As Roxy Astor said: “35 years later, and we’re still talking about” GLOW.
The Gorgeous Ladies Of Wrestling broke enormous barriers for women in professional wrestling, in a time where women’s wrestling was overlooked, underpaid, and often ignored. In 1986, GLOW aimed to changed that stigma. With a mix of colorful characters, fierce competitors, and sports entertainment, the original GLOW catapulted to wide success. In the recent podcast series More Than A Wrestler, many of the Gorgeous Ladies Of Wrestling shared “untold stories of controversy and inspiration; while we embrace women empowerment.”
Female empowerment became a central theme in the podcast series, as many GLOW originals shared insight from their time on the set. Sunny The California Girl opened up about the legacy of GLOW and how it still inspires today’s generation of women in wrestling. “So [as] the pre-generation for these girls [today], they looked back on us ‘that way we can do this, right’?” she explained. “We’re internally thankful for WWE and they thank us,” Sunny shared. In addition, Ashley Cartier noted how she inspired WWE Hall of Famer Ivory during one of the episodes.
Beyond wrestling, GLOW inspired an entire Netflix series as well.
Netflix adopted its own on-screen tribute to the 1980s series when they launched their comedy, drama series GLOW in 2017. Based on some of the true stories of the original Gorgeous Ladies Of Wrestling, the Netflix adaptation survived three seasons with much positive feedback. Not everything in professional wrestling is positive though, as “More Than A Wrestler” explores in its first season.
GLOW originals Roxy Astor, Gremlina, and Sunny The California Girl kicked off the podcast series with discussion on some darker matters. Astor spoke on the GLOW girls dealing with mental health. Gremlina expressed her struggles from experiencing bullying. Sunny candidly shared her story of beating cancer.
Later in the series, GLOW legend Royal Hawaiian opened up about her brain damage and ongoing health issues. Ashley Cartier expressed her wish to not be remembered as a sex symbol. Additionally, Tulsa revealed the harsh reality of injuries in professional wrestling.
The season finale of More Than A Wrestler is now available. WrestleZone’s own Ella Jay had the pleasure of joining of host Pen Ken in discussing wrestling media, GLOW’s impact on wrestling and women, the Legacy of Mickie James, and more.
WrestleZone will keep you updated on season two of the podcast series, as more details become available.
