Raw Reunion proves WWE still undervalues women from the Divas Era

This week’s episode of Monday Night Raw featured the return of many women’s wrestling legends from the Divas Era. WWE’s Raw Reunion special was a mixed bag, but the one-night event possibly revealed how the company still sees these women.

Every now and then, WWE rolls out the red carpet for Superstars from the past in hopes that they can gain a momentary ratings boost. It often works, but it is far from a long-term fix. Viewers should be used to seeing their current favorites take a backseat so wrestling legends can reminisce. Although, Monday’s episode proved that is only true for certain returning stars.

For the first time in recent memory, WWE focused on inviting women from the much-maligned Divas Era to the Raw Reunion. There were exceptions like Alundra Blayze and Lilian Garcia, but most of the familiar faces were from the generation prior to the Women’s Revolution. Melina, Kaitlyn, Kelly Kelly, Eve Torres, and Candice Michelle were all fixture from that time period.

Fans hoped to see them enjoy a triumphant return, especially Melina, who hasn’t appeared on WWE programming in eight years. Instead, they ironically got the same treatment that initiated the hashtag #GiveDivasAChance and the eventual progression into the era of women’s wrestling we know today. In fact, fans took to Twitter to revive and update the hashtag after the show.

Yes, Kelly Kelly and Candice Michelle became the first women to win the 24/7 Championship, but let’s not forget that title is relegated to comedic segments. That’s kind of telling, isn’t it? Admittedly, those moments were entertaining, but it was disappointing to see WWE didn’t have anything else planned for the women.

As a matter of fact, there were no women’s matches on the show at all. The optic of women from the Divas Era returning for short catch-all segments with no in-ring action is dreadful. However, it wouldn’t be as shocking if the company didn’t insist that they’ve turned over a new leaf. It is indicative of the way they’re currently treating the women’s roster, but it also illuminates how much WWE still undervalues the Divas.

That era of women’s wrestling in WWE is divisive, but there are so many female Superstars from that time that deserve to be celebrated as much as someone like Trish Stratus. Many of them didn’t accomplish as much as Stratus, but the company shamelessly tried to mold them in her image. Even more, they weren’t allowed to flourish like she did because they were placed in notoriously short matches and terribly sexist segments.

One of the unintentionally cruel byproducts of the Women’s Revolution is that it painted the Divas as untalented or as a sideshow because of their background. There is no denying the quality of women’s matches has improved leaps and bounds in some parts due to a focus on recruiting athletes or experience.

With that said, the Divas Era wasn’t bad because of a lack of talent. It was a tough time for women’s wrestling fans because the division was creatively stagnant and hindered by poor treatment. Judging by Monday night, not much has changed and that’s a shame.