We are in a golden age of women's wrestling right now. All around the world, in many organizations, female wrestling is finally being promoted as equals to men.
In one of the biggest wrestling companies, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), 2024 was extraordinary for female wrestling. It started with Royal Rumble and continued with Elimination Chamber with a pre-show match, opening match, and main-event closer which was unimaginable just five years ago.
One of the most interesting women’s matches ever, Survivor Series 2024: WarGames, took place in Canada, with some of the biggest stars in WWE Rhea Ripley, Bianca Belair, Naomi, Iyo Sky, and Bayley taking a win that night.
The Rise of Women in Wrestling
Talking about when did women's wrestling start and the evolution of women’s wrestling isn’t possible without mentioning the legendary name Mildred Burke. She is considered the first woman wrestler and in her honor, March in cinemas is scheduled for a movie called Queen of the Ring directed and written by Ash Avildsen.
Burke began competing in professional matches during the early 1930s. She won numerous matches against male wrestlers, gaining plenty of interest as a result. Many male wrestlers tried to pin her but were unsuccessful. Furthermore, the female wrestlers who attempted to wrestle her had even less success.
Burke formed the World Women's Wrestling Association in Los Angeles during the early 1950s. Eventually, the NWA began to promote women's wrestling, and she collaborated with Bill Newman to form International Women's Wrestlers Inc. The organization maintained headquarters in Sydney, Australia, New York City, and San Francisco. Eventually, she inspired many women to try wrestling and their popularity started to rise as WWE began to feature more women on television in the 1980s and 1990s.
Also, the country that is indispensable when mentioning women's wrestling and the 80s is Japan. Wrestlers like Manami Toyota, Bull Nakano, The Crush Gals (Lioness Asuka & Chigusa Nagayo), and Dump Matsumoto are often considered as greatest of all time. After watching those matches, we can say that they are similar to the current women’s wrestling world.
In the 1990s, the term Diva was introduced in WWE (at that time WWF) to refer to all female competitors and it stuck around until 2016, when it was replaced and it really marked the change in World Wrestling Entertainment.
The Evolution of WWE’s Women’s Division
Women’s matches were incredibly short and often cut for time, as they sometimes weren’t even real matches but rather bikini contests or bra and panties matches.
During the Diva era, female wrestlers were seen more as eye candy or simply as a supporting act to male superstars. For example, Brie Bella and Nikki Bella were often in the spotlight more for their relationship with Daniel Bryan and John Cena than for their wrestling abilities. However, their impact on the industry grew significantly, leading to a major milestone in 2021 when they were inducted into the prestigious WWE Hall of Fame.
Beyond wrestling, the Bella Twins also became known for their presence in high-profile casino events. A decade ago, they were frequently seen hosting exclusive evenings at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Even though they have stepped away from in-ring competition, their love for entertainment and excitement remains, much like their affinity for the thrill of gaming at some of the best new online casinos just as they once enjoyed the excitement of Vegas nightlife. With the rise of digital gaming, platforms now provide an opportunity for fans to enjoy casino experiences from anywhere, just as the Bellas once enjoyed VIP treatment at some of the most renowned casinos. Their connection to the gaming world continues to be a part of their brand, as they embrace the excitement of both wrestling and high-stakes gaming.
An important mention is, of course, Stephanie McMahon. She played a vital role, not just on screen, but backstage too. She is the daughter of Vince McMahon, but the question is: if it wasn’t for his daughter, would WWE be as progressive as it is now?
Talking about progressiveness, as already mentioned, 2016 is the year of change for women’s wrestling and WWE.
Four women came from NXT and changed the game:
- Becky Lynch - “The Man” was a winner of the first ever all-female main event at Wrestlemania 35 and a woman from Ireland who inspired a whole generation of female wrestlers;
- Charlotte Flair- one of the most dominating figures in wrestling and winner of the 2025 Women’s Royal Rumble;
- Sasha Banks - she grew up watching New Japan Wrestling, and her gimmick “The Boss” made her loveable among the fans even though she played the role of an antagonist, in WWE called “Heel”;
- Bayley - a superstar who had one of the most interesting characters as a super fan of WWE, which is true as she grew up watching it;
Without them who knows what would happen with female wrestling? In 2015, they were called on the main roster from NXT and many fans, male or female, started to ask themselves who are the female wrestlers that are constantly stealing the show. Just from their first stare-off in the ring, fans were cheering their recognizable chant “This is Awesome!”.
Biggest Stars Today: The Faces of Women’s Wrestling in WWE
Soon, at Wrestlemania 32, the Divas title was finally retired and the Women’s Championship was introduced in its new form. Symbolically, it was revealed by Lita, who was previously treated badly in the company.
Several times, WWE faced racism allegations and the progression of the company proved otherwise because they signed a big female wrestler from Japan, Asuka. She had one of the most memorable debuts and her winning streak lasted for 914 days in which she had countless entertaining and thrilling matches.
Talking about the biggest stars today, the first that pops to mind is the wrestler with one of the most unique looks in the division, Rhea Ripley. She is one of the rare performers who matched the in-ring ability of Charlotte Flair. She also had a feud with one of the current most popular female superstars, Liv Morgan. She was a star of Money in the Bank pay-per-view back in 2022 doing her finisher, Sunset Flip, from the ladder.
Upcoming WWE Events in 2025
Speaking of upcoming WWE events in 2025, one of them, the Royal Rumble just took place. Women’s Royal Rumble was won by Charlotte Flair, who eliminated Nia Jax and Roxanne Perez in the last minutes and earned her spot at this year’s Wrestlemania. It is yet to be seen who Charlotte's opponent is.
Wrestlemania is by far the greatest WWE event and it is just around the corner. The 41 edition is going to be held in Las Vegas in April and it often determines the future of superstars for the next year and therefore, the future of women’s wrestling but one thing is sure, it can only get better.
