Chaos in the Womens Division: Whose fault is it?

[The Scarred One]

If something like this has been posted before, I apologize.

I'm hoping to make this thread different than the other dozen or so threads concerning the WWE womens division. Most of them I remember reading revolved around the state of the division and/or how it can be fixed if the WWE actually did something about it.

For this thread, I want to look at the cauuse of it. In order to do so, we need to go back in time about nine years ago.

Just after the WWE experienced a golden age for its tag team division, they decided to give the womens division a shot in the arm. They brought in several WWE divas to get the job done while putting a respected veteran in Finlay in charge of it. On RAW, you had the likes of Trish Stratus, Lita, Molly Holly, Victoria, Jacqueline, Ivory, Jazz and Gail Kim competing for the Women's Championship. While on SmackDown, you had Torrie Wilson, Dawn Marie and Nidia competing occasionally in wrestling matches. It was around this time that WWE fans seemed to care about women's wrestlings as it was being strongly showcased. Moments that stick out to me include the Trish/Victoria feud that saw a series of hardcore matches and a match featuring Trish and Lita for the Women's Championship as the main event for RAW. As time went by and we saw the likes of Mickie James, Melina, Jillian Hall and Beth Phoenix come up, it seemed that the womens division would become even stronger.

But sadly, that has not been the case.

Ever since the Diva Search started up back in 2004, the WWE has been more interested in hiring supermodels with little to no wrestling knowledge than scouting talented female wrestlers who spent years perfecting their craft. As a result, the division fell into chaos as we saw talentless women try to wrestle. Maybe this was done so the WWE could train these girls themselves and take all the credit if they do become successful female wrestlers, much like they did with Trish Stratus. But Trish was one of a kind as she didn't want to be just someone who would stand at ringside and look pretty. She had a drive that a lot of the women WWE has hired didn't have.

Now, the WWE has hired female wrestlers but has failed to showcase them the way they deserve. Natalya, Tamina and Serena are/were primarily used as valets, Katie Lea and Jillian Hall are/were jobbers to help get lesser talented divas like the Bellas over and Mickie James, Melina and Beth Phoenix have been fodder to help get Michelle McCool over.

But whose fault is it regarding the current state of the womens division? What caused the division to be gutted to the point where they had to unify the Women's and Diva's Championships?

Did it come to a point where we, the fans, stopped caring or, I'm sure with some of you, probably never cared to begin with? Perhaps it became stupid to watch it when girls more suitable for Playboy were put over more talented women. But maybe if the division consisted of a core with the likes of Mickie James, Melina, Jillian Hall, Gail Kim, Beth Phoenix, Natalya, Serena, Katie Lea and even Angelina Love, people's opinions might be different.

Or did the WWE come to the conclusion that women's wrestling doesn't draw and is pretty much filler for its programming? After Trish and Lita retired, there was never really another marketable female wrestler to come down the pipe. Maybe they just said "screw it" and let it go to waste since there was no money apparently in it.

So in summary, did the WWE stop caring, therefore we stopped caring? Or did we stop caring, therefore the WWE stopped caring?

 

[TheFatManFromYoutube]

Well, I still care about the division and not just because im a pervert. Im always defending it. I just dont think Vince gives a rat ass about it any more. I mean they only get 0:30-3:00 minute matches, I mean really only three minutes? Shawn Michaels cant even make a 3 minute match look good. The women division is like a joke, they are rushing to the punchline/finish way to quick.

Who knows maybe the diva's stopped blowing Vince so he is punishing them.

what they need to do is put Natalya, Beth, Gail Kim, Melina, Tamina, Alolisia(or how ever you spell it), and keep Michelle in it(great diva heel) in the title picture and give them decent time to wrestle like 7-12 minutes.

 

[NC_BMAN]

For me I didn't stop caring, I enjoyed and somewhat still enjoy the women's division today. I whole heartily agree when they started the diva's search again they really wanted a pretty face instead of a talented worker. Since that time they have shown that. Thankfully they have attempted to add some new talent in thanks to NXT but that seems to be going down the drain fast. My hope is that they will realize what the division has become over the past 10 years and will at some point begin to make some sort of change for the better (we hope).

On a side note calling the new unified championship the Unified "DIVAS" Championship and retiring the historic WWE Womens Championship is not a good indicator of things to come for the Women's division.

 

[Wrestlefan27]

If they're not going to hire Divas that can wrestle they can at least start putting out those swimsuit DVD's again.

So much in wrestling depends on the writing and booking. That's what I blame for the lack of interesting divas. They're interchangeable except for a select few. Let them speak and give them decent gimmicks. If you write an interesting character, people will watch, regardless of gender.

 

[Dum Dum Dudley]

I think recently, the blame has to be put on the brand split and two women's titles, which thankfully has been remedied at Night of Champions. Lets face facts; the WWE's women's division is poor, and has been for a long time. They barely have enough female talent for one belt, never mind two, so the unification of the titles is at least a step in the right direction.

Another major factor i think has hindered the division is injuries to the better workers. Melina and Beth Phoenix both being injured at the same time really hurt the division and allowed the belts to get into possesion of less-than-stellar workers such as Layla and Alicia Fox. Plus, the refusal to actually let Natalya wrestle as opposed to being a dull valet with a shit-eating grin has really wound me up, but at least this problem looks like it will be resolved soon, judging by this week's RAW.

It appears that creative are fixing the problem i feel they created in the first place. Unifying the belts allows the dead-wood such as The Bellas and Rosa Mendes to be as far away as possible from the title scene because there is only one belt to fight for. What i would love creative to do is get all the workers like Michelle McCool, Melina and Beth Phoenix onto one show and fight for the belt on that show (prefarably SD!) whilst allowing RAW to keep the pretty faces for the arm of whichever no-mark celebrity is 'gracing' RAW with his presence as guest host.

Overall, whilst the division has been hit by injuries, i would blame creative for not putting any real emphasis into feuds. They all seem to stem from 'i want that belt' apart from the Mickie James/LayCool feud which had an actual story to it. Look at TNA at the moment. They have an entire feud in the Women's division revolving around the belt and personal issues between Madison Rayne and The Beautiful People. This is what WWE has to be replicating to actually get people interested in the women's division.

 

[TheBWO]

It's Vince, or creative....but let me explain: Back in the day, do you REALLY think anyone....ANYONE had the hots for the Fabulous Moolah? No....but...she was the best in the business (well,...I can't say entriely didn't have the hots...she may have been a little vixen back in the 50's, but I digress)....and over time, the WWE relied upon talent---whether marginally or not---but at least the women THEN had talent (Richter, Lei Lani Kai, etc). It wasn't necessarily about how pretty they looked (obviously), but if they were talented enough to carry a match, then they got booked. Now, I'm not real big on women wrestling---not to be sexist, it just was never my cup of tea, and theoretically, I have been impressed by only a handful of women that have gotten mainstream exposure that are actually carrying a match, but back in the day, if the match could be at the very least equal to one the of the jobber matches, then it was booked and sometimes televised.

NOW...somewhere along the lines, ....about 5-7 years ago, when all the divas were posing for Playboy , I'm sure either someone from Creative (that fat mother in the banana hammock) or someone--put a bug in Vince's ear, saying "hey Vinnie...the prettier, the more viewership, the higher the ratings" (I mean c'mon....Ashley Massaro? She was an actress and model before wrestling), and talent qualifications quietly slipped out the window, and Vinnie did it all for looks. It's actually an insult to the craft of the business if you think about it. At least the show "Tough Enough" showed them working on moves and what to do BEFORE being in front of the cameras. Vinnie would just throw them in front of the cameras and see every 18-34 year old just salivate and buy the merchandise.

 

[Nicole13Edge/HardyFan]

I think Vince stopped carring after stupid Trish left it was always Trish this and Trish that and she always had the title then she left. I hated Trish and I'm glad she is gone but to Vince she was his golden girl and when she left he just didn't care anymore. It wasen't the fans that stopped caring it was Vince.

Oh and I noticed on Monday Night Raw that they called it the Unified Divas title and they are using the divas title belt. Well I started a petition about it to bring bach the prestigious womens title so please go to http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/bringbackwomenstitle and sign my petition to bring back the womens title thanks. Oh and if I insulted anyone about what I said about Trish I'm sorry thats just my opinion I'm a Lita fan not a Trish fan never have been never will be.

 

[bigamer08865]

I stopped about the womens division along time ago when Chyna left if she was still around we would have great matches like Chyna vs Beth P. (sorry can't spell Beth's last name for some reson)

 

[Ducey13]

I think WWE stopped caring first. Never been a BIG fan of Women's wrestling but I did Enjoy Traish Stratus, Victoria, and Molly Holly Matches. After they all left WWE decided it was never much of a draw in the first place and that guys would prefer to see HOTTIES instead of wrestlers, and rather see bra and panties matches. Thus the Divas search began. Then WWE went PG so no more bra and panties matches.

I'll say this. I still like watching Beth Phoenix in the WWE and alittle Laycool and THATS IT!

TNA does have a women's division that interest me though. So if WWE wanted, they could rebuild with wrestler, but they won't.

PS For some strange reason even i don't understand I am getting a kick out of NXT3. Jamie Keyes and Naomi could be big is the women's division's future. I also LOVE Kaitlyn but don't think she can wrestle much. AJ, Maxine(Livana) and Aksasa are all garbage

 

[mral82]

It ain't all Vince's fault. It's part Vince McMahon, Creative, Finlay (yes I said it was part his fault too) due to they've got enough divas and need to make it relavent again. Finlay needs to go back and work w/ the Divas again and stay outta the ring. So in conclusion I blame Finlay for the most part of the balmae not Vince.

 

[OlderFan]

WWE creative from vince on down is 1 reason. Then you can figure in certain people who are getting what they are getting because of who they're dating/married to whether they deserve it or not.

 

[The Scarred One]

PS For some strange reason even i don't understand I am getting a kick out of NXT3. Jamie Keyes and Naomi could be big is the women's division's future. I also LOVE Kaitlyn but don't think she can wrestle much. AJ, Maxine(Livana) and Aksasa are all garbage

It's funny how you mention AJ being garbage, considering how she has more wrestling experience out of the group as she was trained by one-time boyfriend Jay Lethal. I do agree on Naomi as she can go in the ring and I do see potential in Kaitlyn and Jamie, who is one buff bitch. As for Aksana and Maxine, they just can just leave.

 

[manstis1804]

WWE's women's division was only strong when Trish Stratus was on top. It's really no one's fault, there just hasn't been a woman with the combination of looks and ability that Trish had. Don't get me wrong there are lots of beautiful women that are great wrestlers, but they don't have the look WWE wants. The ones that do have the look just aren't that good. There has to be a top star that brings out the talent in the division like Trish did with Victoria, Molly Holly and Jazz.

 

[MrHashasheen]

It ain't all Vince's fault. It's part Vince McMahon, Creative, Finlay (yes I said it was part his fault too) due to they've got enough divas and need to make it relavent again. Finlay needs to go back and work w/ the Divas again and stay outta the ring. So in conclusion I blame Finlay for the most part of the balmae not Vince.

You're blaming Finlay for not making diamonds out of shit. Vince McMahon picks who gets chosen in the Diva Search, and he doesn't search for Shimmer or Knockout wrestlers but instead picks models and dancers. Some of them have been barely decent, but its not like Finlay has the cream of crop to work with.

 

[coltster4life]

Maybe this has already been discussed or answered but I was wondering.....When they decided to unify the Divas and Womens Championship why in the world did they keep the Divas Championship and drop the Womens Championship....Yes I know that the Divas Champion won but why in the world would they completely do away with a title with so much history? WWE Womens Championship which had women like Fabulous Moolah, Alundra Blayze (Madusa), Sensational Sherri Martel, Sabel, Chyna, Luna, Lita, Trish Stratus, to name a few.... Wouldn't it make sense to keep that belt? The Divas Championship is perfect I guess in the sense that, they are just that Divas and not really women wrestlers. Idk....it's just frusturating. I don't even watch womens wrestling or care too much about it. I am a professional wrestler and can't really learn anything from them but I do care about the history of our buisness and it to me, is disrespectful to the women who paved the way. Anyone's thoughts?