That’s where YOU all come in.
Monday, February 19, 2024
2024 FitGems Awards Update
That’s where YOU all come in.
Thursday, January 18, 2024
Ash By Elegance: TNA Knockout
Credit to the original owners of the photos
Tuesday, October 24, 2023
Monica Brant, 1998 Fitness Olympia Champion: A Look Back 25 Years Later
One of the greatest to ever do it! |
October 24, 1998.
For more on the legendary Monica, follow her on Facebook, Twitter/X, and Instagram. Also click here to view some of the 1998 Fitness Olympia and click here to view Monica’s road to the 1998 Fitness Olympia title via arguably her most popular video ever, Monica Brant: Secrets of Beauty!
Thursday, October 19, 2023
Celebrate Monica Brant’s 25th Anniversary of becoming Miss Fitness Olympia with us this Tuesday!
This Tuesday, October 24 will mark the 25th Anniversary of the 1998 Fitness Olympia contest, the year Monica Brant won the title and officially became the face of fitness. When you think of fitness icons and legends, practically everyone has Monica Brant on their list of the best to ever do it. FitGems Nation will be celebrating this incredible milestone this Tuesday, 25 years to the day that Monica became immortal. We will be posting videos, photos, and our personal thoughts on how this event changed the game forever. If you would like to be part of it in any way, shape, or form (photos, videos, words on how Monica Brant has influenced you as a competitor, why you’re a fan of Monica Brant, etc.), send us a DM to our Instagram, Facebook, Twitter/X/X, or email us at fitgemsnation@gmail.com. Also, we will be using the hashtag #MBOlympia9825 throughout social media during our celebration on Tuesday. We hope you will join us this Tuesday to celebrate one of the best to ever do it!
Friday, September 22, 2023
Goodbye Dana Brooke…and Thank You
A woman who has so much more to give in the world of professional wrestling. |
To us, WWE never deserved Dana Brooke but she deserved an opportunity from them which she never properly got. But now the ball’s in her court. She is no longer part of a company that should have died a long time ago. As of Christmas, she will be free to go where she wants to go and sign with whoever she wants to sign with. For Dana Brooke, playtime is over. But for Ashley Sebera-Diaz, her WWE departure is only the beginning for one of the most hardworking women in the game today.
The world is yours now, Ashley. Take it all! |
Please continue to follow and support Dana/Ashley on Twitter/X and Instagram.
Monday, August 28, 2023
Kamille: What’s Next for the Brickhouse?
One of the best NWA World Women’s Champions EVER |
All photos belong to their respective owners.
June 6, 2021. The day everything changes for The Brickhouse of professional wrestling.
Kamille defeated Serena Deeb to win the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) World Women’s Championship, which is also known as The Burke, in honor of the late, great former and first-ever NWA World Women’s Champion Mildred Burke back in 1950. For 813 days, Kamille was unstoppable, taking on the best the world of women’s wrestling has to offer, which included names such as Max the Impaler, Melina Perez, Chelsea Green, Kylie Rae, Taya Valkyrie, Kilynn King, Angelina Love, and Natalia Markova, among many others for a total of 42 title defenses. Her matches in the later part of her reign have been considered show-stealers in various NWA shows. Many fans have openly stated that the reason they even paid attention to the NWA today was due to Kamille. To many, SHE was the face of the NWA, not the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion or the Ten Pounds of Gold. But like all things, they must come to an end and on August 27, night 2 of NWA 75, a night after defeating Natalia Markova to retain her title, she would lose to Kenzie Paige, bringing Kamille’s incredible reign to an end. Fun fact: Kenzie was Kamille’s first title defense back in July 24, 2021, so how ironic that Kamille’s run would end by her very first challenger. With over 40 title defenses across 16 promotions spanning the globe, it’s safe to say that Kamille might go down as one of the most dominant NWA World Women’s Champions of all time.
813 days. 42 title defenses across different promotions around the world. What a run by the Brickhouse! |
But now begs the question…what’s next for the Brickhouse? I mean, she CAN chase the Burke again, but let’s face it, after having a record run with it, what more can you do with that title? She can go after the NWA World Women’s Televlsion title but that wouldn’t be the same as it’s not as big as the Burke in terms of legacy, but Kamille winning that title would give it instant credibility. Then there’s the other option…take her talents to a bigger stage, which she has MORE than earned her right to be showcased to a bigger audience. The obvious answers would be WWE and AEW. For WWE, it would be a chance for the Brickhouse to have classic dream encounters with competitors such as Charlotte Flair, Bianca Belair, Rhea Ripley, Becky Lynch, Raquel Rodriquez, and others. Maybe if Raw or Smackdown isn’t an option, the NXT women’s division would be a great place for her as well, as many feel the NXT women’s division is the best overall division among all three brands in WWE. But a part of me would rather see her in AEW, as let’s face it…they could use a good jolt to their women’s division. The talent is there, but the star power and presence is lacking some. Kamille would give them that instantly , and HELLO…Kamille vs Jade Cargill?! INSTANT BOX OFFICE! Neither are undefeated anymore, but it doesn’t make it any less of a dream match to me. Impact Wrestling could also be an option for Kamille as she would get to work with an incredibly talented Knockouts division. While it would be a step down in terms of exposure in comparison with WWE and AEW, it would be a step up in comparison with NWA as at least Kamille would be on television as opposed to just being online. As far as a great wrestling promotion is concerned, folks need to stop sleeping on Impact Wrestling.
Regardless of what Kamille does, she has already seal her place in wrestling as one of the most dominant champions in women’s wrestling history. Anything else she does in the ring at this point regardless of where she goes moving forward is just icing on the cake. She is only 30 so she’s far from done in the ring. Kamille controls her own destiny at this point. We DO know one thing in her immediate future, though: Kamille will be playing as June Byers in the upcoming Queen of the Ring movie, which is currently in production. Queen of the Ring is about Mildred Burke’s rise as a pro wrestler.
We have a gut feeling that despite already making history, the best is yet to come for the Brickhouse and we look forward to it with much anticipation!
Open the bank for her. She’s worth it and then some! |
For more on Kamille, follow her on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter/X.
Tuesday, June 20, 2023
Dana Brooke Back in NXT: Finally Her Chance?
June 6: A return that flipped the NXT Women’s Division upside down! |
On June 6, NXT had a Number One Contender’s Battle Royal to determine the first challenger for Tiffany Stratton’s NXT Women’s Championship. We thought we knew all the competitors that would be part of it the previous week until earlier in the show, they showed Dana Brooke walking into the NXT arena and talking about how an opportunity was there for the taking and inserted herself into the battle royal, flipping the main event on its head. Dana made it all the way to the final three before she (and Cora Jade at the same time) was eliminated by the eventual winner Thea Hail. That one night, she was presented much better better than most of her career on the main roster. It continued the following week with a well-done video package of Dana highlighting her career (BTW…it did NOT include her Sexy Muscle Friends tag-team with Mandy Rose for…obvious reasons) and an interview of what she is fighting for. Cora Jade interrupted Dana and got slapped…which Dana made sure she got her lick back during Cora’s match with Thea Hail. Because of that, tonight on Night One of NXT Gold Rush, Dana Brooke will have her first singles NXT women’s match since NXT Takeover: Respect as she will take on Cora. If this goes well, she might be on her way to the NXT Women’s Championship and possibly beyond.
If done correctly, Dana could potentially find herself on the road to redemption and finally be a credible superstar. Like we’ve stated before, the fault is not Dans’s own. She has done everything asked of her and THEY have let her down. But now, it seems like the ball’s finally in her corner for the first time ever. Fans have rallied to #GiveDanaAChance. Now…it’s Dana’s turn to seal the deal. This NXT run is not to prove her haters wrong…this is to prove herself and her fans RIGHT. Dana, we rooting for you. Time to remind the world who the hell you truly are, Dana Brooke!
Is this the chance Dana has FINALLY been fighting for? We shall soon see! |
Click here to view every article we’ve ever written about Dana. Also, feel free to follow her on Twitter, Instagram, and Twitter (DanaBrookeWWE), Instagram (ashasebera_danabrooke), and TikTok (ashasebera_danabrooke)! Also make sure to watch Night One of NXT Gold Rush tonight at 8pm Eastern/7PM Central on the USA Network.
Saturday, May 27, 2023
To the Tiffy Top? Our Thoughts on WWE’s Next Potential Franchise Superstar, Tiffany Stratton
DISCLAIMER: All photos are from WWE’s social media accounts.
This Sunday on Peacock, NXT will host Battleground as part of a massive weekend of wrestling on Memorial Day weekend. On that night, a new NXT Women’s Champion will be crowned. What’s special about this title win is whoever wins on Sunday will become the 100th woman in the history of WWE to hold Championship Gold of any kind in WWE, whether it be an official women’s championship (single or tag-team) or any intergender title such as the now-defunct Hardcore or 24/7 Championships. On one side is the very talented and mysterious Lyra Valkyria, who ran threw the now-defunct NXT UK like a hot knife through butter. On the other side, a woman who many have said could be a future franchise player in WWE…the woman we are going to talk about today: Tiffany Stratton.
One of her new looks since returning earlier this year |
Tiffany (real name Jessica Woynilko ) would make her wrestling debut on NXT Level Up on November 16, 2021. That show is where up-and-coming Superstars would make their mark before being put on TV, testing the waters sorta speak. About a month later (December 28 to be exact), Tiffany would make her official NXT debut. It was clear there was SOMETHING there in terms of character, but folks weren’t too sold on her as an in-ring competitor. That all changed on the January 28, 2022 edition of NXT (then known at the time as NXT 2.0) when she would face Io Shiari (now Iyo Sky) and take her first loss, but the loss ended up being the best thing that could have happened to her as folks began to take notice of Tiffany that night. It was only Tiffany’s 3rd match ever and Iyo didn’t need to carry Tiffany much at all. That match caused folks to back up on their Tiffany dissing and began to go “Okay…maybe Tiffany’s got something”. Tiffany also had a different look that make folks take notice as well. Gone was the skirt, and hello super heroine/villian-esque attire. Folks would being to take even more notice of Tiffany in 2022, including the inaugural NXT Women’s Breakout Tournament Finals against Roxanne Perez, NXT Women’s Championship #1 Contender Battle Royal (where many claimed her at the MVP of that match), and the Lights Out match with Wendy Choo. While she didn’t win those three matches, folks left with a better show of respect for her than they did going into those matches. It also didn’t hurt that Tiffany did have a cool finisher in matches she DID win…her Tiffy Twister, a twisting splash from the top turnbuckle.
From her early days in NXT 2.0 |
After her Lights Out match in August, Tiffany would take the rest of 2022 off after suffering an injury to heal up and refocus, getting her body to an even crazier level than it already was and would return to NXT on January 10 of this year no longer Daddy’s Little Rich Girl…but the Center of the Universe. She made it clear that she was the star of NXT and for the last few months, she had proven to be just that. It’s been clear as day that Tiffany has been groomed to be the top lady of the brand but not being pinned or submitted at any time thus far in 2023, only suffering losses on TV in a Ladder Match and in a Triple Threat Match where she was NOT the deciding factor. She replaced the impressive Tiffy Twister with an even more impressive finisher…the PME (Prettiest Moonsault Ever), a triple-jump moonsault that was made famous by wrestler Christopher Daniels, which HE calls it the BME (Best Moonsault Ever). That’s set up by what wrestler Kenny Omega calls “You Can’t Escape”, a fireman’s carry rolling slam. (Not sure what Tiffany calls it just yet). The way she flows from the slam to the moonsault with ease is nothing short of amazing, and apparently she wants to add on to that with a front twist in the near future. If she does that…GOOD LORD.
It would seem that we are drawing near to Tiffany’s crowning moment and this Sunday seems like that will be the night for her coronation at the top of the NXT Women’s division. When she first arrived, folks didn’t think she would last. Now, those same folks are looking forward to her potential crowning moment at NXT Battleground. All we have to say at this point is enjoy the ride, because we feel we are looking at the next franchise WWE Superstar. We send our best wishes to Tiffany Stratton as she aims to make her way to the Tiffy Top this Memorial Day weekend. How appropriate to have her kick off the summer as NXT Women’s Champion. Summer of Stratton?! We like the sound of that!
TOOTLES!
Are we in for a Summer of Stratton this year?! |
For more on Tiffany, follow her on her Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and WWE-ran Facebook page.
Monday, May 22, 2023
Megan Teter: The Muscle Mommy of Gymnastics
Photo creditL Megan’s Instagram |
Dubbed by her teammates as “Muscle Mommy”, Megan not only has arguably THE most incredible physique of any gymnast we’ve ever seen, but her resume is pretty damn impressive as well. But like every great athlete, nothing was handed to her. We won’t go into all the details on that, but we’ll let a video of her journey getting to Ball State University tell you SOME of the story (we say some because the video was done a couple of years ago. She will run it back one final year, exercising her 5th year eligibility clause).
Now, we have no clue how aware she is of the NPC/IFBB fitness division or if she’s aware of it at all. If she is aware of it, someone in the fitness division needs to be a mentor to her (preferably someone who went from gymnastics to the NPC/IFBB) so she can make the transition to do fitness competitions. If she is NOT aware of what the fitness division is, someone needs to have a serious conversation with her about what the fitness division is and try to convince her to look into it after her gymnastics career ends next year. Her energy, dedication, and obviously her physique would make her an instant fan-favorite. If her look now has made her popular enough for her friends and fans to call her Muscle Mommy, imagine what she do with proper bodybuilding training within the fitness division! Either way, we have a feeling the story of Megan Teter is FAR from over. Whatever route she goes once her collegiate gymnastics career is over, she has our full support. And with her physique and abilities, the world is hers for the taking.
Photo credit: Megan’s Instagram |
For more on Megan, check out her Ball State University Gymnastics athlete page, follow her on Twitter and Instagram.
Dana Brooke Appreciation Night This Wednesday
Photo credit: Those Wrestling Girls |
For those that don’t know who Those Wrestling Girls (TWG) are, here’s a little background: TWG is a wrestling podcast and fan community created in 2018 after WWE Evolution took place. Krista B. and Queen P.R. were so inspired by that event ( BTW, WWE…when the hell is Evolution 2 gonna happen?!) that they decided to take it upon themselves to create TWG and it has grown into more than just a podcast. TWG has become a rapidly-growing fan community that has been a part of many wrestling events these last couple of years, including Wrestlemania and Walemania. They support all women’s wrestling and wrestling in general but they keep it real and don’t sugarcoat things to make people feel better. That is what we love about they talk about Dana. Obviously they love her and are rooting for her, but they keep it real and honest about her. Others unfortunately are just vile and filled with unnecessary hatred toward Dana…not them. TWG treats her with respect.
Each week, they do a live gathering for the TWG community called #TWGFanClub, which focuses on wrestlers and different topics in wrestling, such as wrestling themes, cliches, historic events in wrestling, etc. This week, Dana gets the spotlight and their goal is to make this the biggest Dana Brooke appreciation event social media has ever seen. This will take place this Wednesday night at 7PM Eastern time/6PM Central time on their Twitch channel. If you can’t be there the whole time, just show up when you can once it starts. You can also follow along on Twitter using the hashtag #TWGFanClub. We need to let Dana Brooke know that not everyone in the world (especially in the wrestling world) is against her. She has a very noticeable amount of people cheering for her. Their Twitch account is https://www.twitch.tv/thosewrestlinggirls.
Dana Brooke, you ARE loved. You ARE appreciated. You DO belong. Let’s us show you that Wednesday night.
Photo credit: WWE |
For more on Those Wrestling Girls and ALL of their links to their previous podcast episodes as well as their social media platforms, please visit them at thosewrestlinggirls.com.