WWE News: Greg Valentine Rips Female Wrestlers, Says They Should Be ‘Home Washing Dishes’
Trying to hit the nail on the head, legendary professional wrestler Greg “The Hammer” Valentine gave his candid views of females in the wrestling industry. And unlike the females themselves, Valentine’s comments weren’t pretty.
The 63-year-old WWE Hall of Famer appeared on the Filsinger Games’ The View podcast (via Pro Wrestling Scoops) and interjected his views on women and their roles in wrestling midway through the podcast. Although he was honest with his views, Valentine’s honesty had no love for what he called “girl wrestling.”
“As far as girl wrestling, I would send them all out to the strip bar and fire ’em…I’d fire every girl wrestler I ever saw. They don’t draw any money, they have horrible matches. They’re terrible. That’s the way I feel.”
These comments are sure to not only anger fans of women’s wrestling but the women who sacrifice their bodies for the entertainment of fans worldwide. It’s not known if Valentine follows the current product or is aware of the current Divas Revolution — but his comments seem to ignore recent history.
For starters, WWE had two women, Sasha Banks and Charlotte, main event an NXT live event, in front of one of wrestling’s most raucous crowds in Philadelphia. Not only did Banks and Charlotte main event, they drew rave reviews for their performance, as mentioned by Cageside Seats.
Years before Banks and Charlotte were main-eventing live events, former WWE Divas champion AJ Lee was considered to be the face of the divas division. As the “#GiveDivasAChance” movement was in full swing, Lee took to Twitter to confront one of her bosses, Stephanie McMahon, about the below average treatment the female portion of the roster receives — despite their successes in being profitable and attracting television ratings.
@StephMcMahon Your female wrestlers have record selling merchandise & have starred in the highest rated segment of the show several times,
— A.J. (@AJBrooks) February 25, 2015
However, Valentine’s comments did not end with him simply downplaying women in the wrestling industry. Claiming to “love women,” the former Intercontinental champion elaborated on his ideal role for women in society.
“They take away jobs from men that need to support their families. They should be home washing dishes and cooking and pregnant and barefoot…I love women … but they gotta realize their place. They’re not supposed to be wrestlers. They’re not supposed to be MMA fighters or boxers. It’s bulls**t.”
Therefore, women such as Ronda Rousey, one of the most popular and dominant athletes in the world, have no place in sports — at least in Valentine’s mind. While a possibility of Valentine trying to be a heel (bad guy), much like his character, does exist, he did not sound like he was joking or “working” the interviewers.
Being born in 1951, Valentine’s views are controversial but are likely a byproduct of his old school upbringing. Nonetheless, the current crop of women’s wrestlers, both in WWE and in various other promotions around the world continue to make strides.
Banks will be one of the top draws of NXT Takeover: Brooklyn tonight, the TNA Knockouts continually draw praise for their in-ring performance and more.
[Image via WWE]
