Women ' s Wrestling Association The Women ' s Wrestling Association ( WWA ) was established in 1984 . The organization evolved and owes its creation to the World Wrestling Association of the Indianapolis - based professional wrestling organization promoted by Dick " The Bruiser " Afflis and his business partner Wilbur Snyder . The founding members of the Women ' s Wrestling Association were Princess Jasmine and Candi DeVine . These two wrestling personalities appeared internationally but were regular competitors for the Bruiser / Snyder World Wrestling Association and affiliated Minneapolis - based American Wrestling Association which was controlled by Verne Gagne . Whereas , the three distinguishing letters of WWA have been used as the acronym for several professional wrestling organizations over the years , including a wrestling based promotion in Los Angeles and Chicago in the 1950s , it wasn ' t until 1964 when the National Wrestling Association promoter , Jim Barnett sold his Indianapolis based promotion to Bruiser and Snyder that the initialsm took on major status within wrestling circles . Wrestling for the World Wrestling Association over the years were Cowboy Bob Ellis , The Crusher , Baron Von Raschke , Bobby Heenan , Sailor Art Thomas , Paul Christy , Nick Bockwinkel , football great Ernie Ladd , and the NCAA Division I and All - American heavyweight champion amateur wrestler Greg Wojciechowski . However , it was the women that wrestled for the Bruiser / Snyder promotion that prompted the shift of the acronyms first word from ' World ' to ' Women ' and the formation of the first and only - sanctioning body for women ' s professional wrestling . Pushing forward 20 years to a regionally televised wrestling match between Candi DeVine and Princess Jasmine which took place in Indianapolis at the Tyndall Armory , an unknown announcer named David McLane promoted the vision that there could be a marketplace for an - all women ' s dedicated television program and league . " My vision and assumption following the calling of that match between Candi DeVine and Princess Jasmine was that there is an audience for an all - women ' s dedicated television program and that vision has proven successful . And now with the proliferation of global interest and wealth of international female wrestlers , along with the exploding ancillary opportunities afforded to the women of this unconventional form of entertainment , the need for an active sanctioning body is needed more than ever , " noted McLane . Today , the Women ' s Wrestling Association sanctions several wrestling events , including the WOW live events and is dedicated to perpetuating the tradition of the thousands of women warriors stepping into the ring . With the WWA banner association a parent can know the programming and live events are sanctioned for family entertainment . In 2012 , the Women ’ s Wrestling Association established the Trailblazer Award to recognize the performers who have blazed the trail for future female stars of the ring . The first recipient of this prestigious award is Princess Jasmine . Princess Jasmine was considered by many to be the " barricade breaker " for many female athletes . Facing extreme pressures of discrimination for being a black woman in a traditional all - white male industry , Princess Jasmine was admired for her tenacity and considered an inspirational teacher of professional wrestling having helped launch the career of WWE wrestler Ivory ( who was known as Tina Ferrari in Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling ) and contributed globally to the passion of living life to its fullest . The Princess Jasmine Trailblazer Award as it will be known as is awarded annually to a female wrestler who has done the following : Demonstrated in their life , the same persistence , spirit , love and dedication as Princess Jasmine did to the student of wrestling , teaching skills and respect for the sport ; and made a major contribution to the growth of female wrestling . By honoring female performers who dedicated their life to this purpose , the WWA honors Princess Jasmine and encourages female performers to seek the same ideals and values . Princess Jasmine ( real name Cynthia Peretti / Johnson ) credited as the inspiration to form the Women ’ s Wrestling Association competed during the 70 ’ s and 80 ’ s internationally and for the NWA and WWWF as well , was best known for wrestling for the AWA and WWA promotions headed by Verne Gagne and Dick The Bruiser respectively , passed away at the age of 60 in 2009 following a long battle with cancer . She is an honored star of the ring by the members of the prestigious Cauliflower Alley Club .