Throughout the month of February, Diva Dirt will spotlight one Black women’s wrestler a day. This won’t be a countdown, but just a way to shine light on the past and present Black women of the industry. With that said, these daily articles will not be in any particular order.
Representation matters to marginalized groups, and here at Diva Dirt we focus on giving those individuals the recognition they deserve.
- Jan. 30 – Jacqueline
- Jan. 31 – Lash Legend
- Feb. 1 – Nyla Rose
On Feb. 2 we have Sharmell.
Proving that professional wrestling is more than just wrestling, Sharmell is one of the most recognizable faces as a valet. Being a valet is currently a lost art form in wrestling. In this era, if a woman is alongside a wrestler, they are often referred to as simply managers. Sharmell was the definition of a valet during her time in the industry.
Sharmell is a beauty queen. Prior to the wrestling industry, she won Miss. Black America in 1991. She started in WCW as a Nitro Girl. She went by names such as Storm and then Paisley. As Paisley she valeted for The Artist and had a few matches against Tammy (Sunny in WWF), Major Gunns and Tygress.
After her release from WCW, Sharmell would move on to the WWF where she signed a developmental contract and reported to OVW. There she trained and valeted for the Suicide Blondes (Edge & Christian) and started a rivalry with Jazz. Unfortunately, Sharmell suffered an ACL injury which took her out action and essentially retire from the ring. She wouldn’t step back into in-ring action until four years later on SmackDown.
Sharmell would go on to valet for her husband, Booker T, for most of her mainstream career. She was in storylines with Kurt Angle, the Boogeyman, Batista, and MNM. After WWE she would move on to valet for her husband in TNA as well.
In 2022, Sharmell was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. Her beauty, charm, acting, and charisma won her over with many fans. She has showcased a lot for the wrestling business and is arguably one of the top Black female valets in history.
Sharmell currently runs and coaches for the indie promotion Reality of Wrestling with her husband.