Diva Dirt is pleased to announce today the two honorees in its Diva Dirt Legacy Award Class of 2012: female wrestling veterans Jacqueline Moore and Jazz.
We are honored to welcome Jackie and Jazz to the Legacy Award winner’s circle alongside Trish Stratus (2010) and Manami Toyota (2011).
2012 marks the first year that Diva Dirt has honored a class of recipients rather than an individual; this is due to us wanting to honor more deserving females each year.
Additionally, we are pleased to work alongside SHINE Wrestling to present Jazz with her award live on Internet pay per view on July 20th. Jazz is scheduled to face Sara Del Rey in the main event of SHINE 1. (Order the event on iPPV.)
DIVA DIRT LEGACY AWARD CLASS OF 2012 REVEALED, JACQUELINE MOORE AND JAZZ TO BE HONORED
Diva Dirt (www.diva-dirt.com), the number one and most visited online resource dedicated to female wrestling, is extremely pleased to announce today not one, but two Legacy Award recipients for 2012. The Legacy Award Class of 2012 will include wrestling veterans and icons, Jacqueline Moore and Jazz.
The Diva Dirt Legacy Award, launched in 2010, celebrates the excellence and achievement of pioneering females in the world of wrestling. Joining the elite circle of past winners, this year we welcome two women who have both forged successful careers, and have enjoyed longevity the likes of which is rare for women in wrestling.
“With so many women worthy of being recognized, this year we have decided to up our game by acknowledging the Class of 2012, rather than having an individual recipient. The Class of 2012 will comprise of two incredible seasoned veterans that may not get the recognition they deserve,” said Diva Dirt Editor, Melanie Rob.
With over two decades of experience, Jacqueline Moore is one of the most decorated female wrestlers in North America today. Between 1997 and 2011, Jackie was one of the most consistently seen women on wrestling television with stints in WCW, WWE and TNA. The Dallas, Texas native was the first ever African-American woman to hold the WWE Women’s Championship and has held it on two occasions. Additionally, she is only the third woman to hold the Cruiserweight Championship (however, the first on WWE television) and the first ever woman to be included on the Pro Wrestling Illustrated 500.
“I’m honored to be selected for the Diva Dirt Legacy Award. This means a lot to me. I put in a lot of hard work and dedication over the years and I feel truly blessed. Thank you Diva Dirt for the love and honoring me. This brings me great joy,” said Moore.
Meanwhile, Jazz, who earned her fame through the original ECW masterminded by Paul Heyman, has forged a career as one of the toughest women in wrestling. From the infamous ECW glory days, to her time in WWE where she was a two-time Women’s Champion. In recent years, the Louisiana native has become a revered veteran on the independent circuit, competing for promotions such as Women Superstars Uncensored, NCW Femmes Fatales and ChickFight. In 2010, WSU inducted her into its Hall of Fame, and that same year she headlined the company’s first ever Internet pay per view.
Commenting on the award, Jazz said: “It’s most definitely an honor to be recognized as a female professional wrestler. Not only a female wrestler, but an African-American wrestler. People have no idea what I’ve put my body through mentally, physically and emotionally to get to where I am today.”
Diva Dirt Editor, Melanie Rob added: “I have fond memories of following both Jackie and Jazz’s careers, and have long admired and respected them. Often they may be overlooked, but Jackie and Jazz are old school, tough women who have given their lives and bodies to wrestling, and have certainly paved the way for young wrestlers today.”
Once again, Diva Dirt will present the Diva Dirt Legacy Award in conjunction with the Female Fight League (FFL), an organization that unites all-female promotions, as well as fans, to bring respect and exposure to professional female wrestling.
“I’ve had the honor of running wrestling shows featuring both Jackie and Jazz and I can not speak highly enough about what a positive role model these women are to fans and to up-and-coming wrestlers. These women are true professionals and truly deserving of the prestigious Diva Dirt Legacy Award,” said Jason Deadrich, founder of the Female Fight League.
Additionally, Diva Dirt is pleased to work alongside SHINE Wrestling to present Jazz her award live on the company’s debut Internet pay per view on July 20th. Jazz is scheduled to main event SHINE 1 against Sara Del Rey.
SHINE will air exclusively via WWNLive.com, and like Diva Dirt and the Female Fight League, is committed to further bringing women’s wrestling to the forefront with its exciting new product.
Lexie Fyfe of the SHINE management team, added: “Jazz really helped pave the way for women wrestlers for the new millennium. She was one of the first female wrestlers to have a match on ECW and she was pushed against the male competitors too. I thought that was pretty big at the time. And then she moved to WWE where she had the spotlight for a while. I know the younger wrestlers name her as an inspiration and so do some of us who were already wrestling at the time. That is saying something for a career. Jazz is well deserving of a lifetime achievement award.”
Fans are encouraged to order SHINE’s debut show, SHINE 1, on iPPV at www.wwnlive.com.
Watch Jacqueline vs Jazz below:
