This story is featured in the January/February 2025 issue of ESSENCE.
On April 10, 2021, wrestling fans at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, witnessed history. Performers Bianca Belair and Sasha Banks faced off at the 37th annual WrestleMania, the flagship event for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). This match marked the first time Black women battled each other on the “grandest stage of them all.” Their emotional reactions, as they stared at each other across the ring, highlighted the significance of the moment.
Professional wrestling has been a popular form of sports entertainment for decades; and companies, including the WWE and All Elite Wrestling (AEW), have made it into a multibillion-dollar industry. But women performers have historically been tasked with serving as ring valets, sidekicks or managers. The representation of Black women was even more limited. But that has changed, and Black women are now some of the sports’ biggest stars in the ring.
In 1998, Jacqueline Moore, known as “Miss Jacqueline,” broke new ground in wrestling by transitioning from the role of manager to that of top contender in the WWE (then the World Wrestling Federation) during its popular “Attitude Era.” The petite powerhouse, who started her wrestling career in 1988, was a significant figure from 1997 to 2002—a time marked by shock-value storylines, profanity and sexual content.
“There were a lot of things we did back then that you can’t do now,” Moore says. Despite the challenges, she became the first Black woman to hold the Women’s Championship in 1998 and 2000—and the Cruiserweight title in 2004. “Back when I was wrestling, they wouldn’t allow women to be the main event-ers,” Moore adds. “But now women are neck-and-neck with the men. They’re often more entertaining.”
In 2016, Moore was named the first Black woman to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. “I’m just happy I can inspire other Black women or women of color,” she says. “People didn’t think I was going to make it, but I wasn’t going to give up. Wrestling is in my blood. I eat, sleep, s–t and breathe wrestling.”
As more women entered the field, the focus shifted from aesthetics to athleticism, with performers like Trinity Fatu, Alicia Fox and Mercedes Moné exemplifying this transition. Moné signed with WWE’s NXT developmental league in 2012, then joined WWE in 2015 as “Sasha Banks.”
With only a few other Black women on the roster at the time, she faced an “uphill battle” to be taken seriously. “My goal was to change the definition of what it meant to be a ‘Diva,’” she says—referring to the WWE’s term for women performers. She did just that, becoming the first Black woman to hold every woman’s title. Reflecting on her historic WrestleMania match against Belair, she says, “It changed the game forever for women of color.”
She left the company in 2022 due to creative differences, shedding her Sasha Banks persona to join AEW as Mercedes Moné. “You can have more than one dream, and there’s more than one place to go,” she says. “It’s amazing to be part of a company that’s here to disrupt the system and the game.” Still, she’s grateful to see so many Black women in the ring and getting their respect, no matter the company: “It’s beyond amazing to see where wrestling is today, from when I watched it at 10 years old.”
Moné’s WrestleMania opponent, Bianca Belair, never anticipated being a wrestler; but she embraced her path after being discovered by WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry through her CrossFit workout videos. She debuted in 2016, with a calf-length braid and a playful persona.
“I showed up as me,” she says. “I was just being myself. I’m bringing my culture to the table, and I was very intentional about it.” Her commitment to representation included having the Divas of Compton, an all-Black dance troupe for young girls, escort her to the ring in front of 80,000 fans at WrestleMania 39.
Being authentic and uplifting has made Belair a fan favorite, but her talent has made her a champion. In 2023, she became the longest-reigning Raw Women’s Champion (one of the WWE’s most popular programs), holding the title for 420 days. “I think many people believe they have to look in history books to find Black history, but they can actually become it themselves,” she says.
Belair currently reigns as Women’s Tag Team Champion with performer Jade Cargill. Instead of adopting a rivalry storyline, they’ve promoted unity, empowerment and sisterhood. “Why not have a bigger message, a bigger purpose and a greater impact?” Belair asks.
Before she was a Tag Team Champion in the WWE, Cargill was making her own history in the AEW. After she held AEW’s TBS Championship for a record-setting 508 days, her WWE signing made headlines. Another Mark Henry recruit, she was encouraged to stand out. “ ‘I’ve brought some phenomenal women into this industry, and you’re one of them,’ ” she recalls him saying. “ ‘I need you to hold your head high, have no regrets and walk into the room.’ ”
While inspired by watching “pioneers” like Moore “own the ring,” the former college basketball player admittedly felt like she needed to dim her light. “In any industry, as an African-American woman, you often have to tone things down, because people might perceive you as aggressive when you’re not,” Cargill says. “I’ve found myself in situations where I’ve had to downplay my personality.”
But no longer. It’s now common to see her flexing her muscles and showing off her power, in a hairstyle inspired by Black woman X-Men character Storm. She’s even brought her historic Divine Nine organization, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., to the big stage: making an entrance with her line sisters and sporting the AKA letters while carrying her championship belt. Her light, and that of all Black women performers in wrestling, is brighter than ever.
“We represent more than just ourselves,” Cargill says. “When we’re out there, we want them to see we’re college-educated, smart and intellectual. We can hold a conversation and bring an aura you’ve never seen before. We are representing that.”
