Women’s wrestling is starting to pick up in a big way now with the Divas Revolution bringing in some fresh talent with extensive wrestling backgrounds. There was a time that the WWE just used women for show, not worrying about any sort of talent that they may have had in the ring. Because of this, there have been over 100 Divas to make their way through the biggest wrestling company in the world, and some have been very forgettable.
However, many of them made a big mark on the WWE, and fans would remember their faces if they were to come back. Some were solid in the ring while others were memorable valets or managers, but memorable nonetheless. Unlike some of the biggest superstars in the company, it seems like a lot of the Divas just disappear off the face of the Earth and we never hear from them again.
The shelf life for a Diva is pretty short, as many retire in their early 30s when they want to start a family or move on to other projects, such as modelling or TV projects. In fact even Trish Stratus, considered by many to be the best Diva of all time, was only with the company for six years.
So which Divas from the past haven’t had long returns to WWE, and what are they up to now? Here, we will take a look at 15 former WWE Divas and check in on how and what they are doing these days. We start the list with one of the most feared Divas of all-time.
15 15. Chyna
Joanie Laurer made a huge mark on the WWE during the Attitude Era when she was one of the founding members of the faction, D-Generation X. Not only did Chyna win the Women’s Championship during her run, she also held the Intercontinental Championship twice, being the only female to hold the belt. Chyna left the WWE in 2001, and joined New Japan Pro Wrestling for a brief period and then had a short stint in TNA in 2011. In the last 10 years, Chyna has had a strange career, acting in pornographic films that include two superhero parodies where she plays She-Hulk and even teaches English in Japan.
14 14. Terri Runnels
Terri Runnels was never known as a great wrestler, but she did manage a lot of talent during her time with WCW and WWE, including her real life husband Goldust (married from 1993 to 1999). Runnels has had some interesting relationships since her wrestling career ended in 2004, including one with New Jack. New Jack was even forced to stop selling nude photos of Runnels after a court order was filed. These days, Runnels is more active on social media than anything and has taken an interest in philanthropic endeavors while staying busy as a mother.
13 13. Beth Phoenix
Known as “The Glamazon” during her run with WWE, Beth Phoenix had the most physically imposing figure in the Divas division at the time, winning three Women’s Championships and one Divas Championship. In the three years it has been since she left, Phoenix has been primarily focused on raising her family, having her first child with former WWE superstar, Edge (Adam Copeland). Phoenix said that she left wrestling so that she could focus on her family, so she hasn’t been making a lot of media appearances.
12 12. Melina
Melina Perez started as a beauty pageant contestant before becoming an independent wrestler, and made her WWE debut in 2005 as a manager. Melina won three Women’s Championships and two Divas Championships, and Bret Hart even called her one of the best wrestlers in the world at the time. So what is Melina up to these days? She had been blogging for quite some time up until 2014 when her website seemed to go without updates for a while. Melina has been doing some modeling work and connecting with fans on social media to go along with it. Melina told Jim Ross in 2015 that her relationship with former wrestler, John Morrison, had ended.
11 11. Kaitlyn
Like many other Divas during the 2000s, Kaitlyn started her career out as a fitness model, and she would end up winning the third season of NXT to make it to the main roster. In what some believe is an accident, Kaitlyn won the Divas Championship in 2013 and held onto it for a solid reign. Kaitlyn surprisingly left the company in early 2014 and has been working in the fitness business ever since. Kaitlyn got married to P.J. Braun, and has started a fitness clothing line called Celestial Bodiez in her free time.
10 10. Sable
Sable was one of the most popular Divas of all-time, and was a staple of the Attitude Era (even if she thought she was a bigger draw than she really was). Sable was a former Women’s Champion that left the company in 1999. She returned in 2003, but left in 2004 citing that she wanted to spend more time with her family. Sable and her husband, Marc Mero, were divorced that year and two years later she married Brock Lesnar. As you may know, Lesnar is a very private person, and Sable has spent the past few years at home and out of the public eye.
9 9. Candice Michelle
Candice Michelle was a longtime model before she entered into the 2004 WWE Diva Search and was the first from the competition to ever win the Women’s Championship. Michelle suffered multiple injuries toward the end of her career, and decided to call it quits in 2009. Michelle has kept in touch with a lot of the former Divas on the list, and has since focused on her home life, raising three children with the most recent being born in July of 2015. Michelle is currently married to Ken Ehrlich, and their relationship has lasted a decade now.
8 8. Eve
Eve Torres was discovered after being a member of the Los Angeles Clippers dance team that participated in the 2007 Diva Search, winning the competition. Torres won the Divas Championship three times while with the WWE and suddenly retired in early 2013. Torres left the company so that she could focus on self-defense instruction with Gracie Women Empowered. Torres has also done some acting work since leaving, appearing on “Matador” and “The Scorpion King 4: The Quest For Power”. She married Rener Gracie in 2014 and she is expecting her first child in September.
7 7. Maryse
The Canadian born Maryse Ouellet was a model in her home country before participating in the 2006 Diva Search, staying with the company up until 2011. Maryse won the Divas Championship twice and ended her run as the co-host of NXT. Maryse has not only worked as a realtor since she was released from the company, but also launched her own line of clothing and jewelry known as House of Maryse. Maryse is also married to current WWE superstar, Mike “The Miz” Mizanin and even appeared in “Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!”
6 6. Kelly Kelly
Kelly Kelly had an x-rated debut with ECW in 2006 as an exhibitionist/stripper character. Although she was around for nearly six years, Kelly Kelly won the Divas Championship just once before leaving in 2012, stating that she wanted to heal a neck injury. While she had a brief run in the independent circuit, Kelly Kelly has stopped wrestling and now appears to be focusing on reality TV. It was announced that Kelly Kelly would be one of the women featured on the show WAGS (Wives and Girlfriends) of athletes on the E! Network, as she is currently engaged to former hockey player Sheldon Souray.
5 5. Torrie Wilson
Before signing with WCW in 1999, Torrie Wilson won the Miss Galaxy competition, and by 2001 had signed with the WWE. Wilson suffered a back injury in late 2007 and was released from her contract in 2008 after not returning from that injury. Wilson had some celebrity appeal after her departure, appearing on the reality show “I’m a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!” in 2009. Wilson had a high profile relationship with Alex Rodriguez, but the two split up in 2015. Wilson has since gone back into the fitness modeling world.
4 4. Lita
Lita was one of the most instrumental Divas in the WWE’s history, noted for her acrobatic skills and ability to pull off a lot of moves that other Divas couldn’t. Lita worked with the WWE from 2000 to 2006, and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2014. Lita is working as a trainer right now with the “Tough Enough” reality show, and has also done some singing on the side with Dez Cadena. In addition to some small time acting roles, Lita has also worked as a DJ with Project 961, a punk rock radio station based out of Atlanta.
3 3. Victoria
Victoria was a part of the golden generation of the WWE Divas Division in the mid 2000s. Originally debuting as one of Godfather's Ho's, she soon got some time in the ring and quickly became one of the company's best female wrestlers. She remained with the company until 2009, going to TNA. She has wrestled occasionally on the independent circuit, but her most recent venture was opening a wrestling themed restaurant in Chicago called, The Squared Circle. She announced earlier this year that she was moving back to California and leaving the restaurant's operations to her husband and a friend.
2 2. Stacy Keibler
The tall blonde knockout actually started her wrestling career as a Nitro Girl on WCW, something that newer wrestling fans might now know. Keibler made the switch over to WWE in 2001 and left the company in 2006 to pursue other careers. Keibler has since made multiple television appearances, including “Dancing With the Stars”, “How I Met Your Mother”, “Chuck” and “Hollywood Game Night”. Keibler had a very public relationship with actor George Clooney but the two split up. Although she’s not as mainstream as she used to be, Keibler is living a quiet life with husband Jared Pobre, giving birth to the couple's first child in 2014. She is still acting and modeling.
1 1. Trish Stratus
The early 2000s would have been tough for the women’s division in the WWE had it not been for Trish Stratus. Stratus and Lita were the two best wrestlers at the time, and Stratus was with the company from 2000 to 2006. Stratus was a seven time Women’s Champion, and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2013. Stratus worked as a reality television star for a couple of years after her departure, and even an actress in her native Canada. Now, Stratus is running a yoga studio in Toronto and has been married to Ron Fisico since 2006. Stratus gave birth to the couple's first child, Maximus, in September 2013.