EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY

WWE: The women behind the revolution

Women’s wrestling has changed a lot over the past few years. From 30 second matches and being referred to as “divas”, to all-women pay-per-views and headlining Wrestlemania, here are some of the women who made the biggest impact on professional wrestling.

AJ Lee

On May 27th 2011, April Jeanette Mendez, known in the ring as AJ Lee, made her debut on the WWE’s main roster. This was during the time when WWE was hiring models, not trained wrestlers, as they valued looks more than talent.

On July 28th 2013, WWE launched a reality TV show called “total divas”, which followed the lives of the divas. The show included all of the biggest names within the division, except for Lee, who was champion at this time. The night after the first episode aired, AJ cut a scathing promo referred to as the #Pipebombshell, in which she made it clear that she was not a diva, she was a women’s wrestler.

One of the most iconic lines from the promo was,

“Do you want to know what I see when I look in that ring? Honestly? A bunch of cheap, interchangeable, expendable, useless women. Women who have turned to reality television because they just weren’t gifted enough to be actresses. And they just weren’t talented enough to be champion.”

She held nothing back, speaking truths that no one else had the guts to say, and in the process, immortalised herself as one of the greatest to step foot in the ring.

Paige

Saraya-Jade Bevis known professionally as Paige debuted on WWE’s developmental brand NXT in July 2012.

On the July 24th episode of NXT, Paige defeated Emma to become the first ever NXT Women's Champion.

Paige debuted on the main roster on April 7th 2014, where she won the divas championship at the age of just 21.

On the June 1 episode of RAW, Stephanie McMahon called for a "Divas Revolution," which led to NXT Divas Charlotte and Becky Lynch aligning with Paige to form PCB.

Paige remains to this day, the only woman to hold the divas championship and the NXT women’s championship simultaneously.

The four horsewomen

Becky Lynch, Bayley, Charlotte Flair and Sasha Banks (l-r) are arguably the biggest faces of the women’s revolution. These for women have pushed more boundaries than anyone else in the sport and are one of the main reasons that women’s wrestling is where it is today.

Bayley and Banks’ match at NXT Takeover Brooklyn is regarded, not only as one of the greatest women’s wrestling matches of all time, but one of the major turning points of the women’s revolution.

At NXT Takeover Respect, Banks once again faced Bayley, however, this time it was in the first ever iron woman match, and the first time women had main evented a Takeover.

At Wrestlemania 32 the divas champion Charlotte flair faced Lynch and banks in a triple threat match to be crowned the WWE Women’s champion, subsequently retiring the divas championship and marking the end of the divas division.

At the 2016 Hell in a cell pay-per-view, Sasha Banks faced the women’s champion Charlotte Flair in the first ever women’s hell in a cell match. Not only was it the first women’s HIAC match, it was the first time that women had main evented a main roster pay-per-view.

At the 2019 Elimination chamber PPV, Banks and Bayley became the first ever women’s tag team champions.

At Wrestlemania 35 Becky lynch Charlotte Fair and Ronda Rousey faced each other in a triple threat match in the main event of Wrestlemania. This was the first the first time women had ever main evented a Wrestlemania, and Becky Lynch became the first women to hold both the RAW and Smackdown women’s championships simultaneously.

At Wrestlemania 37 Banks faced Bianca Belair in the main event. This was the first time two black women faced each other in the main event of any pay-per-view.