Impact Wrestling’s Mickie James has been part of the industry for decades and has given her picks for her ten most important matches in the history of women’s wrestling.
During a recent edition of “Busted Open Radio,” James gave her picks and why she considers the match worthy of her ranking. Her list goes as follows,
10: Trish Stratus Vs. Victoria (Hardcore Match. WWE Survivor Series 2002)
“It was the first time I really saw them doing something like that on WWE television. It was really cool to see a different type of character, with the Victoria crazy character, and going the hardcore route with the girls.”
9: Charlotte Flair Vs. Becky Lynch (Last Man Standing Match. WWE Evolution)
“It was incredible. I thought it was the perfect main event-type match to have at an all-woman’s pay-per-view. It was an incredible night, and it was incredible to be there — it was really powerful for women’s wrestling, and they killed it.”
8: The First Women’s Royal Rumble Match (WWE Royal Rumble 2018)
“Just to be a part of that first-ever Royal Rumble, and then Asuka winning — it was really cool and it was a game changer for the women.”
7: The Gail Kim Vs. Awesome Kong rivalry in TNA Wrestling
“For us in the business, it was like, ‘Now there is more opportunity,’ and you could see all these other women shining — and some of them were my friends, so it was really cool to see TNA really put their women’s division on the map. I think IMPACT’s had one of the best women’s divisions since, and they’ve been the catalyst of that.”
6: Mickie James Vs. Trish Stratus (WWE WrestleMania 22)
“Nine months it took to get to that moment. It was really the first time, I believe, they invested that much time in a single character, and in developing a [storyline] arc. And, it was hot, people were into it, and it was one of the loudest reactions of the night — it had so much drama. We all worked really hard to get to that point. It was awesome.”
5: Alundra Blayze Vs. Bull Nakano (WWF Summerslam 1994)
“The women’s division had gone away for some time. Since the days of Sherri [Martel], there really hadn’t been a champion that was showcased on WWE television, so for them to be showcased — it really started to bring back the women’s division, I think, with credibility.”
4: The Fabulous Moolah, The Jumping Bomb Angels, Rockin’ Robin, and Velvet McIntyre against Dawn Marie, Donna Christanello, The Glamour Girls, and Sensational Sherri (Survivor Series Elimination Match. WWF Survivor Series 1987)
“I had never seen Jumping Bomb Angels before. I remember watching and I was like, ‘Oh my god! They are so different and they can do all these different things.’ To watch all these different women come in together, it was really powerful for me — as a fan — because I was like, ‘There’s more than just a couple of wrestlers.’ It made me realize this is a global thing.”
3: Sensational Sherri Vs. Fabulous Moolah (July 24, 1987)
“She [Sherri] is my favorite of all time. That was the moment when she was introduced to me, as a wrestling fan.”
2: Trish Stratus Vs. Lita (RAW, December 6, 2004)
“That’s when I was in the business, training, and I was like, ‘Wow. It’s possible for me or anyone [to main event a show]. It was such a powerful moment in the evolution of women’s wrestling because it was a big step in being seen as equals.”
1: Wendi Richter (with Cyndi Laupter) Vs. The Fabulous Moolah (The Brawl to End it All 1984)
“That was a huge thing for wrestling. It put wrestling in the mainstream — it was such a big, big thing, and for it to air on MTV, I think it really brought wrestling into pop culture and really started opening up those doors for wrestling to be more than just a local kind of thing.”
