WWE: The misuse of the women’s division must change

WWE has the most talented women’s division in wrestling but fails to use them like the draw they have proven to be in the past.

“Quality over quantity” is a mantra that rings true in several ways. WWE content is an area where the saying fits, especially when it comes to the women on the main roster. This week’s edition on Monday Night Raw presented a glaring issue that much of the women’s division is lacking direction. But what is worse is there does not seem to be any effort to fix the issues at hand as the WWE continues to misuse one of the most important aspects of its stacked roster.

This past Monday there were two major segments that involved the women. First, Asuka successfully defended her title against Lana. This led into the women’s tag team Fatal-Four Way that featured the current champions, Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler, the Riott Squad, Dana Brooke and Mandy Rose and the odd pairing of Peyton Royce and Lacey Evans. The Lana versus Asuka match ended exactly how many expected, but Lana looked decent in her spots. Overall, the tag match was a convoluted mess that crated more questions than answers.

Ten women were featured in back to back segments worth 10 minutes and 45 seconds of action in a three-hour show. Yet, at the end of those 10 minutes none of the women were advanced in any way that added substance to their character or position on the card. People frequently chastise AEW for their lack of women and time dedicated to them each week – rightfully so. But there’s multiple glairing issues with how the women are booked across both Raw and SmackDown and Monday’s segments feels like a culmination of such.

Monday’s Raw was the “Go Home” edition of the show. The pre-PPV episode that gets people interested in the upcoming PPV. Asuka is one of the most dominant champions on the roster and has consistently performed as a top talent during the COVID-19 era of wrestling. As of Tuesday, she does not have a match booked for Sunday’s PPV. Baszler and Jax, they also do not have contenders lined up for their tag team titles. WWE Creative has failed to build up a pair of believable women to challenge them across three brands, making those titles obsolete. It seems like Baszler and Jax are more worried about Asuka’s title because no one else comes off as a real threat to the champion.

Properly booking women in credible storylines has benefited the WWE. Look at Sasha Banks and Bayley. Two of the top performers in the industry, but they have consistently been given ample time and space to develop this storyline. Bayley’s attack on Banks garnered 2.32 million viewers and according to Dave Meltzer that is the highest drawing segment in wrestling, regardless of promotion in months. Banks and Bayley also powered the last instances in which NXT defeated AEW in the weekly wars during the end of June and early July.

Bayley and Banks are a prime example of what happens when time is given to talent. Monday’s segment shows that decision makers are failing to give one of the most diverse aspects of their roster adequate time and care. And the idea that there is not a lot of talent on the women’s division is a false narrative. Bianca Belair, Zelina Vega, the Riott Squad, Mia Yim, Chelsea Green, and others are on this roster and capable of performing at a high level. Look at NXT, where some of the more compelling storylines going feature the women. NXT stands as an example that WWE Creative can get it right when it comes to booking the women as an attraction, but the laziness displayed each week on the main roster only leads to more frustration.

WWE’s weekly content can be difficult to watch even for the most hardcore wrestling fans. The women on the roster are a key component to making it enjoyable once again. Decision makers behind the scenes need to change course on this group of performers because they continue to misuse a large segment of the talented women on the main roster.