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Diva Dirt presents its sixth annual Writers’ Choice Awards, as decided by the Diva Dirt team. As we come to the end of 2016, we have picked the best of the best to be awarded our Writers’ Choice trophies.
Best Promotion: Lucha Underground
No other promotion has been the most consistent in championing it’s women this year more than Lucha Underground!
In 2016 Lucha Underground’s luchadoras would face adversity and dish out a hearty dose of fierce revenge.
The end of Season One began setting up Catrina‘s rise to controlling the temple and all the titles within it. When we’d return to the Temple in 2016 she wouldn’t remain queen for long but she’s still one of the most powerful women in LU. She’s earned our award for Best Manager for the second year in the row because she continues to change the definition of what a valet is and can do.
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Sexy Star would face her toughest challenge yet against the duo of Marty “the Moth” Martinez and his twisted sister Mariposa. Kobra Moon was on the hunt for the fiercest competitor in the Temple to add to her team. Black Lotus would be looking for revenge against the man that took down her family and then introduce her Triad of formidable women to get even. Taya would align herself with the cocky Johny Mundo and Ivelisse would be looking to further make her mark after losing the trios title and recovering from injury.
The year would start off with Ivelisse becoming the first woman to challenge for the Lucha Underground Championship.
Though knocked down but not out Ivelisse would further prove why she’s one of the toughest luchadoras in the temple.
Then, beloved underdog Sexy Star and the demented Mariposa would battle in the show’s first No Mas match that would allow the women to push boundaries that have never been seen before on a televised wrestling show. It would become brutal and incredibly violent, putting the women on the map and showing them that they are equal to the men in the Temple.
This would end their rivalry, for now. Sexy would move on to become the first woman to hold the Gift of the Gods Championship at Ultima Lucha Dos, defeating Daga, El Siniestro de la Muerte, Killshot, Mariposa, Marty Martinez, and Nightclaw.
She’d move on to prove herself in several matches, additionally becoming the first to successfully defend and retain the Gift of the Gods Championship. She’d fall at the hands of Johnny but would seal her place in the history books again and smash the glass ceiling by ultimately winning the Lucha Underground Championship at Aztec Warfare III.
Congratulations to Sexy Star, the winner of #AztecWarfare 3 and first luchadora to win the #LuchaUnderground Championship! pic.twitter.com/G9IO84ctYI
— Lucha Underground (@LuchaElRey) November 17, 2016
She’d lose the title against her rival Johnny again but the two would meet in a steel cage for a rematch. She became the first woman to participate in a match with such a stipulation.
Another woman who has made her name with her unpredictability is Taya. She was one of the first women to participate in a No DQ match as she faced Cage.
Then Black Lotus would step up to the plate. Pentagon Dark would break her arm during Ultima Lucha Dos but she’d be back for vengeance, this time with her tribe.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVXkY1k3h4o
The debut of Hitokiri, Doku, and Yurei would steal the show as Pentagon would take them on one by one in an explosive Gauntlet Match.
And Kobra Moon would use her sly stealth to bring Drago back to her serpent Tribe.
YESSsssssss… 16 minutes until #VIOLENCE @LuchaElRey @thunderrosa22 @vampiro_vampiro pic.twitter.com/PdW3MYRksb
— Kevin Dill (@Dillitia) December 22, 2016
She’d lay a trap down during their match and he’d fall at the hands of her soldiers.
He's not a Luchasaurus, He's called Vibora #LuchaUnderground pic.twitter.com/76gHCPipmI
— Lucha Underground (@LuchaElRey) December 15, 2016
There are also places for other women such as Captain Vasquez and Beautiful Brenda in minor but strong roles too. Captain Vasquez is a Captain of the LAPD and leads the hunt to capture Temple proprietor Dario Cueto. She also seems to have personal interest in the Temple itself and has hinted at having a mysterious connection to an Aztec Tribe.
AndThe Beautiful Brenda is a valet for seedy but lovable salesman Famous B and Dr. Wagner Jr.
The women on Lucha Underground are advocates, warriors, queens, champions, conquerors, brawlers, bad bitches, and flawed but “perfect” women. They are given strong characters and rich stories. The women head tribes, partake in seedy deals, and come out on top, just like their male counterparts. They have earned their place at the table and it was never a question of whether they could do it or not, they just did.
Lucha Underground puts its women front and center always and gives women the platform they deserve to continue to break barriers. The platform all of us have been fighting for.
The women are equal and Lucha Underground continues to lay down an impressive foundation for all its performers regardless of gender. As the promotion grows so will its unyielding creativity and gusto to stand behind its women.
Like my colleague Kyle said last year, “the ideal promotion for women’s wrestling fans is to present the women as equals to the men. To create intriguing, captivating characters that leave fans emotionally invested in the highs and lows these women face.”
Lucha Underground is it.
Stay tuned for more Writers’ Choice Award reveals throughout the day.
