There are few female wrestlers before, or since, that have the technical skill that Molly Holly had during her stint with World Wrestling Entertainment. A great worker between the ropes that succeeded under a number of different personas, the former two-time Women's champion is, without a shadow of doubt, the most underrated Diva in company history. Debuting as the third member of the Holly family, she brought an innocence and grace to the equation. She was the perfect compliment to the hard-nosed veteran Bob and the comedic Crash. Together, they would make for a suitable midcard act. In late-2000, the Hollys feuded with Test, Albert and Trish Stratus, a feud that saw Molly gain her first significant ring time with the company. Her first title opportunity came in December of 2000 at Armageddon as she met Trish and Women's champion Ivory in a Triple Threat match. She was unsuccessful in her bid for the title but it was clear that she had no peers in the company from a wrestling ability standpoint. A relationship with Spike Dudley caused major splits within the Holly and Dudley families. After all of the trouble they went through to be together, though, Molly turned heel and joined the Alliance's Hurricane as his sidekick Mighty Molly. Embracing her inner heel, she became a suitable comedy performer and the perfect compliment to the great superhero ripoff Hurricane. She would win her only Hardcore Championship from Hurricane at WrestleMania X-8 and, following the brand extension in April of 2002, would cut and dye her hair and become the top villain in the women's division. Now a prudish villain, Molly set out to prove that a pure woman such as herself could succeed in WWE. She defeated Trish Stratus to capture her first Women's Championship at King of the Ring 2002 and held it for exactly three months before dropping it back to former champion. In July of 2003, she regained the title by defeating Gail Kim. The two Divas would join forces and provide strong opposition to the likes of Trish, Lita and Victoria well into 2004. At WrestleMania XX in March, she lost a Hair vs. Championship match to new champion Victoria and had her head shaved bald in front of an international audience. A consummate professional and the best wrestler on the Divas roster, Molly continued to be a tremendous asset for WWE. With the advent of the Diva Search and an invasion of models hoping to hit it big in the business, Molly decided to step away and on April 12, 2005, she requested and was granted her release. The effect Molly had on the industry is often overlooked. Like Jazz, she was instrumental in the development of Trish Stratus, who learned and evolved as an in-ring performer while working with the talented Minnesotan. She also had a major hand in training the extremely green Torrie Wilson and Stacy Keibler during their days in WCW. Her in-ring skills proved what the women of wrestling were capable of when given time to ply their trade. She set the standard for the golden age of women's wrestling in WWE. She may not receive the praise of a Trish or Lita but she most certainly deserves credit for everything she accomplished and everything she helped make possible.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
