'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Last week, Asuka inserted herself into the Triple Brand Battle Royal and won a second title shot at SummerSlam. It was a frustrating development, to say the least, because WWE had the opportunity to highlight another star at the upcoming pay-per-view event. Fortunately, there is a third women's match on the card as Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose's Hair vs. Hair match is official.
WWE has to do a better job of establishing challengers for Bayley. That has been an issue throughout The Role Model's tenure on the Blue brand. However, it's also important to produce compelling secondary feuds.
Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville have been engaged in a bitter feud since the weeks following WrestleMania 36. It's a great example of how much WWE can do with women who aren't competing for a title. A Hair vs. Hair match is an excellent way to add stakes to their showdown at The Biggest Party of the Summer.
For the last four months, Deville has been determined to ruin her former tag team partner's life. On the July 31 episode of WWE SmackDown, "The Pride Fighter" cut some off some of Rose's hair. In response, "The Golden Goddess" delivered the best promo of her career and challenged her to a match with the added stipulation.
The Hair vs. Hair match is a time-honored tradition outside of WWE
Luchas de Apuestas, or wager matches like this, have a storied history in professional wrestling. Lucha libre popularized the tradition as each competitor would put their mask or hair on the line. The loser would be forced to remove their mask or shave their head, a fate that is more humiliating than losing a title.
Fans are in for a treat at WWE SummerSlam as women rarely take part in a Hair vs. Hair match. After all, most companies still hold women to ridiculous beauty standards in mainstream wrestling and long hair is usually the aesthetic they must adhere to.
To date, Victoria and Molly Holly's popular Hair vs. Title match from WrestleMania 20 is still the standard. It's undoubtedly the first time women were able to compete in such a match for WWE on a big stage like Madison Square Garden. Of course, that's mostly thanks to Holly's tenacity and dedication to women's wrestling.
As the story goes, WWE didn't have a Women's Championship match scheduled for WrestleMania in 2004. Instead, Torrie Wilson and Sable were set to face Miss Jackie and Stacy Keibler in a Playboy Evening Gown match. Holly later revealed that she fought to get on the card.
In an interview DS Shin of Ring the Belle, Holly said:
“The writers told me that there was only room for one women’s match at WrestleMania. They were going to do a pillow fight or a mud match. I was really devastated and thought I gotta come up with something that makes them change their minds. So, I put a bald cap on and had my photo taken. I made a booklet with a bunch of different storylines showing my head getting shaved. I presented it to Stephanie McMahon and some of the writers and said, ‘I’m willing to shave my head, can I please be on WrestleMania?’”
It's a shame that Holly had to go to such an extreme to get WWE to put the women's title on a WrestleMania card. Keep in mind, 2004 wasn't that long ago. Women's wrestling has certainly changed for the better since the Attitude Era but this is telling nonetheless.
At any rate, the match became a memorable WrestleMania moment that was truly ahead of its time. WWE's current era of women's wrestling has opened the door for a host of new first-ever stipulation matches for the division. It's good to see that WWE is willing to let the performers branch out more often but true progress means allowing women to circumvent its outdated ideas of beauty and femininity, as well.
The build to Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose's Hair vs. Hair match this weekend isn't perfect in that regard. It is another step in the right direction though. Hopefully, it works as a vehicle to make both competitors into singles stars.
Deville, in particular, has so much potential. Even a loss could further develop her character. If anyone in the division is capable of redefining what women can do or look like for contemporary WWE fans, it's the "The Pride Fighter."
Sunday's Hair vs. Hair match could be one of the most talked-about moments of the night. It will likely be a fitting end to this longterm storyline.
