The beginning of my wrestling journey started in 1998. I was 7 years old, and my babysitter was watching “Unforgiven”. The first match that stuck with me was the inferno match, but the first match I saw was the Evening Gown Match with Sable and the late Luna Vachon. Ironically, it didn’t leave much of an impact on me, but I remember bits and pieces. The first women’s match I ever remembered start to finish was another Evening Gown Match, but between Ivory and Tori.
In 1999, my siblings and I finally caught the wrestling bug, and every Monday and Thursday was appointment television. If I had to go to bed before the women’s matches, my sister would tell me what happened. I’d also take her dolls and with the help of my brother, we’d wrestle with them, I’d make them dresses in paper, wrapping paper or old socks to strip off in Evening Gown Matches, my brother and I would wrestle as Kane and Undertaker knock offs, as well as women and he’d give me a “Hair Beal” all the time.
While I chiefly have ever watched WWF/E, I would also watch ECW, WOW, and WCW here and there. I grew up with Caged Heat, my favourite being Loca, Terri Gold, whose moonsault I tried to copy, Tygress, Miss Hancock/Stacy Keibler, Madusa, Torrie Wilson, Chyna, Nicole Bass (May they rest in peace), Ivory, Jackie, a pre-WWF Lita, Mae and Moolah, Molly Holly, Trish, Stephanie, The Kat, BB, Terri, Asya, Major Gunns, Beulah, Francine, Dawn Marie, Paisley (Sharmell), and my at-the-time all-time fave, and one of, Daffney. I saw Miss Elizabeth wrestle her first match.
I saw Beulah beat Bill Alfonso in the bloodiest match ever, saw Francine beat the crap out of women left and right. I watched women go through tables, watched Chyna and Jazz beat up men, saw Evening Gown/Bra And Panties matches, tag matches, matches in pudding, gravy, mud, pools. I watched Lita get involved in TLC at Wrestlemania, saw her wrestle her first and last WWE match live, same with Trish, I saw Trish evolve, saw the additions of great women such as Victoria, Nidia, and Gail Kim.
I saw Sable return, and that attitude and the confidence that woman possesses down to her walk and her grind (both of which I still copy) inspired me. These women each had roles to play, and while they weren’t the whole f’n show, they were a big part of it for me.
