On Top of the World: A Total Divas Retrospective

When some wrestling fans hear the words ‘Total Divas’, shivers are sent down their spines. They think about Eva Marie, the reality genre they dislike so much, and ponder the show’s purpose. A smile then creeps over their faces as they think about AJ Lee’s ‘pipebomb’ promo where she so ruthlessly tore down the cast and the show itself. Total Divas certainly isn’t for everyone and I can understand some complaints it’s received over the years. However, it’s far from the worst thing WWE has ever put out and its existence arguably has more positives than negatives. It’s helped kickstart the careers of some of today’s women’s wrestlers as well as re-ignite the careers of certain cast members during its run. I’ve spent the past year watching all nine seasons just to write this feature. I’m going to look back through the series’ entirety, discussing the representation of the wrestlers, the themes covered, its success and more. I sat through a lot of… interesting scenes just for this.

In the early 2010s, WWE were eager to jump onto the reality TV trend by creating a show focusing on the lives and careers of their Divas. It was another step in the process of the curtain being pulled back. Total Divas was announced for a 2013 premiere after a major partnership with E! Network was secured. This is the same network that, at the time, aired Keeping Up With the Kardashians which had arguably become the most popular reality series in the world. It was a big coup for both WWE and E! who would both benefit from new demographics. Stereotypically, women are most attracted to the reality genre. While WWE did pull in a decent amount of female viewers, there was room for improvement with a poor women’s division not helping matters. Total Divas’ main goals included allowing current fans to know more about the Divas, who rarely got TV time and quality storylines, and even connect with them. At the same time, the show would bring in new viewers and perhaps increase demand for more women’s wrestling. Vince McMahon could have just pushed his sexist attitude aside and given the Divas better treatment anyway, but he only ever does things that he believes will make him richer.

The first season of Total Divas cast the Bella Twins (Nicole & Brie), who recently returned to the company partly because of the show, Natalya (Nattie), Naomi (Trinity), Cameron (Ariane), Eva Marie and JoJo. This was a nice, interesting mix of returning talent, veterans, rising stars and fresh newcomers with some diversity also. The Bellas were pushed as the main stars due to being twins and living glamorous lifestyles. Basically, they were seen as the WWE’s Kardashians. Eva and JoJo had not even debuted on TV yet, so this was a great opportunity for them to be exposed to wrestling fans beforehand. WWE tried hard to persuade their fans to try out Total Divas. John Cena and Daniel Bryan, two of the biggest stars at this time, were added to the cast as they were the partners of Nicole and Brie. This was quite fortunate, really. Cena would also be a recognisable face for viewers not familiar with wrestling.

On Raw and SmackDown, the show was promoted through segments, matches and storylines during the first season. Eva Marie slapped Jerry Lawler on her debut, garnering a decent heel crowd reaction, and the cast even teamed up to wrestle at Survivor Series.There were some issues, however. One was that the first episode focused on the Bellas and the Funkadactyls’ (Trinity & Ariane) match at WrestleMania 29 being cancelled. Immediately, WWE’s poor treatment of their women’s division was on display with the company being well aware of this. They may have seen this as them owning up to their mistake, in a way, and using the show as a sign of them doing better but it’s not a good first impression to a new audience. Another was the infamous AJ Lee promo from an episode of Raw which has been said to be part work, part shoot. She berated the cast and the show itself to the delight of the crowd who showered her with cheers. Despite being a heel, she was more relatable to the typical wrestling fan and was breaking a tired bombshell diva stereotype. The commentators were even smiling afterwards, going as far as saying, “I think crazy just spoke some truth”. It was clear that Monday Night Raw and Total Divas’ audiences were very different. Furthermore, those sceptical about the reality series would’ve possibly been put off giving it a try after hearing how the popular AJ doesn’t appreciate it.

Thankfully for WWE and E!, AJ Lee did not stop the first season of Total Divas from being a major success. It became the network’s second biggest show behind KUWTK, averaging 836k viewers in the 18-49 demographic (demos are so important, even more so than life itself). It was also the top cable reality series in its timeslot in the female 18-34 demographic with an overall weekly audience of 1.3 million. To my amazement, girls who I went to school with actually watched the show and even interacted with the cast on social media. No, I still wasn’t seen as cool for liking WWE. Total Divas would last for eight more seasons with cast members being swapped out for new faces to keep things fresh. Paige, Carmella, Maryse, Alexa Bliss and Alicia Fox are just some names who had stints. Nattie would be the only series regular to appear in all nine seasons. Viewership remained relatively consistent up until 2016’s Season 5, averaging a million viewers. Afterwards, it crashed down to between 500k and 700k which was the same number that spin-off series Total Bellas received during its 2016 debut season. The Bellas’ show began outperforming Total Divas come 2018, making it clear that some of the audience cared more about their personal lives rather than the lives of wrestlers.

When Nicole & Brie gave up their series regular roles on Total Divas for Season 9, things really got ugly. There was a 160k drop in viewership between Season 8’s finale and Season 9’s premiere. The Bellas’ absence could definitely be cited a major reason for this. WWE and E! heavily promoted Ronda Rousey as their major star replacement, but this failed miserably with the former UFC Champion not quite… hooking some of the audience back in. The reality show concept was also beginning to grow stale at this point, at least for network TV, with KUWTK even struggling. A tenth season was set to go ahead, but Covid-19 shut down production plans and it was ultimately decided that there was not enough interest for the show’s return. The popularity and representation of WWE’s women wrestlers had improved to the point where Total Divas no longer had any real positive purpose. For half of its lifespan, the show was a success in the ratings. While its unknown as to whether it directly impacted WWE’s female demographic, Raw did enjoy a viewership spike in the weeks following the series’ 2013 premiere. It also influenced some of the new generation of women wrestlers to pursue a career, including Bianca Belair and Indi Hartwell. One memorable clip even shows Roxanne Perez seeking advice from the cast. Yes, the show’s ratings became miserable towards its end. Yes, it should’ve been put to bed a lot earlier. Overall, though, Total Divas did better than perhaps a lot of people expected.

Total Divas’ portrayal of its cast ranges from good to questionable. Every wrestler has their own personality and are positioned into a certain role. No one is portrayed as perfect besides Ronda Rousey, allowing viewers to see them as relatable and witness them grow as people. Many wrestling fans view at least one wrestler as a role model for them. I feel like this show definitely encourages viewers, whether wrestling fans or not, to view at least one of these women as role models. Many important themes are represented throughout and the majority of the cast are involved in storylines based on these themes. Examples include motherhood (Brie Bella), body dysmorphia (Alexa Bliss, Eva Marie) and LGBT+ (Sonya Deville). Brie’s pregnancy and journey as a mother are heavily focused on in the later seasons. While we don’t quite see the tough times of her pregnancy, we see how Brie struggles to accept that it’s impossible to be a super mum. She becomes determined to breastfeed Birdie for as long as possible and tries to help provide breast milk to kids in need. The moment where Brie is unable to continue to breastfeed is presented as emotional, but she is then persuaded that she had done more than enough. Viewers who are aspiring or new mothers may feel inspired by Brie’s strength and desire. Grief is another theme that receives a lot of attention, particularly in the final season. Nattie is in the process after losing her father, Jim Neidhart. We see how it affects both her personal and work life. There are times where she acts out of character because she’s pushing her emotions away. The strength of the bond in the women’s locker room is presented by her friends comforting her no matter what. Eventually, we see Nattie and her family get some closure after spreading Jim’s ashes but are made aware that the scar never goes away.

The show’s handling of taboo themes is mixed. Rosa Mendes’ time on the show started with her recovery from addiction being the main focus. She speaks truthfully about her dark past and doesn’t hide that the emotional trauma still remains. This presents her as an inspirational figure for viewers. However, on at least one occasion the show teases that Rosa is slipping back into her addiction for audience investment. This turns out to not be the case but it reeks of insensitivity for the sake of a temporary cliffhanger. On the flip side, Alexa Bliss’ battle with anorexia is only briefly focused on during her time on the show. In one episode, she’s positioned as an admirable person when she talks about her difficult experiences on a podcast with viewers seeing photos from these times. In the same episode, Maryse tries hard to persuade Alexa to change her look to appear like a top WWE superstar. We’re led to believe from Alexa and Nia Jax, her best friend, that this situation is triggering for Alexa. It crucially showed viewers that she still struggles with her body image as a survivor. Fans who also battle eating disorders may be able to relate to her. Unlike Rosa, Alexa’s Total Divas stint is not defined by her past battles with her relationship being more at the forefront. The show does move away from Rosa’s addiction and onto other important themes like motherhood and religion, but for her first season we don’t learn more about her.

As expected in any reality series, there is a lot of bickering in Total Divas. Some spats last for a single episode while others develop into one of a season’s biggest storylines. Nikki Bella being angry at her family for attempting to convince John Cena to leave her is an example. The amount of arguments could be viewed as challenging the show’s aims to present the cast as powerful women and role models. This is because bickering is seen as socially stereotypical of women and a character trait of a diva. While fans of the reality genre tune in for the drama, some wrestling fans could be turned off by it and even think less of the wrestlers. Personally, I thought Total Divas was at its most entertaining during certain dramatic storylines. Nattie and Summer Rae’s feud throughout Season 2 is fondly looked back upon by many. There are clever insults and even a physical altercation, but they aren’t portrayed as stereotypical women who love stirring the pot. Summer was a confident up-and-coming wrestler while Nattie was determined to keep her spot. While both women could be seen as behaving unprofessionally, the tension all stemmed from them wanting to be at the top of the women’s division. They weren’t fighting over makeup or men, they fought over their passion. Summer would actually continue to be involved in drama after the Nattie confrontation, meaning she was certainly placed into the character role of a trouble-maker. Summer’s time on the show was short enough, though, that this didn’t influence the public’s perception of her. The same can’t be said for Eva Marie and Paige.

Eva Marie was a controversial figure on WWE TV, let alone in Total Divas. Being in the show caused her to be thrown into the women’s division far too early. She had little wrestling experience and it showed. Eventually, WWE sent her to NXT where she improved greatly as an overall performer. The damage was done, however, as while she could get heel heat easily she couldn’t shake off the negative reputation from her early days. She was constantly accused of not caring about the business and not improving fast enough. Arguably, she didn’t help herself with the manner of her first departure from the company. Things weren’t much better for Eva on the reality series. While she often provided many entertaining moments, she and the producers didn’t paint her in a positive light. Right from the show’s beginning, we see her lie to her family and disobey WWE’s rules. She’s even at the forefront of one of the show’s biggest storylines where the whole group calls out Eva over a ‘disrespectful’ social media post. Granted, the show presents this in a manner where viewers can choose who to side with. She’s also involved in both real-life and scripted situations surrounding themes of body dysmorphia, cancer (there are plenty of heartfelt scenes with Eva and her father) and even cosmetic surgery, although with the latter she’s presented as foolishly choosing her job over her health. Total Divas does attempt to push back against criticism from wrestling fans at one point by focusing on her NXT run and her personal wrestling training sessions. It can be argued, though, that this is undone by other wrestlers questioning her passion such as Paige. She was one of the most popular stars at the time who came from a wrestling family unlike Eva. Viewers who are wrestling fans are always more likely to side with her. Eva Marie has her good moments throughout the show, but I feel like the viewers’ general perception is that wherever she goes there is drama sure to follow.

Paige is another cast member who may have had public perception of her influenced by Total Divas. When she first appears in Season 3, she’s portrayed as a party animal. She’s regularly involved in hilarious scenes, from tricking Nattie into thinking she ate edibles to bringing ‘Brie Mode’ out of Brie Bella. Her popularity with the ‘WWE Universe’ carried over into the show where she also endeared to the new audience. Paige’s later seasons, though, feature her going through multiple relationships and stirring up trouble. Personal issues related to family and injuries cause her to become unpredictable. She begins to snap at her friends and develops a rebellious attitude at work. She goes on to even dismiss her mother’s concerns in a disrespectful manner. It’s common for the show to present Paige as being in the wrong, which made me think about how close the line was being towed between reality and fiction. In Season 5, her relationship with fellow WWE superstar Alberto del Rio is questioned heavily by the other women. They show concern over the age difference, how fast things are moving and Paige’s past experiences with men. Paige is presented as being absolutely smitten with Alberto. She’s like a different person as she gushes over him so much that she goes as far as getting a tattoo. Strangely, we rarely see scenes of the two together by themselves to really know what their relationship is like. It’s a situation that Paige sees as legitimately being good for her but the producers and her colleagues clearly think otherwise. I was quite surprised to see the show almost force the opinion onto people that this relationship is not a great idea. While Paige is portrayed as a trouble-maker, the audience are also led to feel sympathetic for her because of her past and ongoing injury struggles that gradually take a toll on her mentally. She would return to Total Divas in Season 8 with her personal life in a better state. Her retirement is focused on heavily to educate viewers about how difficult it is for wrestlers to move on. Despite some drama with Lana, in which Paige is presented as being in the right this time around, it’s nice to see her life turned around and provide viewers with a happy ending.

After an episode full of drama, hard-hitting action and emotion, it usually ends with an important message from a cast member who played a major role in said episode. If they’ve resolved an argument, they talk about forgiveness and how the relationship is now stronger. These closing statements can sometimes be seen as inspirational for people watching. Examples include Brie accepting she can’t be super mum, Carmella moving on from social media hate and Sonya embracing her responsibilities as a LGBT+ representative. It can leave you feeling satisfied, admiring the person more and thinking deeply about what they said. I don’t feel like it’s silly to say that Total Divas has taught viewers about relationships, family, motherhood and career, with much of this education coming from final messages. Each wrestler has their individual faults, but they have all been through tough times and are motivated and determined to succeed in life and their work. Whether the person delivering the closing message has done good or bad throughout the episode, at least some viewers will be able to relate and learn from them. Who hasn’t been in an argument which they regret and realise they were in the wrong? Women’s wrestlers are constantly inspiring the next generation of athletes. In Total Divas, they were able to help inspire the next generation of women.

One of my favourite parts about Total Divas is how it impacted the careers of some of the cast. Some aspects of their real-life personalities gained popularity with viewers and reached wrestling fans through social media. A great example is Brie Bella’s ‘Brie Mode’. It’s established early on in the show that Brie can be wild after a few drinks on a night out. Nicole either loves it or loathes it but ‘Brie Mode’ provides some of the show’s most legendary moments. ‘How Did I Lose My Shoe?’ deserved at least one week in the music charts. In 2014, Brie was becoming a singles star by feuding with Stephanie McMahon which led to her being betrayed by Nikki Bella. She needed something unique to her that would help retain strong crowd reactions. ‘Brie Mode’ was exactly that. It was, of course, altered for WWE TV in that Brie would enter ‘Brie Mode’ when launching her comeback and getting fired up. Merchandise was created and her theme song, while god-awful, began with those words so that everyone knew who was about to show up. Nattie’s obsession with cats is a trait that was also brought to TV. It was only in the form of her wearing cat ears, but they were sold as merch and young girls in the crowd would be seen wearing them.

Most interestingly, relationships seen on Total Divas have been mentioned on WWE TV with some couples even appearing on-screen together. Brie & Daniel Bryan and Nicole & John Cena are examples of this. Beforehand, it was rare for real-life relationships to be carried over to the talent’s wrestling characters. Edge & Lita and Triple H & Stephanie McMahon were two couples that this happened to. In the age of social media, it can be good to see this as it doesn’t insult fans’ intelligence. When Bryan was involved in a storyline where his career was in jeopardy, it made sense for Brie to also be involved as emotional support. On the other hand, the women can be at risk of having their partner’s name attached to them too much that they aren’t presented as independent. Carmella is a recent example of this. While her relationship with Corey Graves didn’t start being referenced until long after Total Divas, the show influenced the creation of the Corey & Carmella YouTube series. Seeing the two engage in a make-out session the night after Mella lost the Women’s Tag Team Championship at WrestleMania 38 was frustrating. Acknowledging relationships has always been seen to me as the right thing to do if given consent, but the right balance is needed.

I’ve mentioned a few enjoyable scenes from Total Divas’ history. Outside of intense arguments, the cast often get together to participate in a lot of antics and activities. Holiday episodes were often my favourites in a season as we get to see the women’s togetherness. Some locations allow us to see glimpses of different cultures such as Hawaiian and Samoan, for example, which the women fully engage with. Both the cast and viewers are able to be educated on certain traditions. While some drama does usually occur on these breaks, we also get the odd heartfelt moment. Having watched these women on TV and now had a peek into their personal lives, I felt myself caring for some of them. I was rooting for Rosa to continue her recovery, wanting Sonya’s relationship to work out etc. Family and friendship are common themes throughout the entire show and, many times, we see how much they are valued by the whole cast. One of my favourite scenes takes place in season 9 involving Liv Morgan. While in Maui, everyone decides to surprise Liv by inviting her mother as the two had never been away together. Liv had already come across as very likeable and told the story of her difficult childhood. Her mother went through a lot to bring her up well. Seeing Liv’s reaction to her mother showing up and how much she’s cared for makes this an emotional, satisfying moment. For the very last episode, it’s fitting as it demonstrates the strong connection that the cast have always had with one another despite the drama. They’re a team on this wild journey in WWE.

There’s no doubt that watching Total Divas was a fun experience for me. I loved seeing so many important themes being represented with each wrestler having their own personal stories to tell. How these themes are presented by the show ranges from good to bad, with more care needed with certain subjects such as addiction. Many women from the Bella Twins to Sonya Deville have gained a positive reputation with viewers as role models and garnered more media attention in the process. Sonya’s recent engagement arguably doesn’t get noticed by People Magazine without her Total Divas involvement. It can be said, however, that Eva Marie and Paige are two names who have suffered from their time on the show. When I think of them nowadays, words like ‘drama’ and ‘trouble-maker’ spring to mind. Some impartiality was lost with Paige as the audience are pushed to go against her at one point. Besides the amount of bickering being a bit problematic, the show succeeds in being entertaining. The majority of the cast, though, retain their representation of being powerful women because of their defiant personalities and strong relationships with one another. Viewers see them go through a lot, both professionally and personally, throughout the show’s lifespan. The likes of Nattie and Nicole have to be admired for all the strength they display. It’s easy to see why Bianca Belair, Indi Hartwell, Roxanne Perez etc were inspired to seek their own wrestling careers partially because of Total Divas. Those names alone tell me that the show was a success, even with poor ratings towards its end. WWE’s women gained more attention from media and a new audience, brought a spotlight of positivity to the division and inspired the next generation, despite hurting a few reputations along the way.