10 Things You Learn Watching WWE TV After 9 Months Away
9. Could WWE Finally Be Taking Women Seriously?
One of the biggest surprises after time away has been the revelation that WWE might be finally starting to take their female talent seriously. WWE’s female wrestlers are probably the best that they have ever had, and they are obviously driven by a love of the business, that this whole young crop of talent epitomise (even though Vince might not think so). A year ago, though, there was talk of a Diva’s Revolution, that was complete and utter meaningless waffle.
Seeing a cage match between Becky Lynch and Alexa Bliss close out Smackdown was pretty incredible. But what was most impressive is the way they were building that feud with intensity and meaning, as opposed to it being over something sexist. The return of Mickie James was also something awesome to see. She was completely wasted in TNA (although, who hasn't been?) and she was one of the only females in the company back in the day, who actually could pull off some in-ring activity. Bringing her back gives a nice balance between experience and youth.
Of course, this is still WWE, so it’s hard to know whether this feud and the one between Bayley and Charlotte, are simply anomalies. Natalya’s angle is painfully played out, and her tantrum at the merchandise table on Raw was horrendously awkward viewing. Additionally, the marketing of Emma, a genuine talent, as a bikini model called Emmaline, makes it hard to stay optimistic for the big picture. And come to think of it, Naomi’s return was a bit of a shambles.
So, actually, maybe it's too early to tell. Still, maybe viewers can finally hold out hope that this is the long-awaited new era of women's wrestling that we've been waiting for.