The Top Ten 9.26.06: Female Wrestlers

Posted by Julian Williams on 09.26.2006

Women that know how to do more in the ring than just show their boobs and shake their butt. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Greetings all you tough guys and psycho broads and welcome to another badass edition of The Top Ten. This week we're going to look at The Top Ten Female Wrestlers, but first let's take a look at some of your thoughts on last week's column.

Reader Feedback

First up is Dan from BK who has a slight problemo with my list:

Hey man,
First off, those Trish pics just reinforce that she is the greatest and hottest woman in wrestling...anyway I think your list is a bit skewed as you grouped all the hardcore matches but then put both Ladder and TLC and Cage/HITC. I know they are technically different but they are so alike. WarGames was always my favorite because of the stories within the match. The heels always getting the numbers advantage, until the faces evened it up and then more heels came in to dominate. The 5 on 5 format was great because it sured up several key feuds including a wide range of titles. The Rumble is another of my favorites, but it has several inherent flaws. There are usually only about 5 out 30 wrestlers with a legit chance of winning, there are usually some dead spots with middling brawling and based on the entrances, the ending is usually anticlimactic. In 2003, the Rumble was going well until Jericho was tossed and it became a foregone conclusion that Brock was winning. In 93, Yokozuna was the no doubt winner half way through the match. Just some food for thought.

Dan has a point here because Cage matches are very similar to HIAC matches and Ladder and TLC matches are virtually the same except for a few additional weapons added to the mix. I do think, though, that the HIAC match and the TLC match have taken a life of their own that has differentiated them from the regular ladder and cage matches. I think people naturally get more excited for a HIAC or TLC match than a cage or ladder match because the latter don't have nearly as much brutality and violence as the former. The Rumble definitely does have its flaws, but so does Wargames. The one match I look more forward to than every other match each year is The Rumble. The anticipation of the entrants, the surprises, the eliminations, and the official start to the road to Wrestlemania make the Rumble a can't miss event every year. Even when the Rumble is bad, it's still more entertaining than a majority of the matches out there. Don't get me wrong, Wargames is awesome, but no match type gets me more excited than The Royal Rumble.

Conor checks in next with his thoughts:

Hello Julian really enjoyed your top ten gimmicks colum. I ll just like
to
make a few comment on it.

Firsty i was actually surprised that your pick the Royal Rumble as
number
1!! But i agree with you.Its my favourite of all time and as always
enjoyed
it every year with 92 being my favourite one ever!! I thought the cage
match
would be number 1 because it was one of the 1st gimmick matches ever
and the
old school way of ending and settling a feud!! But i agree that Hell in
a
Cell is the new cage match and is that the new way to end and settle a
feud!!

Secondly i was surprised that the last man standing wasnt in the top
ten. I think it soud be at least the bottom 10.Such matches like
HHH-Jericho,Flair-HHH or even Savage-Crush from Wrestlemania 10!I think
it a great alturnative to settle a feud. Also i agree that the I Quit is there but i think it could of been a bit higher due to the fact that it is such a humiliating way to get beat by your rival and and had some class matches like Flair-Funk and Rock-Mankind.

Lastly I think 2 out of 3 falls should be included there somwhere
because
like the Royal Rumble these kind of matches is just entertaining from
start
to finsh.Just had name to matches HHH-Austin No Way Out 2001 and
Benoit-Jericho Summerslam 2000.....Nuff said

ps.No empty arena in the top ten??!!!!Whats up with that!!!

The 2 out of 3 falls match was one that a lot of you guys felt I missed the boat on. I can't disagree because there have been a lot of great 2 out of 3 falls matches, but the only thing that urks me about it is that it ALWAYS goes to a third fall. The only time I can recall it not going to a third fall was the first Flair/Foley match and that ended in a lame ass DQ. I would just like to ONCE see someone win 2 falls in a row cleanly. Maybe it's happened before, if any of you guys know of a 2 out of 3 falls match where one of the competitors won 2 falls in a row cleanly, let me know. The empty arena match was actually quite awesome, I wouldn't object to seeing one of those again. I'd say to put Cena in it, but I'm sure the empty arena would find some way to boo him.

James serves up his list with some picks you might not expect:

You had a great list this week. I agree with the majority of your choices, but of course, I want to make a few tweaks. Right off the back, the only reason Wargames isn't on my list is that I've actually never seen one but always wanted to. :Bows Head in Shame: Anyway, here we go.

Honrable Mentions:
Boiler Room Brawl- This was a great match between Undertaker and Mankind at Summerslam 1996 and had one of the biggest shock endings. It also made sense with Mankind living there. Too bad it was only done once. The Boogeyman should be in one.

WCW Battlebowl's- Draw names from a bin, put them in tag team matches, winners go into a battle royale to win a ring. Pretty much forgotten, but I enjoyed them.

10) Strap/Dog Collar Matches- Take two hated rivals, tie them together somehow, and watch them beat the crap out of each other. I prefer the old versions where you pinned your opponents vs WWE wimpy "Touch all for corners." version.

9) Beat the Clock- Two of the best Raw's of the past couple years used this gimmick. Basically, have a bunch of matches that are timed, with the fastest match winning a title shot or a place on the ppv. Resulted in fun matches as a result.

8.) Hardcore- Anything goes in these matches, from objects being used, to people interferring, highspots, blood get spilt. They are just fun.

7.) Raw Roulette- Basically a knockoff of WCW's old "Spin the Wheel, Make the Deal." You never know what gimmick might pop up. This also resulted in fun Raw's.

6.) Elimination Chamber- That has to be the scariest cage I've ever seen. Great matches, too.

5.) I Quit- I don't think I've ever seen a bad one. Just beat your opponent so badly they have to say those words. Blood is usually drawn. There's tons of drama in this one.

4.) TLC- You want highspots, you get them here.

3.) HITC- Do I even need to explain this one?

2.) Survivor Series Elimination Tag matches- This used to be one of the best PPV's in the early days because of this. You had great teams, great drama, great matches. Now, were lucky if they give us one a year. Why even keep the name?

1.) Royal Rumble- This is my favorite PPV of all time (even more than Wrestlemania) because of the thirty man battle royale. While I do think it's lost it's luster over the years (for once, I would like to see No. 30 as opposed to No. 1 win) it is still a great match. The 1992 RR with Ric Falir winning the title is considered one of the best for good reason. Maybe they can steal the vacant title gimmick and do it again.

Keep up the great column.

Battlebowl = AWESOME! I shit you not, I liked those matches too. It was a cool concept, especially when you're a kid with an impressionable mind. I forgot all about the Dog Collar match, but that was a brutal, bloody way to settle a feud in the OLD SCHOOL and they produced some pretty damn good matches. I like the inclusion of Raw Roulette and the Boiler Room Brawl, both were unusual yet fun. Beat The Clock was a cool concept, but I didn't like it because it took away the surprise of the entry order of the Elimination Chamber. Great list here, James. Now go get a copy of a Wargames match now before we all pants you.

RC hates one of my picks and wants me castrated for even mentioning it. Sorry RC, my ex beat you to the punch:

hey dude!

Gotta disagree with ya on the list. The ironman match at no 7? That is one of the msot boring gimmick matches ever. All you have to do it to come in at the last 5 minutes of the match and you will be set to go coz you KNOW that the drama wil start right there with one of the guys almost getting the tie in the final seconds.

The Ironman match may be formulaic because it is obviously going to be close near the end to build the suspense, but the ride that the match takes you on leading up to the end is the most fun part. We all go to see sports movies and comedies even though we all know how it's going to end. The underdog team wins and the loser gets the girl. The plot of the movie is what will draw you in, though, and even though you know the ending before you even see the opening credit, if the movie is entertaining, it doesn't matter. That's how an Ironman match is. You stay tuned to see who gets the upper hand in the early going, to see if the guy that falls behind can make a comeback, and who is going to be able to pull it out at the end. The Ironman match is wrestling's attempt at creating a movie in the ring and for that alone I believe it deserves a place on the list, but the fact that the matches are usually fantastic further cement it's spot.

Tanner checks in after a brief sabbatical to give some of his thoughts:

Hey,

Sorry I haven't written in for a while, I've been taking an extended
vacation away from the computer. This top 10 is great. IMO, I think the
2/3
falls match should be up there. There have been soooooooo many classic
2/3
falls matches. Flair/Steamboat, Punk/Cabana, Cabana/Danielson, the list
goes
on and on. I also like the idea of the Barbed-Wire match. Two guys who
hate
each other and are crazy enough to put themselves through barbed-wire
is and
great concept. We could also consider the Elimination-style matches.
The
same arguements for Wargames could be used for this. The WWE has been
using
the Survivor Series concept much longer than the Royal Rumble, making
it one
of the longest and most used giimick matches.

That's my two cents. Can't wait to read next week's column.

Barbed Wire matches have always produced some of the most vicious and bloody matches ever seen and for that reason alone I should have included it on the list, but it didn't really pop into my head when creating the list. I was surprised to find out how long Barbed Wire matches have been around (since the late 70's) because the concept just seems so modern, but I guess back then there were a few sick bastards like us that liked seeing those type of matches. Many people wrote in suggesting that the Survivor Series Elimination Style match should have been included in the Ten and I can't disagree because those matches have always been relatively fun to watch and always set Survivor Series apart from any other PPV. Good stuff as always here by Tanner.

Ok, that's all for this week folks. Be sure to email your lists and thoughts people, even if you just want to tell me I suck kangaroo scrotum. Fry and sauté those babies up and you got some CLASSY eats baby.

The Top Ten Female Wrestlers

Women's wrestling has been around for quite some time and for the most part gets overlooked or disrespected. Once and a while, though, comes along a woman that is so talented that she grabs the attention of the audience and even makes them interested in what these ladies can do in the ring. Here are some of the best women to every lace up a pair of wrestling boots.

10) Mickie James/Cheerleader Melissa
I was trying to decide which one of these two ladies were more deserving to be #10, but they both have such bright futures that I had to include them both. Mickie James is currently everybody's favorite psycho bitch on RAW, but you'd be surprised to know about her impressive track record before she hit the E. In addition to being a former WWE women's champ, she also been the women's champ in UWF, UCW, SCW, ICW, CSWF, DCW, and PWF. All that and she's only 27 years old! Cheerleader Melissa is even younger at 24 years of age and is tearing up the independent scene with many people calling her the future of women's wrestling. Given the fact that she was trained by Christopher Daniels and Bryan Danielson, we shouldn't expect anything but absolute excellence from her and she certainly delivers in the ring. By the end of their respective careers, both these ladies could exceed the legacy of a certain recently retired Canadian legend.

See Mickie Nude! NOT WORK SAFE!!!

9) Victoria
She started her wrestling career as a ho to the Godfather and became one of the most respected and feared women's wrestlers ever to step into the ring. She's a 2 time WWE women's champ and has put on some of the best women's matches of this generation. Her feud with Trish Stratus showed that the boys weren't the only ones who could take stiff shots as those two would beat the piss out of each other on numerous occasions. She is one of the most powerful women to ever step in the ring and has the best finisher for a female wrestler ever, hands down! She's great in the ring, has a wicked finisher, and is not too bad on the eyes. Why Vince hasn't put her in Playboy yet when she's more than willing is beyond me. Wouldn't you like to see this naked:



I know I would.

8) Sable
Sable was an important figure during the early days of the Attitude Era and became so popular that the Women's division was brought back from the dead so that she would be able to battle for it. She was very impressive in the ring as she had enough power to deliver powerbombs and enough flexibility to deliver roundhouse kicks and hurricaranas. Sable is an important figure in the history of women's wrestling because her popularity and ring prowess was able to resurrect a dead division and give us a chance to see many of the female wrestlers of today.

7) Bull Nakano
Bull's illustrious career spanned over many continents against several legendary opponents and her track record speaks for itself. She was the first CMLL women's champ, an AJW Jr. champ, AJW Heavyweight champ, a WWWA champ, and a WWE women's champ. She was one of the first female wrestlers to utilize brute force and power rather than speed and agility. Tipping the scales at 250 during her wrestling days, Bull was the most feared woman of the squared circle. Her opponents had every right to be scared, wouldn't you be if you saw this staring across the ring from you:



I thought so.

6) Chyna
Say what you will about current day, crazy ass Chyna but during her tenure in WWE, she was one of the most important female figures ever in the company's history. What separated Chyna from the rest of the ladies on this list is that she could mix it up with the guys as well and be taken seriously because of her massive physique. Not only was she a WWE women's champ, but she was also a 3-time Intercontinental champion. Chyna showed that a woman could step toe-to-toe with the big boys and be rather successful at it.

5) Lita
Sure, she's one of the most hated wrestlers, male or female, in the industry today but there was a time when Lita was perhaps the most popular female wrestler EVER in the wrestling biz. As part of Team Xtreme with Matt & Jeff Hardy, she garnered a huge fanbase to the point that the pops she received when entering rivaled those of her popular male counterpoints. This was a result of Lita's extreme style and daredevil style of wrestling, something that most wrestling fans had not seen up to that point. She's a 3-time WWE women's champ and might add more to her resume before her career is done.

4) Molly Holly
Molly Holly is widely regarded as one of the best, if not the best, women's wrestler of her generation. Her technical prowess rivaled those of her male counterparts and she had the ability to carry a less talented wrestler to a good match. Not only should she be hailed for her accomplishments in wrestling which include 2 WWE women's titles, a WPWF women's title and a New Dimension women's title, but she should also be remembered for training some of the most talented women in the industry including Trish Stratus, Victoria, Sharmell, and Torrie Wilson. Molly may be one of the most overlooked women's wrestler of her day and may be forgotten as time goes on, but everyone who's ever seen her wrestle will never forget her.

3) Sherri Martel
Most people know Sherri Martel, better known as Sensational Sherri, for her extensive career as a manager but she had an impressive career inside of the ring as well. She was a 4 time AWA women's champ as well as a WWE women's champ. The intensity she showed in the ring was rivaled by few and it gave glimpses of the fantastic personality that she would show as a manager. She was also very good in the ring and took bumps that few women during that day would take. Her career as an active wrestler is often overlooked because of her Hall Of Fame managerial career which is a shame because Sherri was something really special in the ring.

2) Trish Stratus
Trish started her career in WWE as a valet and seemed to be just another meaningless pretty face accompanying a bunch of wrestlers to the ring. Who knew that she would become one of the greatest, and some would argue the absolute best, women to ever step in the ring. Trish was trained under the tutelage of Molly Holly and Fit Finlay and quickly went from a manager to one of the most refined wrestlers in the ring, male or female. One of the great things about Trish is that she would come up with new and inventive moves often so that her matches would never feel stale. She retired with a record 7 WWE women's title reigns and will undoubtedly be remembered for years to come for her vibrant personality and impressive ring skills. Trish's place in the WWE Hall of Fame has already been reserved.

1) The Fabulous Moolah
Sure Moolah may not have been the best wrestler ever in the women's division, but she is without a doubt the most influential and important one. She made people respect women's wrestling and without her who knows if we would have been able to see the talents of any of the other women on this list or any other future women's star. She was a 4 time WWE women's champ and a 5 time NWA women's champ. She won the first ever women's title recognized by the WWE in 1956 which she (arguably) held onto for 28 years and was the first woman ever inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame. Moolah was an inspiration to many of the ladies you see currently in the wrestling profession and will always be remembered as a pioneer of the women's division.

Drive-By Pimpin'

Check out all these great columns by my 411 brethren:

-Andy Clark's "Shimmy"
-Ari's "Column Of Honor"
-Sean, Alex and David's "Triple Threat"
-Bayani's "Truth B Told"
-Weyer's "Shining The Spotlight"
-Byers' "Cheap Wrestling for Cheap People"
-Larry and Geoff's "3R's"
-Fact Or Fiction
-O'Dog's "Forgotten Goodness"
-Sat and Rajah's "High Road/Low Road"
-Phill Feltham's "Quick Talkdown"
-Sarnecky's "Piledriver Report"
-Slimmer's News Report
-Hidden Highlights and The Great Positivity Debate
-Carapola's "That Was Then" and "The Week in Hardcore"
-The Fink's Payload
-Gamble's "Just 'Spose"
-Clarke's "Ask 411"
-Meehan's "Meethinks"
-Sforcina's "Evolution Schematic"
-Prag's "In Defense Of…."
-Wrestlers of the Week
-Sullivan's "Crystal Ball"
-Randle's "Wrestling News Experience"
-Double M's Rasslin Report
-News To Start Your Weekend
-Dunn's Rawtopsy, ECW Breakdown, Smackdown Breakdown and TNA Breakdown
-Cook's "News From Cook's Corner"
-Mike LaFave's "Getting Over"
-Your News, Larry's Views

The Sign-Off

That's all for this week kiddies. Be sure to send in all your thoughts on this week's list and join me next week when the topic will be The Top Ten Shocking Moments. You know, something along the lines of that Olympic guy signing with that Florida company.