Sexy Star Makes History

Lucha Underground recently aired an episode this month where Sexy Star won their top title. That is the first time a woman has won a top title in a major televised wrestling promotion. Sexy Star has since lost the title and moved on to other things.

There have been other women that have won top titles in other promotions. These promotions, however, are not really considered major televised promotions. Lucha Underground has obviously not reached the heights of the WWE, but they are a televised promotion that has caused some buzz in the last few years. I also like that they have a unique identity. They are not trying to copy the WWE, like TNA has been accused of doing at times. They are also not a mess like the current state of the WWE.

Will this help Lucha Underground grow? I doubt it. It will cause some buzz, but that is not always enough. The WWE caused some buzz when they had Sasha Banks and Charlotte wrestle inside Hell in a Cell. If that couldn't help them fix their poor ratings and hasn't really turned either of those women into true A+ stars, this title win for Sexy Star won't do too much for Lucha Underground. But they do gain some respect points.

What does this mean for women's wrestling? Whenever fans talk about a woman one day winning a World title in a major promotion, they usually say it has to be someone like Chyna or Awesome Kong. It has to be someone big and intimidating. I never agreed with that idea. Someone like Maria Kanellis would not be a believable World Champion, but a woman doesn't need to be a beast to be a believable World Champion. Look at what TNA did last year around this time of year. They had a tournament to crown a new World Champion and they let the women get involved. Even though they did not pull the trigger, I think Gail Kim could have made a believable TNA Champion. It is not all about power moves. Use agility & speed and submissions to put on a believable match against the men. Lucha Underground did pull the trigger on a woman winning their top title. For the most part, I don't see fans giving it the thumbs down.

What does this mean for Sexy Star? As I said, she's moved on to other things. Nevertheless, this is a huge accomplishment for her wrestling career. I felt like she was the top woman in Lucha Underground when I first talked about the promotion, even though they did not have a real women's division. I am not too surprised that the company would have a woman accomplish this, and even let Sexy Star be the woman. No complaints.

Awesome Kong Gone From TNA, Again

Awesome Kong had some backstage issues recently. They have led to her being released by TNA. This would not be the first time TNA has let her go following physical altercations. It is the right decision.

What does this mean for the KO division? I feel it is for the best. TNA had some other women leave the company recently. Even then, it seems the same women are always being prominently featured. The company needs to add some fresh women to their primary rotation. And I don't mean Maria Kanellis. There are so many female wrestlers not getting featured well all over the world. Simply signing them is not enough. What are you going to do with them? A lot of these women in TNA never get pushed very well, frequently taking a backseat to women like Gail Kim, Velvet Sky, and Awesome Kong. Assuming TNA does not bring Kong back anytime soon, now would be a good time to start featuring another woman better. It would be nice if it was one with wrestling talent. Jade might be a good option.

Should Awesome Kong go back to the WWE? As for as the main roster goes, I do not think they should bring her back. The periphery was her only real option the first time she was there. They would not push her as the centerpiece. She lacks the look. She would not be a good credible jobber. She stands out too much. The periphery is all that was left. Her only match in the WWE was even in the Royal Rumble match. These days, however, the WWE is pretty terrible with the periphery. There aren't really any divas featured with unique gimmicks. There are no women being featured prominently alongside a top star. The main goal for the WWE these days for the diva division is actual wrestling. And Awesome Kong just cannot go in the ring like she used to. Many fans might love to see her come back to destroy The Bellas. Then what? Not many options for her. I do not think she is worth bringing back.

How about sending her to NXT? If I do not feel she can go in the ring well enough to fit the main roster, I definitely do not think bringing her in for NXT will be wise. There are even higher standards down there. It just wouldn't work out. Should they sign her as some kind of trainer? That's another issue. Given her age and health, it might be time to just retire.

I have seen some fans suggest Lucha Underground. Yeah, she might fit what they do over there. Character means a lot there and she definitely can play a character that stands out. Point is, she still has some options out there. But she has to watch her temper. Most fans were willing to side with her for that first incident years ago. This time around, things do not look good for her. There are stories all the time of backstage fights. Guys don't always get fired over it, but you cannot develop a reputation for this kind of thing.

Lucha Underground

TNA is still arguably the closest wrestling competition the WWE has, but there are these other feds popping up that are picking up stars and might one day make some noise. Lucha Underground is one of those. It started just last year.

It is something different. It has that lucha twist to it. But it does not showcase only Latino wrestlers. It does have some former WWE guys, including Alberto Del Rio (Alberto El Patron) and John Morrison (Johnny Mundo). El Patron is a guy I can imagine being pushed as the top star of that company. He is no spring chicken, but this is not a guy that needs to be groomed to be a star, like Roman Reigns in the WWE. He is a good in-ring performer, he can talk, and he has charisma. With more freedom in Lucha Underground and a target audience that will be drawn to him and his story, he should be great. As for Johnny Mundo, he is obviously amazing in the ring and can help appeal to an even wider audience.

As far as women's wrestling goes, they do not really have a women's division. That does not stop them from having some women on the roster and utilizing them. They have Karlee Perez, who was Maxine in WWE. I liked her. But the true star for their women is Sexy Star, a Mexican talent. Lucha Underground actually has their women wrestle the men. I think that is a great idea. They are not in a position to just feature women's wrestling like TNA does. And they do not need to build top stars at the expense of people they do not want to be top stars like the WWE does. One day? Maybe. Right now? Just make do with what you have. And they are doing that. They have valets and they have women wrestling the men, which I previously mentioned. Although Sexy Star is not the only one that does that, I feel she would be the best choice to really feature as a top star. They have Ivelisse Velez, who was in the WWE briefly, but Sexy Star has been around longer and has had more success.

It seems the promotion does not want to keep their women's division that small. There were reports as recently as last month that Torrie Wilson and Victoria were in talks to join the company. Jim Ross even brought this up. Let's say these two women were to join Lucha Underground. I mentioned that Alberto Del Rio is not a young guy right now. Both Torrie Wilson and Victoria are older than him. Torrie Wilson will turn 40 this year and Victoria turned 44 last month. And yet, signing either one would be great. They have been around mainstream wrestling in the United States longer than any of the other women already on the roster. Torrie Wilson is still beautiful and can be a great manager/valet. I can imagine Victoria being useful in how the company utilizes female wrestlers. She can mix it up with the men.

Can Lucha Underground ever be real competition for the WWE? Or is it just an alternative? Some people might say that it will only appeal to a Latino audience. Keep in mind that it is also pro wrestling and features some mainstream names and good action. That would make it a draw even to wrestling fans. This promotion is not just trying to aim at one demographic. They still have a lot of growing to do, but they can be an exciting promotion that does one day makes some noise. If nothing else, I can buy them eventually taking TNA's spot as the WWE's closest competition.