WWE Diva Diva was a term used by the professional wrestling promotion World Wrestling Entertainment ( WWE ) to refer to its female talent . The term was applied to women who appear as wrestlers , manager s or valets , backstage interviewers , or ring announcer s . The women are now referred to as " Women " or " Superstars " History . 1996 – 2000 . The first modern day Diva in the World Wrestling Federation ( WWF ) was Sunny , who debuted as the manager for the bodybuilder - themed duo The Bodydonnas and went on to manage several other tag teams and singles wrestlers . Although the notion of a female manager had been popular throughout the 1980s and early 1990s , Sunny ' s character was significantly sexualized , whereas prior female managers were depicted as being involved in either platonic or romantic storylines . Between 1996 and 1997 , Marlena , Sable and Chyna , joined Sunny as prominent female on - air talent in the promotion . Marlena and Sable were as equally sexualized as Sunny , with Marlena suggestively smoking cigars at ringside during matches and Sable coming to the ring in form fitting leather catsuits . Chyna was offered as an antithesis to the rest of the Divas , a masculine bodybuilder whose sexual identity was the subject of early storylines . Sunny , Sable , and Marlena were further marketed as sex symbols through WWF ' s " Raw Magazine " , which featured monthly spreads of the women in suggestive poses while either wearing provocative clothing or seminude . In 1998 , Debra debuted and shortly thereafter was featured in a " Raw Magazine " spread in which she shed a series of business suits to reveal lingerie . Marlena was the manager of Goldust , her then real - life husband , and Sable was manager for her then real - life husband , wrestler Marc Mero . Sable quickly eclipsed her husband in popularity . Her popularity lead to the reinstatement of the WWF Women ' s Championship , as well as the hiring of more female wrestlers by the promotion . Sable became the first WWF female to proclaim herself as a ' Diva ' during the April 19 edition of " Raw " in 1999 ; the term proved popular and shortly thereafter became the official title for WWF ' s female performers , be they managers or wrestlers . In February 1999 , the WWF also debuted another veteran female wrestler Ivory . Sable ' s popularity led to a shift in the role of women in the WWF , as the promotion began to rely less on its female performers as simply eye candy and placed a greater emphasis on female athletes who actually competed in matches . Having being one of the first female wrestlers to compete in such specialty matches as evening gown matches , intergender tag team matches as well as a strap match and the first ever bikini contest in which she competed against Jacqueline , she was also the first female wrestler to be a " Playboy " cover girl . Unlike Jacqueline , Ivory and Luna , the more physical Divas and experienced wrestlers at the time , Sable later admitted that it was written in her contract that she was not allowed to take bumps . Her success also indirectly led to a [ push in popularity for Chyna . Her masculine features were de - emphasized and her clothing became more provocative . She was put into competition against male opponents , going on to win the WWF Intercontinental Championship twice . Chyna ' s popularity quickly grew to match that of Sable ' s , culminating in Chyna being featured as the centerfold in an issue of " Playboy " magazine . 2000 – 2002 . February 2000 saw the debut of Lita , who performed higher risk moves than the Divas before her , such as moonsaults and diving hurricanranas . Her popularity encouraged a higher standard of athletic competition within the WWF Women ' s Division , while still retaining the sexual element . The August 21 edition of " Raw " featured the first Divas match in WWF history to be the main event , a WWF Women ' s Championship match between defending champion Stephanie McMahon - Helmsley and Lita . Shortly after Lita ' s arrival , Trish Stratus made her debut . Stratus started off as a valet , who brought pure sexuality to the ring . Also later that year , Molly Holly made her debut . She was a contrast to most of the other Divas because she was given a more wholesome gimmick and more modest ring attire . In the Autumn 2001 , Stratus was trained by Fit Finlay , who was the road agent responsible for the women ' s matches , and improved her in - ring ability . She worked her way up to the top of the division and eventually won the Women ' s Championship at Survivor Series . Also in 2001 , Chyna left the WWF due to real - life issues between herself , Triple H , and Stephanie McMahon . 2002 – 2006 . On May 5 , 2002 , the WWF officially changed its name to WWE and brought in a host of new female talent . Over the next few years , WWE hired more Divas than ever before , including female winners of the reality TV show " WWE Tough Enough " featuring contestants aspiring to be professional wrestlers . Numerous Divas competed in contests from " Pillow Fights " and " Bra and Panties " match - ups to " Bikini Contests " , which were based more on the sexual appeal of the women involved . Meanwhile , Trish Stratus , Lita , Jazz , Gail Kim , Molly Holly , Jacqueline , Ivory and Victoria competed for the WWE Women ' s Title featuring match - ups only previously participated in by men , such as Street Fights , Hardcore , Table matches and the first ever Women ' s steel cage match . Holly ( competing as Mighty Molly ) , Stratus , and Runnels also held the Hardcore Championship briefly . Beginning in 2002 , WWE began hiring new Divas assigned to their development territories to train and wait to be called up to the main roster . These new Divas were recruited from model agencies , the independent circuit , and the Diva Search . In 2003 , Gail Kim became the first woman with a Korean background to win the Women ' s Championship . Also , Jacqueline held the male title , the WWE Cruiserweight Championship briefly in 2004 . Also during this period , new Divas such as Beth Phoenix , Mickie James , Melina Perez and Candice Michelle made their debuts in the company , and more and more of the previous generation of Divas slowly departed from the company . 2006 – present . In 2006 , Stacy Keibler left WWE to pursue an acting career , Trish Stratus retired at Unforgiven , and Lita retired at Survivor Series . Torrie Wilson retired in mid - 2008 due to having back problems and Victoria retired in January 2009 after a nine - year career with WWE . Lilian Garcia retired in September 2009 when she made her final WWE appearance on the September 21st edition of WWE Raw . In November 2008 , however , Gail Kim returned to WWE after working for rival Total Nonstop Action Wrestling as a Knockout which leaving Gail Kim as the final Diva left from the previous generation of WWE Divas along with a vast majority of newer arrivals . The division continued to grow as the Divas began to compete in different types of matches . On the March 5 , 2007 edition of " Raw " , Mickie James and Melina competed in the first falls count anywhere match to be contested between two Divas . It was also the first time that the Women ' s Championship was contested in this type of match . At Vengeance 2007 , Candice Michelle became the first woman from the WWE Diva Search to become the WWE Women ' s Champion . At One Night Stand 2008 , Beth Phoenix and Melina competed in the first " I Quit " match to be contested between Divas . In December 2007 , Trish Stratus , Lita , and Sunny returned to WWE for a one night special appearance on an episode of RAW due to the show ' s 15 year anniversary . On the June 6 , 2008 edition of " SmackDown " , the then SmackDown General Manager Vickie Guerrero announced the creation of WWE Divas Championship , a SmackDown Diva exclusive title . Natalya and Michelle McCool became the first two contenders for the new championship , and , at the The Great American Bash , McCool defeated Neidhart to become the inaugural champion . At Wrestlemania 25 , former Divas Sunny , Victoria , Molly Holly , Torrie Wilson , Jackie Gayda , and Joy Giovanni returned to WWE for a one night special appearance in the 25 Divas Battle Royal match to crown Miss Wrestlemania . During the 2009 WWE Draft , then - current Women ' s Champion Melina was drafted to the SmackDown brand , thus making the Women ' s title exclusive to SmackDown . Later that same night , then - current Divas Champion Maryse was drafted to the Raw brand , thus making the Divas title exclusive to Raw , effectively switching both female champions and championships between brands for the first time in history . At The Bash in 2009 , McCool defeated Melina to capture the Women ' s title , and became the first Diva to have ever held both the Women ' s Championship and the Diva ' s Championship . 2006 - 2009 . In mid - 2006 , Stacy Keibler left WWE to pursue an acting career , Trish Stratus retired at Unforgiven , and Lita retired atSurvivor Series . Jazz returned to WWE due to the relaunch of the ECW brand , though her second run was short lived . Torrie Wilson retired in mid - 2008 due to back problems and Victoria left in January 2009 after a nine - year career with WWE ; she subsequently signed a contract with rival Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ( TNA ) in April 2009 as aKnockout under the ring name Tara . In November 2008 , however , Gail Kim returned to WWE after working for TNA as a Knockout . Lilian Garcia , the promotion ' s long - time ring announcer , retired in September 2009 when she made her final WWE appearance on the September 21 edition of WWE Raw . The division continued to grow as the Divas began to compete in different types of matches . On the March 5 , 2007 edition of " Raw " , Mickie James and Melina competed in the first falls count anywhere match to be contested between Divas . It was also the first time that the Women ' s Championship was contested in this type of match . At Vengeance : Night of Champions in 2007 , Candice Michelle became the first woman from the WWE Diva Search contest to become the WWE Women ' s Champion . In December 2007 , Trish Stratus , Lita , Molly Holly , and Sunny returned to WWE for a one night special appearance on an episode of " Raw " due to the show ' s 15 - year anniversary . At One Night Stand 2008 , Beth Phoenix and Melina competed in the first " I Quit " Match to be contested between Divas . On the June 6 , 2008 edition of " SmackDown " , the then SmackDown General Manager Vickie Guerrero announced the creation of WWE Divas Championship , a SmackDown Diva exclusive title . Natalya and Michelle McCool became the first two contenders for the new championship , and , at The Great American Bash , McCool defeated Natalya to become the inaugural champion . At Wrestlemania 25 , former WWE Divas Sunny , Victoria , Molly Holly , Torrie Wilson , Miss Jackie , and Joy Giovanni returned to WWE for a one night special appearance in the 25 Divas Battle Royal match to crown Miss Wrestlemania . During the 2009 WWE Draft , then Women ' s Champion Melina was drafted to the " SmackDown " brand , making the Women ' s title exclusive to " SmackDown " . Later that same night , then Divas Champion Maryse was drafted to the " Raw " brand , making the championship exclusive to " Raw " , effectively switching both female champions and championships between brands for the first time in history . At The Bash in 2009 , Michelle McCool defeated Melina to capture the Women ' s Championship and became the first Diva to have ever held both the Women ' s Championship and the Divas Championship 2010 - 2012 . At the 2010 Royal Rumble event , Beth Phoenix competed in the Royal Rumble match , making her the second of only three women to have competed in that particular match , the others being Chyna and Kharma . On February 22 , 2010 episode of " Raw " , Maryse won again the Divas Championship , becoming the first Diva to hold the title twice . On the April 12 , episode of " Raw " , Eve Torres won the WWE Divas Championship by defeating Maryse thus becoming the first WWE Diva Search winner to win the Divas Championship . Mickie James was released from WWE on April 22 , causing a lot of controversy . Her final match was a tag team bout , teaming with Beth Phoenix against LayCool on " SmackDown " . She was later signed to rival promotion Total Nonstop Action Wrestling on September 22 . At Extreme Rules Michelle McCool and Beth Phoenix competed in an Extreme Makeovermatch for the Women ' s Championship . On the May 14 , episode of " SmackDown " , Layla won the WWE Women ' s Championship by defeating Beth Phoenix in a two on one Handicap match with Michelle McCool thus become the only British Women ' s Champion . At WWE Fatal 4 Way , Alicia Foxbecame the first African - American and the youngest Divas Champion . Melina as the Divas Champion in 2010 At Night of Champions 2010 , the WWE Divas Championship was unified with the WWE Women ' s Championship as then - WWE Divas Champion Melina faced then - self professed co - WWE Women ' s Champion Michelle McCool in a Lumberjill Match . McCool won the match to unify the two titles due to interference from Layla , thus creating the WWE Unified Divas Championship following the lineage and history of the Divas Championship . This also made the WWE Women ' s Championship defunct after 54 years , which made Layla the final title holder . At TLC : Tables , Ladders & Chairs , Natalya and Beth Phoenix defeated Team LayCool ( Michelle McCool and Layla ) in the first Divas tag team Table match . Trish Stratus returned to WWE as one of the trainers for the newly relaunched Tough Enough season . Despite not being what WWE typically viewed as a WWE Diva ; on August 31 , WWE signed 6 ' 9 " female wrestler Isis the Amazon who was set to compete under the ring name Aloisia . She appeared on the 3rd season of NXT but would then be released 2 weeks later , due to the company allegedly finding adult photos , and was replaced by Kaitlyn on the show . On the November 30 season finale episode of " NXT " , Kaitlyn was later announced as the winner of season three , defeating Naomi in the final to become WWE ' s first " breakout diva " . In late December 2010 , WWE signed world renowned wrestler , Kharma , formerly known as Amazing / Awesome Kong . The company proceeded to air disturbing video packages of her flicking off heads of female dolls and laughing maniacally building towards her tentative arrival . Kharma made her debut at Extreme Rules attacking Michelle McCooland making a huge impact through the course of a couple weeks on " Raw " and " SmackDown " . She was later granted a maternity leave due to her real life pregnancy . Michelle McCool retired from WWE on May 1 , after losing to Layla in a Loser Leaves WWE match . Melina was also released in early August . Gail Kim resigned from the WWE on August 5 , 2011 due to frustration with WWE ' s lack of focus on the women ' s division . She would officially be released , for the 2nd time , on September 30 , 2011 . In late Summer 2011 , the controversial issue of what makes a " true " WWE Diva was largely disputed , stemming from an article posted on WWE . com and the high - profile feud between Kelly Kelly and Eve against The Divas of Doom ; Beth Phoenix and Natalya . Maryse was released from her WWE contract on October 28 . After retiring in September 2009 , Lilian Garcia returned to WWE on December 5 , making her the last remnant of the previous generation of Divas , alongside the new generation , Lita made a cameo appearance for a second time at the 2011 Slammy Awards show as an award presenter ; the first occurred a year earlier in a backstage segment involving Pee Wee Herman . 2012 - 2013 . At the 2012 Royal Rumble event , Kharma competed in the Royal Rumble match making her the third woman to compete in the match . Eve Torres would then be involved in a storyline with John Cena and Zack Ryder which on the February 20 episode of " Raw " , Eve turned heel after admitting in a backstage segment to the Bella Twinsthat she had used Ryder and had planned to use Cena also . She would then later on be involved in other storylines and angles . On the April 23 episode of " Raw " , Nikki defeated Beth Phoenix in a lumberjill match for theWWE Divas Championship , ending Phoenix ' s reign as champion at 204 days . Brie lost Nikki ' s championship to the returning Layla at Extreme Rules , after attempting Twin Magic , ending her Divas Championship reign after only a week . The following night on " Raw " , they competed in their last match with the WWE , after their contracts would expire that night . Later that night , WWE announced on their website that the twins were kayfabed fired by Eve Torres . Wendi Richter would make a cameo appearance on the June 18 , 2012 edition of Raw in a in - ring segment along with Cyndi Lauper , Layla , Roddy Piper , and Heath Slater due to continuation of Slater ' s storyline of displeasure towards former talent . In July , Kharma ' s profile was moved to the alumni . After weeks of rumors , she confirmed her release on Twitter . On July 9 , 2012 , Eve Torres and AJ Lee became the only two Divas to main event " Raw " since Trish Stratus and Lita in 2004 , in a tag team match featuring CM Punk and Daniel Bryan . Two weeks later , on the 1000th episode of " Raw " , Trish Stratus and Lita would make cameo appearances on the show as Stratus appeared in a backstage segment with Triple H while Lita faced Heath Slater in a no - disqualification no count - out match . Lita would win the match with help from the APA and a large number of WWE Legends . During the summer , AJ would then be involved in various relationship storylines and angles with male talent such as CM Punk , Daniel Bryan , Kane , John Cena , and Dolph Ziggler including as part of the storylines in a stint as General Manager of Raw . At September 16 on the Night of Champions pay - per - view , Eve Torres defeated Layla to win the Divas Championship and became the first Diva in history to hold the title on three occasions . On September 28 , Kelly Kelly was released from her WWE contract due to her absence from the company . On October 29 , Beth Phoenix left WWE after her contract would expire . Her final match was on Raw defeating AJ Lee after Vickie Guerrero would restart the match . A month after Beth Phoenix ' s departure , WWE published an article on their website stating that there was a new era for the Divas division . On December 16 , at TLC , AJ turned heel after interfering in John Cena ' s ladder match against Dolph Ziggler on behalf of Ziggler pushing Cena off the ladder . On the January 14 , 2013 " " 20th Anniversary " " special episode of " Raw " , Kaitlyn became the first NXT Diva to win the WWE Divas Championship . Eve Torres would then depart from the company later on that night after her contract expired . The Bella Twins returned to WWE on the March 11 , 2013 episode of " Raw " , in a backstage segment with Cody Rhodes , Damien Sandow , and Kaitlyn . The first Divas contract signing would take part on the July 12 , 2013 edition of " Smackdown " between AJ Lee and Kaitlyn as part of buildup for a rematch of the Divas Championship at Money In the Bank . AJ defeated Kaitlyn to retain the title at Money In the Bank . The next night on " Raw " , Dolph would break up with AJ leading to a mixed tag team match between Ziggler and Kaitlyn vs AJ and Big E Langston at SummerSlam , which Ziggler and Kaitlyn won . Record tying three - time and current Divas Champion AJ Lee — who is also the longest reigning champion in the title ' s history . . On the August 26 episode of " Raw " , AJ Lee would come out to cut a worked shoot promo on the cast of " Total Divas " , stemming again but partially from the controversial issue of what makes a " true " WWE Diva and the theme of the show leading towards a feud between AJ and the cast . Eve Torres made a cameo appearance at the 2013 Slammy Awards show as an award presenter for the " Diva of the Year " award won by Brie and Nikki Bella . 2014 - Present . On January 8 , 2014 , Kaitlyn decided to depart from WWE to pursue other endeavors . On January 19 , AJ Lee became the longest reigning Divas Champion in history , surpassing Maryse ' s reign of 216 days . On the March 12 episode of " Main Event " , AJ successfully defended the Divas Championship against Natalya , in a match that lasted fourteen minutes — reaching a milestone because it became the longest championship match since 1987 . On the March 24 edition of " Raw " , it was announced by Vickie Guerrero that AJ would defend her Divas Championship against the entire Divas roster at Wrestlemania XXX , making it the first time the title would be defended at Wrestlemania . At the event , AJ successfully defended her title , after making Naomi submit . On the post - WrestleMania episode of " Raw " on April 7 , 2014 , Paige made her debut on the main roster , congratulating AJ Lee on successfully defending her title at WrestleMania , which AJ would turn to an impromptu title match . Paige defeated AJ and won the Divas Championship , becoming the first NXT Diva to hold both theNXT Women ' s and Divas Championships sumiltunaeously as well as becoming the youngest Divas Champion in WWE history . In early May , due to Paige ' s win and move to the main roster , the NXT Women ' s Championship was vacated by John " Bradshaw " Layfield , and a tournament was announced in which the final match would be held at NXT Takeover . Charlotte defeated Natalya , alongside Ric Flair and Bret Hart , in the finals at the event to win the vacant championship in a match that went over sixteen minutes . At Payback — as part of her husband Daniel Bryan ' s storyline with Stephanie McMahon — McMahon threatened to fire Brie Bella if , an injured , Bryan did not relinquish the WWE World Heavyweight Championship , which forced Brie to " quit " before slapping McMahon in the face . Vickie Guerrero left WWE in mid – June , after losing to McMahon in a pudding match . AJ Lee would return after a two – month hiatus , defeating Paige in an impromptu match to regain the Divas Championship . At SummerSlam , while Paige regained the Divas Championship from AJ Lee , Stephanie McMahon defeated Brie Bella in her first match from ten years , after Nikki Bella turned heel and attacked her sister , officially dissolving The Bella Twins . AJ Lee would win the Divas Championship for a record – tying third time at Night of Champions against Paige and Nikki Bella . Diva Search ( 2003 – 2007 , 2015 - present ) . The Diva Search was an annual competition that occurred every Summer . The purpose of the Diva Search was to find new women to be wrestlers , interviewers , and / or valets in WWE . The winner of the competition received a one year contract worth $ 100 , 000 . Previously the contract was worth $ 250 , 000 . The show returns this fall . Promotion . The popularity of women in WWE has resulted in various cross - promotions with other brands featuring WWE Divas . Various Divas have posed in " Playboy " , and others have appeared in commercials for WWE and non - WWE products as well as men ' s interest magazines . The WWE Divas normally go on an annual photoshoot every year , usually to a different location each time . The photoshoot is followed by a magazine featuring photos from the shoot as well as a television special or video release of highlights from the shoot . The popularity of women in WWE has resulted in various cross - promotions with other brands featuring WWE Divas . Various Divas have posed in " Playboy " , and others have appeared in commercials for WWE and non - WWE products as well as men ' s interest magazines . " Playboy " . Since 1999 , seven WWE Divas have appeared on the cover of Playboy : It has become a WWE tradition for any Diva who appears on the front cover of Playboy to have a match at WrestleMania . Commonly , these matches would have the term ' Playboy ' included in its name . For example , at WrestleMania XX in 2004 , Torrie Wilson and Sable competed as a ' Playboy ' tag team against Stacy Kiebler and Miss Jackie . At WrestleMania 22 , Torrie Wilson and Candice Michelle competed in a " Playboy Pillow Fight " . Actual Playboy playmates , such as Carmella DeCesare and Karen McDougal have also appeared in Diva Search in 2004 . Some former and current Divas such as Trish Stratus , Lita , Debra , Sharmell , Stacy Keibler , and Melina have indicated that posing for " Playboy " magazine is out of the question for them . Stratus has appeared on Canadian sports talk show " Off The Record " and said that she didn ' t pose because she wanted to be known as " multiple time Women ' s Champion Trish Stratus " rather than " the girl who posed in Playboy . " Stratus also claims that she refused the shoot because she says she can still be sexy without taking her clothes off . Keibler refused to pose as she believes it would be better if she " left something for the imagination . " Tammy Lynn Sytch ( Sunny ) claimed to have refused an offer by " Playboy " to pose for the magazine . Rena Mero ( Sable ) later claimed , however , that " Playboy " had actually never approached Sytch , and that Sytch had fabricated the whole story . However , Sytch was not the first to report that she had turned down an offer . Other . In 2007 , Ashley Massaro , Torrie Wilson , Maryse Ouellet , Brooke Adams , Layla El , and Kelly Kelly shot a video for music producer and rapper Timbaland . In the same year , Torrie Wilson , Candice Michelle , Michelle McCool , Maria Kanelli , Layla , and Kristal Marshall appeared in an episode of the U . S . reality show " Project Runway " , in which designers were asked to design in - ring attire for their designated Diva . In 2008 , Layla , Mickie James , Kelly Kelly , and Melina Perez appeared in the U . S . reality show " Celebrity Fit Club : Boot Camp " to get the celebrities in shape . Later the same year , Mickie James appeared on the USA Network show " Psych " , playing a roller derby girl . Championships and accomplishments . Babe of the Year ( 2001 – 2004 ) . The WWE Babe of the Year contest is a contest where fans voted on who is their favorite WWE Diva for that year . Trish Stratus won the inaugural Babe of the Year competition in 2001 . Stratus had her own mini - site on WWE . com and her photoshoot of choice was a space - type theme . The corresponding mini - site was fittingly named " The Stratusphere . " Stratus retained her title in 2002 and received another mini - site on WWE . com . The 2003 edition was again won by Stratus . She also won the ' Diva of the Decade ' award for Raw ' s 10th anniversary special . Stacy Keibler ended Stratus ' s reign in 2004 and won the honor , receiving her own mini - site and a photoshoot for every month in the year , sometimes two . In 2008 , " WWE Magazine " then declared Beth Phoenix as the ' Diva of the Year ' which earned her a 2008 Slammy Award for that title . Rookie Diva of the Year ( 2005 ) . The first and only Rookie Diva of the Year contest was held at No Way Out in 2005 , where former WWE Diva Joy Giovanni defeated Michelle McCool , Lauren Jones , and Rochelle Loewen . Giovanni received more than half of the vote , followed by McCool who got just under 20 % , Loewen got just over 10 % and Jones received just 6 % . The competition was hosted by then Divas Torrie Wilson and Dawn Marie .