Madusa/Alundra Blayze Appreciation Post

When names are brought up regarding the greatest female talent of all-time, Madusa's name has always been near the top of my list.

Madusa certainly paid her dues, wrestling for as little as $5 in bars in bingo halls back in the mid-80s. By the late '80s, she was one of the faces of AWA's Women's Division and deemed "Rookie of the Year" by Pro Wrestling Illustrated. Along with being the first woman to ever claim the award, she beat out Chris Benoit and Scott Steiner for it.

Upon joining All Japan Women’s Pro-Wrestling, she became the first foreign wrestler to do so. This is where she learned the Japanese style of wrestling, as well as Muay Thai, kickboxing, and boxing. I highly recommend catching her work during this period as it was well ahead of its time.

Madusa's first stint in WCW saw her actively compete, but the women's division lacked depth. Her run as Director of Covert Operations / Valet for the Dangerous Alliance is often overlooked but was highly effective.

Fun Fact: Madusa claims to be the very first “Paul Heyman Girl.”

As Alundra Blayze in WWF, she literally held the entire division together acting as a cornerstone for Vince where she reigned as a 3-time WWF Women's Championship.

Alundra’s WWF highlight was arguably her match against Bull Nakano At SummerSlam 94. In 1994, it was one of the greatest women matches of all-time and still holds up.

Despite her success, Vince decided to strip her of the title and disband the entire division.

Note: The WWF Women’s Championship was deactivated until September 15, 1998.

I tend to ignore the controversial “championship being dropped in the trash can incident.” While historically significant, I prefer to highlight Madusa’s incredible career instead.

Madusa’s second stint in WCW was somewhat scattered since she split her time between wrestling women, men while also acting as one of many valets to the Macho Man.

One undeniable highlight saw her become the first female ever to win the WCW World Cruiserweight.

Towards the tail end of her second stint with WCW, Madusa acted as an instructor in the WCW Powerplant, which ended up being a big inspiration for NXT's Performance Center many years later.

After retiring in 2001, she would go on to compete in Monster Jam, becoming the first woman to win the Monster Jam World Finals racing championship.

Just 7 years after her debut, Madusa would become the Executive Vice President of the Major League of Monster Trucks.

Final Thoughts: Madusa is a trailblazer and legitimate badass who played a major role in popularizing women's wrestling.