WWE Diva Search
2013 Diva Search winner,Eva Marie.
Also known as	WWE Raw Diva Search Diva Search Raw Divas Search
Genre	Reality competition
Created by	Vince McMahon
Opening theme	"Walk Idiot Walk" byThe Hives (2004) "Be Yourself" byAudioslave (2005) "Move Along" byThe All-American Rejects (2006) "Let It Roll" byVelvet Revolver (2007)
Country of origin	United States
No. of seasons	6
No. of episodes	7
Production
Camera setup	Multicamera setup
Original release
Network	Spike TV(2004–2005) USA Network(2006) UPN(2006) WWE.com(2007, 2013)
Release	July 1, 2003 (2003-07-01) – December 15, 2013 (2013-12-15)
Related
Total Divas WWE Tough Enough WWE LFG

WWE Diva Search (formerlyWWE Raw Diva Search) is an American talent competition that was produced and held byWorld Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). The first winner was Jaime Koeppe, but she did not receive a contract like subsequent winners of the contest. Other winners includedChristy Hemme,Ashley Massaro,Layla El,Eve Torres andEva Marie. In addition to the winners of the yearly contest, WWE has hired several contestants asDivas, the name that WWE gave at the time to the female performers. There were many failed attempts at bringing back the competition over the years following the cancellation of the 2008 season, and was at one point going to return in 2019 under the new nameSuperstar Search, but those plans were scrapped.^[1][2][3][4]

On June 18, 2003, WWE made a public declaration about their intention to embark on a countrywide quest for a fresh addition to their roster of WWE Divas. The organization emphasized that the final decision regarding the selection of the new diva would rest solely in the hands of the fans.

The 2003 WWE Diva Search invited women aged 18 or above who believed they possessed the beauty, strength, and intelligence required to be the next WWE Diva. As part of the application process, participants were required to submit a photograph of themselves along with a brief written explanation of their aspirations to become a WWE Diva.

On July 1, 2003, fans were given the opportunity to cast their votes for their preferred contestants in the Diva competition. Through fan voting, the contestants were narrowed down to a group of 16 by July 20, and then further reduced to 8 finalists by July 29. The final four Diva hopefuls were determined through fan voting, which concluded on August 6. These remaining four contestants were then awarded a trip to WWE'sSummerSlam pay-per-view event inPhoenix, Arizona, where they would compete in a final event that would be broadcast live on a special program called Byte This! The winner of the 2003 WWE Diva Search was ultimately Jamie Koeppe, who was also photographed and prominently featured inWWE RAW Magazine.^[5]

WWE Diva Search
Christy Hemme, the 2004 Diva Search winner
Winner	Christy Hemme
Runner-up	Carmella DeCesare
Release
Original network	Spike TV
Original release	July 15 (2004-07-15) – September 20, 2004 (2004-09-20)

The 2004 WWE Raw $250,000 Diva Search featured four official theme songs.

• "Open Your Eyes" byAlter Bridge^{[n 1]}
• "Real Good Girl" byJim Johnston^{[n 2]}
• "Time and Time Again" byChronic Future
• "Walk Idiot Walk" byThe Hives^{[n 3]}

Open casting calls were held in Los Angeles, NYC, and Chicago in June and July to narrow the field down from thousands to 28 women. The following 28 finalists were chosen from each of the locations:

Former Diva Search contestantCandice Michelle as theWWE Women's Champion.

Michelle McCool was the first Diva Search contestant to become the inauguralWWE Divas Champion this picture showing her become the inaugural WWE Divas Champion.

In 2004, WWE decided to make an extension of the Diva Search, which included a one-year contract worth $250,000 and was held onRaw.^[9][12] Over 7,000 women applied to be a part of the contest.^[6] The final ten contestants were chosen on a casting special aired onSpike TV on July 15, with guest judgesTriple H,Randy Orton,Chris Jericho andEdge.^[12]

They began airing the weekly Raw Diva Search segments on July 19.^[9][12] Despite reported claims by the company that the contest would be handled in a classy manner, the contest involved prospective divas performing suggestive acts on livetelevision, such as "seducing" a male wrestler. Fans were allowed to vote for the winners,^[9] but the outcome of the voting process was questioned by media outlets. The eventual winner of the competition was Christy Hemme, who went on to pose inPlayboy and competed atWrestleMania 21 for the WWE Women's Championship where she was accompanied to the ring byLita, but ended up withTrish Stratus retaining the title.^[7]

Finalists (winner Hemme, runner-up Carmella DeCesare, Amy Weber, and Joy Giovanni)^[10] took part in a segment titled "Diss the Diva" on August 30, 2004,^[13] which was censored at several points due to foul language and obscenities from the contestants when they were asked to taunt one another verbally. Backstage, the four contestants bickered with and disliked each other, as well.^[10] Also, during an earlier segment in the competition, Maria Kanellis gave DeCesare themiddle finger.^[11]

Despite only one winner being crowned in the competition each year, WWE hired a large number of the contestants from past contests and immediately placed them in on-camera in non-wrestling roles. From the 2004 Diva Search, Michelle McCool, Amy Weber,^[10] Candice Michelle,^[12] Maria Kanellis,^[11] and Joy Giovanni all received contracts after losing the contest. Several of the girls were sent toOhio Valley Wrestling to train.

Candice Michelle would become the first Diva Search contestant to win a championship on the main roster, defeatingMelina for theWWE Women's Championship atVengeance: Night of Champions.

Gia Allemand was a contestant for the Diva Search.^[14] It is unknown what season she was in. Allemand died on August 14, 2013, at 29.

On February 14, 2025, during Michelle McCool and her husbandThe Undertaker's appearance onGet Up ESPN,Triple H announced that Michelle McCool would be inducted into theWWE Hall Of Fame Class of 2025, making her the third Diva Search contestant to receive that honor.^[15]

WWE Diva Search
Ashley Massaro, the 2005 Raw Diva Search winner
Winner	Ashley Massaro
Runner-up	Leyla Milani
Release
Original network	Spike TV
Original release	June 27 (2005-06-27) – August 15, 2005 (2005-08-15)

The 2005 WWE Raw Diva Search featured one official theme song.

• "Be Yourself" byAudioslave^{[n 1]}

Rob Schneider and Diva search contestants August 1, 2005

Ashley Massaro pictured here as she was announced as the 2005 winner

For the 2005 WWE Raw Diva Search, the eight finalists began appearing onRaw on June 27. One contestant was eliminated each week until there were a final three.^[16] Contestant Leyla Milani accidentally exposed herself by falling out of her top while attempting to navigate an obstacle course on the July 4 edition ofRaw, leading to a "disqualification" in the contest.^[17]

Ashley Massaro was declared the winner on August 15 and received $250,000.^[16] As in 2004, other contestants were hired by WWE, including Kristal Marshall,^[18]Trenesha Biggers (eliminated in the Top 25) and Elisabeth Rouffaer.^[19]

Leyla Milani would later appear onDeal or No Deal as a briefcase model. Alexis Ondrade would later appear onFlavor of Love (season 1) under the nickname "Smiley". She would later appear in other "Of Love" spinoff shows under the same nickname or her real name "Leilene Ondrade".

Massaro died on May 16, 2019, at the age of 39.

WWE Diva Search
Layla El, the 2006 WWE Diva Search winner and only winner to becomeWWE Women's Champion andWWE Divas Champion
Winner	Layla El
Runner-up	Jen England
Release
Original network	USA Network
Original release	July 10 (2006-07-10) – August 16, 2006 (2006-08-16)

The 2006 WWE Raw Diva Search featured three official theme songs.

• "Face Down" byThe Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
• "Move Along" byThe All-American Rejects^{[n 1]}
• "Out Here All Night" byDamone

Maryse Ouellet

The Bella Twins

Maryse Ouellet and the Garcia twins were 2006 contestants who went on to have long-term WWE careers

The eight finalists made their first appearance on WWE programming onRaw on July 10.^[21] The Diva Search had an awkward beginning on July 10 with an introductory segment onRaw featuring new hostMike Mizanin. During the segment, Mizanin appeared to have forgotten his lines and stammered on for several minutes when trying to explain the voting procedures for the contest.^[22] When introducing the contestants, Mizanin mispronounced names and looked uncomfortable in his new role as Diva Search emcee.^[22] Each week, the contestants appeared on bothRaw andSmackDown!.^[21] The final three appeared on a special that aired on August 16, 2006, on theUSA Network, where the winner was announced.

Layla El won the 3rd annual Diva Search^[20] and was placed onSmackDown! in late 2006. She also became the first Diva Search winner to win the Women's Championship and won the Divas Championship in addition being the final holder of the former title. WWE also hired several of the eliminated Diva contestants including Maryse Ouellet,the Garcia Twins who did not make it to the Top 10, Rebecca DiPietro,Brooke Adams, Amy Zidian, and Milena Roucka. During their time in WWE as The Bella Twins, the Garcia Twins would become the first Diva Search contestants to be inducted into theWWE Hall of Fame as part of theclass of 2020.

Also former 2006 Diva Search contestant Maryse became the first ever two timeWWE Divas Champion and first ever longest reigning WWE Divas Champion at 216 days and a combined reign at 265 days and noticed by WWE at 212 days and 261 combined days during years 2008 and 10^[23][24] and former 2006 Diva Search participantsBrie Garcia andNikki Garcia won the WWE Divas Championship on separate occasions.^{[25][26][27][28][29][30][31]}

WWE Diva Search
Eve Torres, the 2007 Diva Search winner and first-ever three-timeWWE Divas Champion
Winner	Eve Torres
Runner-up	Brooke Gilbertsen
Release
Original network	WWE.com
Original release	September 10 (2007-09-10) – October 29, 2007 (2007-10-29)

The official theme song for the 2007 WWE Diva Search was "Let it Roll" byVelvet Revolver from the band's second studio album,Libertad, which was released on July 3, 2007. At the time of release, Velvet Revolver was an Americanhard rocksupergroup that featured vocalistScott Weiland, guitaristsSlash andDave Kushner, bassistDuff McKagan and drummerMatt Sorum. "Let it Roll" was only used as the official theme song for the competition and was not used as the official entrance theme song for the winner of the competition.Special thanks to Velvet Revolver

A picture of the 2007 Diva Search winnerEve Torres with former 2006 diva search contestant'sBrie Bella &Nikki Bella,The Bella Twins.

A picture of former 2007 Diva Search contestantLena Yada.

A picture of another 2007 diva search contestantTaryn Terrell as Tiffany in the WWE.

The first competition was on WWE.com on September 10, which was also when the voting started. The winner was announced on the October 29 edition ofRaw. Unlike past Diva Searches, this Search was the first to take place exclusively on WWE.com with most of the pre-taped segments TV. Taryn Terrell,Angela Fong and Lena Yada were called up to the roster despite being eliminated.

Taryn Terrell and Angela Fong would find more success in other promotions. Taryn Terrell competed forTotal Nonstop Action, where she held theTNA Knockouts Championship for a record-setting 279 days, which would be later broken byTaya Valkyrie. Terrell had recently done commentary and went on to wrestle forNational Wrestling Alliance, until her retirement in 2022. Angela Fong wrestled forLucha Underground under the ring name "Black Lotus". She had a singles match againstEl Dragon Azteca Jr. atUltima Lucha Dos.

Eve Torres became the first Diva Search winner to win the Divas Championship and also held it twice more in addition to being the first winner to win a title.

WWE Diva Search
Eva Marie, the 2013 WWE Diva Search winner andTotal Divas reality star.
Winner	Eva Marie
Runner-up	JoJo Offerman
Release
Original network	WWE.com /E! (TV ShowTotal Divas) (2013)
Original release	July 28 (2013-07-28) – December 15, 2013 (2013-12-15)

The 2013 WWE Diva Search featured one official theme song.

• "Top of the World" byCFO$^{[n 1]}

TheWrestling Observer Newsletter reported in February 2013 that WWE held an un-aired diva search in theLos Angeles area.^[38] Among the prospects that participated were future WWE performersEva Marie,Alexa Bliss,Lana,JoJo,Devin Taylor, and Veronica Lane, with the former winning the contest. Other participants were Maysa Quy, Olivia Karpinski and Sarah Backman who were all models.^[39][40]

A picture of former contestantLana besideRusev.

A picture of another former contestantAlexa Bliss about to compete at aWWE NXT house show event.

Former contestant Lana competed againstNaomi for theWWE SmackDown Women's Championship atWWE Money in the Bank of 2017 but was not successful.^[41]

Also another former contestant by the name ofAlexa Bliss became a very successful female wrestling star in the WWE after working for and wrestling inWWE's NXT and attempting to go for theWWE NXT Women's Championship by entering the NXT Women's Championship tournament wherePaige was successful at winning the Inaugural version of the NXT Women's title tournament but later on was forced to vacate the NXT Women's title due to being on the main roster and also due to having the WWE Divas Championship after that Alexa entered the second NXT Women's title tournament but afterwards lost toCharlotte after being successful at beatingAlicia Fox in the tournament.

Afterwards Alexa went on to faceSasha Banks andBayley in NXT for the NXT Women's Championship individually in separate matches and on separate occasions but was not successful.^[42][43] Later on in Alexa Bliss career Alexa was called up to the main roster and became a multi-time WWE Women's Champion winning all the WWE SmackDown Women's Championships,WWE Raw Women's Championships, andWWE Women's Tag Team Championships multiple times.^[44][45][46]

DuringWrestleMania 31, WWE announced that new shows will air on theWWE Network, including a returningWWE Diva Search, which was expected to premiere in the fall of 2015.^[47] There was no additional information given until July 2016, when WWE surveyed fans about potential new WWE Network shows, including a new season of Diva Search under a new name (WWE Superstar Search) due to the fact that the term "Diva" was ultimately phased out that year. In addition, the show would've been hosted byLita andTrish Stratus.^[48]

WWE originally announced on January 25, 2019, that the competition would return as a competition show, similar toNXT Seasons 1-5 re-entitled,WWE Stars in association withBunim-Murray Productions including casting.^[2][3] But on September 29 that year, Squared Circle Sirens reporter Casey Michael confirmed it was canceled.^[4] At that time, the focus of the WWE Women's Division has shifted from sex appeal to true athleticism not to mention the fact that indie wrestlers, mixed martial artists and other athletes have pretty much replaced the models when it came to hiring women.

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