Mid 20th Century
169-467: Alexis Cabrera ( née Kaufman ; born August 9, 1991) is an American professional wrestler . She is signed to WWE , where she performs under the ring name Alexa Bliss . As of January 2023, she is inactive due to maternity leave . In 2013, Bliss signed a contract with WWE and was assigned to their developmental brand NXT . She made her main roster debut on the SmackDown brand in 2016, later becoming
338-435: A bona fide athletic contest or competition. Professional wrestling is not a combative sport. Wrestling constituting bona fide athletic contests and competitions, which may be professional or amateur combative sport, shall not be deemed professional wrestling under this Part. Professional wrestling as used in this Part shall not depend on whether the individual wrestlers are paid or have been paid for their performance in
507-499: A fatal five-way match to earn a title match against Lynch at No Mercy on October 9. However, due to Lynch suffering a legit injury, the match was rescheduled for the November 8 episode of SmackDown , where Lynch successfully defended the title against Bliss. Bliss participated in the Raw vs. SmackDown Women's elimination tag team match at Survivor Series on November 20, where her team lost
676-426: A fatal four-way match to become the number one contender for the title. At Payback , on April 30, Bliss defeated Bayley to become the new Raw Women's Champion, becoming the first woman to win the Raw and SmackDown Women's Championships in the process. In a rematch between the two, which took place on June 4 at Extreme Rules , Bliss retained her title over Bayley in a kendo stick - on-a-pole match . Bliss then started
845-480: A feud with Absolution ( Paige , Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville ) that led to various singles and tag team matches, mostly won by Absolution. On January 28, 2018, at the Royal Rumble , Bayley competed in the inaugural women's Royal Rumble match , entering at #29, but was eliminated by Banks. At Elimination Chamber on February 25, Bayley took part in the first women's Elimination Chamber match , where she
1014-460: A live event , wrestling under a mask as Luchadora for one match, teaming with Paige and Charlotte to defeat Summer Rae, Audrey Marie and Emma in a six-woman tag team match. She adopted the ring name Bayley and made her NXT television debut in a loss to Paige on the March 20 episode. On June 12, Bayley adopted a new character of a doe-eyed fangirl , losing to Alicia Fox in the first round of
1183-415: A performing art evolved from the common practice of match-fixing among American wrestlers in the 19th century, who later sought to make matches shorter, more entertaining, and less physically taxing. As the public gradually realized and accepted that matches were predetermined, wrestlers responded by increasingly adding melodrama, gimmickry, and outlandish stunt work to their performances to further enhance
1352-415: A professional wrestling exhibition. All engagements of professional wrestling shall be referred to as exhibitions, and not as matches. In the industry's slang, a fixed match is referred to as a worked match, derived from the slang word for manipulation, as in "working the crowd". A shoot match is a genuine contest where both wrestlers fight to win and are therefore "straight shooters", which comes from
1521-489: A six-woman tag team match along with Daria Berenato and Mandy Rose , in which they were defeated by Carmella, Liv Morgan and Nikki Glencross in what would be also her last match in NXT. On July 19, Bliss was drafted to the SmackDown brand as part of the 2016 WWE draft . She made her main roster debut on July 26 episode of SmackDown in a segment involving the brand's women's division. Bliss achieved her first victory on
1690-413: A background in authentic wrestling no longer mattered. After this time, matches became more outlandish and gimmicky and any semblance professional wrestling had to catch wrestling faded. The personas of the wrestlers likewise grew more outlandish. Gorgeous George , who performed throughout the 1940s and 1950s, was the first wrestler whose entrance into the arena was accompanied by a theme song played over
1859-466: A backstage segment later that night, Banks challenged Bayley to another title match at Hell in a Cell inside the eponymous structure, which was confirmed the next day. At the event on October 25, Bayley lost the SmackDown Women's Championship to Sasha Banks by submission, ending her reign at 380 days. At Survivor Series on November 22, Bayley was the self-appointed captain of team SmackDown , but
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#17328851849742028-520: A carny term for a shooting gallery gun whose sights were not deliberately misaligned. Wrestling in the United States blossomed in popularity after the Civil War , with catch wrestling eventually becoming the most popular style. At first, professional wrestlers were genuine competitive fighters, but they struggled to draw audiences because Americans did not find real wrestling to be very entertaining, so
2197-513: A central authority. Nor could any of them stomach the idea of leaving the NWA themselves to compete directly with McMahon, for that would mean their territories would become fair game for the other NWA members. McMahon also had a creative flair for TV that his rivals lacked. For instance, the AWA's TV productions during the 1980s were amateurish, low-budget, and out-of-touch with contemporary culture, which lead to
2366-574: A champion that Curley put forth: Dick Shikat . The National Wrestling Association shut down in 1980. In 1948, a number of promoters from across the country came together to form the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). The NWA recognized one "world champion", voted on by its members, but allowed member promoters to crown their own local champions in their territories. If a member poached wrestlers from another member, or held matches in another member's territory, they risked being ejected from
2535-403: A daughter. Photos of Bliss have been used by criminals running romance scams against unsuspecting men. In these scams, an unauthorized person pretended to be Bliss and to be interested in a romantic relationship. Bliss is one of the most frequent celebrities impersonated by romance scammers, and some victims have sent hundreds of thousands of dollars to the impersonators, thinking that the money
2704-439: A degree. Vince Russo, the boss of WCW in 2000, completely disregarded kayfabe by routinely discussing business matters and office politics in public, which alienated fans. I watch championship wrestling from Florida with wrestling commentator Gordon Solie . Is this all "fake"? If so, they deserve an Oscar . Bayley (wrestler) Pamela Rose Martinez (born June 15, 1989) is an American professional wrestler . She
2873-404: A distinct vernacular . It has achieved mainstream success and influence within popular culture , with many terms, tropes , and concepts being referenced in everyday language as well as in film , music , television , and video games . Likewise, numerous professional wrestlers have become national or international icons with recognition by the broader public. In the United States, wrestling
3042-535: A distraction. On May 20 at NXT TakeOver: Unstoppable , Bliss helped Blake and Murphy retain the NXT Tag Team Championship against Colin Cassady and Enzo Amore , forming an alliance with them and turning into a villainess character for the first time in her WWE career. On May 27 airing of NXT , in a non-title tag team match against Elias Samson and Mike Rallis , Blake and Murphy were accompanied to
3211-410: A fee, a visitor could challenge the wrestler to a quick match. If the challenger defeated the champion in a short time frame, usually 15 minutes, he won a prize. To encourage challenges, the carnival operators staged rigged matches in which an accomplice posing as a visitor challenged the champion and won, giving the audience the impression that the champion was easy to beat. This practice taught wrestlers
3380-406: A feud with Sasha Banks , whom defeated her on July 9 at Great Balls of Fire via count-out before losing the title to Banks on August 20 at SummerSlam , ending her reign at 112 days. She regained the title eight days later on Raw . Bliss went on to defend her title on September 24 at No Mercy in a fatal five-way match against Bayley, Nia Jax , Emma , and Sasha Banks. Bliss was then confronted
3549-405: A legitimate sport. Firstly, wrestling was more entertaining when it was faked, whereas fakery did not make boxing any more entertaining. Secondly, in a rigged boxing match, the designated loser must take a real beating for his "defeat" to be convincing, but wrestling holds can be faked convincingly without inflicting injury. This meant that boxers were less willing to "take dives"; they wanted to have
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#17328851849743718-754: A match against Gus Sonnenberg in January 1929. Bowser then broke away from the trust to form his own cartel, the American Wrestling Association (AWA), in September 1930, and he declared Sonnenberg to be the AWA champion. This AWA should not be confused with Wally Kadbo's AWA founded in 1960. Curley reacted to this move by convincing the National Boxing Association to form the National Wrestling Association , which in turn crowned
3887-534: A match which she lost. After being replaced by Jax at NXT TakeOver: The End on June 8 due to a storyline injury which made her unable to compete in a rematch for the NXT Women's Championship against Asuka, Bayley made her return on June 22, defeating Deonna Purrazzo . On the July 27 episode, Bayley asked Regal for a rematch against Asuka for the NXT Women's Championship at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn II , which he granted. At
4056-424: A more literal meaning in those places. A notable example is India's Pro Wrestling League . In numerous American states, professional wrestling is legally defined as a non-sport. For instance, New York defines professional wrestling as: Professional wrestling means an activity in which participants struggle hand-in-hand primarily for the purpose of providing entertainment to spectators and which does not comprise
4225-440: A new city, attendance was high because there was a waiting fanbase cultivated in advance by the cable TV shows. The NWA's traditional anti-competitive tricks were no match for this. The NWA attempted to centralize and create their own national cable television shows to counter McMahon's rogue promotion, but it failed in part because the members of the NWA, ever protective of their territories, could not stomach submitting themselves to
4394-627: A new women's record of 1 hour and 3 minutes. Pamela Rose Martinez was born on June 15, 1989, in San Jose, California and grew up in a Mexican-American family. She attended Independence High School in San Jose and once played as a captain of the school's basketball team, as well as participating in track and martial arts. Martinez had been attending shows by Big Time Wrestling, a professional wrestling promotion in Northern California , since she
4563-404: A no-contest after The Riott Squad ( Ruby Riott , Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan ) interfered and attacked them both. Throughout mid-2018, Bayley and Banks continued to attack each other, and were told to attend counselor meetings to help maintain their friendship. In July, the two reconciled and created a tag team known as The Boss 'n' Hug Connection . On October 28, Bayley took part in
4732-429: A non-title match the week prior. On June 6 episode of SmackDown , the duo lost their titles to the team of Bayley and Sasha Banks , making their reign end at 62 days yet again. At Backlash , Bliss and Cross were unsuccessful in regaining their titles in a triple threat tag team match also involving The IIconics, as Banks managed to roll up Bliss for the win. At The Horror Show at Extreme Rules , Bliss appeared during
4901-455: A non-title match, which led to Bliss being granted a title match against Banks on March 25 episode of NXT , which she lost. Bliss had an altercation with Carmella backstage on April 29 episode of NXT . After being slapped, Bliss was consoled by NXT Tag Team Champions Buddy Murphy and Wesley Blake who were standing in the background. On May 13 episode of NXT , Bliss landed a Sparkle Splash and defeated Carmella after Blake and Murphy set up
5070-486: A non-wrestling role for the traditional interbrand women's five-on-five tag team elimination match at the Survivor Series event, in which they were victorious. The following night, on November 18 episode of Raw , Bliss was named the new head of the Raw women's division by Acting Raw General Manager Baron Corbin . In December, Bliss's role as well as those of other authority figures on Raw and SmackDown were removed after
5239-466: A participant of the annual Money in the Bank ladder match at the namesake pay-per-view. However, she was not medically cleared to compete in time for the event and therefore removed from the match. In June, Bliss reignited her rivalry with Bayley after she won a triple threat match to become the number one contender for Bayley's SmackDown Women's Championship at Stomping Grounds , where Bliss failed to win
Alexa Bliss - Misplaced Pages Continue
5408-532: A referee came by to say that per William Regal , Blake and Murphy would be banned from ringside for this match. When it came time for Alexa's entrance, a brand new theme track, "Spiteful" was introduced for the first time. Bliss was unsuccessful at capturing the title as Bayley slapped bliss, then hit a Bayley-to-Belly Suplex to retain. On January 13, 2016, episode of NXT , Bliss competed in a number one contender's battle royal , but lost. On May 18 episode of NXT , Bliss and Blake abandoned Murphy, officially disbanding
5577-412: A rematch that took place on October 2. In mid-October, after losing to Banks, Bayley was attacked by her former friend Becky Lynch , who allied with Banks, and she later formed an alliance with former rival Charlotte to feud with Banks and Lynch throughout the following several weeks. On the November 27 episode, Bayley was attacked by Banks and Lynch, injuring her knee in the storyline. She returned on
5746-579: A role model for little girls around the world. During her hugger persona, Bayley used a belly-to-belly suplex as her finisher, calling it the Bayley-to-Belly Suplex . Since her heel turn, however, she has started utilizing an old finisher previously used on the independent circuit, an arm trap headlock driver known as the Rose Plant . Martinez was previously engaged to fellow professional wrestler Aaron Solo , whom she met in 2010. The engagement
5915-500: A singles wrestler, she took a part of the Mixed Match Challenge tournament with Braun Strowman as her partner, and the duo was able to qualify to the semi-finals of the tournament, where they were defeated by the eventual winners Asuka and The Miz . On April 8 at WrestleMania 34 , Bliss lost the title to Nia Jax, ending her reign at 223 days. On May 6 at Backlash , Bliss invoked her rematch clause and challenged Nia Jax for
6084-561: A six-woman tag team match at Clash at the Castle , which they accepted. At the event on September 3, Bayley, Kai and Sky, under the name Damage CTRL , defeated Belair, Bliss and Asuka. On the September 26 episode of Raw , Bayley challenged Belair to a ladder match for the Raw Women's Championship at Extreme Rules , which she accepted. At the event on October 8, Bayley failed to win the title. At Crown Jewel on November 5, Bayley failed to win
6253-914: A tag team match. In October 2011, Rose made her debut for Shimmer Women Athletes . At the tapings of Shimmer Volume 41–44, she became embroiled in Serena's feud with the Canadian Ninjas ( Portia Perez and Nicole Matthews ). At the tapings, Rose lost all four matches, including her debut match against Mercedes Martinez . In 2012, Rose continued to wrestle for Shimmer and on Volume 58, she teamed with Mia Yim to defeat Melanie Cruise and Mena Libra, receiving her first victory; on Volumes 51 and 52, Rose picked up her first two singles victories in Shimmer with wins over Cherry Bomb and Rhia O'Reilly. In December 2012, Martinez signed with WWE . In January 2013, Martinez made her debut for WWE's developmental territory NXT at
6422-503: A two-time SmackDown Women's Champion and the first woman to hold the title twice. Bliss then transferred to the Raw brand in 2017, where she went on to become a three-time Raw Women's Champion , with her initial reign making her the first woman to win both the Raw and SmackDown Women's titles. She and Nikki Cross are the first two-time WWE Women's Tag Team Champions , making Bliss the second Women's Triple Crown Champion . In 2018, she won both
6591-497: A typical American household only received four national channels by antenna, and ten to twelve local channels via UHF broadcasting . But cable television could carry a much larger selection of channels and therefore had room for niche interests. The WWF started with a show called All-American Wrestling airing on the USA Network in September 1983. McMahon's TV shows made his wrestlers national celebrities, so when he held matches in
6760-575: A victory for all the pain to which they subjected themselves. In the 1910s, promotional cartels for professional wrestling emerged in the East Coast (outside its traditional heartland in the Midwest ). These promoters sought to make long-term plans with their wrestlers, and to ensure their more charismatic and crowd-pleasing wrestlers received championships, further entrenching the desire for worked matches. The primary rationale for shoot matches at this point
6929-410: Is a true sport. Wrestlers would at all times flatly deny allegations that they fixed their matches, and they often remained in-character in public even when not performing. When in public, wrestlers would sometimes say the word kayfabe to each other as a coded signal that there were fans present and they needed to be in character. Professional wrestlers in the past strongly believed that if they admitted
Alexa Bliss - Misplaced Pages Continue
7098-434: Is an open secret , with both wrestlers and spectators nonetheless maintaining the pretense that performances are bona fide competitions, which is likened to the suspension of disbelief employed when engaging with fiction . Professional wrestlers perform as characters and usually maintain a " gimmick " consisting of a specific persona , stage name , entrance theme , and other distinguishing traits. Matches are
7267-427: Is generally practiced in an amateur context. No professional league for competitive wrestling exists due to a lack of popularity. For example, Real Pro Wrestling , an American professional freestyle wrestling league, dissolved in 2007 after just two seasons. In other countries, such as Iran and India , wrestling enjoys widespread popularity as a genuine sport, and the phrase "professional wrestling" therefore has
7436-462: Is signed to WWE , where she performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Bayley . Her 380-day reign as WWE SmackDown Women's Champion , tied with Rhea Ripley , stands as the longest in the championship's history. From 2008 to 2012, she wrestled on the independent circuit under the ring name Davina Rose . Martinez signed with WWE in 2012 and was assigned to the NXT brand, where she adopted
7605-430: Is titled Uncool with Alexa Bliss and debuted on September 22, 2020. In 2021, Bliss made a guest appearance on Punky Brewster as her wrestling persona alongside fellow professional wrestler Charlotte Flair . In 2023, Bliss competed in season nine of The Masked Singer as "Axolotl". She was eliminated on "Country Night" alongside Holly Robinson Peete as "Fairy". Kaufman has been an avid fan of Disney since
7774-499: The 2020 Draft in October, both Bliss and The Fiend were drafted to the Raw brand. On October 26 episode of Raw, while hosting A Moment of Bliss with special guest Randy Orton , a feud was set off that involved The Fiend as well. During the opening of that segment, Bliss was also given a new ring entrance theme song "The Fury". After the Fiend was written off television, Bliss then took over
7943-521: The 2021 WWE Draft , she was left undrafted due to the injury, therefore making her a free agent. At SummerSlam on July 30, 2022, Bayley returned after a year out of action, forming an alliance with Iyo Sky and Dakota Kai while confronting Belair after her Raw Women's Championship defense against Becky Lynch , resuming their feud and moving Bayley back to the Raw brand. On the August 8 episode of Raw , they challenged Belair, Alexa Bliss , and Asuka to
8112-489: The McMahon family announced they were taking charge again. On the January 7, 2019, episode of Raw , Bliss debuted an interview segment titled A Moment of Bliss , where she interviewed various guests as the segment's host. At Royal Rumble on January 27, after a nearly five month in-ring hiatus, Bliss competed in her first women's Royal Rumble match , lasting 12 minutes and eliminating Ember Moon and Sonya Deville before she
8281-578: The NXT Women's Championship tournament to crown the inaugural champion. On August 21, Bayley unsuccessfully challenged AJ Lee for the Divas Championship . On September 4, for her first win, Bayley and Charlotte defeated Alicia Fox and Aksana . To Charlotte's annoyance, The BFFs—Beautiful, Fierce Females ( Sasha Banks and Summer Rae ), attempted to convince Bayley to join them, but this led to Charlotte attacking Bayley during their match against
8450-609: The New Jersey State Athletic Control Board that professional wrestling is not a real sport because its matches have predetermined outcomes. Shortly thereafter, New Jersey deregulated professional wrestling. The WWF then rebranded itself as a " sports entertainment " company. In the early years of the 20th century, the style of wrestling used in professional wrestling matches was catch wrestling . Promoters wanted their matches to look realistic and so preferred to recruit wrestlers with real grappling skills. In
8619-508: The Raw Women's Champion Charlotte to a title match; she refused and instead forced her protégé Brooke to face her, whom Bayley defeated. At Clash of Champions on September 25, Bayley failed to win the championship from Charlotte in a triple threat match , which also included Banks. At Hell in a Cell on October 30, Bayley defeated Brooke. At Survivor Series on November 20, Bayley survived alongside Charlotte Flair as members of Team Raw, but
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#17328851849748788-491: The Royal Rumble on January 26, 2020, Bliss entered the namesake match at number 1, lasting 27 minutes and eliminating Kairi Sane, Mia Yim , and Chelsea Green , but was eliminated by Bianca Belair . Leading up to WrestleMania 36 , Bliss and Cross reignited their feud with The Kabuki Warriors, as Bliss went on to defeat Asuka on March 27 episode of SmackDown to earn a match for the Women's Tag Team Championship at WrestleMania. At
8957-603: The SmackDown Women's Championship at WrestleMania Backlash on May 16 and at Hell in a Cell inside of the eponymous structure on June 20, both in a losing effort. She was booked to face Belair again in an "I Quit" match at Money in the Bank on July 18, but on July 9, WWE announced that Bayley suffered a torn ACL during training at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando that would sideline her for nine months. After
9126-446: The SmackDown Women's Championship for the first time. This win made her the first WWE Women's Grand Slam winner in WWE history. Bayley then feuded with Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross , defeating Bliss once at Stomping Grounds on June 23, and retaining the title against the two in a handicap match at Extreme Rules on July 14. At SummerSlam on August 11, Bayley successfully defended
9295-659: The Sparkle Splash . As an alternate finisher, she also employs a snap DDT known as the Twisted DDT . During her alliance with "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt , she adopted his finishing move, a swinging reverse STO called Sister Abigail . On July 24, 2017, it was announced that Bliss would be joining the seventh season of Total Divas . In early 2020, Bliss appeared in the music video for a song by Bowling for Soup , having previously cited them as her favorite band. On June 23, 2020, Bliss confirmed her long rumored WWE podcast, which
9464-543: The independent circuit , to internationally broadcast events at major arenas. The largest and most influential promotions are in the United States , Mexico , Japan , and northwest Europe (the United Kingdom , Germany/Austria and France ), which have each developed distinct styles, traditions, and subgenres within professional wrestling. Professional wrestling has developed its own culture and community , including
9633-451: The second women's Money in the Bank ladder match and first women's Elimination Chamber match . Bliss was a main cast member on the reality television series Total Divas . She appeared as a contestant on the ninth season of the competition series The Masked Singer . Alexis Kaufman was born on August 9, 1991, in Columbus, Ohio , to teenage parents who were still in high school at
9802-431: The spectacle . By at least the early 20th century, professional wrestling had diverged from the competitive sport to become an artform and genre of sports entertainment . Professional wrestling is performed around the world through various " promotions ", which are roughly analogous to production companies or sports leagues . Promotions vary considerably in size, scope, and creative approach, ranging from local shows on
9971-577: The 1920s, a group of wrestlers and promoters known as the Gold Dust Trio introduced moves which have since become staples of the mock combat of professional wrestling, such as body slams, suplexes , punches, finishing moves, and out-of-ring count-outs. By the early 1930s, most wrestlers had adopted personas to generate public interest. These personas could broadly be characterized as either faces (likeable) or heels (villainous). Native Americans, cowboys, and English aristocrats were staple characters in
10140-400: The 1930s and 1940s. Before the age of television, some wrestlers played different personas depending on the region they were performing in. This eventually came to an end in the age of national television wrestling shows, which forced wrestlers to stick to one persona. Wrestlers also often used some sort of gimmick, such as a finishing move, eccentric mannerisms, or out-of-control behavior (in
10309-506: The 1990s, WCW became a credible rival to the WWF, but by end it suffered from a series of creative missteps that led to its failure and purchase by the WWF. One of its mistakes was that it diminished the glamor of its World Heavyweight Championship . Between January 2000 and March 2001, the title changed hands eighteen times, which sapped fan enthusiasm, particularly for the climactic pay-per-view matches. In professional wrestling, two factors decide
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#173288518497410478-511: The April 19 episode of SmackDown, Bayley defended her title for the first time against Naomi , but the match ended in a no contest after Tiffany Stratton attacked both Naomi and Bayley. At Backlash France on May 4, Bayley defeated Naomi and Stratton in a triple threat match to retain her title. At Clash at the Castle: Scotland on June 15, Bayley retained her title against Piper Niven in
10647-641: The Atlantic Athletic Corporation (AAC). The AAC shut down in 1960. In 1958, Omaha promoter and NWA member Joe Dusek recognized Verne Gagne as the world champion without the approval of the NWA. Gagne asked for a match against the recognized NWA champion Pat O'Connor. The NWA refused to honor the request, so Gagne and Minneapolis promoter Wally Karbo established the American Wrestling Association in 1960. This AWA should not be confused with Paul Bowser's AWA, which ceased operations just two months prior. Gagne's AWA operated out of Minnesota . Unlike
10816-504: The BFFs on November 13, promptly joining the BFFs instead. On May 1, 2014, Bayley failed to advance in a tournament for the vacant NXT Women's Championship after losing to Banks in the first round. After pinning Charlotte in a tag team match, Bayley defeated Sasha Banks to become the number one contender to Charlotte's NXT Women's Championship, but she was unsuccessful in capturing the title at NXT TakeOver: Fatal 4-Way on September 11, and in
10985-553: The February 2 episode of SmackDown , Bayley confronted Sky, Sane and Asuka for talking about her behind her back before being attacked by Sane and Asuka, kicking her out of the group. Afterwards, Bayley announced she would challenge Sky for the WWE Women's Championship at WrestleMania XL turning face for the first time since 2019. On Night 2 of WrestleMania XL on April 7, Bayley defeated Sky to win her second WWE Women's Championship. On
11154-416: The January 21, 2015 episode, saving Charlotte from an attack by Banks and Lynch, before reluctantly attacking Charlotte herself. At NXT TakeOver: Rival on February 11, Bayley competed in a fatal four-way match for the NXT Women's Championship but failed to capture the title. In March, Bayley began a feud with Emma after Emma criticized Bayley for her niceness, claiming it had prevented her from winning
11323-529: The July 12 episode of Raw , Bliss would then begin a feud with Eva Marie . A match between Bliss and Marie was announced at SummerSlam on August 16 episode of Raw . At the event, Bliss would defeat Marie. At Extreme Rules , Bliss failed to win the Raw Women's Championship from Charlotte Flair, and after the match, Flair would tear up Lilly. At Elimination Chamber , Bliss entered contendership Elimination Chamber match for Raw Women's Championship; eliminating Liv Morgan and then eliminated by Bianca Belair . On
11492-470: The March 16, 2016 episode of NXT , after Bayley and Asuka won a tag team match, NXT general manager William Regal announced that Bayley would defend her championship against Asuka at NXT TakeOver: Dallas on April 1, where Bayley lost the championship to Asuka, ending her reign at 223 days. After a brief hiatus from in-ring competition, Bayley returned on the May 18 episode after being challenged by Nia Jax to
11661-456: The May 9, 2022, episode of Raw , Bliss made her return by defeating Sonya Deville after the latter's contract as a WWE official got terminated. During a six-woman tag team match on the July 18 episode of Raw , Bliss won the 24/7 Championship for the first time by pinning Nikki A.S.H. before immediately losing the title to Doudrop . On the October 31 episode of Raw , Bliss and Asuka defeated Damage CTRL ( Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky ) to win
11830-408: The NWA, at which point his territory became fair game for everyone. The NWA would blacklist wrestlers who worked for independent promoters or who publicly criticized an NWA promoter or who did not throw a match on command. If an independent promoter tried to establish himself in a certain area, the NWA would send their star performers to perform for the local NWA promoter to draw the customers away from
11999-477: The NWA, which only allowed faces to be champions, Gagne occasionally allowed heels to win the AWA championship so that they could serve as foils for him. In August 1983, the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), a promotion in the north-east , withdrew from the NWA. Vince K. McMahon then took over as its boss. No longer bound by the territorial pact of the NWA, McMahon began expanding his promotion into
12168-548: The NXT Women's Championship, celebrating with her, Lynch and Charlotte after the match. In a rematch between the two, contested in the main event of NXT TakeOver: Respect on October 7, in the first ever women's 30-minute Iron Man match in WWE history, Bayley defeated Banks with three falls to two after securing the third fall with three seconds left in the match to retain the title. Throughout her championship, Bayley went on to fend off title contenders such as Alexa Bliss , Eva Marie , Nia Jax and Carmella . On
12337-483: The NXT Women's Championship. This led to a match between the two on the April 1 episode, which Bayley won. On the April 29 episode, Bayley was defeated by Dana Brooke after a distraction by Emma. She gained revenge on Emma the following week, attacking her after her loss to Charlotte. At NXT TakeOver: Unstoppable on May 20, Bayley and Charlotte defeated Emma and Brooke. On the May 27 episode, Bayley lost to Emma; she and Charlotte were attacked by her and Brooke after
12506-467: The November 29 episode of SmackDown , she started a feud with Lacey Evans after Bayley and Banks insulted the women of the SmackDown roster for their loss at Survivor Series; Evans attacked Banks. At Royal Rumble on January 26, 2020, she retained the title against Evans. On the following SmackDown , Bayley claimed that she had beaten every woman on the roster, and Naomi interrupted, taking exception to
12675-493: The Raw Women's Championship for a third time. This made her the first woman, and third wrestler overall, to cash in the Money in the Bank contract the same night after winning it. At Extreme Rules , Bliss retained the championship against Jax in the inaugural women's extreme rules match , thereby ending their feud. At SummerSlam , on August 19, Bliss lost the championship to Ronda Rousey, ending her reign at 63 days. She failed to regain
12844-416: The September 18 episode of Raw to help Banks fend off Bliss and Jax. At No Mercy six days later, she lost a fatal five-way match for the Raw Women's Championship. On November 19, 2017, at Survivor Series , Bayley was again part of Team Raw in a five–on–five elimination tag team match but was eliminated by Tamina . Towards the end of the year, Bayley, alongside Sasha Banks and Mickie James , started
13013-616: The WWE Women's Tag Team Championship from The IIconics in a fatal four-way tag team elimination match also involving The Kabuki Warriors ( Asuka and Kairi Sane ), and Fire and Desire ( Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville ). Bliss and Cross retained their titles against Fire and Desire at Clash of Champions . At the Hell in a Cell on October 6, they lost the titles to The Kabuki Warriors after Asuka spat green mist in Cross' face, thus turning them face in
13182-536: The WWE Women's Tag Team Championship. In a rematch at Crown Jewel , Bliss and Asuka lost the titles back to Kai and Sky due to an interference from Nikki Cross . At Survivor Series WarGames , the team of Bliss, Belair, Asuka, Lynch, and Mia Yim defeated the team of Damage CTRL (Kai, Sky, and Bayley), Cross, and Ripley in a WarGames match . With the return of Bray Wyatt to WWE in late 2022, Bliss would begin to occasionally have backstage segments or in-ring moments interrupted by flickers of imagery connected to Wyatt and
13351-421: The Women's Royal Rumble match at #6 eliminating 5 women including Lynch before being eliminated by Liv Morgan . As part of the 2023 WWE Draft , Bayley, along with stablemates Kai and Sky, was drafted to the SmackDown brand . On the May 12 episode of SmackDown , Kai and Bayley failed to win the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship from Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez . After Morgan and Rodriguez vacated
13520-437: The age of 15, she had a life-threatening eating disorder , but turning to fitness competitions helped her overcome it. With her parents' permission, she also received breast augmentation when she was 17 to help overcome her eating disorders by making her feel more feminine, as her breasts stayed small naturally when she finished puberty and helped contribute to her eating disorders. Having no prior wrestling training, Kaufman
13689-445: The age of three, which she attributes to her family's annual trips to Walt Disney World despite their low income at the time. She enjoys cosplaying , which has inspired many of her wrestling outfits such as Freddy Krueger , Harley Quinn , Iron Man , The Riddler , Supergirl , and Chucky . She also supports her hometown Columbus Blue Jackets . She has cited Trish Stratus and Rey Mysterio as her influences in wrestling. Kaufman
13858-401: The arena's loudspeakers, his being Pomp and Circumstance . He also wore a costume: a robe and hairnet, which he removed after getting in the ring. He also had a pre-match ritual where his "butler" would spray the ring with perfume. In the 1980s, Vince McMahon made entrance songs, costumes, and rituals standard for his star wrestlers. For instance, McMahon's top star Hulk Hogan would delight
14027-418: The art of staging rigged matches and fostered a mentality that spectators were marks to be duped. The term kayfabe comes from carny slang. By the turn of the 20th century, most professional wrestling matches were "worked" and some journalists exposed the practice: American wrestlers are notorious for the amount of faking they do. It is because of this fact that suspicion attaches to so many bouts that
14196-550: The audience by tearing his shirt off before each match. The first major promoter cartel emerged on the East Coast, although up to that point, wrestling's heartland had been in the Midwest. Notable members of this cartel included Jack Curley , Lou Daro, Paul Bowser and Tom and Tony Packs. The promoters colluded to solve a number of problems that hurt their profits. Firstly, they could force their wrestlers to perform for less money. As
14365-424: The cartel grew, there were fewer independent promoters where independent wrestlers could find work, and many were forced to sign a contract with the cartel to receive steady work. The contracts forbade them from performing at independent venues. A wrestler who refused to play by the cartel's rules was barred from performing at its venues. A second goal of the wrestling cartels was to establish an authority to decide who
14534-418: The case of heels). The matches could also be gimmicky sometimes, with wrestlers fighting in mud and piles of tomatoes and so forth. The most successful and enduring gimmick to emerge from the 1930s were tag-team matches. Promoters noticed that matches slowed down as the wrestlers in the ring tired, so they gave them partners to relieve them. It also gave heels another way to misbehave by double-teaming. Towards
14703-423: The character in shows must be considered fictional, wholly separate from the life of the performer. This is similar to other entertainers who perform with a persona that shares their own name. Some wrestlers also incorporate elements of their real-life personalities into their characters, even if they and their in-ring persona have different names. Kayfabe is the practice of pretending that professional wrestling
14872-439: The cinematic match between Braun Strowman and Bray Wyatt . Wyatt used Bliss's image as Strowman had an affection for her. Bliss then became involved in the storyline between Strowman and Wyatt, as she was attacked by Wyatt's alter ego, The Fiend, on July 31 episode of SmackDown . Bliss's involvement with The Fiend would continue in the coming months, with Bliss going into trance and using his finisher, Sister Abigail. As part of
15041-457: The claim as Bayley had never beaten her, beginning a feud between the two. On the February 14 episode of SmackDow n, Bayley retained her title against Carmella. At Super ShowDown on February 27, in what was the first women's championship match contested in Saudi Arabia, Bayley defeated Naomi to retain the title. On March 8, Bayley surpassed Charlotte Flair's reign of 147 days, thus becoming
15210-508: The commission. The Commission did on very rare occasions hand out such authorizations, such as for a championship match between Jim Londos and Jim Browning in June 1934. This decree did not apply to amateur wrestling, which the commission had no authority over. Wrestling fans widely suspected that professional wrestling was fake, but they did not care as long as it entertained. In 1933, a wrestling promoter named Jack Pfefer started talking about
15379-540: The current fashion of wrestling is the universal discussion as to the honesty of the matches. And certainly the most interesting phrase of this discussion is the unanimous agreement: "Who cares if they're fixed or not—the show is good." Newspapers tended to shun professional wrestling, as journalists saw its theatrical pretense to being a legitimate sport as untruthful. Eventually promoters resorted to publishing their own magazines in order to get press coverage and communicate with fans. The first professional wrestling magazine
15548-405: The end of the 1930s, faced with declining revenues, promoters chose to focus on grooming charismatic wrestlers with no regard for their skill because it was charisma that drew the crowds, and wrestlers who were both skilled at grappling and charismatic were hard to come by. Since most of the public by this time knew and accepted that professional wrestling was fake, realism was no longer paramount and
15717-430: The event on August 20, Bayley failed to regain the title in what was her final match in NXT. At Battleground on July 24, Bayley made her main roster debut in a one-off appearance as Sasha Banks ' mystery tag team partner, defeating Charlotte and Dana Brooke. Her official main roster debut came on the August 22 episode of Raw , being established as part of the brand by Raw general manager Mick Foley and challenging
15886-497: The event, the duo defeated The Kabuki Warriors to win the titles for a second time, becoming the first multi-time WWE Women's Tag Team Champions. On the following SmackDown , they defeated them again in a rematch for their titles, and were subsequently challenged by Carmella and Dana Brooke, against whom they defended the titles on SmackDown two weeks later. On May 18 episode of Raw , Bliss and Cross retained their titles against The IIconics via disqualification, after losing to them in
16055-597: The facade of kayfabe as best as they could. In 1989, Vince McMahon testified before the New Jersey government that professional wrestling was not a true sport and therefore should be exempted from sports-related taxes. Many wrestlers and fans resented McMahon for this, but Lou Thesz accepted it as the smart move as it gave the industry more freedom to do as it pleased, and because by that point professional wrestling no longer attempted to appear real. The demise of WCW in 2001 provided some evidence that kayfabe still mattered to
16224-530: The feud with Orton, as she wanted him to face the repercussions of his actions at TLC. At Royal Rumble , she competed in the Women's Royal Rumble match, entering at number 27, but was eliminated by Rhea Ripley after about a minute in the ring. From January to March 2021, Bliss's appearance continually shifted darker as she began to constantly interfere in Orton's matches. This transformation ramped up for her scheduled intergender match against Orton at Fastlane . During
16393-558: The first ever all women's pay–per–view Evolution , teaming with Banks and Natalya in a winning effort against The Riott Squad. At Survivor Series on November 18, Bayley competed as part of Team Raw, where she was eliminated via countout after a brawl with Sonya Deville outside the ring. On January 27, 2019, at the Royal Rumble , Bayley entered the Royal Rumble match at #27, but was eliminated by Charlotte Flair and Nia Jax. At Elimination Chamber on February 17, Bayley and Banks won
16562-435: The first month as a villain, she was depicted as a hypocrite, acting as nothing had changed with her entrance music and in-ring gear remaining intact, despite developing villainous traits and underhanded tactics. On the October 11, 2019 episode of Smackdown, Bayley debuted a new look, having cut her ponytail off, destroying her inflatable tube men, and using profanity against the fans in her post-match promo. She now calls herself
16731-470: The first place. "Double-crosses", where a wrestler agreed to lose a match but nevertheless fought to win, remained a problem in the early cartel days. At times a promoter would even award a victorious double-crosser the title of champion to preserve the facade of sport. But promoters punished such wrestlers by blacklisting them, making it quite challenging to find work. Double-crossers could also be sued for breach of contract, such as Dick Shikat in 1936. In
16900-401: The following night on Raw by Mickie James due to remarks Bliss made about her. At TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs , Bliss defeated James to retain the title, and did so again on October 30 episode of Raw . On February 25, 2018, at Elimination Chamber , Bliss won the inaugural women's elimination chamber match, after she successfully retained her title. In parallel to her activities as
17069-610: The game is not popular here. Nine out of ten bouts, it has been said, are pre-arranged affairs, and it would be no surprise if the ratio of fixed matches to honest ones was really so high. The wrestler Lou Thesz recalled that between 1915 and 1920, a series of exposés in the newspapers about the integrity of professional wrestling alienated a lot of fans, sending the industry "into a tailspin". But rather than perform more shoot matches, professional wrestlers instead committed themselves wholesale to fakery. Several reasons explain why professional wrestling became fake whereas boxing endured as
17238-455: The government. They pledged to stop allocating exclusive territories to its promoters, to stop blacklisting wrestlers who worked for outsider promoters, and to admit any promoter into the Alliance. The NWA would flout many of these promises, but its power was nonetheless weakened by the lawsuit. Paul Bowser's AWA joined the NWA in 1949. The AWA withdrew from the Alliance in 1957 and renamed itself
17407-404: The inaugural WWE Women's Tag Team Championship by lastly eliminating Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville in a six tag team Elimination Chamber match . They made their first successful title defense at Fastlane on March 10 against Nia Jax and Tamina. At WrestleMania 35 on April 7, they lost the titles to The IIconics in a fatal four-way match, ending their reign at 49 days. On April 16, Bayley
17576-513: The independent. By 1956, the NWA controlled 38 promotions within the United States, with more in Canada, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand. The NWA's monopolistic practices became so stifling that the independents appealed to the government for help. In October 1956 the US Attorney General's office filed an antitrust lawsuit against the NWA in an Iowa federal district court. The NWA settled with
17745-471: The industry was anything but a competitive sport. The first wrestling promoter to publicly admit to routinely fixing matches was Jack Pfefer . In 1933, he started talking about the industry's inner workings to the New York Daily Mirror , resulting in a huge exposé. The exposé neither surprised nor alienated most wrestling fans, although some promoters like Jack Curley were furious and tried to restore
17914-487: The industry's inner workings to the New York Daily Mirror , maintaining no pretense that wrestling was real and passing on planned results just before the matches took place. While fans were neither surprised nor alienated, traditionalists like Jack Curley were furious, and most promoters tried to maintain the facade of kayfabe as best they could. Not the least interesting of all the minor phenomena produced by
18083-575: The latter's home country. At SummerSlam on August 3, Bayley lost the title to Queen of the Ring winner Nia Jax after interference from Tiffany Stratton , ending her reign at 118 days. At Bad Blood on October 5, Bayley failed to regain the title from Jax after another interference from Stratton. When beginning her WWE career, Bayley was depicted as a "hugger", coming out with multiple inflatable skydancers during her entrances as well as hugging many fans (particularly younger children) in attendance. For
18252-433: The longest-reigning SmackDown Women's Champion. On the March 20 episode of SmackDown , Bayley and Banks came to the ring saying that they were going to skip WrestleMania 36 this year, but they were interrupted by Paige, who announced that Bayley would defend her title against Naomi, Lacey Evans, Dana Brooke (who was later removed from the match), Tamina, and Sasha Banks in a six-pack elimination match at WrestleMania 36. At
18421-407: The main event scene and turned her into one of the biggest female stars in WWE. Furthermore, she is known to sport ring gear inspired by pop culture icons such as Iron Man , The Riddler , and Freddy Krueger , among others. As her primary finisher, Bliss uses a diving barani flip from the top rope dubbed Twisted Bliss , which originates from her background in gymnastics and was initially called
18590-404: The main event to win the Raw Women's Championship after an assist from Banks. At Fastlane on March 5, Bayley retained the title against Charlotte due to a distraction from Banks, in turn giving Charlotte her first pay-per-view loss. At WrestleMania 33 on April 2, she retained the title against Charlotte, Banks and Jax in a fatal four-way elimination match. At Payback on April 30, Bayley lost
18759-460: The main roster by defeating Becky Lynch on August 9 episode of SmackDown . On August 21 at SummerSlam , she teamed with Natalya and Nikki Bella in a winning effort against Lynch, Carmella and Naomi . On September 11 at Backlash , Bliss competed in a six-pack elimination challenge to determine the inaugural SmackDown Women's Champion , in which she was unsuccessful and was won by Becky Lynch. On September 13 episode of SmackDown , Bliss won
18928-486: The main roster came at WrestleMania XXX on April 6, 2014, when she played a part in Triple H 's entrance. She made her televised in-ring debut on May 8 episode of NXT , playing a glitter fairy gimmick with her ring entrance set to the theme track "Bling Bling," competing in a tournament for the vacant NXT Women's Championship. She defeated former Divas Champion Alicia Fox in the first round, but lost to Charlotte in
19097-412: The match, cementing her heel turn. On the November 1 episode of SmackDown , Bayley retained her title against Nikki Cross after interference from Banks, and after the match, all three women were attacked by Shayna Baszler . At Survivor Series on November 24, Bayley faced Raw Women's Champion Becky Lynch and NXT Women's Champion Shayna Baszler in a non-title triple threat match, which Baszler won. On
19266-638: The match, off the ladder when Sky was trying to grab the briefcase. Bayley was later handcuffed to Becky Lynch by Sky to grab the briefcase and win the match. Nevertheless, Bayley helped Sky cash in the Money in the Bank briefcase to win the WWE Women's Championship at SummerSlam . Over the next few months, Bayley helped Sky retain her title on several occasions while Asuka and Kairi Sane joined Damage CTRL. At Survivor Series WarGames on November 25, Bayley, Sky, Asuka and Sane were defeated by Belair, Lynch, Charlotte Flair and Shotzi after Lynch pinned Bayley. At Royal Rumble on January 27, 2024, Bayley won
19435-496: The match, she attacked Orton with supernatural powers like making a lighting rig fall and almost land on him and launching a fireball at him. At the end, The Fiend made his return and attacked Orton, allowing Bliss to defeat Orton. At Wrestlemania 37 , Bliss was in The Fiend's corner for his match with Orton, but eventually betrayed him by distracting him, allowing Orton to defeat him. On the following Raw , Bliss declared that The Fiend
19604-403: The match. After a short hiatus, Bayley returned from a broken hand injury on the July 22 episode, defeating Emma and setting her sights on the NXT Women's Championship, thus ending their feud. In August, after defeating Charlotte, Bayley defeated Becky Lynch to become the #1 contender for the NXT Women's Championship. At NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn on August 22, Bayley defeated Sasha Banks to win
19773-400: The match. On December 4 at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs , Bliss defeated Lynch in a tables match to become the new SmackDown Women's Champion. On the January 17, 2017, episode of SmackDown , Bliss successfully defended her title against Lynch in a steel cage match following an interference by the returning Mickie James , who aligned herself with Bliss. On February 12, Bliss dropped
19942-411: The match. The Vaudevillians were granted a rematch for the NXT Tag Team Championship against Blake and Murphy at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn on August 22, which they won after Blue Pants stopped Bliss from providing a distraction during the match. For this Takeover appearance, Bliss incorporated her signature skeleton gloves for the very first time on air. The interruptions at Brooklyn led to a match between
20111-498: The members of wrestling cartels as the champion drew big crowds wherever he performed, and this would occasionally lead to schisms. By 1925, this cartel had divided the country up into territories which were the exclusive domains of specific promoters. This system of territories endured until Vince McMahon drove the fragmented cartels out of the market in the 1980s. This cartel fractured in 1929 after one of its members, Paul Bowser , bribed Ed "Strangler" Lewis to lose his championship in
20280-483: The month of June, Bliss would take on an ever increasingly darker appearance, and for the June 21 episode of Raw it was announced that Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross would be in a Money in the Bank Qualifier tag team match against Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler. Bliss and Cross secured the victory after Cross pinned Baszler. This was the first team win for Bliss and Cross since the May 12, 2020 Raw taping (May 18 airing). On
20449-432: The newly formed team of Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler . On the September 4 episode of SmackDown , after failing to win the titles in a rematch, Bayley turned on Banks once again by attacking her, disbanding their team. At Clash of Champions on September 27, after retaining her title against Asuka, she was attacked by Banks. On the October 9 episode of SmackDown , Bayley retained against Banks via disqualification, and in
20618-625: The primary vehicle for advancing storylines, which typically center on interpersonal conflicts, or feuds , between heroic " faces " and villainous " heels ". A wrestling ring , akin to the platform used in boxing , serves as the main stage ; additional scenes may be recorded for television in backstage areas of the venue, in a format similar to reality television . Performers generally integrate authentic wrestling techniques and fighting styles with choreography , stunts , improvisation , and dramatic conventions designed to maximize entertainment value and audience engagement. Professional wrestling as
20787-435: The process. This would be Bliss's first time as a face on the main roster. Although drafted separately instead of as a team during the 2019 Draft , Bliss and Cross remained on the Raw brand , but the team was then traded to the SmackDown brand. At Starrcade , Bliss and Cross competed in a fatal four-way tag team match for the Women's Tag Team Championship, but the match was won by defending champions The Kabuki Warriors. At
20956-714: The promotion's closing in 1991. In the spring of 1984, the WWF purchased Georgia Championship Wrestling (GCW), which had been ailing for some time due to financial mismanagement and internal squabbles. In the deal, the WWF acquired the GCW's timeslot on TBS . McMahon agreed to keep showing Georgia wrestling matches in that timeslot, but he was unable to get his staff to Atlanta every Saturday to fulfill this obligation, so he sold GCW and its TBS timeslot to Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP). JCP started informally calling itself World Championship Wrestling (WCW). In 1988, Ted Turner bought JCP and formally renamed it World Championship Wrestling. During
21125-411: The related new Uncle Howdy character. On the January 2, 2023, episode of Raw , during a match against Raw Women's Champion Bianca Belair, Bliss would be distracted by crowd members wearing Uncle Howdy masks and flickers of Wyatt's imagery on the video screen. The content would cause her to snap and viciously attack both the referee and Belair, causing Bliss to lose via disqualification and Belair to retain
21294-546: The ring by Bliss, who has now changed the blue in her hair to red, as well as changed her ring attire to a red two-piece with matching name and markings to the Blake and Murphy ring gear. For this match Blake and Murphy won, and as an act of humiliation Bliss hit a Sparkle Splash to the incapacitated Elias. With the effects of Takeover: Unstoppable still fresh, Bliss had a singles match with Carmella on June 3 episode of NXT . Starting with this match, "Opposite Ends Of The World" would be
21463-541: The ring name Bayley. In 2015, she won the NXT Women's Championship . On the main roster, she held the WWE Raw Women's Championship , the WWE SmackDown Women's Championship and the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship , making her the first women's Triple Crown Champion and Grand Slam winner in WWE history. Additionally, she won the 2019 Money in the Bank ladder match and the 2024 Royal Rumble , where she set
21632-448: The second night of the event on April 5, Bayley retained the title after lastly pinning Evans. At Money in the Bank on May 10, Bayley retained the title against Tamina after a distraction from Banks. On the June 5 episode of SmackDown , Bayley and Banks defeated Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross to win the Women's Tag Team Championship for the second time, making Bayley a double champion. At Backlash on June 14, Bayley and Banks retained
21801-459: The semi-finals. On September 25 episode of NXT , a new ring entrance theme track "Blissful" was debuted for the first time with her match against Bayley . After a failed Double-Knees attempt, Bliss lost to a Bayley-to-Belly suplex . After a hiatus due to a legit injury, Bliss returned on March 11, 2015, episode of NXT , where she defeated Carmella . The following week on NXT , she defeated NXT Women's Champion Sasha Banks by countout in
21970-440: The stamina for an hours-long fight. Audiences also preferred short matches. Worked matches also carried less risk of injury, which meant shorter recovery. Altogether, worked matches proved more profitable than shoots. By the end of the 19th century, nearly all professional wrestling matches were worked. A major influence on professional wrestling was carnival culture. Wrestlers in the late 19th century worked in carnival shows. For
22139-426: The territories of his former NWA peers, now his rivals. By the end of the 1980s, the WWF would become the sole national wrestling promotion in the U.S. This was in part made possible by the rapid spread of cable television in the 1980s. The national broadcast networks generally regarded professional wrestling as too niche an interest, and had not broadcast any national wrestling shows since the 1950s. Before cable TV,
22308-470: The theme track that was also used for Bliss to make her entrances, and she was accompanied by Blake and Murphy, who remained ringside for the duration of this match. Bliss won this encounter by securing a Roll-up and grabbing the second rope for additional leverage. On July 29 episode of NXT , Bliss helped Blake and Murphy retain the NXT Tag Team Championship against The Vaudevillains ( Aiden English and Simon Gotch ) and slapped both English and Gotch after
22477-521: The time of her birth. She has been involved in sports since the age of five, competing in track and field , softball, and gymnastics. She was also a cheerleader at Hilliard Davidson High School and reached Division I status at the University of Akron , where she graduated with an M.A. in medical dietetics . She spent time in competitive fitness competitions, and has competed in the Arnold Classic . At
22646-403: The title after using an exposed turnbuckle, but lost the title to Flair at Hell in a Cell on October 6, ending her reign at 140 days. On the October 11 episode of SmackDown , Bayley debuted a new look, having cut off her ponytail and attacking the inflatable tube men (called "Bayley Buddies") during her entrance, then regaining the championship from Flair again before insulting the fans after
22815-400: The title against Ember Moon . On the September 2 episode of Raw , Bayley helped Sasha Banks attack Becky Lynch with a steel chair, turning heel for the first time in her career. The following night on SmackDown Live , Bayley justified her attacking on Lynch, explaining that she was only helping Banks because of their friendship. On September 15 at Clash of Champions , Bayley retained
22984-477: The title from Bayley. Following the loss, in her first attempt at capturing the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship , Bliss teamed up with Nikki Cross to challenge The IIconics ( Billie Kay and Peyton Royce ), during which Bliss and Cross were unsuccessful. Bliss and Cross would challenge Bayley to a two-on-one handicap match at Extreme Rules , where Bayley once again retained the championship by pinning Bliss. On August 5 episode of Raw , Bliss and Cross would win
23153-408: The title in a Last Woman Standing match . Three weeks later At Survivor Series WarGames on November 26, Damage CTRL competed in a WarGames match , teaming with Nikki Cross and Rhea Ripley against Belair, Bliss, Asuka, Mia Yim and Becky Lynch but lost when Lynch pinned Kai after a diving legdrop from the top of the cage through a table. At the Royal Rumble on January 28, 2023, Bayley entered
23322-400: The title in a rematch at Hell in a Cell the following month. In October, Bliss and Mickie James started a feud with WWE Hall of Famers Trish Stratus and Lita , which eventually led to the announcement of a tag team match between the two duos at WWE Evolution , the first ever all women's pay-per-view. Just three days before the event, however, on October 25, it was announced that Bliss
23491-418: The title to Alexa Bliss , ending her reign at 76 days. On June 4 at Extreme Rules , she failed to regain the title in a kendo stick on a pole match. In July, Bayley again became the #1 contender for the championship after defeating Banks and was slated to face Bliss at SummerSlam on August 20, but she suffered a separated shoulder injury which left her unable to perform. Bayley returned from her injury on
23660-426: The title to Naomi at Elimination Chamber . On February 21 episode of SmackDown , Bliss defeated Lynch to capture the title for the second time after Naomi was forced to vacate the title due to injury, becoming the first two-time SmackDown Women's Champion. Bliss's partnership with Mickie James dissolved shortly after and the two would face off in a match on SmackDown , with James defeating Bliss. On April 2, Bliss lost
23829-469: The title to Naomi in a six-pack challenge also involving Carmella, James, Lynch and Natalya at WrestleMania 33 . Bliss and Naomi faced off in a rematch on April 4 episode of SmackDown , where Bliss was once again defeated. On April 10, 2017, episode of Raw , Bliss was drafted to the Raw brand as part of the Superstar Shake-up , confronting Raw Women's Champion Bayley . A week later, Bliss won
23998-426: The title. A rematch between the two for the title was later scheduled for the Royal Rumble . At the event on January 28, Bliss failed to win the title. Bliss began her career using a fairy gimmick, which saw her wearing a cheerleading uniform and blowing glitter during her entrance. In hindsight, she has spoken negatively about her early characterization and blamed her inexperience for creating it, noting that it
24167-488: The title; however, she was unsuccessful and suffered a shoulder injury during the match. Shortly after losing the title, in mid-May, Bliss won a triple threat match against Bayley and Mickie James to earn a spot at the Money in the Bank ladder match , which she would go on to win at the event on June 17. That same night, Bliss cashed in her contract on Nia Jax and defeated her, after attacking both Jax and Ronda Rousey , winning
24336-412: The titles due to Morgan suffering an injury, Bayley and Sky pariticpated in a fatal four-way match for the vacant titles on the May 29 episode of Raw, but the match was won by Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler . On the June 9 episode of SmackDown , Bayley defeated Mia Yim to qualify for the women's Money in the Bank ladder match . At Money in the Bank , Bayley pushed Sky, who also participated in
24505-428: The titles in a triple threat tag team match against Bliss and Cross and The IIconics . Bayley successfully defended her title twice against Nikki Cross, first at The Horror Show at Extreme Rules on July 19, and then on the July 31 episode of SmackDown . She also retained her title against Asuka at SummerSlam on August 23. At Payback on August 30, Bayley and Banks lost the Women's Tag Team Championship against
24674-505: The trial, witnesses testified that most of the "big matches" and all of the championship bouts were fixed. By the 1930s, with the exception of the occasional double-cross or business dispute, shoot matches were essentially nonexistent. In April 1930, the New York State Athletic Commission decreed that all professional wrestling matches held in the state had to be advertised as exhibitions unless certified as contests by
24843-497: The trio. On May 25 episode of NXT , Bliss competed in a triple threat match against Carmella and Nia Jax to determine the number one contender to Asuka 's NXT Women's Championship, which was won by Jax. On July 6 episode of NXT , in a match against Bayley, Bliss debuted the Goddess ring attire. The match ended when Bayley executed a Bayley-to-Belly Suplex and secured the pinfall victory. On August 17 episode of NXT , Bliss competed in
25012-471: The truth, their audiences would desert them. Today's performers don't "protect" the industry like we did, but that's primarily because they've already exposed it by relying on silly or downright ludicrous characters and gimmicks to gain popularity with the fans. It was different in my day, when our product was presented as an authentic, competitive sport. We protected it because we believed it would collapse if we ever so much as implied publicly that it
25181-455: The two, where Bliss would go on to defeat Blue Pants in a singles match on September 2 episode of NXT . For this match she added her signature hand gesture to her entrance that she went on to use extensively for the next five years. Throughout October and November, Bliss was involved in a feud with Bayley over the NXT Women's Championship. On November 18 episode of NXT , while cutting a promo about her upcoming main event match with Bayley,
25350-535: The way of proceedings: the "in-show" happenings, presented through the shows; and real-life happenings outside the work that have implications, such as performer contracts, legitimate injuries, etc. Because actual life events are often co-opted by writers for incorporation into storylines of performers, the lines between real life and fictional life are often blurred and become confused. Special discern must be taken with people who perform under their own name (such as Kurt Angle and his fictional persona ). The actions of
25519-409: The women's Royal Rumble match from the #3 spot by last eliminating Liv Morgan . She also set a new record for the longest time spent in a single women's Royal Rumble match at 1:03:03, beating Rhea Ripley 's record from the previous year. Bayley also became the second woman, after Asuka, to win the Royal Rumble, Money in the Bank , and Elimination Chamber matches and one of five people overall. On
25688-420: The wrestlers quietly began faking their matches so that they could give their audiences a satisfying spectacle. Fixing matches was also convenient for scheduling. A real ("shoot") match could sometimes last hours, whereas a fixed ("worked") match can be made short, which was convenient for wrestlers on tour who needed to keep appointments or share venues. It also suited wrestlers who were aging and therefore lacked
25857-425: Was Wrestling As You Like It , which printed its first issue in 1946. These magazines were faithful to kayfabe . Before the advent of television, professional wrestling's fanbase largely consisted of children, the elderly, blue-collar workers and minorities. When television arose in the 1940s, professional wrestling got national exposure on prime-time television and gained widespread popularity. Professional wrestling
26026-442: Was "a very unrelatable character" and "basically Tinker Bell in a wrestling ring". The glitter also would stick to her and her opponents, and would be hard to remove, resulting in it being banned by WWE. She eventually altered her gimmick to that of a cruel, calculating, unhinged, bullying villain , taking inspiration from the comic book character Harley Quinn in personality, and appearance. This gimmick led to her breakthrough into
26195-777: Was 11. In April 2008, she started her professional wrestling career at the age of 18, by attending Big Time Wrestling's training classes by her head trainer Jason Styles, which was one of the reasons why Martinez considered Big Time Wrestling as her home promotion. She had her first match in September 2008. On the American independent circuit, Martinez wrestled under the ring name Davina Rose. Rose wrestled for Big Time Wrestling from 2008 to 2012. Between 2011 and 2012, Rose branched out to wrestle for other promotions such as NWA Championship Wrestling from Hollywood , Pro Wrestling Destination and Shine Wrestling . In October 2010, Rose first met her mentor Serena when they teamed together for
26364-443: Was attacked by Flair after the match. On January 2, 2017, Bayley defeated Jax to become the #1 contender for Flair's Raw Women's Championship. At the Royal Rumble on January 29, Bayley failed to win the title from Flair. She earned a rematch after she, Cesaro and Sheamus defeated Flair, Gallows and Anderson the next night on Raw , with Bayley pinning Flair. Two weeks later on the February 13 episode, Bayley defeated Flair in
26533-505: Was being sent to her. Professional wrestler 1970s and 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s and 2020s Professional wrestling (often referred to as pro wrestling , or simply, wrestling ) is a form of athletic theater that combines mock combat with drama , with the premise that the performers are competitive wrestlers. Professional wrestling is distinguished by its scripted outcomes and emphasis on entertainment and showmanship . The staged nature of matches
26702-488: Was challenges from independent wrestlers. But a cartelized wrestler, if challenged, could credibly use his contractual obligations to his promoter as an excuse to refuse the challenge. Promotions would sometimes respond to challenges with "policemen": powerful wrestlers who lacked the charisma to become stars, but could defeat and often seriously injure any challenger in a shoot match. As the industry trend continued, there were fewer independent wrestlers to make such challenges in
26871-470: Was drafted to the SmackDown brand as part of the Superstar Shake-up , disbanding her team with Banks, who remained on Raw. At The Shield's Final Chapter on April 21, Bayley and Ember Moon defeated The Riott Squad. At Money in the Bank on May 19, Bayley won the Money in the Bank ladder match , granting her a women's championship match at any time of her choosing. Later that same night, she would cash in her briefcase and defeated Charlotte Flair to win
27040-461: Was eliminated by Bayley and Carmella . In April, Bliss hosted the WrestleMania 35 event. The following night on Raw , Bliss defeated Bayley in her first singles match since her hiatus from in-ring competition in late 2018. At The Shield's Final Chapter event, Bliss teamed up with Lacey Evans to defeat Dana Brooke and Nikki Cross in a dark match . Shortly thereafter, Bliss was announced as
27209-404: Was eliminated by Peyton Royce . At the Royal Rumble on January 31, 2021, Bayley was the first entrant, but was eliminated by eventual winner Bianca Belair . On the second night of WrestleMania 37 on April 11, Bayley came out and started insulting the hosts Hulk Hogan and Titus O'Neil , only to get beaten up by The Bella Twins . Bayley would then start a feud with Belair, facing her for
27378-511: Was eliminated by Alexa Bliss after Banks pushed her off a pod. At the WrestleMania 34 kick-off show on April 8, Bayley competed in the inaugural WrestleMania Women's Battle Royal , where she eliminated Banks, and was the last woman eliminated from the match by Naomi . On the March 26 episode of Raw , after weeks of animosity, including Bayley betraying Banks during their matches, Bayley and Banks brawled backstage and had to be separated. The two faced off in mid-April but their match ended in
27547-441: Was her mentor, but now she no longer needed him. She then introduced her new friend, a demonic looking doll named Lilly. On the May 31 episode of Raw , Bliss would begin a feud with Shayna Baszler with Baszler claiming that Bliss was the reason why Baszler and Jax lost the WWE Women's Tag Team titles. A match between Baszler and Bliss would then be announced for Hell in a Cell . At the event, Bliss would defeat Baszler. Throughout
27716-636: Was previously considered a niche interest, but the TV networks at the time were short on content and thus were willing to try some wrestling shows. In the 1960s, however, the networks moved on to more mainstream interests such as baseball, and professional wrestling was dropped. The core audience then shrunk back to a profile similar to that of the 1930s. In 1989, Vince McMahon was looking to exempt his promotion (the World Wrestling Federation ) from sports licensing fees. To achieve this, he testified before
27885-641: Was previously engaged to fellow professional wrestler Matthew Adams, better known by the ring name Buddy Murphy, and now known by the name Buddy Matthews . They ended their engagement in 2018, but remained friends. She had a pet pig named Larry-Steve, whom she shared with Adams, but the pig died on May 25, 2021. In February 2020, Kaufman began dating musician Ryan Cabrera . The couple were married on April 9, 2022, in Palm Desert, California . In March 2023, Kaufman revealed she had skin cancer, caused by use of tanning equipment. On November 27, 2023, Bliss gave birth to
28054-418: Was pulled off the match due to a concussion she suffered during her match with Ronda at Hell in a Cell and she was replaced by Alicia Fox , however did get to accompany them to ringside. During that time, it was also revealed that Bliss would be taking time off from in-ring competition to heal from various injuries that she had sustained. A few weeks later, Bliss was announced as the team captain of Team Raw in
28223-455: Was signed by WWE in May 2013 and reported to WWE's developmental territory NXT . On July 24 episode of NXT (which was taped on June 20), she made her first televised appearance, congratulating the inaugural NXT Women's Champion Paige . In August, she was added to WWE.com's NXT roster page and assigned the ring name Alexa Bliss. She acted as an unnamed ring announcer for the November 20 episode of NXT . Her first televised appearance on
28392-415: Was something other than what it appeared to be. I'm not sure now the fear was ever justified given the fact that the industry is still in existence today, but the point is no one questioned the need then. "Protecting the business" in the face of criticism and skepticism was the first and most important rule a pro wrestler learned. No matter how aggressive or informed the questioner, you never admitted
28561-417: Was the "world champion". Before the cartels, there were multiple wrestlers in the U.S. simultaneously calling themselves the "world champion", and this sapped public enthusiasm for professional wrestling. Likewise, the cartel could agree on a common set of match rules that the fans could keep track of. The issue over who got to be the champion and who controlled said champion was a major point of contention among
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