Women In WWE Deserve Better

In today’s WWE, you’d be forgiven for thinking the women have always had prominent roles.

As recently as the last five to ten years, while women were technically part of the roster, they were largely viewed and treated as nothing more than “eye candy.” Former head of talent relations John Laurinaitis was notorious for his extremely basic criteria for hiring of “Divas.” Are they bikini models? Are they fitness models? Those criteria do share a common descriptor, and it certainly isn’t “wrestler.”

Such was the Divas division for years – seemingly a revolving door of interchangeable, vapid, mindless females who viewed WWE as nothing more than a stepping stone to whatever it was they really wanted to do. WWE Hall of Famer Ivory joked in a memorable interview with Sean Oliver that “they had no idea what ‘the squared circle’ meant. They didn’t know what was what. They were just….there.” Because the Diva Search winner contracts had a tendency of being very short, and because others simply could not cut it in the business, for many years there were scant few women for the fans to legitimately care about.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEKIK8_X75I

Nowadays, “bra and panty matches,” “pudding matches,” “evening gown matches,” and the like are a relic of a bygone era. We now have women competing in Iron Woman matches that had the crowd on the edge of its seat. Plus, we’ve had the first women’s Hell in a Cell, Money in the Bank, Royal Rumble and Elimination Chamber matches. The idea of a women’s match main eventing Raw or Smackdown is no longer a novelty – it’s fairly commonplace. The women’s matches are no longer derisively deemed “bathroom breaks,” and their placement on the card is indicative of both the company’s faith in them coupled with the adoration of the fans.

With all of this forward momentum and unprecedented growth, surely the women are the most compelling, unique and groundbreaking characters they’ve ever been. Right? Not so much. But why? What continues to stifle the women’s division competitors? Let’s take a look.

Reason 1: Blithering Billion Dollar Princess…

Stephanie McMahon is loud, egomaniacal proof that the apple doesn’t fall far from the megalomania tree. For every “first” the women undertook, there was Stephanie, front and center, microphone in hand, patting herself on the back for this “Women’s Revolution” like she’s Barry Horowitz in a Chanel dress. Ham-fisted and histrionic, her voice occasionally comes frighteningly close to the “YOU’RE FIRED!!” timbre of her father. Often, these announcements could have been connected to a title feud, elevating it further, as though no standard one-fall bout would do. For example, Hell in a Cell was the “only way.” Or when numerous women want a shot at the champ, let’s have a Royal Rumble! But, alas, no. Stephanie needed that moment, that adulation, that credit. Daddy’s Girl indeed.

Reason 2: Money in the Bank: Overdrawn…

June 18, 2017, was being touted as “historic” and “revolutionary” by the formidable WWE Promotional Machine. The much-ballyhooed women’s Money in the Bank was a great match as expected, but of course, only one woman could win. That woman was……. James Ellsworth??!?

Yes, the WWE awarded the inaugural women’s MITB briefcase to Carmella, via a man. The backlash was swift, with many fans decrying it as “making the women look weak in their own match,” while others felt that “controversy was par for the Money in the Bank course,” citing Edge’s first cash-in on a battered and bloodied John Cena. The uproar proved too much, with a rematch set for the June 27 episode of Smackdown. Carmella won again, but the stink of that first “win” lingered heavily over her for much of her time as the first “Miss Money in the Bank.” She eventually cashed in on Charlotte Flair, though many view her as a one-time champion. Only time will tell if she will improve and evolve to the point that MITB will be just a footnote in her career.

Reason 3: Which One Am I? Creative Conundrums…

The WWE has never been known for being the most progressive when it comes to female characters. Even now, many fans are at a loss as to how the women’s division has come so far and grown exponentially, and yet, the storylines feel like stagnant, stale, and dull retreads. The reason for this always boils down to one simple fact: the WWE has no idea how to write interesting, unique, compelling female characters. Instead, we’re “treated” to every imaginable tired female stereotype and trope. We’ve got “crazy chicks,” “snobby chicks,” bullies, goody two-shoes and the martyrs who trust anyone and get burned by everyone. We get storylines centered around them mocking one another’s weight and looks, sandwiched between “Don’t Be a Bully, BE A STAR!” ads. We also get mockery of Mickie James for being “so old.” Mickie James is a true survivor of horrendous writing, as she was subjected to the abhorrent “Piggie James” storyline that mocked her weight relentlessly, after playing the “psycho” obsessed with Trish Stratus all in her first run with the company. I’m sure the mockery of her age just felt like old times.

Female promos typically devolve into catty, gossipy idiocy. WWE was handed a unique female babyface the industry had not seen before, on an NXT crafted silver platter. When Bayley arrived on the main roster, she was met with adoration by male and female fans, young and old alike. Her unique style and affectations positioned her to become an untouchable merch-selling juggernaut – all creative had to do was push her, just a little. Instead, she was made into a bizarre woman child, visibly pouting on camera, being written into the absolute worst women’s segment since the “Piggie James” debacle, “This Is Your Life.” Countless opportunities to right the character, to toughen her up, presented themselves and every single time creative failed her, making her look weak, helpless and ineffective.

Sadly, while she is possibly the worst case of character assassination, she’s absolutely not the only victim. Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch, Dana Brooke and especially Natalya have all seen their characters watered down, belittled and slapped with idiotic angles. Need we discuss Natalya’s flatulence storyline? Lest we forget the abomination that was Emma?

Emmalina, we hardly knew ye.

So in a nutshell, the one thing keeping the women of WWE from truly shattering all glass ceilings is…well, WWE. The company congratulates itself on “unwavering commitment to the women’s division,” and in the same breath, tries to name a battle royal after The Fabulous Moolah, who likely did more to destroy women’s wrestling for decades than she ever did to build it up. Yes, WWE dropped that dreadful “divas” moniker and the hideous butterfly belt that looked like a child’s dress-up toy rather than a supposedly sought-after championship, but often the characters and writing still feel rushed and done on the fly. The division can only truly reach its potential when WWE stops treating women like a commodity that needs to be coddled and starts treating them like the well-trained, tough as nails, butt kickers they are.

Jenna Leigh is the internet’s girl next door and is a lifelong wrestling fanatic, here to share insights and observations, with a touch of southern sarcasm. Subscribe to her YouTube channel here: www.youtube.com/c/jennaleigh

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Jenna Leigh

Jenna Leigh is the internet’s girl next door and is a lifelong wrestling fanatic, here to share insights and observations, with a touch of southern sarcasm. Subscribe to her YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/c/jennaleigh

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