17 Ways WWE Has Changed Since It Was The WWF
4. Women
Not exactly a secret because WWE wouldn't dream of letting it be one, the manner in which women's wrestling is regarded in 2019 compared to 2002 (and the mid-decade nadir that followed it) frankly makes the older variant look like it's taking place on another planet.
Loud, long and overdue, the shift back from the "Divas" branding only officially occured in 2016, but the work had been ongoing publicly since Triple H established the NXT Women's Title years earlier. Rapidly and instantly considered one of the most prestigious belts in the entire organisation, the strap was scrapped over in some of the best matches of the 2010s at TakeOver specials, with the best talent gradually attempting similar feats on the main roster.
From there, it became almost exclusively about making overdue history - women now have Royal Rumbles, Money In The Bank matches, proper Survivor Series encounters, Elimination Chambers, Tag Team Titles and famously main evented WrestleMania in 2019. With these milestones reached and rightfully celebrated, the next step becomes further normalising their presence - only then will this equitable mission be viewed as glowingly externally as it is within WWE's own walls.