In Sisterhood of the Squared Circle: The History and Rise of Women’s Wrestling, authors Pat Laprade and Dan Murphy start from as far back as one can go with women’s wrestling. The reader is guided from the pre-1930’s era (carnivals, bearded women), and through the long stretch when Fabulous Moolah seemed to dominate every facet of the art form (for three decades).
From Luna to Lita to AJ Lee. From Trish Stratus to Shimmer. There’s pre-WTF Sexy Star, and pre-release Emma, and so, so much more — the book contains 400-plus pages of encyclopedic knowledge of women’s wrestling. The history of women’s wrestling in Japan, Mexico, Australia, and England all receive entries, along with over 100 individual wrestlers.
The breadth of information in this book is staggering, and is highly recommended for fans who haven’t allowed themselves the pleasure of dissecting the struggles and successes of women in the wrestling industry. There are long-form stories, quotes, and anecdotes you’ve never heard before.
Some highlights include:
- Yo, The Fabulous Moolah was a sketchy human. Thorough recounting of her journey will open those eyeballs right up and all you 80’s kids will know why WWE chose to christen their tournament the Mae Young Classic, and not the Fabulous Moolah Whatever
- You’ll learn how Billy Wolfe is credited with integrating black women into wrestling, and how many of them had to change their styles depending on what region of the country they were performing in
- A 1940s “women’s invasion” was protested outside a show in New Jersey as a means of generating publicity (they didn’t use tanks and megaphones, but still)
- The TNA Knockouts division getting a lot of respect for keeping the integrity of women’s wrestling alive during WWE’s obsession with Divas — something you might not know if you have been ignoring TNA, and are just catching up because Brandon Stroud is doing the Lord’s Work
Find more information about Sisterhood of the Squared Circle: The History and Rise of Women’s Wrestling at ECW press.
