Another WrestleMania without a women's main event

The first forty minutes of WWE SmackDown did not feature a lot of action, but some interesting developments were made. It looks like Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins versus The Rock and Roman Reigns is the play for Night One of WrestleMania 40. Leading to what may be a “Bloodline Rules” main event for Night Two. But what that does mean is that the women’s division is once again out of luck when it comes to getting a main event at the biggest show in professional wrestling.

You’d have to rewind the clock to 2021 to find a WrestleMania that was headlined by women. Sasha Banks and Bianca Belair battled for the WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship in what is the first and still the only women’s match to headline the massive event. Since then, there have been several great women’s matches that were in other positions on the card.

• Charlotte Flair versus Ronda Rousey

• Bianca Belair versus Becky Lynch

• Rhea Ripley versus Charlotte Flair

• Bianca Belair versus Asuka

Those are four big women’s matches, with Ripley versus Flair standing out as a potential classic. Rhea Ripley versus Becky Lynch and Bayley versus IYO Sky both have the potential to be some of the best matches in wrestling this year, but they will fall by the wayside to the spectacle that has been The Bloodline and its potential collapse that first weekend in April.

The idea that the Royal Rumble winner gets main billing at WrestleMania has long passed. Bayley broke the Ironwoman record this year to win the Rumble and she can’t even get on the poster. In fact, the winners of the last three women’s rumble matches were unable to get their main event slot.

Professional wrestling fans must recognize that box office draw is and will always be the bottom line. The storyline with The Bloodline, Rhodes, Rollins, and The Rock is the draw that will bring in money and eyeballs to the big event.

But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a need for a conversation around the focus the women’s division gets when the biggest spotlight is on the WWE. WWE touts WrestleMania as a major selling point before any of the matches are even announced. Bayley’s angle is one of the best in the business, yet it is still getting less than third or fourth billing with a month before the big show. Damage CTRL and the women involved have been a big presence on SmackDown for the past year, much more than any of the men’s singles or tag team champions. WWE is a promotional powerhouse, so what is stopping them from promoting the women’s division with that same strength? It’s a question that truly needs a deep dive but it’s hard to see any true change to come.

WrestleMania 40 is going to be a massive event. Millions of people around the world will watch and thousands will be in Philadelphia to watch in person. The event is already a success on several metrics. But where it will not be a success is the continued call for equal representation of the women’s division in WWE and professional wrestling entirely.