10 Gimmicks WWE Should Steal From Television (And Who Could Use Them)

by John Bills

1. Serena Joy (The Handmaid's Tale) - Peyton Royce

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Hulu/WWE

WWE’s women’s evolution (such a tiresome, misguided phrase) has stalled in recent years, but it is difficult to argue against its success when compared to the presentation of women just a decade ago. Being a female performer in WWE no longer means objectivity, lingerie-based gimmick matches booked by misogynists and all the rest.

Everyone has been on board with the development, but what about booking a strong woman who argues for the opposite? Serena Joy is one of the most complex characters of The Handmaid’s Tale. She is the wife of one of the architects of Gilead, a highly-educated and strong woman who has become responsible for the oppression of women across the country. She struggles with this reality, frequenting swaying between stubborn defiance and occasional bouts of rebellion.

Despite the improvements in presentation, the gimmicks found on WWE’s female roster still don’t range beyond ‘good girl’ or ‘bad girl’. The nuances of Serena Joy would add a fascinating dimension to the roster, as well as an eventual redemption story. The IIconics aren’t splitting up any time soon, but Peyton Royce could be a good fit for such a gimmick.

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Born in the middle of Wales in the middle of the 1980's, John can't quite remember when he started watching wrestling but he has a terrible feeling that Dino Bravo was involved. Now living in Prague, John spends most of his time trying to work out how Tomohiro Ishii still stands upright. His favourite wrestler of all time is Dean Malenko, but really it is Repo Man. He is the author of 'An Illustrated History of Slavic Misery', the best book about the Slavic people that you haven't yet read. You can get that and others from www.poshlostbooks.com.