5 Most Insane Things Happening In Wrestling Right Now (March 23)
1. Women Can Do Anything Men Can Do...
...except wrestle in Saudi Arabia.
Further details on WWE's 'Greatest Royal Rumble' broke this week; WWE plans to broadcast live on the Network seven championship matches in addition to the eponymous attraction. The RAW and SmackDown Women's Titles were conspicuous by their absence, obviously, calling into question the integrity of WWE's commitment to genuine equality.
The elusive WrestleMania main event notwithstanding, the Women's division is growing ever closer to proportionate coverage. Hell In A Cell matches; Iron Man matches; pay-per-view main events; Royal Rumble matches: slowly, if not quietly - the now-undermined heavy-handed marketing machine has seen to that - the women of WWE are getting there. And they do so deservedly, despite the irritating tell-don’t-show promotional tactic. They are even allowed to bask in the glory of a McMahon. And, for the first-time ever!, one brand at least is running a storyline outside of the title picture. None of this will matter, come April 27.
Saudi Arabia's deplorable stance on women's rights is grim. Nobody expected anything less. But is it wrong to expect more from WWE, given the hysterical and overbearing extent to which the company has marketed the Women's Revolution? The fans in Abu Dhabi chanted "This is hope," as Sasha Banks and Alexa Bliss locked horns in December of last year.
This is hate. This is devolution.