Report: WWE changes initial plans for Lana; no longer planning to make her a “big-time star”

[Big Red Machine]

Source: WrestleChat

By C.J. Quinn
– Posted on July 31, 2015Posted in: WWE

WWE has changed their plans for Lana, and are searching for a strong Latina presence on TV, according to the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. As previously reported, WWE at one point seemingly wanted Lana to be a big star on WWE television, becoming a marketable personality like Sunny and Sable were from 1996-1998.

Though Sunny and Sable used massive amounts of skin to present themselves as marketable characters in the past, WWE wanted to use “girl power” to create Lana into a mega-star. With WWE being PG-rated, the method of making Lana (who isn’t an in-ring competitor) into a household-name cannot be that of how the company turned Sunny and Sable into two of the most searched and downloaded women online in the late ’90s.

Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that WWE has changed their initial plans for Lana, now just keeping her in a managerial role, or as an enhancement character, instead of a marketable big-time star. The company is reportedly more interested in finding a Latin female that can be that marketable face.

“With the Lana as the female superstar of the company direction already seemingly changed and her now just being another character on the show, the new idea is to find a “Latin female star of the company.” They are looking for sex appeal and Spanish speaking skills for someone who can be front and center to expanding to the Latin audience. Like with Lana, it doesn’t have to be a wrestler.

There are people who are starting to search for Latin female weather reporters in Mexico who are chosen for looks. The perfect person they are looking for is, unfortunately for them, under contract with Lucha Underground in Melissa Santos, who is easily the best female ring announcer in the wrestling business right now. Well, if Lucha Underground doesn’t have a second season, she’d be available.”

With that being said, Lana is actually part-Hispanic as one of her parents is of Venezuelan descent. She spent most of her childhood in Lativia because her father worked there as a Christian missionary.

[Big Red Machine]

Yet another indication of how little this company understands people. How the f*ck are you going to use "girl power" to make this girl a star when she doesn't even wrestle?! Just standing there and looking pretty is about the opposite of "girl power."

And reading this whole article... I bet they're pretty sad they cut Ivelisse right about now.

[cero2k]

Yet another indication of how little this company understands people. How the f*ck are you going to use "girl power" to make this girl a star when she doesn't even wrestle?! Just standing there and looking pretty is about the opposite of "girl power."

And reading this whole article... I bet they're pretty sad they cut Ivelisse right about now.

she can be a empowered manager like when she controlled Rusev, now she's Ziggler's bimbo

also, i bet you're right about Ivelisse, especially because the reason she got fired was because she didn't agree on sucking DeMott's dick

[Serujuunin]

I feel like the WWE needs some women in their office to help them make decisions. Because honestly, neither of these ideas sound really good to me as a female. What sounds like a really good idea is having Divas that are pretty, not supermodel gorgeous, but that are strong presences in the ring that can put matches on to rival the guys' matches.

[cero2k]

I feel like the WWE needs some women in their office to help them make decisions. Because honestly, neither of these ideas sound really good to me as a female. What sounds like a really good idea is having Divas that are pretty, not supermodel gorgeous, but that are strong presences in the ring that can put matches on to rival the guys' matches.

they have Stephanie, who single handedly saved the divas division and women's wrestling #DivasRevolution

[Serujuunin]

I feel like the WWE needs some women in their office to help them make decisions. Because honestly, neither of these ideas sound really good to me as a female. What sounds like a really good idea is having Divas that are pretty, not supermodel gorgeous, but that are strong presences in the ring that can put matches on to rival the guys' matches.

they have Stephanie, who single handedly saved the divas division and women's wrestling #DivasRevolution

Steph must think like a man then. Or I'm overly critical of the Divas after being force-fed the swill they've called the Divas Division for years lol. Probably a combination of the two.

[Big Red Machine]

Yet another indication of how little this company understands people. How the f*ck are you going to use "girl power" to make this girl a star when she doesn't even wrestle?! Just standing there and looking pretty is about the opposite of "girl power."

And reading this whole article... I bet they're pretty sad they cut Ivelisse right about now.

she can be a empowered manager like when she controlled Rusev, now she's Ziggler's bimbo
Don't be silly, Cero. We're not supposed to remember that she was the one controlling Rusev. We're just supposed to think that he was abusive this whole time because she's a face now so that has to be the story.

also, i bet you're right about Ivelisse, especially because the reason she got fired was because she didn't agree on sucking DeMott's dick
Huh. So that's what they meant when they said she had a "bad attitude." Puts that whole bit about Rollins almost getting cut because of his "bad attitude" into perspective, though.

[Big Red Machine]

I feel like the WWE needs some women in their office to help them make decisions. Because honestly, neither of these ideas sound really good to me as a female. What sounds like a really good idea is having Divas that are pretty, not supermodel gorgeous, but that are strong presences in the ring that can put matches on to rival the guys' matches.

they have Stephanie, who single handedly saved the divas division and women's wrestling #DivasRevolution

Steph must think like a man then.
She does. It's been Hunter who was the one pushing the NXT Divas' Division the whole time. Steph just jumped on the bandwagon because they want to give her credit for it both on and off screen because they have this fantasy that being a woman in a high-up position will somehow make her this sort of feminist business icon and no women will ever be able to criticize their handling of women because of it.

[KILLdozer]

So then how do we handle this here and by this I mean the proper booking of Lana?

[Big Red Machine]

So then how do we handle this here and by this I mean the proper booking of Lana?

Never split her off from Rusev in the first place.

[KILLdozer]

So then how do we handle this here and by this I mean the proper booking of Lana?

Never split her off from Rusev in the first place.

Of course. So how do you fix it?

[Big Red Machine]

So then how do we handle this here and by this I mean the proper booking of Lana?

Never split her off from Rusev in the first place.

Of course. So how do you fix it?

Now? You really can't.
The best thing to do would be to blow this Dolph/Rusev deal off with Rusev and Summer kicking their butts, then have Lana dump Dolph for being a loser and make her heel manager for someone else who starts to beat Dolph.

[Serujuunin]

People get back together after a break up all the time, it's not implausible that it could happen with Lana and Rusev. Give it a few months, Rusev dumps Summer, crawls back to Lana, Lana leaves Dolph for Rusev, problem solved.

[Earth Child]

Girl Power!

[BOD]

make her a GM of smackdown or something, they have went to far to salvage her Rusev was a monster they screwed that up completely summer rae is a decent worker but not with a non=wrestler