WWE Drop Fabulous Moolah's Name From Women's Battle Royal
Public backlash forces the change.
In a remarkable display of humility - and better sense prevailing in the face of widespread public backlash - WWE have decided to drop The Fabulous Moolah's name from the forthcoming women's battle royal at WrestleMania 34.
The company released a concise statement outlining the change earlier this afternoon:
"After further consideration, we believe it’s best to proceed with the name ‘WrestleMania Women’s Battle Royal.’ What remains most important is that this historic match is part of WWE’s unwavering commitment to the Women’s Division.”
After announcing the match named in Moolah's honour on this past week's episode of Monday Night Raw, the promotion faced widespread criticism for associating the latest landmark bout for women's equality with a woman widely known to have effectively coerced her trainees into psuedo-prostitution. WhatCulture.com covered the story two days ago, with many other major wrestling outlets offering similar sentiments, including Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer.
WWE clearly got wind of this negative response, as evidenced by their move to disable comments on their YouTube video promoting the match. As the story gained traction - and calls began to circulate for primary WrestleMania sponsors to withdraw their patronage - the company clearly felt the name was no longer viable.
Fabulous Moolah is a known personal favourite within the corridors of power in WWE. That, combined with the fact the group have spent the better part of 20 years lionising her legacy makes this about-turn particularly humbling - but a hugely welcome.