Wrestling Aphrodite by The Wicked Nemesis

Wrestling Aphrodite by The Wicked Nemesis

Welcome to the latest edition of Wrestling Aphrodite. This month in wake of the Barbi Hayden/NWA incident, we will be discussing the place these matches have in wrestling.

For those unaware, the National Wrestling Alliance has crowned a new women's world champion. Barbi Hayen defeated Kacee Carlisle who had held the championship since winning the title from Tasha Simone on October 20th, 2012. Now the NWA has gone though a huge change over the last few years with entire new regime change and every championship switching hands from the reigning champions under the old power structure. In other words, this isn't your father's NWA. On January 25th 2014 Barbi Hayden defeated Kacee for the championship. Not that big of a deal seeing the NWA has seemingly moved every championship to the state of Texas. Now we can debate all day about Barbi's in ring work but that's not what this is about.

We all do things in the heat of the moment and in the passion of things we love. Richard Sherman was crucified for calling Michael Crabtree a mediocre wide receiver after knocking down what would be a game winning TD catch intended for Crabtree in the NFC Championship game. Barbi Hayden is no Richard Sherman, but she had just won her first world title. Now Barbi could have said ANYTHING passionate about winning the NWA women's world title and I believe everyone would have supported her........... BUT. Barbi decides this would be a great time to plug her customs matches...... "Don't forget to order your customs matches with the world champ." and also adds she's eating hot wings with a few guys. All this while taking her very first promo pic, with the world title in hand, in front of a green screen. Let that sink in. Now I know for the casual wrestling fan this throws up no red flags and they see nothing at all wrong with this. For those that know the LINEAGE of that very title this is an insult. It is a slap in the face to all the women who busted their asses as a wrestler and paid their dues in hopes of wearing the very title so many great women through history have held. I talked to 'Calm Like a Bomb' Pandora about this and she said that "customs matches and legit women's title matches are two totally different worlds." 'Miss Natural' Heather Patera reiterated this very statement saying "that in tis day and age women just don't see anything wrong with it" adding "most women don't understand the lineage of the women's title to begin with."

Lord knows I am not against customs matches. For a lot of ladies this is their opportunity to make good money in a day or two worth of matches. I recently interviewed Miss Rachel who runs a customs match company and i asked her to describe customs matches in its simplest terms and she said it was basically, "fans placing orders to set up matches between girls they may not get to ever see work" stating that she "contacts girls that fans have contacted her about and ask if the girls can work those days available." Some customs matches are completely script while others are simply finishes put together by fans. I've actually worked several events where customs matches have taken place and the girls can make some good money off these matches. They definitely serve a certain niche.

Fetish matches are something all to their own. There are a wide variety of those and some women refuse to be associated with these but some don't. When most people hear customs matches, they instantly think of soft-core porn matches with nudity and sometimes in a room with mats on the floors. These do exist and the same things that perverts do to these matches they could do the same to 'text book' wrestling. Just my opinion but these are the matches most casual fans think about women's wrestling. I actually asked a FEMALE fan if she would order a customs match with guys with her setting up the match and finished she said she would never buy that. Now women's wrestling isn't as prevalent as guys so customs serves a purpose. Not fetish matches.

With that being said, your first promo pic and statement after winning the only women's world title out there, that is not the time to plug customs matches. Period. Treat the title with some respect. It should be treated with the utmost honor. If someone doesn't get that simple statement, they shouldn't be holding the title. P.S. Fans shouldn't be able to carry the title.

Thank you for reading this. Next month we highlight a positive in women's wrestling: women's independent titles in the South East. Step your game up ladies.

"Wicked Nemesis" Enoch Tsarion