Veteran wrestler Nicole Matthews has spoken out against WWE’s historical mistreatment of female performers, specifically defending Kaitlyn and Maxine following renewed criticism of their infamous NXT Season 3 match from 2010.
The controversy began when a WWE fan shared footage of the match, writing “We just set the business back about 60 years.” The match, which won Wrestling Observer’s “Worst Match of the Year” award, became notorious for commentator Michael Cole taking a phone call from his mother during the broadcast.
“This shit pissed me off so much. You set people up to fail, and then fucking laugh at them when they do. How is this fair?” – Nicole Matthews
Matthews emphasized how the wrestlers were inadequately prepared, with one fan noting that performers had only “1 month of wrestling training” before being thrust into a televised match designed to fail. The situation was made worse by WWE immediately following the match with a “Stand Up for WWE” video addressing “unfair attacks” on the company.
The veteran wrestler highlighted the stark contrast between then and now, stating she’s “so happy to see women wrestling THRIVING right now.” Matthews noted that current success makes it “that much more impressive when you revisit the absolute bullshit women had to deal with” during that era.
Both Kaitlyn and Maxine went on to achieve success despite the early setback, with Kaitlyn becoming WWE Divas Champion and Maxine finding success in other promotions. Matthews’ criticism underscores how far women’s wrestling has progressed from the systemic problems that plagued early NXT seasons.