This past Monday (Jan. 22), "WWE RAW" celebrated its 25Th Anniversary. The show brought back many of its popular wrestlers, including the Divas. In one segment, former WWE Divas such as Jacqueline, Michelle McCool, Torrie Wilson, Terri Runnels, and Trish Stratus came on stage. WWE would introduce these ladies as icons and trailblazers for helping women’s wrestling.
Yet, viewers noticed there were a lot of former Divas who weren’t onstage and barely got a mention. One notable name that was missing from the lineup was Lita. When one fan asked the former wrestler why she didn’t appear on the anniversary show, she had a simple answer.
She wasn’t invited.
Lita's wrestling career
Amy Dumas (aka Lita) made her WWE debut in 2000. At first, she served as the valet for Essa Rios, but the two soon parted ways. Lita would then join Matt and Jeff Hardy to form the popular stable Team Xtreme. While Matt and Jeff dominated the tag team division, Lita began to make a name for herself in the women’s division. She won her first Women’s championship by defeating Stephanie McMahon.
After capturing her first championship, Lita quickly became a fan favorite with the WWE universe. Her red hair, punk rock look, and high-flying moves made her a star. Yet, her career would be filled with lots of ups and downs. Her feud with Trish Stratus is considered one of the best feuds in WWE.
In fact, their rivalry was so popular that they had a main event "RAW" during a December 2004 episode. The two women are often praised by their peers and are considered icons during the Golden Era of women’s wrestling.
Although Lita is considered a pioneer and won the women’s championship four times, her career was derailed by injuries and scandal.
In 2005, news broke that she had cheated on her boyfriend, Matt Hardy, with his friend and fellow wrestler, Edge. The scandal was soon made into a WWE storyline, where Lita and Edge were portrayed as heels. Fans immediately began to turn on Lita and referred to vulgar names. WWE took the opportunity to humiliate Lita at every turn, including her retirement match at Survivor Series 2006.
Following her loss, Cryme Tyme came down to the ring to sell Lita’s belongings in what they referred as a "ho sale."
Heat with WWE?
Despite the bad treatment she received at the end of her career, Lita appeared to have remained friendly with WWE. She made numerous appearances on WWE television after her retirement, including doing commentary for PPV pre-shows and the Mae Young Classic. In 2014, she was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
Yet, her exclusion from the 25th anniversary of "RAW" has fan wondering if she’s on bad terms with the company. Based on her tweet and liking comments from fans voicing their outrage at her exclusion from the show, there may be some tension. Fans are hoping that the redheaded Diva will make an appearance in the upcoming Women’s Royal Rumble. It doesn’t look like she’ll appear, but then again, WWE could have her show up for a surprise appearance.