Wow. I bet you thought I gave up on writing. Of course not! I just  …  have been at loss for words. Hard to believe, right? Let me tell you, I woke up from my "nap," drank an energy drink and am now ready to be vocal again.

Everyone, hear me right here, right now. I stand by what I say  …  wrestling has never seen a woman like me. I AM the most dominant Diva to enter this business, and mark my words I WILL leave a mark in this world. Love me or hate me, you will remember me.

What woke me up from my verbal slumber is something that I strongly need to express: Two of the greatest female sports-entertainers of all time passed this year. These two were THE BEST. My all-time favorites and true legends. This is very difficult to swallow. How can they be gone?

The Fabulous Moolah and Sherri Martel were the two I admired most as strong women who fought in a male- dominated sport and made their presence known.
They never took "no" for an answer. They demanded your attention and they got it! They challenged the wrestling world and broke through barriers.

Wrestling IS a man's world. Being in it, I have had to fight harder to get respect and to show that I can hang, that I belong here and I want this. I fight every day to show everyone that I'm here to stay. I could only imagine how hard it was for them back in their day.

Then, women didn't have many rights and their place was in the kitchen. Guys would probably look at them and think they have no right to be in the ring. I have had my share of that in current years and I think, "God! Can you imagine how much harder it was for them?!!!" My pain, struggle and hardships were NOTHING compared to what they have had to endure.

I think of all the uphill battles Moolah and Sherri had to go through, along with all the negative, hurtful words and the physicality of working with guys. When you are training (not every school or guy is like this, but) some guys won't care if you are a female, they will knock your block off to say, "Hey it's wrestling, not ballet."

Not to mention the many hardships that life brings already: Struggles with family, friends, love and the difficulties that come with being a wrestler (all the travel, time away from home, not having a stable, regular life, people wanting to see you fail and, oftentimes, even though you are surrounded by people, loneliness).

So much to deal with, but in ALL that madness and craziness …  LOOK! Look at what they accomplished!! They seriously did what no woman could do … what people said women can't do and had no business doing. Moolah and Sherri were truly creative, strong and brave. They beat the odds and they didn't settle for anything less than what they knew they could accomplish. God bless them!

They truly had class, charm and originality. They shone like the bright stars that they were and they were brilliant, bright and unique! They weren't afraid to be themselves and push the envelope. They created my views on how a Diva could and should be, inspiring me to be my own unique self and motivating me to go farther than I ever thought possible. They touched my life in such a huge way.

I absolutely hate that they never knew they are a part of me -- a part of who I am as an individual as well as a sports-entertainer.

I didn't just see Moolah and Sherri as the extraordinary Divas and talented wrestlers that they were. They were more! Everything rolled into one. An athlete, a Diva AND an entertainer … creating the ultimate wrestling creation. A Superstar! A true Superstar. They sucked you in, made you react, made you remember and left you wanting more!

I pray that EVERYONE, can pay respect to the women who made who we are and what we do possible. What would women's wrestling be like if it weren't for these courageous, bold, strong, amazing Divas? They were loud, incredible and truly unforgettable.

It's easy to see the days of Lita and Trish because they were recent, but remember women like Moolah and Sherri. Look at how amazing they are and think about how far we've come. Yes, being a woman in wrestling is tough, but it seems so easy compared to what they had to go through to break into this business and stay in it. Believe me, I am so grateful for what they have done and gone through for us. This blog doesn't say enough.

To The Fabulous Moolah and Sensational Sherri, God bless you and thank you. Thank you for touching my life and giving me inspiration to keep heading forward and for motivating me to not settle for anything less than what I know I can do. Thank you for believing in me and being such sweet, loving, genuine people who loved this business and gave everything you are to us all. Thank you for the magic you created when we watched you on TV. … You will forever be remembered, loved, adored, admired, cherished and respected forever. You two are TRUE LEGENDS.

~Melina