WWE Diva Search
Season of television series
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
WWE Diva Search (formerly WWE Raw Diva Search) is an American talent competition that was produced and held by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). The first winner was Jaime Koeppe, but she did not receive a contract like subsequent winners of the contest. Other winners included Christy Hemme, Ashley Massaro, Layla El, Eve Torres and Natalia Eva Marie. In addition to the winners of the yearly contest, WWE has hired several contestants as Divas, 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 2015 and 19 under the new name Superstar Search, but those plans were scrapped.[1][2][3][4]
Diva Search
Raw Divas Search
- "Walk Idiot Walk" by The Hives (2004)
- "Be Yourself" by Audioslave (2005)
- "Move Along" by The All-American Rejects (2006)
- "Let It Roll" by Velvet Revolver (2007)
| WWE Diva Search | |
|---|---|
2013 Diva Search winner, Natalia Eva Marie. | |
| Also known as | WWE Raw Diva Search Diva Search Raw Divas Search |
| Genre | Reality competition |
| Created by | Vince McMahon |
| Opening theme |
|
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of seasons | 6 |
| No. of episodes | 7 |
| Production | |
| Camera setup | Multicamera setup |
| Original release | |
| Network |
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| Release | July 1, 2003 – December 15, 2013 |
| Related | |
2003
On June 18, 2003, WWE announced their intention to embark on a countrywide quest for a fresh addition to their roster of WWE Divas.[5] It was emphasized that the final decision regarding the selection of the new Diva would rest solely in the hands of the fans. The 2003 Diva Search invited women aged 18 or above who believed they possessed the qualities required to be the next WWE Diva, applicants were required to submit a photograph of themselves along with a brief biography explaining their aspirations to become a WWE Diva.[5][6]
| WWE Diva Search | |
|---|---|
| Winner | Jaime Koeppe |
| Runner-up | Terri Mitchell |
On July 1, 2003, fans were given the opportunity to cast their votes for their favorite contestant, through fan voting, the potential contestants were narrowed down to a group of 16 by July 20, then reduced down to a further 8 finalists by July 29.[6] The final 4 Diva hopefuls were confirmed on August 6. The final 4 were then awarded a trip to WWE's SummerSlam pay-per-view event in Phoenix, Arizona[6] where they competed in a final event that was broadcast live on WWE's web-show, Byte This!. The winner of the 2003 WWE Diva Search was Jaime Koeppe.[7] Fitness model and Trading Spouses star, Deeann Donovan was a reject from this season of the search.[8][9]
After the competition
Despite winning the contest, Koeppe did not receive a WWE contract but featured in a segment during the SummerSlam pay-per-view sat in the audience. She also received a photoshoot for WWE Magazine[14] and appeared on an episode of WWE Confidential.[7] She confirmed in a 2005 blog post that she was invited to take part in the 2004 search but ultimately declined the offer.[15]
2004
In 2004, WWE decided to make an extension of the Diva Search, including holding the contest live on RAW and a one-year contract worth $250,000.[16][17] Over 7,000 women applied to be a part of the search,[18] with the final ten contestants being chosen on a live casting special aired on Spike TV on July 15, hosted by Jonathan Coachman with guest judges; Chris Jericho, Edge, Randy Orton and Triple H.[17]
The search began airing weekly segments on RAW, on July 19, with fans being able to vote for the winner.[16][17] Despite official statements by the WWE, suggesting the contest would be handled in a "classy manner", the contest involved contestant Divas performing suggestive acts on live television, including; "seducing" former WWE wrestler Kamala, rubbing ice-cream and pie in to their breasts and covering themselves in chili to arm-wrestle.[19]
| 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 – September 20, 2004 |
The most controversial segment from the contest took part during the "Diss The Diva" challenge on the August, 30, episode of RAW.[20] Before the challenge began, Maria Kanellis was eliminated from the competition and gave Carmella DeCesare the middle finger.[21] The four finalists (Amy Weber, Carmella DeCesare, Christy Hemme and Joy Giovanni)[22] competed in a live shoot promo challenge, the segment has gained notoriety for being one of WWE's most explicit segments in history.[23] The contest began with Giovanni calling out DeCesare stating; "Carmella, you talk a lot of shit, but look at you, you've got a gap so wide you could drive a truck right through there baby!". Weber went on to also call out DeCesare calling her a "whore" and claiming she "didn't know shit, about wrestling", she then went on to tell DeCesare that having a cock in her mouth had nothing to do with wrestling, before calling her a bitch. DeCesare responded by outing Giovanni as a mother, something she had not told WWE higher-ups, and calling her fat. She then went on to claim that Weber was jealous of her and that Playboy laughed at Weber's attempt to audition for the magazine. Hemme continued the verbal beatdown on DeCesare by calling her a "cum-burping gutter slut".[24][25] The censors could not keep up with the live audio with RAW commentators Jerry Lawler and Jim Ross asking if they were still on air. In a 2023 interview Giovanni revealed that she was confronted by Stephanie McMahon backstage about having a child.[26][27]
The winner of the 2004 WWE Diva Search was Christy Hemme.[16] Despite only one winner being crowned in the competition each year, WWE hired a large number of contestants and immediately placed them on main roster programming. From the 2004 Diva Search; Amy Weber, Joy Giovanni, Maria Kanellis and Michelle McCool all received contracts after losing the contest.[21][22] Future WWE Women's Champion, Candice Michelle was a reject from this season of the search.[17] Other notable names who were rejected from this season of the search include; Amy Brown, Gia Allemand,[28] Jamie Lynn, Maria Lemone, Mariza Villarreal, Radhaa Nilia and Tiffany Holliday.
Official themes
The 2004 WWE Raw $250,000 Diva Search featured four official theme songs.
- "Open Your Eyes" by Alter Bridge[n 1]
- "Real Good Girl" by Jim Johnston[n 2]
- "Time and Time Again" by Chronic Future
- "Walk Idiot Walk" by The Hives[n 3]
- "Open Your Eyes" is played when each of the top ten finalists are voted out of the competition.
- "Real Good Girl" by Jim Johnston was written exclusively for the 2004 WWE Raw $250,000 Diva Search competition. The song was later featured in WWE ThemeAddict: The Music, Vol. 6.
- "Walk Idiot Walk" was also used as the official entrance theme for Christy Hemme after winning the competition.
Top 28
Open casting calls were held in Los Angeles, California, New York, New York, and Chicago, Illinois, in June and July of 2004. The following 28 finalists were chosen from each of the locations:
|
|
Finalists
| Name | Age[a] | Hometown | Eliminated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christy Hemme | 23 | Poway, California | Winner[18][29][30][16] |
| Carmella DeCesare | 22 | Avon Lake, Ohio | Runner-Up[30][22] |
| Joy Giovanni | 26 | Boston, Massachusetts | 3rd Place[22] |
| Amy Weber | 34 | Mapleton, Illinois | 4th Place[22] |
| Maria Kanellis | 22 | Ottawa, Illinois | 5th Place[21] |
| Tracie Wright | 24 | Atlanta, Georgia | 6th Place |
| Michelle McCool | 24 | Palatka, Florida | 7th Place[21] |
| Chandra Costello | 28 | Liberty, Kentucky | 8th Place |
| Camille Anderson | 26 | Dallas, Texas | 9th Place |
| Julia Costello | 28 | Liberty, Kentucky | 10th Place |
- Ages were at time of filming.
After the competition
Christy Hemme went on to pose on the cover of Playboy magazine and competed at WrestleMania 21 for the WWE Women's Championship against Trish Stratus in a losing effort.[29] She was released from the WWE in December 2005,[31] and found more success in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). She worked for TNA from 2006 until her retirement in 2016,[32] briefly returning in a backstage role from 2022 until 2025, in 2006 she was fan-voted the TNA Knockout of the Year.
Despite never signing a contract with the WWE, Carmella DeCesare went on to face Christy Hemme at Taboo Tuesday 2004, in a losing effort, before leaving the wrestling business completely.
Joy Giovanni went on to become the valet of the Big Show, being involved in the main event of Smackdown! She was fan-voted the WWE 2005 Rookie Diva of the Year,[33] before being released in July 2005.[34] She returned in 2009, for one night only, as a legend Diva in the WrestleMania 25 battle royal.[35]
Amy Weber went on to become the valet of John "Bradshaw" Layfield, being involved in the main event of Smackdown! She quit the company in February, 2005, due to alleged bullying and harassment from Edge and Randy Orton.[36]
Maria Kanellis went on to work for the WWE from 2004-2010.[37] During her time she posed on the cover of Playboy magazine and was fan-voted the 2009 WWE Diva of the Year. She went on to work across various other wrestling promotions including; Ring of Honor (ROH), New-Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) and TNA, where she became a one time TNA Knockout's Champion.[38] She returned to the WWE again in 2017, becoming a one time WWE 24/7 Champion, before being released in 2020.[39] She debuted and worked for All Elite Wrestling (AEW) in 2022, departing in February, 2025.[40]
Michelle McCool went on to work for the WWE from 2004-2011.[41] During her time she went on to become a two time WWE Women's Champion[42] and the inaugural WWE Divas Champion,[43] which she also won on two separate occasions. She was the 2010 WWE Diva of the Year, and won the 2010 Knucklehead Moment of the Year award.[44] She most notably was one half of LayCool, alongside future WWE Diva Search winner, Layla, during their time as a team they drew the highest television ratings on Smackdown! during their feud against Mickie James and went on to face The Divas of Doom (Beth Phoenix and Natalya) in the first ever women's tables match.[45][46] In 2025, it was announced by McCool's husband, The Undertaker, and WWE executive Triple H, that McCool would be inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame Class of 2025, making her the first Diva Search contestant to receive that honor.[47] That year, she was the winning Legend in the second season of WWE LFG.
Despite being rejected from the competition, Candice Michelle went on to work for the WWE from 2004-2009.[48] During her time she posed on the cover of Playboy magazine and won the WWE Women's Championship.[49] She also won the WWE 24/7 Championship. In 2026, she signed to TNA as a backstage producer.[50]
2005
| 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 – August 15, 2005 |
Official theme
The 2005 WWE Raw Diva Search featured one official theme song.
- "Be Yourself" was also used as the official entrance theme for Ashley Massaro after winning the competition.
Contestants
| Name | Age[a] | Hometown | Eliminated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashley Massaro† | 26 | Babylon, New York | Winner[22][51] |
| Leyla Milani | 23 | Toronto, Ontario | Runner-Up |
| Elisabeth Rouffaer | 22 | Santa Cruz, California | 3rd Place |
| Kristal Marshall | 21 | Los Angeles, California | 4th Place |
| Summer DeLin | 24 | Shreveport, Louisiana | 5th Place |
| Cameron Haven | 24 | Lake Worth Beach, Florida | 6th Place |
| Simona Fusco | 25 | Milan, Italy | 7th Place |
| Alexis Ondrade | 23 | Costa Mesa, California | 8th Place |
- Ages were at time of filming.
Notes
For the 2005 WWE Raw Diva Search, the eight finalists began appearing on Raw on June 27. One contestant was eliminated each week until there were a final three.[51] Contestant Leyla Milani accidentally exposed herself by falling out of her top while attempting to navigate an obstacle course on the July 4 edition of Raw, leading to a "disqualification" in the contest.[52]
Ashley Massaro was declared the winner on August 15 and received $250,000.[51] As in 2004, other contestants were hired by WWE, including Kristal Marshall,[53] Trenesha Biggers (eliminated in the Top 25) and Elisabeth Rouffaer.[54]
Leyla Milani would later appear on Deal or No Deal as a briefcase model. Alexis Ondrade would later appear on Flavor of Love (season 1) under the nickname "Smiley" and would later appear in other "Of Love" spinoff shows under the same nickname or her real name "Leilene Ondrade".
In 2007, Ashley Massaro appeared in a special guest role in the Smallville episode "Combat", posed for Playboy, and finished 15th on Survivor: China while in WWE until her release in 2008. She died on May 16, 2019 by suicide at the age of 39.
2006
| WWE Diva Search | |
|---|---|
 Layla El, the 2006 WWE Diva Search winner and only winner to become WWE Women's Champion and WWE Divas Champion | |
| Winner | Layla El |
| Runner-up | Jen England |
| Release | |
| Original network | USA Network |
| Original release | July 10 – August 16, 2006 |
Official themes
The 2006 WWE Raw Diva Search featured three official theme songs.
- "Face Down" by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
- "Move Along" by The All-American Rejects[n 1]
- "Out Here All Night" by Damone
- "Move Along" was briefly used as the official entrance theme for Layla El after winning the competition.
Contestants
| Name | Age[a] | Hometown | Eliminated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Layla El | 29 | London, England | Winner[55] |
| Jennifer England | 27 | Lansing, Michigan | Runner-Up[55] |
| J.T. Tinney | 25 | Phoenix, Arizona | 3rd Place[55] |
| Milena Roucka | 26 | Vancouver, British Columbia | 4th Place[55] |
| Erica Chevillar | 23 | Boca Raton, Florida | 5th Place[55] |
| Rebecca DiPietro | 26 | Rehoboth, Massachusetts | 6th Place[55] |
| Maryse Ouellet | 23 | Montreal, Quebec | 7th Place[55] |
| Amy Zidian | 20 | Orlando, Florida | 8th Place[55] |
- Ages were at time of filming.
Notes
The eight finalists made their first appearance on WWE programming on Raw on July 10.[56] The Diva Search had an awkward beginning on July 10 with an introductory segment on Raw featuring new host Mike 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.[57] When introducing the contestants, Mizanin mispronounced names and looked uncomfortable in his new role as Diva Search emcee.[57] Each week, the contestants appeared on both Raw and SmackDown!.[56] The final three appeared on a special that aired on August 16, 2006, on the USA Network, where the winner was announced.
Layla El won the 3rd annual Diva Search[55] and was placed on SmackDown! 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 the WWE Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2020.
Also former 2006 Diva Search contestant Maryse became the first ever two time WWE 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[58][59] and former 2006 Diva Search participants Brianna Garcia and Nicole Garcia won the WWE Divas Championship on separate occasions with the latter winning it twice and becoming the longest reigning Divas Champion.[60][61][62][63][64][65][66]
2007
| WWE Diva Search | |
|---|---|
 Eve Torres, the 2007 Diva Search winner and first-ever three-time WWE Divas Champion | |
| Winner | Eve Torres |
| Runner-up | Brooke Gilbertsen |
| Release | |
| Original network | WWE.com |
| Original release | September 10 – October 29, 2007 |
Official theme song
The official theme song for the 2007 WWE Diva Search was "Let it Roll" by Velvet 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 American hard rock supergroup that featured vocalist Scott Weiland, guitarists Slash and Dave Kushner, bassist Duff McKagan and drummer Matt 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
Contestants
| Name | Age[a] | Hometown | Eliminated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eve Torres | 22 | Denver, Colorado | Winner[67] |
| Brooke Gilbertsen | 22 | Chicago, Illinois | Runner-Up |
| Lena Yada | 27 | Los Angeles, California | 3rd Place |
| Taryn Terrell | 21 | New Orleans, Louisiana | 4th Place[68] |
| Jessica Hatch | 26 | Montreal, Quebec | 5th Place[69] |
| J. Kim | 24 | Catawba, North Carolina | 6th Place[70] |
| Lyndy Frieson | 22 | Vancouver, British Columbia | 7th Place[71] |
| Naomi Kirk | 24 | West Yorkshire, England | 8th Place[72] |
- Ages were at time of filming.
Notes
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 of Raw. 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 for Total Nonstop Action, where she held the TNA Knockouts Championship for a record-setting 279 days, which would be later broken by Taya Valkyrie. Terrell had recently done commentary and went on to wrestle for National Wrestling Alliance, until her retirement in 2022. Angela Fong wrestled for Lucha Underground under the ring name "Black Lotus". She had a singles match against El Dragon Azteca Jr. at Ultima 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.
2013
| WWE Diva Search | |
|---|---|
 Natalia Eva Marie, the 2013 WWE Diva Search winner and Total Divas reality star. | |
| Winner | Natalia Eva Marie |
| Runner-up | Joseann Offerman |
| Release | |
| Original network | WWE.com / E! (TV Show Total Divas) (2013) |
| Original release | July 28 – December 15, 2013 |
Official theme song
The 2013 WWE Diva Search featured one official theme song.
- The song was also used for WWE's reality TV Show by the name of Total Divas.
Contestants
The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported in February 2013 that WWE held an un-aired diva search in the Los Angeles area.[73] Among the prospects that participated were future WWE performers Natalia Eva Marie, CJ Perry, Joseann Offerman, 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, Jennifer Sterger and former For the Love of Ray J contestant Courtney "Jaguar" Cameron.[74][75]
Notes
Former contestant CJ Perry competed as Lana in the WWE where she managed her then-husband Rusev and competed against Naomi for the WWE SmackDown Women's Championship at WWE Money in the Bank of 2017 but was not successful.[76]
Joseann Offerman briefly wrestled on the main roster at the time she starred in the first season of Total Divas before transitioning to backstage interviewer and later ring announcer.
Cancelled revival
During WrestleMania 31, WWE announced that new shows will air on the WWE Network, including a returning WWE Diva Search, which was expected to premiere in the fall of 2015.[77] 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 by Lita and Trish Stratus.[78]
WWE originally announced on January 25, 2019, that the competition would return as a competition show, similar to NXT Seasons 1-5 re-entitled, WWE Stars in association with Bunim-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 as indie wrestlers, mixed martial artists and athletes from other sports such as cheerleading have replaced the models when it came to hiring women.
Winners
| Year Won | Winners |
|---|---|
| 2003 | Jaime Koeppe |
| 2004 | Christy Hemme |
| 2005 | Ashley Massaro † |
| 2006 | Layla El |
| 2007 | Eve Torres |
| 2013 | Eva Marie |