In the competitive world of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), the athletes are more than just wrestlers fighting in a ring. Each match incorporates music, fashion, visual production, and acting. It is a true theatrical display that welcomes diversity.
For the most part, when we think of the WWE, we think of Hulk Hogan, John Cena, and of course, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. But Black women have become an integral part to the legacy of WWE. Speaking as a Black woman, we don’t have enough opportunities to be talented, outspoken, and having the freedom to look how we want and be who we are in our fullest capacity. Everywhere you look in professional wrestling, Black women are unapologetically stealing the show.
In 2021, WWE stars Bianca Belair and Sasha Banks made history as the first Black women to go head-to-head in a WrestleMania title match. A sell-out crowd of over 25,000 fans attended the live event, while millions more watched from home through streaming platforms. The women put on a performance of a lifetime, and 32-year-old Belair emerged as the champion for the first time in her career.
Belair earned the opportunity to go to war in the ring with Banks after being victorious against Billie Kay and Natalya in a triple threat match that lasted nearly an hour — becoming only the second Black person ever to win (the first was The Rock). So, after winning, her grand prize was getting to choose her opponent for WrestleMania 37. She chose Banks, not only for the opportunity to win the SmackDown Women’s Championship belt, but to make history in the process.
Belair, a naturally gifted athlete who ran track, did gymnastics, played basketball, and possessed the intellect to match, found that being a Black girl on a mission to greatness was often met with resistance. Growing up, she was ashamed of her body. But once she found CrossFit and WWE, she began to embrace her body and what it was capable of.
“Because of my muscles, I can do these beautiful things, and I can be feminine. I went way too long not loving my body. And now, it’s pouring out of me how much I love my body.”
As Black women, we are often told we’re too much and to tone ourselves down. Basically, we’re expected to dim our light in order to make others feel comfortable. Worse, we are told what we need to look like to perform best and be accepted. This sentiment has been apparent through incredible Black women athletes who have been body-shamed such as Serena Williams, and Simone Biles.
Black women in sports have always led change, despite facing immeasurable criticisms from the media, forced to engage in respectability politics while being dehumanized. The playing field has never been even equal, with having to fight against stereotypes about their bodies and be either hyper-sexualized or hyper-masculinized in the media.
In 2021, a documentary explored the role of Black women recruited as professional wrestlers in between the 1940s and 1960s: Lady Wrestler: The Amazing Untold Story of African-American Women in the Ring. The film reveals how wrestling promoters challenged the toxic social order to give Black women the opportunity to make history. Before they were deemed capable of athletic accomplishments, they also dealt with not even having civil rights. It’s a reminder of how Black women have always fought to be in spaces we deserve to be in.
As Black women stand as pillars in professional wrestling, a pillar can’t stand on its own without being rooted in a firm foundation. When so much of Black women’s labor has been commodified to the point of expectation, it’s radical to see Black women standing in the gap for themselves.
Formerly known as Sasha Banks in WWE, Mercedes Moné made a much-anticipated debut in All Elite Wrestling (AEW), after her 10-year stint with WWE. Her Dynamite episode, appropriately called “Big Business,” in her hometown of Boston, anticipates that Moné will be a big part of AEW’s plans for the Women’s Division. WWE is making a push to bring her back, as she vows to someday return.
Women’s wrestling has picked up enormous amounts of popularity over the past decade. Although they have been integrated into the entertainment piece since the beginning, the role of women in wrestling has evolved from managing to being the main event. Black women have made tremendous strides in the WWE over the past couple of decades, breaking down barriers, stereotypes, and limitations that have caused Black women to be silenced as they have in generations before.
Trailblazers like Jacqueline Moore and Jazz established themselves with their in-ring skills in the 1990s and early 2000s, proving that women could engage in the art just as much, if not better, than men. Along with Bianca Belair and Sasha Banks, Jade Cargill, Jaida Parker, Kayden Carter, and Naomi are just a few who are setting new standards and pushing the torch further.
Black women continue to prove they belong at the top of the WWE mountain. Their successes and determination inspire Black girls around the world to dream big, work hard, and break barriers of their own. WWE still has room to grow when it comes to representation and diversity, but the Black women who have already stepped inside the ring have captivated audiences and left an undeniable mark on sports entertainment history.
