Bra and Panties matches, a popular staple of the Attitude and early Ruthless Aggression eras, were preceded by Tuxedo matches, which typically took place during the territory days. In those matches, wrestlers and managers would be stripped to their skivvies and would act incredibly embarrassed. It never made much sense, though, considering the fact that most Superstars competed in tights smaller than the traditional underwear. Thus, the only time the match was truly effective was when managers would compete. It was the beauty of Paul Heyman and Jim Cornette's selling of the embarrassment that really sold the match. Otherwise, it was a largely meaningless bout that failed to strike a nerve with an audience of men who were not overly keen on seeing two grown men trying to strip the other. http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x22t399_trish-stratus-vs-stacy-keibler-in-a-bra-and-panties-match-at-raw_sport The arrival of the edgier, more adult-oriented WWE programming in 1997 brought with it an increase in sexually explicit programming. Women began playing a bigger role. Fans wanted to see as much of the female performers as possible and one way WWE capitalized on that desire was to book Bra and Panties matches. It was much more appealing for men to watch two women attempt to remove each other's clothing, until one was left in their very teeny, tiny undergarments. Women such as Trish Stratus, Stacy Keibler, Lita, Torrie Wilson, Terri Runnels and Sable popularized the bout. Though the Divas typically wore very small outfits on a regular basis, the women found it quite humiliating to be stripped by another woman, to the point that they regularly ran to the locker room to avoid any further shame or embarrassment. Of course, dawn of the PG Era in WWE, not to mention a more wrestling-oriented direction for the Divas division, led to the elimination of the match.
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.
