1 week ago
8 ARTICLE AD
Layla El recently reflected on WWE’s plan for Vickie Guerrero to win its Women’s Championship.
On May 11, 2010, WWE SmackDown featured Layla El and Michelle McCool pinning Beth Phoenix to win the WWE Women’s Championship. Following their win, Layla and McCool declared themselves co-Women’s Champions. This win also made Layla the first British woman and the first Diva Search winner to hold the title.
Looking back on her achievement, Layla El revealed that WWE initially planned for Vickie Guerrero to win the championship after Beth Phoenix suffered an injury.
“If you watch when I won the actual Women’s Championship, it was in Beth Phoenix’s hometown. It was against her. It was a handicap match. Initially, it was supposed to be Vickie Guerrero winning the title,” Layla said on the Developmentally Speaking podcast. “It wasn’t supposed to go to me at all. But because I was on live events all the time, I believe Fit Finlay pushed for me and coached me to get the gold.
“So, when he told me, he’s like, “Hey, you’re winning the title tonight.” I was like, “Okay.” The whole day, just like, “Okay.” And he’s like, “No, for real.” And I just did not believe him. I’m waiting the whole time. I’m waiting even when we go out from Gorilla. I’m waiting in the match for someone to go, “Layla, don’t fall out the ring.” Like, you know what I mean? I’m just waiting. And it just it I won.”
Reflecting on winning the WWE Women’s Title, Layla El said. “And I remember the crowd was crickets. If you watch it back, like, it was like crickets, because nobody would ever expect that I would win it. And so, to me, it was the same thing. I cried backstage to Kofi. I was like, “Oh my god, it’s me. It’s me.” Cuz I knew, “Wow, they actually given me an opportunity. It is a big opportunity.”
“And this is something that I never thought would ever happen. And I do believe I’m the first Diva Search winner to win that title, I think. So it was like, “Wow, like, now I get to show what I can do. Now it’s time to, like, be able to have the attention on me and prove what I can do and do this. So it was like and it was a dream of mine. I never shared it with anybody, because I never thought it would come true. So, very, very amazing, very touching moment.”
Layla was the final champion before WWE unified the Women’s Championship with the new Divas Championship. However, if WWE’s original plans came to fruition, it sounds like Vickie Guerrero could have been the final woman to hold the title.
Related: Michelle McCool Credits Dave Bautista For LayCool’s Split WWE Women’s Title
If you use these quotes, please credit the original source and link back to WrestleZone with an h/t for the transcription.
