WWE Raw: Assessing the Impact of the Divas Revolution

After witnessing the extraordinary events of this past edition of RAW, it is time to consider the impact of the Divas Revolution.

Over the last couple of months, the WWE Divas division had flailed due to confusing creative direction and lackluster matches. It is a shame to state that, but that was the unfortunate situation the ladies of WWE inhabited. Even when contests lived up to expectations featuring the likes of Paige, Naomi and the Bella Twins, it was derailed by substandard booking and failure to capitalize on any heat they built up. The loss of AJ Lee after WrestleMania was still hurting the credibility of a division that seemed to be geared for the Total Divas reality series rather than their actual job as wrestlers.

But negative attitudes changed at the snap of the fingers in a single segment on RAW. As expected, the Divas division looks set to be rescued from obscurity and mediocrity from the phenomenal women of NXT. The quality of the bouts they have produced in developmental have forced fans to sit up and take notice. From being little more than a joke in the past, finally women’s wrestling is getting some deserved respect and support from the audience thanks to their ability in the ring. The popularity of these ladies was undeniable, and now they have stepped up to the main roster, they have brought validity with them.

So what made this segment so perfect? Firstly, it took place on a go-home show where the crowd was hot and excited for Battleground. Getting Team Bella out to cut a promo was also the ideal set-up, which is not something you would usually hear said. Them running down everybody else on the roster is the perfect way of establishing some hate in their direction. Their unit should be the undoubted heels in this rivalry, which has been a little clouded in their clashes with Naomi & Tamina Snuka. Nikki Bella as the Divas Champion needed to promote herself as not only the best in the business today, but that nobody surrounding her is even in her league.

Then there was the entrance of Stephanie McMahon. She is one of the best talkers in WWE and her enormous star power confirmed that this was a legitimate moment. When McMahon made her presence known, fans in attendance at RAW and those watching at home would have felt something big was about to take place. With Nikki assuming that she had the matriarch of the Authority in her pocket, this was the severance that was required, as McMahon’s priority became the competition in the Divas division. She didn’t turn babyface, because that she was not the center of this segment, but merely facilitating the arrival of these new forces.

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Paige being promoted as the instigator of this revolution placed her as a leader for the upcoming NXT Women, which is a role she merits after her massive impact from those same roots. Aligning her with Charlotte and Becky Lynch was the best fit, as they were popular faces on NXT and share similarities to the Anti-Diva. Charlotte has a family legacy to the business with her father being Ric Flair, as well as an undoubted passion to be seen as the best. And Lynch, perhaps more of a surprising inclusion in this trio, is someone who has risen from the bottom up, and legitimized herself in the ring with her NXT Championship match against Sasha Banks at Takeover: Unstoppable.

As for Sasha Banks, her allegiance to Naomi and Tamina is a perfect fit, as she doesn’t work as a traditional babyface. She is certainly popular, and her brashness does earn a great deal of crowd support, but she is more suited in an anti-hero position. Banks can definitely tread the line in the gray zone, where one week she could be the sympathetic fighter in a match with the Bella Twins, or the over-confident heel opposite Paige or her fellow NXT graduates. This left the sides drawn with three teams of three, but there is still plenty of room for more additions to ensure every Diva in the locker room can benefit from this revolution. Indeed, adding Natalya, Emma and Layla to the mix could further improve their lot.

The brawl that followed was hectic, fast, and allowed every woman to get a moment to shine. I will admit it wasn’t exactly well-orchestrated and fluid, as it seemed to be too much happening at once, but the crowd were on their feet, generating chants of “This is Awesome” and “NXT”. The lasting image of all three NXT Divas locking Team Bella in their signature submission holds was a sight to behold, and was vital in demonstrating that this was a new era in women’s wrestling, and that these Divas have attributes the casual fan might not have experienced beforehand. Having the Bellas and Alicia Fox retreat and the others ruling the ring closed the segment perfectly, and cemented the ideal way of having the revolution kick off correctly.

Is this going to be a lasting impact? I still have to remain somewhat skeptical unfortunately. I desperately want this to be the origin of a renaissance for the WWE Divas, but I’ve been burnt to many times for thinking that previously. But, with Stephanie McMahon as the facilitator of this entire moment, Triple H’s devotion to his NXT prospects and the sheer quality of the performers involved gives me more hope than ever before that this revolution is here to stay. Keep the creative straightforward, give them time to perform, and then reap the benefits that will surely follow.

Are you looking forward to this Divas Revolution? Or do you believe fans are getting hyped for nothing? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

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