WWE year in review: Has the Divas' Revolution worked?
As 2015 draws to an end, let’s look at perhaps one of the most important things that happened in the year, in WWE: The Divas’ Revolution. Has it worked out for the better, or is it just another failed attempt at making the women in WWE more important?
Around the beginning of the year, the general internet wrestling fanbase started a movement to have women be more important in WWE.
A part of this was because the women in NXT were often outshining the male competitors, while, on the main roster, the women would be lucky to get ten minutes of screen-time. This movement was backed up by the hashtag #GiveDivasAChance, and was so popular that Vince McMahon himself responded to it.
That was back in February, and following, WrestleMania 31 rolled around. There was only one female match on the card, and it was between The Bella Twins, and Paige and AJ Lee, and it went on for a considerably short time – under seven minutes.
It would seem, then, that Vince McMahon's words were just words.
However, perhaps the mistake that fans were making was that things would change in an instant. It should be noted that by then, plans for WrestleMania were firmly planted, and WWE couldn’t really make a big change and shake everything up. In terms of storyline and resources, things would have to change slowly.
And indeed, they did. At Extreme Rules and Payback, the women’s match was once again seven minutes, but it could be seen that stories were developing, and characters were deepening.
Paige and Naomi were given more limelight, and there was a three-way feud over the Divas’ Championship, culminating in a twelve-minute match between Paige and Nikki Bella at Money In The Bank. Small progress had been made, but progress was progress.
However, the issue was still that the progress was so small. There needed to be more. And that is exactly what happened the following night. While Paige, The Bella Twins and Alicia Fox, and Naomi and Tamina were arguing, Stephanie McMahon introduced three of NXT’s top women: Sasha Banks, Charlotte, and Becky Lynch.
She termed this as a ‘Divas’ Revolution’, and in a completely unexplained turn of events, all nine women separated themselves into three teams.
Team BAD (Beautiful And Dangerous) consisted of Naomi, Tamina and Sasha Banks. Team Bella had the Bella Twins and Alicia Fox, and PCB (formerly the Submission Sorority, changed because the name is also a pornographic term) was made up of Paige, Charlotte, and Becky.
This was an interesting angle, and at Battleground, Brie Bella, Sasha Banks, and Charlotte battled it out in a twelve-minute Triple Threat match, which was won by Charlotte. What was more important was that these women were receiving attention and story, and it was turning into something big.
What was important is that it lasted, and made changes not only on the big stage, but regularly. And that did happen.
While Raw usually had one Divas’ match or segment, there were now two, three or even four at times. Not just that, but all of it were entertaining. There was real importance given to them.
At SummerSlam, all three teams went head to head in aTriple Threat tag team elimination match. On a card featuring Seth Rollins vs John Cena, Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns vs The Wyatts, and The Undertaker vs Brock Lesnar, the women’s match got a very respectable fifteen minutes, and it was great.
Now came the bigger problem: Where do we go from here? The initial idea was fresh, innovative and fun, but it couldn’t last forever. So WWE went the right way.
They made things personal.
It wasn’t going to be big three-on-three-on-three matches anymore. Now it was solely for the Championship, and that is what was needed. Nikki Bella surpassed AJ Lee’s record, but lost the championship to Charlotte at Night Of Champions, and this is when things really kicked into gear.
Paige turned, and it wasn’t a complete and sudden turn. It was half-on and half-off, which was great. While the Charlotte-Nikki Bella tale would close, Paige would slowly turn over, and indeed, she did.
Following Hell In A Cell, Paige attacked Becky Lynch and Charlotte, and the stage was set for her to take on Charlotte for the Divas’ Championship at Survivor Series, in a show-stealing match, and also on Raw the following night.
Perhaps more importantly, Paige and Charlotte closed out Raw – the episode before Survivor Series, and things got very personal, with Paige mocking Charlotte's dead brother. This may have been a bad thing to say, but that is exactly why it was great.
WWE was willing to go the extra mile with the women they have, and it worked. People were talking about it. They paid attention. Around this time, the women seemed to be the main talking point in WWE.
Charlotte still holds the Divas’ Championship, but a change in her character is taking place. She’s performing more heelish acts, which is a good development. Becky Lynch is becoming more important too. Things are shaping up to be better than they were before, slowly and steadily.
Has the Divas’ Revolution actually made a change? You can bet your life it did. Closing out last year, the women barely mattered. Closing out this year, it’s the opposite.