Women of Wrestling

Women of Wrestling
Acronym WOW
Founded 2000
Style American Wrestling
Headquarters Los Angeles, California (2000)
Founder(s) David McLane
Owner(s) David McLane (2000)
Jeannie Buss (2000)
Website WOWE.com

Women of Wrestling, aka WOW!, is a professional wrestling promotion founded in 2000 by David McLane, previously the founder of Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling. It was based in Los Angeles, California. Using a similar format of character driven performers, with names befitting a comic book series, such as Jungle Girrrl, an inmate tag-team complete with orange jump suits named Caged Heat and the Persian Princess,[1] WOW launched a series of syndicated programs in the 2000-01 television seasons in 102 TV markets.[2] The programs quickly became the highest rated wrestling shows in the markets of New York and Los Angeles and demonstrated ability regardless of the region, market size or time-period to grow each television stations audience. With its headquarters in Los Angeles, CA, WOW held its live events which were taped for broadcast from the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, California. The organizations first live event attendance was a mere 400+, but its audience grew to over 5,000 customers over the period of only six events and its website peaked in one month with slightly over 10 million unique visitors. Los Angeles Lakers Sr. Vice President Jeannie Buss who is a business partner of Mr. McLane’s appeared regularly on WOW programming, although not as an in-ring participant.

WOW programs were able to stand out from other wrestling programs by offering television viewers and live event audience an all female troupe of performers who played campy villains and heroines in all sizes and nationalities.[3] By being the only entertainment source of its kind, WOW captured a strong adult demographic following with its primary audience, the male television audience (18–49 years of age) generating 25% higher ratings than its secondary audience of young women (18-24), teens, and tweens (7-12).

Due to the ever soft and declining advertising market during this time, WOW wasn’t able to take advantage of its momentum and ceased production after completing 24 original episodes and one live pay-per-view event. WOW, although off the air in the United States after 2001 continued to exist through international distribution deals with the markets of Israel, Russia, India, Canada, South Africa, Kenya, Middle East, Turkey, Malaysia, the Dominican Republic and other countries airing the WOW shows.

In December 2010 the WOW website underwent construction with a cover page of Jungle Grrrl appearing to fly over the skyline of Las Vegas, thus giving the impression the WOW promotion is set to return with live events from Las Vegas.

Contents

History

Once again following a similar formula that he created for GLOW, McLane hoped WOW would be the women's wrestling league that finally got the respect he felt it should deserve. Similar to McLane's earlier promotion, WOW depended heavily on kayfabe and presented gimmicks that were fantastical, especially compared to the darker fare being promoted by other wrestling companies. WOW talent (or individuals claiming to be such) would actively post to the company's message boards (now defunct) in-character, leading to such amusing incidents as the members of "Caged Heat", an inmate-themed tag team, claiming that they were accessing the internet from the prison library.

WOW programming was aired in first-run syndication, often late at night and packaged with other sports-entertainment programming like Thunderbox. The promotion aired about twenty four original one-hour episodes, fielding a single pay-per-view, Women of Wrestling Unleashed.

The majority of WOW's performers were rookies to the business, recruited from backgrounds in modeling, acting, stunt work, and martial arts. Selena Majors (who wrestled as "Bambi") and Thug (who wrestled as "Peggy Lee Leather") were the trainers for the company.

Alumni

Wrestlers

  • Beckie the Farmer's Daughter (Renee Madison Cole): Farm girl from the fictitious Hog Hollow, Nebraska. Feuded with Jungle Grrrl over the Splash move.
  • Bronco Billie (Lisa Danielle): Cowgirl who owned a ranch in Texas. Finished off her opponents with the Bulldog. Had a feud with the Disciplinarian over her ranch.
  • Charlie Davidson: Biker, with a bad attitude. One half of Harley's Angels. Lost to their sworn enemies, Caged Heat for the Tag Team titles.
  • Christy Order: One half of Law and Order; her partner is Nicki Law. A rogue police officer.
  • Danger (Elle Alexander): Billed as the Weaponsmaster. Had a tendency to use her finishing move, the Danger Drop, on referees and was constantly suspended. Defeated Terri Gold for the title, and lost it soon after at the Pay-Per-View event. Known for her feud with Riot, her erstwhile tag team partner.
  • Delta Lotta Pain (Jwaundace Candece): Prisoner, billed with Loca and Vendetta as Caged Heat. Tag Team Champions.
  • The Disciplinarian (Kristen Davidson): Heel School Administrator. Had a large fan base, in spite of her being a heel. Called Ms. D. by her fans. Known for her finishing move, the "Final Exam". Feuded with Bronco Billie, when the cowgirl discovered that her ranch was purchased by the Disciplinarian.
  • EZ Rider (Eleanor Kerrigan): Biker girl also with a bad attitude, one half of Harley's Angels. Lost the Tag Team title match to their sworn enemies, Caged Heat.
  • Ice Cold (Inga Waggoner): Arctic themed loner. Didn't really trust anyone. Known for her feud with Lana Star, who shaved her hair.
  • Jane Blond (Ella Carter): UK wrestler based on the James Bond secret agent theme. Known for the "Kick of Death", her Missle Dropkick.
  • Jungle Grrrl (Erica Porter): Tarzan based wrestler. One of the few near undefeated wrestlers in WOW. Known for her feud with Beckie the Farmer's Daughter over who had the best splash.
  • Lana Star (Lana Kinnear): Movie star wannabe who often used dirty tricks such as smashing Hand Mirrors and spraying hair spray to win her matches. Arrogantly called Women of Wrestling, "the Lana Star Show". Known for her feuds with Poison, Ice Cold and Randi Rah Rah.
  • Loca: Prisoner. One third of Caged Heat, along with Delta Lotta Pain and Vendetta. Tag Team Champions.
  • Nicki Law: Rogue police officer. One half of Law and Order along with Christy Order.
  • Poison (Tina Van Vleet): One of the best performers on the show with large fan base. A chemist who ingested poison and changed her personality. Tag Team partner with Ice Cold. Known for her vicious attacks, her reverse DDT (called the Poison Paralyzer) and feud with Lana Star, whose hair she turned green.
  • Riot (April Katherine Littlejohn): One of the marquee performers of WOW. Master of the Powerbomb. A loner with a rebellious nature. Despite being a heel (later becoming a 'tweener'), she had a huge fan base. Known for her feud with Danger, her former tag team partner.
  • Selina Majors: "The Real Deal" Known for her battles with Thug. Used the Stunner to defeat her opponents. Was rescued by Caged Heat after another brutalization by Harley's Angels.
  • Slam Dunk: Female basketball player, supposedly banned from the WNBA due to her overly aggressive nature. Known for her arrogance and bad attitude. Best known for her feud with Roxy Powers later in the show's run. Despite her heel status, she had a very large fan base.
  • Terri Gold (Heather Lee-Millard): The first WOW World Champion. Gymnast, known for her moonsault, The Perfect 10.
  • Thug (Peggy Lee Leather): Bad tempered biker, leader of Harley's Angels. Known for her feud with Selina Majors and for her constant interference in Harley's Angels' matches.
  • Vendetta (Nicole Ochoa): Prisoner, known for being one third of Caged Heat.
  • Wendi Wheels: Female Mechanic, can fix up cars and can tear down opponents with the Blowout. Originally known as Sunny of the Beach Patrol.
  • Boom Boom: Island girl from Hawaii. Tag team partner of Caliente. Known for the Boom Boom Squash.
  • Caliente (Rachel Iverson): Fiery Latina wrestler, known for the Mexican Surfboard. Partner of Boom Boom.
  • Farah "The Persian Princess" (Telma [4]Roshanravan): Iranian wrestler, known for her exotic dancing. Tag team partner of Paradise.
  • "Hammerin'" Heather Steele (Christina Tomaziesski Colby): Tool Time Girl, known for her ability to build and maintain houses, and her ability to fix anything. Had a loyal fan base, despite having only one win.
  • Jacklyn Hyde (Vasilika Vanya Marinkovic): Split personality wrestler, can be nice one minute, manic the next.
  • Jade (Jennifer Lee Chan): Chinese wrestler known for her "Samurai Scissors" move. One half of Asian Invasion.
  • Lotus (Jeannie Kim): Korean wrestler who is one half of Asian Invasion.
  • Misery (Kirsten Davidson): One half of the Daughters of Darkness, managed by the mysterious Goon.
  • Mystery (Nicole Ochoa): One half of Daughters of Darkness, also managed by the mysterious Goon.
  • Paradise: Island Girl wrestler from Tonga. Tag team partner of Farah the Persian Princess.
  • Patti Pizzazz (Formerly "Patti Pep"): Cheerleader corrupted by Lana Star into becoming her Personal Assistant. She was eventually fired by Lana due to her residual friendship with Randi Rah Rah, whom she remained friends with, despite her heel turn.
  • Phantom (Lynnette Thredgold): Wrestler who was torn between being a bodybuilder/wrestler and a concert violinist.
  • Randi Rah Rah: Cheerleader, friend of Patti Pep (and later Patti Pizzazz). Despite Patti's heel turn, Randi was still friends with her. Taken out of wrestling after Lana Star smashed a mirror over her head, only to come back later in the series run to defeat her (and to reestablish her friendship with Patti Pizzazz).
  • Roxy Powers (Natalie T. Yeo): Billed as the Total Athlete. Known for her feud with Slam Dunk later in the series run.
  • Sandy (Tamie Sheffield): Lifeguard, One half of the Beach Patrol.
  • Summer (Bobbi Billard): Lifeguard, like Sandy. One half of the Beach Patrol.
  • Tanja "The Warrior Woman": Warrior wrestler in the vein of Xena: Warrior Princess. Known for her spinning wheel kick.

Tag teams

Other personnel

Championships

WOW World Championship

Wrestler: Times: Date: Days Held: Location: Notes:
Terri Gold 1 September 30, 2000 76 Inglewood, California Won a battle royal to become the first champion.
Danger 1 December 15, 2000 51 Inglewood, California This match aired on January 13, 2001.
Terri Gold 2 February 4, 2001 27 Inglewood, California Won the title at WOW Unleashed. This is the last title reign in WOW history
Deactivated — 02001-03-03 March 3, 2001 N/A N/A WOW ceased television production sometime after March 3, 2001.

WOW World Tag Team Championship

Wrestler: Times: Date: Days Held: Location: Notes:
Caged Heat 1 February 4, 2001 27 Inglewood, California Won the title at WOW Unleashed. This is the last title reign in WOW history
Deactivated — 02001-03-03 March 3, 2001 N/A N/A WOW ceased television production sometime after March 3, 2001.

WOW Unleashed

WOW Unleashed
Information
Promotion Women of Wrestling
Date February 4, 2001
Attendance ~9500
Venue Great Western Forum
City Inglewood, California
Pay-per-view chronology
N/A WOW Unleashed N/A/

WOW Unleashed was a professional wrestling pay-per-view from Women of Wrestling. It took place on February 4, 2001 from the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, California. The PPV suffered from technical difficulties and a low buyrate. A second PPV was announced during Unleashed, but never came to fruition. The announcers were Lee Marshall and former manager Bobby "The Brain" Heenan. Regular announcer David McLane, also the promotion's President, served as Master of Ceremonies.

# Results Stipulations Times
1 Randi Rah Rah defeated Jacklyn Hyde (with Doctor Sarah Bellum and Nurse Mercy) Singles match 2:15
2 The Beach Patrol (Sandy and Summer) fought Farah and Paradise to a draw. Tag Team match 2:30
3 Tanja the Warrior Woman defeated Jane Blond Singles match 2:47
4 Nicky Law (with Kristy Order) defeated Heather Steele Singles match 2:02
5 Boom Boom and Caliente defeated The Asian Invasion (Jade and Lotus) Tag Team match 4:43
6 Bronco Billie defeated The Disciplinarian Singles match 3:55
7 Roxy Powers fought Slam Dunk to a double disqualification. Singles match n/a
8 Riot defeated Wendi Wheels Hardcore match 9:40
9 Jungle Grrrl defeated Beckie "The Farmer's Daughter" Splash Match 9:45
10 Caged Heat (Delta and Loca) defeated Harley's Angels (Easy Ryder and Charlie Davidson) (with Thug) Tag Team match for the vacant WOW Tag Team Championship 5:42
11 Terri Gold defeated Danger (c) Singles match for the WOW Championship 4:20
12 Lana Star and Patti Pizzazz defeated Ice Cold and Poison Hair vs. Hair Match 5:16
13 Thug defeated Selina Majors Steel Cage match 15:01

References

  1. ^ http://www.shootangle.com/kandd/wow00.html
  2. ^ http://www.allbusiness.com/media-telecommunications/information-services/10617170-1.html
  3. ^ http://www.tv.com/women-of-wrestling/show/9821/summary.html
  4. ^ http://www.benchwarmer.com/model_detail/profile/XR5hCredVq

External links