5. WWE Thought Trish Stratus & Victoria Broke New Ground For Divas
At the turn of the millennium, Lisa Marie Varon was playing the role of one of The Godfather's "Ho" contingent. Fast forward just a few short years later, and Varon - as Victoria - was receiving plaudits behind the scenes for her in-ring work. Posted opposite Trish Stratus in 2002, Victoria became a featured part of the female scene in WWE. After one particular house show bout, both women returned to the backstage area and were met with a stunning reaction. Officials were very impressed that both Victoria and Stratus clearly invested a lot of energy into the match. The Divas were keen to change perception over what role women had in the company, and that showed through their combined efforts. Instead of receiving the usual, 'we want puppies' chants that plagued Diva bouts, Trish and Victoria heard, 'holy shit' comments from the watching audience. Behind the curtain, management watched in awe, seemingly unable to comprehend that fans were taking a match involving women entirely seriously. A lot of fans point to the likes of Lita and Chyna as one who previously aided the female cause, but Victoria and Trish Stratus were right up there too.
Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.
