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Women Can Wrestle, If Given Chance

Posted: Oct 15th 2010 By: CMBurnham

Women have always held a place in professional wrestling. This is a good time in the business for women, who wrestle, to be given an opportunity to elevate themselves.

? WXW wrestler Kimberly has South Florida ties.

A native of Clermont, Fla., she attended Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton and competed and trained to be a wrestler in South Florida with CCW, before joining WXW, run by WWE Hall of Famer Afa the Wild Samoan, in Minneola, Fla. She currently resides in South Florida.

Kimberly said: ``Women in wrestling should ultimately realize that wrestling is a man's world. You're welcome into it, but some of the women, who are in higher spots than others, I just wish they would have a greater appreciation for it. It's a very hard business for a woman, but if she accepts the fact it's a man's business and moves on from there and doesn't try to change it or altar it, she can do it. To me, it's like a well-oiled machine. Once you start changing things, it starts to break down.

``The women should work just as hard as the guys, appreciate the business as much as the guys and try to make it better. I want to prove women can be in this business and can do it right along with the guys -- not better than the guys, not the guys are better than us -- just work with them.''

Kimberly promoted a WXW show in South Florida, and Afa's wife, Lynn, and their daughter, Vale, also helped with that event.

Afa: ``My philosophy is there are so many girls out there, good talent who deserve a chance to get a look. My auntie, who is The Rock's grandmother, Lia Maivia, was one of the women to step up and do the promoting -- because she understood wrestling and felt women can do it just as well as the guys.''

The late Lia Maivia was the wife of WWE Hall of Famer High Chief Peter Maivia. When promoter/wrestler Peter Maivia died in 1982, she took over his duties as promoter in Hawaii and did well.

Afa: ``I don't like to call myself a promoter. I'm a teacher. I'm one of those guys who will give kids -- the ones people look down on -- a chance, give them an opportunity.

``I know for a fact there are so many more girls out there who are in it for the love of the business -- not the sex part of it, like some of the things you see today.

``I believe there are so many hidden talents who need to be looked at. When girls come to me, I want to give them the opportunity to shine just like the guys. I remember when the girls worked twice as hard as the guys, but the girls were kept at the bottom, and the guys were in the main events.

``So when I do my Elite Eight show, it's all about them.''

WXW debuted the first Elite Eight Women's Tournament in 2002 at its home base in Allentown, Pa. The event featured top female wrestlers in a one-night tournament.

Past winners include Alicia, Traci Brooks, Alere Little Feather, April Hunter and Mercedes Martinez. Past participants include Gail Kim, Angelina Love, Beth Phoenix, Cindy Rogers, Sarita and Krissy Vaine.

Afa: ``In the Elite Eight, I'm giving them the chance to be themselves. They can the main event, the semi-main event, this, that. It works out really well.

``Hopefully, the big leagues will see some of my girls, and they get an opportunity to move up.''

Tamina is getting the chance in WWE. The daughter of Jimmy Superfly Snuka, she is an alum of WXW. She is with her cousins, the Uso brothers tag team, in WWE.


Afa: ``My niece, Sarona [Tamina], trained in my camp with Kimberly. That's what I mean about giving kids an opportunity to showcase their talent. We're all very proud of her.

``When she left us to go to WWE, she represents us. She represents women. She represents a lot. The next one is going to be Kimberly and so on and so on.''

Check out wxwwrestling.com .

? TNA Knockout Sarita (Sarah Stock) is one of the top female wrestlers in North America and Mexico. During her travels, she participated in WXW's Elite Eight Women's Tournament. She is an accomplished wrestler, smart and an all-around talent.

``I've done very little wrestling in the U.S. in terms of indies, as the major part of my career has been in Mexico and Canada before becoming involved with TNA.

``What has really helped to make women's wrestling get noticed has been promotions that specifically focus on women, such as SHIMMER and Afa's Elite Eight tournaments -- both of which I've competed in. The girls are able to go out and do what they do without restrictions. It is so great to have available to the public matches where women are seen giving it their all in real quality matches. Promotions like these give girls a chance to hone their skills and try anything against varied and talented women.

``The majority of my wrestling has been, and continues to be, in Mexico with CMLL. Mexico has been a great platform for me since I moved there seven years ago. Before CMLL, I was able to stay busy with independent all-girls promotions such as LLF and on the independent scene.

``Since joining CMLL in 2005, the women have had a steady stream of work with really great female wrestlers and matches on the most important cards. There is so much quality in terms of the women and their wrestling. The public is very knowledgeable and appreciates and respects great wrestling above anything else. It has been a wonderful place to work, train and learn.''

``As a TNA Knockout, I can speak from my time there that the women are in a great place. We have all been given opportunities to prove ourselves in matches, interviews and backstage segments.

``When I first joined TNA, I was impressed by the diversity of the girls in terms of look and wrestling style, and I think this is something that helped make the Knockouts division stand out as one of the best women's divisions in the world.

``Sometimes women's wrestling is not taken seriously, which is unfortunate for those of us that have invested so much energy and effort into it. Image is so important to succeed in wrestling and has tended to have more importance than talent, skill and connection with the public.

``To really be lifted up, women's wrestling needs to keep focusing on diversity to develop girls with true star power. Your typical `beautiful' girl is not always the girl that will stand out or interest more people in women's wrestling.''

? Dory Funk, Jr., another WWE Hall of Famer, also trains aspiring wrestlers, referees, managers, valets, bookers, etc., at the Funking Conservatory Wrestling School in Ocala, Fla.

Funk Jr. said: ``My first exposure to women's wrestling was in the mid-1950s. Nell Stewert, Helen Hilde [mother of the Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase], Mildred Burke, June Byers and Lorraine Johnson [mother of Baby Doll].

``In those days, they were glamorous and like movie stars. I remember in Amarillo, Texas the first mixed tag team I ever saw. My dad, Dory Funk Sr., teamed with Nell Stewart facing June Byers and Bob Geigel. On the finish, Geigel ducked a punch, and my father clipped his own partner, Nell Stewart, right on the chin and knocked her out cold. I will never forget the look of surprise on my father's face and the shocking silence of the wrestling fans at the Amarillo Sports Arena.

``The next generation brought athletic lady wrestlers to professional wrestling -- Betty Niccoli, Jean Antone, Kay Noble [gymnast, athletic, great worker] and Marie Laverne. I remember in Amarillo a mixed tag team match with my brother, Terry Funk, and Betty Nickoli vs. Kay Nobel and Sir Nelson Royal. In a four way mix-up, Kay Noble caught Terry by surprise with a back bodydrop. To this day at the Funking Conservatory Wrestling School, we are still teaching techniques invented by Kay Noble.

``Today's girls are great athletes and have all my respect for the hard work they do in the ring. However their performance is different in that what I see on TV is that they are showcasing a ring full of beautiful girls fighting and scrapping to showcase the beautiful bodies without much in background and storyline. Understand, there is nothing wrong with that, and these girls are in excellent condition.

``Here at the Funking Conservatory we have three lady wrestlers on our roster, and each is spectacular in their own way. Rachel Moore came to the Funking Conservatory from Wasilla, Alaska.

``Rachel is currently enrolled at the University of Central Florida in Orlando where she is studying to be a lawyer. She is also training in professional wrestling and holding down a full-time job at Claire's at the mall here in Ocala.

``Claudia The Claw Reiff came to us as a graduate of the University of Miami with a major in Physical Education. The Claw has officiated college basketball and is one of the finest referees in wrestling. The Claw is multi-talented in that she is also a great worker and can cut an interview right in the class of her inspiration, Ric Flair.

``Our latest addition to the Funking Conservatory Wrestling Team is Cassie Crush, who is currently studying Japanese, while enrolled at the University of Florida in Gainesville. Cassie is working hard learning the basics of professional wrestling.''

? WWE Hall of Famer Dory Funk Jr. is the coach of the Funking Conservatory Wrestling School and trainer of WWE, NXT, TNA and Japanese wrestling talent. For ticket information and training schedules, call 352-895-4658. Visit dory-funk.com.