The revolution is televised
Michelle McCool once recounted how she and Victoria were asked to go redo their match on an episode of SmackDown because their "punches and kicks looked better than the guys". Chris Jericho took a stand and told the management that it wasn't the female wrestlers' fault if the guys' punches didn't look good.
During the Divas Era, veteran and coach Fit Finlay used to secretly train women wrestlers behind the management's back. Ultimately, it paid off when even the fans began demanding the company to treat the women's division better, and it led to what would be marketed as the Women's Revolution. Although TNA's women's division had been breaking all the barriers for way longer, and many other promotions such as Stardom exist which solely focus on women's wrestling, the WWE machine used its worldwide platform to lead this change, albeit the changes were visible mainly within the company.
TNA Knockouts
Before we jump into the Women's Revolution, it's important to note that even outside the WWE, women's wrestling has been thriving for far too long. TNA Knockouts had been paving the way in the smaller promotion and the indie scene for years. Gail Kim is one of the most respected names of the division and a legend in women's wrestling. In fact, she left WWE because she felt she wasn't treated well and went on to join TNA and make history.
Another ex-WWE wrestler Mickie James along with Awesome Kong, Taya Valkyrie, Deonna Purazzo and many more built a successful TNA Knockouts division that continues to this day.
'Lucha Underground'
Lucha Underground was a promotion that exploded on the scene like an RKO out of nowhere. Its behind-the-scenes problems, bad business decisions and legal issues aside, the company flaunted fantastic wrestling and storylines.
During its four-season run from 2014 to 2018, it showcased intergender matches and beautiful wrestling violence in all its glory. It felt more like a cinematic, fantasy and sci-fi TV show with wrestling as the main vessel and that uniqueness is what sold it.
A number of male and female stars now wrestling across WWE, AEW and other promotions made their name in Lucha Underground. The beauty of LU was that there were no separate men's and women's divisions. Anyone could team up and fight against anybody, and anyone could be the world champion.
The likes of Ivelisse, Sexy Star, Black Lotus, Kobra Moon and more raised their stocks. Ivelisse won the Trios Championships along with Son of Havoc and Angelico a few times. Sexy Star made history by defeating a male wrestler Matanza Cuete and winning the Lucha Underground Championship. She also won the Gift of the Gods Championship. I say made history since it's uncommon to see that nowadays, not because it happened for the first time.
Intergender matches have been happening since Cora Livingston and Mildred Burke's times.
Star ruined her own career in recent years though. She legitimately hurt her opponent and went off-script, leading to everyone blackballing her due to her unprofessionalism.
The Four Horsewomen
It might not be incorrect to say that LU and TNA were a factor in WWE finally embracing women's wrestling once again and putting a limelight on their division. This was also around the time when WWE's developmental promotion NXT rose in the ranks. Four women – Sasha Banks, Charlotte Flair, Bayley and Becky Lynch – became the cornerstones in the women's division in NXT.
I remember Charlotte vs Natalya in NXT in early 2010s was the match which woke the WWE up when it came to women's wrestling. And it kickstarted the change in the company.
That continued even when they were promoted to the main roster on Raw and SmackDown. The Four Horsewomen – in homage to Rick Flair's Four Horsemen many decades ago – ruled women's wrestling in WWE for a decade. In fact, they still do.
Banks left WWE a few years ago and now wrestles as Mercedes Mone in AEW. Lynch retired last year. Bayley is still with WWE and Charlotte comes, wins titles, destroys everyone's storylines and leaves only to return and repeat every year.
But these four women led to many historic moments in the past decade. Lynch, Charlotte and Ronda Rousey also became the first women to main event WrestleMania. Since then, women wrestling in the main event of Raw, SmackDown and premium shows has become another norm. Women have now wrestled in all kinds of matches – Steel Cage, Hell in a Cell, Street Fights, Elimination Chamber and Royal Rumble.
WWE also attempted to introduce women-only shows and premium live events but they didn't work. However, the integration of the women's division into the shows has significantly improved. The division now has its own mid-card US title as well as tag team titles, although one may argue that there are too many titles and not enough women or TV time to make the titles and the title-holder mean something.
Regardless, the likes of Bianca Belair, Rhea Ripley, Liv Morgan, Iyo Sky, Jade Cargill, Naomi, Kairi Sane, Asuka and many more continue to form a full and thriving roster across the board. Add to it the NXT women's roster and you have stars that will carry the company for years.
This is the final part in the women's wrestling series.
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