10 Fascinating Facts About WWE In 2018
7. Why Fabulous Moolah Branding Was Dropped
Rousey's debut was greeted as a step forward for the women's division. If anything, this was a pesky step back.
WWE originally named WrestleMania 34's pre-show women’s Battle Royal in honour of The Fabulous Moolah, but there was significant backlash against that due to Moolah’s past behaviour. She’d reportedly treated many female workers very badly over the years, so top brass quietly shelved the branding and went with the much less grandiose, “WrestleMania Women’s Battle Royal” instead.
That was for the best, because some show sponsors (including Mars) had expressed concerns too. It would've been unnecessary to stubbornly plough ahead and tout Moolah when there was so much riding on 'Mania. Besides, without being cruel, the women's Battle Royal was never a priority.
Allegations of abuse and serious issues of the sort don't jive with WrestleMania's gleaming presentation, so the Moolah branding had to go. It's unclear whether or not Vince McMahon made that call, or if those around him kept mentioning the poor PR until he caved.