A Brief History Of The WWE Women’s Revolution (Part 1)

The Alternative Diva

From: WWE.com

Both Lita and Trish Stratus are rightly looked back on favorably in the history of Women’s Pro Wrestling. Their contributions to and success within WWE is such that they have been prominent in the promotion for the first WWE Evolution event, where they feature in a tag team match that pit them against Alexa Bliss and Mickie James.

Debating who was better out of Lita and Stratus is pure subjective opinion. However while Stratus fit the typical look and preference WWE brass coveted for their women at the time – buxom, blonde, North American fitness model – Lita broke the mold on several levels.

A short stint in ECW as ‘Miss Congeniality’, Amy Dumas would début as ‘Lita’ in WWE in the year 2000, first as the valet to the high-flying Essa Rios, and then as part of ‘Team Xtreme’ – the name given to her inclusion with the Hardy Boyz, Matt and Jeff Hardy.

Lita went from fiery red hair and a Mexican Luchador-inspired costume that complimented Essa Rios, to the dirtier red hair and grungey alternative look fans are more familiar with. Prominently on display was her large shoulder tattoo, and she would sometimes sport piercings beyond the typical placement on ears.

Instead of ring gear that had more in common with ladies’ beach wear, hipster cargo pants and fluorescent fishnet covered tank-tops were Lita’s attire of choice. Lita even has the word ‘PUNK’ tattooed on the inside of her bottom lip that she would occasionally show off. This was far from the type of woman WWE audiences were used to seeing.

While there have been past women in WWE with unorthodox looks and their own tattoos, body paint and alternative piercings, much like the powerhouses that predate Chyna they were also presented as monsters that the ‘beautiful heroes’ would eventually slay.

Like Chyna though, Lita was given a significant hero run, often times being the protagonist doing battle with Trish Stratus’ antagonist. The normalized western stereotype of what was considered attractive and how a ‘Good Guy’ woman should look in WWE was turned on its head. Similarly what Lita was able to do in the ring at the time also went against the norm of the limited technique showcased in WWE women’s matches.

Lita was the first significant woman of the modern era to attempt and credibly pull off high risk maneuvers in WWE such as top rope moonsaults and hurricanranas. Her in-ring work and aesthetic has inspired many of the WWE women with similar styles today.

Lita did also play the role of villain when partnered with WWE Hall of Famer and former men’s champion Edge, and her look evolved to that of more of an alternative Rock Star. But it was not a drastic change from her earlier look and importantly was still against type when contrasted with the other WWE women of the time.

If Chyna showed women in WWE could be portrayed positively for their power and strength, Lita showed women in WWE could be portrayed positively for their individuality and non-conformist spirit.