Top women's Superstars in NXT reflect on Beth Phoenix being a positive influence in their careers.
When Beth Phoenix emerged in WWE, the average woman's wrestler in the promotion for typically superstars who made their way into wrestling via a reality competition. Names like Melina, Candice Michelle, Layla, and others all found their way into WWE by trying out on a reality competition series. Beth Phoenix was always a wrestling fan and grew up wanting to be a professional wrestler.
Along with her fandom of WWE came an in-ring style that was built off of watching the product for years and being a fan of such Superstars as Shawn Michaels and Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart. Because of this, Beth Phoenix was able to showcase a more athletic style of women's wrestling than was typically present on WWE television at the time inspiring such names as Ember Moon and Rhea Ripley and many of the present-day women's superstars who have taken the division to an entirely new stratosphere.
Speaking on her WWE Icons Network special, Ember Moon and Rhea Ripley both discussed how beneficial and influential Beth Phoenix was to their overall journeys in professional wrestling
“The very first time I saw Beth, it was very eye-opening in the world of women's wrestling. I was like, 'Woah, this girl so different and unique, I want to be just like her.' That inspired my career to where I was like, 'I need to do this my way. I don't need to try to be the next anyone else.' She inspired me to do things differently because it was so successful for her,” Ember Moon said of “The Glamazon."
“She sort of wrestles like a dude, and I love that. Going through high school and always being told that I was muscular and I looked like a man, it really brought me down over the years. I struggled with that and I know she's been through those struggles too. To see someone like Beth Phoenix on my TV and doing the one thing I loved to watch, it was inspiring,” said Rhea Ripley.
Beth Phoenix, who is now a full-time commentator on the NXT brand, has been able to watch up close the influence that she has had on today's generation of women. Phoenix was herself inspired by a groundbreaking female that came before her, WWE Hall of Famer Chyna. You can check out Beth’s comments on Chyna at this link.
If you use any of the above quotes, please credit Fightful by linking back to this transcription.
