In the Attitude Era, female stars in WWE were booked almost solely as sex objects. Bra and Panties matches and Evening Gown bouts were the norm, with few female wrestlers given the opportunity to spread their wings as genuine in-ring workhorses. Despite this, the likes of Trish Stratus and Lita were given room to flex their wrestling muscles, including in their memorable Raw headline match in December 2004. A glance at the WWE divas division now shows that Lita and Trish Stratus were the exception rather than the rule when it comes to booking women. The TV-PG rating of the product may have put an end to some of the more misogynist match stipulations of the Attitude Era, but the talented women on show in WWE are often booked terribly. It's not uncommon for divas matches to run to only a couple of minutes - even when the title is on the line - and they are placed in graveyard shifts as a buffer between main event matches. The incredible talent of superstars like AJ Lee, Paige, Natalya and Emma is wasted by a company who consider women to be a sideshow, rather than a bona fide part of the main product. Until WWE proves that it can book its female characters effectively, it is never going to be able to utilise the full depth of its roster.
Freelance film journalist and fan of professional wrestling. Usually found in a darkened screening room looking for an aisle seat and telling people to put away their mobile phones. Also known to do a bit of stand-up comedy, so I'm used to the occasional heckle.
