This past February, former WCW Superstar Disco Inferno – who has been a polarizing podcast guest for years now – appeared on a Media Conference Call produced by IMPACT Wrestling, where he criticized women’s wrestling to the wrestling media. Naturally, the story went viral and Disco Inferno was chastised by fans and women’s wrestlers alike (not to mention their male allies). Here are some of his comments (transcription courtesy Wrestling Inc.) from his conversation.
“I am not a big fan of women’s wrestling. To me, women’s wrestling is kind of like the WNBA. They’re the best female basketball players in the world, but they’re not as good as the guys. I’m not saying that there’s not a lot of talented women’s wrestlers. But the formula has shown in the past that regardless of your in-ring work, the more attractive you are determines how over you are.
“I am a fan of the women’s wrestlers that can combine good looks with good work. If there’s a girl out there whose work isn’t as good but she’s hotter and has sex appeal, I’m a fan of that.”
“My favorite women’s wrestler of all time was Velvet Sky. I thought the Beautiful People was a great gimmick for two female professional wrestlers. They looked great and had a great entrance and could wrestle. I was a big fan of that. But collectively, I’m not a big fan of women’s wrestling. They had that Mae Young Classic – I can’t watch that. Pro wrestling to me is based around grown men that want to fight each other….That’s just what I’m a fan of.”
For weeks, he was lambasted in the media and fans wondered how IMPACT Wrestling could allow such comments to be broadcast – and publicized – by a company that was pushing one of the strongest women’s divisions on television. But on Friday night’s episode of IMPACT Wrestling, it became apparent that it was all part of a storyline, as Scarlett Bourdeaux confronted Disco Inferno.
.@Lady_Scarlett13 putting @TheRealDisco in his place feels even more satisfying on #InternationalWomensDay. #IMPACT
WATCH NOW – https://t.co/jyZYT6QL46 pic.twitter.com/GQrfDaUZQ5
— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) March 9, 2019
It was soon announced that in three weeks, IMPACT would be airing an intergender match, as Scarlett Bourdeaux would make her official IMPACT in-ring debut in a singles match against Disco Inferno. Despite his comments, Disco Inferno is no stranger to big TV intergender matches – he famously fought WWE Hall of Famer Jacqueline and lost at WCW Halloween Havoc in 1997. But the best part of this would be the opening of the door to further intergender matches on IMPACT Wrestling, considering the roster they have is full of veterans of their own intergender battles on the indie circuits.
This is not a typo, this is not a mistake – this is a real pro wrestling match.
In three weeks at Against All Odds, @Lady_Scarlett13 will make her in-ring debut as she faces @TheRealDisco. #IMPACT pic.twitter.com/kjSPlBG1eV
— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) March 9, 2019
Taya Valkyrie is not new to intergender matchups. She fought Mil Muertes and Sami Callihan (Jeremiah Crane) on Lucha Underground, and routinely teams with her husband, John Morrison, in intergender tag team matches.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfhVPwyUE4w
While not their norm, Su Yung, Rosemary, and Allie have all had their own intergender battles on the indies. Rosemary and Allie routinely face male opponents in their hometown promotion of Smash Wrestling.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=730uhH-OzBY
Tessa Blanchard was practically anointed to the top of women’s wrestling in 2018 following an absolute classic intergender matchup in WrestleCircus against IMPACT’s Brian Cage. She’s also faced SCU’s Scorpio Sky and has also wrestled intergender tag team matches, most recently with Daga against the Lucha Brothers (Pentagon Jr. & Fenix) in Mexico.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itbdZuduPCU&t=19s
But no one on IMPACT’s roster is as ready to enter the wars with the men like Jordynne Grace. She’s fought the likes of Brian Cage, David Starr, Ethan Page, MJF and her fiance Jonathan Gresham, and alongside LuFisto in Team PAWG, they took down teams like LAX (Santana & Ortiz) and Doom Patrol (Chris Dickinson & Jaka). Her moment of strength against Cage at the Battle Royal at All In was one of the event’s great moments. She’s like having Chyna and Awesome Kong rolled into one powerful, charismatic Wonder of the World.
In three weeks, Scarlett Bourdeaux will take down Disco Inferno and make him eat his words, opening the door for intergender wrestling in IMPACT, and pushing the boundaries once more.
Stay tuned to the Last Word on Pro Wrestling for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world.
