The Revolution and Evolution of Women's Wrestling is Just Getting Started

Written by: Dennis R. Upkins

And if the last several years of sports entertainment are any indication, that statement is both fact and prophetic. Serena Williams has become what Michael Jordan was to basketball. The triumphs of Gabby Douglas and Simone Biles are modern-day Cinderella stories. Amanda Nunes, Chris Cyborg, Fallon Fox, and Holly Holm have dominated and made history in the world of mixed martial arts. It should come as no surprise that the vast majority of these trailblazers are Black women and other

Professional wrestling is no exception. In fact, in World Wrestling Entertainment, the women's division could not be hotter. This year's Wrestling (Super Bowl of Professional Wrestling) For the first time in its 35-year history, a women's match was the main event. Becky Lynch bested Charlotte Flair and Ronda Rousey in a triple threat WWE Smackdown and WWE Raw Women's championships

So how did this rebirth in the women's division come about? There are many factors that resulted in this perfect storm. Mae Young, Sweet Georgia Brown, Linda McMahon, Lisa Maivia, Sherri Martel, Trish Stratus, Lita, Miss Elizabeth, Jacqueline Moore, Alexa Bliss, Mae Young, Sweet Georgia Brown, Naomi, Alundra Blayze, Tamina, and Natalya Neidhart, to name a few among countless others.

If there is one person who could arguably be placed in the said eye of the storm of this latest resurgence, it would be none other than Impact Wrestling Hall of Famer, Gail Kim. Debuting in WWE at the end of the Era Attitude in 2002, Kim made history by winning the WWE Women's Title in her debut game. Kim would leave WWE and go on to Impact Wrestling, where her feud with Jacqueline Moore would lead to the formation of the Knockouts Women's Division.

In hindsight, it seems provident that Moore would have a hand in the formation of the promotion's Knockouts division. She has been a key player in the women's divisions for the most prominent promotions, whether it was World Championship Wrestling, WWE, or Impact. She's the first woman to win a WWE Women's Title and the only woman to ever hold the WWE Cruiserweight Championship. Having two extraordinary women of color a part of a women's division that would set the industry standard seems fitting. Kim would become the inaugural Knockouts champion. It would be better to return to WWE in 2004.

However, Kim's second run with WWE would be less than ideal. She found herself in the Divas' Era, where female superstars fell victim to two-minute matches, sophomoric storylines, and other misogynistic gimmicks too much for even WWE fans (and that's saying something, given that it's not known for its feminism). This is a question of how to get away from it when it comes to winning the world.

Well-behaved women rarely make history.

While Impact Wrestling endured ever-changing and incompetent management, the Knockouts Division excelled thanks to superstars like Awesome Kong, to form Impact president Dixie Carter, the wrestling faction of the Beautiful People, Taryn Terrell, and countless others. The Knockouts Knockdown and the Knockouts Tag Team Titles, both firsts for a prominent wrestling promotion and a sign of things to come for WWE.

Kim's homecoming to Impact would be a record seven times. She became the first female inductee into the Impact Wrestling's Hall of Fame. She was also named by Pro Wrestling Illustrated as the # 1 female wrestler in the world. (She'd also marry celebrity chef Robert Irvine.) On February 3, 2018, Kim retired and currently serves as a producer for Impact Wrestling. Knockouts, such as Rosemary, Tessa Blanchard, Su Young, Sasha Bordeaux, Taya Valkyrie, and Kiera Hogan

The Knockouts division was not the only challenge to the WWE on instructions. Women's wrestling promotions such as SHIMMER and SHINE have been provided with an alternative. Inevitably, a campaign launched on social media with the hashtag #GiveDivasAChance. The campaign went viral among the WWE universe. It is requested that WWE women superstars be given the same opportunities as their male peers. This eventually led to the WWE Women's Revolution. It began with a new list of wrestlers being brought in: Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, Bayley, and Sasha Banks – four future world champs who would also become known to the Four Horsewomen. It also included the powerful Nia Jax and the stable known as the Riott Squad, Ember Moon, and Sonya Deville (form MMA fighter and WWE's first openly bad superstar). Then, there was the Empress of Tomorrow known as Asuka. The most dominant champion in NXT's history (WWE's developmental brand), Asuka vacated the title as undefeated NXT Women's champion. Asuka's 937-day undefeated streak pbaded WWE Hall of Famer Goldberg's WWE history.

What is WWE Women's Evolution? The Money in the Bank Match Ladder, Hell in the Match Cell Cage, and the Royal Rumble. In 2017, the Mae Young Clbadic debuted on WWE Network. The international invitational tournament serves as a showcase to some of the best female wrestlers from all over the globe.

But progress is not just limited to the squared circle. In December 2017, Sasha Banks and Alexa Bliss made history when they faced off for the Raw Women's Championship, scoring the first time women competed in a WWE match in the United Arab Emirates capital city, but in the UAE itself. It was also the first time the Raw Women's Championship match took place in the Middle East region. Throughout the match, the song "This is hope!" (19659003) Perhaps the biggest sign of progress has been made since the inaugural WWE ,

The success of female WWE superstars is not limited to their traditional programming. Fighting with My Family a 2019 dramedy based on the WWE career of retired superstar Paige, is currently in theaters and has received rave reviews. Reality series Total Divas and spin-off Total Bellas continue to be two of E! Networks' highest rated shows.

But Impact Wrestling and WWE are not only two promotions setting records, making history, and forwarding progress. In the National Wrestling Alliance, Jazz, the Female Fighting Phenom, is current NWA Women's Champion. Capturing the title in September 2016, Jazz's reign of 900-plus days (and counting) reign has established one of the most dominant champions, woman or man, to ever set foot in the squared circle.