The “Women’s Evolution,” as they’ve termed it in WWE, began in 2015, when three of NXT’s fabled Four Horsewomen (Sasha Banks, Charlotte Flair, and Becky Lynch) were called up to the main roster. Since then, there’s a been a general shift in how women have been featured on WWE programming. But, it’s one thing to simply book them more seriously, and another altogether to truly shift the paradigm of women’s wrestling.
I can’t remember the last time we saw a hokey pudding match or something like it. They got rid of the tramp stamp looking Divas Championship belt. The likenesses of Banks, Flair, and Lynch hung prominently outside AT&T Stadium before Wrestlemania 32. Banks and Flair headlined a WWE pay-per-view (Hell in a Cell, Oct. 2016). The Mae Young Classic was a nice celebration of women’s wrestling. We saw the first ever women’s Royal Rumble. And, although they initially screwed up the branding, the women are getting their own battle royal at Wrestlemania 34. But, there’s still a couple of big steps the WWE can take to fully cement this Women’s Evolution (do I need to capitalize that? Is it an officially trademarked brand?).
They can have a Women’s Championship match main event a Wrestlemania. And, they can run a women’s only pay-per-view. There’s a chance they do both sooner rather than later. They may never have a better opportunity for a Wrestlemania main event than next year – whether it’s Ronda Rousey vs. Flair or Rousey vs. Asuka. Rousey definitely has the star power to main event the biggest show of the year, and Asuka and Flair are both big draws. But, before then, it’s entirely possible for a women’s only pay-per-view event.
They’re already scaling back the number of pay-per-view events they do each year. A lot of these events are kind of stale anyway, so the calendar is in need of a makeover to begin with. Why not do something truly special? Take a big step towards true equality and don’t just the women a special slot on the show. Give ’em the whole damn show.
It’s not like in the past, when a small handful of stars made up the entire Women’s Division. This roster is loaded with talent. As it stands, there are already three women’s matches and a mixed tag match at Wrestlemania 34. But, when you look around the landscape of WWE right now, you’ll see that they are more than capable of stacking a card with women’s matches.
We already have Rousey in a big time match, Flair vs. Asuka, Alexa Bliss vs. Nia Jax, and the Women’s Battle Royal. But, Bayley and Sasha Banks could easily be a feature bout. So could Becky Lynch vs. Ruby Riott. Why not have Ember Moon defend the NXT Women’s Championship? Pay-per-views usually run around eight matches. We just rattled off seven like it was nothing. A women’s only pay-per-view is more than doable.
Now’s the time, WWE. Your move.
Also, if you’re into women’s wrestling, be sure to check out the Making Towns Classic, hitting Nashville on Saturday, May 12, 2018. We’re gonna be there, we’re gonna party, and it’s gonna be fun.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Alabama Crimson Tide football, the WWE, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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