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Six women have been crowned winners of the Diva Search competition, but only one remains in WWE today.
The Diva search was a talent competition that WWE held six times between 2003 and 2013. It aimed at finding new female talents to join the WWE women's division. The competition resulted in WWE signing several talents, not just the six winners.
While some Diva search winners excelled and went on to become champions, others were not as successful. Some of them spent years in WWE without any real accomplishment.
Today, all the Diva Search winners are not in WWE except for one. She recently returned to Vince McMahon's company after years of absence. The others have all taken different paths. While some continued their careers in the pro wrestling industry, others are currently working in non-wrestling-related jobs.
Let's take a look at every Diva Search winner and where they are now.
#6. 2003 WWE Diva Search Jaime Koeppe
In June 2003, WWE announced the launch of a new competition called The WWE Diva Search. According to the press release, it was open to "women 18 or older who believe they have the beauty, brawn, and brains to become the newest WWE Diva."
Then-WWE Executive Vice President of Marketing Kurt Schneider spoke about the new contest stating that it will make one female's dream come true.
"The 2003 WWE Diva Search will make a dream come true for one lucky female. This contest provides fans with the opportunity to chose a contestant who best personifies the WWE Diva. Our Divas are some of the most prestigious and powerful women in sports entertainment."
Jaime Koeppe was the first-ever winner of the Diva Search. However, she did not receive a WWE contract. Instead, the 2003 Diva search winner received the opportunity to be photographed and featured in WWE RAW Magazine.
Koeppe was originally a model and fitness expert. A year before she won the Diva Search, Koeppe was crowned Miss Molson Indy Canada. Although she won the first-ever Diva Search, Koeppe never became a WWE Superstar.
Following her participation in the WWE competition, the 40-year-old went back to her fitness and modeling career. She also tried to pursue an acting career. Nonetheless, she retired a few years later to focus on her personal life and now keeps a low profile.
#5. 2004 WWE Diva Search Christy Hemme
Several women who have participated in the 2004 WWE Diva Search went on to become WWE Divas. The most recognized names of that edition's participants are Candice Michelle, Michelle McCool, and Maria Kanellis.
Although these three ladies later had much more success in WWE, Christy Hemme was the one who won the 2004 Diva Search competition.
Before joining WWE, Hemme was a model. She appeared in several well-known magazines, including Maxim and Rolling Stone. The 40-year-old also appeared on a few TV shows and advertisements.
As she was crowned the 2004 Diva Search winner, Hemme received a one-year contract with WWE plus 250,000 dollars. Her WWE run indeed barely lasted more than a year. She left the company in December 2005 without winning any championships.
After leaving WWE, Hemme joined Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. She spent several years in the promotion and played various roles, including being an in-ring competitor, ring announcer, and interviewer. She left TNA in 2016.
Away from the squared circle, Hemme also founded a band and landed a few acting roles.
Nearly a year and a half ago, the second-ever Diva Search winner joined forces with WWE Hall of Famer Lita and TNA Hall of Famer Gail Kim to launch a Kickstarter to raise money to produce a pilot for a new all-women wrestling show.
"Part TV drama, part wrestling promotion, the show will effectively demolish the fourth wall between characters and audience for a viewing experience that wrestling fans have never seen before. In a traditionally male-dominated industry, KAYFABE is a dramatization and collection of female stories inspired by real life events," they explained in the press release.
Despite this, the project has not seen the light so far. According to reports, the three former wrestlers could not raise enough money to produce the show.
#4. 2005 Diva Search winner Ashley Massaro
The third WWE Diva Search winner was Ashley Massaro. She joined WWE in August 2005, alongside a few other contestants.
Massaro spent nearly a year on Monday Night RAW, where she shared the ring with several top superstars. However, she moved to SmackDown in mid-2006.
On the Blue brand, she went into feuds with Melina, Michelle McCool, and Kristal Marshal. She then moved back to RAW in 2008, where she wrestled for a few months before leaving WWE.
The 2005 Diva Search winner received two shots at the Women's Championship. Her first attempt came at the 2005 Taboo Tuesday pay-per-view. She faced Candice Michelle, Maria Kanellis, Mickie James, Victoria, and Trish Stratus in a Fulfill Your Fantasy Battle Royal for the title but came up short. Her second shot at the Women's Title came against Melina at WrestleMania 23 but she failed again.
Besides wrestling, Massaro appeared on several TV shows. She also modeled for well-known magazines, including FHM and Maxim.
A decade following her departure from WWE, the third Diva Search winner worked as a radio DJ and host at WWSK-FM.
In May 2019, Ashley Massaro died at the age of 39 in tragic circumstances.
#3. 2006 Diva Search Winner Layla El
The 2006 Diva Search was one of the best editions of the competition. Several participants were signed by WWE, like Maryse, The Bella Twins, and Rosa Mendes. The winner, Layla El, also received a WWE contract in addition to 250,000 dollars.
Layla was a dancer before she became a WWE Superstar. She spent eight years in the company, during which she won the Women's Championship and Divas Championship. She also formed one of the most historic tag teams in WWE history, LayCool, alongside Michelle McCool.
In 2015, the 2006 Diva Search winner decided to hang up her boots. Layla explained her decision in an interview with the Wrestling Inc. Daily podcast.
"I was getting older. I’m mid-life right now. Those days are gone. You get to a point as a woman, it’s really hard to age in the public eye. It really is. I didn’t want that for myself, I didn’t want to go out there. I stayed too long, I think I should have maybe retired three years before I did. That was the thought process for me. I didn’t want to get hurt. I didn’t want to get injured. In my head, I was kind of nervous. My time was gone. I loved it. I appreciated it, but my time has passed. You have to accept that and move on."
A few months following her retirement, the former Divas Champion tied the knot with former WWE Superstar Ricky Ortiz. She also became a real estate agent.
The fourth Diva Search winner has kept a low profile since leaving WWE. However, she recently returned to the spotlight and has become more active on social media.
#2. 2007 Diva Search Eve Torres
Eve Torres was a model and dancer before participating in the 2007 Diva Search competition. She officially won the Diva Search in October 2007 and debuted on Monday Night RAW nearly four months later.
The 37-year-old had a successful WWE career that lasted six years. During her time in Vince McMahon's company, Torres won the Divas Champion three times. However, she decided to retire from pro wrestling in 2013 to focus on her family life with her then-soon-to-be husband.
Torres married Rener Gracie, a jiu-jitsu practitioner and chief instructor at the Gracie University, in April 2014. They now have two children.
Following her retirement from WWE, Torres became an instructor for the Gracie Women Empowered Self-Defense program. She is also an Ambassador for WWE.
Although she has not returned to in-ring action, the former Divas Champion showed up in WWE a few times in recent years. Eve Torres was present at the kick-off show for Evolution in 2018. She also made an appearance during the RAW Reunion episode in July 2019.
Torres has not denied the possibility of returning to WWE in the future. The former Divas Champion revealed she would like to face newly-crowned SmackDown Women's Champion Becky Lynch if she ever returns to in-ring competition.
#1. 2013 Diva Search winner Eva Marie
After years of absence, the WWE Diva Search competition returned in 2013. However, this time it was un-aired. After competing against names like Alexa Bliss, Lana, and JoJo Offerman, Eva Marie won the 2013 Diva Search.
The 36-year-old signed a contract with WWE and went straight to starring on its reality show Total Divas. She was also promoted to the main roster after only four weeks of training.
Marie's wrestling skills were far from perfect. After spending a few years on the main roster, she moved back to NXT. She spent nearly a year on the Black and Gold brand before returning to Monday Night RAW. However, she left WWE in 2017 to focus on other projects.
Following her departure from WWE, Eva Marie pursued an acting career. She played a role in the movie Inconceivable. The 2013 Diva Search winner also made a few appearances on some TV shows, including Paradise City.
Besides acting, Eva Marie also worked as a fitness expert. She built a fitness empire and launched her brand NEM in 2016.
The 36-year-old recently returned to WWE, promising fans an Eva-Lution. A few days ago at SummerSlam, Eva Marie lost against Alexa Bliss.
