Beth Phoenix
Beth
Phoenix is yet another wrestler currently on the Indy circuit with an incredible
amount of potential. Like another recent addition to the WWE roster (Mickie
James), Beth has landed herself a developmental contract over at Ohio Valley
Wrestling (OVW), the known proving ground for potential WWE superstars.
Beth was trained at both Apocalypse Wrestling Federation and at OVW and made her professional debut in 2000, coincidentally the same year as Trish Stratus hit WWF TV. Unlike Trish however, Beth, due largely to her size and incredible power, was sometimes called upon to take on male opponents. Seemingly this left Beth unfazed as she defeated both Joey Knight and Kevin Grace in late 2003 to pick up the Far North Wrestling Cruiserweight title. The federation may be relatively unknown, but the achievement remains just as impressive.
Thankfully Beth did not become pigeon-holed as another strong female wrestler capable of wrestling men, in the same way that Chyna did. Beth took on both men and women before and after her title win, and continues to do so to this day.
After a WWE tryout in May 2004, Beth moved to OVW to work full-time as a valet to Aaron Stevens along with Shelly Martinez. In her first OVW match, she teamed with Shelly to take on the team of Fugee Cakes and Serena. Impressively, Beth's team secured the victory in their debut match, setting the tone for things to come.
Beth has since competed in several notable matches, including an inter-gender tag team victory over the team of Chris Cage and the unquestionably talented Trinity, as well as a 3 on 2 mixed tag team match in which she lost to the team of Matt Cappotelli and Christy Hemme of WWE fame.
Beth signed a developmental contract with the WWE in October 2005, and was featured on the SmackDown! house show card along with Shelly Martinez in late December. It is still unclear however as to whether the WWE will give her the call-up or force her to continue waiting in OVW.
There
is no denying Beth's unique appearance, which like so many before her can be
useful in making her stand out from the crowd. Beth stands at 5'7" making
her the same height as Lita, but weighs in at an incredible 160 pounds, which
would make her the heaviest Diva on the roster. With power-lifting listed as
one of her hobbies, it is perhaps easy to see why Beth has the impressive physique
that she does. Neither therefore does it seem strange that one of her more effective
moves is the Gorilla Press Slam, a move occasionally (and apparently with difficulty)
utilised by Victoria, but more successfully by Jazz and Chyna before her. Where
Beth differs from the last two ladies however, is firstly the lack of arrogance
that it was widely believed led to Chyna's split from the WWF, and secondly
her good looks. Beth may be carrying a lot of muscle, but it is carried well,
and it would seem that she has not sacrificed her physical beauty in the pursuit
of physical strength.
Her looks are nonetheless unconventional. Her trademark pink leotard, black bowtie and fishnet tights, certainly sets her apart, but as shown by the picture to the right, it is impossible to ignore her physical size. This however poses a problem, as out of all the Divas currently in the WWE, Victoria would be the only one who could stand a chance of taking on Beth on relatively even terms. Ashley, Candice Michelle and Torrie Wilson would be laughable opponents and would more than likely injure themselves trying to take on Beth. Mickie James and Trish Stratus would also struggle knocking Beth to the ground and keeping her there for the three-count. Beth's arms alone are double the size of Trish's, and if this is representative of the power that Beth has, it is easy to see how even Trish could struggle to conquer this adversary. That would leave only Victoria to rise to the challenge and to suffer the same humiliation as she herself had dealt out to smaller opponents. Whereas in the past Victoria had raised Trish above her head in a lateral press and then slammed her to the mat, Victoria would find herself taking the same journey but at the hands of Beth. Victoria's arsenal of moves would be further ridiculed when compared to Beth's Death Valley Driver, Dragon Sleeper, Gut Wrench Suplex, Texas Cloverleaf or her modified Michinoku Driver.
One-on-one
contests would therefore have a rather limited appeal and it would be more out
of luck and chance that opponents would achieve the win, rather than through
physical superiority. This presents a problem as it could mean that Beth would
be relegated to tag team matches week-in, week-out, or would instead find herself
having to wrestle men. The most obvious, but also the most unpredictable alternative
would be for Beth to shed some of the muscle she has worked so hard to achieve.
Through doing so however, she runs the risk of losing one of her major advantages
in the ring; sheer brute force, but could potentially see a noticeable increase
in speed. It could also have a detrimental effect upon her looks and make her
little more than another blonde female wrestler. What helps make Beth unique
is her obvious strength, combined with her attractive appearance. Through sacrificing
one, she may also lose much of the other and miss out on the much deserved chance
to join the WWE.
Ideally, the WWE should call her up as she is and allow her to have a serious impact upon the women's division. The presence of such an intimidating foe could only increase the quality of wrestling on offer, and encourage the existing Divas to try out new tactics and different style of wrestling. Beth's call-up could be further complimented by the addition of other strong, beautiful and talented wrestlers such as April Hunter, which could breathe a new breath of life into the division and take it in an entirely new direction.
