Showing And Giving Respect

Showing And Giving Respect

As a woman in this world, I, along with many young ladies am subjected to flirtatious remarks on a regular basis. While some of these remarks are usually harmless and actually can be considered mere compliments, there are some people, particularly on social media that take their advances a little too far when it comes to attempting to attract a woman. These kinds of people are often referred to as creepers.

For women in the professional wrestling industry, unwanted creepy comments unfortunately become even more common, so common there is a Facebook page that will publicly expose creepers that are disrespectful to women in the wrestling industry. On a regular basis, I am usually asked inappropriate personal questions such as what kind of undergarments I wear underneath my ring gear, what my bra size is, if I am a virgin, if I will mud wrestle someone in a bikini or wrestle in nothing but my undergarments etc. I am also sent unwanted dirty pictures and repeatedly asked to send dirty pictures (The answer is still no!). As a woman, these unnecessary and inappropriate questions, remarks and messages that I receive makes me feel disrespected. Women who have to deal with inappropriate actions from creepers online often feel as if they are only being seen as eye candy or sexual objects rather than the successful, strong, intelligent and talented women that they truly are.

Many of us female wrestlers hate dealing with creepers because we want to be respected as athletes devoted to our craft. We want to be seen as women breaking the barriers in a male-dominated sport. We want our skills in the ring to be praised instead of only hearing how hot we look in some spandex shorts or pants.

No matter how much I blocked these people, the creepy comments and overly personal questions being asked got so hand out of hand that at one point, I had to turn what was once my personal accounts into public accounts. I had to hide personal details on Facebook such as my phone number (something Facebook pretty much requires you to have in order for you to have an account nowadays) so I would stop getting random texts from creepers and unwanted phone calls at 4 a.m. I had to take off my birth name and have my ring name be featured so people would stop referring to or asking to refer to me by my birth name but even after doing all of that, the creepers still make inappropriate remarks and ask questions that are too personal to ask someone you don’t know.

So here’s the thing. If you don’t want to be blocked by us women (not just women wrestlers but women in general as even women from all sorts of careers including teachers, cosmetologists, actresses, secretaries etc receive inappropriate messages and comments), then please just learn to be respectful by observing what you say. Despite what some of you may argue about your “feelings” towards us, you can control your words. Need some tips on how to do that? I’ll break it down for you.

First, please do not ask us what our phone number is, what our address is, if we are virgins, what type of undergarments we wear, what our bra sizes are or any other questions that would be considered personal and inappropriate to ask someone you don’t know. If we wanted you to know any of that information, we’d tell it to you without you having to ask. Furthermore, if you wouldn’t want your mother, sister, daughter, grandmother, aunt, niece etc. being asked those questions, what makes you think we want to be asked those questions, especially repeatedly when you don’t get the answer you want to hear from us.

Secondly, do not send us dirty pictures because if we didn’t ask for them, we don’t care to see them. Anytime I get sent dirty pictures, it’s an instant block and many other women block instantly when they are sent those as well. Some women will even inform their boyfriends, husbands, brothers, fathers, best guy friends that you are sending dirty pictures or inappropriate messages and comments. You don’t want these men to get involved for bothering women in their lives that they care about because when that happens, the situation can get ugly real quickly. Furthermore, if you wouldn’t want your little sister, niece or daughter receiving dirty pictures like that from men, you should think twice about sending it to other women who are daughters, sisters and nieces to someone, even if they are grown adults.

Third, please don’t ask us to accept your friend request if we don’t know you or if we delete you, after previously being our friend on social media. If we deleted you, we removed you from our friends list for a reason. Recently, I had to explain to someone why I removed them from my friends list. After explaining to this person that I removed them because they were being disrespectful, they continuously begged me to re-add them, kept asking why I removed them as a friend after already explaining and continuously kept bothering me after I asked them to leave me alone repeatedly.

 It eventually got to the point where I warned this person that if they kept bothering me and being disrespectful, I would block them, to which they responded that they would kill themselves if I did. Before that happened, the craziest thing a creeper had done was say they were going to pray to God that I would fall in love with them and marry them, after I rejected their proposal. First of all, you should never pressure, blackmail or try to guilt or force a woman into doing or not doing something. Finally, if a woman does not want to do something, she doesn’t have to do it, plain and simple and if a woman wants you to leave her alone, please just respect her request. There are plenty of other women looking for someone special so if a woman doesn’t have any interest in you, go find one who does instead of continuously harassing one that does not. 

Light & Dark: Staying Positive In A Negative World

Light & Dark: Staying Positive In A Negative World

Anyone who truly knows me is aware that I constantly share positive quotes and messages through my social media outlets. However, sometimes it can be hard to stay positive when going through very tough, difficult, stressful and dark situations. This is my message to anyone who is going through hard times that is trying to stay positive amidst all the chaos and hardships circulating around them.

It’s okay. It’s okay to be vulnerable. It’s okay to be sad and it is most certainly okay to cry it out. There is nothing wrong with that and nothing to be ashamed over regarding that. Sometimes crying it out and venting actually can be a positive way of voicing your frustrations during hard times and can be a way to relieve that stress bottled up from inside, so long as you do it safely in a way that does not harm you or others.

I have endured many hard times in my life, although you most likely wouldn’t know it, judging by all the positive messages and quotes I share on my social media accounts. While I choose to hide my problems on social media, that certainly does not stop me from crying when I am upset, depressed or hurt. Crying helps me to get out the stress and worries I try to not show others.

Now, I’m not saying you have to cry in private, with nobody else around. That is just something I try to do, particularly in my room or at my desk at work. If you have a close friend or family member you can talk to about anything including your troubles, if you have a shoulder to cry on and you prefer to have someone there to comfort you during those hard times, turn to them. They will understand and will do everything they can to help you through your struggles, even if that means praying for you, holding your hand as you cry or giving you a warm hug as you talk about your problems.

In conclusion, just know that you are not alone and you do not have to feel humiliated or ashamed for your tears. You should not feel embarrassed for voicing your problems to anyone, whether that is a counselor, relative, member of your church, God etc. Just remember that even when times get rough, they don’t stay that way forever and while it is perfectly fine to cry, it is also okay to smile or even laugh through those tears. 

Dare To Be Different: The Importance Of Maintaining Individuality

Dare To Be Different: The Importance Of Maintaining Individuality

We often find people in our lives that inspire us, such as celebrities, political figures and even friends or family. They inspire us to want to do something they have done, dress the way they do etc. While finding inspiration from these people can be a positive thing, we should remember to not let it change the person we are completely.

In a world where society wants us to dress a certain way, look and behave a certain way, we need to remember not to lose ourselves. We need to hold on to what makes us unique, whether that’s your passion you have for a certain sport, hobby, personal interest etc. I have seen it on many occasions where people have tried to copy off of others, whether that is through someone’s behavior, actions, style etc. While there is nothing wrong with being inspired by others uniqueness, we should never let it take away anything regarding the person we truly are and we should never change who we are just to try and impress others, gain more popularity or to try and garner attention, especially from someone we look up to or admire.

If people can’t like you for who you are as an individual, then they honestly don’t deserve someone unique and special like you in their lives. You don’t need to look a certain way or imitate someone to fit in. You were born to stand out. That is why we all have our own differences and that is nothing we should ever try to hide or be ashamed of. That is something we should never criticize others for.

As a woman, I hope this message reaches little girls and young ladies who are in that stage of trying to discover who they are as they grow up. I hope they know that they do not need to seek anyone’s approval to be who they are, whether that is a cheerleader for the high school football team, an alto singer in the school choir, a bookworm that loves going to school every day to learn, the gym class wallflower etc. You don’t have to change who you are to get people to like you. The right people will accept you for the amazing individual that you are. So go out and be that wonderfully unique person the world deserves to see.

Happy & Healthy: Maintaining A Positive Body Image

Happy & Healthy: Maintaining A Positive Body Image

            In a world where judgment is quickly and unfairly cast, in a world where society and others constantly scrutinize every single detail about your physical appearance, from your hair color, body type, what you wear etc., it is vital that we do everything in our power to maintain a positive self-image. We need to remember that nobody should be stereotyped or criticized for their physical appearance in any form, from skin color, weight, height etc. We weren’t all made to look the same. Each of us has unique physical attributes that we should embrace as beautiful, instead of casting them off as flaws about ourselves and others. So how do we maintain that self-confidence and positive body image in a world that constantly thinks less of others based on looks?

            According to Dove, more than half of the women in the world agree that they are their worse critic when it comes to their appearance. Us women constantly take that quick glance in the mirror multiple times a day and find something we nitpick regarding how we look, whether that be wrinkles, crooked teeth, the acne that pops up on our face randomly, chap lips no matter how much lip balm we use or the dreaded “muffin top”. We begin to lack so much confidence that what we see as our own flaws, we expect others around us to see as flaws of ours also and sometimes what we once saw as positive attributes with our bodies, we begin to see as insecurities due to body-shaming along with the media and today’s society pressuring girls and young women to look like supermodels such as Jessica Stam, Miranda Kerr and Emily DiDonato or like famous Hollywood starlets such as Natalie Portman, Jessica Alba and Keira Knightley. So what can we do to solve the issue of poor self-confidence caused by negative views towards our appearance?

For starters, we can stop thinking and saying negative things about ours and other people’s physical appearances. Instead of choosing to dwell on something we find negative or ugly about ourselves and others, we should focus on what we find beautiful and positive. For example, if you love your smile or the color of your eyes, say something positive about that when you take that look in the mirror. Focus on the things you find beautiful about yourself and you will feel more confident about yourself that day as opposed to focusing on what you feel are flaws, which can make you feel insecure all day.

As for others, let’s stop comparing ourselves to them. There is nothing wrong with thinking your best friend has perfect hair but don’t make yourself feel bad about how your hair looks all because you wish it was as gorgeous as theirs. On another note, don’t compare yourself to how a celebrity or public figure looks. We’re not all going to look like Lily James, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Blake Lively, Margot Robbie or whoever else your favorite celebrity is. Since we know we’re not going to look like that, why not just accept ourselves and others as who they uniquely are instead of worrying about what’s wrong with how either we or they look and instead of comparing ours and other’s looks to someone famous.

Another thing you can do to keep yourself feeling positive about your body image is writing a list of all the things you like about yourself. Whenever you are discouraged about your bodily appearance, just read the list of everything that you do love about yourself. This, in turn, will help boost your self-confidence as you think positive thoughts.

Next, it is important to keep a positive support group around you, whether that is friends or family. Sometimes this can be hard to find as people close to you can be the ones actually body-shaming you. Whoever is negatively pressuring you to look a certain way, you should try to ignore or avoid, if possible.

For me personally, I turn to some of my closest friends as a support group when I feel insecure about my looks, due to other people around me, particularly family, body-shaming me for multiple things including my hair, teeth, face, waist size and skin tone. When I start to feel insecure about my looks, my friends are there to remind me that they accept me just as I am and that I shouldn’t be ashamed of that. I am so thankful to them for that which is why I am encouraging every woman to find people in their life who are just as accepting, positive and caring to be their support group.

Another thing that you can do to feel better about yourself is to do something that helps you relax and makes your body feel good. Some suggestions include a facial, yoga, taking a bubble bath, getting a massage or taking a nap. There is nothing wrong with pampering yourself every now and then, especially when it helps take your mind off anything worrying or troubling you.

As a matter of fact, anything that boosts your confidence is important. If wearing that favorite outfit, listening to some music or playing a favorite sport brings you happiness, you should go do that. Anything that distracts you from negativity and brings positivity to your life is always a wonderful thing.

In conclusion, remember that it doesn’t matter what others negatively think about your physical appearance. It doesn’t matter if you look different than what society and the media considers attractive. What matters is that you feel comfortable and confident with who you are and how you look. As long as you feel happy and healthy, that’s all that really matters. Now go out in the world and show them how unique , beautiful and amazing you are!

The Importance Of Women's Empowerment

The Importance of Women’s Empowerment

            What is empowerment? According to Oxford University Press, empowerment is defined as either “Authority or power given to someone to do something” or “The process of becoming stronger and more confident, especially in controlling one’s life and claiming one’s rights.” So what does this mean for women’s empowerment exactly?

            To me, women’s empowerment is the ability to do something that inspires other women and helps them reach their own goals, dreams and successes.  While we have had many great examples of women who embody that empowerment in the past, such as Amelia Earhart, Marie Curie, Benazir Bhutto, Hedy Lamarr and Maya Angelou, any woman can be an advocate for women’s empowerment. Even women of the present like Malala Yousafzai, Bethany Hamilton, J.K. Rowling, Laura Bush and Mary Lou Retton have all inspired young girls and women to accomplish their dreams by sharing stories and messages of how they’ve personally accomplished their own.

Women’s empowerment can be found through any woman, whether she’s a marine biologist, engineer, chiropractor, lawyer, real estate agent etc. It doesn’t matter her profession because if she is inspiring others through her chosen career and pioneering the way for future women in her job field, then she is an advocate for women empowerment because she shows through her day to day life that she can balance between her job and her personal life. She can work eight to ten hours a day and still find the time to handle her bills, take care of her children (if she has any), shop for groceries, workout at the gym etc.

I personally believe women’s empowerment is important because future generations should know that they can accomplish anything they set their mind to and that they should never allow anything to hold them back, even their gender. If a little girl dreams of someday being an archaeologist, she should never be told that she can’t do it just because she is a female. Instead, she should be encouraged to go for her dream with positive words of support. By encouraging young women and little girls to go for their goals in life, we are changing the way this world thinks of women in male-dominated career fields.

Additionally, by supporting each other as women in any respective occupational field, we open many doors of possibilities, by being positive role models for future female figures and leaders in those careers.  We should never degrade or put down each other as women for any reason. Not only does it mess with a woman’s confidence and self-esteem which can affect her in many hurtful ways, from her career, education, physical appearance etc., but what does it tell little girls and young ladies growing up that look to us adult women as inspiration? It tells them that it is ok to hurt others for what we believe to be flaws instead of respecting and uplifting others for their successes and positive attributes.

So in conclusion, I challenge the women of today to rise up together and be the role models that the female youth of today constantly need. Be the strong mothers who help their children to succeed. Be the bold leaders in your chosen professions that these girls can look up and aspire to be like. Simply put, take the advice of Mahatma Gandhi and “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” 

An Emphasis On True Beauty

An Emphasis On True Beauty

Today, many little girls and young women are pressured into society’s views on what beauty is. Society has many different views on beauty but one thing the majority of those views have in common is that they are mostly related to physical appearance. Some in the fashion and cosmetics industry would argue that the perfect definition of beauty is a size 2 or smaller, a perfectly straight white smile, tan skin and curly blonde hair. Others would argue that a size 14 or larger with plump lips, acne-free skin and thick, dark hair is what a real woman should look like if she wants to be considered beautiful.

But why should we care so much about other’s opinions of our looks? What does someone’s physical appearance honestly have to do with how you live your life? How does criticizing other's physical appearance better or benefit you or your life in any way? Women should not  feel the need to put down other women’s physical appearance all because of our own insecurities, mostly brought on upon society telling us how we have to look, act and dress to be considered feminine and beautiful.  By giving into society’s limited and stressful demands on what they think real beauty should be, we open up dangers to our bodies that lead to eating disorders, skin cancer and other major health issues.

Now I’m not saying there is nothing wrong with pampering yourself to a facial, new hairstyle or manicure every once in a while, especially if it makes you feel better about yourself. That’s actually the message I am trying to get across. Do what makes you feel better about yourself and makes you feel happy and healthy without criticizing others for how they look or how they dress.  In fact, it’s better to actually compliment instead of criticize.

For example, if someone looks absolutely amazing in a dress or particular outfit, don’t hate on them for wearing it. Tell them they look amazing! You never know how self-conscious they may be feeling while wearing it. By letting them know, they look great, it may give them the confidence boost they need instead of making them even more self-conscious by nitpicking how they look out of spite, due to what we feel about our own insecurities.  It doesn’t matter if a lady is a size 3, a size 7 or a size 16, if she looks amazing in any possible way, compliment her for it!

As women, we should be supporting each other’s strengths instead of condemning what we feel are each other’s weaknesses. I truly feel like little girls and young women need those positive affirmations in their lives as they grow up in a world that can be so hateful on how people look, especially through body-shaming and media such as magazines, fashion shows and photo-shopped pictures of celebrities that basically tell us the entertainment and fashion industries views on what they say is considered pretty. Let’s focus more of an emphasis on inner beauty by lifting each other up through positive words of kindness instead of making the world uglier through words of bitterness, envy, negativity and hatred.

In conclusion, we have to remember that most of us are not going to look like world-famous supermodels, Adriana Lima, Chanel Iman and Candice Swanepoel. We are not all going to have that Hollywood glamour that Angelina Jolie, Scarlett Johansson and Megan Fox possess, no matter how much society tries to force that on us. As a matter of fact, we shouldn’t even expect any of those things. Instead we should embrace our own individual, unique beauty and be proud of the way we are. We were all born to be and look different so we should love that about ourselves and instead of putting others down negatively for their appearance, we should look for the beauty in others, both inner and outer, but with more emphasis on the inner.

Why Kindness Matters

Why Kindness Matters

In a world that is becoming crueler each and every day, it is wise to know that kindness should still be treated as an important value in society. Often times we forget what it means to be kind and how it affects others both in and out of our lives. Either we get so busy with our own lives or we simply are having a bad day that we tend to forget how important it is to show acts of kindness as it sets a standard for not only ourselves but for future generations.

I cannot stress enough why we should be teaching children and today’s youth how imperative it is to be kind. Through the decades, bullying has increasingly become an issue in educational environments.  Additionally, bullying is affecting children and teenagers outside of schools, due to advancements in technology via social media. Because of this, children and teens suffer from depression, peer pressure and other negative results caused from bullying, such as eating disorders, poor grades, bodily harm, lack of self-confidence etc.

By teaching children at an early age that kindness is a positive alternative to bullying, we are teaching the future what it means to respect and support one another. Through kindness, we can build up the confidence of children to help them understand they can achieve any goal or dream they set their sights on for their lives.

But how can we do that? It’s simple. We can teach the youth of today about being kind by having them engage in acts of kindness or even being a positive example for them by showing them how we, as adults can spread kindness ourselves. There are various ways we all can show kindness to others, including volunteering at soup kitchens and homeless shelters where we can help others less fortunate than them. Even donating gently used clothing and non-perishable foods is a positive way of giving back to their communities.

Additionally, we can show acts of kindness through even the most ordinary ways such as complimenting someone, offering to help an elderly man or woman carry their groceries to their car or even opening a door for someone who has difficulties walking. I personally remember an act of kindness I showed to another when I was at the grocery store. Before I could walk into the store, I started heading past the Outdoor Care Department where all the potted plants on sale were located. A woman drove up to me in her car and asked me if she gave me the money if I could go into the department and buy her a flower pot she wanted. She had told me she normally would go and get it herself but her puppy was in the car with her and she didn’t want to leave her puppy alone in the car by itself on such a hot summer day.

I agreed to help out the woman and made sure she got exactly the flower pot she wanted before taking care of my own needs at the grocery store that day. She offered me money for doing the favor but I turned it down, telling her it was no trouble at all and that having had a dog, I completely understood why she wouldn’t want to leave hers all alone in a hot car. That little act of kindness was the brightest moment of my day and left me feeling happier, knowing I had helped someone out even in possibly the smallest of ways. I can only hope it helped make her day better as well as it is times like those where we are reminded that even in the midst of all the crazy, busy things going on in the world that goodness and kindness can not only still be found but that we have the ability to share kindness to others every day, if we only just look for those opportunities. 

Ready To Rumble Review

Review: “Ready to Rumble”

By Ashley Matthew

                “Ready to Rumble” is a 2000 comedy film, starring David Arquette, Scott Caan and Rose McGowan. The plot focuses on the 90’s wrestling company, WCW, otherwise known as World Championship Wrestling. While WCW is now defunct, the film features many well-known members of WCW’s roster including Billy Kidman, Bill Goldberg, Sting, The Nitro Girls and Diamond Dallas Page, to name a few.

                The plot tells the story of two passionate wrestling fans, Gordie (David Arquette) and Sean (Scott Caan) who witness their favorite wrestler, Jimmy King (Oliver Platt) lose the WCW World Heavyweight Championship on Monday Night Nitro to Diamond Dallas Page after a betrayal by wrestling promoter, Titus Sinclair (Joe Pantoliano).  After being fired from the WCW, Jimmy King goes into hiding. Following the events of that night’s WCW show, Gordie and Sean crash the sewage truck they drove in to get to the show after an emotional outburst about their favorite wrestler’s loss. The two then decide to find their favorite wrestler to try and remedy his situation. After traveling with some nuns, they eventually reach the motor home where Jimmy is hiding out at.

Gordie and Sean manage to convince Jimmy to seek revenge on Titus Sinclair and Diamond Dallas Page, thereby accompanying him to the next Nitro show.  Jimmy arrives and attacks Page backstage. Titus Sinclair then announces a steel cage match at the next pay-per-view for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship and $1,000,000 dollars but if Jimmy loses, he must retire. Gordie and Sean then help Jimmy to get back into shape by hiring him a trainer, Sal Bandini (Martin Landau).  Meanwhile, during Jimmy’s training for the big pay-per-view match, Gordie starts dating Sasha (Rose McGowan), his favorite Nitro Girl.

                As Jimmy’s match draws near, Gordie is forced to go home to Wyoming by his father who disapproves of his dream to become a professional wrestler. The time for the match arrives and the ultimate showdown between Page and Jimmy comes to a head. By the end of the film, we see the end results of the match and what occurs after the pay-per-view between the main characters.

                The casting was picked well. While David Arquette and Scott Caan provided more comedic roles in the film, Joe Pantoliano and Diamond Dallas Page play the perfect vicious and manipulative bad guys. Meanwhile, Rose McGowan plays a great not-so-good girl with a hidden agenda.  Jill Ritchie plays the role of Brittany, a stuck-up girl from Sean and Gordie’s hometown.  Another hometown girl, Wendy (Melanie Deanne Moore) is a more down to earth tomboy with a crush on Sean.

                The moral of the story basically shows that people shouldn’t give up. They should work hard because they can overcome the odds, resulting in their dreams coming true.  Ultimately, this film is a great choice for those who want to re-live some WCW memories or for those who just want a good laugh. 

Heart Issues Found As Leading Cause In Pro Wrestlers Deaths

Heart issues found as leading cause in pro wrestlers deaths

By Ashley Matthew

            In a research study that I conducted in December 2012 of the leading causes of professional wrestling deaths, results showed that 46.6 percent of deceased male wrestlers who have worked with World Wrestling Entertainment from 1977 to 2012 have mainly died from heart disease. This is a substantial difference in comparison to 25.6 percent of the general male population in America who have died of heart disease from 2000-2008. The youngest male pro wrestler to die of heart issues was Lance Cade on August 13, 2010 at the age of 29.  

Another health scare occurred for WWE Superstar Jerry “The King” Lawler on September 10, 2012 when he suffered a heart attack ringside shortly after competing in a match on WWE Raw in Montreal, CA. After being pronounced clinically dead, he was revitalized but doctors feared he would have potential brain damage. After having surgery to repair a blockage to his heart and taking a few months off for recovery, Lawler returned to his ringside commentary position at WWE Raw on November 12, 2012.

            Deceased female professional wrestlers who have worked with the WWE from 1996 to 2010 have also mainly died from heart disease with a total of 75 percent in comparison to 27.3 percent of the total American female population from 2000 to 2010 who died of heart disease. The youngest female pro wrestler to die of heart issues was Bertha Faye on July 27, 2001 at the age of 40.

            While heart issues is a continuing issue in physical sports, particularly professional wrestling, fans and  those in the business must wonder what exactly is the cause of the athletes developing these health risks. Dr. Manuel Mediodia, a medical practitioner who has treated professional and amateur boxers from Northside Boxing in Cincinnati, Ohio gives his views on what the potential cause is.

            “They have a lot of excess baggage in their bodies and then they would probably be developing strokes because they need to eat a lot,” Mediodia said. “Some of them could be a little careless and get too fat and develop circulation or blood pressure problems.”

            Mediodia feels that the stress from their careers also takes a physical toll on the wrestler’s health.

“They cannot keep up with the tensions and health requirements,” Mediodia said. “The pressure is making their blood pressure go up because they have to be at some place at a scheduled time. Sometimes they feel they’re running late to the arena which makes them tense and that might develop some problems. If they have a busy schedule, they are not only battered physically but also mentally and those things will affect them and give them a shorter life compared to those who are not going through any stressful or severe physical conditions or sports.”

Some of the wrestling deaths related to heart issues were also drug related. Mediodia feels that those drugs may have sped up the process of those particular deaths.

            “Most of the wrestlers I know have beefed up with their weight and could be on steroids,” Mediodia said. “Of course, that’s banned and I don’t know if there are any requirements for testing before they go into the ring. I presume if it gets found out that they have done something wrong with drugs, I’m sure it might impact their career.”

            WWE does have a Wellness Policy which states that any non-medical use and abuse of a prescription or performance-enhancing drug is strictly prohibited. The possession, use and distribution of illegal drugs are also prohibited. There is a list on WWE's website stating which drugs are considered to be against the Wellness Policy.

WWE has random testing procedures throughout the year which result in all WWE wrestlers being tested at least four times a year. WWE may also issue tests at anytime to WWE wrestlers if they are suspected of illegal activity with drugs or alcohol. During the random testing, WWE wrestlers may also be selected for testing more than four times. If a wrestler tests positive, they will be penalized accordingly.

If a wrestler refuses to test, they are automatically considered to be treated as positive for illegal substances and are also penalized. Also, if a wrestler does not provide a urine sample within the two hours they are given after notification of testing, they are considered to be refusing to test and are also penalized. First violations result in suspension for thirty days. A second violation results in a suspension for sixty days and a third violation results in termination of employment with the WWE. The wrestlers are also subject to fines.

However, if a WWE wrestler voluntarily admits to a substance abuse issue prior to a drug test, they will not be penalized and WWE will help in getting the wrestler into the proper rehabilitation program for that situation. The WWE Wellness Policy was implemented originally on February 27, 2006. While the Wellness Policy was already in effect, WWE really began to enforce it more strictly in June 2007 after former professional wrestler Chris Benoit murdered his wife and son before committing suicide. Toxicology reports showed Hydrocodone, Xanax and other drugs played a part in the tragic double-homicide and suicide.

Mediodia feels that enforcing the WWE Wellness Policy is vital in protecting the lives of wrestlers and their families.

“It is very important and should be done to save the lives of athletes so the sport in some way would be clean,” Mediodia said. “They should be tested as severely as the other sports so that they don’t get in trouble. There should be a good testing mechanism that should be agreed to by all the physicians especially those that take care of these individual athletes.”

Mediodia still recommends that WWE keeps focusing on the health of their athletes to prevent any further health risks from occurring.

“I would recommend that they keep strict appointments with their family physicians or their sports physicians,” Mediodia said. “If they feel something is wrong or negative in their health, they could be helped right away and then they have a longer life. It’s just that simple.”

Mediodia also feels that the better health the wrestlers have, the longer they will be able to compete in the sport of professional wrestling.

 “Their personal health is the main importance,” Mediodia said. “If they have good health, they will be wrestling for a longer time than the ones who are careless and drink too much or take drugs.”

Lipstick & Dynamite, Piss & Vinegar: The First Ladies of Wrestling Review

Review: “Lipstick & Dynamite, Piss & Vinegar: The First Ladies of Wrestling”

By Ashley Matthew

                “Lipstick & Dynamite” is a 2004 wrestling documentary that features many of the first lady wrestlers in the history of professional wrestling, dating back to the 1930’s.  These lady wrestlers including Penny Banner, Joyce Grable, Ella Waldek, Diamond Lil, The Fabulous Moolah and The Great Mae Young truly paved the way for the female wrestlers you see today in Shimmer, Ring of Honor, WWE and TNA. Throughout the documentary, we see a behind the scenes peek into the lives of these impressive and legendary athletes and background information on what these women went through before getting into the sport.

From this sports documentary, we see these inspirational women discuss their careers, how they survived in a male-dominated sport and how women’s wrestling has changed since their times. To go more into detail they discuss shady male wrestling promoters, the poor treatment, fixed matches and low pay. Despite all of that, the fans still came out to see these talented and entertaining females.

                One of the many things that was enjoyable from this documentary was seeing the ladies reunite with each other after such a long time. I particularly couldn’t help but smile when late WWE Hall of Famer, The Fabulous Moolah discussed how people can take their money with them in their caskets when they pass on. Considering, her gimmick had to do with a love for money; I enjoyed how that line stuck true to her wrestling character.  Another interesting aspect seen in the documentary was footage from the 1951 American crime film, “Racket Girls”, which tells the story of a gangster who uses women’s wrestling as a cover-up for his illegal activities. We also witness a spotlight on Mae Young and The Fabulous Moolah’s appearances with the WWE that involved Eric Bischoff and 3 Minute Warning.

                This documentary strongly focuses on the ups and downs of the business even discussing betrayals, abuse and deaths occurring in professional wrestling. It also goes into detail about what many of these strong women are doing now in their lives. Another factor that really stood out in this documentary was the amazing music featured including a cover of Nick Lowe’s “Ragin’ Eyes”.

Watching this documentary, I think anyone can see why the female wrestlers of the past should definitely be respected for the hard work they contributed to the sport, how they changed the world of professional wrestling and became pioneers for every woman in the sport today.

Below The Belt Review

Review: “Below The Belt”

By Ashley Matthew

                “Below The Belt” is a 1980 film. The film is rated R and tells the story of a waitress from New York named Rosa Rubinsky (Regina Baff) who is discovered by a wrestling promoter, Bobby Fox (John C. Becher) after beating up a co-worker who makes a pass at her. The film shows an excellent cast including professional wrestling legend, Mildred Burke.

                When Rosa decides to become a pro wrestler, she receives training from Mildred Burke and begins to bond with another girl at the training facility while struggling to maintain a relationship with her boyfriend, Terry Glantz (Frazer Smith) who is a radio DJ. Eventually, Rosa improves as a wrestler and after a break-up with her boyfriend, starts traveling with other female wrestlers. However, she soon discovers that the wrestling world isn’t all glitz and glam as she sees her fellow wrestlers struggle with self-harm and relationship issues.

Rosa also endures a frightening car accident with her fellow wrestlers in one scene.  Eventually Rosa and Bobby Fox finally convince Rosa’s rival, “Terrible” Tommy J. Dukes (Jane O’Brian) to compete in a match against the redheaded rookie. The film ends with Rosa wrestling her first match against Tommy, emerging victorious and starting what seems to be a very big career in the sport of professional wrestling.

                The cast was well-chosen. The character of Tommy was done perfectly by Jane O’Brian, who portrayed the character as a strong, tough heel. Regina Baff plays her character well also, portraying Rosa as the shy yet short tempered underdog who grows into a confident lady wrestler.

The film also showcases classic women’s wrestling as well as focusing on the behind the scenes hardships that wrestlers face, a rare thing for fans to see as they really only observe the entertainment that comes from a wrestling show.  The film also contains a lot of music. The only thing that really disturbed me is that they make Rosa’s wrestling gimmick out to be “The Mexican Spitfire” even though she is Polish. It made her character a bit unbelievable as she could not pull off the gimmick of being Mexican due to the actress clearly not being of that ethnicity.

However, Below The Belt is a great film for those who want to enjoy a classic wrestling movie. It’s also a great choice for fans of women’s wrestling. 

Glow: The Story of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling Review

Review: “Glow: The Story of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling”

By Ashley Matthew

                The Glow documentary tells the story of how the popular 80’s women’s wrestling show came to be, how the ladies got their gimmicks, how the show came to its demise and what many of the ladies of Glow are doing now.  The documentary features a reunion of the ladies and many of the female wrestlers shown in the documentary include Godiva, The Housewives, Ninotchka, Matilda The Hun, Little Egypt, Hollywood, Tina Ferrari and Mt. Fiji. The famous Glow crown is also featured in the wrestling documentary.

                The documentary also talks about the extreme risks that the show took by cracking jokes about controversial topics including racial stereotypes and politics. Footage of matches, promos and rap songs from Glow are shown throughout the documentary. While many of the ladies featured on Glow did not come from wrestling backgrounds, many of them did go on to have acting careers. One lady from Glow, however, did make a big name for herself in the wrestling world. That woman was Tina Ferrari who is now more famous for her time in the WWE as Ivory.

                The documentary is far from emotional as we see how the ladies were not only devastated when Glow ended but also how much they miss the other girls they performed with. Mt. Fiji, who was the star of Glow, is shown in a nursing home, where she is living after medical issue. There she re-lives her memories of Glow and reveals how worried she has been of the other girls for all this time apart.

                 The nice thing about Glow in the 80’s was that it was not only a sports show but also a means of entertainment to many growing up in the Glow era. This is a great sports documentary to watch for both those wanting to know more about the history of women’s wrestling and for longtime women’s wrestling fans.   

Dead Man Down Review

Review: Dead Man Down

By Ashley Matthew

            Dead Man Down, released on March 8th, 2013 is a thriller film. The film stars Terrence Howard, Dominic Cooper, Noomi Rapace, Colin Farrell and Former WWE Superstar Wade Barrett. Dead Man Down is rated R and tells the story of two people seeking revenge on those who wronged them.

            The film starts off showing a crime boss named Alphonse Hoyt (Terrence Howard) discovering one of his crew members has been killed, leaving him with a mysterious note. As Alphonse struggles to discover the mystery of who is killing his crew and why they are doing this to him, he has no idea how close the person doing this to him really is. Meanwhile, one of his crew members, Victor (Colin Farrell) begins a friendship with his neighbor, Beatrice (Noomi Rapace) who later asks for Victor’s help. When he refuses to help her, she blackmails him with a video showing him murdering someone in his home. He then agrees to help her seek revenge on a man who disfigured her face in a car accident.

            Later in the film, Alphonse starts to catch on to the mystery of who is seeking revenge on him as other crew members of his continue to perish. Meanwhile, Beatrice and Victor’s relationship grows closer when Victor opens up to Beatrice about his past. After Victor keeps his promise to Beatrice to help her seek revenge, Victor must face another trial when one of Alphonse’s crew members, Darcy (Dominic Cooper) discovers who is seeking revenge on Alphonse, leading to a showdown. The film ends with Victor and Beatrice starting a new life together.

            While this film has interesting plot twists that keep viewers guessing as to what will happen next, the plot tends to run a bit slow at times. The acting was well-done for the most part. However, the chemistry between the characters of Victor and Beatrice sometimes came off awkward and unbelievable. Former WWE Superstar Wade Barrett does have some lines in the film and is featured more prominently than what is briefly shown of him in the trailer. However, some of the trailer scenes of the other cast members were not included in the actual film.