At Wrestlemania 25 there will be the first, and I imagine only, 25 Diva Battle Royal that will crown the winner as Miss Wrestlemania. Of the current WWE Divas 19 have been confirmed as taking part. These are:

• Beth Phoenix
  
• Candice Michelle
  
• Jillian
  
• Kelly Kelly
  
• Layla
  
• Melina
  
• Mickie James
  
• Rosa Mendez
  
• Brie Bella
  
• Eve Torres
  
• Gail Kim - who has yet to debut but is expected to participate
  
• Maria
  
• Maryse
  
• Michelle McCool
  
• Natalya
  
• Nikki Bella
  
• Alicia Fox
  
• Katie Lea Burchill and
  
• Tiffany
  

Although Lillian Garcia, Vickie Guerrero and Stephanie McMahon are all technically eligible to compete, if they were going to there is no reason why this wouldn't already have been announced so it is pretty safe to assume that they won't be.

This means there are 6 free places in the Battle Royal and I thought it would be interesting to try and work out who might be filling these. All the WWE have revealed are that they will be influential Divas from the company's past. Already a few likely candidates have ruled themselves out:

• Lita - declined the offer
  
• Molly Holly - who will be present but has expressed no desire to wrestle
  
• Wendi Richter - declined offer
  
• Terri Runnels - no interest in wrestling
  
• Ashely Massaro - due to personal reasons
  
• Debra - denied reports of an appearance
  
• Sable - pregnant
  
• Dawn Marie - pregnant
  

Former Divas likely to appear:

• Trish Stratus - hasn't denied the possibility and in view of her relationship with the company and the fact she has appeared at a special event in the past, she is one of the few former Divas I would lay money on making an appearance.
  
• Mae Young - she is still on the WWE roster and having been a key part of the division's formation and the fact she has never shied away from matches of this type in the past, there is a good chance she will make an appearance. It would also be a fitting event in which Mae could finally retire from the business.
  

Former Divas who could appear:

• Ivory - coming up to 50, but semi-retired from the business, left the company on good terms so could make a one-off return.
  
• Jazz - her return would allow Trish and Jazz to continue where they left off. She was a good worker and appears to have left on relatively good terms so no reason why she couldn't be invited back for a one-off.
  
• Sunny - she came back for RAW's 15th anniversary, is still involved in the business and there is nothing suggesting she'd meet resistance from the company.
  
• Torrie Wilson - the wrestling industry made her and she made the WWE a lot of money. Was forced to leave for medical reasons. Although advised to never wrestle again she might be willing to chance one last final appearance especially if the money is right.
  

Former Divas very unlikely to appear:

• Amy Weber - a Diva Search contestant from the distant past. Pretty much forgettable and for that reason unlikely to be invited back.
  
• Barbara Bush - left the company on good terms but has disappeared off the radar so much that a return would be more likely to generate bewilderment than nostalgia!
  
• Bobcat - unlikely to feature as married to Al Snow who probably isn't the WWE's biggest fan at the moment
  
• Brooke Adams - another product of the Diva Search who did little more than dance.
  
• Cherry - although she had a decent run as a Diva, it is rumoured she was sacked as higher ups within the company didn't consider her to have the classic Diva 'look' (Source).
  
• Christy Hemme - employed by the WWE's biggest competitor, TNA.
  
• Chyna - complicated personal life and reasons for leaving the company in the first place so very unlikely to return!
  
• Jackie Gayda - left the company on relatively good terms, but since the birth of her daughter has not returned to wrestling.
  
• Jacqueline - former Women's Champ but currently employed by TNA.
  
• Joy Giovanni - another Diva Search contestant who made little impact on the company.
  
• Kristal Marshall - left the company suddenly and has not been involved with wrestling since.
  
• Lauren Jones - left on good terms and has not ruled out returning to the business in the future but has made no recent moves to do so and it is unlikely the WWE would be in a rush to bring her back.
  
• Lena Yada - left the company not long ago, was barely used when she was there.
  
• Linda Miles - had a brief stint in the company and is now a substitute teacher.
  
• Luna Vachon - was fired from the company several times and has since declared her retirement from wrestling.
  
• Madusa - famously stormed out of the company and has been a critic of it ever since.
  
• Miss Kitty - left on bad terms, previously married to Jerry Lawler, has little to do with wrestling today.
  
• Nicole Bass - tried to sue the WWF and lost. Enough said.
  
• Nidia - had her moment but has had little to do with the industry for the last 4 years.
  
• Rebecca DiPietro - another under-used interviewer unlikely to return.
  
• Ryan Shamrock - romantically linked to X-Pac who left the company on bad terms.
  
• Sharmell Sullivan - currently employed by TNA.
  
• Stacy Keibler - although many fans began to question her commitment to the company toward the end of her time with the WWE, Keibler has been involved with the industry for a number of years. She is still relatively famous and thus there is the chance she could return but on balance is more likely not to.
  
• Tori - left the business a long time ago and hasn't looked back since.
  
• Trinity - criminally under-used when with the WWE, very unlikely to want to return.
  
• Victoria - released very recently so although not impossible it would be odd to invite her back.
  

So after a very lengthy and fairly comprehensive look at the former Divas of the WWF/WWE, those are my predictions. I've missed out some of the more minor Diva Search contestants but there is the danger the WWE might fall back on these to make up numbers if they couldn't get those they originally wanted. Undoubtedly some of my predictions are going to be wrong and although at least Gail Kim is expected to debut, there is always the possibility that the WWE takes the opportunity to bring someone else new into the division. All will be revealed on April 5th

Source: PWInsider.com






Anyone have any other ideas?

interesting

what? don't like the list?