by Chad "Deliboy" Damiani
www.wcw.com
photos from Ross Forman of wcw.com
The brain of Marie Curie worked to develop nuclear physics, the beauty of Helen of Troy drove peaceful men to war and the brass of Amelia Earhart led to her trans-Atlantic flight.
Big whoop.
Granted, these chicks did some noteworthy stuff, but I can't remember the last time I added radium to my grocery list, read Homer in the bathroom or cared about the gender of my airplane pilot (my flying focus is always on the air travel triumvirate: aisle seat, exit row and extra peanuts). Maybe I've been altered working in this crazy business, but if I had to think of a woman who's made a real difference in the quality of my life, the heroine wouldn't be on the back of a coin or the topic of a History Channel special.
Barring my mother from competition, I'd have to choose Kimberly Page.
Yes, I said Kimberly.
Before I get bombarded by hate mail, let me assure all the Nitro Girl fanatics that I'm completely serious. And I'm not just praising the lady Page for her unbelievable looks, sequined sports bras and trend-setting appearances in Playboy magazine (Helen might have launched a thousand ships, but did she ever cause a last-issue tugging match at a New York newsstand?). The letter of commendation doesn't even have to do with her pioneering efforts on the Internet or her ability to help DDP reach superstar status.
In a time where women seemed to lose their purpose in professional wrestling -- or were forced to settle for collecting robes and playing ringside eye candy -- Kimberly proved that fans not only wanted women involved in the product but demanded that these ladies demonstrate their own athleticism, enthusiasm and distinct personality.
In my opinion, ladies like Gorgeous George, Miss Madness and Chastity can attribute their current employment to the impact of Kimberly's dance squad. If you have any question about the popularity of the Nitro Girls, attend a live show, check out a WCW autograph signing or just ask Gary the webmaster what area of WCW.com gets accessed more than Mark Madden's refrigerator. And the Nitro Girls have done more than just energize live shows and create unbelievable calendars -- they've provided this company, and this country, with role models for the young girl demographic we'd sorely forgotten.
Kimberly Page made wrestling better.
And since my days have become consumed with the almighty turnbuckle, Kim's made my workplace and livelihood a great deal more enjoyable -- as opposed to those female slackers I mentioned in the beginning. Thank you, Kim, for having a unique vision and the diligence to see it to fruition. (And double-thanks for having your vision rehearse in the arena every Monday. Nitro Girl practice certainly beats watching Sonny Onoo and Hak play chess in the locker room.)
