( ENSPIRE She Did That ) Women Can Rumble: WWE’s First Women’s Royal Rumble
ENSPIRE Contributor: Breyanna Wallace
Women are breaking barriers every day in politics, entertainment, and sports. On January 28, 2018, WWE featured its first ever Women’s Royal Rumble on pay per view. The all-female Royal Rumble match was a historic event, earning the WWE franchise 15 million dollars in revenue. The Women’s Royal Rumble matched consisted of 30 superstars and the rules were simple. Two superstars started the match, every minute after a new superstar entered the ring until all 30 participants were unveiled.
Women in wrestling were never given opportunities quite like the ones today because they were stereotyped as being eye candy or a host. In all honesty, women were displayed as accessories to the wrestlers they would accompany to the ring. Women in wrestling were not considered WWE superstars or female wrestlers, they were referred to as WWE Divas. These “Divas” participated in matches titled “Bra and Panties” match seen here. Women have fought for their right to wrestle for decades, in doing so women have created history, these women wrestlers paved the way inviting future generations to follow in their footsteps. Women such as
Fabulous Moolah is known for being the longest title holder in WWE history (female or male) holding the Women’s Championship Of The World for approximately 28 years. It’s safe to say there will never be another champion like Fabulous Moolah. Mae Young was the first ever United States Women’s Champion. Mae Young has also been amongst the first female competitors to tour post-war Japan. Their resiliency, drive, and passion for this business have continued to “ENSPIRE” us and others.
The Royal Rumble has elevated the careers of other wrestlers like Stone Cold Steve Austin, Shawn Michaels and John Cena. This was the year that women cemented their legacy in sports entertainment by having their first Royal Rumble. It proved to generate a lot of buzz and also catching the attention of once undefeated UFC’S Women’s champion Ronda Rousey. UFC’s own Ronda Rousey has found her way to the Royal Rumble pay per view. Ronda made her way to the squared circle where she confronted WWE Smackdown’s Women’s champion Charlotte Flair, Raw’s Women’s champion Alexa Bliss, and nonetheless first time ever Women’s Royal Rumble match winner, Asuka. In typical dramatic WWE fashion, she pointed to the famous Wrestlemania sign as fans are now speculating Ronda Rousey has made her WWE debut.
With the winner of the match Asuka eliminating her final opponent over the top rope, she will now go on to face the champion of their brand at Wrestlemania in a championship match. Matches such as “The Hell In The Cell,” “The Steel Cage,” and even career altering matches such as “Money In The Bank” show that women are revolutionizing themselves in competition.
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