Women of Wrestling

WOW Unleashed
Promotion	Women of Wrestling
Date	February 4, 2001
City	Inglewood, California
Venue	Great Western Forum
Attendance	~9,500
Pay-per-view chronology
← Previous; N/A	Next →; N/A

Women Of Wrestling
Genre	Women's professional wrestling; Professional wrestling
Created by	David McLane
Developed by	Jeanie Buss
Starring	WOW Superheroes roster
Narrated by	David McLane; Stephen Dickey
Country of origin	United States
No. of seasons	6
No. of episodes	77 (as of November 23, 2019)
Production
Production location(s)	Los Angeles, California
Camera setup	Multicamera setup
Running time	60 minutes
Release
Original network	KTNV-TV (2011–2012) ; KVCW (2012–2019) ; AXS TV (2019–2020)
Picture format	480i (SDTV); 1080i (HDTV)
Original release	September 1, 2000 –; present
External links
	Website

WOW - Women Of Wrestling, aka WOW!, is a women's professional wrestling promotion founded in 2000 by David McLane, previously the founder of Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling. It is based in Los Angeles, California, and is owned by McLane and Los Angeles Lakers owner and president Jeanie Buss.[1] The promotion launched a series of syndicated programs in the 2000-01 television seasons in 102 TV markets[2] using a similar format of character driven performers, with names befitting a comic book series, such as Jungle Grrrl, an inmate tag-team complete with orange jump suits named Caged Heat, a Hollywood starlet named Lana Star, and the Persian Princess.[3]

WOW programs were able to stand out from other wrestling programs by offering television viewers and live event audience an all female troupe of performers who played campy villains and heroines in all sizes and nationalities.[4] By being the only entertainment source of its kind, WOW captured a strong adult demographic following with its primary audience, the male television audience (18–49 years of age) generating 25% higher ratings than its secondary audience of young women (18-24), teens, and tweens (7-12).

After a long hiatus, in December 2014, WOW! announced their launch into digital media in 2015. Marketed as "WOW Superheroes", its characters are empowered women from all different backgrounds and professions.[5] Season 2 of the show premiered on March 1, 2016, on YouTube.[6] Its fourth season premiered February 28, 2017.[7] On April 20, 2017, MGM Television announced that Mark Burnett, MGM's President, Television Group & Digital, and Jeanie Buss formed a partnership to develop new content across a range of unscripted programming and digital formats for WOW!.[8]

Beginning with season 5, WOW will be broadcast on AXS TV. The two companies inked a deal in June 2018 for a weekly program,[9] to be called WOW: Women of Wrestling, tapings for which commenced on October 10, 2018 at the Belasco Theater in Los Angeles,[10] set to launch in early 2019.[9] WOW debuted on January 18 as part of AXS's Friday Night Fights schedule that also includes New Japan Pro Wrestling and AXS TV Fights.[10] This marked WOW's first return to network television since 2001.[11]

Company history

Selina Majors entrance at a WOW! event

Initial run (2000–2001)

WOW programming was aired in first-run syndication, often late at night and packaged with other sports-entertainment programming. The programs quickly became the highest rated wrestling shows in the markets of New York and Los Angeles and demonstrated ability regardless of the region, market size or time-period to grow each television stations audience. The promotion aired about twenty four original one-hour episodes, fielding a single pay-per-view, Women of Wrestling Unleashed. With its headquarters in Los Angeles, WOW held its live events which were taped for broadcast from the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, California. The organization's first live event attendance was a mere 400+, but its audience grew to over 5,000 customers over the period of only six events, and its website peaked in one month with slightly over 10 million unique visitors.

The majority of WOW's performers were rookies to the business, recruited from backgrounds in modeling, acting, stunt work, and martial arts. Selina Majors (who wrestled as Bambi) and Thug (who wrestled as Peggy Lee Leather) were the trainers for the company. Jeanie Buss appeared regularly on WOW programming, although not as an in-ring participant.

Dormant (2001–2012)

Due to the ever soft and declining advertising market during this time, WOW was not able to take advantage of its momentum and ceased production after completing 24 original episodes and one live pay-per-view event. WOW ceased television production by fall 2001. WOW, although off the air in the United States after 2001, continued to exist through international distribution deals with the markets of Israel, Russia, India, Canada, South Africa, Kenya, the Middle East, Turkey, Malaysia, the Dominican Republic and other countries airing the WOW shows.

David McLane would attempt to relaunch the show again a few times over the next decade, with no success. One attempt in 2002 included a partnership with Kiss frontman Gene Simmons.[12] Starting in July 2011, the WOW website reported the WOW original shows started airing on the ABC affiliate KTNV in Las Vegas.[13] The series continues to be distributed internationally. In 2013, Coors Light sponsored several live events in Las Vegas at the Eastside Cannery Casino and Hotel, where new programs were produced.

Relaunch (2012–present)

On May 29, 2012, McLane and Buss announced their intention to produce new episodes of the series.[14][15] On Sunday, December 9, 2012, at 11 a.m. on The CW Las Vegas station KVCW, WOW! returned to television[16] in advance of the "WOW! Pandemonium Tour 2013". WOW! kicked off the tour in Las Vegas, Nevada, with their first live event on January 19, 2013.

The new programming of WOW featured some of the original WOW wrestlers such as Lana Star, Jade, Delta Lotta Pain, Loca, Thug, Jungle Grrrl and Selina Majors with the addition of new talent who auditioned for WOW in the months prior to December 9, 2012, television show. The WOW wrestlers are now referred to as "SuperHeroes". New WOW SuperHeroes are characters known as Frost, Fire, Stephy Slays, Keta Rush, La Niña and a Mexican star named Azucar. Original WOW Girl Selina Majors serves as the official trainer of WOW's new talent.[17] Joining the roster are independent wrestlers Santana Garrett and Amber O'Neal.

On June 18, 2018, The Hollywood Reporter announced that WOW will air weekly on AXS TV beginning in early 2019.[9] WOW returned to network broadcast for the first time since 2001 on January 18 as part of AXS's Friday Night Fights lineup.[10][18] On June 2020 it was announced that AXS TV and WOW parted ways[19]

Seasons

Superheroes (5–present)

WOW Superheroes

Ring name	Real name	Notes
Abilene Maverick[20]	Callee Wilkerson[21]
Adrenaline[22]	Priscilla Zuniga	WOW Tag Team Champion
Adriana Gambino[23]	Noelle Giorgi
Amber O'Neal[24]	Kimberly Dawn Davis[25]
Angelica Dante[26]	Unknown
The Beast[27]	Twana Ferguson[28]	WOW World Champion
Cali Ray[29]	Kristen Young[30]
Casey Dakota[31]	Unknown
Chainsaw[32]	Unknown
Chantilly Chella[33]	Rachel Kelvington Bostic[34]
The Dagger[35]	Michelle Blanchard[36]
The Disciplinarian[37]	Robyn Reid
Eye Candy[38]	Willow Nightingale
Exodus[39]	Unknown
Faith the Lioness[40]	Faith Jefferies
Fire[41]	Kiera Hogan	WOW Tag Team Champion
Fury[42]	Harlow O'Hara
Genesis[39]	Unknown
Havok[43]	Jessica Cricks[44]
Hazard[45]	Beth Crist
Holidead[46]	Camille Ligon[47]
Jessie Jones[48]	Jessie Belle McCoy[49]
Jolene Dixie[50]	Unknown
Jolene Jolynn[50]	Unknown
Jungle Grrrl[51]	Erica Porter[52]
Keta Rush[53]	Keta Meggett[54]
Khloe Hurtz[55]	Katie Forbes[56]
Malia Hosaka[39]	Malia Hosaka
Mezmeriah[57]	Arelys Rodriguez
Nikki Krampus[58]	Unknown
Princess Aussie[59]	Simone Sherie
Razor[60]	Sarah Rodriguez[61]
Reyna Reyes[62]	Gisele Shaw	Formerly known as Azteca from the fifth season
Sassy Massy[63]	Alisha Maher
Serpentine[64]	Melissa Cervantes[65]	Formerly known as Kobra Moon from the fifth season
Siren the Voodoo Doll[66]	Unknown
Spike[67]	Unknown
Stephy Slays[68]	Stephanie Mason
Teal Piper[69]	Ariel Toombs
The Temptress[70]	Katarina Leigh Waters[71]
Tessa Blanchard[72]	Tessa Blanchard

Other on-air personnel

Ring name	Real name	Notes
Lana Star[73]	Lana Kinnear[74]	Manager of Faith the Lioness
Samantha Smart[75]	Kristen Garner[76]	Manager of The Disciplinarian
Sophia Lopez[77]	Leslie Garza[78]	Manager of Nikki Krampus and Serpentine

Broadcast team

The following section pertains to announcers who cover WOW broadcasts. This group includes presenters, ringside commentators, ring announcers and backstage interviewers.

Ring name	Real name	Notes
Brigiite Valdez	Brigiite Valdez	Field reporter
David McLane	David McLane	Commentator Host
EZ Rider	Eleanor Kerrigan	Commentator
Shaul Guerrero	Shaul Guerrero	Ring announcer
Stephen Dickey	Stephen Dickey	Commentator

WOW other personnel

Dan Masters: Announcer and backstage interviews (2012 – present)
Lee Marshall: Announcer (2000 - 2001)
Ed Ryba: Voiceovers (2001)
Andrew M. Somers: Voiceovers (2000 - 2001)
Julie Day: Backstage interviews (2000 - 2001)
James Furlong: Music composer (2013–present)
Josh Milton: Referee
Jeff McGowan: Referee
Jesse Hernandez: Referee
Andrew Hecker: Voiceovers and director

WOW World Championship

Reigns

As of August 15, 2020.

Key
No.	Overall reign number
Reign	Reign number for the specific champion
Days	Number of days held
+	Current reign is changing daily

No.	Champion	Championship change			Reign statistics		Notes	Ref.
No.	Champion	Date	Event	Location	Reign	Days	Notes	Ref.
1	Terri Gold	September 1, 2000	WOW	Inglewood, CA	1	105	Won a battle royal to become the inaugural champion.
2	Danger	December 15, 2000	WOW	Inglewood, CA	1	51	This episode aired on tape delay on January 13, 2001.
3	Terri Gold	February 4, 2001	WOW Unleashed	Inglewood, CA	2	27
—	Vacated	March 3, 2001	—	—	—	—	WOW ceased television production sometime after March 3, 2001.
4	Lana Star	January 19, 2013	Live event	Los Angeles, CA	1	49	WOW claimed that following the tapings at Great Western Forum, several of its performers continued wrestling on various independent shows. In a non televised event in LA, Lana Star defeated Terri Gold in a WOW sanctioned match for the championship.
5	Jungle Grrrl	March 9, 2013	WOW! Pandemonium Tour 2013	Las Vegas, NV	1	1,300	Jungle Grrrl won the championship at WOW! Pandemonium Tour 2013. This episode aired on tape delay on August 26, 2016.
6	Santana Garrett	September 29, 2016	WOW	Los Angeles, CA	1	742	This was a triple threat match also involving The Beverly Hills Babe.	[79]
—	Vacated	October 11, 2018	—	—	—	—	After a match between Jungle Grrrl, Santana Garrett and Tessa Blanchard ended in double pinfall with Garrett and Jungle Grrrl pinned Blanchard, David McLane stated that the referee decided to not award the WOW World Championship to Garrett and Jungle Grrrl. This episode aired on tape delay on February 15, 2019.	[80]
7	Tessa Blanchard	October 11, 2018	WOW Season 5: Episode 5	Los Angeles, CA	1	217	Blanchard defeated Jungle Grrrl for the vacant WOW World Championship. This episode aired on tape delay on February 15, 2019.	[80]
8	The Beast	May 16, 2019	WOW Season 6: Episode 11	Los Angeles, CA	1	457+	This episode aired on tape delay on November 23, 2019.	[81]

List of combined reigns

As of August 15, 2020.

†	Indicates the current champion

Rank	Wrestler	No. of reigns	Combined days
1	Jungle Grrrl	1	1,300
2	Santana Garrett	1	881
3	The Beast †	1	457+
4	Tessa Blanchard	1	217
5	Terri Gold	2	132
6	Danger	1	51
7	Lana Star	1	49

WOW World Tag Team Championship

Inaugural tournament (2000–2001)

Quarterfinals

Semifinals

Final
WOW Unleashed

Caged Heat
(Delta Lotta Pain and Loca)

The Asian Invasion
(Jade and Lotus)