How competitive mixed wrestling came to be
Until recently, men and women rarely competed against each other in the ring, as it was considered unfair. However, this slowly changed when comedian Andy Kaufman paved the way for mixed competitive wrestling. Although his matches were staged, he ended up publicly announcing himself as the “Intergender Champion”. Subsequently, he openly challenged any woman to try and defeat him in the ring.
Mixed competitive wrestling is typically a match that takes place between a man and a woman. However, matches are occasionally promoted as tag team matches. This sport saw a rise in popularity beginning in the mid-1990s and into the early 2000s. Mixed wrestling was promoted and seen primarily in North America on television shows such as the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), now known as like WWE or World Wrestling Entertainment. In addition, there is Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) and World Championship Wrestling.
Mixed competitive wrestling emerged in the 1950s, an era when it was unheard of for women to be in the ring. A time when men were men and women were supposed to be women. Who knew they could step into the ring and grapple and pin the biggest of men? The women wrestlers of this era helped pave the way for today’s female mixed wrestling competitors. They definitely had their own idea of what the definition of girl power should be.
Step into the more modern era of mixed competitive wrestling and you’ll see hard-hitting, tough-as-nails competitions between male and female opponents. Today’s women who participate in this sport are not only able to kick the tail but also manage other fighters and run companies while doing it. These are women you don’t want to mess with. Proving once again that women are not only multi-talented, but multi-taskers as well. The sport has entered the new millennium, introducing title belts and bouts geared specifically to women, or Divas, as they’re called. Still, they have a chance to go toe-to-toe with the man who held the title in any other championship match.
Over time there have been changes to the rules and regulations relating to this sport. However, that doesn’t take away from the thrill and excitement of watching it. Those who do participate will likely continue to make it as interesting as ever by adding their own special brand of talent to the mix, ensuring that mixed competitive wrestling is here to stay.
