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What's the story?
Candice Michelle came to WWE through the annual Diva Search competition and it was thought that she always had quite an easy route to the top. Ahead of her official retirement match at House of Hardcore, the former Women's Champion opened up about some of the toughest lessons she was forced to learn.
In case you didn't know...
Candice is a former Playboy cover girl and was the first former Diva Search contestant to win a Women's Championship back in 2009 when she defeated Melina at Vengence: Night of Champions.
Candice left WWE back in 2009 after her later years with the company were plagued with injuries. She has since gone on to become a wife and mother of three daughters but it seems that Candice is only now finally ready to hang up her wrestling boots for good, eight years after her WWE release.
The heart of the matter
Candice spoke to On Milwaukee in her hometown of Milwaukee, Wisconsin ahead of her retirement match this weekend, where she revealed what her first time in the women's locker room was like.
Candice and Lita were never able to have a feud within the company as Lita retired back in 2006 while Candice was still finding her feet amongst other divas. Despite this, it seems that Lita taught the Milwaukee native one of her toughest lessons.
"It was brutal. I remember I was in the locker room with Lita, who is very intimidating. I went to put my makeup on; I thought I took the worst spot in the locker room. I thought I was being respectful - I sat on the floor by a mirror. She got up in my face and she was like, 'What? Do you think you can walk in here and take the best spot in the locker room?' And I was like, 'I'm sitting on the floor!'
Candice did have an easy route into the company, unlike many of her female counterparts in the locker room. She did not have any prior wrestling experience and was one of few who were signed based on their looks as opposed to their ability, so understood Lita's frustrations
"I was considered the Hollywood girl. These wrestling girls, they paved the way of going to these indie shows and training camps and putting their bodies through this for so long. I just come from Hollywood and show up. So I get their side of it, I had to earn the wrestling respect side of it."
What's next?
Candice is scheduled to compete in her final match tonight at House of Hardcore, which should run smoothly for the former Women's Champion. It is highly unlikely that Candice would make a WWE return, given just how much the women's division has changed since she departed.
She also seems to have made a life for herself outside the company, with her children and chiropractor husband, but obviously still has interesting stories to share - which will always be welcomed by the WWE universe.
Author's take
Lita was known for being quite a chilled person backstage. This is why rumours that she threw Melina out of the locker room more than a decade ago were treated with such shock and surprise.
With that in mind, she herself has revealed just how hard it was for her to get into the company — how hard she fought to train too. The fact that Candice achieved this with minimal effort would have been infuriating, so it's obvious Lita would have an unhappy reaction to her arrival.
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