WrestleMania Women's Battle Royal

Last updated
WrestleMania Women's Battle Royal
Founded2018
Style Battle royal

The WrestleMania Women's Battle Royal was a professional wrestling battle royal held at WrestleMania by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE. The winner of the match received the WrestleMania Women's Battle Royal Trophy. The inaugural battle royal was held during the WrestleMania 34 Kickoff pre-show in 2018 and was won by Naomi.

Contents

The match returned at WrestleMania 35 in 2019, won by Carmella. This would be the final match held as the battle royal did not occur at WrestleMania 36 in 2020 due to concerns regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, and although COVID restrictions were later lifted, no further matches have been scheduled at subsequent WrestleMania events.

The match was the female counterpart to the André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, which was introduced at WrestleMania XXX in 2014. The WrestleMania Women's Battle Royal was originally named The Fabulous Moolah Memorial Battle Royal in honor of The Fabulous Moolah, who was billed as a pioneer of women's wrestling. However, her name was removed from the match after backlash from fans due to the controversy surrounding Moolah's past.

History

For WrestleMania XXX in 2014, WWE established the André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal for the male wrestlers. [1] After four years, on the March 12, 2018, episode of Raw , the promotion announced a female version of the match to occur at WrestleMania 34. [2] Prior to this, the only other women's battle royal to occur at WrestleMania was at WrestleMania 25 in 2009, titled the "Miss WrestleMania Battle Royal". It consisted of 25 participants, which included women from the active roster as well as returning veterans. The match was infamously won by male wrestler Santino Marella, under the disguise of Santina Marella. [3]

The women's battle royal established for WrestleMania 34 was originally titled The Fabulous Moolah Memorial Battle Royal in honor of The Fabulous Moolah. The winner was to receive The Fabulous Moolah Memorial Trophy, made in the likeness of Moolah. [2] [4] After a controversy over their decision to honor Moolah, WWE changed the name to the "WrestleMania Women's Battle Royal." [5] The trophy was subsequently renamed and it was redesigned as a simple golden cup with tassels atop the trophy's base. [6]

The inaugural match was held on WrestleMania 34's Kickoff pre-show and was won by Naomi, who last eliminated Bayley to win. [7] The match was scheduled to return at WrestleMania 35 in 2019, thus establishing the match as a yearly tradition. [8] This second match occurred during WrestleMania 35's Kickoff pre-show and was won by Carmella, who last eliminated Sarah Logan to win. [9]

A third WrestleMania Women's Battle Royal was set to have occurred at WrestleMania 36 in 2020. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which brought many changes to WWE's programming during that time, the match was not scheduled to limit the number of wrestlers in the ring at the same time. WrestleMania 36 itself, which was WWE's first pay-per-view and livestreaming event affected by the pandemic, was relocated and held behind closed doors at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. [10] COVID restrictions were later lifted, and while the André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal returned in 2021, [11] no further WrestleMania Women's Battle Royals have been held.

Winners

#WinnerDateLocationWrestleManiaRunner UpRef.
1 Naomi April 8, 2018 New Orleans, Louisiana 34 [note 1] Bayley [7]
2 Carmella April 7, 2019 East Rutherford, New Jersey 35 [note 1] Sarah Logan [9]

Participants

Carmella was the second winner of the battle royal at WrestleMania 35 in 2019 Leah Van Dale (Carmella).jpg
Carmella was the second winner of the battle royal at WrestleMania 35 in 2019
Superstar 34 35
Asuka Yes check.svg
Bayley Yes check.svg
Becky Lynch Yes check.svg
Bianca Belair Yes check.svg
Candice LeRae Yes check.svg
Carmella Yes check.svgWon
Dakota Kai Yes check.svg
Dana Brooke Yes check.svgYes check.svg
Ember Moon Yes check.svg
Kairi Sane Yes check.svgYes check.svg
Kavita Devi Yes check.svg
Lana Yes check.svgYes check.svg
Liv Morgan Yes check.svgYes check.svg
Mandy Rose Yes check.svgYes check.svg
Maria Kanellis Yes check.svg
Mickie James Yes check.svgYes check.svg
Naomi WonYes check.svg
Natalya Yes check.svg
Nikki Cross Yes check.svg
Peyton Royce Yes check.svg
Ruby Riott Yes check.svgYes check.svg
Sarah Logan Yes check.svgYes check.svg
Sasha Banks Yes check.svg
Sonya Deville Yes check.svgYes check.svg
Taynara Conti Yes check.svg
Zelina Vega Yes check.svg

Name controversy

The decision to hold a battle royal in honor of The Fabulous Moolah drew fan outrage. [12] Tufayel Ahmed of Newsweek wrote that Moolah "isn't quite the bastion of female empowerment she is proclaimed to be", with "years of allegations" that she had "monopolized women's wrestling in North America", taken a large percentage of other wrestlers' pay, and "sexually exploited women under her mentorship". [13] Jason Powell from Pro Wrestling Dot Net criticized the tribute as it did not "exactly mesh with what WWE [wanted] their women's division push to represent". [14] David Bixenspan of Deadspin pointed out that given Moolah's alleged abuses, fans were particularly turned off by WWE personnel describing Moolah as a "trailblazer for women's equality". WWE also promoted Moolah as having "challenged the gender norms of a once male-dominated sport", but Bixenspan described that Moolah, by wrestling and teaching her students an "in-ring style low on athleticism and heavy on hair-pulling", relegated women's wrestling to "much more of a sideshow" instead of a "legitimate headline attraction" in the previous era. [15] Mad Maxine, a wrestler trained by Moolah, commented that Moolah was the most "monstrous" person she had ever met, and that wrestling is "about generating heat. And you can't draw more heat than naming a match for The Fabulous Moolah". [16]

On March 12, a Change.org petition appeared online demanding WWE change the name of its upcoming Fabulous Moolah Memorial Battle Royal, nearing its 10,000 signature goal. [17] Initially, WWE reacted by disabling the comments section of their YouTube video that announced the Moolah battle royal. [18] [19] Later, Snickers, the primary sponsor of WrestleMania 34, called the decision to honor Moolah "unacceptable" and said they were "engaging with the WWE to express our disappointment". [20] On March 14, WWE renamed the match "WrestleMania Women's Battle Royal", removing Moolah's name from the event. The trophy was also renamed and redesigned. [5]

Notes

  1. 1 2 This match took place on the Kickoff Show (pre-show).

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WrestleMania</span> WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming event series

WrestleMania is a professional wrestling event held annually between mid-March and mid-April by the American company WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Since premiering in 1985, 40 events have been held, with its most recent 40th edition occurring at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on April 6 and 7, 2024. WrestleMania was WWE's first pay-per-view (PPV) produced and is the most successful and longest-running professional wrestling event in history. The event has been broadcast through traditional PPV since 1985 and has been available via livestreaming since WrestleMania XXX in 2014, which was WWE's first major event available through this medium. WrestleMania was conceptualized by former WWE executive chairman Vince McMahon and named by ring announcer and WWE Hall of Famer Howard Finkel. It is the company's flagship event and along with Royal Rumble, SummerSlam, Survivor Series, and Money in the Bank, it is referred to as one of the "Big Five", WWE's five biggest annual events of the year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Fabulous Moolah</span> American professional wrestler (1923–2007)

Mary Lillian Ellison was an American professional wrestler, promoter and trainer better known by her ring name The Fabulous Moolah.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mae Young</span> American professional wrestler (1923–2014)

Johnnie Mae Young was an American professional wrestler, trainer and promoter. She wrestled throughout the United States and Canada and won multiple titles in the National Wrestling Alliance. Young is considered one of the pioneers in women's wrestling as she helped to increase the popularity of the sport throughout the 1940s and during World War II. In 1954, she and Mildred Burke were among the first female competitors to tour post-war Japan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bo Dallas</span> American professional wrestler (born 1990)

Taylor Michael Rotunda is an American professional wrestler. As of December 2022, he is signed to WWE where he currently performs on the Raw brand under the ring names Bo Dallas and his alter ego Uncle Howdy and is the leader of The Wyatt Sicks faction. Rotunda is a third-generation professional wrestler; his grandfather Blackjack Mulligan, his father Mike Rotunda, his uncles Barry and Kendall Windham, and his brother Windham were professional wrestlers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Titus O'Neil</span> American professional wrestler and former arena football player (born 1977)

Thaddeus Michael Bullard is an American retired professional wrestler and former arena football player. He is the Global Ambassador of WWE. Described by the company as "one of the most philanthropic superstars in WWE history," Bullard is the recipient of the WWE Hall of Fame 2020 Warrior Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WrestleMania XXX</span> 2014 WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming event

WrestleMania XXX was the 30th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It took place on April 6, 2014, at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana and was the first WWE event simultaneously broadcast live on PPV and livestreamed on WWE's subscription streaming service, the WWE Network, which launched in February. WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan served as the host of the event.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Braun Strowman</span> American professional wrestler and strongman

Adam Joseph Scherr is an American professional wrestler & former strongman. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Braun Strowman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WrestleMania 33</span> 2017 WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming event

WrestleMania 33 was the 33rd annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown brand divisions. The event took place on April 2, 2017, at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida, and was the third WrestleMania held at the state of Florida after XXIV and XXVIII. The New Day served as the hosts of the event. It was the first WrestleMania to feature Goldberg since WrestleMania XX.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WrestleMania 31</span> 2015 WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming event

WrestleMania 31 was the 31st annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It took place on March 29, 2015, at Levi's Stadium in the San Francisco Bay Area city of Santa Clara, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WrestleMania 34</span> 2018 WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming event

WrestleMania 34 was the 34th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw, SmackDown, and 205 Live brand divisions. The event took place on April 8, 2018, at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, and was the second WrestleMania held at this venue after XXX.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WrestleMania 35</span> 2019 WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming event

WrestleMania 35 was the 35th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw, SmackDown, and 205 Live brand divisions. The event took place on April 7, 2019, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. It included the first-ever women's main event match in WrestleMania history. It was also the first WrestleMania since WrestleMania 2000 to not feature The Undertaker. It was also the final WrestleMania to be held as a one-night event; the following year, WrestleMania was expanded to two nights.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tucker (American wrestler)</span> American professional wrestler

Levi Rolla Cooper is an American retired professional wrestler, best known for his time in WWE, where he performed under the ring name Tucker. After signing with WWE in 2013, he was assigned to their developmental brand NXT, under the ring name Tucker Knight. He is best known for his partnership with Otis, as part of Heavy Machinery. They were promoted to WWE's main roster in 2019, and disbanded in 2020 as a result of the WWE Draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Women's championships in WWE</span> Listing of professional wrestling championships

The American professional wrestling promotion WWE has maintained several women's championships since 1983, when the World Wrestling Federation established the WWF Women's Tag Team Championship. One year later, the WWF bought the NWA Women's Championship and renamed it the WWF Women's Championship, establishing their first women's world championship. Although the title preceded the company's creation, the WWF claimed a lineage that began in 1956. Whenever the WWE brand extension has been implemented, separate women's championships have been created or allocated for each brand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fastlane (2017)</span> WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming event

The 2017 Fastlane was the third Fastlane professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held exclusively for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw brand division. The event took place on March 5, 2017, at the BMO Harris Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This was the first Fastlane event to be brand exclusive, following the reintroduction of the brand split in July 2016, and the first non-WrestleMania WWE pay-per-view to take place in March. This was also WWE's last pay-per-view event to take place at the Bradley Center before its closure in 2018 with future WWE events in Milwaukee held at Fiserv Forum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal</span> Professional wrestling match type held by WWE

The André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal is a namesake battle royal held as part of WrestleMania Weekend by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE. The winner of the match receives the André the Giant Memorial Trophy. The inaugural battle royal was held at WrestleMania XXX in 2014 and was won by Cesaro. The most recent winner of the 2024 match was Bronson Reed ahead of WrestleMania XL.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WrestleMania 36</span> 2020 WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming event

WrestleMania 36 was the 36th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw, SmackDown, and NXT brand divisions. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event was filmed on March 25 and 26, 2020, at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida and was broadcast as a two-night event on April 4 and 5. This marked the first time the event was broadcast over two nights as well as aired on tape delay. On pay-per-view, the two productions were sold as individual shows, with both available as a package deal. National Football League (NFL) player Rob Gronkowski served as the host of the event.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greatest Royal Rumble</span> 2018 WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming event

WWE Greatest Royal Rumble was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by the American company WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw, SmackDown, and 205 Live brand divisions. The event took place on April 27, 2018, at the King Abdullah Sports City's King Abdullah International Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It was the first in a series of WWE events held in Saudi Arabia in support of Saudi Vision 2030, the country's social and economic reform program. At the event, all men's main roster championships at the time were defended, in addition to a 50-man Royal Rumble match, titled the Greatest Royal Rumble match.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Super ShowDown (2019)</span> WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming event

The 2019 Super ShowDown was the second annual Super ShowDown professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by the American company WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw, SmackDown, and 205 Live brand divisions. The event took place on June 7, 2019, at the King Abdullah Sports City's King Abdullah International Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It was the third event that WWE held in Saudi Arabia under a 10-year partnership in support of Saudi Vision 2030.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The B-Team</span> Professional wrestling tag team

The B-Team was a professional wrestling tag team in WWE, composed of Bo Dallas & Curtis Axel. The team are former one-time WWE Raw Tag Team Champions. They also formerly performed as The Social Outcasts and The Miztourage from 2016 to 2018 before assuming their recent tag team name The B-Team.

References

  1. "Raw results: Daniel Bryan occupies Raw and Triple H says 'YES!' ... with a twist". WWE.com. Stamford, Connecticut: WWE. March 10, 2014. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
  2. 1 2 Casey, Connor (March 12, 2018). "WWE Announces Fabulous Moolah Memorial Battle Royal for WrestleMania 34". Pop Culture. Brentwood, Tennessee: Pop Culture Media. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
  3. Plummer, Dale (April 6, 2009). "Wrestlemania 25: HBK-Undertaker steals the show". SLAM! Sports. Canadian Online Explorer. Archived from the original on June 29, 2012. Retrieved March 11, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  4. Pappolla, Ryan (March 12, 2018). "The first-ever Fabulous Moolah Memorial Battle Royal to take place at WrestleMania". WWE.com. Stamford, Connecticut: WWE . Retrieved March 13, 2018.
  5. 1 2 Currier, Joseph (March 15, 2018). "WWE changes name of Fabulous Moolah battle royal". Wrestling Observer Newsletter . United States: Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Inc. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
  6. Keller, Wade (April 2, 2018). "KELLER'S WWE RAW REPORT 4/2: Final WrestleMania 34 hype including Triple H & Stephanie in ring with Angle & Ronda Rousey, last chance for Undertaker to response, Reigns-Lesnar hype". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
  7. 1 2 Powell, Jason (8 April 2018). "Powell's WrestleMania 34 Kickoff Show live review: WrestleMania Women's Battle Royal, Cedric Alexander vs. Mustfa Ali for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship, Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Archived from the original on April 9, 2018. Retrieved April 8, 2018.
  8. Lambert, Jeremy (March 29, 2019). "Women's Battle Royal Confirmed For WrestleMania 35". 411mania. Retrieved March 29, 2019.
  9. 1 2 Powell, Jason (7 April 2019). "WrestleMania 35 Kickoff Show results: Powell's live review of the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, WWE Women's Battle Royal, Buddy Murphy vs. Tony Nese for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved April 7, 2019.
  10. Satin, Ryan (March 26, 2020). "WWE Confirms WrestleMania 36 Will Not Feature Battle Royal Matches". Pro Wrestling Sheet . Retrieved March 28, 2020.
  11. Currier, Joseph (April 1, 2021). "'SPECIAL WRESTLEMANIA EDITION' OF WWE SMACKDOWN SET FOR APRIL 9". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  12. Stride, Sam (March 13, 2018). "WWE face fans backlash after they announce the 'Fabulous Moolah Memorial Battle Royal'". Daily Mirror . London: Trinity Mirror . Retrieved March 14, 2018.
  13. Ahmed, Tufayel (March 13, 2018). "WWE announces Fabulous Moolah Memorial Battle Royal, but the wrestler has a troubling legacy". Newsweek . New York City: IBT Media/Newsweek Media Group . Retrieved March 14, 2018.
  14. Powell, Jason (March 13, 2018). "WWE Raw Hit List: John Cena challenges Undertaker to a WrestleMania match, no Brock Lesnar, Vince McMahon suspends Roman Reigns, tag team battle royal, Fabulous Moolah battle royal". ProWrestling.net. Saint Paul, Minnesota: Last RowMedia, LLC. Retrieved March 14, 2018.
  15. Bixenspan, David (March 14, 2018). "Fans Are Revolting Against WWE Honoring Fabulous Moolah, With Good Reason". Deadspin . United States: Gizmodo Media Group . Retrieved March 15, 2018.
  16. Satin, Ryan (March 13, 2018). "Fabulous Moolah Trainee Speaks Out Against WWE Tribute, Claims Hall Of Famer "Pimped Women"". Pro Wrestling Sheet. Los Angeles: Ryan Satin, LLC. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
  17. Maglio, Tony (March 14, 2018). "'Fabulous Moolah Battle Royal': Petition for WWE to Change Match Name Approaches Signature Goal". TheWrap . Los Angeles: The Wrap News Inc. Retrieved March 14, 2018.
  18. "WWE Announces Fabulous Moolah Memorial Battle Royal Name Change". Pro Wrestling Sheet. Los Angeles: Ryan Satin, LLC. 15 March 2018. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
  19. Fiorvanti, Tim (15 March 2018). "WWE changes name of WrestleMania's women's Battle Royal". ESPN.com . United States: ESPN Internet Ventures. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
  20. Jorgensen, Jack (March 15, 2018). "Amid controversy, WWE changes name of first WrestleMania women's battle royal". CBS Sports . New York City: CBS Broadcasting Inc. Retrieved March 15, 2018.