10 Times WWE Bastardised Wrestling Royalty

2. Rhonda Sing

Bertha Faye Wwe
WWE.com

Ronda Singh, as the Monster Ripper, tore through the respected Japanese women's circuit in the eighties and early nineties, competing in the fabled All-Japan Women promotion. There, she withstood unfavourable treatment from the natives - who loathed to lose to outsiders - and her own inexperience to establish herself as a respected and talented performer.

Her offensive repertoire, which incorporated a brutal sitout powerbomb, was not too dissimilar to the male super-heavyweights of the era. In the WWF, however, her sizeable frame compelled McMahon to toy with it to an unrecognisable degree. The powerbomb was entirely absent. In its place, Singh - now wrestling as Bertha Faye, the "Queen of the Trailer Park" - had to resort to belly bumps to remind the viewers at home that she was fat and that was funny. As if the constant snickering from Jerry Lawler on commentary had not emphasised the point well enough.

Singh was doomed even before she stepped foot in the ring. Her entrance theme, Sweet Lovin' Arms, was the most naff and least intimidating in WWF/E history. A country ballad, the lyrics - "How I'd love to get lost in those sweet arms that hide me" - underlined what had already been italicised and emboldened.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!