WWE Divas will argue, and rightfully so, that they must train and work their behinds off to get anywhere in WWE. But there are some famous names within the past decade that prove women can go above and beyond being glamorous and athletic, to where they might frighten even male Superstars with their physical prowess and abilities. While there have been many tough women wrestlers in WWE since the company’s beginnings, this article examines the toughness of several Divas of recent memory.
Beth Phoenix: Glamazon
Beth Phoenix has repeatedly proven that she is tough. She has wrestled and defeated men, including her former onscreen boyfriend Santino Marella. She competed in the 2010 Royal Rumble and eliminated The Great Khali, and was brave enough to take a Go to Sleep from CM Punk.
Phoenix is a devoted weightlifter, as she noted in the book Rumble Road, and as is evidenced by her physique. She is one of the most muscular Divas to wrestle for WWE and is rightfully proud of her abilities. Phoenix has won the WWE Women’s Championship three times.
Divas of Doom
In August 2011, Beth Phoenix and Natalya Neidhart formed the Divas of Doom, a team of tough Divas who were tired of the other Divas, as they said, making a mockery of the division, especially the likes of Kelly Kelly. Phoenix and Neidhart have vowed to dominate the Divas division from here on out.
Natalya Neidhart: Hart Family Dungeon Graduate
Natalya Neidhart proved how tough she was when she graduated from the Hart Family Dungeon, from which only men had graduated before. Neidhart is the daughter of Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart and granddaughter of the legendary Stu Hart (who once wrestled a tiger). She makes Divas tap to the Sharpshooter, a vicious submission maneuver. She won the Divas Championship at Survivor Series from Laycool, and was one of the first four Divas to compete in a Tables Match at TLC, where to win one’s opponents had to be put through a table.
Victoria: Queen of Toughness
Victoria was known as one of the most vicious and demented Divas to step into the ring. She had no problem attacking anyone if it meant getting what she wanted, and once defeated Trish Stratus in a Hardcore rules match at Survivor Series 2002 to win the WWE Women’s Championship. She defeated Lita in a steel cage match on a November 2003 episode of Raw. She could easily take on multiple opponents and emerge victorious. By the time Victoria left WWE, she had racked up two women’s championships.
Molly Holly: Hardcore Champion
Molly Holly was one of only a few female WWE Hardcore Champions. She won the title when she defeated The Hurricane at WrestleMania X-8. She held the title for only minutes (she lost the title to Christian), but was nevertheless a recognized champion. She also won the WWE Women’s Championship two times. Molly was initially a fan favorite but later became a heel when she grew tired of other Divas being promoted over her, and attacked babyface Divas, with help from fellow heel Jazz.
Jazz Means Business
Jazz is one of the toughest, fiercest-looking Divas of recent memory. She feuded with Trish Stratus, letting it be known that she wanted to become WWE Women’s Champion. She had hard-hitting, vicious moves like the Jazz Stinger and the Jazz Stretch (also called the Bitch Clamp), which showed off her strength. She even faced off against the vicious Bubba Ray Dudley in a match for the Hardcore Championship, though she lost. Jazz won the WWE Women’s Championship twice, both times capturing the title from Trish Stratus.
Chyna: Ninth Wonder of the World
Chyna initially served as a kind of bodyguard for Degeneration X, and was considered more menacing than Shawn Michaels or Triple H. When dealing with enemies, a swift fist to the nether regions was her action of choice. Chyna frequently wrestled men (more often than she wrestled women), and feuded with Chris Jericho over the Intercontinental title. They later co-held the belt, in one of the more unusual moments of WWE title history.
Tough women in WWE show their stamina by being strong, confident and fierce, and not backing down from a fight. With wrestlers like Beth Phoenix and Natalya Neidhart aiming to prove how tough Divas can be (and with the hopeful future return of the nightmarish Kharma), WWE Divas may have a fighting chance.
Sources:
- Online World of Wrestling: Wrestler Profiles
- Robinson, Jon. Rumble Road: Untold Stories from Outside the Ring. New York: Gallery Books, 2010.
- Sullivan, Kevin and Brian Shields. WWE Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to World Wrestling Entertainment. Dorling Kindersley Books, 2009.
Jillian Bost - Jillian Bost is an experienced writer with interests ranging from Victorian literature to 1980s pop and professional wrestling.
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