Wrestling Headlines/LOP Hall of Fame 2024: Victoria
Victoria
Inducted by JCool
In pretty much any discipline, sport, or professional workspace in the world, there are people who get overlooked and underappreciated for their commitment, their talent, and the positive work they do with others.
As of today, in this esteemed hall of fame space, Lisa Marie Varon will no longer be one of those people. Having made a significant mark in not one but two wrestling promotions, and having been involved in a number of important moments for women’s wrestling in the WrestleMania era… today, Lisa Marie Varon gets her flowers for her contributions to the world of professional wrestling. Also known as Tara from her run in TNA Wrestling, she is likely better known to you all as Victoria.
WWE Highlights
Now, if you want the play-by-play summary of her career, you can easily find that on any Internet search engine. What I want to highlight here is why Victoria’s career is being celebrated today. She was committed to her craft and willing to work with a high threshold of risk and reward. Consider the first year of her career in WWE. She debuted in the summer of 2002 and just a few months later, Victoria was wrestling in a feature match at Survivor Series against the top women’s draw of the era, Trish Stratus. Not only that, but they were wrestling for the Women’s Championship in what was then, the first hardcore match type for the title. Victoria and Trish proved, in a short amount of time, that they could work well in this environment and Victoria’s victory affirmed the company’s belief that she was worthy of being a champion. Because commitment works both ways. When you show you are committed to being the best, and willing to take calculated risks to do so, your bosses (the good ones, at least) show their commitment to taking care of you.
So, it was no surprise that Victoria was booked to wrestle a number of high-profile matches and match types in the coming months, which included back to back WrestleMania appearances, fighting for the Women’s Championship. It doesn’t get any bigger than that and nobody can take that accolade away from her. She can say that she walked into WrestleMania as champion TWICE. That second time, at WrestleMania XX, was another unique match type: hair vs. title against Molly Holly. That match helped set the women’s division apart on a night full of historic matches. The MSG faithful won’t forget seeing Victoria win and shave Molly Holly’s hair off, live, on stage.
Victoria also wrestled in the first women’s steel cage match against Lita on RAW in May of 2003. Once again, Victoria was put in a challenging position, one of great risk and reward, but she and Lita proved that the women could handle the match type. They could endure the physicality of the cage and have a match that engaged the viewers, rather than send them to the concession stands or bathrooms, as so many women’s matches did in this era. Time and time again, Victoria was asked to step up and wrestle the top women of the division and, no matter the match, no matter the event, she was committed to being her best.
In the later years of her WWE run, Victoria wasn’t given the same opportunities to showcase her talent, but she proved to be a team player in supporting many of the newer women’s wrestlers. She did her job to help push them to the next level and no matter the ultimate outcome for those divas, Victoria always showed her commitment to being the best she could be and that she would collaborate with whomever the executives asked her.
Move to TNA Wrestling
By 2009, Lisa Marie was ready to retire the “Victoria” persona from WWE and even received a final singles match on RAW, and the rare occasion of her last match being announced by the commentary team. That should not be overlooked. It is still quite uncommon for wrestlers to get the benefit of a promoted “last match”, let alone one that is at least acknowledged on TV or PPV. Victoria got to have that. That was the respect of the company for her work and her commitment to her craft.
Smartly, TNA Wrestling, who was becoming known for their women’s wrestling division, called her up and signed her for their “Knockouts Division”. That was a big get for TNA and she entered into the title picture immediately, feuding with The Beautiful People (Angelina Love, Velvet Sky & Madison Rayne). That’s the sign of a company who respects your talent and recognizes your reputation, knowing that fans who liked her work in WWE might follow her in a new spot. Her feud with the Beautiful People extended over a number of TNA PPVs and gave Tara, as she was now named, 3 TNA Knockouts Championship reigns and a pet tarantula, too!
Tara would get the opportunity to wrestle two feature bouts at TNA’s biggest PPV of the year, Bound For Glory. She won the Knockouts Championship in both matches, once again showing that the company was committed to recognizing her talent, and she continued to show her commitment to being a top draw.
She wrestled in significant feuds with some of TNA’s best women of that era, ones that continue to be recognized today, like Mickie James, ODB, and Awesome Kong. Again, in TNA, she would wrestle in steel cage matches, No-DQ matches, and even a two of three falls match. These match types, especially in women’s wrestling, are not booked frequently. Tara’s track record showed she could handle them, and she was rewarded by getting the opportunity to wrestle and showcase her talent in them.
Legacy
Today’s era of superstar women’s wrestlers look up to Lisa Marie Varon for the work she did in helping North American and global audiences take women’s wrestling seriously. They look up to her as a role model for what a women’s wrestler should aspire to be. Whether she was Victoria or Tara, she was willing to be physical and take risks in the ring in a variety of match types. She was talented enough to be booked at a high level, wrestling feature bouts at the most important PPVs. She was always a team player, helping to support the other female stars in either company. That’s the kind of worker you want to work alongside, and that’s the kind of worker you want on your team.
Today, we are honoured to give Victoria her due and induct her into the Wrestling Headlines/LOP Hall of Fame. Congratulations.
