While plus-size women were often seen as a “fad” in athletics for many years, today, bigger bodies are finally being normalized, allowing plus-size athletes to be seen as the strong and inspiring people they are. Female wrestlers specifically play a major role in how bigger bodies have been normalized in the wrestling world.
Queen Kong/Maltida
At 6’3” and 315lbs, this impressive queen of G.L.O.W. was one of the industry’s biggest trailblazers for plus-size women wrestlers. She first came on the scene in the 80s, and her moves earned her a crown for being the OG curvy girl of wrestling.
Nia Jax
At 6’0” and 272lbs, Nia Jax is related to Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and is one of the most famous plus-size female wrestlers in the WWE. She has been working in the industry since 2014 and is a superstar with power moves that annihilate her opponents. She’s also an advocate for self-love and acceptance, using her platform for good by promoting body positivity and encouraging others to embrace their unique shapes and sizes.
Mary-Kate Duignan
At 5’10” and 315lbs, Mary-Kate Duignan performed under the stage name Rosie Lottalove. She wrestled under TNA from 2009 to 2010, and her persona was larger-than-life, paired with a red-feathered cloak and thigh highs. She did injure her opponent accidentally, and as a result wasn’t signed by TNA after this but still worked in Japan and smaller circuits in the USA.
Regina Rosendahl
At 5’5” and 180lbs, the Finnish Regina Rosendahl is a pioneer in wrestling in her home country and endearingly calls herself a “satanic witch.” She has also dubbed herself “the matriarch of European wrestling,” and we’re loving that confidence! People have argued that her billed weight is different from what her appearance indicates.
Piper Niven
At 5’8” and 220lbs, this plus size WWE Smackdown diva is from Scotland and has been a wrestler at the highest level for several years. She has been cast multiple times as an “angry big woman,” and people have referred to her using that term; it’s unfortunate that these stereotypes still exist, as wrestling really needs to diversify its portrayal of plus size personalities!
The Fallen Flower Kikyo
At 5’2” and 265lbs, Kikyo is one of the shortest but heaviest wrestlers on this list, making her a formidable presence in the world of wrestling. This sturdy powerhouse currently wrestles with 5CC Wrestling and has fought many other larger men and women, proving she’s not scared to face a challenge.
Lindsay Hayward
At 6’9” and 240lbs, Lindsay Hayward is one of the tallest female wrestlers out there, and as a result, she was referred to Isis the Amazon and Aloisia. Though she’s retired, this plus size athlete has remained an icon for taller women, showing that you can be any shape or size to enter the ring. In the late 2000s, she wrestled for CCW and later appeared in the reality show “My Giant Life.”
Vixsin
We know that she’s 5’4″, but her billed weight is unknown. Her real name is Belinda Stevens, and while her stage name is Vixsin, she also goes by “The Hardcore B***h.” While she might be on the shorter side, she’s a formidable unit who can deliver a beatdown. She did notably lose some weight in the past couple of years but is still plus size.
Queen Raqui
At 6’4” and 580lbs, the now-retired Queen Raqui was one of the trailblazers of body positivity before the movement even existed, earning her a spot on this list even though she wasn’t a “professional” wrestler. Men would pay her to use her size and strength during wrestling sessions to flatten them. Unfortunately, she passed away recently. One of her major inspirations was Queen Kong.
