The Diamonds Division: Redefining Women's Wrestling

[Katherine Lockheart]

THE DIAMONDS DIVISION:
REDEFINING WOMEN'S WRESTLING

By Katherine Lockheart

Often left in the shadow of Kayla Richards' undeniable dominance as IWF Shieldmaiden, the story of the current reigning two time Diamonds Champion, Alexis Caffrey is easy to overlook, not through any fault of her own, but rather because unlike Kayla who will tell you exactly what she's been doing in the Diamonds Division at any given time, Alexis has sparked a quieter, more subtle revolution during this, her second reign at the top of all of female professional wrestling.


For everything Kayla Richards has achieved with her impressive reign and consistent defences as IWF's Shieldmaiden, it is easy to forget that Alexis Caffrey's second reign with the Diamonds Championship began at exactly the same time as Kayla's reign as Shieldmaiden, and any real differences between the dominant streaks of the two women with their respective accolades come down to the differences in the defence rules of each title rather than a difference in the calibre of competitor that they have faced.


Kayla has had more of a prominent role on the weekly broadcasts for sure, but it equally true that when the time has come for Alexis to step up and prove that she deserves her spot at the top of professional wrestling, Alexis has gone out of her way to embrace new and fresh challenges, offering opportunities to Diamonds most fans and even some of her more disgruntled and cynical peers consider to be most undeserving at best and downright unworthy at worst.


This past Monday at Sacrifice, it was confirmed by the IWF Head of the Diamonds Division that Alexis Caffrey would face her next great challenge as Champion from not only the two women who earned the right at Metamorphosis - Eliza Valentine and Eternity, but also from the two women who felt they deserved a second chance after the Garcia Twins got involved in the Fatal Four Way, Crystal Millar and Fiona McFly.

So now, at Danger Zone, in a move that Kathy Conway herself dubbed as "best for business",  all five women will face each other for the Diamonds Championship inside the confines of a fifteen foot high steel cage. Under the rules of the contest, the first to escape will earn the right to call herself the Diamonds Champion.

Regardless of how one might feel about either Kayla Richards or Alexis Caffrey personally, there can be little argument that both women have, in their own way, revolutionised and rejuvenated what it means to be a female athlete in this industry, and if it follows that a Division is only as great as its greatest representatives then no matter what comes next for either of them professionally, they should be proud of redefining what it means to be a part of the Imperial Wrestling Federation.

Now if the men on the roster would follow the precedence set by their female colleagues, that would be even better for this company as a whole.