5 Burning Issues For WWE Raw Tonight (Oct 9)

3. Ignorance Is Bliss

Paige Sister Abigail
WWE.com

Even though AJ Styles (40) and Bobby Roode (40) wrestled in high profile matches at Hell In A Cell and Shane McMahon (47) went careering off of the structure itself, 38-year-old Mickie James is older than dirt and shouldn't be anywhere near a 'Women's Revolution' that apparently only concerns itself with those talents south of the dreaded big 3-0.

B*llocks of course, but they got by calling her fat when she wasn't for months too, so it's no surprise that James' first high profile programme with the Women's Champion comes at the expense of her experience rather than because of it.

The concept is broadly fine in a situation where the antagonist is clearly...antagonising. Lay-Cool's bullying of James was divisive due to the backstage prodding about her weight that actually went on, but as a storyline the mean girls took a comprehensive kicking for their cruelty. Here, James can't defend herself from barbs about her age, and will most likely lose the match for the very reason she says she won't.

It's little more than a speed-bump for the Champion as she awaits certain doom in the form of TLC debutant Asuka, but it's emblematic of the company that this lazy avenue would be the chosen direction when in need of a quick fix.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 30 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz", Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 50,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett