WrestleMania season is in full swing. With Elimination Chamber on the horizon, the big angles for WrestleMania 41 are taking shape. This should be an exciting time, but there's concern growing among fans and reportedly members of the locker room about the direction of the women's division. It is easy to see why so many feel this way, as the women's division on the main roster does not get the same level of booking as the men. It is not a new problem, but it is one that needs to be corrected nonetheless.
Wrestling as a whole continues to do a disservice to the ladies in the locker room. Their matches typically do not get the same level of promotion or time, while the performers do not get the same level of attention or story development. That's especially clear on Monday Night Raw and SmackDown. Even with some of the most popular performers in the business, the Triple H-led brands flounder with featuring talent consistently in a way that fans want to see each week.
Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful reported of growing frustrations within the women's division on this week's episode of The Hump.
"I have spoken with plenty of women in WWE who are frustrated about the booking of the women," Sapp said. "I know there have been some Mania pitches that have been rejected because people are like token tag matches aren't something that they want to do. They want things put on a more even plane in the women's division."
WWE fails the main roster women's champions and stars
If you want an idea at how poorly the women's divisions are booked on the main roster, look at how infrequently the women's championships are defended at PLEs. You'd have to look back to WWE Bad Blood in October 2024 for the last time either the WWE Women's or WWE Women's World Championship were featured in a match on the PLE. That night Nia Jax defeated Bayley and Rhea Ripley defeated Liv Morgan by disqualification. Both matches combined were shorter than the Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns tag team match versus The Bloodline.
Survivor Series: WarGames only had one women's match, the cage match that featured all the top stars in the women's division. The only women's match on the Royal Rumble card was the 30-woman battle royal. Elimination Chamber: Toronto is up next, and while there are two women's matches on the card, one is a throwaway tag team match pitting Tiffany Stratton and Trish Stratus against Nia Jax and Candice LeRae.
Speaking of Elimination Chamber: Toronto, the women's chamber matche does not have the same level of excitement as the men's chamber match. Even though it features the biggest names in the division in Liv Morgan, Bianca Belair, Alexa Bliss, Bayley, Naomi, and Roxanne Perez, it does not feel like any of these ladies are seen as big enough stars to topple Rhea Ripley; a champion who rarely defends her championship.
These issues are tied directly to WWE's unwillingness to tell interesting stories with the women. There was opportunity with Ripley versus Morgan, as the two women have years' worth of history between theme. Adding in Raquel Rodriguez furthered that possibility. Instead, the story was focused around Dominick Mysterio, with the title nothing more than a prop. There's a chance to build a strong angle outside the championship with Naomi, Belair, and Jade Cargill - but again, the track record for pulling it off doesn't leave many hopeful.
Even the introduction of new midcard championships has not helped the division. Lyra Valkyria and Chelsea Green are not getting the opporutnity to build their titles with a constant stream of challengers and interesting angles. In the months since winning the titles, Green and Valkyria have a combined one title defense between them, with Green losing that to Michin via DQ.
Look to WWE NXT as a shining example
Triple H doesn't have to look far, as WWE NXT continues to shine a spotlight on the women's division. The ladies on this show are consistently featured in big matches and multiple segments throughout the show. Take Vengeance Day for example, where the match between Giulia, Bayley, Roxanne Perez, and Cora Jade where the main event of the evening.
On NXT the women's division not only stands on equal footing as the men, but gets a stronger presentation in the eyes of many. There are several names in the women's group who are being built into stars for the brand and the future of the company, while there are far fewer men making a lasting impact on NXT.
Complaints about the booking of the women's division is not a new problem. But it is one that needs to be handled quickly. If fans, viewers, and future roster members are to believe this is a "new era" of WWE both in front of the camera and behind it, it needs to be firmly understood that the women will get equal opporutnity like their male counterparts, and that's not happening right now.