As wrestling followers debate the newest winners of Professional Wrestling Illustrated’s (PWI) annual achievement awards, a novel perspective arises from the inclusion of feminine performers in the entire journal’s award classes, most notably Wrestler of the Yr. Regardless of this inclusive method, PWI continues to honor ladies individually with the Girl of the Yr accolade.
For a number of years, PWI has prolonged eligibility to feminine performers for all its awards, together with Wrestler of the Yr, whereas sustaining the custom of presenting the Girl of the Yr award. Sensing that the annual recognition for girls was maybe outdated, PWI’s Editor-in-Chief, Kevin McElvaney, sought to alter that after taking up the reins on the journal 4 years in the past.
“Once I turned Editor-in-Chief in 2020,” stated McElvaney in an unique with Cageside Seats, “my intestine instincts advised me the ‘Girl of the Yr’ award was a bit antiquated, particularly contemplating that ladies wrestlers had been honored in different classes lately.”
At the moment, McElvaney determined to retire the Girl of the Yr award whereas emphasizing that readers may vote for feminine performers in each different class, together with Wrestler of the Yr. Nonetheless, McElvaney was surprised when he obtained an overwhelmingly unfavourable response from readers. In response to McElvaney, readers felt that the Girl of the Yr award nonetheless had a spot within the yearly achievement awards partially due to the historic significance the award had.
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The famend PWI Achievement Awards have an extended historical past that predates the journal, tracing again to the early Seventies underneath founder Stanley Weston’s London Publishing firm. The accolades, which have been, and nonetheless are, voted on by followers, later shifted to Professional Wrestling Illustrated, which first hit newsstands in 1979. Because of its in depth protection {of professional} wrestling worldwide, PWI swiftly turned one of many nation’s most beloved wrestling magazines.
The Girl of the Yr class was initially often called Lady Wrestler of the Yr. The inaugural award was introduced in 1972 and was retired by 1976. It returned in 2000 as Girl of the Yr and was open to all performers, wrestlers and non-wrestlers alike. Stephanie McMahon, who was extra a performer than a wrestler although she captured the unique WWE Girls’s title that yr, gained the newly minted honor.
However greater than historical past, Girl of the Yr means one thing extra: illustration.
Regardless of the evolution of ladies within the business inside the previous ten years, sadly, they’re nonetheless underrepresented as winners within the different classes, in response to McElvaney.
“Eliminating the class, some argued, was solely going to create one much less alternative for girls wrestlers to be acknowledged. Respecting the demand from our readership, who vocally wished to see this award stick round, I made the decision to deliver it again,” McElvaney stated.
In a super world, McElvaney, who started as a contract contributor for PWI in 2007, wish to see everybody compete for a similar awards and be honored equitably. McElvaney continues to emphasize that ladies are nonetheless eligible for Wrestler of the Yr and different classes that readers have an opportunity to vote on. Concerning Girl of the Yr, readers and performers alike don’t have to fret about it going away anytime quickly.
“I perceive why lots of our readers, and fairly just a few amongst our workers, don’t suppose we should always eliminate the ‘Girl of the Yr’ award presently,” stated McElvaney.