When the Ruthless Aggression era was in full force, Candice Michelle was able to establish herself as a prominent figure in the women’s division and a one-of-a-kind champion, coming off the Divas Search contest. She gained a lot of popularity due to her work ethic after working hard for her in-ring character. She was, in fact, loved by the locker room members, as well.
But while she was admired by many of her colleagues and, of course, the fans, it seems Melina wasn’t one of them. In fact, Melina didn’t want to drop the WWE Women’s Championship to Candice Michelle.
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It should be noted that Melina played a vital role in the women’s division during the mid-2000s. After Lita and Trish Stratus headed on retirement, Melina was one of the very few who maintained the standard high for women wrestlers. Alongside other star powers performers such as Michelle McCool, Beth Phoenix, and Mickie James, Melina was one of the faces of the division. This was during a phase when female wrestlers used to receive the least opportunities when it came to in-ring competition.
While speaking to WrestlingNews.co, Candice Michelle talked about that time working with Melina when the latter did not want to drop the WWE Women’s Championship to her. According to the statement, Melina apparently refused to drop the title to her during their match.
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Melina’s thought of Candice Michelle coming off Hollywood pushed her to become a better wrestler
The thought behind this thought was that Candice Michelle was coming from a Hollywood background, that’s the entertainment industry, while Melina had a wrestling background. Hence, WWE’s decision to put the title on the former WWE Divas Search contest was a controversial one but it ultimately pushed the new champion’s career for good.
“She did not want this to happen. She did not want to drop that title to me. I came from Hollywood and I understood it. She came up from wrestling and wrestling schools and doing Indie shows, and to her, she put the work in more so than me in her mind. But she didn’t see the work that I put in leaving Wisconsin and going to Hollywood and the auditions I did every day,” Candice Michelle explained.
“It’s the same thing, just from a different standpoint, right? So her hating that so much was very difficult, yet it pushed me to be extra great.”
It was also revealed that Candice Michelle didn’t know what to expect during their matches, as Melina would not even properly talk to her. But while revisiting that time, she also realized that the animosity created by Melina helped her to become an even better wrestler and thereby a champion. The good part is that the two have since become friends after burying the hatchet,
