For the past 25 years, LuFisto has earned her veteran status. She has been involved in the wrestling industry for the better part of two decades and she has broken down barriers that have opened up doors for many talented women. Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW), as well as its all-female counterpart Women Superstars United (WSU), have felt like a home for her as she has many accolades with this organization.
CZW just as many indie promotions lately have released their prior events and matches. The difference is, this organization has allowed for the women’s events to be rebranded in what LuFisto has described as “softcore porn.”
Such titles as CZW Girlz: Hair Pulling Catfight, CZW Girlz: Top Heavy & Tough, and CZW Girlz: Hot & Sweaty are just a few of the names that the videos are being called. Matches include many well-known names in the industry such as LuFisto herself, Mercedes Martinez, Athena (WWE’s Ember Moon), Leva Bates, Su Yung, Britt Baker, Kiera Hogan and many more.
LuFisto posted a video to explain her frustrations and disappointment about this situation. Women wrestlers have had to come a long way from being viewed as these titles represent and to this day they are continued to be treated as lesser through the age of social media. She and all of her colleagues are wrestlers and professional athletes and just as Lufisto has stated they should be treated as such.
She had the following to say about her efforts to discuss this concern with CZW which ended up proving that they are, in fact, part of the problem:
“When I did contact CZW about the issue, I was told that the footage was sold to a third party that wanted to promote us as such and that CZW couldn’t do anything about it. Apparently they tried, which I think is total bullshit. When I mentioned to them that it was already very hard for us to deal with the creepy messages we get, the dick pics, borderline harassment that we get daily from people who think that professional women wrestlers are actually pornstars or that are available for sexual favors, they just brushed it off, saying, ‘Guys get that, too.’”
LuFisto hopes that this video will wake up someone to what is happening. She warned any female wrestlers who are working with CZW or WSU to just be aware that they mean nothing to them as professional athletes as long as they “can sell your ass and your tits.”
Gail Kim and Allysin Kay along with the SHIMMER promotion had the following to say in regards to what LuFisto has brought to light:
LuFisto followed with a Twitter posting that shows what a real title of a WSU event was called. Breaking Barriers, a real title, and not one that should be reworded to the chauvinist titles that are being produced.
Leave what you think about LuFisto bringing this topic to light and what could/should be done about this in the comment section below.
