This day in wrestling history has remembered a lot of moments that helped make professional wrestling what it is. Whether it was through individual effort, blind luck, or teamwork, many people have come together over the years to entertain us in ways we never expected. One of those that played a huge role as a valet was Nancy Benoit (née Toffoloni), and we’re remembering her on this day in wrestling history, June 22, 2007.
Changing the world
Nancy got her start in professional wrestling when she was 20 years old, making her debut in FCW (Florida Championship Wrestling) on June 30, 1984.
As a valet, she was given the ring name Fallen Angel and soon joined Kevin Sullivan’s stable of Satanists, which during that time was as extreme an angle as could be run in a wrestling promotion. It was a collection of some soon-to-be big names, though many have slipped through the cracks of history. They included Luna Vachon, The Purple Haze, The Lock, and Sir Oliver Humperdink.
She traveled the country with Sullivan and his group, selling their gimmick to the hilt and drawing tons of fan reaction as heels wherever they went.
In the late 80s and early 90s, they worked for WCW (World Championship Wrestling) and ECW (Extreme Championship Wrestling) where she adopted the ring name Woman, and served as valet to various wrestlers and teams like Ric Flair and the Four Horsemen. In the late 1990s, she was reunited with Kevin Sullivan on screen (her real life husband) who also worked as a booker for WCW.
As ironic as it could be, Sullivan had her and Chris Benoit in an onscreen romance that eventually blossomed into a real life romance. In essence, Sullivan booked his own divorce.
In many ways, she was a trailblazer just like Miss Elizabeth and helped change the landscape of professional wrestling. It’s for this that many believe she should be remembered for instead of her murder, and one of her most vocal champions is Mick Foley.
Honoring her contributions
While there’s been virtually no stone left unturned in how Nancy was murdered by her husband and WWE superstar Chris Benoit in 2007, her contributions to the wrestling world have been largely forgotten. This started to change with the wrestling documentary, “Darkside of the Ring,” and Mick Foley’s Facebook post in March of 2020 that has helped ignite a fire into Nancy Benoit being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
It’s a long post (as you can see in the link above), but we thought this was the best way to explain things.
“’Dark Side of the Ring’ did an excellent job of uncovering truths behind the shocking 2007 murder/suicide of Nancy, Daniel and Chris Benoit. In the aftermath of the Spike documentary, fans and historians once again pondered the way that Chris Benoit – one of the finest performers our business has ever seen – should be remembered. It’s an important discussion. But equally important to me, is that several fans, started talking about the career of Nancy Benoit, and how she should be remembered. For the first time I can recall, talk surfaced of Nancy possibly being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame – a topic I had never really considered it before. But seeing the “Dark Side of the Ring”, reestablishing contact with Sandra, and looking back on Nancy’s career these past couple of weeks has been an eye-opener for me. I would love to see Nancy inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame – under whatever name or character her family and WWE collectively decide. For her work as Fallen Angel, I believe she deserves to be included. For her work as Woman during her first run in WCW – when she feuded with Rick Steiner, managed Doom, and managed The 4 Horsemen – I believe she deserves to be included. For her run in ECW, and her second run with WCW – where she helped create a fascinating angle that blurred the line between storyline and reality – I believe she deserves to be included.
Inducting Nancy Toffoloni into the WWE Hall of Fame is the right thing to do. Let us remember her, and define her for who she was and what she did in life.”
As Mick said, it’s time to remember Nancy for what she accomplished in life.
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