For most of its history, men and women would rarely compete against each other in professional wrestling, as it was deemed to be unfair.
Early Examples and Legal Challenges
Intergender wrestling was first utilized in the late-1970s/early-1980s by comedian Andy Kaufman, invalidating New York State rule number 205.15, which stated, “No woman may be licensed as a boxer or second or licensed to compete in any wrestling exhibition with men.” In his opinion the judge cited the precedent set by Garrett v. New York State Athletic Commission (1975), which “found the regulation invalid under the equal protection clauses of the State and Federal Constitutions”.
Rise in Popularity
After The MSG "Curtain Call" incident in 1996 when professional wrestling was exposed as being scripted, intergender wrestling became more common and accepted by the fans. Intergender matches experienced a surge of popular interest and were often introduced to the roster of events in major North American promotions such as Extreme Championship Wrestling, World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling.
Top Intergender Moments in WWE
Notable Figures and Championships
Perhaps the most successful female wrestler who competed in intergender matches was Chyna. A well-built ex-bodybuilder, she was regularly booked to wrestle her male counterparts during the WWF Attitude Era. She was a three-time Intercontinental Champion, a championship traditionally only contested by men, and was briefly the #1 contender for the company's world championship.
Four women briefly held the company's now discontinued Hardcore Championship: Terri, Mighty Molly, Trish Stratus and one of The Godfather's Hos. The title had a distinct rule that it could be won by pinning the titleholder at anyplace, anywhere 24/7.
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International Scenes
In the Japanese wrestling promotion FMW, Superstar H (unmasked Hayabusa) wrestled Kyoko Inoue in a singles match on pay per view on March 27, 2000. Inoue pinned H in a tag match earlier that month.
Controversies and Current Status
This match-type continues to meet controversy across North America as matches often straddle the line between sporting events and pure erotic entertainment, and also allegations over the depiction of gratuitous physical violence against hapless women.
Although still commonplace on the independent circuit, WWE only permits intergender matches on a part time basis due to PG rating and if the timing was right due to its action figure contract with Mattel in order to avoid women being overpowered by men on TV), although it has on past occasions featured some of their female competitors compete in the annual Royal Rumble event (a separate Royal Rumble match for women was introduced in 2018).
To date, four women have competed at men's Royal Rumble: Chyna (1999 and 2000, the only one to do so multiple times), Beth Phoenix (2010), Kharma (2012) and Nia Jax (2019, the first since the introduction of women's Royal Rumble). In a reverse of this, at WrestleMania 25 wrestler Anthony Carelli (better known by his ring name Santino Marella) won a diva's battle royal while dressed in drag as "Santina Marella" (Santino's twin sister).
There has however been a number of intergender matches after the PG rating was introduced, mostly in comedic matches; Lita pinned Heath Slater after he was attacked and left unconscious by several veteran wrestlers prior to the match on the July 23, 2012, episode of Raw. James Ellsworth was also involved in few intergender matches, notably losing one to Becky Lynch on the November 7, 2017, episode of SmackDown Live.
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Lucha Libre and Cultural Variations
In Mexican lucha libre promotions, intergender matches are more common in tag team matches. However, both male and female wrestlers are restricted to attack those of their own gender. Some tag teams of this kind are siblings (such as Cinthia Moreno and Oriental), trained simultaneously with the same instructor, or even are on a real-life relationship such as boyfriend/girlfriend (Cibernético and Estrellita) or, as an exceptional case, husband and wife (Billy Boy and Faby Apache).
Extreme Cases
In one extreme, a 2011 intergender match in Japan had Kenny Omega wrestle with a nine-year-old girl named Haruka. Video of the match went viral, made international news, and led to Omega receiving numerous death threats.
| Event | Match/Moment | Description |
|---|---|---|
| WrestleMania 25 | Santino Marella as "Santina" wins Diva Battle Royal | Anthony Carelli, dressed as "Santina Marella," wins a women's battle royal. |
| Royal Rumble | Women competing in men's Royal Rumble | Chyna, Beth Phoenix, Kharma, and Nia Jax have competed in the men's Royal Rumble. |
| FMW (Japan) | Superstar H vs. Kyoko Inoue | A singles match between a male and female wrestler on pay-per-view. |
| WWE Raw (2012) | Lita vs. Heath Slater | Lita pins Heath Slater after Slater is attacked by veteran wrestlers. |
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