10 Times Wrestling Changed Due To Fan Backlash
8. #GiveDivasAChance
It was AJ Lee that first showed guts in the face of a firing, publically tackling Stephanie McMahon on matters of pay and promotional discrepancies in a Divas division she once proudly stewarded.
Through marriage to company pariah CM Punk or the suddenness of her own exit, WWE typically gifted the 'Billion Dollar Princess' the praise and prizes for reimagining the troubled league as a "Revolution". It was a public relations triumph for the 'Chief Brand Officer' unlike much else she's achieved in the role, particularly considering how botched the original roll-out was.
The #GiveDivasAChance movement on Twitter following another lousy Raw Divas segment became the flashpoint company execs used not to flay themselves for past transgressions but celebrate their brand new personas as equitable employers. It was the scale of the response to the hashtag that was perhaps most surprising, and the turning point for the company jumping on a bandwagon just waiting to surge through the organisation's rotten innards.
The follow-through had to be thorough and extensive, in contrast to how quickly WWE typically abandon big ideas thanks to the significance of the statement. Thankfully, the Divas took the chance they were finally given.