Women’s Wrestling Pioneer Wanted More From WWE

A WWE Hall of Famer thinks they were underutilized.

Jaqueline Moore began wrestling training in 1988 and went on to work for World Class Championship Wrestling, the USWA, and WCW, among others, before signing with WWE in 1998.

Debuting across from then-megastar Sable, Jacqueline was thrown headlong into the limelight, but she excelled in her new role. The star went on to win the Women’s Championship twice and even briefly held the Cruiserweight Title in 2004.

Jacqueline was eventually released by WWE later that year, and she went on to spend several years with TNA. The former champion has continued to make occasional appearances for WWE since 2016, and she was inducted into the Hall of Fame that year. In more recent years, she signed a Legends contract with the company.

Despite her popularity with fans, Jacqueline arrived in WWE at a time when the focus on women’s wrestling was minimal, which meant there was more emphasis put on bikini contests than bell-to-bell action. Not only that, Jacqueline was the company’s highest-profile and often only Black female star.

While speaking with Brooklyn Ray for BET, Jacqueline broke down how much she cared about her performances and her wish that WWE could have done more with her.

“There weren’t many Black women wrestlers. I was it. I wasn’t just a body; I was a force. Yes, my matches always had an edge; that was all me. I cared about my performance and wanted fans to get their money’s worth. I wish they’d used me to my full potential. I had more to give.”

Jacqueline Became An Inspiration For Other WWE Stars

Meanwhile, it’s been reported that former WWE star Jazz has been working at the Performance Center. The former Women’s Champion has been working as a coach for the past several days.

After beginning her career in 1998, Jazz joined ECW before signing with WWE in 2001. She went on to win the Women’s Championship twice while feuding with the likes of Molly Holly, Victoria, and Trish Stratus. The star later became a regular on the independent scene while appearing for TNA and AEW, among others.

Jazz has previously stated that she was inspired to become a wrestler by watching Jacqueline.