LadySports ::: Editorial

LET US NOW PRAISE FAMOUS WOMEN

A LadySports Editorial

Late in 2010, the National Wrestling Alliance introduced nine new inductees into its Hall of Fame:

  • 'Nature Boy' Buddy Rogers
  • Jack Brisco
  • Dan Severn
  • Danny Hodge
  • The Sheik (Ed Farhat)
  • Shinya Hashimoto
  • Nick Gulas
  • Ed Chuman
  • The Minnesota Wrecking Crew (the Anderson brothers)

It is a prestigious list, to be sure... one seriously doubts anyone could make a logical argument against any of these gentlemen having a place in the HoF.

Note, however, that they are all gentlemen.

When the NWA HoF was established in 2005, among its very first inductees was Leilani Kai. And since then, the HoF has added precisely NO OTHER WOMEN.

You read that correctly; the National Wrestling Alliance's Hall of Fame has the sum total of one woman on their roster of honor. The nearly 40 other inductees over the past five years have been exclusively male.

And what's truly maddening is that women have always had a proud role in the history of the NWA. Since it's founding in 1948, the Alliance has recognized a Women's World Championship... a title line that extends to this day. Many times in it's more than six decades of existence, the NWA has been a true haven for women's professional wrestling in North America.

Why, then, is the HoF virtually so gender exclusive? There is no publicly known answer to that. The most benign explanation is that the individuals who select each year's nominees are simply so focused on choosing such noteworthy individuals as those who make up 2010's list, they have had little time to give any real thought to equally deserving women. This makes it a mistake of omission, rather than commission... but don't be fooled, it is a monumental mistake nonetheless.

Each year, the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in Amsterdam, New York (a separate entity unaffiliated with the NWA's HoF) includes at least one female in their induction class. Likewise, the Cauliflower Alley Club always honors at least one legendary lady at their annual convention in Las Vegas. Obviously, the precedent exists.

Happily, there is a very simply solution to this dilemma, and that would be for the NWA to declare that in future classes, there will always be at least one spot made available for a woman (and truthfully, given the number of outstanding ladies who have worked in Alliance rings over the long years, the HoF could easily induct several in each class, and not run out of candidates for many, many years to come!).

And in order to help the NWA, we at LadySports Online would like to respectfully suggest that the 2011 class be comprised of at least six females (to make up for the past years which had none). And if the Alliance board is looking for candidates, might we humbly submit the following?

  • Mildred Burke
  • June Byers
  • Penny Banner
  • Nell Stewart
  • Ella Waldek
  • Debbie Combs

All of these women have worn NWA gold in their illustrious careers, and they all deserve to be in the NWA Hall of Fame.

The National Wrestling Alliance prides itself by taking as its motto, "History, Tradition, Respect", and nothing could be more respectful to the ladies of the NWA's history than to include them in their Hall of Fame tradition.

The time is now.