#5. 2004 WWE Diva Search Christy Hemme
Several women who have participated in the 2004 WWE Diva Search went on to become WWE Divas. The most recognized names of that edition's participants are Candice Michelle, Michelle McCool, and Maria Kanellis.
Although these three ladies later had much more success in WWE, Christy Hemme was the one who won the 2004 Diva Search competition.
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Before joining WWE, Hemme was a model. She appeared in several well-known magazines, including Maxim and Rolling Stone. The 40-year-old also appeared on a few TV shows and advertisements.
As she was crowned the 2004 Diva Search winner, Hemme received a one-year contract with WWE plus 250,000 dollars. Her WWE run indeed barely lasted more than a year. She left the company in December 2005 without winning any championships.
After leaving WWE, Hemme joined Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. She spent several years in the promotion and played various roles, including being an in-ring competitor, ring announcer, and interviewer. She left TNA in 2016.
Away from the squared circle, Hemme also founded a band and landed a few acting roles.
Nearly a year and a half ago, the second-ever Diva Search winner joined forces with WWE Hall of Famer Lita and TNA Hall of Famer Gail Kim to launch a Kickstarter to raise money to produce a pilot for a new all-women wrestling show.
"Part TV drama, part wrestling promotion, the show will effectively demolish the fourth wall between characters and audience for a viewing experience that wrestling fans have never seen before. In a traditionally male-dominated industry, KAYFABE is a dramatization and collection of female stories inspired by real life events," they explained in the press release.
Despite this, the project has not seen the light so far. According to reports, the three former wrestlers could not raise enough money to produce the show.