10 Most Influential People In Women's Wrestling History

7. Dutch Mantel

In 2007, TNA Wrestling lunched an initiative to present women's wrestling in a way that WWE simply was not. They wanted to prove that the art could be successful on a national stage, much in the same way the X-Division had. If successful, they would provide one more element of their show that would separate them from their much larger competition. With Gail Kim as the foundation of the division, the company assembled a phenomenal roster of talented women from across the independent scene. It was Mantel's job to come up with matches and stories that would inject excitement into the programming and convince fans to invest themselves in the new venture. He did just that, ensuring that each of the women were given their own individual characters and styles, then put them in the best possible position to succeed between the ropes. It worked and, at least for the first few years of the experiment, TNA earned considerable acclaim for what they were able to accomplish with their women's division. A great deal of that success is owed to Mantel, who knew what the female performers needed to accomplish the company's goals and delivered on it, something he does not get nearly enough credit for.