Wednesday, March 6, 2019

FIGHT LIKE A GIRL: A RETROSPECTIVE OF WOMEN'S REPRESENTATION AT WRESTLEMANIA: PART 2-THE 90S: LOST GENERATION

As Wrestlemania started it's first full decade, WWF had invaded All Media, In the 5 years after the hype of wrestlemania, WWF had crept into the zeitgeist. You could not Turn on a tv, Put on a shirt, Play a Console or even Buy a bar of Chocolate or a Bag of Crisps without a wwf superstar emblazoned on it!

However You cannot build an Empire, and expect People not you be Jealous. WWF was set upon by WCW, Land Grabbing Big wwe stars, And By ECW, A radical upstart that like The Grunge Movement at the time, Developed it's following from the world of mouth from unsatisfied young people, who gave the world both it's style of Ultra Violent Hardcore and Sublime Technical artistry of Japanese and Lucha Wrestling to American Audience!

Despite the Turmoil, Women's Wrestling in the WWF would stagnate to the levels of abandonment. Only for 2 women to go into Business for themselves!

WRESTLEMANIA 6-HIRED AND SAPPHIRE'D
After winning The King of the ring Tournament Randy Savage, Now the "Macho King" had replaced Miss Elizabeth by making Sherri Martel, into Queen Sherri. With Savage's Ego unchecked, It would take a man, A COMMON MAN, EF YOU WEEEEELLLL, DADDEH! to snap him out of it!

That year of 1989 People thought it would be a dream come through to see Dusty Rhodes Drop by wwf events...

THEY DROPPED SOMETHING ALRIGHT!

Despite Making History, Dusty/Sapphire vs Savage/Martel in the 1st REAL mixed tag, has not aged Well. Sapphire may have wrestled a bear once, but that was not up to the standard of the future Hall of Famers in this match!

WRESTLEMANIA 7-UNEASY DOES REST THE CROWN
After costing each major Matches, Macho King with Sherri still at his side, faced the Ultimate Warrior in a Loser Must Retire Match, Before the match started Bobby Heenan at commentary looked distracted and sure enough, he told the people at home that Liz was at ringside. Warrior Defeated Savage, Seeing that her Meal ticket was Revoked, Sherri attacked Savage. Liz would jump the guardrail, chased off Martel, as Husband and Wife reunited.

They Would be divorced one year later!

WRESTLEMANIA 8-SHERRI STILL GETS HER SUPERKICKS!
Sherri was still the heel valet in demand, but now rather than filling a spot in a wrestler's identity, Sherri had a empty Vessel to fill in former Tag Champion Shawn Michaels, With her Help the Ten-A-Penny Mulletted man would become Sherri's Boy-Toy, an extension of her own gimmick not the other way around! With nothing more than A leather Jacket, A heart shaped Mirror and The very Catchy Theme "Sexy Boy", Michaels took the first step to being the top heel of the emerging new Generation, Beating another hall of Famer Tito Santana!

WRESTLEMANIA 9-CRAPS IN VEGAS!
Wrestlemania 9 one of the worst ppvs in wwe history. Set in Caesar's Palace, Wwf had to conform with it's Roman themed imagery! One thing that is overlooked by Fans is that the matches were good, THE BOOKING SUCKED!, Case in Point, Shawn Michaels, Now IC Champion dropped Sherri to the Kerb and replaced her with Luna Vachon. Sherri could handle herself, but Luna was on a different level, Luna of the Vachon Wrestling Family, Canada's Originator's of Hardcore. With Shaved Sides, a Mohawk and a raspy terrifying voice, Luna was unique! In the corner of Tatanka, Sherri did the one thing no-one thought she would do...TURN FACE! Tatanka would win the match...BY COUNTOUT! One of the many BS Bookings in Vegas!

WRESTLEMANIA 10-JEERS OF A CLOWN!
Image result for madusa drops belt in trash
We all remember this famous moment in 1995, but what lead Madusa, the former Alundra Blayze to do this, after all she had just broke the 8 year drought that was the lack of women's title matches at wrestlemania 10. where after 9 Years, Leilani Kai wanted her shot back? Well WWE was now in the midst of the Monday Night Wars, The 2 Year Ratings Battle between WWE raw and WCW Nitro, which where held at the same time, WCW was creaming WWF so Vince had to save money, and to do so he had to fire people, sadly Vince didn't think women's wrestling made money so the Division was Disbanded. Debra Micelli (Madusa) was Blackballed for Years by WWE until she was invited to join the hall of fame! Though at the time, she had all right to be angry, and at wrestlemania, the writing was on the wall, as Luna was now reduced to working a mixed tag match with Bam Bam Bigelow against Doink The Clown and Dink, a Midget!

WRESTLEMANIA 11-OUTSOURCING
SO THAT'S WHY VINCE WAS SAVING HIS MONEY, TO HAVE PAMELA ANDERSON AND JENNY MACARTHY VALET MICHAELS AND NASH, AND SMILE WHEN EVER THEY WERE IN CAMERA SHOT!
MOVING ON!

WRESTLEMANIA 12- VA-LET THE WRONG ONES IN!
Without a women's Division, Women only had one role, Hold the Coats for the "Real Rasslers"! This was the debut of AWA And WCW veteren manager Terri Runnels who managed then husband Goldust, and while Terri would never win titles when she wrestled, she stayed in her lane, UNLIKE  others who lost their wrestlemania virginity that year, Tammy "Sunny" Sytch, who was once the most downloaded image of the early days of the internet, and Basically spreading it like butter Before the Bellas were even born! and Sable, more on her in the next paragraph! Without a Women's Division and the images of Sunny's Bikini pics making the rounds, these 2 would be the Originators of the Much Hated "Divas" Division!

WRESTLEMANIA 13-I DON'T LIKE YOUR ATTITUDE, YOUNG LADY!
1997 was the 1st year of wwf's "Attitude" Era! In a glimpse of what was to come in the next decade, WWF decided on the Slammy Awards that the winner of Woman of the Year should be decided...In a Bikini Contest! Won by Sable! The only one not in it, was the debuting Chyna, the last Joanie Laurer! who replaced Sable as Triple H's Second...But she was not a Valet, she was a bodyguard! and with her Huge Size and Unique Look, she fit that bill! In Hunter's match against Goldust, she interfered by attacking Marlena and (Kayfabe) Breaking her Ribs

WRESTLEMANIA 14-ME LEIK BEWBS!
Mania 14 may have more women involved, But it would be a year before the Belt was Reinstated. Sunny who was passed from man to man for the last 2 years like a spliff at a festival, was now managing the rebranded Legion of Doom 2000! Chyna was still a valet for Triple H, Who was now ic champion and the final match was a mixed tag with soon to be divorced Sable and Marc Mero vs The Artist Formerly Known as Goldust and Luna Vachon. Sable was just as over-saturated as Sunny, But Sable had a storyline where Luna, Goldust and Even Marc were not impressed with her over-exposure and exhibitionism! Sable won despite being terrible and not wanting to put over anyone else or take bumps! I have a feeling that Luna's promo may have being a shoot!

WRESTLEMANIA 15-STOMACH TURN OF THE CENTURY!
...Sure enough 1 year later, SABLE, of all people was women's champion was facing Tori (not Torrie Wilson-Tori, But DX Hanger-on Tori) Once more Sable didn't want to take Bumps and the match ended with a Run-in From Nicole Bass! A Tragic figure In Wrestling to be sure! Google her name if you want, her wwe run and the aftermatch makes for sad reading!

Join me next week as we learn the INTERNET IS FOR PORN, PAL! AS THE 00'S May have given us more women's matches, It also Made Objectifcation worse, Learn how a women's title match got saved after being nearly cancelled by a Lingerie Pillow Fight, How Budweiser and Playboy got involved and by the time we get to exactly 10 years ago HOW the women's Division decided enough was enough!

Follow me on Twitter at @RealEnli!

Until then
PEACE!




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