RESPECT Magazine - Issue #3

The longest reigning WSU Champion in history talks exclusively to RESPECT about life on the road. We talk to Mercedes Martinez about the importance of WSU to women’s wrestling in America, the differences between SHIMMER and home company of WSU, her most favourite opponents inside the ring and the training regimen of a champion.

Martinez, who celebrates her ten year anniversary as a professional wrestler, shares with us her thoughts on the independent scene. “Back in 2000, I fought [hard] to be respected,” explains Mercedes as she tells us what she thinks has changed with women’s wrestling in her ten year career.

With the retirement of the WWE Women’s Championship we treat Issue #3 as an ‘In Memoriam’ issue to a title that has now been laid to rest. With an array of accomplished title holders ranging from Trish Stratus to Molly Holly, we ask members of the Captured-Beauty.com forum to vote for ‘The Greatest WWE Women’s Champion of All Time’.

With a Championship belt comes title matches. In the same poll we asked wrestling fans to vote for their favourite WWE Women’s Championship matches. Was it the memorable RAW main event in 2004 that pitted Lita against Trish Stratus that took the honour? How about the Wrestlemania 22 contest between Mickie James and Trish Stratus? Or was it something else entirely different?

With the news of Mickie James joining Total Non-Stop Action, we assess whether James can be a ratings boost for the fledgling #2 organisation. With a concoction of Knockouts vying for supremacy, will Mickie James serve as support or instead hinder their progression?

We also look at the character development of WWE’s Layla and Michelle McCool. The bitchy duo who often trump their rivals are fast becoming controversial figures in the modern-day Diva era; but is it at the cost of the rest of the Divas locker room?