That Wrestling Wench

Re-released episode from about a year ago. This episode is the second and final episode on Luna Vachon. Discussed are some pivotal career moments, romantic partners, tragedies she endured, the pieces that make a performance, mental illness, and much more. Luna passed away in 2010, but has remained in the minds and hearts of fans for decades, and it is unlikely to change.

This week's episode is a continuation from last week, another re-release from a little over a year ago! All about the early life of Luna Vachon, part two will be released next week!

This is a rerelease of an episode from a year ago, all about sex in wrestling. Sexuality is an interesting sociological tool that reveals not only what we desire but what we are disgusted by. Take a dive with me into the muddy waters of sexuality in professional wrestling.

Today, we embark on the wrestling documentary Gaea Girls. Released in 2000 by British filmmakers Kim Longinotto and Jano Williams, the doc follows a wrestling training center and promotion called Gaea Japan. Through the lens, the audience is shown the brutality inflicted upon its students and asks the question if realizing one's dreams is worth being put through Hell. The doc: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QgwFXZdYPY&t=1s

Today, in a continuation of the series on kayfabe, we have a special guest! Kreider Dane is a music producer based out of the greater Los Angeles area and is an avid wrestling fan. We talk all about the Montreal screw job, Vince McMahon's monopoly, Bret Hart's loogie, and much more! Sources: Dark Side of the Ring episode on the Montreal Screwjob https://www.amazon.com/Ringmaster-Vince-McMahon-Unmaking-America/dp/1982169443/ref=asc_df_1982169443/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=598275089707&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=7163926990150458173&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1014369&hvtargid=pla-1677848432876&psc=1

Today's episode continues our series on kayfabe, and discusses one of the biggest kayfabe-breaking moments in wrestling history; the original screwjob. Sources: https://www.amazon.com/Ringmaster-Vince-McMahon-Unmaking-America/dp/1982169443/ref=asc_df_1982169443/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=598275089707&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=2787888112789702699&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1014369&hvtargid=pla-1677848432876&psc=1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fW0FgLGKa4U https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIb6AZdTr-A https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2687433-how-cyndi-lauper-was-essential-in-the-launch-of-wwe-wrestlemania https://www.vicetv.com/en_us/video/the-fabulous-moolah/5c1a9d28be407707c961c83a https://prowrestlingstories.com/pro-wrestling-stories/vince-mcmahon-fabulous-moolah-wendi-richter-screwjob/ https://www.amazon.com/Cyndi-Lauper-Memoir/dp/1439147892 And more!

In this second part of this series on kayfabe, we go over what it means to watch fantasy dissipate around you. Through a few stories, we question what it means to take part in a world, and how kayfabe's change into the modern day allows us to believe even harder. Sources: https://bleacherreport.com/articles/986789-wwe-a-look-back-at-the-infamous-curtain-call-the-msg-incident https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BI4839sOVsw https://prowrestlingstories.com/pro-wrestling-stories/kayfabe-professional-wrestling/ https://www.wrestlinginc.com/1144430/times-wrestlers-got-in-trouble-for-breaking-kayfabe/ https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00948705.2019.1613410 and more!

In this series on kayfabe, we are going over what it means to build up a reality, and then watch it crash down around you. Professional wrestling blurs the lines between reality and fiction and therefore has the ability to show us what we want to be real. When we take part in the stories professional wrestling tells, we begin to be able to play with our imaginations of who we are, ourselves.

From an article Alexa wrote at the Last Word On Sports. This episode points out the through line between pro wrestling and drag performance. The article: https://lastwordonsports.com/prowrestling/2023/05/16/drag-and-wrestling-powder-and-paint/

Today's episode covers a strongwoman of the early 1900s, Charmion. Through her gender subversion, acrobatic stunts, and strip tease, this woman made people clutch their pearls. Pieces of her career and the way her narrative was shifted by those around her inspired a further discussion of the parallels to another strongwoman...Chyna. Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charmion https://archive.ph/20061111131335/http://www.smithsonianmag.com/issues/2006/march/presence.php?page=2 https://www.jstor.org/stable/40257964?mag=the-trapeze-disrobing-act&seq=2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDJCCr2-Sso https://daily.jstor.org/the-trapeze-disrobing-act/ https://www.jstor.org/stable/40257964?mag=the-trapeze-disrobing-act&seq=2

Today's mini-ish-sode is a breakdown of the article I wrote all about Jaguar Yokota for Last Word On Sports. From her inspirations to her extending her hand to those behind her, we're talking about one of the best wrestlers in history. My article on Mt. Rushmore of Women's Wrestling: https://lastwordonsports.com/prowrestling/2023/04/07/womens-wrestling-mount-rushmore-a-lifelong-debate/ Jaguar Yokota's walk out music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oODnKkzLhw

Today's episode is all about the legendary Bull Nakano's wrestling career. Sources: Sisterhood the Squared Circle An Encyclopedia of women’s wrestling https://lastwordonsports.com/prowrestling/2021/02/03/aja-kong-racism/ https://prowrestlingpost.com/aja-kong-japans-female-vader/ https://www.wrestlinginc.com/1225206/bull-nakano-doesnt-like-to-compare-the-past-and-present-of-joshi-wrestling/ https://fivestarnetwork.co/bull-nakano-interview-wrestling-chigusa-nagayo-wwe-and-more/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEc1AZLl3Bs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qElQOpA0L0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuyCD_UurvQ

Hello everyone! The podcasts name will be changing from (the f.k.a) Queen of the Ring to That Wrestling Wench.

Today's episode is a mini one, Alexa talks about how, in her New Japan Pro Wrestling debut match, Mercedes Mone paid homage to the late Hana Kimura. Alexa touches on fashion as identity within professional wrestling. Sources: https://www.wrestlinginc.com/1204408/mercedes-mone-pays-homage-to-hana-kimura-at-njpw-battle-in-the-valley/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2s2z2aGO_k

This mini episode is all about the 2023 women's Royal Rumble match. Discussed are some highs and some lows, and the lead up to this event with Raw 30. I hope you enjoy.

This is the conclusion to our two part series on Mae Young! Today's episode goes through meeting The Fabulous Moolah, wrestling schools, bringing women's wrestling to Japan, a return to Evangelicalism, and a power bomb through a table. I hope you'll join. Sources: Chattanooga Daily Times Chattanooga, Tennessee 06 Jul 1947, Sun • Page 38 The Wilmington Morning Star Wilmington, North Carolina Mon, Nov 01, 1943 Star Tribune Minneapolis, Minnesota Sun, Jan 24, 1943 · Page 26 Chattanooga Daily Times Chattanooga, Tennessee Tue, Jul 01, 1947 · Page 14 Chattanooga Daily Times Chattanooga, Tennessee Sun, Jul 06, 1947 · Page 38 The Knoxville Journal Knoxville, Tennessee Fri, Sep 19, 1947 · Page 20 The Charlotte News Charlotte, North Carolina Fri, Dec 17, 1948 · Page 25 The Corning Daily Observer Corning, California Thu, May 19, 1949 · Page 2 https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/professional-wrestling-world-war-ii https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1913947-wwe-hall-of-famer-mae-young-passes-away-at-age-90 https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/mae-young-tough-cookie-of-pro-wrestling-dies-at-90/2014/01/18/4f20e786-805d-11e3-9556-4a4bf7bcbd84_story.html https://www.wwe.com/article/mae-young-life-story https://reference.jrank.org/biography-2/Young_Mae.html https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2014/01/09/261226740/wrestling-fans-mourn-mae-young-90-a-pioneer-of-the-ring https://www.thesportster.com/wwe-mae-young-facts-trivia-things-to-know/ http://socaluncensored.com/2018/06/11/mae-youngs-los-angeles-wrestling-school/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mae_Young_Classic https://lasvegassun.com/news/1999/jun/11/the-fabulous-moolah-leads-the-elder-stateswomen-of/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dL_HPuY80XY&t=349s https://www.wrestlingdata.com/index.php?befehl=bios&wrestler=17744 https://bleacherreport.com/articles/280199-wrestling-in-southern-california-from-the-60s-to-the-present https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vTRkpc7Ots&t=372s https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Wrestling/MaeYoung https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMhFTv6OBXY http://socaluncensored.com/2018/06/11/mae-youngs-los-angeles-wrestling-school/

The first part of this series on Mae Young talks about her early life and career. We discuss Ed "The Strangler" Lewis, Evangelical religion, arrests, and what makes a villain in wrestling. The second part will be out in the coming weeks. Sources: Chattanooga Daily Times Chattanooga, Tennessee 06 Jul 1947, Sun • Page 38 The Wilmington Morning Star Wilmington, North Carolina Mon, Nov 01, 1943 Star Tribune Minneapolis, Minnesota Sun, Jan 24, 1943 · Page 26 Chattanooga Daily Times Chattanooga, Tennessee Tue, Jul 01, 1947 · Page 14 Chattanooga Daily Times Chattanooga, Tennessee Sun, Jul 06, 1947 · Page 38 The Knoxville Journal Knoxville, Tennessee Fri, Sep 19, 1947 · Page 20 The Charlotte News Charlotte, North Carolina Fri, Dec 17, 1948 · Page 25 The Corning Daily Observer Corning, California Thu, May 19, 1949 · Page 2 https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/professional-wrestling-world-war-ii https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1913947-wwe-hall-of-famer-mae-young-passes-away-at-age-90 https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/mae-young-tough-cookie-of-pro-wrestling-dies-at-90/2014/01/18/4f20e786-805d-11e3-9556-4a4bf7bcbd84_story.html https://www.wwe.com/article/mae-young-life-story https://reference.jrank.org/biography-2/Young_Mae.html https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2014/01/09/261226740/wrestling-fans-mourn-mae-young-90-a-pioneer-of-the-ring https://www.thesportster.com/wwe-mae-young-facts-trivia-things-to-know/ http://socaluncensored.com/2018/06/11/mae-youngs-los-angeles-wrestling-school/

Today's minisode is all about the pay-per-view Full Gear from All Elite Wrestling. The pieces of the show I am focusing on throughout this episode are the return of Saraya to the wrestling ring and the match between Toni Storm and Jamie Hayter.

Todays episode is all about Kia Stevens also known as Awesome Kong. Listen along to hear about her trying out for cheer, Tough Enough, the ethics behind her ring name, her relationship with Aja Kong, GLOW, and much more! Sources: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdiThYyboAs https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=9DaQDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA25&dq=awesome+kong&ots=R7gAQhE_m7&sig=LNvrdAz_gWgI0ZV9qWFk6nB-cZE#v=onepage&q=awesome%20kong&f=false https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Awesome_Kong https://www.reddit.com/r/SquaredCircle/comments/9v8iy5/reby_to_ashley_massaro_last_time_we_spoke_i_said/ https://www.google.com/search?q=fleshed+muscular+phenomenology+across+sexed+and+queer+circus+bodies+pdf&source=lmns&bih=737&biw=1440&rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS982US982&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiZxr-51fn6AhWXYTABHW0vCZoQ_AUoAHoECAEQAA https://bleacherreport.com/articles/329065-bubb-the-love-sponge-vs-awesome-kong https://www.google.com/search?q=scam+goddess+welfare+queen&rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS982US982&oq=scam+goddess+welfare+queen&aqs=chrome..69i57j33i160l2.9008j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8 https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=ioRJDAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA59&dq=monster+strongwomen&ots=kcBZljTkQr&sig=a0R0MmaUTJjfryMl_O29PiM35jw#v=onepage&q=monster%20strongwomen&f=false https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAvTWLDH3nQ

Today's episode is all about labor rights in professional wrestling. Since this topic is so vast, I hope to continue it on as a series. From how shitty Hulk Hogan is to circus inspiration, listen along. Sources: https://prowrestlingstories.com/pro-wrestling-stories/wrestling-union/ Wrestling Union – Failed Attempts and a History of Blackballing by WWE Javier Ojst Steve Austin Show https://grantland.com/features/wwe-hell-cell-john-cena-history-wrestling-real-scripted-labor-movement/ On WWE and Organized LaborDavid Shoemaker https://cupdf.com/document/employees-vs-independent-contractors-and-professional-wrestling.html?page=1 EMPLOYEES VS. INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS AND PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING: HOW THE WWE IS TAKING A FOLDING-CHAIR TO THE BASIC TENETS OF EMPLOYMENT LAW David Cowley In plain sight - Examining the harms of professional wrestling as state-corporate crime Corteen, KM https://www.academia.edu/49783001/In_plain_sight_examining_the_harms_of_professional_wrestling_as_state_corporate_crime IRS 20 Factor Test – Independent Contractor or Employee? https://www.academia.edu/8024839/COMMENTARY_A_WRESTLERS_LIFE_FULL_TIME_WORKER_AS_INDEPENDENT_CONTRACTOR A WRESTLER’S LIFE: FULL-TIME WORKER ASINDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR Michael Schiavone https://www.upi.com/Archives/1988/08/16/Professional-wrestling-should-be-deregulated-in-Texas-because-it/3635587707200/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-uozbzDo2c https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1nwV1T3_I8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8UQ4O7UiDs https://www.cagesideseats.com/2011/4/21/2125160/the-sad-story-of-shannon-daffney-spruill https://www.sportscasting.com/a-breakdown-of-how-wwe-wrestlers-get-paid/ https://scholarship.law.marquette.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1742&context=sportslaw https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1110575-wwe-news-wrestlings-risks-warrant-a-labor-unions-rewards https://lastwordonsports.com/prowrestling/2019/07/28/pro-wrestling-eve-joins-union-equity-uk/ https://organizing.work/2020/11/wrestlers-have-always-wanted-a-union-why-dont-they-have-one/