Source: Miami Herald
Aventura’s Layla El is World Wrestling Entertainment’s newest diva.
BY SCOTT FISHMAN
Miami Herald Writer
LOVE FOR A WRESTLING DIVA
It has been a wild summer for former Miami Heat dancer and Aventura resident Layla El, who won a one-year contract and $250,000 to become World Wrestling Entertainment’s newest diva.
The competition was based on fan voting and support. El said the passionate following in her hometown gave her the ambition to continue.
”The fans in Miami are amazing,” said El, a native of London, who moved to South Florida three years ago. “I know I did have support in other cities in New York, Tennessee, Minnesota, but definitely South Florida was a big factor in it.”
The WWE Diva Search not only attracted the pro wrestling aficionados but nonfans as well.
”I don’t even like wrestling,” said Chris Hobbs, a Miami Heat fan, who by chance caught her on television flipping through the channels one night. “However, I love Layla.”
Ever since the announcement was made before millions of people on USA Network Aug. 16, it’s been a whirlwind of activity for El. She was featured in publications such as Sports Illustrated and made various public appearances throughout the country.
The third annual WWE Diva Search began July 10 on the cable wrestling show Raw with eight finalists who were chosen out of thousands who auditioned.
”Life has changed because I’m busy,” said El, who a few weeks ago began her life on the road as a diva on WWE’s Friday night SmackDown! show.
“I’m traveling a lot. I’m hardly ever home. I really haven’t gotten a chance to sit back and focus.”
El is beginning her training in the ring by fellow divas, including 2005 Diva Search winner Ashley Massaro, Jillian Hall and Sharmell Sullivan-Huffman.
Adam Christopher helped El train throughout the competition. Christopher was not surprised to see El win because he believed, after working with her for a few years, she stood out from the other contestants.
Watching her win ”was kind of surreal,” said Christopher, who convinced El to go to the first audition in Doral. “You could see her shaking before the announcement was made.”
• WWE SmackDown! is at 8 p.m. Sept. 22 on the new CW Network.
• WWE Raw’s Unforgiven pay-per-view is Sunday, Sept. 17.
• Through 20th Century Fox, The Marine, starring WWE wrestler John Cena, hits theaters nationwide on Oct. 13.
Cena makes his motion picture debut in this rugged action thriller. He is John Triton, a heroic Marine who returns home after being discharged — against his will — from the Iraq War.
Stateside, he finds himself back in action, when his wife (Kelly Carlson) is kidnapped by a murderous gang led by the merciless Rome (Robert Patrick). With everything on the line, the Marine will stop at nothing to carry out his toughest and most important mission.
The Marine is under the banner of WWE Films. The official website and trailer is at www.themarinemovie.com.
• Meet WWE talent and movie star John Cena from 7-9 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 31 (Halloween) at the Scarecrow Jam, 1003 N. Taylor Rd. in Seffner, Fla.
• mBlox, the world’s largest mobile transaction network, announced World Wrestling Entertainment has chosen its mobile message delivery platform to bring global interactive services direct to its consumer base, reaching fans in more than 130 countries across all networks and handsets.
These enhanced interactive services are part of WWE’s mobile initiative, setting the stage to drive incremental revenue growth to this multi-million dollar entertainment empire.
In May, WWE unveiled plans for new mobile services that now include a slate of original ‘made for mobile’ content — including video, text news alerts, schedules, ringtones, wallpapers and a fantasy ticker.
Adding even more interactivity and functionality is the next phase of this growing program. The program will include offerings that allow fans to interact with WWE and each other with an eye toward further engaging and captivating WWE Mobile users through innovative promotions, sweepstakes, in-arena activities, trivia, contests, Live Event seat upgrades and other Premium SMS (PSMS) programs.
With mBlox, these communications can occur on any mobile device and over any mobile network.
• WWE continues to see success with its live events outside of the United States with upcoming sellouts in Canada and Mexico.
In Canada, The Raw Unforgiven pay-per-view on Sunday, Sept. 17 at Toronto’s Air Canada Centre is soldout, with attendance at more than 14,600.
The Sept. 20 WWE live event in Mexico City’s Palacio De Los Deportes sold out in one day with more than 19,000 scheduled to be in attendance.
In January, the SmackDown Superstars established the attendance record at the famed venue. The live event in Mexico City commences a four-city, four-date DX Reunion Tour of Mexico featuring Raw stars who will also be performing in Guadalajara, Tijuana and Monterrey.
WWE live events have been no slouch at home as well. Monday Night RAW (USA 9 p.m. ET/PT) at Madison Square Garden was soldout as is an upcoming event featuring tapings of Monday Night RAW and Friday Night SmackDown (CW, 8 p.m. ET/PT) on Sunday, Oct. 15 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
• WWE’s The History of the Championship is available on DVD.
The three DVD set package includes many historic WWWF/WWF/WWE championship matches: Pedro Morales vs. Ivan Koloff, Bruno Sammartino vs. Superstar Billy Graham, Iron Sheik vs. Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant vs. Hulk Hogan, Bob Backlund vs. Greg Valentine, Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart, Hulk Hogan vs. Ultimate Warrior, Shawn Michaels vs. Bret Hart, The Rock vs. Triple H vs. Kurt Angle, Chris Benoit vs. Kurt Angle, Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Chris Jericho, Triple H vs. Cactus Jack, The Rock vs. Stone Cold and more.
This is a great collection for wrestling fans.
• WWE 24/7 On Demand, World Wrestling Entertainment’s new subscription video on demand service, features the best classic and current wrestling all day, every day.
Play the legendary matches, rewind to the superstars who defined professional wrestling and relive the glory of unforgettable moments at any time.
Rare and never-before-seen, in-ring action of superstars from WWE, NWA, WCW, ECW, AWA and more. New original specials and shows connect to a lifetime of legends for $9.95 per month.
