9 Ups & 5 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (1 Nov)

3. Evolution, Not... Devolution

Stephanie McMahon SmackDown
FOX

It's exceptionally hard to assess whether WWE touting the historic women's match at Crown Jewel is actually a positive, given the commercial motivations and the stark fact it's taken so long to inspire even this modicum of social change in a country whose regime have purposefully set women's rights back by about 70 years.

It was doubly hard when Stephanie McMahon, who else, was the one crowing about it, basking in the credit earned by Natalya and Lacey Evans.

But after watching the admittedly mawkish video package, in which the two participants expressed sincere emotion at their undeniably groundbreaking contest, it's hard not to say that, ultimately, whatever the underlying reasons, this is an achievement to be celebrated. WWE can't manufacture the reactions by the young girls in the Riyadh crowd, and if this occasion inspires them to further break down the walls of oppression - hopefully, in a legitimate and attitudinal capacity - then it was worthy.

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Editorial Team
Editorial Team

Benjamin was born in 1987, and is still not dead. He variously enjoys classical music, old-school adventure games (they're not dead), and walks on the beach (albeit short - asthma, you know). He's currently trying to compile a comprehensive history of video game music, yet denies accusations that he purposefully targets niche audiences. He's often wrong about these things.