Top 25 Most Impactful Women
March 5, 2010
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In the male-dominated world of WWE, these 25 women used their brains, beauty and power to make an indelible mark on sports-entertainment.
LADIES FIRST
In the male-dominated world of WWE, it takes a special kindof woman to make an impact. Hundreds of female competitors, valets andbackstage interviewers have attempted to make their mark, but few havesucceeded. This list pays tribute to the 25 women who played an integral rolein defining what the women's division is all about, from the lady wrestlersof the past who paved the way to the Divas of today who are reshaping the road.Now, step aside. It's ladies first.
TORRIE WILSON
With her fitness model figure, Trident smile andall-American good looks, Torrie Wilson was one of the most desired Divas duringher seven years with WWE. A stunning blonde who graced the covers of topselling men's magazines like FHM and Playboy, Torrie stood in the corners ofSuperstars like Carlito and Tajiri when she wasn't competing herself. Andwhile she never held the Women's Championship, the former Miss Galaxy winnercan lay claim to performing in one of the most downloaded matches in WWE.comhistory: a Bikini Contest against Sable from Judgment Day in 2002.
BULL NAKANO
A major star in her native Japan for the majority of the '80s,Bull Nakano arrived in WWE in 1994 with one goal in mind: winning theWomen's Championship. Aligning herself with the equally bizarre Luna Vachon,Nakano set her sights on Alundra Blayze and wreaked havoc on the champion atevery turn. In November of 1994, the powerhouse defeated Blayze for the titlein Tokyo's EggDome and would hold the championship for more than four months. She disappearedfrom WWE rings soon after, but her unique appearance and vicious ring stylewould not soon be forgotten.
IVORY
A competitor for more than two decades, Ivory grappled inthe short-lived Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling promotion in the 1980s beforearriving in WWE more than a decade later. Disgusted by the prevalence of bikinicontests that greeted her when she arrived, Ivory set her sights on cleaning upthe Divas division. While her quest for censorship wasn't always successful,the double-tough Diva did win the Women's Championship on three occasions,besting the likes of Fabulous Moolah and Lita in the process. Ivory's views maynot have always been popular, but her courage would inspire the likes of MollyHolly and Beth Phoenix.
KELLY KELLY
The beautiful Kelly Kelly has already chalked up fourstellar years with WWE and she's still not old enough to legally rent a car.Making her debut as a part of the relaunched Extreme Championship Wrestlingwhile still a teenager, the gorgeous blonde's exhibitionist streak quicklycaught the attention of the WWE Universe. But as the Florida native matured, so did her persona,and by the time she was drafted to the Raw brand in 2008 she had blossomed intoa sexy, smart and powerful woman. Now, as one of the most public faces of WWE,Kelly is ready to make her mark as the Diva of her generation.
JACQUELINE
A hero is nothing without a great villain. So Sable shouldbe forever grateful that Jacqueline was in the mix during the blondebombshell's rise to pop culture stardom in the late '90s. Already anexperienced veteran before arriving in WWE, the buxom Texan was not only theperfect sinister counterpart to the beloved Sable, but she took the beauty tonew heights in the ring during their rivalry over the Women's Championship.Hugely talented, Jacqueline would also experience success outside of thewomen's division, capturing the Cruiserweight Championship from Chavo Guerreroin 2004.
VICKIE GUERRERO
To the previous five women: Please excuse Vickie Guerrero,whose wretched shrieks and inexcusable tyranny land her among WWE's topwomen. Vickie's disdainful grimace and accompanying shriek have been handyassets during her stints as Raw and SmackDown General Manager; a power thatcorrupted her, turning the sweet wife of Eddie Guerrero into a razor-clawedcougar. Her shameless tryst with Edge forged a memorably repulsive WWE powercouple and anointed Vickie an irrefutable queen, well best she rested the morephysical crown of "Miss WrestleMania" atop her already swollen head.
MOLLY HOLLY
Most WWE Divas crave the spotlight, but thetalented Molly Holly was a little different. Although beautiful, the Minnesota native wasn'tinterested in being a sex symbol. Rather, she wanted her accomplishments in thering to take center stage, especially her two reigns as Women's Champion. Itwas this drive that turned Molly from The Hurricane's cute sidekick to one ofthe most vicious Divas of her era. Her commitment to excellence was on fulldisplay at WrestleMania XX when she put her hair on the line for an opportunityat the Women's Title. Molly lost the bout, and her locks, but her passionfor wrestling couldn't be beat.
STACY KEIBLER
Sporting the most famous pair of legs in wrestling history,the gorgeous Stacy Keibler managed to stand out even when surrounded bybeautiful women. Starting off her career as one of WCW's Nitro Girls, Keiblersoon transitioned to WWE and quickly became one of the top Divas. Both anin-ring competitor and manager, Stacy battled Divas like Gail Kim and JillianHall while guiding the careers of Scott Steiner and The Hurricane, amongstothers. In 2006, the former cheerleader's enviable stems took her from WWErings to TV's Dancing with the Stars, breaking the hearts of many in the WWEUniverse.
BETH PHOENIX
When Beth Phoenixsuffered a broken jaw in her Raw debut in 2006, the WWE Universe knew they'dbeen introduced to a Diva who wasn't afraid to play rough. This setback did notdeter Phoenix,however, and she was more powerful than ever when she returned, capturing theWomen's Championship on two occasions with dominating victories over the likesof Mickie James. In 2010, The Glamazon achieved another milestone, becomingonly the second woman in WWE history to compete in the Royal Rumble andeliminating The Great Khali in the process. If her momentum continues, Phoenix will soon top alist like this.
LUNA VACHON
Luna Vachon never fit the mold of a typical WWE Diva, butthat's because she never wanted to. "In a world full of butterflies, ittakes guts to be a caterpillar," Vachon told WWE.com in 2007. It was thistough attitude that carried the second-generation competitor from the roughrings of Japanand Extreme Championship Wrestling to the top of WWE Women's Division. Amanager, and often times, mixed tag team partner to memorably uniqueSuperstars like Bam Bam Bigelow and Goldust, Vachon would rather cause painthan look pretty. Unfortunate opponents like Sable and Jacqueline have thescars to prove it.
MISS ELIZABETH
No championships, no revolutionary movements — just class.That’s why Miss Elizabeth was aptly dubbed the first lady of the squaredcircle. A radiant star in the WWE Universe throughout the 1980s, Liz made herfame beside top-tier champions, most notably as the supportive beauty in thecorner of “Macho Man” Randy Savage. WWE fans of all ages warmed while watchingthe progression of their timeless ring romance through good, bad and ugly (yes,cat-faced Queen Sherri). Some meneven melted as their moistened eyes witnessed Elizabeth and Randy fulfill their love inmarriage at SummerSlam 1991. An elegant woman taming a Savage. Unforgettable.
MELINA
No one makes an entrance quite like Melina. During her fiveyears with WWE, the beautiful Diva has gone from the manager of three-time WWETag Team Champions MNM to one of the only women to hold both the Divas andWomen's Championships. Her success can be attributed to a mix of athleticismand cunning coupled with perhaps the most impressive arsenal of offensivemaneuvers in Diva history. From the Extreme Makeover to the Primal Scream, thelovely Latinahas countless ways to finish off her opponents. No wonder WWE Hall of FamerBret Hart called her one of the best wrestlers in the world.
ALUNDRA BLAYZE
When the WWE women's division was reactivated in 1993,Alundra Blayze was the lady to beat. Holding the Women's Championship on threeseparate occasions, the athletic Blayze reigned supreme over some of the mostphysically powerful female competitors of all time, including Bull Nakano, AjaKong and the monstrous Bertha Faye. Blayze's career wasn't without controversythough. After leaving WWE in 1995, she infamously dropped the Women's Title ina garbage can live on WCW's Monday Nitro. The act damaged Blayze's character inthe eyes of many, but her impact as a competitor cannot be denied.
MAE YOUNG
Mae Young first set foot in a wrestling ring in 1939.Seventy years later, she was still bumping around with the best of them. TheQueen's unbelievable durability can be attributed to a toughness instilled inher during a rough upbringing during the Great Depression. This undyingstrength would carry her from wrestling in small towns during World War II toperforming with WWE well into her 80s. With her appearance on Raw in 2010, theHall of Famer achieved another career milestone, becoming the first grappler toappear at events in nine different decades. Talk about longevity.
WENDI RICHTER
When Mr. McMahon was turning WWE into a national powerhousein the early '80s, Wendi Richter was one of his shining stars. With her naturalcharisma and rock star looks, the sexy Texan was the female answer to HulkHogan and had the following to prove it. This popularity was on full display in1984 when she defeated The Fabulous Moolah live on MTV for the Women's Title,ending Moolah's 28-year reign as champion and drawing one of the largestratings in cable television history. Richter parted ways with WWE in 1988, buther stellar achievements would be matched by few.
MICHELLE MCCOOL
Michelle McCool didn't get to where she is bybeing nice. One of the most cutthroat competitors in WWE, McCool became thefirst women to capture both the Divas Championship and the Women's Championshipby doing whatever it takes to win. A shortlist of McCool's crimes includesbrutalizing Maria and Eve outside of the ring and smashing a cake on MickieJames after giving her the nickname "Piggie" James. Hard to believe aDiva as devious as this used to be a middle school teacher.
SUNNY
In the eyes of many in the WWE Universe, Sunny is the firsttrue Diva. Beginning her WWE career in 1994 as the manager of the fitnessfreaks known as The Bodydonnas, the gorgeous blonde soon blossomed into one ofthe most loved Divas in history. With a mix of sex appeal and ring smarts,Sunny led a long line of tandems to the World Tag Team Champions, including TheGodwinns, The Smoking Gunns and Legion of Doom. As her success grew, so did herpopularity and by 1996 Sunny was AOL's most downloaded woman on the Internet.
LITA
It's hard to believe that Lita was once one of the mostpopular competitors in WWE. As a member of Team Xtreme with The Hardy Boyz, thehigh-flying Diva was loved for her wild style and her gravity-defying maneuvers.And then she met Edge. Leaving her boyfriend Matt Hardy for the Rated-RSuperstar in 2006, Lita quickly became, perhaps, the most despised Diva of alltime. Still, the WWE Universe's hatred couldn't deter her success and by thetime she left the ring in 2007, Lita was a four-time Women's Champion. Even herinfamous bedroom romp with Edge can't take that away from her.
MICKIE JAMES
While some Divas have had the good fortune of entering WWEwith little experience in the ring, Mickie James fought and clawed her way fromthe rough and tumble world of independent wrestling to the very top of WWE. Thegorgeous Virginianative's unmatched drive netted her four Women's Championship and a DivasChampionship in five years time, but it was her awesome attitude that capturedthe WWE Universe's attention. Perhaps the most popular Diva of the modern era,Mickie's natural beauty and impressive work ethic is setting the standard forwomen in wrestling today.
SABLE
If one Diva defines WWE's "Attitude Era" it isSable. Starting out as a valet to competitors like Marc Mero, the blondebombshell's popularity quickly outshined the men she managed and sent herskyrocketing to the top of WWE. Appearing on bestselling covers of TV Guide andPlayboy and on television shows like Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Sable'sbeauty, and body, garnered the kind of mainstream attention never beforeexperienced by a WWE Diva. The beautiful Floridian could mix it up the ring as well,winning the Women's Championship on one occasion, and looking good whiledoing it.
STEPHANIE MCMAHON
From T-shirt model in early WWE Shop catalogs to savvy WWEexecutive, Stephanie McMahon's passion for power has taken her a very long way.The daughter of the WWE Chairman, she may've been christened "BillionDollar Princess" but the former Women's Champion is just as bold andenterprising as her dad. Steph's betrothal to Triple H birthed the infamousMcMahon-Helmsley Era, while the Invasion she pioneered in 2001 nearly drove herfather out of business. But familial strife aside, none can disagree thatdaddy's little girl has grown up to become one of the most influential women ofthe squared circle.
SENSATIONAL SHERRI
Sherri Martel could do it all. As a competitor, the viciousMartel defeated her mentor, The Fabulous Moolah, for the Women's Championshipin her WWE debut and would go on to hold the title for more than a year. As amanager, she guided legends like Shawn Michaels, The Million Dollar Man and"Macho Man" Randy Savage to main events and championship glory. A keyfigure in nearly every major North American promotion at some point, the lateMartel has been noted as a major influence by nearly ever Diva performingtoday. How's that for impact?
CHYNA
The Ninth Wonder of the World can lay claim to manyaccomplishments that no other Diva can touch. A two-time IntercontinentalChampion, Chyna was the first woman to compete in the Royal Rumble and thefirst woman to be considered the No. 1 contender to the WWE Championship. Afterholding her own with the likes of Chris Jericho and Eddie Guerrero, Chynasimply destroyed every Diva she faced and won the Women's Championship atWrestleMania X-Seven. She held the title until she left WWE in 2001, leaving behinda lasting legacy as the most dominant female competitor of all time.
THE FABULOUS MOOLAH
No athlete has ever held a championship for as long as TheFabulous Moolah. From Sept. 18, 1956 until July 23, 1984, the ferocious Moolahcarried the Women's Championship with a steely grasp, defeating everycompetitor that was placed in front of her for nearly 30 years. Perhaps themost influential female wrestler of all time (she trained many of the women onthis list), Moolah was a hated villain for decades, but in later years, shebecame a hilarious and beloved fixture on WWE television. Moolah was inductedinto the WWE Hall of Fame in 1995: the first woman to receive this honor.
TRISH STRATUS
The three words that define a WWE Diva are "sexy, smart and powerful" and no one woman fits this description better than Trish Stratus. A former fitness model, the stunning Canadian started off in WWE as a manager before bringing her natural athletic ability to the ring. Quickly, Stratus would become the best Diva to ever do it, winning the Women's Championship a record seven times and netting other honors like a Hardcore Championship and the honor of "Diva of the Decade" in 2003. Stratus retired from wrestling in 2006, leaving the WWE as the Women's Champion and the greatest Diva of all time.
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