“I declare to you that woman must not depend upon the protection of man, but must be taught to protect herself, and there I take my stand.”
— Susan B. Anthony (1820-1906), American suffragist
It wasn’t the deplorable representation of wrestling itself that angered me on Smackdown! last week, it was the deterioration of a division through one commercial that sent me into a fit of rage. Damp with filth and soap suds I watched the “WWE Diva Division” including current Champion Trish Stratus frolic in the middle of a car wash with her other whores that stray behind her in an attempt to promote…wrestling. Now I prefer hardcore pornography to soft-core but I don’t need any wrestling involved in it. Now am I overreacting over one commercial to play on the minds of horny teenagers who wait eagerly for the RAW Diva Search for masturbation material? No. You see it’s the regression of the role of women in this society that I detest. Remember Alundra Blaze? Top of the women’s division in the WWF through the 90’s, respected by many wrestling fans, especially the females. What happened? Our society hurls itself backwards in not just wrestling but in other aspects of entertainment as well in regards to the role of women.
“When a man gets up to speak, people listen, then look. When a woman gets up, people look; then, if they like what they see, they listen.”
— Pauline Frederick (1908-90), American writer, author
It took over 100 years just for women to have the right to vote. Even more for them to be respected in the workplace, as we have congresswomen in office like Barbara Boxer and Hilary Clinton we are suddenly halted when we take a look into mainstream entertainment. You can’t make it in the music industry as a women now unless you are “hot” or willing to whore yourself out to whoever is paying you to look the way THEY want you to. These whores fill the covers of entertainment magazines of all varieties, and when Paris Hilton is looked at as an icon, a problem arises. Anna Kournikova was the most popular tennis player in the world…she never actually won a tennis tournament though. Once the LGPA or the WNBA can get some really “hot” players, they’ll be just as popular. We have seen this distorted logic used to pro wrestling now. Lita and Trish once ruled the women’s division, now the world champion is injured. Do they replace her with someone who can carry the title? Victoria?…uhh…Victoria? Even Alexis Laree? No. Trish stays dormant and we get the RAW Diva Search where it’s apparent that the whores of the WWE have replaced wrestling with sex. DDT’s and arm drags have been replaced with hair pulling and catfights. Now it’s true that we have always had this aspect in the WWE for a long time now, but there was always the opposite. Trish, Molly, Jazz, Victoria, Tori (not Wilson) Chyna and Ivory. The alternative to trash was there. Now it’s gone. Gail Kim and Jazz let go, Ivory is long gone, and Molly, who shaved her head for the company was told to job to Christy Hemme, a talent less whore. Molly would soon leave. The result of Christy’s push sparked one of the worst Wrestlemania matches in history between Trish and Christy. King Kong Bundy’s 9 second victory over Special Delivery Jones at Wrestlemania 1 was more entertaining than this match. Is there a reason for women’s wrestling? Does it actually draw? Is it worth it? Of course.
Josie Wahlford. Technically the first women’s world champion before the time of wrestling promotions in the late 1800’s. The first official women’s world champion was Mildred Burke in 1937. She held this title through the NWA promotions and eventually started her own called the World Women’s Wrestling Association, where she crowned herself champion. She eventually lost the belt to June Byers and vacated the title in 1956 where it would be later picked up in August of 1970 by Marie Vagnone who won the re-introduced title in a tournament presented by Mildred Burke. This title would be then defended in Japan until unified with the IWA world women’s title and up to now, the current holder of this title is Kumiko Maekawa. The Fabulous Moolah would pick up where Mildred left off in the NWA and eventually join Vince McMahon’s WWWF. She held the women’s title for the majority of its existence until its end in 1990 where Rockin’ Robin last held it. Alundra Blaze then picked it back up in 1993 and we now see it at it’s present state, unused and in the ownership of Trish Stratus. Now the current WWE women’s title is technically the NWA women’s title since the WWE withdrew from the NWA in 1983 and took current champion Fabulous Moolah with it. In the late 80’s in surrounding promotions Misty Blue and Susan Sexton would hold women’s titles recognized by WCW as world titles. In 1992 Jim Crockett promotions also recognizes this as a world title. December of 1995, Alundra Blaze is fired from the WWE and takes her women’s title with her and dumps it in the trash during a WCW show. I consider this the NWA taking back their women’s title although unofficial. The NWA women’s title continues throughout Indies promotions and now held by current champion Lexie Fyfe.
So a little history means nothing right? It should, but you want more right? Remember these classic women’s feuds seemingly long forgotten in WWE history? Stephanie and Lita headlined RAW in 2000, and early this year so did Lita and Trish. Trish and Victoria had a good Survivor Series match in 2003 along with their feud, Victoria and Molly in a hair vs. hair match at Wrestlemania 20, Jazz vs. Trish, and in TNA Desire and Trinity had a hardcore match from 2004 and through 2002-2003 TNA would have independent talent off and on their shows like MsChif and Daizee Haze. This is just from the past few years; the point being that if you go about it the right way, people WILL care about a women’s division. Why wouldn’t a RAW Diva search work with actual talented women’s wrestlers? Lots of them fill the Indies scene right now and yes for those who are vain…they ARE pretty! Right now, the WWE and TNA are both guilty of demeaning the women (or in TNA’s case the woman) that work for them. Traci and Trinity were involved in an insulting “catfight” at Slammiversary during a great 3-way match between Daniels, Bentley and Sabin, and of course the WWE has a long history of degrading women up until the very Summerslam commercial I witnessed through disappointed eyes. Even Victoria has lowered herself to that level of a shameless bikini car wash. It has angered me enough that there is no option left, the women’s wrestlers from the WWE have left and TNA is okay with having one “Knockout”. The only option left is unobtainable to me in IWA-Mid South, where they have the strongest women’s division to date. I’m left with ClickWrestle.com and their list of women’s matches to watch, but it’s not free, and I’m not rich.
“The biggest revolutions are the ones that happen in-between our ears.”
— Rob Brown
So why not start a women’s revolution? Why not demand a better product that won’t degrade society as we know it? Why not ask for a positive women’s role model? I think more people are tuned into wrestling than the WBNA or LPGA, and the opportunity is there to create another Alundra Blaze, or another Lita (before they ruined her). What about the women reading this column? Do you enjoy seeing your gender fall victim to constant belittling week in and week out? So ask yourself…do you feel that your intelligence is insulted when you watch the RAW Diva Search? Do you feel that something productive could be done with this time? I will give you a dozen names. One dozen women’s wrestlers that are not only beautiful, but talented athletes and wrestlers. Please take note, look their profiles up on obsessedwithwrestling.com, download their matches, demand to see them! I’ll start with my favorite, MsChif, Daizee Haze, Alere Little Feather, Lexie Fyfe, Cheerleader Melissa, Mercedes Martinez, Rain, Lacey, Alison Danger, Ariel, and I’ll finish with Taylor Nicole and Mickie Knuckles to make it 13. There are tons more out there people. Demand some credible women’s wrestling from the WWE and TNA!
Message to NWA Total Non-Stop Action…
Please capitalize on this. It’s not only commendable but it’s good business. The media loves to rip apart the WWE, and by including a respectable women’s division in TNA fans would easily start to see the difference between the two products. Want a start? Here’s six of the best…MsChif, Lacey, Cheerleader Melissa, Daizee Haze, Alison Danger and current NWA womens champion Lexie Fyfe. Throw in the best valet/sometimes wrestler in the business with Becky Bayless while your at it. You wouldn’t need to make is a huge part of Impact either. A few minutes only twice out of the 4 shows would be enough build up just for starters, just to get it out on TNA PPV’s. In a time of vanity and ignorance even in wrestling, something as respectable as a women’s division with dignity should be highly prioritized. Think about it.
In conclusion if you take away anything from this column, thank you. I don’t want to think that you are the stereotypical male chauvinist that wants their women in the kitchen. I would hope a women’s match with pure wrestling and athletic show would impress you more than a women’s match with hair pulling and rolling around the mat with no clothes on. To the most wonderful of wrestling fans, an exploder suplex done by a women athlete is more of a turn on than two whores on the floor. I’m Joseph Bachman, happily engaged to a very respectable and beautiful woman. I’m out.
