The early to mid-2000s marked an interesting time for women’s wrestling in WWE. On one hand, talents like Lita, Trish Stratus, Jazz, Molly Holly, and Victoria were performing at a high level and compelling fans to take their division seriously. On the other hand, within the context of the broader Ruthless Aggression Era, WWE still had one foot in the Attitude Era style. That included matches and storylines that were all about selling the sex appeal of the women at hand, including Bra and Panties Matches and Pillow Fights. During this time Dawn Marie feuded with Torrie Wilson. Their storyline together was certainly memorable, but not necessarily for the right reasons.

It Started With A Mixed Tag Team Match: Dawn Marie And Matt Hardy Vs. Torrie Wilson And Rikishi

When fans think back on the saga between Dawn Marie and Torrie Wilson, two names hardly any of them would think of were Matt Hardy and Rikishi. However, the issue between these two women got started in the ring when they were on opposing sides of a mixed tag team match with these two talents in October 2002.

The booking bespeaks everyone involved being a little lost. Matt Hardy was apart from his brother for the first sustained stretch of time in WWE, and finding his footing, experimenting with his heel Version 1.0 gimmick. Rikishi was back to a babyface version of his act after his heel run rooted in running over Stone Cold Steve Austin hadn’t gone anywhere. Despite Hardy and Rikishi carrying the load in terms of in ring action, they were positioned as secondary in terms of storyline relevance for this encouncter. Wilson and Dawn Marie actually had the better defined story going into this match as the latter had been observed flirting with Al Wilson—Torrie’s father—the week before.

The most memorable element of the Torrie Wilson vs. Dawn Marie feud was undoubtedly the involvement of Torrie’s father, Al. What started as simple flirtation in a throwaway backstage segment on SmackDown grew into a full on relationship, engagement, and marriage that technically positioned Dawn Marie as Torrie’s kayfabe mother in law.

Related: Torrie Wilson: Age, Height, Relationship Status & Other Things You Didn’t Know About Her

The reasons for animosity were easy enough to follow, if a bit soap opera-esque for the tastes of hardcore wrestling fans. WWE played up the sexual connotations between not only Dawn Marie and Al, but Dawn Marie and Torrie herself when the heel offered to call off things with the older man if the two women could spend a night in a hotel together (she didn’t end up honoring the deal). Things took a darker turn when Al Wilson kayfabe died from a heart attack. It was implied that he had over-exerted himself in the bedroom with Dawn Marie. (In real life, Wilson actually lived until 2019.)

Though Wilson beat Dawn Marie on PPV at No Mercy 2002, that was only an early chapter in their feud. They would blow off this storyline in a more heavily featured match at the Royal Rumble 2003 PPV.

Torrie Wilson and Dawn Marie were both quite limited in terms of what they could do in the ring–having gotten their start in WCW and ECW respectively, primarily playing the role of eye candy. The two had enough name recognition and sex appeal, though, for WWE to be able to justify booking one more PPV match between them. Their final major confrontation occurred at Judgment Day 2004. Heel general manager Kurt Angle added the stipulation that Wilson would have to retire if she lost. All considered, it was certainly one of the weakest matches WWE has staged with a retirement stipulation.

Wilson won the match, completing a clean sweep of PPV matches against Dawn Marie. Dawn Marie would transition to a far less featured role in the months to follow before leaving the company in 2005. Wilson would remain in WWE until 2008.

The Dawn Marie vs. Torrie Wilson feud hasn’t aged all that well for the sexual overtones, poor taste of booking Al Wilson’s death as part of the storyline, and lackluster actual matches attached to the rivalry. Just the same, it’s an interesting one to look back on as WWE clung to some of the last vestiges of the edgy Attitude Era before growing more family friendly again in the years to follow.