WWE’s Lita reveals how ‘scary’ Bra and Panties matches were a trade with bosses

WWE icon Lita has reflected on appearing in ‘scary’ Bra and Panties matches while using them as a trade to do more in the ring.

The former Women’s Champion, who had a stellar and pioneering wrestling career and got inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2019, came through in a very different era when female stars were still featured in more racy matches with a focus more on looks than in-ring talent.

In a previous chat, she exclusively told Metro.co.uk: ‘So, I always think about it as… playing ball. Alright, we’ll do this Bra and Panties match for you. “I will give you one Bra and Panties match, but for that I would like to be thrown through a table! Thank you!” [laughs]

‘We looked at it like, we’ll do a little bit from the past or the status quo, in order to keep pushing forward.’

As Lita told us in the build-up to her match with Becky Lynch at Elimination Chamber 2022, she admitted the challenge was to ‘have some ownership’ over such segments and matches even if they didn’t feel natural.

She added: ‘Scary is a fine word! “Oh god, how do we do this and try to preserve an ounce of dignity? Try to make this entertaining, or at least funny? Can we be campy with this at least?

‘Just to try and turn it into something to have some ownership over a segment – never in one million years would I come up with this myself. So how do I put some personality or ownership into a segment that doesn’t feel like me.’

Next weekend, Lita is getting back in the ring as one half of the Women’s Tag Team Champions alongside Becky Lynch, teaming with real life friend Trish Stratus against Damage CTRL’s Bayley, Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky.

The huge bout is one of the featured attractions for WrestleMania, while Lita’s only previous announced match at the Show of Shows came 21 years ago when she and Trish lot to Women’s Champion Jazz in six minutes.

Over the years, the legendary star has had plenty of memorable moments and matches, including her historic Steel Cage Match with Victoria on Raw in 2003, which marked the first time two women competed in the brutal structure.

Asked if there are any stories of bouts from her career she’d like to relive in the current era, Lita told us during last year’s chat: ‘Oh yeah, definitely! We had a Steel Cage match, Victoria and I had the first women’s Steel Cage Match.

‘But… we were shackled. “OK, you can have a Steel Cage Match, but you can’t go off the top, you can’t do this”. They were really like, “Basically, you can have a match and there’s gonna be a steel cage around you.”

‘To be able to be a part of these – a TLC match, a Steel Cage Match. Something like that where the women now are not having just “the women’s version”. It’s just a Steel Cage match, it’s just a TLC match.’

WrestleMania 39 airs at 1am on April 1 and 2 from Hollywood live. Tune in via the WWE Network.

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