Diva Dish: Fun in The Sweetest Place on Earth
By Kara A. Medalis
Written: August 08, 2008
In this week’s Diva Dish, Victoria and Lena Yada let loose in Hershey Park, Tiffany shows off her athletic side, Natalya reveals the inspiration behind her red hair, Maria makes an impressive “Blue” debut, Kelly Kelly goes “Free Fallin,'” and Cherry sweetens up WWE’s tour of New England.
Being a kid again
While recently on tour in Hershey, Pa., Victoria and Lena Yada joined several other SmackDown and ECW Superstars for a special day off, including a day of fun at Hershey Park.
“We were in Hershey, and I wanted to go to the park. We rode eight roller coasters. We closed that park down. I’m telling you, it was like I was a little kid. I was so excited to go on the rides. It was so refreshing,” Victoria told Diva Dish.
Other Superstars who joined in on the fun at The Sweetest Place on Earth included Carlito, The Brian Kendrick & Ezekiel, and Colin Delaney. Now, take a guess at which Superstar Victoria just might have a little crush on?
“Ever since Colin turned on Tommy Dreamer — he showed a little bit of aggression and independence — I kind of found him a little bit attractive. I took the opportunity to sit next to him on the rollercoaster,” she admitted.
Lena said the Superstars tried to get on every ride in the five hours they were at the park.
“It was so much fun. … It was totally awesome. It made me feel like a little kid again!” the ECW Diva said, pointing out that there was certainly no lack of chocolate in Hershey Park.
“There were lots of chocolate concession stands, vending machines and giant Hershey bars and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup dancing guys who came out — which was hilarious. It was fun!” she said.
“I think what I’ll remember most is spending time with everybody and getting to see something different, and making the best out of the day off,” Lena said. “Hershey Park is part of America’s culture!”
Extreme skills
Now that Tiffany is a bonafide member of the ECW roster, with her own Diva profile, the Extreme newcomer can also make her Diva Dish debut. While the WWE Universe knows Tiffany as the smart, beautiful and talented assistant to ECW General Manager Theodore Long, the Diva wanted to point out she has an athletic side, too.
“One thing I would like to add is that I was a competitive powerlifter. That’s one thing I’d like the WWE Universe to know about my athletic background,” she said. “I was a college cheerleader, too.”
While Tiffany is all-business on ECW on Sci Fi, she wants the WWE Universe to get to know her other side.
“[ECW] doesn’t really show how much of a cheerleader I am, or how bubbly I am — that would be the word,” she smiled. “Also, I was an athlete. Only some people actually consider cheerleading an athletic sport. I was always the girl who like flew up in the air! I’d have five guys underneath me who’d basket toss me and throw me up in the air.”
Igniting a fire within
While much of the WWE Universe has been admiring Natalya’s stunning new red hair, they’ve also been wondering what made the Diva decide to make such a major change to her ‘do.
“My BFF, Victoria, said she had a gift for me. I said, ‘It’s not Valentine’s Day. It’s not my birthday.’ She said, ‘No, I just have a gift for being my best friend.’ I said, ‘What?!'” Natalya recalled. “She gave me a gift certificate to the spa and a salon to have a total spa treatment, and to get my hair done, my nails done and a pedicure. It really was very touching that she did this.”
So the third-generation SmackDown Diva figured she’d look to her roots for inspiration.
“My dad was a redhead. I thought, ‘Natalya, red and black are your BFF’s colors, and your dad’s beard is red,'” she said. “I’m tired of the cookie cutters. I don’t even want to be compared to Kelly Kelly because we’ve been mistaken a lot!”
Natalya said her red locks have made her embrace her “inner-Neidhart,” and have given her more life, energy and aggression.
“I wake up in the morning as a redhead and I feel I just want to lock up with somebody and take them down to the mat,” she said. “It’s definitely a big change, but when you’re third-generation, you have to be amazing, you have to be incredible and I think this certainly embraces that third-generation Diva in me. It really brings out those qualities.”
True Blue debut
Maria made an impressive debut on SmackDown last week, as the Diva — who joined Friday nights thanks to the 2008 WWE Draft — picked up a big win over Victoria. Maria has vowed to work harder and improve her in-ring skills on SmackDown.
“Victoria is an incredible competitor, and to be able to beat her was amazing. To do it on my first night on SmackDown, it was incredible. I felt good going out there,” Maria said. “I’m here to fight. I’m here to show my passion, and passion is my motivation. All I wanted was to have a great match and to show that I’m here. I don’t care what you throw at me, I’m going to fight back.”
The fashionista Diva is also taking advantage of SmackDown’s trademark color — blue. (Check out photos of Maria in one of her SmackDown in-ring creations.)
“I have green eyes and I think blue goes very well with my green eyes, so it brings out the color,” she said. “It’s great. It’s a different experience, a different atmosphere, new competitors, a new championship. I’m excited to work with every single person on this show and I absolutely can’t wait.”
‘Free Fallin” Diva
Kelly Kelly couldn’t wait to tell Diva Dish that she’d be soon attending her very first Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers concert.
“My friend and I got fifth row seats, right on the floor! I’m so excited to see them!” the Raw Diva squealed.
Kelly Kelly revealed that her favorite Petty song is “Free Fallin’,” and that her parents have home videos of her at age 5 performing gymnastics routines to the song.
“I’ve been a big fan of them ever since I was a little girl. My dad was a big fan. I love all their songs. I know them all by heart. I’m just so excited about it!”
Touring New England
Cherry embarked on WWE’s “Tent Tours” for the first time recently while on the road for live events in New England — an experience the Diva won’t soon forget.
“The ring was in the bottom of the tent area, so the rows came all the way upward, so the action was going on down in the lower part of the tent. It was so much more intimate than at a regular live event,” she explained. “You’re so much closer to the fans, you interact with them, and you’re up close and personal with them.”
Cherry took part in a Diva dance-off, which she enjoyed until Victoria ruined the sweet Diva’s fun.
“I am kind of a dancer, but as you can tell, I’m really, really shy. I thought I was going to try and dance, but I didn’t really know what to do,” the SmackDown Diva said. “I thought Victoria was being nice, and she started to dance with me, but she shoved me to the ground after I started having fun and I should have learned from before. She’s not my friend. She’s just so mean!”
But this time, Cherry came out on top, winning over the hearts of New England’s WWE fans.
“I won two of the three shows, which was really cool. It was really exciting!” she said. “Tiffany won on Friday, and I won on Saturday, and it was actually a tie between Tiffany and I on Sunday. It was so cool — the fans actually picking me? It was so much fun!”
Credit: WWE.com
