Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last two years, you will probably have noticed that women are ascending, transforming and revolutionizing. That’s right, there is a “Women’s revolution”, and I as a guy, am loving it. Everywhere we see women stepping up, speaking up, and defying the curt assumption that they should be content “with their lot”. Even in the “WWE”, there is a Women’s Revolution. The female talent has risen up the ranks, broken through barriers and are on the verge of grabbing and stealing “that brass ring”. As a longtime devoted fan of Women’s wrestling, this time is exciting and bewildering. Many of us developed hard hearts, churned out frustrations on internet forums and surmised the atheistic view that Vince McMahon did not like female wrestling. Five years ago, many of us would not have believed that a time like this would come, and arrive with such a vengeance to demand and achieve recognition from all the WWE Universe. Ironically as I write this piece, the WWE universe just witnessed the first ever Female Royal Rumble. For the record, Royal Rumble 2008 did not even have a Women’s match, none at all. Ten years on, the “ superstars” of all colors, sizes, shapes, and forms fought for 59 minutes to convey to fans their passion for coveting the gold, and we never once had to flinch through the term “divas” or “puppies”. With this new genesis for the female talent, I find myself asking many questions….How did this revolution happen?
First of all, let’s get one thing straight. Not every female talent who has wrestled or worked in the WWE can claim recognition for spawning and forge the current revolution. Heck, some females did nothing more than exacerbate the notion that women were merely eye-candy. So what is this revolution? In my view, it is a recognition, affirmation, and appreciation of the caliber and athleticism of the female wrestling talent. After years of being force-fed a diet of bra and panties and mud fights, fans are now witnessing the female talents in main events and high powered gimmick matches. So how far do we need to go back to trace the birth of this revolution? Yes, Wendi Richter was a pioneer in the mid 80’s, and in the 90’s, Madusa showed us that women could wrestle and look glamorous. However, as much as we enjoyed seeing these ladies wrestle, the company itself never seemed to let the female talent amplify and clamor for greater success. Tragically, both of these eras died and were replaced by cookie-cutter promotional girls.
There is no doubt in my mind that we, the fans, owe gratitude to all the women who sacrificed broken bones, gauges, cuts and bruises, and who sought to create a credible women’s division in which the golden strap was miles above an accessory. These women were truly the “empresses of tomorrow” (Sorry Asuka). I’m talking about women like Ivory, Jacqueline, Molly, Gail Kim, Jazz, Trish and Lita, and many others including Chyna RIP. These women sought to convey female wrestling as a defined and reputable showcasing of athleticism and in-ring aptitude. For those fans aged twenty and over, you may remember the period of 2001-2004 as being a lustrous and eminent period for female wrestling. This era saw the birth, development, and cultivation of the Women’s division. Tragically, like previous eras, it was sacrificed in a holocaust-like monstrosity, in which many of the female wrestlers were sacked and the company replaced them with an onslaught of actresses, models and promotional girls from the “Diva Search”.
All Women wrestling fans are delighted with this creative investment in the female talent. It is a special and unprecedented time for women’s wrestling. Much gratitude goes to the Women who were not so lucky, who were overshadowed in the company by men or by less talented Women. Serena Deeb, Nidia, Gail Kim, Katie Lea and so many more…We remember you and We honor you. I truly hope this revolution grows and continues to ascend and conquer all barriers. The Women deserve it; Well done ladies.
– Enda Murphy (Guest Contributor)
Editor’s Note: We thank Enda Murphy for submitting this article. Please feel free to discuss in the comments. If you would like to see your story posted here, email us at [email protected].
