My 6 Month Report On The Women's Division

[Grievous 3D]

Well...we are half way through the year...so its time for a 6 month reflection report on
the WWE women's division looking at both the negatives and the positives from this year so
far.

Let's do this in some kind of order...so let's start with the negatives shall we:

1). The Entire Women's Division Gets No Time at Wrestlemania:

So at Wrestlemania 32 Charlotte, Sasha & Becky put on what I believe was the match of the
night and were given 16 minutes and 3 seconds to do so.

At Wrestlemania 33 Charlotte, Sasha, Bayley and Nia were given 12 minutes and 8 seconds while
the 6 women of SmackDown (which included home town hero Naomi) were given just 5 minutes and
35 seconds.

Meaning that Wrestlemania 32...3 women were given 16 minutes and 3 seconds...while at Wrestlemania
33...10 women were given a combined total of 17 minutes 43 seconds.

This is complete and utter bullshit and shows that for all the talk about a women's revolution...
it means nothing because Triple H & Shane McMahon each needed 20+ minutes of match time at the
biggest event of the year.

2). Bayley's Pathetic First Title Reign:

So when you actually look back at Bayley's first run...it was fucking pathetic with her
basically only achieving anything of note thanks to Sasha Banks.

~ Becoming Number 1 contender...
~ Winning the title on RAW...
~ Defending the title and breaking Charlotte's PPV streak...
All achieved thanks to the Boss helping her.

Now Bayley did successfully defend the title at Wrestlemania...but Sasha was in that match
as well and first time Bayley had to defend the title without Sasha around...she lost cleanly
to Alexa Bliss.

Bayley has not worked on the main roster and her first title run was fucking terrible.

Time for a change Bayley...time to try something different.

3). The Fall & Fall Of Sasha Banks:

So basically since Roadblock: End of the Line Sasha Banks has been stuck in career purgatory.

Watching Sasha get tossed around and squashed by Nia Jax and then having her playing second
fiddle face to Bayley was horrible...but you could see a light at the end of the tunnel.

Sasha was going to turn heel, shove a knife deep into Bayley's back and win the title and
enjoy a long reign as heel champion.

But just as that moment was upon us...the writers/creative team decided to flip Sasha and
her fans a giant middle finger by having Alexa Bliss strut her way out during the superstar
shake up, assert herself as the number 1 heel, pin Sasha in a fatal 4 way to become the number
1 contender and then easily defeat Bayley at Payback for the title to become the first dual
brand champion.

Meanwhile...Sasha is wrestling Alicia Fox on RAW...and loosing clean.

WHAT.THE.FUCK?!

4). The Emmalina Experiment:

Fuck you WWE...just fuck you...

5). Becky Can't Find A Dance Partner:

I honestly don't know who is at blame for this...but Becky Lynch has really struggled to find
any in-ring chemistry with anyone this year.

While her first title match against Alexis Bliss on SmackDown was great...the following matches
only seemed to degrade in quality. Now I know Alexa is still very green...but not all the blame
can be placed on her.

Then when Mickie James was finally introduced to the main roster...I was hyped...because finally
Becky would have a veteran wrestler to work with and could finally show just how good she was.

But...much to my disappointment...the 3 matches they had fell flat...and any possible long term
feud/character dynamic was lost during the superstar shake up.

And due to heel/face character booking...Becky hasn't wrestled Naomi or Nikki Bella in a one on
one setting.

Then Charlotte arrived on SmackDown...and I was "Hell Yeah! Charlotte vs. Becky for the title please!"
but...
At the time of me writing this the SmackDown creative are turning Charlotte face...and having Tamina
side with Natalya & Carmella.

Ugh...

Now I've heard that Becky is somewhat guilty of trying too hard...but hopefully she can find an
opponent with whom she has some solid in-ring chemistry with so she can finally put on some great
matches.

6). Nia Jax Isn't working:
Everything about Nia Jax is wrong...apart from Nia herself. Her ring outfits and music are terrible,
her matches are for the most part incredibly boring and her booking has been stop/start ever since she
arrived on the main roster.

Having her tap out to Becky Lynch at Survivor Series really did hurt Nia and made her seem...well...
"just like all the other girls"

Now I have nothing against Nia personally...but the WWE really dropped the ball with her...and the
fact is the women's division can't support "Monster Heel" booking when its divided over two brands.

The other problem I have is that I believe Nia is still too green to be on the main roster. Now the
same could be said for Dana Brooke & Carmella...but Dana & Carmella aren't Nia's size. The fact Nia
is so much larger than any other woman on the roster makes her, in my opinion dangerous.

Nia needs to taken off the main roster for 4 to 6 months so she can improve in the ring, she needs new
music and new ring attire and when she returns she needs to be silent juggernaut attacking the women on
both RAW, SmackDown & may-be even NXT.

The WWE needs to make Nia seem special...because she has the potential...but in her current form...she
will never get to show it.

7). Emma...Injured...Again:
Life really isn't fair to some people...and Emma knows better than most. So after recovering from a
serious back injury and the failed Emmalina Experiment (Again...Fuck You WWE!) Evil Emma finally returned
the RAW after Wrestlemania...and it was awesome. Seriously...for me its one of the highlights of the year.

So Emma was back as a heel...but her running buddy Dana Brooke was now a face. Okay...I'd rather see them
together but honestly I'm just happy Emma is back and hopefully both Emma & Dana can benefit from a B-plot
feud and may-be i'll get to see Emma wrestle Sasha Banks soon...that will be awesome.

Or Emma suffers a shoulder injury at a house show in the UK and she's off TV again.

Ugh...I hate wrestling sometimes.

8). The Welcoming Committee...
Is the worst name for a stable I have ever heard...and while I'm mentioning them...James Ellsworth needs
to take a long walk off a short pier. He's ruining Carmella and tainting the SmackDown Women's division.

9). Mickie James Is Back! & No One Cares?
So I was really excited to see Mickie James back...and while her actual return could have been handled
better...it was cool to see her playing the mentor to Alexa Bliss. Of course her feud with Becky Lynch
fell kind of flat and everything kind of fell to pieces leading up to Wrestlemania...and then she was
drafted to RAW.

But the real problem is...no one (mainly the live crowds) seems to care.

I actually think that's kind of sad.

Now I know Mickie was brought in to put over the younger talent and hopefully help them develop their
skills behind the scenes...but...I just thought the WWE universe would care more.

I wonder if Trish would get the same flat response?

10). Injuries...They Hurt:
So while I understand injuries are a part of pro wrestling...those injuries had have a dramatic effect
on the entire women's division.

~ Naomi suffered an injury in 2016 and then a knee injury at Elimination Chamber throwing the entire
division and the creative team's Wrestlemania plans into chaos...
~ Nikki Bella appears to have re-injured her neck and could be out for who knows how long...
~ Emma finally returned from a back injury (and a terrible gimmick trail run) only to once again go down
with a shoulder injury...

These injuries not only effect the injured...but their fellow performers also. My case and point for this
would be Dana Brooke. Her feud/friendship? with Emma has now been ditched and it is also possible that
Alicia Fox may-be taking Emma's place in a current string of matches with Sasha Banks.

The women's division is small enough...but when split over 2 brands, injuries really, really hurt.

I would also like to state that remaining injury free seems like a great way for these ladies to
be pushed and stay pushed. My examples being Charlotte & Alex Bliss.

Of course both of those women are white, blonde and have incredible bodies.

Forget I said anything.

Well...that covers it for the negatives...but don't worry...I time for me to list the positives.

1). The Women Finally Get A Ladder Match...And Its For The Briefcase:

So I'm adding this one in because I clearly posted this "report" too early...but the women of SmackDown
are going to be putting on the first ever Money in the Bank Ladder Match...and that's just awesome.

I wish the best of luck to my Bae Charlotte, Becky, Natalya, Tamina & Carmella and hope they can put
on a great match where no one suffers any serious injuries.

2). The Rise & Rise of Alexa Bliss:

While Charlotte will always be my favorite...I cannot deny that there is something very appealing about
the five foot of fury Alexa Bliss.

While she lacks the ring skills of say Sasha Banks or Becky Lynch...Alexa ticks just about every other
box needed to be a successful pro wrestler.

She has the looks, mic skills and facial expressions that truly make her a joy to watch and the fact
the SmackDown creative was willing to push her so hard out of the gate was awesome.

Now I will admit I thought her push was over after being forced to tap out twice in three nights by
Naomi (One of those times being at Wrestlemania in just over 5 minutes) and then being drafted to RAW.

But...

It's clear the WWE has big plans for Alexa as she walked into RAW, became number 1 contender and then
defeated Bayley clean at Payback (Good!) to become the first female dual brand champion...an honor that
many thought (including myself) would go to Charlotte.

I honestly think WWE plans on Alexa becoming the next great female performer in the company...and its
mainly for one reason.

She is only 25 years old.

Bonus Section: The "Age" of Women's Division:
RAW:
Alexa Bliss: 25
Alicia Fox: 30
Bayley: 27
Dana Brooke: 28
Emma: 28
Mickie James: 37
Nia Jax: 32
Paige: 24
Sasha Banks: 25
Summer Rae: 33

Average: 28.9

~ Alexa Bliss being pushed so hard may be in large part due to her age.
~ Alicia Fox is only 30...I honestly thought she was older...not because of her
looks...but because I was under the impression she has been around for a long time.
~ Bayley is older than Sasha...which just makes me laugh.
~ I honestly thought Dana Brooke was younger then 28.
~ Mickie James is still amazing to look at for a 37 year old mother.
~ Nia Jax really started her wrestling career too late in life...and I still think
she's a danger to all the other women in the company.
~ Paige was sadly pushed too far too soon.
~ The fact Sasha Banks is only 25 makes me happy...hopefully she will one day sit
at the top of the women's division.
~ I'm surprised Summer Rae hasn't simply been released yet.

SmackDown:
Becky Lynch: 30
Carmella: 29
Charlotte: 31
Eva Marie: 32
Lana: 32
Naomi: 29
Natalya: 34
Nikki Bella: 33
Tamina: 39

Average: 32.1

~ Becky seems younger than 30...it must be her Irish skin.
~ Carmella being 29 was a huge shock for me...I thought she was the same age as
Alexa Bliss. Must be tough being a 29 year old main roster rookie.
~ Its a shame Charlotte didn't start her wrestling career earlier...who knows how many
records she'd have if she was around on the main roster at 24 or 25.
~ Lana "trying" to become a wrestler at 32 seems pointless.
~ Naomi (like Alicia Fox) has been around for years...but is still only 29.
~ I could see Natalya wrestling till she's 40.
~ I have no comment on Nikki Bella.
~ Tamina is the oldest woman on the main roster...and that came as a shock to me.

So not only does she tick all the right boxes...but you could say she has at least 5 to 8 years left
as an active performer.

The future does indeed look bright for Little Miss Bliss.

3). Charlotte Is "Drafted" To SmackDown:

My Bae, My Amazon, My Goddess was drafted to SmackDown during the superstar shake-up and I for one was
extremely happy about it.

Now sure Alexa Bliss became the first dual brand champion and I'm not sure if Charlotte will work as
a face after playing the bitchy Queen so perfectly...but I'm just glad she's away from Sasha Banks
& Bayley and is now on the blue brand. Yay!

4). Nikki Bella vs. Natalya:

Now I will admit...the entire "I Hate Nikki Bella Because Of Total Divas/Bellas" story is lame. It was lame
when Carmella was doing it...and it was even lamer when they seemingly passed the entire story/feud
to Natalya. The one thing that wasn't lame was the intensity, backstage violence and quality of the
matches these 2 put on. Of course the feud ended suddenly so Nikki could be involved with couples feud at
Wrestlemania...but lets not forget about the entertainment Nikki & Nattie gave us.

5). Naomi Finally Gets Some Gold:

Now to be honest...I haven't thought much of Naomi as a champion...but I have to admit I was extremely
happy for her when she won the belt at Elimination Chamber. 8 long years of service and putting up with
every other woman being pushed ahead of her...it was truly long overdue. Now if only she could actually
start winning matches and not being pinned every week.

6). Maryse As Nikki Bella:
Look...I know this doesn't really count...but Maryse looked absolutely stunning cosplaying as Nikki Bella.

7). Nikki Cross & Ruby Riot Add Some Diversity:
If there is one thing the women's division on the main roster is lacking its diversity in appearance and
character. Thankfully NXT is working towards correcting that in the future. Nikki Cross is the kind of
unhinged and dangerous performer needed to add an element of chaos and uncertainty and visually Ruby Riot
is so different than any current woman in the WWE. It also helps that both of these women have great in-ring
skills and bring a high level of energy to everything they do.

The future is looking bright...with the lighst shining in all different colors.

8). Asuka:
Do I really need to say anymore? Asuka is amazing...you all know it so I'll just move on.

9). (Nearly) Everyone Gets A "Run" at Wrestlemania:
So even though the ladies of both brands didn't get enough time at the biggest event of the year...nearly
everyone did get a run. Including Maryse & Nikki Bella 12 female performers appeared on the main Wrestlemania
card...and I'd like to think that counts for something.

10). Peyton Royce & Billie Kay:
Now I will admit I'm being totally bias with this one...but Peyton & Billie are the best double act in the WWE
today. These 2 ladies have style, class, personality and some slick in-ring skills...and best of all...they are
Australian. I say draft these ladies to SmackDown and let them have some fun on the main roster.

Also...I totally ship it!

11). Up In The Sky...its a bird, its a plane...No...its Charlotte!

So yeah...Charlotte's corkscrew moonsault at Wrestlemania was just amazing...seriously...it actually aroused me.

So that's my 6 month report for the Women's division. I know I struggled to find some positives and I left
off possibly the most negative moment of the year so far...but frankly...the less said about Paige & those
leaked photos of Charlotte the better.

So...did I miss anything? Did I over or under react to anything? Let me know with a friendly comment and
don't forget to like, agree or win this post.

See you all around the traps (Occasionally?)

 

[SWL]

the biggest problem for me has been Bayley. And I think the reason for that is because she suffers from that over-exposure she didn't have over at NXT. Back then she wasn't even on NXT every week but moreso every second week and now she has to be in a segment/match every single week whilst they're not making it any easier for her by highlighting her short-comings like reading a script and making an audience believe in what she's saying. Over the past few months she's just become extremely cringeworthy to me even though it hurts to say that as she was one of my faves when she was NXT womens champion.

Women like Sasha Banks on the other hand are debatable because there's way more you can do with her. Biggest example being an upcoming heel turn which will shake her career up again as she's a way more natural heel anyways. With Bayley you can't do that (I mean, maybe but I honestly don't see it.. especially with that stuttering when she messes up her lines). Once Sasha turns again, I have huge hopes for her because I feel like she can run with it just like Alexa did, but with way better matches to back it up with.

The Smackdown women are tricky to me because at times I'm thinking "well they're building talent equally as quick so there's no real stand out" but then again, isn't that kinda bad when you have a champion that should THE woman everybody thinks about? Especially since Charlotte joined the mix I feel as if Naomi is just there to keep that thing warm for her. I'd love to say that I see a bunch of other women going for that title but they just didn't do a valid enough job for me to believe that a Carmella could be the flagship woman for Smackdown even though she's been their top female heel for the past month or so. I really hope they send Asuka over to Smackdown, they need that.

so overall, I'm not really invested in both women divisions rn but I still have hope. The only woman on the main roster I see having a show stealing match is Sasha and maybe Charlotte but I think Charlotte only really worked with Sasha so there's that. Before I wrote this I wasn't expecting to be so full of Sasha but to be real right now, when you go off of who had the best/better matches in the past, only Sasha comes to mind.

 

[Solid Snake]

Very looooooong but good read. I skipped it, will come back. I think they were on the road to some great things until Wrestlemania happened.
Since WM 33, it has been mostly down hill for all of the women which sucks. I would say they started going down hill a bit in February but it really took a turn for the worse in total after Mania.

 

[Crithu]

You make some very good points, and I pretty much agree with all of them.

It is really amazing to me that in a 7-8 hour event you could barely find over 15 minutes. That is ridiculous. The fans demanded that the SD women's match be given equal treatment as the Raw women by being moved to the main show. I would say they were probably better off on the preshow because they could have probably gotten more time. It shouldn't be that hard to find more than 5 minutes on a 2-hour pre-show. Also, Vince doesn't really see the pre-show as being beneath the main card but as a continuation so it probably would have been better to keep the SD women's match on the pre-show.

I am not really a Sasha fan. She has been extremely underwhelming on the main roster. I didn't watch NXT regularly when Sasha was there, so I'm not really sure how good she can be (character wise, I did see some takeover matches so I know her in-ring skills were good). Her character would totally be better as a heel so they really need to turn her. Although, then you run into the problem of having too small of a roster that you need to keep a balance of faces and heels.

The whole Emmalina situation was very unfortunate. Emma deserves better, and I hope that they do better with her when she returns from injury.

I really like Becky and hope that she finds her place (she's my number 3 after Charlotte and Alexa). I don't know if she's been a heel before in NXT, but I think that could be interesting, but then again, you run into the problem of needing a balance of faces and heels due to the small roster size.

I am very happy with everything that Alexa Bliss has accomplished on the main roster. I think that she is the easy number 2 on the main roster, right after Charlotte. She doesn't have the in-ring skill that some of the other ladies have, but she continues to improve. Plus, as @Grievous mentioned, she is still young. I can only imagine that she will improve leaps and bounds over the next few years. The one thing I would have done differently was kept Mickie James separate from her. I think that is why no one really cares about her right now. She pretty much showed up and played the backup role for Alexa, so fans don't really see her as a big deal.

I am also very happy that Charlotte was traded to SD. SD's women division did a good job with the people they had, but they were truly missing the star power. There are some exciting matchups that could happen. Nattie vs Charlotte (I know it's already happened, but the family history of the two mean that people will buy into the matchup), and Charlotte vs Becky for example.



My Question: What do you all think about Lana wrestling?

I am unsure about it. I know she can handle the character side, but I don't really know about the ring work. I haven't seen a match of hers outside of that Total Divas tag team match. I am optimistic that she will do really well if she's at least somewhat decent in the ring.

 

[Grievous 3D]

My Question: What do you all think about Lana wrestling?

Well...as long as she's competent in the ring...I don't mind.

I mean let's be honest...Carmella isn't exactly the best in the ring...so If Lana can at least
wrestle at that standard or higher...she'll do fine.

She looks great...

Spoiler: New Lana

and she can bend in great ways...

Her mic skills are great & I do love her accent...

I hope she does well...but...I will admit this whole experiment could turn into a giant mess...

 

[Koko B.]

Why no image for positive no 5?

 

[Grievous 3D]

Why no image for positive no 5?

I was in a rush and couldn't find a good image...

Do you buy that?

 

[Koko B.]

Thanks