WWE Announces 32-Person Women's Tournament

[Uncle Sam]

It's conceivable this didn't get a thread because of all the WrestleMania kerfuffle and it just got pushed to one side. So - bam, ker-chow - here you go:

http://www.wwe.com/article/wwe-announces-womens-tournament-this-summer-wwe-network

For the first time in WWE history, 32 of the top female competitors from around the world will participate in a tournament this summer on WWE Network.

The long-rumored tournament was confirmed today as part of “WWE Reimagined,” a presentation held at a business partner summit in Orlando, Fla., during WrestleMania Week.

Competitors from 17 countries are expected to participate in the tournament, underscoring the breadth and international diversity of women’s wrestling.

Raw Women’s Champion Bayley, SmackDown Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss and undefeated NXT Women’s Champion Asuka – all of whom are slated for title defenses this weekend – were on hand to break the big news with Paul "Triple H" Levesque, Executive Vice President, Talent, Live Events & Creative, and Stephanie McMahon, Chief Brand Officer. The tournament marks a new milestone for WWE’s ongoing Women’s Evolution.

"Building on our Women's division, it gives us great pleasure to share in announcing what's next for WWE," said Bayley. "For the first time ever, this summer, WWE Network will feature a Women's Tournament."

Watch: Bayley before the big announcement

“I speak on behalf of all of us, not just the champions standing before you today, but the entire Women's division. It's truly an honor to be part of another significant movement in WWE history,” Bliss said.

After speaking to the audience in Japanese, Asuka said in English, "I am proud to be part of the Women's Evolution, representing Japan and WWE."

Levesque also shared the historic announcement with the WWE Universe on social media.

The tournament comes on the heels of other successful WWE Network tournaments, such as last year’s Cruiserweight Classic, which focused on competitors 205 pounds and lighter, and January’s United Kingdom Championship Tournament, which spotlighted the U.K.’s toughest grapplers.

Stick with WWE.com for future announcements about this summer’s unprecedented Women’s Tournament.

My thoughts on this are basically identical to my thoughts on combining both halves of the female roster - i.e. I long for the day that women aren't seen as a niche or a special attraction. Being female isn't the same thing as weighing less than 205 pounds, being from the UK, or even being two people. However, to get to that ideal we're going to have to make sacrifices and, most importantly, we're going to have to create a reservoir of fantastic female talent - a goal towards which this should push us.

 

[CyberPunk]

Good for them. I guess it's one way of showcasing women's wrestling. For women to be considered equal to men in terms of draw (because that's the bottomline for a large business, how much money you can make), they need a platform. WWE wasn't that platform yet, but with influx of so many talented women, WWE is now in a situation where they can showcase these women and let the audience decide if they want to invest their time, and more importantly money, in them.

Another thing is as much as we want women to be considered equal, it still has to be proven that they can be constant draws. It's not impossible as the current WWE women are proving, and that's why I believe this tournament to be a good showcase. The success of this could go a long way in changing women's perception in wrestling.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

The thing is, however, women are going to be a niche or some sort of special attraction for some time to come. After all, it did take 20 years for WWE to treat women's wrestling as a relevant part of the product rather than something that was the joke of the entire pro wrestling industry. In the grand scheme of things, WWE is probably the platform among wrestling fans that can change the perception of women because...well it's WWE and that's synonymous with pro wrestling in the minds of most people but it's still going to take time.

With the exception of a small handful of women, I don't think there's any female in WWE who have the potential to be a consistent, main event level headliner. There's Charlotte, Sasha Banks and possibly Bayley; Asuka is still in NXT and she has the ability to get over on the main roster if Vince will simply allow her to do so as she's not the typical fitness athlete/model sort that uses sex appeal as part of her schtick.

This seems like another one of Triple H's babies and Trips has had some great babies over the past several years. I've no doubt the women's tournament will be something unique and entertaining, it's when stuff gets to the main roster where Vince micromanages everything that things start to get iffy. For instance, if Trips made THE final creative decisions then I think the Cruiserweight Division would be much further along, I'd say that women's wrestling in WWE might even be further along as well. I know I sing the guy's praises a lot as a booker but it's not like there isn't good reason to if you've watched NXT and anything else that's been one of his projects over the past 3 or 4 years.

 

[Uncle Sam]

There's Charlotte, Sasha Banks and possibly Bayley; Asuka is still in NXT and she has the ability to get over on the main roster if Vince will simply allow her to do so as she's not the typical fitness athlete/model sort that uses sex appeal as part of her schtick.

This point has never been more moot. Bayley - the reigning champion who retained at WrestleMania - as a character is totally bereft of sexuality, i.e. like 99% of the male roster has been portrayed since 1980. Charlotte's only crime is being an incredible gymnast, and Sasha Banks's that she was born beautiful. Nia Jax may well be a former model but she's not got the typical "diva" body type. I could go on. Once Asuka's on the main roster, her not being a typical "fitness athlete" - and it's not like she doesn't look like a high level athlete - is the least of her problems.

Asuka's problem, and the number one problem facing the women's division right now, is a lack of roster depth. The most obvious, and some would suggest best, solution would be to combine the SmackDown and Raw rosters - which might not be out of the question during a "superstar shakeup." Another way, and one that's not mutually exclusive, to introduce a sudden influx of quality talent is, well, this tournament.

 

[Psykohurricane55]

This is another one of HHH's idea for the network which is good in theory but just like all his other idea's, it's a niche product that not everybody that got the network will go out of their way to watch just like the u.k. tournament and the CWC were.

The problem with this one is that what do we get after the tournament is over really, it'S not like they will produce a all women's show after this tournament. do they get a spot on the nxt roster or a shot at the nxt championship, that's kinda of the thing her and you kinda know that alot of the more talented woman's won'T be invited to this tournament because they are going to go the youthful route and hire only wrestlers that are in the early 20's. So we won't get season veteran's like Lufisto or mercedes martinez in the tournament which is a shame because adding more veteran wrestlers would help bring in the more hardcore wrestling fans to watch this tournament.

In the end, just like all the other tournament idea that HHH add, this will amount to almost nothing at the end but will make for a great watch depending on who they get to feel the 32 slot in the tournament.

 

[Wrestlingaholic]

WWE needs female wrestlers. Raw and Smackdown have a handful each, so anything that helps address this has to be good

 

[Navi]

Being a woman myself I'm excited to see this come about, but only if they do it right, and it's not all fluff and feathers. Doubtful the women will get their own show though, women's wrestling while it has come a long way in the last year or so doesn't warrant it right now. Look at the some of the responses to 205 Live, the women would get it worse.

If this is a chance to bolster the roster a bit then I have no complaints at all. I really though think they should move all the women to RAW and put the tag teams on SD Live, or vice versa. There isn't enough women or tag teams right now to make two division's. Hopefully tournaments like this will help somewhat.

So is everyone expecting a tag team tournament next?

 

[stingray11214]

There was only one person on that stage that has given the WWE's Women's Division the credibility that it sorely lacked. Without that one person, WWE could not claim a "womens revolution" with a straight face.

That person is Asuka aka Kana.

In August, 2015, on these very boards, I wrote that Kana was the most important signing WWE made since Bret Hart. She would be the reason that others might want to come here. Kana gave WWE credibility in its Women's Division, a division that many of us, if not all of us, crapped on with daily vigor. Kana did not need WWE. She had business interests in Japan. She wrote for numerous tech and game magazines. She was also a paid consultant to Microsoft. She headlined every blasted promotion in Japan when she wrestled. So, why come to WWE?

She saw an opportunity to make permanent inroads in the US. She already made her way through Shimmer and Chikara Sure, she could have gone to TNA. But, Trips got to her first. So, she throws caution to the wind, and signs with Stamford. It would be a signing that would turn the WWE Divas on their heads. Coming to town was a REAL female wrestler. Not a fitness model. Not a cheerleader. But a Gulliver amongst the Liliputians.

So, this 32 woman tournament is going to, or at least should be, loaded. Sure, they could have done this without the NXT Champ. But, they would get mostly the Indy women, or women that flopped in WWE for one reason or another. By putting Asuka up there, you now show the upper echelon that the water in the pool is fine. It is safe for them to dive in. You might get a Meiko Satomura taking a looking. Riding shotgun would be her Sendai Girls student DASH Chisako. Vets like Kaori Yoneyama and Syuri may take a look see. And, who knows, maybe God will allow Bernkastel to have a stroke if he sees Manami Toyota, in her final year, enter the Women's tournament. I would also be looking forward to seeing if Satomura sends her own version of Kurt Angle, Chihiro Hashimoto, into the fray. An accomplished amateur wrestler, Hashimoto has the goods to succeed as a monster in the Lesnar mode. None of this would even be dreamed about if one summer night in Brooklyn in 2015 did not happen.

Now, we can dream. Don't look now, former Divas, real women wrestlers are upon thee. Thank you, Asuka/Kana.

 

[Gallops77]

I think this Women's Tournament can be HUGE for the Women's Division as long as they bring in the right 32 Women for the tournament.

I don't want any current WWE/NXT women in this tournament. Give me women from ROH, New Japan, etc. Bring in fresh faces who are looking to prove their worth. I don't want the likes of Kelly Kelly in this tournament to desecrate the work that the current roster has done.

This tournament needs to showcase the athleticism of the women in the division. It needs to show the fans potential new women for the roster. If this is successful, it's 32 women they can pick from to add to Raw/Smackdown/NXT to strengthen the women's division.

Right now, there are a handful of women on the main roster who can truly work in the ring at a high level. Charlotte, Bayley, Becky Lynch, Sasha Banks, Natalya, Emma, Alexa Bliss and Mickie James. I'm not big on Nia Jax yet. I honestly think Naomi is a botch fest. Most of the women on that list are not used properly or just returned from injury (Emma). There just isn't enough top tier talent to make the women's division a true force.

This tournament could add to it. The women could eventually get their own show, much like 205 Live, on the WWE Network. I'd like to see them build this division or merge it. I think having an Undisputed WWE Women's Champion would go a long way. Have the champ on both shows. Use the women's show to determine number one contenders and such. Have a Women's Royal Rumble next year. With this tournament, they could lock in a good 20 solid competitors. Right now there's 12 active women on the main roster, 9 on the NXT roster. Make the Women's Royal Rumble a big deal. Have a surprise entrant or two. Who wouldn't love to see Beth Phoenix make a surprise return in a Women's Royal Rumble match next year and go face to face with Charlotte or Nia Jax?

 

[vampxx24]

I think this Women's Tournament can be HUGE for the Women's Division as long as they bring in the right 32 Women for the tournament.

I don't want any current WWE/NXT women in this tournament. Give me women from ROH, New Japan, etc. Bring in fresh faces who are looking to prove their worth. I don't want the likes of Kelly Kelly in this tournament to desecrate the work that the current roster has done.

This tournament needs to showcase the athleticism of the women in the division. It needs to show the fans potential new women for the roster. If this is successful, it's 32 women they can pick from to add to Raw/Smackdown/NXT to strengthen the women's division.

Right now, there are a handful of women on the main roster who can truly work in the ring at a high level. Charlotte, Bayley, Becky Lynch, Sasha Banks, Natalya, Emma, Alexa Bliss and Mickie James. I'm not big on Nia Jax yet. I honestly think Naomi is a botch fest. Most of the women on that list are not used properly or just returned from injury (Emma). There just isn't enough top tier talent to make the women's division a true force.

This tournament could add to it. The women could eventually get their own show, much like 205 Live, on the WWE Network. I'd like to see them build this division or merge it. I think having an Undisputed WWE Women's Champion would go a long way. Have the champ on both shows. Use the women's show to determine number one contenders and such. Have a Women's Royal Rumble next year. With this tournament, they could lock in a good 20 solid competitors. Right now there's 12 active women on the main roster, 9 on the NXT roster. Make the Women's Royal Rumble a big deal. Have a surprise entrant or two. Who wouldn't love to see Beth Phoenix make a surprise return in a Women's Royal Rumble match next year and go face to face with Charlotte or Nia Jax?

wont happen. roh, and more importantly njpw wont play ball with wwe. njpw has been on record saying this after the aj ,nakamura, club farewell.

on wwe's end, its highly unlikely theyll get wrestlers from feds they dont have a working agreement with/secretly signed. Both ibushi and sabre jr turned them down during the 205 tourny which were the 2 highest profile guys in the tourny, and also the number 1 and 2 favorite to win. notice with the uk tourny, they clearly had a working agreement with the promotion the uk guys were mainstays in.

it will be women from smaller feds to go into the tourny with maybe 1 or 2 bigger non locked down names such as tess blanchard. if blanchard is in, its likely due to trying to lure riccohet in who theyve been after for 2 years

 

[Gallops77]

wont happen. roh, and more importantly njpw wont play ball with wwe. njpw has been on record saying this after the aj ,nakamura, club farewell.

on wwe's end, its highly unlikely theyll get wrestlers from feds they dont have a working agreement with/secretly signed. Both ibushi and sabre jr turned them down during the 205 tourny which were the 2 highest profile guys in the tourny, and also the number 1 and 2 favorite to win. notice with the uk tourny, they clearly had a working agreement with the promotion the uk guys were mainstays in.

it will be women from smaller feds to go into the tourny with maybe 1 or 2 bigger non locked down names such as tess blanchard. if blanchard is in, its likely due to trying to lure riccohet in who theyve been after for 2 years

I meant ROH and NJPW as examples. Obviously contracted wrestlers are a no. Though with WWE attempting to get ROH on the WWE Network, WWE could make a deal where they air ROH on the Network for a lower dollar figure with the agreement that the women are available for this tournament or any future tournaments they do.

The NJPW women could be those who's contracts are expiring.

There are also some women who were in TNA who may not be contracted with anyone at this point.

Essentially, any free agent or women in select promotions should be contacted to compete.

 

[Dagger Dias]

It sounds like a great idea. What it comes down to for me is what would happen afterward. My main problem is how unlikely it is that all of the participants are going to end up in NXT, let alone Raw or Smackdown. If it leads to a large increase in the female roster then great. NXT sure needs more so hopefully several of the competitors get signed. I personally doubt I will be watching it since, like the Cruiserweight tournament, it is tough for me to get interested in taking the time to watch it unless it is confirmed that all are coming to WWE afterward. That may just be me though.

 

[Dilligaf]

Its a great idea for the women's tournament.

But im not sure where the talent are going to come from?

Sure there's a lot of talented women wrestlers around, but its getting the unsigned ones to participate in this tournament, but now this has been officially announced, a lot of promotions are going to make sure that contracts are handed out & signed so their talent CANNOT compete in the tournament.

TBH, I didnt know NJPW has a women's division, Ive only been watching NJPW for a few months, but Ive never seen a women's match.....YET.

So I wouldnt be surprised if we see people like Velvet Sky, Angelina Love & ex-WWE/TNA womens wrestlers coming back because they dont have contracts & want one last pay-day.

 

[Messiah]

Well this is one tournament i'm not watching.. Women's wrestling is trash in WWE and always will be... All the women are so unlikable.

 

[ISkye]

TBH, I didnt know NJPW has a women's division, Ive only been watching NJPW for a few months, but Ive never seen a women's match.....YET.

Yeah. I mean traditionally Japan pro-wrestling segregates women and men to different promotions. I figured NJPW didn't have a women's division, but it seems at least one or two people are assuming WWE will borrow from the non-existent roster. Might be awkward to explain that ROH hardly had a consistent women's division and branding for it until about 2015. Women of Honor, being the universal branding for female talent from the pro-wrestler to the backstage talent and even manager types.

Anyway this should be a cool tournament regardless of the participants. People want to see outside talent, but won't seek it in a simple google search so at the end of the day that doesn't matter. I'd love to see some of my Stardom girls participate which really wouldn't be too far of a stretch. I can think of at least 4/5 girls from Mexico / South America and the U.K. I'd like to see and are available as well. I wouldn't mind them having to fill it out with some of the NXT talent as well.

The gender segregation almost benefits the girls in Japan and hasn't stopped some from becoming big draws or stars. They are less of a sideshow attraction, and they actual reason people come and see them. Regardless of these female promotions drawing less than the major male oriented ones it is not a knock for how well a lot of those women do for themselves. ROH is stepping up their game in recent, and promotions like DDT and if you count Lucha Underground have already pushed women wrestler boundaries. I don't expect WWE as a whole to do anything amazing or new, because it's nearly all been done or accomplished already. They aren't exactly the company to seek if you want anything outside of the regular or to see it not watered down.