Houston, Delaware-based Capital Championship Wrestling have announced their first 2 inductees into the Women’s Wrestling Hall of Fame.
Mercedes Martinez
There couldn’t be a more fitting, nor more deserving first selection, than Mercedes Martinez. The Latina Sensation (real name Jazmin Benitez) is so good, she’s arguably being voted in, while still having some of her best wrestling still to come. With 21 years inside the ring, and having held titles in over 10 companies, including Shimmer, World Xtreme Wrestling, and Rise Wrestling, to briefly name a few, Mercedes is currently still punishing skulls inside wrestling’s hottest commodity, All Elite Wrestling. She is next scheduled to add to that championship trophy, as she will be facing Willow Nightingale at Ring of Honor’s “Supercard of Honor XV” for the Interim ROH Women’s World Championship.
Notable achievements & accomplishments:
-Finished inside Pro Wrestling Insider’s Top 50 Female’s list an astonishing 8 times, charting as high as #2 in 2011.
-Ranked #10 on Sports Illustrated’s Women’s Wrestlers of the Year List in 2019
-Declaration of Independents Year End Awards, “Women’s Wrestler of the Year” – 4 times (2005-2006-2009-2010)
-World Xtreme Wrestling: WXW Women’s Champion -5 times
-Women’s Superstars Uncensored: WSU Hall of Fame, (inducted 2017) & 3x WSU Champion
-Rise Wrestling: Match of the Year 2018 & 2019 (against Tessa Blanchard & Kylie Rae, respectively); Wrestler of the Year 2018; Moment of the Year 2018 (75 minute Iron Woman Match vs Tessa Blanchard)
Maria Kanellis-Bennett
One of the more DIY stories we’ve ever had in pro wrestling, comes our second inductee into the CCW Hall of Fame, Maria Kanellis-Bennett. After seeing an ad for a WWE’s “Diva Search” on an episode of raw from her own couch, Maria decided to enter the search in 2004. While not winning the search, her personality stuck out so much that WWE decided to hire her anyway. Maria never won a women’s title in her WWE tenure, but even with the stacked roster at the time, with the likes of Torrie Wilson, Trish Stratus, Ashley Massaro, Lita, to name a few) Maria still managed a way to etch her name up there with the best of them. Between backstage presence, interviewing, wrestling, and even help in booking and matchmaking, Maria did it all for WWE, and later turned that experience into successful runs in Ring of Honor, Total Nonstop Action, & New Japan Wrestling, among others. She is currently back working at TNA, managing her husband, Mike Bennett.
Notable achievements & accomplishments:
-WWE: Slammy Award for Diva of the Year in 2009; WWE 24/7 Champion for 7 days in 2019
-Family Wrestling Entertainment: FWE Women’s Champion 2x, the second for an astoshing 798 day reign.
-TNA Women’s Knockout Champion in 2016
-Pro Wrestling Illustrated Top 50 Female’s Wrestler list, #21 in 2008
-unrelated to wrestling, she released her debut album “Sevin Sins” in 2010, to add singer to long list of hats.
