10 Biggest Women’s Firsts In WWE Matches

From hardcore matches, to steel cages and going 30 minutes, 10 WWE firsts for women in WWE matches.

By Stephanie Chase /

On Sunday, 30 women will make history by competing in the first-ever WWE Women’s Royal Rumble Match. It’s another milestone in the company’s Women’s division, even if it’s taken us 30 long years to get here. But the rocky road to the Rumble has seen plenty of other firsts for women in WWE (and no, we’re not talking about Luna Vs. Sable in an Evening Gown match).

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In a bygone era, women were more likely to be the first to flash their nipples on pay-per-view than participate in a flashy, show-stealing match. Even if the Women's Revolution feels driven by PR more so than genuine celebration, we can at least celebrate that those days are a grim memory.

Even in those dark, pre-Revolution days, women were occasionally given the chance to show they could compete in matches usually reserved for the men. Some were forgettable, others were downright terrible, and a few were really special. But it’s worth remembering that, much like a gimmicked pink table, it’s hard to shatter a glass ceiling on your first attempt.

So whether they were good, bad or ugly, these 10 matches all had something historic in common — they marked a first for WWE women, and paved the way for Sunday’s long-overdue Royal Rumble.

10. Ivory Vs. Tori, Hardcore Match- Raw September 1999

Ivory and Tori were two good wrestlers who suffered greatly from the Attitude Era’s use of female talent. After facing off at SummerSlam 1999, there was nowhere for their heated feud to go but a hardcore match on Raw. While Hardcore matches had a reputation for leading to the ridiculous, this one managed to outdo the rest, with Tori even deciding not to wear pants as she attacked Ivory backstage.

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Brawling in the bathroom, Ivory had her head dunked in the toilet before being hit by a load of tampons (!), as Jacqueline tried to take a shower. They then brought the fight to the women’s locker room, then the men’s, as they fought on a table in front of Droz and Albert.

The match finally ended when Ivory smashed a mirror over Tori’s head, as Jim Ross worried that Tori may get glass in her feet.

But even after her victory Ivory wasn’t finished, as she found one more ‘women’s item’ to use as a weapon - an iron, which didn’t appear to be plugged in, but still burned Tori’s back.

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