How Can WWE Fix the Diva’s Division?
The popularized “Give Divas a Chance” movement attempted to fix the Diva Division problem but lost momentum. Now what?
The first step to fixing a problem is to admit that it exists. Despite a short-lived movement to give Diva’s the recognition they crave, the WWE Diva’s Division remains lifeless.
While the problem has been present for awhile, the departure of AJ Lee sparked some recent Diva debate. With little screen time, less than comparable paychecks and poor story lines, Diva matches seem to be written-in bathroom breaks rather than crowd-popping draws.
Taking a closer look to examine the diva talent, it’s slightly astounding how this continues to be a problem. The issue isn’t stemming from the ladies who grace the roster but the creative forces behind them. As we all know, wrestling isn’t exactly spontaneous and little happens without prior approval.
But to fix the problem and really give Divas a chance, WWE has to want to. So far, that doesn’t seem like a top priority.
Even if WWE woke up tomorrow and decided to answer the cries of their female superstars, more than an extended match would need to be done.
The first step toward evolving the Diva division is to stop assuming all women should be shoved into tiny shorts and placed in the ring. Like their male counter-parts, Diva talent should be spread across the business.
WWE.com
Currently, Renee Young is the only female commentator on the main roster. As few as that number is, female managers are also less prominent. Call me crazy but what happened to all the great managers of yore? The classy Miss Elizabeth, Madusa, Sensational Sherri and Chyna are just a few of the most influential managers that come to mind. Lana seems to be one of the few who’s found a place for herself following in the footsteps of these women.
Recognizing that not every woman will bode well as an in-ring athlete is not only perfectly acceptable, it’s necessary.
Once the talent distribution is sorted out, WWE would be doing everyone a favor by stop calling the female wrestlers Divas. By definition, diva means “a distinguished female singer or prima donna.” From what I understand, the WWE is made up of wrestling talent and not vocalists. Aside from an inaccurate occupation, female talent is portrayed as moody or temperamental before they set foot in the ring.
On the contrary, the male wrestlers take the label of superstar which not only sounds more exciting it is more exiting. Depicting a larger than life character, superstar is defined as a performer who is typically successful and exhibits remarkable talent. Before any semblance of a moonsault, superstars are positioned for achievement just by their name.
Finally, the WWE needs to officially retire the current women’s championship belt. Covered in pink rhinestones, written in what I assume is Comic Sans, and resembling something of a tramp stamp, the women’s championship belt is comical.
wwe.com
The problem with the women’s division isn’t that they aren’t capable or even talented. It’s the fact that the girly gimmicks of the past are still lingering.
WWE can recruit all the incredible talent of NXT’s Charlotte, Bailey, Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch. But if the creative foundation of the “Amazon” division isn’t capable of supporting them, little will change.
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