User blog:CEDJunior/My Honest Thoughts On Eva Marie

Since Eva Marie debuted in WWE in 2013, I have been one of the few, if not the only one, who has boldly defended her and stood up for her when a huge majority of fans dismiss her and jeer her. I'll never forget the first time I saw her. Here was this statuesque young woman; 5'8" with exotic features and bright red hair. Just for that alone, I was enthralled by her. Then came the June 22, 2013 episode of Raw, just six days before Total Divas officially premiered. Both Eva Marie and Jojo were the "newbies" on the scene, and they joined the rest of the cast on a MizTV segment that also featured WWE Hall of Famer Jerry "The King" Lawler. King decided to introduce himself to the newbies, first by shaking hands with Jojo. When it came to Eva Marie, however, the red-haired vixen decided to deliver a slap to King's face, establishing herself as the villainess of Total Divas.

I knew that between the newbies, Eva Marie would be the heel. Jojo has a cute and innocent look, while Eva Marie has the look of a seductive femme fatale. Eva Marie's first role would see her aligned with the villainous Bella Twins during Brie Bella's feud with Natalya. She even competed as Brie's partner in a tag team match against Natalya and celebrity Diva Maria Menounos at SummerSlam Axxess in 2013, meaning that she made her in-ring debut just weeks after being signed, and doing so without any training. Eva Marie and the Bellas all became babyfaces after the promo made by AJ Lee, and that meant more matches for the inexperienced Diva. With Eva Marie's increased exposure came some heavy jeering from fans, but she always responded to them the right way. Eva Marie continued as a babyface for the rest of 2013 and through the first few months of last year, but she would turn heel when she became one of the many Divas sent by Stephanie McMahon to punish Nikki Bella.

And then there was Eva Marie's NXT appearance last year. She appeared on the program against Bayley, and looking back, I wish I could have watched that match with the sound muted. I read that Eva Marie got horrible reactions, but from what I heard, "horrible" is an understatement. I also read that the reactions were so terrible that Eva Marie was in tears. I was so sick to my stomach while I watched NXT, and the sad part is that every single one of those jeers is completely unfair. For months, I went on social media and websites defending Eva Marie to the last letter. I got ridiculed for doing so, but I didn't care. I still don't. As a fan of women's wrestling, I believe all women deserve a fair chance. For two years, Eva Marie didn't get that. What angers me the most is that people couldn't (and still can't) see that she wasn't given the chance to properly train to become a talented wrestler; that they should be blaming WWE and not Eva Marie herself.

I have defended Eva Marie so much that she has basically become my favorite Diva. Why do I love Eva Marie? I mentioned her exotic and spotaneous look, but that's just one reason. Among the many things I love about Eva Marie is her personality; she's loaded with it. From what I've seen, Eva Marie can play the sexy and arrogant heel to a T. She definitely knows how to interact with the crowd, which is a huge plus. Another reason is her passion. A lot of people accuse her of having no passion; only wanting to be in WWE just to be on TV. That's just bogus. Eva Marie has been working extra hard and training to become better in the ring and prove any haters and doubters wrong, and we must give her props for that. Even with that, people will say, "She's had two years and she just now trying to improve?" Well, Alicia Fox has had seven years, and you know what? She's still terrible.

We all have watched (or at least heard of) Eva Marie's training videos on Instagram with former WWE Tag Team Champion Brian Kendrick. From what I've seen, Eva Marie really showed out in the videos. I was so happy! Now she's the complete package! She not only has the look and the personality, but she can go in the ring now! Eva Marie will make her re-debut on NXT this Wednesday, but she has already participated in a pair of house shows in the last two days. Eva Marie has also debuted a new look; donning a long, red robe. I absolutely, positively  LOVE  this look, because she looks like an evil queen! Regarding the live shows, the evil Eva Marie competed against the returning Bayley, and lost both times. Though I've read positive reviews stating that Eva Marie has improved in the ring; her only problem is selling moves, but it was said that she'll improve on that as time goes by.

Again, I'm so elated that the woman I call the "Red Queen" is back and better than ever! I can't wait to see Eva Marie's re-debut on NXT, and I'm also wondering where this will go. Maybe, just maybe, #AllRedEverything will be elevated to the NXT Women's Championship? Only time will tell.