The Diva Search competition was designed to hire new women with backgrounds in modeling or other forms of athletics. WWE primarily focused on finding women with no experience in wrestling. That made it even tougher for the ladies to learn the business. The weekly competitions in front of live crowds were the toughest tasks as they also tried to improve in the ring.
Some of the ladies would end up finding more success in wrestling or entertainment outside of the ring. The wrestling side of success featured some names making the jump to managing or having a backstage role. Others put their all into other career paths outside of the ring.
10 Kristal Marshall
WWE hired Kristal Marshall after falling short in her Diva Search competition. The look and charisma made Kristal part of the women’s division on Smackdown for a few years. WWE eventually released her when she failed to improve in the ring.
Kristal joined her then-husband Bobby Lashley in TNA for another wrestling run. The end of the TNA stint saw her committing to more projects outside of wrestling. Kristal placed first in a few fitness competitions after leaving the wrestling business.
9 Gabrielle Tuite
Gabrielle Tuite was a semi-finalist for the original Diva Search before the cuts were made to decide which ladies made it to the television portion. Despite never making an impact in wrestling, Tuite had a solid career in acting and modeling.
The most noteworthy roles for Tuite saw her having a secondary spot in the first Iron Man film and becoming one of the top prize models on the beloved Price is Right game show.
8 Maryse
WWE did find success with Maryse as a heel wrestler after finishing in 7th place in her Diva Search contest. However, Maryse would fall out of the spotlight quickly and left WWE faster than expected for a few years.
The rehiring came in 2016 when Maryse managed her husband The Miz for the first time. Maryse’s success reached a different level as the act worked to perfection. WWE trusted them enough to work with John Cena and Nikki Bella during WrestleMania season in 2017.
7 Camille Anderson
The first Diva Search saw model Camille Anderson as the second person eliminated in the fan voting process. Anderson chose to leave the wrestling business once the WWE experiment didn’t work out.
The acting career of Camille continued with consistent secondary roles in films and television shows for over a decade. Anderson now finds success out of the spotlight as a luxury real estate specialist but takes the occasional hosting gig for shows or events.
6 Amy Weber
Amy Weber shared various stories about the horror she endured from Randy Orton’s hazing tactics in the mid-2000s. The first Diva Search saw Weber getting a contract after finishing in fourth place.
Weber was placed in JBL’s Cabinet faction as a manager, but she chose to leave WWE due to the working environment. The music career of Amy has found success on a decent level after making the U.S. Billboard Chart and lasting there for about a month.
5 Christy Hemme
Fans loved Christy Hemme enough to vote her as the top contestant to win the first Diva Search contest. WWE pushed Hemme before she had the proper time to train and it led to more issues. Christy failed to impress in the ring and was shockingly fired by WWE.
TNA found more success with Hemme when they moved her to a manager after an injury ended her in-ring career. Christy became a successful writer behind the scenes contributing both on and off screen. The current status of Hemme sees her starting a new wrestling show with Gail Kim and Lita as the minds behind the project Kayfabe.
4 Bobbi Sue Luther
Bobbi Sue Luther was cut before the television portion of the Diva Search competition started. The model and actress didn’t need much more time in the industry to realize she wanted to leave wrestling.
Luther continued her acting career with noteworthy appearances in shows like Star Trek: Enterprise and Curb Your Enthusiasm. The current role of Luther has her as the host of Junkyard Mega Wars on the TLC network.
3 Eve Torres
Eve Torres was one of the few Diva Search contestants to find success both as an in-ring performer for WWE and in other businesses away from the ring. WWE always trusted Eve in a top role for the women’s division after the Diva Search ended.
The heel turn of Torres made her final few years her best time in WWE. Eve chose to leave wrestling to work on other projects and start a family. The popular self-defense course she teaches for women is a huge success passing along the techniques of the Gracie family she married into.
2 Leyla Milani
Leyla Milani finished in second place to Ashley Massaro in the second Diva Search contest. WWE wanted to continue working with Milani, but she had more opportunities coming her way in acting, modeling, and hosting.
Milani had a regular gig as one of the models opening the briefcases on the Deal or No Deal game show for four years. Leyla's success has continued with consistent acting roles and she now runs her own luxury haircare company.
1 Maria Kanellis
The in-ring work of Maria Kanellis struggled despite being one of the more successful WWE talents from the first Diva Search contest. WWE eventually released Maria, but she continued her career in other promotions.
The managing career of Kanellis saw her and husband Mike Kanellis finding major success in Impact Wrestling, Ring of Honor and New Japan. Maria also runs her own event planning company helping plan weddings, parties, or other major events.