The return of Eva Marie will see WWE looking to make her a bigger star this time around. Eva joined the company without any formal wrestling experience at the start of the Total Divas show. Fans reacted negatively to Marie with WWE going back-and-forth on their expectations for her.
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WWE clearly believed Eva could become a major superstar and draw lots of money, but it just didn’t work out. Quite a few stories have come out throughout the years about Marie’s controversial time during her first run with the company. Find out more about what went down before her attempt at redemption. The following stories about Eva will showcase details about life behind the scenes.
10 Was Expected To Reach Level Of Bella Twins
WWE had high hopes for Eva Marie when signing her due to the combination of an incredible look and athletic ability. The comparisons were made for Eva becoming a star in the crossover manner that The Bella Twins did in the early years of Total Divas.
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WWE wanted Eva on the reality show for that reason and attempted to overpush her on WWE television due to it. A future Total Divas episode even referenced Brie and Nikki being upset at Marie thinking she would take their spot.
9 Almost Paired With Angel Garza
Angel Garza was teasing a storyline of being an admirer of a mystery woman with a few weeks of build. Fans wondered which member of the women’s roster would eventually pair up with Garza since his character is a ladies' man.
Eva Marie was rumored to have signed a WWE contract for her upcoming return during this time. Speculation ran wild that Eva was the woman pairing with Garza, but the angle was just dropped. WWE changing their mind may have canceled Marie’s first WWE plan.
8 Husband Upsetting WWE Led To Release
The wellness policy suspension of Eva Marie came during the biggest push of her career. WWE likely was just ready to sit her out for 30 days before bringing her back as they did with almost all the other suspended names around this time.
Eva’s husband ranted about WWE’s suspension being “unjust” while trashing the company. WWE reacted by sitting out Marie for the rest of her contract and never bringing her back. The perception was that WWE overlooked a lot of Eva’s negatives and this was the final straw.
7 New Gimmick Inspired By Kendall Jenner
Eva Marie’s new character is similar to Emma becoming Emmalina with videos showing off her modeling side. WWE is looking to add a new presentation for Eva and will likely see this character getting even more over-the-top when competing in the ring.
Marie was asked about the gimmick and revealed an unexpected inspiration for the idea. The passion for taking pictures is inspired by Kendall Jenner. Social media posts and marketing from Jenner provide huge success and Eva wants to tap into that side of her.
6 Becky Lynch Believed In Her
The rise of Becky Lynch saw her becoming the biggest star in WWE at her peak. Lynch’s journey showed the merit of hard work when rising her way up the ranks. Not many fans would think Eva Marie shared that trait with Becky.
However, the view of Marie from Lynch shows that she viewed the controversial Diva in that light. Becky publicly supported Eva by stating she works hard and had the potential to be a great performer. The two may get the chance to work together with Marie re-signing and Lynch expected back sooner than later.
5 The Rock Mentoring Her Acting Career
The Rock is one of the most powerful people in all of entertainment today and invested in Eva Marie. WWE believes that Eva could be a crossover star and that was further confirmed when Rock’s production company signed her.
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Marie has appeared in a few movies and has her hand in many projects working with such a big company. Interviews with Eva have seen her naming Rock as a “mentor” for her career. Total Divas even showed Marie walking the red carpet with Rock at a major event.
4 Injured Jenn Sterger In Sterger's WWE Tryout
AEW had Jenn Sterger on the roster as an interviewer for a few months. The charismatic host has always been a relevant figure going back to her college days getting discovered in the crowd of college football games.
WWE worked out Sterger in a class that led to her best friend CJ Perry getting signed to play Lana. Sterger was the biggest name at the tryout, but she couldn’t finish it after suffering an injury in the ring. Eva Marie was her opponent, which only looks worse with many more botches on television afterwards.
3 Vince Was Her Biggest Supporter
Many fans questioned why Eva Marie received so many chances and was on television before she was ready. The obvious assumption of Vince McMahon believing in her turned out to be the accurate result when Eva discussed her biggest supporters.
Vince was the first person named by Marie when discussing the people in WWE with who she had the best relationship. Triple H and Stephanie McMahon each also supported Eva’s potential which could help her in this upcoming second run.
2 Received Heat For Training With Brian Kendrick Over WWE PC
The lack of wrestling experience for Eva Marie played a huge role in her run going poorly. Eva needed more time to develop in the ring before being able to perform in the same division as Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks, and Becky Lynch.
WWE let her take time off to train privately with Brian Kendrick at his school in California. There was backstage heat on Eva for getting such a perk while everyone else learned at the WWE Performance Center. WWE confirmed this rumor when showing Eva getting confronted on Total Divas.
1 Was Considered To Be First SmackDown Women's Champion
Eva Marie’s final push was the one that showed potential in it working out. The brand split led to new talents getting more time and SmackDown needing to create a deeper Women’s Division. Eva played a superstar heel finding ways to avoid matches every week.
Heel moves like wardrobe malfunctions and traffic preventing her from competing doubled down on the hate fans already had. Rumors indicate Marie was on the short of women considered to become the first SmackDown Women’s Champion. The wellness policy and suspension took Eva off television and Becky Lynch won the title first.
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