The much-touted women’s wrestling revolution of recent years, specifically the capital-R Women’s Revolution often used as a WWE talking point, has featured historic moment after historic moment since WWE’s women were rechristened “Superstars” after the “Divas” label was retired at last year’s WrestleMania 32.
Since that time, WWE women have main evented a pay-per-view, have had the first-ever women’s Hell in a Cell and Money in the Bank matches (the latter also encompassing the first and second WWE women’s ladder matches), and might be on their way to having the first women’s Royal Rumble match.
On Thursday, WWE women made history in a much more wide-reaching sense, as Alexa Bliss and Sasha Banks had a Raw Women’s Championship match during a Live Event in Abu Dhabi. In doing so, they became the first women to wrestle in the United Arab Emirates. They still had to wear some special outfits that covered up their bodies in accordance with the UAE’s modesty mandates, so concessions were made … but they still made some pretty damn cool (and pretty inarguably important) history.
This Instagram story shows off some of the video and photos of the match, including great shots of the one-off outfits they wore for the show. (Banks’ outfit, at least, was crafted by her husband, WWE seamster and wrestler Kid Mikaze.) (Click forward for the rest of the images and videos in the IG story.)
https://www.instagram.com/p/BcaXeg_BAFC/
WWE also caught up with Banks after the match, where she was very emotional about what she and Bliss had just accomplished.
A very cool moment for both women, I have no doubt. It very clearly meant a whole lot to Banks. WWE women have accomplished a whole lot in the last couple years, but this latest milestone is a big reminder that there are still a whole lot of big moments still to come.
