WWE had a very unwanted feat on Monday’s episode of Raw – for the first time in a while, there were no dedicated women’s matches or even in-ring promos.
Maxxine Dupri merely slapped Otis after he and Akira Tozawa lost to Bron Breakker and Austin Theory. Women’s World Champion Liv Morgan and Queen of the Ring winner Iyo Sky were reduced to brawling during Joe Hendry’s match against Dominik Mysterio. Lyra Valkyria, two days removed from defeating Bayley at Saturday Night’s Main Event, was consigned to confronting Women’s Intercontinental Champion Sol Ruca during an ad break.
Such an episode marks the downfall and nadir of a women’s division that is on paper the deepest in any wrestling promotion. Thus begs the question: what has happened?
The problems arguably may have begun at WrestleMania 42, when Stephanie Vaquer reportedly legitimately injured her shoulder during her match against Morgan. While unfortunate, it does not excuse the complete lack of attention WWE has given to the Women’s World title (aka “no backup plans”). Here is how it should have gone.
Using this writer’s WrestleMania 42 predictions, Sky uses the momentum from her win against Asuka to propel herself into a title shot at Backlash. Unfortunately, interference from Roxanne Perez and Raquel Rodriguez costs her. There is a post-match beatdown that ends when Kairi Sane, who had defeated Asuka on the same night, intervenes.
Morgan vs. Sane is the next title match, and it ends with the champion retaining, marking the last WWE match for “The Pirate Princess”. Next is the Queen of the Ring, and a still-face Dupri replaces Morgan, tying into the self-doubt arc that ultimately leads her to Theory and The Vision.
Sky wins the tournament as in real life. Morgan, meanwhile, receives another title challenge before SummerSlam – from Jordynne Grace, whom she beats. Then out come Sky and Vaquer, the latter with her rematch in hand.
This simple yet effective fantasy booking (re)introduces (new) characters to the title picture while still largely maintaining continuity with real life.
Over on SmackDown, things have not been much better.
Rhea Ripley’s injury has left creative scrambling to crown an interim WWE Women’s champion. Even then, however, they managed to botch it by having Jayne lose a qualifier to Women’s United States Champion Tiffany Stratton.
Now, the excuse is that Stratton deserves a match in her home state of Minnesota, where SummerSlam is being held. In that case, why not have her defend the US title there? Maybe she sees Giulia, Kiana James, and Blake Monroe fighting each other backstage. She then tells them, “I know what you all want – this (shows the belt)?”
Back to Jayne, the loss served as another way to unnecessarily cool her off after the heat she received in her debut. Even after Fallon Henley and Lainey Reid clinched the Women’s Tag titles at SNME, Fatal Influence still lacks the “coolness” factor that defined its first few weeks.
As some fans have said, it seems that Jayne and company have been punished for going too over It does not help that the promotion apparently wants Jade Cargill and her “jobbers” – B-Fab and Michin – as the brand’s top women’s faction.
The solution is blindingly simple: Jayne. Triple H once loved fully gilded factions, himself having been part of one in Evolution and booking another in the Undisputed Era in NXT. Now it is time he returns to that formula and has Jayne parade herself as “the uncrowned real champion”, greatly boosting the profile of her unifier with Ripley.
This stunning lack of care that WWE has shown stands in stark contrast to what AEW has been doing with its Women’s World Championship.
Women’s Owen Hart winner Mercedes Mone will be a very astute witness at this Sunday’s Redemption, when Thekla defends against Willow Nightingale. The tension in that match is real: both women have a legitimate case for why they should win and go to Wembley. That is compelling booking – one that gets fans excited for what comes next.
The past months for the women of WWE have been filled with nothingness – one that the bookers have only themselves to blame for. Here is hoping that after SummerSlam, Triple H finally gets his act together again…
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