1993 WWF Women's Championship Tournament

***Updated August 21, 2018***

***Updated May 5, 2021***

In December 1993 the WWF announced a tournament would take place to crown a new Women's Champion.  The title had been inactive since February 21, 1990 when then champion Rockin' Robin was stripped of the title.  She hadn't defended it since June 25, 1989 in Wheeling, West Virginia against Judy Martin.

I had heard about this tournament happening for years but all I even knew where the finals where Alundra Blayze defeated Heidi Lee Morgan to win, but who did they beat to get to the finals.

I think most of us know about Madusa aka Alundra Blayze so let's take a look at the other competitors involved in the tournament.

Heidi Lee Morgan

A second generation wrestler Morgan began her in ring career in 1987 and was quickly embroiled in a feud in the National Wrestling Federation with Women's Champion Wendi Richter that resulted in the first ever women's cage match on June 20, 1987.

Morgan would wrestle matches in NWA, AWA, WCW, and was a co-holder of the LPWA Tag Team Championships with Misty Blue Simmes.  A back injury ended her career in 1997 however she did wrestle on match in 1999.  She is currently a competitive bodybuilder.

Black Venus

Jean Kirkland was trained by the Fabulous Moolah debuting in 1985.  She wrestled in the WWE, All Japan Women's Wrestling, NWA, AWA, and later the LPWA from 1990 - 1994.  Rumor is that she was in negotiations to be the manager of Harlem Heat in WCW when she passed away.  Kirkland died September 30, 1995.

Rusty Thomas

Also knows as Rusty Foxx I can't find a lot of information on her but this is what I have.  She debuted in 1988 and wrestled for the WWE, WWWA, and several independent promotions. She held a few indy Women's Championships including National Wrestling League, Mid-Eastern Championship Wrestling and others.

I saw her wrestle live once in Livermore Falls, Maine on November 13, 1998 for Eastern Wrestling Alliance.  She battled Malia Hosaka to a no contest when they both brawled in and out of the ring and the referee threw the match out.

Angie Marino

I cannot find any information about Marino, in fact this is the only match I can find on record for her anywhere on the internet.

Update 5/5/2021 - Angie Marino wrestled under the name "Nasty Angel" Angie Marino, she was trained by "Iron" Mike Sharpe and also credits Misty Blue Simmes for shaping her in wrestling.  She is a former Pennsylvania based World Wide Wrestling Alliance Ladies Champion holding the title in 1996.  I show records of matches she had from 1993 - 1997, with this tournament match being one of her first.  

The Tournament

November 29, 1993 Memphis, Tennessee Mid-South Coliseum
USWA - Tournament Match for the WWF Women's Championship
Madusa defeated Alison Royal

November 30, 1993 Springfield, Massachusetts
Dark Matches - First Round
Heidi Lee Morgan defeated Black Venus
Rusty Thomas defeated Angie Marino

December 1, 1993 Utica, New York
Dark Match - Semi Final
Heidi Lee Morgan defeated Rusty Thomas

December 13, 1993 Poughkeepsie, New York
All American Wrestling taping aired December 26, 1993
Finals
Alundra Blayze defeated Heidi Lee Morgan with a German Suplex to win the championship

Originally it appeared as though the tournament took place over three nights with Blayze getting a bye to the finals of the tournament.  Heidi Lee Morgan had to win two matches on consecutive nights to advance to the finals.  Now it appears that Blayze, under the name Madusa, wrestled and opening round match in the USWA.  That still leaves her either getting a first or sound round bye to the finals. 

It surprises me that four of the five matches were dark matches and even the final wasn't aired live on Raw but instead on the B weekend show All American Wrestling.  You would think if they really wanted to build the division it would have been more prominent. 

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WWE Championships Defended Outside the WWE

It's a very rare occasion when a WWE Championship is defended on a non-promoted WWE event.  It has happened but only rarely.  For clarifications purposes I am talking about the modern era, essentially from WrestleMania forward.  Prior to that Champions like Bob Backlund and Bruno Sammartino would defend their championships on non-WWE promoted cards.

November 20, 1994 All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling hosted a supercard entitled Big Egg Wrestling Universe held inside the history Tokyo Dome with a disputed attendance between 32,000 - 42,000 fans. Either way it's an impressive number for an all girl show featuring 1 male match.

The show consisted of 23 matches featuring multiple promotions including the WWE, and a 8 woman Five Star Tournament.  This was a truly magnificent show and I would recommend you pick up a copy for yourself.  You can find it at IVP video.

In the second to last match on the card WWF Women's Champion: Alundra Blayze defended at top contender Bull Nakano who at the 9:27 mark pinned Blayze after landing a top rope leg drop to win the Championship.

Bull Nakano would go on to hold the title until April 3, 1995 losing to title back to Blayze at Monday Night Raw the night after WrestleMania XI.  Bull Nakano herself would defend the championship at a non-WWE promoted event, AJW's Queendom 1995 defeating Kyoko Inoue.

On November 17, 1998 Duane Gill later Gillberg defeated Christian on Raw in Columbus, Ohio to win the WWE Light-Heavyweight and he would hold that title for a record 453 days before dropping the belt to Essa Rios on February 13, 2000 in Austin, TX on Sunday Night Heat.

Essentially used as enhancement talent Duane Gill was brought in for an easy victory for Mankind at the 1998 Survivor Series.  After that he joined the JOB Squad and with their help won the Championship and was basically never on TV again wrestling a couple dozen matches on WWE TV until the dropped the title.

However Gill defended the WWE Light-Heavyweight Championship on numerous Independent Shows including Maryland Championship Wrestling, Steel City Wrestling, World Xtreme Wrestling, and more leagues.

I cannot find any other instances.  I know someone might want to saw Bret Hart did, but he didn't.  True he was the WWE Champion when he was wrestled Terry Funk at WrestleFest on September 11, 1997 in Amarillo, Texas however he was never billed as WWE Champion nor brought the belt to the ring.

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The Last Match: WWE Women's Champions

Women's wrestling has never been as popular as it is right now for the casual and mainstream fans.  Both on the independents and on the big stage of the WWE they have finally moved past the gimmicky bra & panties, mud bowl, evening gown, and lingerie matches for highly competitive matches that have been main eventing and at times stealing the show.

Over the years there have been some very talented women wrestlers that have given us their all in the ring.  This list is going to highlight some of the best women wrestlers that have had their last match.

Wendi Richter
August 27, 2005 Wrestle Reunion 2, King of Prussia, PA
teaming with George South Jr. & The Patriot defeated DC Drake, Gary Royal, & Amy Love

Trained by The Fabulous Moolahm, Richter debuted in 1979 eventually forming a tag team with Joyce Grable capturing the NWA Women's Tag Team Championship.  She is best known for ushering in the Rock n' Wrestling connection with Cyndi Lauper as her manager defeating the Fabulous Moolah for the WWE Women's Championship.  After leaving the WWE she would go on to win the AWA & WWC Women's Championships before quietly retiring from wrestling in mid 90's.  Richter made two appearances for Wrestle Reunion in 2005.  She was inducted in the WWE Hall of Fame in 2010.

Sherri Martel
January 29, 2005 Wrestle Reunion Tampa, FL
teaming with Amber O'Neal, Krissy Vaine,  & Peggy Lee Leather was defeated by Bambi, Jenny Taylor, Malia Hosaka & Wendi Richter

Sherri Martel has an illustrious in and out of the ring as a manager and wrestler.  Sherri began her training the with Fabulous Moolah in 1980 touring around the southern territories and Japan.  In 1985 she joined the AWA winning the Women's World Championship and managing "Playboy" Buddy Rose & "Pretty Boy" Doug Somers.  She arrived in the WWE in 1987 and defeated the Fabulous Moolah for the Women's Championship in her debut match holding the title for 15 months.  After the women's division was phased out Sherri managed Randy Savage, Shawn Michaels, and Ted Dibiase.  She has a brief run in ECW in 1993 - 1994 before going to WCW where she managed Ric Flair before becoming Sister Sherri managing the Harlem Heat.  She was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2006.  Sherri Martel passed away June 15, 2007.

Madusa aka Alundra Blayze
September 17, 2000 WCW Fall Brawl 2000 Buffalo, NY
teaming with Billy Kidman lost to "Franchise" Shane Douglas & Torrie Wilson in a Pittsburgh Plunge Scaffold Match.

Madusa debuted in 1984 after being trained by Eddie Sharkey.  She started with the AWA in 1986 as a manager and wrestler winning the AWA Women's Championship December 27, 1987.  In 1989 she became the first gaijin to sign a contract with All Japan Women's Pro Wrestling.  Madusa signed with WCW in 1991 in a managerial role however did have a match with Paul E. Dangerously at Clash of the Champions XXI.  Changing her name to Alundra Blayze she spent two years in the WWE becoming the face of the Women's division winning the Championship three times.  Of course everyone knows about her throwing the belt in the trash can when she returned to Nitro in December of 1995.  At this time it appeared as though WCW was going to build a women's division around her much like WWE did, however they never did.  They established a Women's Championship with Akira Hokuto winning the belt in the tournament final at Starrcade 1996 by June of 1997 the title was vacated and then later the division was dissolved.  Madusa would eventually win a title in WCW the Cruiserweight Championship from Evan Karagias at Starrcade 1999 losing it to Oklahoma 28 days later at Souled Out.  Madusa retired from wrestling in 2001.  She was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2015.  In September 2015 she was made the comissioner of World Wonder Ring Stardom in Japan.  Since 1999 she has driven the monster truck Madusa on the USHRA circuit.

Rockin' Robin
February 23, 1992 LPWA Super Ladies Showdown Rochester, MN
lost to Black Venus

Rockin' Robin is a second generation wrestler, the daughter of Grizzly Smith and the sister of Jake "The Snake" Roberts and Sam Houston.  She was trained by Nelson Royal debuting in 1987 in the WWE she was a member of the Fabulous Moolah's team at the first Survivor Series.  On October 7, 1988 in Paris, France Robin defeated Sherri Martel for the Women's Championship.  She held the title until February 21, 1990 when it was deactivated.  The only major defense of record was at the 1989 Royal Rumble against Judy Martin. After leaving the WWE she worked the independent scene and toured All Japan Women's Pro Wrestling.  She won the UWF Women's Championship at Beach Brawl from Candi Devine on June 9, 1991.

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