IWC Scum — SkitZ Gushes Over His Women’s Mount Rushmore From Each Era
Welcome back to the column that puts the incessant whining and complaining in IWC. I’m a roody-poo candy ass named SkitZ who can’t even glance at the title of this article without craving Fruit Gushers.
While eating breakfast with the girlfriend last week, she showed me a post from an Instagram fan page where they had created multiple tiers that were meant to signify the most recent women’s eras in WWE, and who best defined them. There were 3-4 wrestlers per class, and after mulling over the IG user’s choices, my mind began to run wild with the concept. Moments later, I was scribbling out a chart in a notebook while hemming and hawing over who belonged in each bracket. Immediately went into full dweeb mode. The OCD-riddled compartmentalizer in me loved every waking minute of putting this shit together.
My original plan was to break it down into 5-year intervals dating back to the mid ‘90s, but that many Mount Rushmores seemed far too inclusive. Therefore, I ultimately settled on separating the past three decades into their own respective eras. Four women per monument, with some honorable mentions thrown in for the names I almost immortalized.
[1996-2005]
Chyna: Gone far too soon, from WWE as well as this spinning blue ball we call Earth. Watching the Ninth Wonder of the World wrestle the dudes was not only unprecedented, but believable given her hulkish build. She served as the prototype for future badasses such as Beth Phoenix and Rhea Ripley, while also being the first woman to compete in a Royal Rumble match, win the Intercontinental Title, etc. Making Chyna the Women’s Champion towards the end of her run was akin to putting the Light Heavyweight Title on Brock Lesnar – simply not fair.
Here we are nearly 25 years later and Chyna still hasn’t received the love she deserves from WWE, likely because of the next female on this Mount Rushmore.
Stephanie McMahon: The option to place her in the next bracket proved tempting, but I really do believe the Billion Dollar Princess belongs in this era. Steph’s involvement in The Ministry of Darkness nonsense, along with her onscreen marriage to Triple H and the ensuing formation of the McMahon-Helmsley faction supersedes any of the Invasion angle or SmackDown General Manager stuff. Still a tough decision though given that Stephanie’s boom period as a TV character spanned 1999-2003.
Trish Stratus: Never in my wildest wet dreams did I think Trish would evolve into arguably the greatest women’s wrestler of all-time. Certainly not based on the first few years of her career when Vince had Stratus crawling around on all fours like a trained Shih Tzu. Trish’s career could’ve played out very differently, but she – along with a handful of other females – fought to legitimize themselves as wrestlers comparable to the men. Her rivalries with Lita and Mickie James were complete game changers. The 7-time Women’s Champion might’ve left everyone in the GOAT conversation choking on her dust had she not retired so young.
Lita: The cool alternative chick who symbolized the trends of that time period better than anyone. Amy Dumas was the type of woman you could see yourself and the homies skateboarding with, playing video games with, starting a band with, etc. The lucha and ECW influences were very evident in Lita’s presentation and skillset, which made her drastically different from the status quo in WWE. One could argue she was also the first female who made women’s matches exciting, outside of Chyna occasionally press slamming a dude. What’s ironic is how Lita’s fling and onscreen pairing with Edge resulted in him winning countless titles, while ultimately costing the 4-time Women’s Champ more accolades towards the tail end of her initial run with the company.
{ Honorable Mentions }
Sable: Marc Mero’s former meal ticket was my introduction to the anatomy of the opposite sex. Revealing outfits, boobies covered in black painted handprints, Playboy spreads… You can imagine what 12-year old SkitZ did with all this overstimulation. Sable’s popularity by ‘98 rivaled a lot of the top male stars in the company, during which time she won the revived Women’s Title and had fun feuds with Luna, Jacqueline and even her soon-to-be ex-husband. Of course a chick as objectified as Sable would eventually get caught up in a sexual harassment lawsuit against WWE, and in classic Vinnie Mac style, he brought her back just a few years later.
Molly Holly: A relatively brief tenure in WWE, but one that began during wrestling’s peak period and stretched on past it. From her debut as The Holly’s cousin to Spike’s girlfriend to The Hurricane’s trusty sidekick, Molly demonstrated her versatility as a performer time and time again. Even after eventually turning into what today’s kids would call a Karen, Holly still delivered as a character and no-nonsense wrestler; further proving her commitment by going full Sinead O’Connor at WrestleMania XX.
[2006-2015]
Mickie James: The very first name that popped into my head from this era. She took what Trish and Lita built for women’s wrestling, and did everything within her power to expand upon it. Hence why her release in 2010 genuinely shocked me, as I considered her the best female talent in WWE at the time not named Beth Phoenix. Between the Piggy James bullshit and later sending her ass packing in the form of a Hefty trash bag, I felt like her greatness went underappreciated by Vince for so long. It’s nice to see Mickie finally receiving her flowers in more recent years. You couldn’t ask for a better starter feud than her 8-month obsessive lesbo angle with Trish. Couple that with solid feuds against the likes of Lita, Melina and Beth, along with being a 6-time Women’s/Divas Champion, and James gets carved onto this Mount Rushmore without a second thought.
Beth Phoenix: The Glamazon was such a force to be reckoned with that she placed every opponent at an immediate disadvantage. Enjoyed plenty of success during her run, but should’ve been a much bigger deal than WWE made her out to be. Unfortunately, Phoenix came along when the company still booked women’s wrestling like dog shit, which made it the ideal piss break of every episode. You can’t blame the 2017 Hall of Famer for bouncing when she did, but had Beth not been so creatively frustrated and eager to pop out a couple of Edgeheads, who knows how large her legend could’ve grown. Glamarella for life.
AJ Lee: While Paige might’ve been paler and more pierced, your boy SkitZ credits Mrs. Punk for being WWE’s first true anti-diva. Despite her intoxicating cuteness, I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that AJ snuck up on the majority of us. She went from an unremarkable stint in NXT to dominating the second half of this decade in terms of screen time and character work. Whether she was Daniel Bryan’s punching bag or driving everybody up a wall as the RAW General Manager, Lee simply had a look and delivery that captivated people whenever she appeared on our televisions. Her 10-month reign as Divas Champion went a long way towards steering women’s wrestling in the right direction.
Bella Twins: Listen, I reallyyyyy didn’t wanna put Nikki or Brie on this type of pedestal. Including them in such lofty company pained my heart and soul. I even considered using the twins taking up two spots on the mountaintop as a reason to omit them, before succumbing to the reality that they’re a package deal. Outside of a couple notable females, this era offered some slim pickings so allow me to plead my case real quick.
Excuse A: There are other major factors besides just who has the best matches and most championship reigns under their belt. If that were the be-all end-all in my decision making, these curvaceous Mount Rushmores would look a helluva lot different.
Excuse B: When it comes to things like longevity, exposure, reaction and cultural impact, The Bellas check a bunch of the boxes that their contemporaries failed to fully climb out from.
Excuse C: Shows like Total Divas were total trash TV, but they still brought more visibility to the women of WWE. Of course Nikki & Brie’s relationships with John Cena and Daniel Bryan advanced their careers. So what? Do you think Stephanie would be in the position she’s in today if Vince McMahon wasn’t her father? Fuck no.
Exhibit D: …You know what, this one’s not important or appropriate. Let’s move along so I can close my argument with the chicks who didn’t quite make the cut.
{ Honorable Mentions }
Nattie: The Queen of Harts had a hand in training plenty of the women who’ve gone on to achieve success and superstardom in WWE. She’s also served as a stepping stone for most of them at some point or another. Neidhart is the female Dolph Ziggler, except with nowhere near the career credentials. I’d love to place Natalya among the greats, but on what merits exactly? Rather than stringing together an impressive Divas Title reign in 2010/11 or leveling up after aligning with Beth Phoenix, I mainly remember this run of Nattie’s for her farting gimmick and storyline romance with The Great Khali, which might’ve been Neidhart’s most interesting work prior to the AAA/Bloodsport stuff.
Paige: Hopefully this doesn’t come off as being too harsh, but I find her contributions to the women’s revolution to be a bit blown out of proportion. Did she play a vital part in the emergence of lady’s wrestling that spawned in NXT and spread to the main roster? Yes. Did she bring a super unique presentation to the table? Absolutely. Aside from that though? Paige was shoved aside less than two years later in favor of The Four Horsewomen, then had her Alberto Del Uh-oh phase where she missed over a year of action, only to return for a few matches before the neck issues forced an early retirement. It’s a checkered resume to say the least. I wouldn’t be shocked if Saraya goes to TNA due to WWE not offering her a new contract.
[2016-2025]
Charlotte Flair: As much as some haters will try to dispute it, The Queen belongs on this Mount Rushmore as much as any name from said timeframe. WWE’s beaten us over the head with Flair being a 14-time World Champion more often than her father’s counted on those legend contracts to avoid financial ruin. Trips & Co. are also guilty of pulling a Roman Reigns with Charlotte where they waited far too long to allow her some natural character growth. Still doesn’t change the fact though that Charlotte is undisputedly GOATed from head to toe. I suppose you could knock Flair’s promo game back then for being a tad weak, but it matters very little when lumped in with all of her strengths. The Queen’s beaten everybody, won everything, set records in the process, and made history on more occasions than I can readily recall. We’ll see how long this current stretch of goodwill lasts Charlotte when she dethrones Jade at WrestleMania 42.
Becky Lynch: Over the course of her first three years on the main roster, The Lass Kicker didn’t win a whole lot in terms of championships. Or plain winning in general. Since 2019 however, The Man’s probably captured more gold than any women’s wrestler on Earth (outside of Mercedes 12 Belts of course). Becky’s been a shooting star long enough to be overlooked, pushed to the moon, and despised for never descending back down from her self-preserved stratosphere. Arguably the most meteoric rise we’ve ever witnessed in WWE as far as a female talent goes. Gotta give Lynch her props for constantly evolving as a performer and churning out the best feuds RAW has to offer. Look no further than what Becky’s done for the Intercontinental Title here in 2025. Just in this one reign alone, her work with Lyra, AJ Lee and Maxxine Dupri speaks for itself.
Asuka: WWE recently aired a video package honoring her decade of dominance just to piss off Goldberg, and it couldn’t have been more warranted. Not only did The Empress of Tomorrow’s two and half year undefeated streak consist of competitive matches that actually happened, but Asuka changed the game as far as the influx of Japanese stars who followed her lead in joining the company. If not for the 2018 Royal Rumble winner kicking the door in, there may have never been a Kairi Sane. Or an Iyo Sky. Or a Giulia for that matter. Asuka’s stat line is so ridiculously consistent across the last decade, and even at 44, she hasn’t lost a step. Her recent run with Sane against the likes of Rhiyo and Charlexa is proof of that. The only blemish career-wise is this Underfaker streak that Asuka’s compiled at WrestleMania (0-6 thus far), but I have a feeling she’ll finally crack that goose egg come late April.
Rhea Ripley: Controversial pick? Hmmmm perhaps when you consider who she beat out for this final spot. Mami also didn’t escape NXT until early 2020, nor does she boast as many accomplishments as the names left off this Mount Rushmore, but I’ll get to those distant seconds in a minute. Rhea Ripley is a rockstar in wrestling gear. She’s an amalgamation of all the badass women who came before her, yet still somehow her own unique entity. How many other chicks have reached the type of celebrity status where they literally can’t go anywhere without getting moshpitted into the nearest corner? This emo alt chick spikes my adrenaline and entrances me when her music hits in a way that very few female wrestlers ever have, and I’ve never not seen Rhea deliver in a big match situation. Her battles with Iyo throughout ‘25 are in a category all their own. Who else can say they’ve pinned Asuka, Charlotte and Becky at Mania in World Title bouts? Triple Crown Champion, Grand Slam Champion, and the single biggest women’s star in WWE at the moment.
{ Honorable Mentions }
Sasha Banks: If this classification study only pertained to 2016-2021, she’d be in with flying colors. The Boss was more decorated than her wig collection over that timespan. Sasha’s decision to leave WWE during ‘22 made mine relatively simple in excluding her from my modern Mount Rushmore. Mercedes Mone remains one of the greatest women’s wrestlers to ever lace up a pair of boots, but within a WWE-centric selection process, she falls as short as her ex in securing a trophy wife for life.
Bayley: And in keeping with her career theme of always being left on the outside looking in, the habitual hugger receives the snub once again. Nothing against Bayley mind you, who seems like a lovely person and certified bro backstage. Aside from the Intercontinental Championship, she’s pretty much conquered everything there is to attain in WWE… so then why does it feel like something’s still missing? There’s a void that never goes away in the form of a disconnect with the fans who respect Bayley, but don’t root for her as passionately as they do other fan favorites.
Bianca Belair: There’s a ton of parallels between The EST and Ripley in terms of timing and trajectory. As far as becoming the top female star on the main roster, Bianca beat Rhea to the punch, only to fall behind later on down the road. WWE was extremely high on Belair for a three-year stretch which saw her defeat Sasha, Becky and Asuka at consecutive WrestleMania’s. She’s cooled off a tad since then, mainly because of a lingering hand injury that’s forced Bianca to sit out the majority of 2025.
Alexa Bliss: I daresay The Goddess found her groove on the main roster faster than The Four Horsewomen did. Bliss took the heel persona she created in NXT and further utilized it on RAW and SmackDown to tremendous success. You’d be hard pressed to find a hotter act in WWE throughout 2017-18 than Alexa who always seemed to have a mic in hand and a title sitting around her waist. Following a blistering pace out of the gate though, things took a drastic turn over the second half of the decade. Bliss missed a ton of time due to injuries, giving birth and creative lapses surrounding Bray’s release and passing, which ultimately killed her chances of making the mountaintop.
Whew, there you have it. That took way longer than expected. The first two Mount Rushmores were a fucking cakewalk compared to the crowded maze that this past decade has turned into. Picking just four names during the hard launch of women’s wrestling is damn near impossible I tell ya. Feel free to hurl insults and expletives at my questionable choices. I’m fully prepared to receive death threats for leaving Iyo out. Or at least a motion to remove me from the site after not even mentioning Liv Morgan. I like to live dangerously.