Showing posts with label wrestling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wrestling. Show all posts

Saturday, December 31, 2022

Bianca Belair named ESPN 2022 Female Wrestler of the Year

WWE superstar Bianca Belair was named Female Wrestler of the Year by. ESPN.

According to ESPN, “Belair was arguably the best performer in the world in 2022, and the competition was steep.”

Belair is most known for her athleticism, decorative outfits and signature long-braided ponytail in WWE and for winning titles in WWE Women’s Royal Rumble, WWE Elimination Chamber, WWE Smackdown Women’s Championship and WWE Bumpy Awards for Best Match of the Half-Year.

Belair posted to Twitter to show her appreciation to those who supported her and competed against her:

Sunday, March 13, 2022

WWE superstar Big E gives hopeful update on the status of his broken neck

WWE superstar Big E broke his neck during Friday night’s episode of “Smackdown” in Birmingham, Alabama.

Big E, whose real name is Ettore Ewen, has been positive throughout his ordeal and shared some great news on the extent of his injury.

Tuesday, August 03, 2021

Tamrya Mensah-Stock: 1st Black US woman to win Olympic gold in wrestling

As Tamyra Mensah-Stock celebrated winning her Olympic gold medal, she hoped her victory would encourage Black girls in the United States to consider wrestling.

When she defeated Nigeria’s Blessing Oborududu 4-1 in the women’s 68-kilogram freestyle wrestling final on Tuesday, she became the first American Black woman to win Olympic gold in wrestling and the second American woman overall.

“These young women are going to see themselves in a number of ways and they’re going to look up there and go, I can do that,” she said. “I can see myself.”

Mensah-Stock, the No. 1 seed, blitzed through a formidable field. She defeated Japan's Sara Dosho — a 2016 Olympic gold medalist — 10-0 in the first round.

She beat China’s Feng Zhao 10-0 in the quarterfinals, then beat Ukraine’s Alla Cherkasova — a former world champion — 10-4 in the semifinal.

She finished the dominant run by defeating Oborududu, the No. 2 seed and a three-time Olympian, in the final.

“Well, you’ve got to beat the best to know that you’re the best,” Mensah-Stock said. “And that’s what I keep telling myself. It doesn’t matter the draw. You go out there and you beat whoever is in front of you because that’s how you tell somebody that you were the best. I’m the bad draw.”

Monday, March 11, 2019

Harlem Heat to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame

Although the tag team never wrestled in the WWF/WWE, the 10 time WCW tag team champions Harlem Heat are to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of the 2019 class.

The team is made up of WWE Hall of Famer Booker T (Robert Booker) and his brother Stevie Ray (Lash Huffman).

This also means Booker will become a two-time Hall of Famer, as he was inducted as a singles wrestler in 2013.

The announcement caught Booker T by surprise:

It was surprising, actually, I guess because one reason, my brother and I, we never actually wrestled in the WWE. My brother took a step aside at that point in time because he had a daughter, and he wanted to see her grow up and see her go to college. He got a chance to do that. But our career in WCW was awesome.

Harlem Heat joins a Hall of Fame class that includes D-Generation X, The Honky Tonk Man and Torrie Wilson. The WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony will air on the WWE Network on Saturday, April 6th, at 8:00 p.m. ET.

Monday, December 24, 2018

Buena wrestler's parents release statement on cutting on son's dreadlocks

The parents of a Buena Regional High School wrestler who was thrust into the national spotlight when an official required him to cut his dreadlocks or forfeit his bout expressed immense, heartfelt gratitude for the overwhelming show of support for their son.

Charles and Rosa Johnson, the parents of junior Andrew Johnson, released a statement on Monday morning through their lawyer Dominic A. Speziali.

“Andrew has been deeply moved by the thunderous outpouring of unsolicited support — including from an Olympic wrestler, leading civil rights advocates and elected officials — after the shocking pre-match ultimatum,” the statement said.

“Wrestling has taught Andrew to be resilient in the face of adversity. As we move forward, we are comforted by both the strength of Andrew’s character and the support he’s received from the community. We will do all that we can to make sure that no student-athlete is forced to endure what Andrew experienced.”

[SOURCE: Courier Post]



Saturday, December 22, 2018

New Jersey Division on Civil Rights investigating wrestler forced to cut off his dreadlocks

Here is an updated statement from Larry White, the Executive Director of the NJSIAA (New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association) who is African American on the black wrestler from Buena, NJ being forced to cut his dreadlocks to compete in a championship match, and the fact that the state is now investigating the incident.

Updated NJSIAA Statement / Buena Regional High School Wrestling

from Larry White, Executive Director, NJSIAA

Saturday, December 22, 2018

“Following up on yesterday’s statement concerning a Buena Regional High School (Buena, NJ) varsity wrestler and a wrestling referee, the NJSIAA can now confirm that the matter will be investigated by state authorities. The NJSIAA will be working with the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights, providing all requested information. The State investigation will take precedence over the NJSIAA process.

“Further, NJSIAA can confirm that those groups that assign high school wrestling referees in New Jersey will not assign the referee in question until this matter has been thoroughly reviewed. This will help to avoid disruption of events for student athletes .

“Finally, as an African-American and parent – as well as a former educator, coach, official and athlete – I clearly understand the issues at play, and probably better than most. The NJSIAA takes this matter very seriously, and I ask that everyone respect the investigatory process related to all parties involved.”

Saturday, March 24, 2018

Film shows black women as hidden figures in pro wrestling



A new film explores the role of black women recruited as professional wrestlers in the 1950s and 1960s.

Lady Wrestler: The Amazing, Untold Story of African-American Women in the Ring is a 90-minute documentary that chronicles the stories of Babs Wingo, Ethel Johnson, Marva Scott, Ramona Isbell and dozens of other African-American women who braved racism and sexism in the 1950s, '60s and '70s to succeed in the male-dominated world of professional wrestling. These courageous women raised families while blazing a trail for female athletes long before many of the breakthroughs of the civil rights and feminist movements.

The documentary debuts Thursday at Ohio State University’s Wexner Center for the Arts.

Filmmaker Chris Bournea said people like these female grapplers wrestled not only before women were deemed capable of athletic accomplishments but before blacks had civil rights in many places.
They also didn’t talk a lot about what they did, perhaps concerned about others’ reactions. And when they were finished, they wanted to move on with their lives.

Bournea, who is black, grew up in Columbus without ever hearing the stories. After he learned of them as a journalist about a decade ago, he knew he had to do something.

“Awareness needed to be brought to these women’s accomplishments,” Bournea said.

Bournea said he has planned screenings in other cities with large professional wrestling fan bases and will then release the film on Amazon.

Lean more about the movie here https://www.ladywrestlermovie.com/ and watch the trailer below:


Friday, July 18, 2014

Racism in the WWE: Interview with Mark Henry

Check out this interview by Marc Lamont Hill with WWE superstar Mark Henry and past star Koko B. Ware about racism in the WWE.