52 - Florida, Amy Dumas

Whether you believe it is true or not, Amy Dumas, WWE Hall of Fame Wrestler, is legit. She fights and she wins.

Florida ratified the Nineteenth Amendment to their constitution on May 13, 1969.


Ms. Dumas, known more commonly in her most notable profession as “Lita”, is also an animal welfare activist and singer. Wrestling from 2000-2007, she joined the WWE Hall of Fame in 2014. She was part of “Team Xtreme” with Matt and Jeff Hardy where she developed her alternative style, and a heel wrestler in 2005-6. She was an overall four time champion for WWE.

Ms. Dumas struggled through school, graduating high school after transferring many times and starting Georgia State University for a short bit, never to graduate.

Her interest in wrestling stemmed from watching Rey Mysterio Jr., a Mexican-American luchador. She moved to Mexico to be trained and developed her style before returning to USA in 1998. The “story” of her career began as the on-screen girlfriend of Danny Doring. She continued to wrestle with Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) and they submitted her videos to WWE in 1999 and signed to the WWE (then called WWF) on November 1, 1999. In 2000 she defeated the women’s champion and held the Women’s Championship for seventy-three days.

She is described by WWE as “A Diva who always kept the WWE Universe on their toes. Whether she was flying high with The Hardy Boyz or shocking censors alongside Edge, the four-time Women’s Champion knew how to elicit a reaction around the world.”

Why this woman?
Watching the movie “Fighting with my Family” was very enlightening of the life of a woman in wrestling. It is a comedic portrayal, but I see the impact of being a woman in this genre, complementing the storylines of the men and catering to the following and fans. The image and brand of WWE is serious and impactful.

But the energy and fitness of the sport is undeniable. Though the stories may be fixed and the results creating the outcomes, the process to get there is real. They are fiercely battling, many times to their own risk and health, to tell this story. The dream that everyone has that they can beat the shit out of the people that annoy them! This is a dream.

Amy held the role as good as I can imagine any woman or even man. She had the past that fans could relate to struggling to make high school life and the traditional education fit her life. But once finding a passion, she fought hard and furiously to be the best. And best she became! She created a life that made sense to her. She has an image reflecting her “normal”. She is punk, aggressive, expression-able ... what comes off as real image of herself. I have never really watched wrestling, nor followed the stories. But I do remember the revelation that they are contrived stories, not real battles. It was kind of like finding out there was no Santa Claus. But now I see the value, the entertainment, the hype. It is all about the enjoyment of the beholder, and this excitement carries true.

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