The Women’s Wrestling Hall of Fame, launched in October 2022, has announced its Class of 2024.
This is the Hall’s second induction class, and the inductees fall into three categories:
PRO WRESTLING
- Jacqueline Moore (Miss Jackie, Miss Texas) was a former WWE Women’s champion and a WWE Hall of Fame Inductee
- Rockin’ Robin Smith, daughter of Grizzly Smith and sister to Jake “The Snake” Roberts and Sam Houston, is a former WWE Women’s Champion
- Lisa Marie Varon, who wrestled as Victoria and Tara, was a champion in both WWE and TNA
- Leilani Kai was one of the most decorated wrestlers in history and was an influential trainer to many women stars
- Heidi Lee Morgan, a fitness fanatic, followed her father, Les Morgan, into pro wrestling
- Debbie Johnson was one of the top woman wrestlers of the 1970s
- Wendi Richter & Joyce Grable (who died in 2023), two individual legends, are being inducted as a tag team
POSTHUMOUS WRESTLING
- Sherri Martel was a former women’s world champion and a long-time valet; she died in 2007
- Candi Divine held the AWA Women’s Championship; she died in 2022
- Vivian Vachon followed her older brothers, Mad Dog and Butcher Vachon, into the wrestling business and was a star in the 1970s; she died in 1991
- Peggy Lee Leather was a long-time competitor in the ring through the 1980s and 1990s; she died in 2023
- June Byers was the NWA women’s champion; she died in 1998
NON-WRESTLER (managers, announcers, valets, promotions & referees)
- Mike McGuirk, daughter of promoter Leroy McGuirk and a long-time WWF announcer
- Suzie Tanner, a long-time referee in western Canada
- Nicole Bass, both a wrestler and a valet, who primarily found fame in ECW; she died in 2017
- Melissa “Super Genie” Coates, both a wrestler and a valet, who primarily found fame in ECW; she died in 2021
- Baby Doll was a long-time valet in World Class and the NWA, and is the daughter of wrestlers Nick Roberts and Lorraine Johnson, and mother to wrestler Samantha Starr
- Francine was the top valet in ECW for its entire run
- Missy Hyatt, a valet in World Class and the NWA, and an announcer/color commentator, was known as the “First Lady of Pro Wrestling”
- Kimona Wanalaya was a valet in ECW
- The Ladies Professional Wrestling Association (LPWA) was an all-women’s promotion which ran in the early 1990s
AMATEUR
- Afsoon Roshanzamir Johnson, originally from Iran, was the first U.S. medalist in freestyle wrestling
- Clarissa Chun is a former U.S. Olympic bronze medalist in freestyle and is now a coach
- Priscilla Gagné is a Canadian Paralympic silver medalist
Many of the inductees have already received their induction plaques, including Morgan, Victoria and Richter.
Journalist Vanessa Marchewka presents the Women’s Wrestling Hall of Fame plaque to Jarred Gonzales, the son of Sherri Martel, in New Orleans.
There is no physical location for the Women’s Wrestling Hall of Fame.
Previous inductees include Beverly Shade, Toni Laughridge, Susan Green, GLOW, Madusa Miceli, Jamie Hemmings, Jazz, Luna Vachon, Cora Livingston, Mildred Burke, Marva Scott, Ethel Johnson, Babs Wingo, Rita Marie Chatterton and Iryna Merleni.
The mission of the Women’s Wrestling Hall of Fame is to “educate, promote, and preserve the history of Women’s wrestling.” It was founded by Christopher Annino, Susan “Tex” Green, Angel Orisini and Pitbull # 1 Gary Wolf.
TOP PHOTO: Women’s Wrestling Hall of Fame inductees for 2024 include, clockwise from left, Heidi Lee Morgan (with her father, Les Morgan), Jacqueline Moore, Missy Hyatt, June Byers, Sherri Martel, Joyce Grable & Wendi Richter, and, center, Baby Doll and Rockin’ Robin Smith.
RELATED LINKS
- Dec. 23, 2022: Video released from Women’s Wrestling HOF induction
- Dec. 17, 2022: Jazz, Luna, Madusa first Women’s HOF inductees
- Oct. 22, 2022: Women’s Wrestling Hall of Fame launches
- Women’s Wrestling Hall of Fame website