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WWE is undoubtedly the most notable pro-wrestling promotion in the world. As it caters to a variety of audiences, the company generally keeps its norms simple: a man will fight a man and a female athlete will only square off against another female opponent. There have been multiple mixed tag team matches over the years but even there, a male is not allowed to wrestle a female performer.
Keeping this regulation in mind, WWE recently hosted the Mixed Match Challenges but there were moments during the tournaments where the opposite sexes squared off against each other.
WWE is not a company that vouches for intergender wrestling but through the years, fans have witnessed women performers stand toe-to-toe against the men in the business. Such matches and moments have reminded the WWE Universe from time to time that in pro-wrestling, every athlete is given the same respect and being a man doesn't help when you're squaring off against a talented female wrestler.
Remember Nia Jax entering this year's men's Royal Rumble match and falling victim to the 619-Superkick-RKO sequence? That was unquestionably a historic moment in intergender wrestling but that's not the only notable one. Since the Attitude Era, WWE has served the fans with numerous interesting intergender matchups.
Today, we look back at some of the top-tier female wrestlers who fought men inside the squared circle.
Honorable mention: Becky Lynch
When we are discussing the female wrestlers fighting the male, The Man deserves a mention. Recently, RAW Women's Champion Becky Lynch and WWE Universal Champion Seth Rollins defeated Baron Corbin and Lacey Evans at Extreme Rules to retain their respective titles.
However, the matchup became infamous owing to King Corbin hitting an End of Days to Lynch. The Man got her revenge recently when she took down The Lone Wolf at the SmackDown premiere on FOX.
That's not all. Becky Lynch also wrestled James Ellsworth in a 'Battle of the Sexes' match on SmackDown in November 2017. She not only defeated Ellsworth but also dominated the contest from the get-go.
#5 Jacqueline
WWE Hall of Famer Jacqueline is one of those few female wrestlers who won titles in both the men's and women's division of the promotion. In September 1998, Jacqueline defeated Sable to win the revived WWE Women's Championship and in the process, became the first African-American wrestler to win the title.
The 2-time WWE Women's Champion once again made it to the headlines when she won Chavo Guerrero's WWE Cruiserweight Championship in May, 2004. She easily picked up the win and to date, Jacqueline remains the only female WWE Cruiserweight Champion in history. Although she lost the title back to Chavo Guerrero in a few days, Jacqueline will always be remembered for reviving intergender wrestling.
#4 Beth Phoenix
The youngest WWE Hall of Famer in history, Beth Phoenix dominated the women's division since her debut on the main roster. Phoenix's in-ring prowess resulted in her competing against the male athletes on multiple occasions. Before SummerSlam 2008, The Glamazon defeated Santino Marella in a singles matchup on RAW. She went on to team with Marella and the duo defeated Kofi Kingston and Mickie James to win the WWE Women's Championship and the WWE Intercontinental Championship at SummerSlam.
In 2010, Beth Phoenix became the second woman to enter the traditional Royal Rumble match after Chyna. She entered the contest in the sixth position and eliminated The Great Khali from the Royal Rumble. Unfortunately for Beth Phoenix, her dream to main event WrestleMania was cut short by CM Punk, who eliminated her from the match.
#3 Stephanie McMahon
Surprising isn't it? Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon has been a constant in WWE, be it inside the ring or outside. Although she doesn't put on her wrestling gear nowadays, Stephanie McMahon often used to compete during the Attitude and Invasion Eras in WWE. In those days, the former WWE Women's Champion didn't even hesitate to face off against some of the biggest athletes in the promotion.
One such incident involved Stephanie McMahon fighting Chris Jericho and Triple H for the WWE World Championship in March, 2002. Next year, she went on to wrestle Vince McMahon in an "I Quit" match which The Chairman won controversially.
Apart from these two incidents, Stephanie McMahon has been involved in multiple segments where the male Superstars have attacked her to gain an upper hand in their feuds against her husband, Triple H. None of these onslaughts, however, could hamper the awe-inspiring personality of Stephanie McMahon.
#2 Lita
Lita never backed down when there was an opportunity to fight a male wrestler, ever since she made her debut in 2000. Her tenure in WWE saw her squaring off against the likes of Dean Malenko, Spike Dudley, and John Cena among others. Lita's involvement with The Hardy Boyz in the early days of her career resulted in her being subjected to the inhumane torture of a TLC match as well.
Lita and Trish Stratus also wrestled Chris Jericho and Christian in a tag team match, titled 'Battle of the Sexes', at Armageddon 2003. The two ladies lost the match, and the consequent rematch, but no one could ever question their in-ring skills following those encounters. Lita's last intergender match was against Heath Slater at the RAW 1000 episode, which she won owing to some help from The APA.
#1 Chyna
The Ninth Wonder of the World, Chyna, is considered to be one of the most influential women in the pro-wrestling industry. Chyna's involvement with the D-Generation X in her initial days did wonders for her career. Add to that her intimidating personality, and she easily became one of the favorites during the Attitude Era.
Not only did she run the rule over the women's division, Chyna dominated the male wrestlers as well. Her accolades in the men's division include her winning the WWE Intercontinental Championship on two different occasions, being a part of the King of the Ring tournament, entering the Royal Rumble match multiple times, fighting for the WWE World Championship, contending for the Tag Team Titles, European Championship and much more.
Chyna also holds victories over the top-tier Superstars of the promotion like Triple H, Jeff Jarrett, Chris Jericho, and Kurt Angle among others. She was the only woman to compete full-time against men and there may not be another instance in WWE where a woman puts up performances like her.
The WWE Hall of Famer may not be with us today but she will always be known as the one who redefined the goals for a female wrestler.
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