WWE Diva Search Winners & Losers

Since 2003, the WWE has held a unique talent search contest known as the WWE Diva Search. This competition involves some of the most beautiful and talented women around, vying for a spot on the WWE Divas roster. There's usually one female crowned the winner each year, but this is never a true indicator of future success. In fact, several of the runner-ups and losers in the contest have gone on to more success than the winners. In this article, we'll take a look at the winners and losers who've achieved success in the WWE brand of pro-wrestling and beyond.

The main purpose behind the diva search has been to find a new diva for the WWE Raw, Smackdown or ECW television shows who acts as an interviewer, wrestler and/or manager for other wrestlers. Past winners have included Ashley Massaro, Christy Hemme, Layla El and Eve Torres. Each of these women has achieved careers in WWE following their diva search victories. So far, Ashley may have achieved the most fame of these lovely women. She not only was a competitive wrestler in WWE for some time, but she also had cameo roles on TV shows, was on Survivor: China and appeared as one of several nude WWE divas in Playboy. Eve Torres is the most recent diva search winner and currently is a backstage interviewer on Smackdown. The lovely latina is training for her WWE wrestling career daily. Ashley and Christy are no longer with WWE, as both have moved on to other endeavors. Christy Hemme is currently on the TNA Wrestling Knockout roster, still bringing her beauty and skill to wrestling.

Although they're technically considered "losers" of the diva search, they're hardly losers by any means at all. Several divas have been eliminated early in the contest or were runner-ups and still went on to WWE Raw and Smackdown careers. Four great examples of this are Candice Michelle, Michelle McCool, Maryse Ouellet and Maria Kanellis. Candice, Maria and Michelle were all contestants in 2004's Raw Diva Search, but Christy Hemme was its winner. Despite this, all three girls are still in WWE wrestling. Candice has held the WWE Women's Championship while Michelle McCool is current WWE Divas Champion. Both Maria Kanellis and Candice Michelle have appeared as nude WWE divas in Playboy magazine.

Other women who've been hired by WWE despite losing the diva search include Joy Giovanni, Amy Weber, Taryn Terrell, Kristal Marshall and Maryse Ouellet. Maryse currently stars as one of Smackdown's WWE Divas, while Taryn Terrell, also known as "Tiffany" is the assistant to ECW General Manager, Theodore Long. Another name or face you may recognize is Leyla Milani. She's been featured in USA's "members of the Raw nation" advertisement, and currently works as on the hit NBC show, "Deal or No Deal" as one of the girls with the briefcases. So the next time the diva search rolls around, don't worry if your favorite contestant bows out early. She may still have a successful career in WWE wrestling or the entertainment industry.