The statement was her first mention of her LGBTQ identity. Ever since its premiere on January 11, 1993, on the USA Network, Monday Night RAW has been the flagship program of World Wrestling Entertainment. Im bi and it feels good to say it, She continued. It's been an incredible evolution for Belair, going from a great athlete in development to a prospect to someone who lost her title in seconds at SummerSlam 2021 to a cornerstone of the WWE women's roster. She proved this many times throughout her WWE career but never more so than when she was part of The Holly Family along with Crash and Hardcore. Logan Paul sees gold? Then, in order to turn the attention specifically to female participation, it provides a concise contemporary . Mercedes competed in several independent promotions, including Full Impact Pro (FIP), World Xtreme Wrestling (WXW), Women Superstars Uncensored (WSU), and Rise Wrestling. Jazz was a tough nut, she was easily one of the toughest female wrestlers of her generation and she proved that when she challenged Bubba Ray Dudley to an anything goes match for the Hardcore Championship. One . The following is a list of the youngest male and female wrestlers in WWE right now (as of 26 July 2019) and it only consists of Superstars on the main roster (Raw and Smackdown Live only . The updated list of the RAW roster is provided below: Our major picks for the WWE roster in the Red Brand include the former WWE and Universal Champion Seth 'Freakin' Rollins. We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. About Community. Stephanie was never a trained wrestler, she had a few matches and she was a Women's Champion, but this was basically a fluke and she wasn't prepared for a match against a man like Vince. Although some LGBTQ wrestlers have gotten plenty of support from wrestling fans, that wasn't always the case with Mack Beggs. In 2022, they leaped above everyone to cement themselves as the best. 3. The former NXT UK Women's Champion was feuding with then-SmackDown Women's Champion Charlotte Flair when she requested her release out of nowhere, which was granted immediately. Women were also able to win titles like the Cruiserweight Championship, Hardcore Championship, and the Cruiserweight Championship. Since then, she has been inspiring, motivating, and also helping fellow LGBTQ wrestlers come out. Not to be outdone, AEW also had drama in its third full year of existence. A celebrated wrestler, she was involved in the first Iron Woman match, first women's WWE pay-per-view event, and first women's Hell in a Cell match. Many of the former WWE wrestlers confirmed this on Twitter, including Tegan Nox, John Morrison, and Drake Maverick--who made an inspiring video about his career. Well, nows a good time to say, well, both. Mike Tyson Is Using Performance Enhancing Drug, Trump Brutally Rejected By George W. Bush, WWE Cleaning House With Firings On Every Level. On August 15, 2013, Fred Rosser openly came out as gay, and he was the first professional wrestler to do so. Here are six more superstars who are proud and open members of the LGBTQ spectrum: Sonya Deville is credited as the first openly gay female wrestler in WWE. Jacqueline is now a WWE Hall of Famer. But there's one in Grand Ledge -- and she's dominating on the mat and making major headlines in a male-dominated sport. It is still unknown as to why Victoria was put in this match if she wasn't going to be given a chance, but for her to be chosen meant that WWE thought highly of her at that point. Roman Reigns is the current Undisputed WWE Universal Heavyweight Champion. Her match against Becky Lynch was one of the highlights of a stacked WrestleMania 38, and they followed that up with a barnburner in a SummerSlam rematch. The two are also set to face one another on this weeks episode of Championship Wrestling From Hollywood. She became the record-tying two-time WWE Womens Tag Team Champion along with Nia Jax in January 2021. This article was last updated by Krisha Shrestha on April 26, 2023. Pat Patterson is another WWE star who was proud of the fact that he is part of the LGBTQ community and has been open about his sexuality for most of his career. A member of the community and an ally. NXT has repeatedly featured this sort of violent match, but such is rare on WWE's main roster. Meanwhile, in WWE, Roman Reigns' incredible reign as Undisputed WWE Universal Heavyweight champion has continued, with Sami Zayn and Solo Sikoa joining the sublime Bloodline storyline with the Usos. Eclipsing Demolition and their rivals, The New Day, for the longest reign as tag team champions in company history was one thing. The self-professed Queenpin came out as bisexual Tuesday with a love is love proclamation attached. Pro wrestler Mercedes Martinez has been proving why women should have a place in the ring for 18+ years here's how she's built a strong 'sisterhood' to make the sport more safe and inclusive pic.twitter.com/syToMwM6Nc. The emotional investment from fans is so intense that some have suggested, without irony, that Zayn should finally take the title off of Reigns at a WrestleMania main event. Even as FTR nipped at their heels, winning titles across several promotions and feuding with The Briscoes, the Usos were undeniable. male wrestler identifies as female wwesupplier contact lens korea. That's a lot. It wasn't the greatest example of how females can wrestle men, but Maria stood up and took on the challenge when she could have stayed backstage and been fired. Is Ex-WWE Champion Quitting After Missing Draft? "Mack Wrestles" co-director Taylor Hess was also captivated by Mack's . Mercedes Martinez opened up about being a lesbian in an interview with NowThis in July 2019. Currently, he wrestles for the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) and New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). They knew it when they reposted a photo of her laying by the pool naked, covered only by WWE title belts. Airing exclusively on Extra on Friday, Feb. 5, 2021. She is proudly a lesbian; however, she was married to American film director Chris Weitz and had a son. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. Marquez first came out through Twitter and received a mixed response. Jon Moxley replaced him. Still young in his career, Cashew came out as LGBTQ Tuesday, stating that he doesnt identify as any specific sexual orientation. Here's what Toni had to say about her leaving the Vince McMahon promotion: However, a few months before she left the promotion, Toni Storm decided to come out as bisexual when she was hosting a takeover of NXT's Instagram stories to mark Pride Month in 2021: Toni Storm made her AEW debut on the March 30, 2022, edition of Dynamite, as a participant in the qualifier match for the Owen Hart Foundation Women's Tournament. Tuft wrestled professionally from 2007 to 2014, and appeared in WWE shows "Superstars," "Raw," "SmackDown" and "WrestleMania."She retired from wrestling to spend more time with her . The former WWE star also teased an extended interview set to air Friday on Extra.. Conor McGregor shows up? When it comes to competing, the average woman doesn't . Could another wrestler patch things up with Triple H like CM Punk did? These superstars can also appear on NXT Level Up. She has been associated with the WWE since 2015. This clip is sick as hell too. Do check the Promotions tab if you cannot find it in the Primary Inbox. Beth Phoenix was not only part of a Royal Rumble match, but she was also one of very few women who was given the chance to wrestle a male Superstar and actually win. Long story short, the past few weeks Ive really thought about it and realized that Im not as cis as I thought., Me and my 2 Flags!I've found who I am as a person a woman but years I've been struggling with my sexuality but now I can come out and say I'm Happy To Be #Pansexaul https://t.co/hs7Zi7QIhJ pic.twitter.com/VRnHhSKkI9. Transgender athletes competing in sports against women is a huge topic these days. "I know who I am and I am true to myself." Also, when Becky Lynch was holding the championships of both RAW and SmackDown, she too could regularly appear on both brands. The Strange and Unusual Eris Spiral came out as bisexual Tuesday while celebrating coming out to her family as well. Reigns' former Shield stablemate Jon Moxley bailed out AEW on several occasions with Punk injured, just months after returning from rehab for alcoholism, emerging as the most valuable wrestler in the promotion and a locker room leader. 16. A press release discussing the upcoming piece on Tufts transition on Extra hypes the segment as the following. This chapter is a study of the harms inflicted, or likely to be inflicted, on the performers of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). To call Zayn one of the WWE's most unique talents would be an understatement. The Undertaker showed up and dished out a beating before the bell even rang to signal the beginning of the match. From their instant classic with The Street Profits at Money In The Bank to their dramatic triumph over The New Day in November, the Usos made sure their twelfth year on the main roster outdid any other tag team -- and aim for even more in 2023. Our lungs, organs and bone structure are bigger. At WrestleMania 32 in 2016, WWE announced their discontinuation of the "Diva" branding for its female performers, as part of a move to present them in an athletic manner more in line with their male counterparts, rather than in a means based around sex appeal.The promotion began to refer to them using the "Superstar" title it uses for male performers, and established a new WWE Women's . We couldnt be more proud, the company said. This is the best youre getting, he added. The duo met in April 2022 and instantly hit it off. Kharma went on to eliminate Hunico before she herself was eliminated by Dolph Ziggler. Deville is hopeful that WWE will give more exposure to the LGBTQ community. She came out in July 2020 to the world via an Instagram post. By Marc Middleton / Updated: Feb. 4, 2021 3:01 pm EST. The Fabulous Moolah during a wrestling card in Tampa. It feels appropriate to kick off this list with one of the main reasons people believe WWE will never handle lesbian issues properly. Tegan Nox may not always win the match, but her fierce feud styles are a treat to watch. McKinna says she thinks publicly coming out will only help her athletic performance. I know female fans exist. Growing up in a very small conservative town I was always worried to come out in fear of [being] exiled from my community, but wrestling has helped me overcome that, Saturn wrote. The Australian made waves in the Mae Young Classic tournament, before establishing herself as a top-tier performer through her performances in NXT and NXT UK. Moreover, the response from his mother was not in his favor. Stephanie actually broke up a three count many times before Triple H turned his attention to her and hit a Spinebuster to retain his championship. Despite his successes during and after his WWE career, Gabe was still wrestling with a secret persona dwelling deep within him. It was also made a No Holds Barred match, but even that wasn't enough for Lita to defeat Cena in the main eventsince she was hit with a one handed AA. Die in mine pic.twitter.com/S9CvFp2A1i. But when she was first made part of the WWE, she was a very different person and she was granted many matches that she wasn't supposed to be in, including one where she actually pinned The Rock. Carlito obviously had a lot of reach backstage and was able to secure this match, Victoria didn't really have a chance and after a quick roll-up failed for her, Carlito hit the Cross Rhodes and managed to quickly beat the clock. One of the biggest female vs. male mismatches that WWE have ever presented, saw Maria forced into a match against The Samoan Bulldozer, Umaga. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (CO/IL/IN/LA/MD/MI/NJ/OH/PA/TN/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (KS/NH), 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), visit OPGR.org (OR), or 1-888-532-3500(VA). In addition to their corporate positions, they also appear on-air as authority figures across all brands. Reigns isn't just the biggest star in professional wrestling -- he's also amidst a historic championship run. The grappler also known as Glitch came out as pansexual and heteroromantic by posting a combination of the the two Pride flags on Twitter Tuesday. Who among us didn't wonder about a 27-year-old product of the creator economy, best known for controversial YouTube stunts and specious exhibition boxing matches, signing a multi-year deal with the WWE? On the same day that WWE released Mercedes Martinez, they also let go of their only openly gay male wrestler, Jake Atlas. Plus Im in a hetero relationship so sometimes it feels like it doesnt matter.. Yes, it was rife with sexism, homophobia, all of that, but at base, its message was: You're a man, and therefore, we're all men, and that's . Baszler confessed back in 2013 that she was in a relationship with a woman and is another proud member of the LGBTQ community who continues to wave the flag of pride while in Vince McMahon's promotion. The 42-year-old athlete made the announcement Thursday on social media. "People are going to have opinions, but whatever they say, it doesn't define who I am," Shaw continued. Reigns is the undisputed world champion. Following . Edith Surreal wins Enjoy Wrestling championship in all-LGBTQ match, Brittney Griner vows to never play overseas againunless its for the Olympics, Nikki Hiltz speaks out loud with a USATF road 1-mile championship win in Iowa. Today, we will be talking about 5 current WWE stars who are proud to be LGBTQ. Jake Atlas was one of the highlights of the tournament held by NXT in 2020 to crown an interim Cruiserweight Champion. Yogeshwar Dutt. You have entered an incorrect email address! GABE TUFT, A FORMER WWE SUPERSTAR, (Ring Name "TYLER REKS") MAKES A LONG AWAITED GENDER REVEAL EXCLUSIVELY ON EXTRA TV. WWE. Sakshi Malik. With a flair for flying kicks, quick takedown tricks and flowing dreadlocks, Gabe Tuft was once the WWE Superstar "Tyler Reks", a tough pro wrestler who made opponents quiver. Nox wrestled for the British independent circuits under the ring name Nixon Newell before WWE. A post shared by Eris Spirall (@eris_spiral). Indian female wrestlers. Danger Kids statement comes a few months after their tag team partner, Aiden Aggro, came out as pansexual. Although he identified as male, he was born a woman and was forced to compete in Texas' female state wrestling tournament in 2017. Order #ForbiddenDoor right now! 6. But it seems that the company want to step away from intergender matches and instead allow females to fight in their own division. The Lost Cause has built his name in companies like FSW Vegas and Paradigm Pro Wrestling in both in singles competition and as one half of the tag team Creature Feature with tag team partner Lazarus. Adam did not have a long career, with just a few in-rig appearances. We've received your submission. Martinez was bullied as a child and stated that wrestling is her way of getting rid of the aggression from her childhood. 63. The AEW star was able to discuss his sexuality with Stephanie McMahon during their. She is currently affiliated with All Elite Wrestling (AEW). The AEW recruit is the first openly gay male wrestler on the company's main roster since Darren Young. Reigns isn't simply the chosen one; he's earned his place as the best men's wrestler in the world with a fresh character, a powerhouse wrestling style and much-improved promo skills that drive the organization's top storylines. Julia Marnin. Deville first tasted fame with WWE Tough Enough, then transitioned to many other ventures. You can see a photo of the new look below, along with the full press release and some of the related Instagram posts from the past several weeks: FROM GABE TO "GABBI". His interaction with The Bloodline started after that Johnny Knoxville feud, as Zayn sought credibility through an association with Reigns and Co. Here are 15 matches where females were allowed to face males, from the best to the very worst, and from the incredible to the damn right stupid. Watch: Current & Former WWE Superstars who are proud LGBTQ community icons! Jason Collins journey to put his past straight label behind him continues to inspire. Eligibility restrictions apply. Below is the extensive list of all the Female WWE wrestlers in WWE SmackDown. Chyna made history back in 1999 when she became the first women to ever enter a Royal Rumble match. Shaw is a seven-year pro and is currently performing in Impact Wrestling. Later in the year, Belair and Bayley tore it down in a ladder match at Extreme Rules and an excellent Last Woman Standing match at Crown Jewel. See terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. PrivacyAboutContactAdvertisingHave a News Tip? Who will win MLB rookies of the year? Lyhyet hiukset Love! It's sometimes hard to remember that the Burberry-scarfed miscreant is only 26 years old when you see him match a master of the promo arts like William Regal word-for-word. One of the things that Trish and Lita were part of in their earlier career, was an Intergender Tag Team match against their former boyfriends. Johns described the months-long process it took them to understand their identity as some of the hardest of my life but found peace with myself in putting his identity out in the open. Leading into that bout earlier this month, Starks and MJF engaged in one of the best promo battles of the year, with the cocky-yet-relatable Starks arguably getting the better of MJF, the current best promo guy in the business. Deepak Punia. On 2nd September 2022, Triple H was named as the Chief Content Officer. People can discover their authentic selves much later in life; the same thing happened to Benitez. Benitez then took a break from WWE and returned in January 2020. Please logout and login again. Gabbi Tuft, the retired wrestling champ formerly known as Tyler Reks, has come out as trans. We couldnt be more proud. His promos weren't all instant classics -- we could go without him trolling the fans about bolting for the WWE in 2024, as that's now the cheapest of heat -- but they were always captivating. I want my little girl to grow up unafraid to express herself, that means I need to be as well. Bajrang Punia. This is the side of me that has hidden in the shadows, afraid and fearful of what the world would think; afraid of what my family, friends, and followers would say or do, the post was captioned. Jacqueline lost the title when Chavo cashed in his rematch and was forced to have one arm tied behind his back. In fact, he is the first gay man to have opened up about his sexuality in the sport. Reigns isn't just the biggest star in professional wrestling -- he's also amidst a . Mercedes appeared in December 2021 episode of AEW Dynamite and then the Ring of Honor in April 2022. Women had won the Hardcore title before, but never fought for it in a one-on-one match, meaning that even though Jazz lost, she still made history. Rose and Deville have been best friends throughout their time in the company and wanted to be able to deliver a meaningful storyline. Over the years, life outside of the ring has changed and right now it's fantastic to see that WWE is welcoming the change in their company as well. Since wrestling in the WWE, the 42-year-old started a fitness company called Body Spartan with her wife, Priscilla, with whom she has a 9-year-old daughter, Mia. With a plethora of storylines and characters, sometimes things Xero News took to Twitter and reported the following: She came out in an episode of the WWEs reality competition series named Tough Enough in 2015. Maple Leafs Star Who is Zdenek Krejci? Spiral has stepped into the ring for multiple promotions in New Jersey including Locked Target Wrestling where she currently reigns as the LTW Womens champion. Trending pages Bailey Matthews Cody Rhodes Channing Lorenzo Angelo Dawkins Carmelo Hayes Eddie Guerrero Goldust Damian Priest All items (9999) # A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Other 1 1 Called Manders 17 2 2 Tuff Tony 2-Dope 296 2Face 3 Holding the Women's Championship on three separate occasions, the athletic Blayze reigned supreme over some of the most physically powerful female competitors of all time, including Bull Nakano, Aja Kong and the monstrous Bertha Faye. However, not much is known about Baszlers love life as of now. The first was a woman named Mildred Burke who made a living out of wrestling men in the 1930s. It was a technically sound match and it actually allowed Molly to get in some good offence. Following this, Stephanie left the position of both Chairwoman and co-CEO on January 10th, 2023. With multiple appearances at Inter Species Wrestling and Pro Wrestling EVE under her belt, the current ISW Womens champion definitely belongs and her bi identity matters. She revealed that she was in relationships with males and females in a podcast in 2013. Now, lets talk about the current WWE stars who are proud to be a part of LGBTQ. She is known for her time in WWE, fighting for the NXT brand. Runnin and Gunnin. There have been times Ive identified as gay, bi, pan, ace, and others, he said. Male vs. female wrestling, also known as intergender wrestling, refers to a style of professional wrestling where competitors from different genders face off. I've been back and forth on this since high school, but over the years I've come to know a lot of folks that have shown me that it is okay to accept and be proud of who you are. Your login session has expired. , breaking new ground in the professional wrestling industry. Johns has become a regular with Perth-based promotions Explosive Pro Wrestling and Southern Hemisphere Wrestling Alliance in recent years as both a singles wrestler and with his tag team partner James Hartness, collectively known as Cut-Throat and Then Some. Tune in to your local listing for this exclusive story. He can work, he can talk and he has a gift for understanding what the moment needs. "He" is now known as "She": A beautiful, wise, witty and wonderful woman called "Gabbi". Below is the list of all the female WWE wrestlers in WWE NXT. Brooke Tessmacher Adams. It was the main reason why he left the WWE. Belair took on all challengers and hurdled them like she was back on the track at the University of Tennessee. Growing up in a very small conservative town I was always worried to come out in fear of exiled from my community, but wrestling has helped me overcome that.Thank you all #pride pic.twitter.com/hMgWJNpR4G. Over 20-plus minutes, Gunther and Sheamus punished each other with a series of open-palm slaps and knife-edged chops in a bout that took them to the ring apron, announcer table and the crowd. Triple H, the former WWE champion and husband of Stephanie, has righted the ship creatively after McMahon's departure, and WWE business remains relatively strong. Any idea on who is who and what's going on as I did zero research. Eric Bischoff and HLA. She gave a good account of herself and once again proved that female could wrestle men if they were given the opportunity. Deville has also recently been part of the cast of Total Divas, where she was able to have her own float at Pride Fort Lauderdale. On January 6th, 2023, WWE confirmed that Vince is back and will reprise his role as the Executive Chairman of WWE. Shayna Baszler held the NXT women . A transgender teenager won a Texas state title for girls wrestling on Saturday even though the wrestler, 17-year-old Mack Beggs, identifies as a boy. Her husband Triple H serves as the current EVP of Talent Relations. Shockingly, it was accepted and able to go ahead, there were many weapons and Jazz was not shy about using them, but neither was Bubba Ray. This is the 21st century, and you have all the right to live your life just the way you want unless it disrupts the peace of othersmore power to our LGBTQ friends and all those in the questioning phase. -- Coppinger, HIGH FLY FLOW by @tanahashi1_100! She took a Samoan Drop and the running Rikishi butt into the cornerbefore John Cena ran out and made the save. Most communities do not regard homosexuals as something regular. Whether he is covering the latest trends in sports technology or sharing tips on improving your game, Sanjib's words are always rooted in a deep appreciation for players' hard work and dedication everywhere. The quiz was a big hit and we thought that we would put . Chyna then hit Jarrett with a guitar and managed to pin him to win her first Intercontinental Championship. After working on the ECW brand for a year, Tuft joined the WWE Smackdown roster where she, saw the greatest success of her WWE career as part of team Smackdown which won the Bragging Rights cup. AEW received quite a bit of criticism for the build-up to its first co-promotional show with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). She was also a part of WWE Total Divas, showcasing the positive picture of same-sex relationships. She's one of a handful of professional female wrestlers to go toe-to-toe with men over the years. Learn how your comment data is processed. Reks made his pro wrestling debut back in 2007, and later signed to a WWE developmental contract in January 2008, starting out with Florida Championship Wrestling, what later became WWE NXT. The world surely has progressed a lot in the past few decades when cherishing the personality one embodies. Sonya Deville, The First Openly Gay Female Wrestler (Source: Pinterest). Keep reading to learn about 15 lesbian moments in pro wrestling that made our jaws drop, in more ways than one. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. Below is the extensive list of all the male WWE wrestlers in WWE NXT. Just before their debut on Wrestlers Laboratorys IWTV series Alchemy, Isana let the world know that they identify as a demigirl. All of them have held their titles for record amounts of time. PANDRA MOONE I wanted to let you all know that I have finally decided to come out as pansexual. Lita was legitimately tough, there is no doubting that. Team Smackdown ended up doing this not once but twice. Stephanie had no real business being in this match, but given that she was part of it, she did what she needed to do and proved a lot of people wrong. But even though her reign was brief, it was historic, and it proved that the women of WWE had what it takes to win the male championships. She, in fact, defeated one of her fellow LGBTQ WWE wrestlers, Mercedes Martinez, on the route to the final of her very first WWE feud.
