Naomi praises Jacqueline Moore, Jazz, and the other women who paved the way for her.
Naomi is currently starring in the movie Queen of the Ring, in which she plays Ethel Johnson, a Black women's wrestling pioneer. During an interview with Variety, where she promotes the movie, Naomi discussed her reverence for Jacqueline Moore and Jazz, calling those two women pillars of Black excellence.
Naomi also praised how far pro wrestling has come in the 20 years since their heyday.
“Because of what I look like and what I represent, the first things that were shown to me were Jazz and Jacqueline Moore. Before them, there really was a period of time where that representation was lacking. It wasn’t there," she said. "Those two came in and blew the ceiling off. They have become that pillar of Black excellence in the world of wrestling, they set the tone. To this day, I truly believe they are two of the greatest of all time, not just Black, but women wrestlers period.”
“Fast forward, even later, I’m making my own history. We have women like Mercedes (Moné). Bianca Belair. We have Jade Cargill, we have Athena, and many more coming. It’s not just one here or there every couple of years, we’re seeing excellence from women across the board in the world of wrestling,” Fatu continues. “I feel like it’s really hit a boom over the last decade. But when you take it all back, it started from these women in the movie. I get a little emotional thinking about it because I’m like, ‘I wish they knew how important they were, and how amazing they were, and how special they were, and that it all wasn’t for nothing.”
Naomi recently revealed that she attacked Jade Cargill during an emotional confrontation with Bianca Belair on the March 7 episode of WWE Friday Night SmackDown. Learn more here.
Queen of the Ring is now in theaters.
