WWE: Once again, WWE is failing their women’s division

WWE has, yet again, failed to give their women’s division the time and attention it deserves. This isn’t exactly new, but it’s still an issue that needs to be addressed.

This past week, between Monday Night Raw and SmackDown Live on Tuesday, WWE television featured 43 seconds of women’s wrestling. The only match featured Ember Moon pinning Charlotte Flair in less than a minute, thanks in part to a distraction by SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley.

I am very tired of writing the article that comes next. Pointing out that WWE once again seemed committed to their Women’s Evolution, but then mentioning how only a very limited number of women see time in the ring.

How eventually it has regressed to once again regularly having matches that take up less time than the entrances, regressive characterization and falling back on “T&A” for ratings and attention. Finishing up with arguments against this sort of thing and trying to hold WWE accountable for their lofty claims of elevating women while seeing the exact opposite on their programming.

I don’t want to write that article again. I’m sure you don’t want to read that article again, because honestly what more can be said? Those that agree with me are just as tired of having this conversation, those people who, wrongly, blame equitable treatment of women in wrestling for a downward spiral in ratings and live show attendance will spout some “helpful” sexism.

And, of course, WWE will keep jerking us back and forth, put Vince or Stephanie McMahon on TV to once again end gender inequality in professional wrestling and then six weeks later just revert to blink-and-you’ll-miss-them matches apparently hoping we won’t notice.

You think by now they would realize we notice. After all, once again a hashtag demanding a chance for WWE women trended worldwide. So why, after all of this, do we keep expecting them to follow through and make legitimate, long-term changes?

We’ve seen how they do business, why do we keep setting ourselves up for disappointment? Why not listen to the wise folks who tell us “keep your expectations as fans low?” Why do you still believe?

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We believed initially in change because NXT was leading the charge in WWE in changing how they portrayed women’s wrestling and proving the need for it. They were training and building women’s stars who could rival some of the top men in WWE.

In fact, at one point it was reported WWE executives believed Bayley could be bigger than John Cena, at least until her call-up and transformation from cool big sister into awkward never-been-kissed virgin during a messy feud with Alexa Bliss and inconsistent characterization ever since then.

We believed because they were drawing in fans via the reality show Total Divas and later Total Bellas. Women with little previous interest in wrestling were suddenly caught up by the women they saw weekly on E! Network. There was an untapped audience for WWE right there, and surely a major company wouldn’t waste that opportunity, right?

Some of us even believed when WWE signed former UFC champion Ronda Rousey and hyped her arrival in the company. We were sold the idea that she was going to elevate the women’s division and put more eyes on it, only for it to soon become clear the WWE saw hiring Rousey not as progression for the Women’s Evolution, but as it’s logical endgame, and so any women’s stories or action that didn’t involve her directly became pointless.

And you know what the crazy thing here is? I still believe. I still think the idea of the Women’s Revolution or Women’s Evolution is worth it. I still think WWE should follow through on the lofty claims they have made regarding gender equality and that the only possible way to see that is to hold them accountable, to remind them of what we were promised and that we intend to collect on it.

I’m tired of writing this article because I have to do it every two months, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to stop any time soon.