that.

There is hope for the Divas division to go in the right direction, and one way is for the WWE to hire Velvet Sky. The extremely popular and beautiful wrestler was released from Impact Wrestling (TNA) days ago. Having a great run with the Beautiful People and having undoubtedly the sexiest entrance in wrestling history, Velvet would do wonders for the WWE. Hardcore legend Mick Foley even said that she would be a great fit. Although, men everywhere might be a bit disappointed as now that WWE is PG-rated, I doubt they'll "let her pigeons loose" if she is hired. Still, she will draw more fans to the WWE. Recently, Angelina Love asked for her release from TNA as well. As great a wrestler she is, WWE would be smart to pick her up as well. A Beautiful People reunion in the WWE would boost ratings for sure. However, with the state of the Divas division, hiring them both will not be enough to save it, but it would greatly help.

I, Roger Wilson, am a published author who has been watching wrestling for many years, and have written short stories for many years. Many WWE fans feel that they could use some new writers, but I currently feel that the Divas need the most help right now. So if hired, I would focus on them first, followed by the Tag Team division and the struggling career of high-potential Drew McIntyre. But I digress, the WWE needs to give the Divas a reasonable amount of airtime. No more lightning-quick matches! I will create new storylines, character direction, new match types, and even exciting new finishing moves. Plus, I will make the division focus more on WWE's more talented Divas, like Beth Phoenix, Tamina Snuka, A.J. -- who has been taking WWE by storm, Eve Torres -- who has great potential, Layla, and the Diva who in my personal opinion is the best one they got right now... the underrated Natalya. Other divas like Kelly Kelly and Alicia Fox will need to improve in the ring. They do work hard, but they still noticibly botch moves, and Kelly in particular still can't run the ropes right. It's too noticable to be ignored. Let's see who really aspires to be their very best every single night.

In addition, I would get rid of that damn butterfly title! It looks silly, and can't be taken seriously. I would bring back the Women's Title, or create a brand new Divas Championship made of gold to look more prestigeous. Not just any Diva would get a title shot, either -- only girls who you know can deliver in the ring would get a title shot, guaranteeing a great match and building title prestige. Also, when was the last time you saw a Diva on the mic? Eve Torres and A.J. did, but that was for rivalries involving their male counterparts. If the WWE really wants to promote the Divas as "smart, sexy, and powerful," then they'll need to allow the girls to show it. With my suggestions and storylines, I can make that happen. If this is done, the fans will start to care about the girls again, and it could even trigger merchandise sales. Will they occasionally wrestle in bikinis or Halloween costumes? Of course. They are beautiful, and sex sells -- no getting around that. However, now they'll have a chance to showcase their talents as wrestlers, which Velvet and Angelina can fit right in with. Nikki and Brie Bella both had potential and showed some mic skills in their short rivalry with Kharma. Having a revamped Divas division may convince the lovely twins and other girls to come back.

Am I trying to sell my services to WWE? Yes. I honestly feel that I can revitalize the Divas division to be where it should be. But even if I'm not hired, it is clear that the WWE needs to do something fast with the Divas division, among other things. If not, more ladies will want to leave and it will eventually cease to exist. WWE would not be smart to miss out on an opportunity to generate even more profit. Internet sites are reporting that morale in the Divas' locker room is far down. The WWE should let their female talent know that they matter. They work too hard not to matter. The days of Lita and Trish Stratus are over, but they have encouraged the current divas to grab that brass ring. They can't do that however, if Vince and company doesn't give them a chance to.

Roger Wilson,
Author of "Phantom Four: Children of the Grave."

More than halfway there

Roger Wilson has been working tirelessly and is currently more than halfway through the sequel, "Phantom Four: Dark Evolution." New villains be introduced, more action and romance, and it is already shaping up to be even better than the first. Stay tuned...

WWE and TNA from Wilson's view

My name is Roger Wilson. I am the author of the highly-rated novel "Phantom Four: Children of the Grave," but today I write this as an annoyed WWE fan. Here's a little backstory: Since the days of Hulk Hogan back in the 80's, I have watched WWE (then WWF) almost religiously. The many great wrestlers then with a variety of character personas were great to watch. My favorite wrestler was Bret "Hit Man" Hart, the man who was the most real character. I enjoyed all of his many classic matches and feel that he is the best there is, was, and ever will be. After Bret Hart left the WWE to join WCW, I stopped watching wrestling for a long while, then returned around the time of Chris Jericho's debut in the WWE as "Y2J." Jericho is one of my favorite wrestlers today. I watched WCW on occasion during the nWo era. My favorite wrestler there? Diamond Dallas Page. He seemed real, had great matches, and I love his "Self High Five" theme.

However recently, I have been very annoyed at WWE's handling of storylines. John Cena has been the focus of the company's title picture for seemingly an eternity. When CM Punk gave that amazing promo on June 27, it was a breath of fresh air. Things became exciting again... but alas, that revolution has sank. Nothing has really changed. Cena is already over with the fans and doesn't need the title, yet he's constantly thrown in the title picture and gives out nearly the same promos for years. His character hasn't changed or evolved at all. I understand he's their #1 money-maker, but he's shoved down fans' throats way too many times.

Sadly, that's not even to the worst of it. WWE is mishandling some of their awesome talent. John Morrison for example (who performs innovative high-flying manuevers, and has a very original slow-motion entrance) should be in the main event title picture by now. Instead, he seems to be a jobber every single week. Drew McIntyre (one of my favorite villians who uses the ring creatively in his matches and has great entrance music) is a jobber as well and is hardly seen on TV. I still remember that they did not push Shelton Benjamin, who could have easily been a multiple-time World Champion and was at one point given props by the great Shawn Michaels. Shelton, along with the late Owen Hart in my opinion are the two most underrated WWE superstars of all time. In addition, there's hardly any tag team division. I was upset that the charismatic and popular "Cryme Tyme" never won the tag titles a while back. And the divas? Sadly, their matches are reduced to barely three minutes, only one major storyline, and seemingly feature the same girls. I'd like to see more of A.J., Maryse (when she returns), Tamina, and Natalya (not as a jobber), and though Eve Torres is seen a lot, she has a lot of potential as I've seen her do great moves. I still don't know what Rosa Mendes can do. When Gail Kim came back to WWE, she wasn't pushed at all! I can't blame her for quitting. They also got rid of Melina, who was my favorite diva since the Lita/Trish Stratus days.

Angered by the WWE lately, last night I did something I haven't done in over a year: Watch TNA. I once watched TNA back when they had a six-sided ring. It was a horrible show and I didn't watch TNA again... until now. Thanks to WWE's mistakes and the reports I've heard of a much-improved Brooke Adams (whom I've always found attractive, I'll admit), I thought I should give Impact Wrestling a second chance. Seeing some familiar faces like Hogan, Sting, Kurt Angle, Jeff Hardy, and some of the girls was great. I was impressed by the promos, although there was way too much talking. From the start of the show, 45 minutes past until I saw the first match! I'm old school and like to see more matches and less chatting. Hulk Hogan did seem like his own self again since the days of Hulkamania. Velvet Sky's promo felt genuine and heartfelt, the fight between Jeff Hardy and Jeff Jarrett was good. And seeing Gail Kim return was good - as she's finally in a storyline! There was also unpredictability, as "Cowboy" James Storm (whose catch phrase I like" "Sorry about your damn luck!") defeated World Champion and familiar face Kurt Angle to win the title. The title changed hands! That's rare for a television broadcast.

I also saw Winter (who I remember as Katie Lea Burchill - another diva WWE didn't push), Tara (formerly Victoria), and Brooke (who was once with Kelly Kelly and Layla as ECW's Extreme Expose.) I recall she was fired from WWE for some stupid reason regarding furry boots... Anyway, it was good to see her compete. She came a long way. It's nice to see female wrestlers compete in a match that didn't feel like a waste of time. WWE sometimes puts all their divas in a tag match, only for two divas to fight and one gets pinned VERY quickly. Impact is giving me the vibe that their slogan is true. For them, "wrestling matters."

That said, I'm still a WWE fan and hope that McMahon and company change the way they write storylines and promote talent soon. TNA is on the rise and I will tune in to Impact next week. Unlike last time, they've sold me. Dixie Carter and Sting look determined to take TNA to WWE's level. They got far to go, but they are getting closer. WWE needs to stop misusing their talent and start giving their attention to people other than John Cena and Randy Orton. To WWE's credit, they are promoting Mark Henry, Sheamus, and Cody Rhodes. I can respect that, as those three have made WWE watchable (besides CM Punk). Plus, the Bella Twins (who I find both VERY attractive) have nice charisma and have grown well on the mic. Now they need to promote John Morrison, Tyson Kidd, Drew McIntyre, Natalya, and A.J. I am a fan of A.J. I'll admit. She should have won NXT season 3 in my opinion. McIntyre can be a major heel if used right. He seems to be a Scottish amalgam of Randy Orton and Triple H. The first part of his theme sound ominous, like something bad will happen to Drew's opponent... It should invoke fear. They should also stop putting announcers like Michael Cole into their main events.

In closing, part of me will always like the WWE, but I have stopped watching it before. TNA is impressing me. If the WWE keeps giving the spotlight to the same guys like Cena, Orton, and Triple H, and misusing the superstars and divas who needs and deserves it, they will lose fans, guaranteed. Even though I'm a long-time fan, they're starting to lose me. The fact that they can lose hardcore fans should be scary to any company.

1st Year Anniversary

One year ago yesterday, the revolution began as "Phantom Four: Children of the Grave" was first published. Since then, the franchise has gained some fans on our Facebook page, some high-ranked reviews, and best of all, a dream became reality. On behalf of the Wilson brothers, we thank you all for your support. Roger Wilson is halfway through writing the sequel, and we promise, the revolution against the same old boring stories will continue!

Phantom 4 on Facebook reaches 50

The Phantom Four page at Facebook (CLICK HERE) has reached fifty fans! We know that isn't much by Facebook's standards, but everything must start off small and work its' way up. We thank each and every one of those fans for their support. If you haven't join the revolution yet, feel free to "like" the page there, and you can also join this page as well. The revolution may move at a slow pace right now, but don't sleep. It'll kick full speed before you know it!

Still in construction

The second part of the series, entitled Phantom Four: Dark Evolution is still being worked on. Roger Wilson went through a recent "writer's block," but has recovered. He is trying to have the story finished and possibly released by the end of the year.

Wilson exclusive interview

Author Katie Salidas' exclusive interview with Roger Wilson is featured right now! Visit her blog site, Written In Blood to check it out.