Why WWE’s Women Aren’t Drawing

Becky Lynch Charlotte Flair
wwe

WWE’s Evolution pay-per-view, promoted in parallel with and as a cynical riposte to Crown Jewel, sold slowly across primary and secondary markets. Scalpers struggled to shift tickets for as little as $6, according to the November 5 Wrestling Observer Newsletter. The show, while critically acclaimed and molten in atmosphere, performed poorly in contrast to shows on which the men’s roster performed.

Social media engagement fell below the usual norm, and the number of Google searches connected to the event—100,000—was the lowest of 2018, including Super Show-Down, perceived by many as a “glorified house show”.

Following the September 4, 2018 SmackDown Live, Charlotte Flair wrestled Becky Lynch and Carmella in the dark match slot. Of the 6,000 fans in attendance, only 1,500 stuck around to take in 205 Live. WWE promises a dark attraction after the Cruiserweight hour to convince fans to watch it, and while that strategy tends not to work, this was a veritable exodus—to a level rarely if ever seen when the likes of AJ Styles are positioned in that slot. RAW and SmackDown ratings spike on post pay-per-view broadcasts, particularly following major pay-per-views on which popular and momentous developments transpire. Becky Lynch won the Women’s Royal Rumble match, but this popular and momentous development did not positively affect that Tuesday’s number.

The much-touted Ronda Rousey coup has not positively impacted the drawing power of the division as a whole, nor on an individual segment-by-segment basis. Her performances feel big-time, as received by WWE’s diminishing core audience, but those performances, no matter how incendiary, have not arrested the slide. The idea of Ronda Rousey is big-time enough to warrant the ‘Mania headline slot, but would that be the case, if we were still dealing in the pay-per-view paradigm? Ronda moved the needle in UFC, but then, the UFC didn’t sexualise women before her emergence. They simply didn’t promote them. She battled perception, but not history.

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Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!