Natalya Natalya (russian: Наталья) is the Russian form of the female given name Natalia.
The name Natasha (russian: link=no, Наташа), being originally a diminutive form of Natalya, became an independent name outside the Russian-speaking state ...
and
Beth Phoenix
Elizabeth Copeland ( Kociański; born November 24, 1980), known professionally as Beth Phoenix, is an American professional wrestler. She is a former WWE Divas Champion and a three-time WWE Women's Champion.
Kociański had a successful amateur ...
, also known as The Divas of Doom,
is a
professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring o ...
tag team
Tag team wrestling is a type of professional wrestling in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. Tag teams may be made up of wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of establish ...
in
WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vario ...
on the
Raw
Raw is an adjective usually describing:
* Raw materials, basic materials from which products are manufactured or made
* Raw food, uncooked food
Raw or RAW may also refer to:
Computing and electronics
* .RAW, a proprietary mass spectrometry dat ...
brand
A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create an ...
. Phoenix and Natalya first began teaming together when the latter was
Divas Champion
The WWE Divas Championship was a women's professional wrestling championship in WWE. The championship was created by WWE in 2008, and was introduced as part of the WWE brand extension via a storyline by then SmackDown General Manager Vickie Gue ...
and was feuding with
LayCool
LayCool (sometimes stylized Lay-Cool) was a professional wrestling tag team consisting of Layla and Michelle McCool. The team worked for WWE and were featured primarily on the SmackDown brand but appeared on the Raw brand on some occasions, while ...
in late September 2010.
In August 2011, both women turned
villainous, or heel, and developed the character of anti-
Divas
Diva (; ) is the Latin word for a goddess. It has often been used to refer to a celebrated woman of outstanding talent in the world of opera, theatre, cinema, fashion and popular music. If referring to an actress, the meaning of ''diva'' is clo ...
, who were violently opposed to the acceptance of "cute", "perky", "
Barbie
Barbie is a fashion doll manufactured by American toy company Mattel, Inc. and launched on March 9, 1959. American businesswoman Ruth Handler is credited with the creation of the doll using a German doll called Bild Lilli as her inspiration.
...
doll" women in the company. Their slogan of "Pin-Up Strong" was also the name of their
submission maneuver. Phoenix retired from wrestling in 2012, but came out of retirement in 2019 to reform her tag team with Natalya and challenge for the
WWE Women's Tag Team Championship
The WWE Women's Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling women's tag team championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE. It is the only women's tag team championship for WWE's main roster, thus is defended across both ...
at
WrestleMania 35
WrestleMania 35 was the 35th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw, SmackDown, and 205 Live brand divisions. The event took place on A ...
.
History
Original run (2010–2012)
In late 2010, following the split of Natalya's stable
The Hart Dynasty
The Hart Dynasty was a Canadian professional wrestling stable who appeared in World Wrestling Entertainment. The unit consisted of the tag team of Tyson Kidd and David Hart Smith, and Natalya as a manager. The group was named due to the connect ...
, Natalya set her sights on
LayCool
LayCool (sometimes stylized Lay-Cool) was a professional wrestling tag team consisting of Layla and Michelle McCool. The team worked for WWE and were featured primarily on the SmackDown brand but appeared on the Raw brand on some occasions, while ...
(
Michelle McCool
Michelle Leigh Calaway (née McCool; born January 25, 1980) is an American retired professional wrestler. She is best known for her time with WWE, where she is a former two-time WWE Divas Champion and a two-time WWE Women's Champion.
McCool or ...
and
Layla
"Layla" is a song written by Eric Clapton and Jim Gordon, originally recorded by Derek and the Dominos, as the thirteenth track from their only studio album, ''Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs'' (1970). Its contrasting movements were compose ...
) and the
Divas Championship
The WWE Divas Championship was a women's professional wrestling championship in WWE. The championship was created by WWE in 2008, and was introduced as part of the WWE brand extension via a storyline by then SmackDown General Manager Vickie Gu ...
. After coming up short twice due to LayCool's machinations, Natalya finally defeated the duo in a handicap match for the Divas Championship at
Survivor Series
Survivor Series is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving, it is the sec ...
.
She was attacked after the match by LayCool, but Beth Phoenix, returning from an injury she'd suffered in May which was credited to LayCool, made the save and then congratulated Natalya.
[ From there, the two formed an alliance against LayCool, and at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs in December, Phoenix and Natalya defeated Lay-Cool in the first Divas tag team ]tables match
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
in WWE history. The alliance quietly ended a month later when Natayla lost the Divas Championship to Eve Torres
Eve Torres Gracie (born Eve Marie Torres on August 21, 1984) is an American actress, dancer, model, martial arts instructor, and former professional wrestler. She is best known for her time with WWE, where she was the first ever three-time WWE ...
at Royal Rumble
The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named after the Royal Rumble match, a modified battle roya ...
, and went back to competing exclusively on the Raw
Raw is an adjective usually describing:
* Raw materials, basic materials from which products are manufactured or made
* Raw food, uncooked food
Raw or RAW may also refer to:
Computing and electronics
* .RAW, a proprietary mass spectrometry dat ...
brand.
On the August 1, 2011, episode of ''Raw
Raw is an adjective usually describing:
* Raw materials, basic materials from which products are manufactured or made
* Raw food, uncooked food
Raw or RAW may also refer to:
Computing and electronics
* .RAW, a proprietary mass spectrometry dat ...
'', both women competed in a battle royal
Battle royal (; also royale) traditionally refers to a fight involving many combatants that is fought until only one fighter remains standing, usually conducted under either boxing or wrestling rules. In recent times, the term has been used in a ...
to determinate who would receive a Divas Championship match against Kelly Kelly
Barbara Blank Coba (born Barbara Jean Blank; January 15, 1987), known professionally as Barbie Blank and by her ring name Kelly Kelly, is an American professional wrestler and model.
Blank has a background in gymnastics and cheerleading, an ...
at SummerSlam
SummerSlam is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's secon ...
. Phoenix won the match, then turned villainous by attacking Kelly, and stated " erdays as the perky, cute, blonde little bimbo are officially over." Four days later on ''SmackDown
''WWE SmackDown'', also known as ''Friday Night SmackDown'' or simply ''SmackDown'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that as of currently airs live every Friday at 8 p.m. ET on Fox. Fox Deportes simulc ...
'', Natalya defeated her protégé AJ Lee
April Jeanette Mendez (born March 19, 1987) is an American author and retired professional wrestler. She is best known for her time in WWE under the ring name AJ Lee. She is currently an executive producer and color commentator for WOW – Wom ...
, and afterwards attacked AJ before pledging an alliance Phoenix, telling her that she agreed with her in that "the days of the cute perky little princesses are over". Phoenix and Natalya officially debuted together as "The Divas of Doom" on the August 12 episode of ''SmackDown'', defeating AJ Lee and Kaitlyn, who they continued to assault after the match.
Natalya then accompanied Phoenix to her Divas Championship match at SummerSlam against Kelly Kelly, who was accompanied by Eve Torres, but she failed to win the match. On the September 5 episode of ''Raw'', Phoenix defeated Eve Torres to earn another title shot at Night of Champions
Night (also described as night time, unconventionally spelled as "nite") is the period of ambient darkness from sunset to sunrise during each 24-hour day, when the Sun is below the horizon. The exact time when night begins and ends depends o ...
, where she again lost. On the September 19 episode of ''Raw'', the Divas of Doom lost a tag team match to Kelly Kelly and Eve Torres after Eve pinned Natalya for the win. On the September 26 episode of ''Raw'', Phoenix pinned Kelly Kelly in a tag team match to earn another title shot at Hell in a Cell
Hell in a Cell is a professional wrestling steel cage-based match which originated in 1997 in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It features a large cell structure, a five-sided cuboid made from open-weave steel mesh chain-link fenci ...
. On the September 30 edition of ''SmackDown'', Natalya lost a match to Kelly. Following the match, Phoenix jumped into the ring and delivered a ''Glam Slam'' to Kelly, then Natalya applied their new submission, ''Pin-Up Strong'', making Kelly Kelly scream and cry in pain. At Hell in a Cell, Phoenix defeated Kelly Kelly with help from Natalya, winning her first Divas Championship. At Vengeance
Vengeance may refer to:
*Vengeance (concept) or revenge, a harmful action against a person or group in response to a grievance
Film
* ''Vengeance'' (1930 film), action adventure film directed by Archie Mayo
* ''Vengeance'' (1937 film) or ''W ...
, Phoenix defeated Eve to retain the Divas Championship. At Survivor Series
Survivor Series is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving, it is the sec ...
, Natalya accompanied Phoenix to a successful lumberjill Divas Championship match against Eve Torres.
On January 29, 2012 at Royal Rumble
The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named after the Royal Rumble match, a modified battle roya ...
, the Divas of Doom competed in an eight-woman tag team match alongside The Bella Twins
The Bella Twins were a professional wrestling tag team who performed on WWE and consisted of identical twin sisters Brie Bella and Nikki Bella (real names Brianna and Nicole). Each of the Bella Twins are a former WWE Divas Champion. Brie is the f ...
, and defeated the team of Eve Torres, Kelly Kelly, Alicia Fox
Victoria Crawford (born June 30, 1986) is an American retired professional wrestler and former model known for her time with WWE under the ring name Alicia Fox.
Crawford debuted on ''SmackDown'' on June 13, 2008, using the Alicia Fox name and th ...
, and Tamina. The next night on the January 30 episode of ''Raw'', Phoenix successfully defended her Divas Championship against Eve. At Elimination Chamber
The Elimination Chamber is a professional wrestling elimination-based match held in the WWE. The match was founded by Chris Jericho , created and introduced by Eric Bischoff in November 2002. It features a large chain-linked circular steel st ...
, Phoenix successfully defended her championship against Tamina. On the March 22 episode of '' Superstars'', Phoenix and Natalya appeared on opposite sides of a tag team match in which Phoenix teamed with Eve Torres against Natalya and Tamina, with Phoenix's team winning the match. Afterwards, Phoenix and Natalya would not team up again until the July 12 episode of ''Superstars'', where there were defeated by Alicia Fox and Kaitlyn. At Money in the Bank, they teamed up with Torres, being defeated by Layla, Kaitlyn and Tamina. On the September 28 episode of ''SmackDown'', Phoenix and Natalya faced each other in a match, in which Phoenix came out victorious. After the match they both shook hands, but Torres, who in-storyline was by then was in a position of authority, appeared to suspend Phoenix accusing her of being the mysterious attacker of Kaitlyn, since the attacker was blonde. Phoenix in turn accused Natalya, saying that she was also blonde, and Phoenix and Natalya ended up arguing in the ring. Soon afterwards, Phoenix left WWE.
Reunion (2019–2020)
The team had a brief reunion when Natalya inducted Phoenix into the 2017 WWE Hall of Fame, and again at the 2018 Royal Rumble, where Natalya eliminated Phoenix in the first ever 30-woman Royal Rumble match
The Royal Rumble match is a professional wrestling match based on the classic Battle Royal match in which a number of wrestlers (traditionally 30) aim at eliminating their competitors by tossing them over the top rope, with both feet touching the ...
. On March 10, 2019 at Fastlane, Phoenix was attacked by Tamina and Nia Jax
Savelina Fanene (born May 29, 1984) is an Australian-born American professional wrestler. She is best known for her time in WWE, where she performed under the ring name Nia Jax from 2014 to 2021 and became a one-time Raw Women's Champion and two- ...
, after which Natalya came to defend her, but also ended up being attacked by the duo. On the March 18, 2019 episode of ''Raw'', Phoenix announced that she was coming out of retirement; she and Natalya reformed their team and challenged The Boss 'n' Hug Connection ( Bayley and Sasha Banks
Mercedes Justine Kaestner-Varnado (born January 26, 1992) is an American professional wrestler and actress. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Sasha Banks.
Banks previously wrestled on ...
) for the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship
The WWE Women's Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling women's tag team championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE. It is the only women's tag team championship for WWE's main roster, thus is defended across both ...
at WrestleMania 35
WrestleMania 35 was the 35th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw, SmackDown, and 205 Live brand divisions. The event took place on A ...
; however, later that night Tamina and Jax once again ambushed Phoenix after a distraction from Jax during a one-on-one match between Natalya and Banks. On the March 25, 2019, episode of ''Raw'', it was announced that Phoenix and Natalya would compete in a fatal four-way match
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or " gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
at WrestleMania 35 against The Boss 'n' Hug Connection, Jax and Tamina, and The IIconics (Billie Kay
Jessica McKay (born 23 June 1989) is an Australian professional wrestler. She is best known for her time in WWE, where she performed under the ring name Billie Kay and for her time in Impact Wrestling, where she competed as Jessie McKay.
In Jun ...
and Peyton Royce
Cassandra McIntosh (born 10 November 1992) is an Australian professional wrestler. She is best known for her time in WWE, where she performed under the ring name Peyton Royce and for her time in Impact Wrestling where she performed as Cassie Le ...
), but they did not manage to win at the event, being the latter team the winners.
Natalya and Phoenix did the 2019 Raw European Tour together as their tag, The Divas of Doom. The pair went against The Riott's Squad, Ruby Riott and Liv Morgan. They won all of their matches and usually ended them with matching sharpshooters. The pair reunited once again at the 2020 Women's Royal Rumble, which saw Phoenix enter at #19 while Natalya entered at #23. Both women reached the final four, after which Phoenix eliminated Natalya before she was eliminated herself by Shayna Baszler
Shayna Andrea Baszler ( ; born August 8, 1980) is an American professional wrestler, kickboxer and former mixed martial artist. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown brand. Baszler is a former two-time and longest ...
.
Championships and accomplishments
* '' Pro Wrestling Illustrated
''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American internationally sold professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publish ...
''
** PWI ranked Beth Phoenix
Elizabeth Copeland ( Kociański; born November 24, 1980), known professionally as Beth Phoenix, is an American professional wrestler. She is a former WWE Divas Champion and a three-time WWE Women's Champion.
Kociański had a successful amateur ...
No. 2 of the top 50 female wrestlers in the ''PWI Female 50
''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American internationally sold professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publis ...
'' in 2012
** PWI ranked Natalya Natalya (russian: Наталья) is the Russian form of the female given name Natalia.
The name Natasha (russian: link=no, Наташа), being originally a diminutive form of Natalya, became an independent name outside the Russian-speaking state ...
No. 4 of the top 50 female wrestlers in the ''PWI Female 50'' in 2011
* WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vario ...
** WWE Divas Championship
The WWE Divas Championship was a women's professional wrestling championship in WWE. The championship was created by WWE in 2008, and was introduced as part of the WWE brand extension via a storyline by then SmackDown General Manager Vickie Gue ...
( 2 time) – Natalya, Beth Phoenix
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Divas of Doom
WWE teams and stables
Women's wrestling teams and stables