WWE Diva Search

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 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. As of 2021, Maryse Ouellet is the sole remaining female talents signed with WWE to come from the contest. 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 name Superstar Search, but those plans were scrapped.

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's SummerSlam pay per view event in Phoenix, 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 in WWE RAW Magazine.

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:

NameAgeHometownSelected/Not selectedAmy Weber34Mapleton, IllinoisSelected Alison Weder23Minooka, IllinoisNot selected Bobbi Sue Luther25Silver Spring, MarylandNot selected Camille Anderson26Dallas, TexasSelected Candice Michelle25Milwaukee, WisconsinNot selected Carmella DeCesare22Avon Lake, OhioSelected CeCe Wagner22Chicago, IllinoisNot selected Chandra Costello28Liberty, KentuckySelected Christina Hernandez24Odessa, TexasNot selected Christy Hemme23Poway, CaliforniaSelected Erin "Kelly" Britz25Kansas City, KansasNot selected Gabrielle Tuite26Brooklyn, New YorkNot selected Jaynie Mae Baker23New York City, New YorkNot selected Jennifer R. Lopez26Lodi, New JerseyNot selected

NameAgeHometownSelected/Not selectedJoy Giovanni26Boston, MassachusettsSelected Julia Costello28Liberty, KentuckySelected Karen McDougal33Merrillville, IndianaNot selected Kimberly Cozzens21San Jose, CaliforniaNot selected Kimmy Brown24Seattle, WashingtonNot selected Maria Kanellis22Ottawa, IllinoisSelected Mary Castro25LaVerne, ConnecticutNot selected Michelle McCool24Palatka, FloridaSelected Nicole Bradhurst24Kansas City, MissouriNot selected Nina Hardin22Carson, CaliforniaNot selected Tammy Vallejos24Albuquerque, New MexicoNot selected Taryn J. Reed25Charlotte, North CarolinaNot selected Tracie Wright24Atlanta, GeorgiaSelected Yesenia Camacho30Austin, TexasNot selected

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

NameAgeHometownEliminatedEve Torres22Denver, ColoradoWinnerBrooke Gilbertsen22Chicago, IllinoisRunner UpLena Yada27Los Angeles, California3rd PlaceTaryn Terrell21New Orleans, Louisiana4th PlaceJessica Hatch26Montreal, Quebec5th PlaceJ. Kim24Catawba, North Carolina6th PlaceLyndy Frieson22Vancouver, British Columbia7th PlaceNaomi Kirk24West Yorkshire, England8th Place

The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported in February 2013 that WWE held an un aired diva search in the Los Angeles area. Among the prospects that participated were future WWE performers Eva 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.

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. 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. 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. But on September 29 that year, Squared Circle Sirens reporter Casey Michael confirmed it was canceled. 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.