A la TIME’s Person of the Year list, Diva Dirt has compiled a countdown of the women we feel have best embodied the zeitgeist of the year in women’s wrestling. To compile this list, the Diva Dirt team have tracked the headlines here at Diva Dirt over the past 12 months, followed the lively fan debate on social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook, considered the impact that the women have made within the industry, and taken into account personal achievements as well. More information on the Women of the Year list here.
BRITANI AND SARAYA KNIGHT
Bigger Than The Beatles
Like The Beatles in music, Britain’s Britani and Saraya Knight caused hysteria amongst SHIMMER fans in the US this past April when they made one of the biggest debuts in company history.
In a company predominantly focused on wrestling rather than characters, the larger than life, villainous antics of Britani and Saraya had the fans eating out of their palms of their hands. The debut of the Knight Dynasty (along with the returning Rebecca Knox) was arguably the highlight of SHIMMER’s April tapings.
Returning to Berwyn in October for their second tour, the mother-and-daughter duo managed to retain their buzzy status by feuding not with other SHIMMER stars, but with each other. The emotional feud culminated in a “Mother vs Daughter Match” which saw Britani pin Saraya.
Despite having a long family history in the wrestling scene in Britain, 2011 was the year the two Knight women broke out to a wider audience around the globe, thanks, in part, to the Internet buzz surrounding Britani signing with WWE, in addition to their SHIMMER debuts.
As well as reaching the big time, the young Knight became the first ever Pro-Wrestling: EVE Champion in April, but lost the title a couple of months later to Jenny Sjodin. The title switch was steeped in controversy, however, as the result was leaked online prior to the match taking place, and the Knights withdrew themselves and talent from their WAW gym from EVE competition that same day.
Dynamic, talented — and yes, — controversial, the Knights certainly left a lasting impression in 2011.
PREVIOUSLY:
– The Women of the Year 2011: Kana (#24)
