She was a sultry image burned into the minds of many adolescent boys during WWE’s “Attitude Era,” but she was so much more than that. A pivotal example of what it looked like to go from a traditional manager/valet to a center-stage wrestler, Sable defined the odds that helped pave the way for women’s wrestling today. And for that, her ex-husband and former WWE star, Marc Mero, believes her time should be recognized with the greatest achievement anyone could ever receive, Hall of Fame status. In an interview with Chris Van Vliet on his “Insight” podcast, Mero explains why the former WWE Women’s Champion deserves this honor.

“She did something for the women’s division when they didn’t really have a women’s division so much back then at all,” the former one-time Intercontinental Champion began. “She brought eyes to the channels. The ratings and everything were very high because of her.”

While there’s been so many women’s wrestlers and managers who’ve earned this prestigious recognition before and after her, Mero does not believe the reason for her absence for Hall of Fame contention has to do with her 1999 lawsuit, where she sued WWE for sexual harassment and unsafe working conditions. That lawsuit, which was filed in June of 1999, was settled out of court two months later. After that $110 million lawsuit, Sable returned to the Stamford-based promotion from 2003 until August 10, 2004, citing she wanted to spend more time with her family.

Sable met Mero, who was her second husband, in 1993. One year later, they married. The two split up in 2004, with Sable meeting then dating “The Beast Incarnate” Brock Lesnar. They wedded in 2006.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “Insight with Chris Van Vliet” with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

In 2004, Candice Michelle entered the WWE Diva Search with the goal of securing a WWE contract and a giant cash prize. Instead, she found herself eliminated from the competition, with fellow model Christy Hemme ultimately collecting the winnings and Diva Search crown.

While appearing on “Insight With Chris Van Vliet,” Michelle recalled the heartbreak she felt in the initial aftermath of her Diva Search loss. “That was really hard,” she said. “In LA, as you know, when you’re auditioning all the time, you get over it pretty fast or you need to get over it fast. And that one, I think I cried for like a month. I was like, that was perfect for me. I was athletic. I was into boxing and Krav Maga. I should have got that. I also know there’s a side of the business where I also knew Christy Hemme was perfect role for that spot. I just didn’t know that they would call me back when that contest ended and offer me a three-year deal.”

When asked for her take on why she didn’t win Divas Search, Michelle suggested that she might have presented a character different from what the WWE fanbase typically saw. “I have a different appeal. I need to warm up to an audience,” she said. “Christy just had that fun vibrant bubbly personality. People love her instantly and I think that’s what the WWE needed at that time.”

Upon coming aboard to WWE one month after her Diva Search stint, Michelle noted that then-WWE CEO Vince McMahon told her, and several other contestants, that he’d provide them with a platform to showcase themselves as WWE stars; it was up to them, however, to maximize it. Michelle made the most of hers and eventually seized the WWE Women’s Championship in 2007.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “Insight With Chris Van Vliet” with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

Natalya recalled that he worked on the speech for months. When he read it to her to practice his speech, she timed it and the speech was 46 minutes long. She was worried they’d get kicked off stage, but he was adamant that he read it in its entirety. Hart went into the speech planning to read all of it, even if it meant getting pulled off stage.

About four minutes into the speech is when the man attacked Hart. She held on to her uncle and “I ended up taking an armdrag over Bret. We got knocked down to the ground. All these wrestlers come swarming the ring.” They were all trying to protect Hart while they were on the ground. Hart had to go to the hospital after. She told him she knew what happened sucked, but “that was in the most Jim Neidhart fashion ever. Chaos, craziness, mayhem. I feel like my dad was having a little laugh from heaven because ‘f*** it, we’re gonna go out big.”

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “Busted Open” and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

He may have spread his wings to become “The Oracle” of the hottest new faction in WWE, The Vision, but it’s fair to say that Paul Heyman misses his masterful role in The Bloodline. Perhaps, he reminisces about it from time to time. Despite not showing his homesickness, Heyman has bigger fish to fry in advocating for his former client, Brock Lesnar, and putting an end to his recent partnership with Seth Rollins. Although he is no longer affiliated with the Bloodline, he made a very short, sweet, and complimentary comment about the family’s legacy, specifically if they were to add another family member, who he believes should be on WWE’s radar now if he hasn’t been already.

“I think WWE would be remiss if WWE doesn’t sign Zilla [Fatu] at the very first opportunity to do so,” the former “Wiseman” said to MuscleManMalcolm on his “Muscle Memory” podcast. 

Zilla, a third-generational wrestler and son to former WWE star, Umaga, and great nephew to The Wild Samoans (Afa and Sika), truly lives up to his “Main One” moniker on the independent scene. The fast-paced powerhouse is currently carrying four championships in 4th Rope Wrestling (as its heavyweight champion), Gremlin House Wrestling (one-half of the World Tag Team Championships), House of Glory (the two-time Crown Jewel Champion), and the Noble Champions Group (Crown Champion). He is also the former two-time Reality of Wrestling’s Heavyweight Champion, an independent promotion owned and operated by WWE Hall of Famer Booker T, that has ties with WWE’s ID (Independent Development) program.

The 26-year-old has a lot of promise should he become a prospect in WWE. However, his past demeanor continues to haunt and hinder his chances, including having the reputation of no-showing events, and being difficult to work with.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “Muscle Memory with MuscleManMalcolm” with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

The rivalry between Storm and Statlander kicked off at AEW All Out, where the latter dethroned the former as AEW Women’s Champion by pinning her in a four-way title match. Given Storm’s popularity and vibrancy as an in-ring character, Statlander admittedly wasn’t, and still isn’t, certain if the fans would embrace her as the holder of the world title after that. Nevertheless, she continued to put forth her greatest efforts in the role.

“I still don’t think that they accept me as their champion,” Statlander said. “And I get it because Toni is so incredible and sure of herself. She’s the best for a reason. She was so synonymous with the title for so long for a reason and I kind of came up out of nowhere. She gave a few of us an unexpected shot and we were like, ‘Alright, let’s do it,’ and I don’t think people were ready for it to be an out of nowhere type of thing. That’s okay. That’s how life works sometimes. Life is unpredictable. I’m just doing my best to give the title as good of a reign as I can because I’m not Toni Storm. I’ll never be her. But I am me and the best that I can do is give you my best.”

In their rematch for the title at AEW WrestleDream, Statlander overcame a momentary loss of consciousness to pin Storm yet again, this time by locking her in a head scissors submission, then driving her into the mat with a Saturday Night Fever. From there, Storm pivoted to a program with the Death Riders’ Marina Shafir, while “The Cosmic Killer” racked up more successful title defenses against Mercedes Mone, Jamie Hayter, and Thekla. The latter later unseated Statlander in their second AEW Women’s Championship faceoff in February.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “Ring The Belle” with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.