Although, WWE Total Divas had dragged mixed reactions throughout its heyday in the 2010s, it caused headlines, nonetheless. The first-ever reality TV series to be produced by the WWE not only built star powers but also garnered mainstream attention on the pro-wrestling circuit that previously only had a zoned audience.
WWE Superstars like Tiffany Stratton or Maxxine Dupri have long been vocal about being in the fandom of Total Divas. In their young days, they used to be fans of seeing their favorite female WWE Superstars, up-close-and-personal on TV. Now, Steph De Lander has joined the spree by revealing how the discontinued show on the E Network had influenced her career.
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Chronicling journeys through the personal and professional lives of the WWE women’s locker room, the former Persia Pirotta from NXT recalled how Total Divas forced people to see wrestling content back in the day. Revisiting her younger days as a professional wrestling aspirant, she went on to mention how The Bellas made an impact through the E show.
“I think that entire era of Total Divas women was so influential and so impactful for my generation of girls coming up and people coming into wrestling,” Steph De Lander stated in an appearance on Gabby AF. “[They] brought so many casual fans into the wrestling world because they were literally on E! watching like ‘Oh what’s this stuff?'”
“When I first started watching wrestling, not a single girl had a t-shirt on the [WWE] website and it was like that for years. Then once that boom started, then all of a sudden, the Bellas are selling more merch than most people on the roster. That whole era was so influential for the women.” (quotes courtesy Wrestling INC)
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WWE Total Divas brought an entertaining aspect of wrestling to TV
Total Divas had arguably upped the status of the WWE women’s locker room, and down the road, it progressed with more seasons to become more familiar as a show in the household. Many believe that the so-called WWE Women’s Evolution would have never become a reality in the first place if it weren’t for the reality TV series that took the names to the mainstream circuit.
Through its nine-season run, Total Divas portrayed an inside look at the lives of WWE Hall of Famers Nikki and Brie Bella, Natalya Neidhart, Naomi, Paige (now Saraya in AEW), Eva Marie, Renee Young (now Renee Paquette in AEW), Alexa Bliss and many others. It even generated spin-off series like Total Bellas, Miz and Mrs and more.
As for Steph De Lander, her biggest inspiration came from Nikki Bella, whom she often credits as the reason behind her signature red lipstick. The once mainstay attraction from Total Divas returned to action in the 2025 Women’s Royal Rumble and given the WWE-TNA crossover, De Lander hopes to cross path with Nikki, somewhere down the road.
