The Big Three

(This means something)

Every year since 2021 during the Road to WrestleMania, and shortly after, Tonya has contributed some thoughts about WWE. (To sample some of her previous work, check here and here.) You can find her at @TheWitchMilitia on Twitter.

This past Saturday, April 6th, on WrestleMania Night 1, Damage Ctrl faced the team of Naomi, Bianca Belair, and Jade Cargill in a six-woman tag match. The latter trio have been referring to themselves on social media as the Big 3, which is a take on what three popular rappers were dubbed at the onset of their careers. Although only together for a short time, the impact this grouping has and will have cannot be ignored.

Let’s start with Naomi, also known as Trinity Fatu. Not only a veteran of WWE but also named inspiration to her tag partners. Pigeon-holed in the beginning of her career as a backup dancing Funkdactyl, Naomi’s athletic ability and natural charisma and charm could not be denied. Constantly more over than her push during her first run with the company, she took a chance and bet on herself with Impact and made WWE realize she was nothing less than a star that they had no choice but to bring back in. 

Bianca Belair is essentially the physical manifestation of the phrase “Black Excellence”. All American athlete. College graduate. Makes her own gear. Learned the WWE style of wrestling faster than everyone not named Kurt Angle. Main evented WrestleMania. Longest reigning RAW Women’s Champion. If you ever find a flaw in Bianca’s game, let her know so she can prove you wrong. Bianca may have had the best eight years with WWE than anyone else in the history of the company. And that is saying A LOT!

And then we have Jade Cargill. She is someone who tried out with WWE, saw what entry level wrestlers there were paid, knew her worth, and said, “Nah, I can do better than that with no experience.” Then she went to AEW where her star power was so undeniable Tony Khan created an entire belt just for her! Say what you will but the TBS title was the Jade Cargill title until she no longer held it, and hasn’t felt the same since. Jade showed her worth and creativity, which allowed her to enter WWE as the star she always knew she was.

Naomi, Bianca, and Jade together makes a powerful statement. Perhaps that ceiling for certain performers who look a certain way that appeal mostly to a certain fanbase is finally being appreciated. This is not a definite answer, of course, things can always regress. But it seems to be a sign to the fans, and maybe even potential talent, that the barriers that we all recognize were there are now gone. Only time will tell. But this showing has been a step in the right direction. WWE nailed it. From the presentation to the execution. It said: These women are stars. They matter. 

Seeing multiple Black women being treated as stars in the premier professional wrestling company means a lot to all the Black women who love wrestling. As I have stated in previous articles, I did have Jacqueline and Jazz growing up to enjoy, and Alicia Fox and Awesome Kong cannot be ignored for their representation during their era. But it still felt as if wrestling never just . . . normalized multiple Black women having a spotlight. Representation is best when it does not feel like it is just trying to meet a quota, like the people in charge just think people who are Black are talented and want to highlight that.

Wrestling still has a very long way to go as far as race and gender go. I want the treatment that the Big 3 have received to become so commonplace that it is no longer noteworthy. No more “First Black woman” achievements have to be met. I want it to be so little Black girls never have to wonder if or why someone who looks like them loves wrestling the way they do.