The History of Women’s Wrestling WWE Tried to Erase

Summary

Key Points

• —The 2019 WrestleMania main event, featuring Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, and Ronda Rousey, was the culmination of a 90-year struggle for women's recognition in professional wrestling. 0:13
• —Mildred Burke, a dominant women's world champion in the 1930s and 40s, was systematically locked out of industry decisions and erased from history despite her immense drawing power. 3:22
• —Wendy Richter's rise during the 1980s "Rock and Wrestling Connection" was abruptly ended by WWE when she demanded fair pay, leading to her contributions being scrubbed from history. 8:10
• —The Fabulous Moolah, acting as a gatekeeper for decades, exploited female wrestlers through unfair contracts and alleged abuse, while WWE built its women's division on her monopoly. 8:46
• —In contrast to the American scene, Japanese women's wrestling in the 1980s and 90s achieved mainstream celebrity status, sold out stadiums, and delivered critically acclaimed technical matches, proving women could be serious athletes. 10:22
• —During the "Attitude Era," WWE's women's division largely devolved into degrading spectacles, though Chyna broke barriers by becoming the first and only woman to hold the Intercontinental Championship before being erased by the company. 12:52
• —Trish Stratus and Lita defied expectations, proving women could main event and draw significant crowds, despite WWE's immediate return to objectification in subsequent weeks. 14:33
• —The "Divas Era" represented a low point, but the "Four Horsewomen" (Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks, Bayley, Becky Lynch) in NXT sparked a "Women's Revolution" by being given time and storylines that treated them as legitimate athletes. 17:43
• —Becky Lynch's organic rise as "The Man," fueled by fan support despite WWE's attempts to portray her as a villain, forced the company to place women in the WrestleMania main event. 20:58
• —The 2019 WrestleMania main event served as a vindication for generations of women who fought to prove their place in professional wrestling, asserting that "women belong here." 22:33