The booking of the WWE Raw women's division is frustrating

The latest edition of WWE Raw showcased just how strong the women’s division really is. The segment with Damage CTRL, Lyra Valkyria, Kayden & Katana, Shayna Baszler, Sonya Deville, and Zoey Stark was something to see. This comes on the heels of a well-received Women’s Money in the Bank ladder match on Saturday. Yet, all that amounts to little when the main championship on the show is marred in an angle that doesn’t suit the level of talent on the show.

There’s been an issue with the booking of the women’s division on WWE Raw for quite a while, even lately under Triple H. Rhea Ripley was established as a dominant champion with her win at WrestleMania 39 in 2023, but from that point her story was wrapped up in Judgment Day business. Rather than beating back challenger after challenger, she was scripted to be more interested in where the men in the faction stood on the show. That booking, along with some injury issues, kept her from wrestling consistently on major shows all the while the championship remained around her waist.

Now, Liv Morgan has captured her second championship and is seemingly getting the push her fans have wanted to see. Instead of establishing her as a strong champion, WWE Creative has tied the women’s championship up in an angle that’s more drama than anything else. On one hand, it is great to see the women’s division featured as a top angle on the show, closing things out in the main event. On the other, why is it that in 2024 the biggest women’s story on the show must be wrapped up in the behaviors and actions of men? There’s nothing stopping WWE from telling a story about exceptional women’s wrestlers without tying their motives to the men on the roster rather than a simple desire to be the best.

Compare this angle to the top booking on the men’s side. As WWE World Heavyweight Champion, Damian Priest is out to prove that he’s the best and deserving of his spot at the top. GUNTHER is looking to re-establish “honor” to wrestling through the gathering and holding of championships. CM Punk, Drew McIntyre, and Seth Rollins are now tied together in an angle that stems from each man wanting the title and getting in each other’s way of obtaining it. Bron Breakker is destroying people because Adam Pearce consistently kept him out of opportunities to become champion, and he failed when he had the chance to do so. All the top names want to be a champion and everything else is second to that.

That style of booking doesn’t happen on WWE Raw for the women’s division. What’s even more frustrating is that WWE NXT is a strong example of how well a women’s division could be booked in this company. Each week, the women are shown in several matches and segments that reveal layers to their characters as each one of them fights to be on top. Angles and characters do not have to be tied to “love” or attention from the men on the roster. And it is working as NXT is considered by many to be the best WWE product on television right now.

This is where the conversation about WWE’s brand of sports entertainment comes into play. There are things the company is doing well, and some things that deservedly get hit with criticism. The booking of the women’s championship on WWE Raw remains one of them. This brand is packed with enough talent to carry a show. Some would argue it is the best women’s division in the world. Here’s to hoping that the champions and the women chasing them are booked as equals to their male peers soon.