8 Former WWE Divas Rumored To Return (And 7 That Have “No Chance")
Mia Horton Quick Links
Oh, the rumor mill; what would the world of pro wrestling be without it? Remember back in the 90s when our only source of rumor-talk was through pro wrestling magazines? Boy, have the times changed with wrestling gossip now just a click away on our hand held devices. From backstage booking news to backstage heat, we love reading about everything that goes on behind the scenes. However, when it comes to mouth-watering gossip, it doesn’t get any better than a rumored return. With the new crop of WWE Superstars yet to really grab the brass ring, a return is almost always a welcomed sight for WWE fans.
In this article, we explore exactly that, however we take a unique look at the women in particular with eight possible future returns. Those included feature Mae Young Classic contestants, along with seasoned vets from the past. On the contrary, we’ll also document those that simply have, “no chance in hell” of returning to the company. We’ll close the book on seven possible returns as well.
Enjoy the article folks and like always, be sure to pass it along to a friend. We begin with a rumored return that recently surfaced in an exchange with a current WWE star via Twitter.
Return – Michelle McCool
The inaugural Divas Champion and four-time title holder in all, Michelle McCool was an underrated heel that thrived during a forgettable era for the division. She was one of the few bright spots, performing decently in the ring and serving as one heck of a villain. Many however, will always link her success in the business to her relationship with The Undertaker and a return can be possible because of that very connection.
Stirring up the pot a little bit more, Charlotte and Michelle recently got into a Twitter exchange which saw McCool react rather joyfully to someone finally challenging her. McCool accepted Charlotte’s challenge, but it now remains to be seen if and when this bout is going to take place. With Vince owing The Undertaker a couple of solids, a return to the ring seems likely for the former heel. Don’t expect Layla to join her however....
No Chance – Eva Marie
It seems like the Eva Marie project is finally done with, as the red headed bombshell saw her contract expire from the company. Since signing the Diva back in 2013, the WWE made it a priority to push her to the moon, however due to her inexperience inside of the squared circle, the WWE Universe wasn’t buying her talents one bit. Had it been a different era, perhaps she could have had some success.
With the standard being so darn high nowadays, it seems pretty safe to assume that Eva’s days with the company are done for good. Several wrestling pundits also believed she used the company as a stepping stone to get her foot in Hollywood. Since her release, Marie has proven this theory to be accurate working on various television and film sets. With both sides headed in different directions, Eva’s wrestling days are over.
Return – Victoria
We tend to glamorize the current Divas Revolution, however the change took place quite some time ago with the likes of Lita, Trish and Victoria, being way ahead of their time. Victoria in particular not only had the beauty, but she was also one heck of an in-ring competitor serving as a pivotal heel back in the early 2000s. She was insanely underrated – her run would come to an end after nine years in 2009.
Ever since she parted ways, Victoria has remained active on the wrestling scene, whether it was working for TNA, or her current gigs working indie shows and taking part in various wrestling conventions. Based off of social media photos, the 46 year old is still in spectacular shape if you can believe it. Given her constant commitment to pro wrestling, maybe the WWE would be inclined to have her return, perhaps even taking part in the rumored Women’s Royal Rumble match?
No Chance – Cameron
Similar to Eva Marie, the WWE had high hopes for Cameron despite her lack of in-ring experience. She took part in the Tough Enough competition and surprisingly, was offered a deal shortly after the show. Cameron started off in OVW and it appears her training wasn’t enough, as she struggled on the main roster and really never found her footing inside of the squared circle. From wardrobe malfunctions to botches pinning her opponent upside down, her memorable moments with the company weren’t so glamorous.
She was back down in NXT trying to improve, though she just made matters worse agreeing to a controversial statement made by Ryback pertaining to Superstar payments. She was released by the company and is now serving various roles in the entertainment business. Like Eva, both the WWE and Cameron are going to head into different directions.
Return – Kaitlyn
Back in the forgettable Divas era, Superstars from the division were retiring at a young age; it was just the norm for the likes of Eve Torres and the currently mentioned Kaitlyn. With youth still on her side, Kaitlyn left the wrestling business extremely young still in her 20s back in 2014. The former WWE Diva opted to switch career ventures entering the fitness business.
She did quite well for herself not only starting a new fitness brand, but gathering quite the following via social media thanks to her stunning curves. However, it appears as though the wrestling bug has stung Kaitlyn, as she recently admitted to missing the business. She took things a step further by starting her wrestling training, posting a photo via her Instagram account. With her popularity on social media and being a former WWE Divas Champion, the chances of a return are quite probable. It also helps that she’s barely into her 30s at the age of 31.
No Chance – Rosa Mendes
Most wrestling fans burry Rosa when it comes to her legacy with the WWE. However, you must give credit where credit is due, as she started with the company way back in 2006 through the Diva Search pipeline and stayed on board till recently when announcing her retirement in 2017. Granted, she really didn’t accomplish much and was remembered more so for her Total Divas involvement, however it’s still pretty significant that she lasted longer than a decade, something most aspiring wrestlers can’t say (even the accomplished ones).
Her skills were very limited, and the WWE knew it as she didn’t win a single championship throughout her decade-long run. At the age of 38 and with the standard being so high, a Rosa return simply wouldn’t make much sense.
Return – Candice LaRae
We’ve also included some women from the Mae Young Classic. One of them, is the seasoned indie veteran Candice LaRae. She became a darling to the Full Sail faithful during the Mae Young Classic Tournament, and she even hinted at a future program with Shayna Baszler following her exit from the tournament. Her contract wasn’t picked up by the company following her excellent showing, though we have reason to believe she’ll be a WWE Superstar regardless at some point; she’s just too good.
It also helps that her husband Johnny Gargano, is with the company. He’s also pretty close to Shawn Michaels, which should only help his cause and her cause down the line. We can all agree here, that not only is LeRae good enough to compete on NXT, but one can argue that she’d be instantly main roster-ready when signed.
No Chance – Brandi Rhodes
Joining the WWE in 2013, Brandi served as the ring announcer for the company. She wanted to transition into a wrestler, however the company wasn’t really invested in the idea. Following Cody’s shocking departure request, Brandi was gone from the WWE as well shortly after. Since leaving the company, she’s transferred her skills to inside of the squared circle working with various indie programs along with Impact and Ring Of Honor.
She’s still rough around the edges and not the smoothest but seriously, what do you expect from someone that is so green? With experience comes improved timing and foot work, something Brandi hopes will work out in her favor. With the bad blood spilling between Cody and the WWE, don’t expect Brandi back with the company any time soon.
Return – Melina
During her run with the WWE, Melina was regarded as one of the very best, heck even the great Bret Hart was a big supporter of her in-ring work. Melina eventually soured with the company not because of her talent but due to her attitude behind the scenes. She wasn’t the most liked and it cost her, as she was released back in 2011.
She left the business following her exit opting to go back to school, an admirable decision. However, like most on this list, she would eventually return to the business in 2015 rejoining the indie scene and appearing at various wrestling conventions. At the age of 38, she’s still going strong and her continuous in-ring work certainly helps. Yes, she didn’t have the greatest backstage reputation but Mickie James wasn’t squeaky clean either, and she was also recently welcomed back to the WWE, at the same age of 38. Melina’s return isn’t as likely as some of the others on the list, but with a new attitude, it’s definitely possible for one final run.
No Chance – Gail Kim
This one might be the most unfortunate on the list of “no chance in hell” type of returns. Gail is an extraordinary talent who like a couple of others on the list, was well ahead of her time as a terrific in-ring performer. However, Vince had image problems when it came to Gail’s look, and it ultimately caused Kim to leave the company and never return. You really can’t blame her.
She forged a tremendous career with TNA and at the age of 40, it seems as though her in-ring days are coming to an end shortly. Don’t hold your breath on a WWE return before she calls it a day, as Kim admitted that she has no desire to return, opting to end her career as an accomplished female pro wrestler that made her name be known predominantly outside of the WWE banner.
Return – Toni Storm
Toni Storm is another name you’ll be hearing about once again down the line. The New Zealand native was a terrific revelation during the Mae Young Classic Tournament. The young 22 year old exceeded expectations losing out in the semi-finals to the winner of the tourney, Kari Sane.
Wisely, the WWE opted against signing the youngster. Although she’s filled with incredible potential, she’s still extremely green and as we’ve seen in the past with Superstars like Paige, giving a young wrestler a push early on is sometimes not the best idea due to personal immaturity problems. Toni is now back on the indie scene gaining some much needed mileage with the likes of World Winder Ring Stardom. When the time is right, she’ll be back with the WWE and in all likelihood, the first Women’s Title holder to ever hail from New Zealand.
No Chance – Torrie Wilson & Stacy Keibler
This entry might sting for the die-hard fans of the company back in the early 2000s, however, truth be told, this is another situation of both sides trending in different directions, leaving the possibility of a return extremely unlikely.
Both Wilson and Keibler distanced themselves even further from the company making claims that they weren’t too crazy when it came to the in-ring work of their gigs. In an era that’s all about in-ring performance, bringing back females that have such sentiments really wouldn’t make much sense, would it? Regardless, Torrie seems happy living the life of a fitness guru, looking as good as she did back in her prime nowadays. Stacy is also a happy mother, with her wrestling days long in the past. The duo might be brought back for a Network special, but don’t expect anything on-air live in the middle of the ring to take place.
Return – Tessa Blanchard
Many would argue that Tessa Blanchard was the most impressive female competitor during the Mae Young Classic. Despite being eliminated in the first round, Tessa put up one hell of a fight against Kari Sane in what was considered the top match of the entire tournament. Although her television time was short-lived, her impact was rather obvious.
Her potential at the moment is seriously through the roof, but like Toni Storm, the WWE opted to let her grow a little more on the indie scene given the fact that she’s only 22. Though looking at her in-ring work, you’d think she was a decade long veteran. With wrestling in her blood as the daughter of Tully Blanchard, and with her boyfriend Ricochet signing with the WWE in the near future, those factors will only solidify her future return.
No Chance – Sunny
Chances are, when you read the title of this article, Sunny was the first name that came to mind when thinking about wrestlers that have “no chance in hell” of returning. It turns out, you weren’t wrong.
She initially left the company on the poorest of terms during the 90s as a big time nuisance backstage. It appeared as though she’d never return, though that wasn’t the case as she was inducted into the WWE’s Hall Of Fame. She didn’t clean up her act one bit following the induction; it was even rumored that Sunny was selling her ring on eBay. Ouch! In yet another rehab stint, the last thing the WWE wants is controversy on their hands as a publicly traded company and with various sponsors. Sunny returning is not best for business, at any point.
Return – Trish Stratus
One of the greatest of all-time, Trish has been linked to a return since she parted ways from the WWE. A trailblazer in the division, Trish accomplished everything she could have during her run with the WWE. Following her retirement, Trish ran her own yoga business. Nowadays, she’s happily starting a family alongside her long-time partner, Ron Fisico; the couple have two young children.
Despite her family life, Trish still has the itch to return. Not only does she constantly tweet about everything WWE, but she also admitted in an interview to being open to a return if the match was appealing enough to step out of retirement. Finally settling in as a parent and with the itch still pretty much alive, a comeback remains a possibility if Trish decides the time is right.
