The women are fighting and it’s not over you.

I’ve been watching wrestling since I was four, and since then, I’ve been waiting for an awesome female announcer, a commentator at the sidelines with Jim Ross and Jerry “the King” Lawler that knew her stuff and could hold her own. Sadly, 23 years later, that day still hasn’t come (although I’m still terrified of Razor Ramon).

But there has been progress. Females aren’t just arm candy in the WWE anymore. The Diva’s division (despite the horrible name) has grown to pretty decent-sized ranks. Paige, the Bella Twins, AJ Lee, and a few others have good acting skills and are changing the perception that when a Diva’s match comes on, it’s time to take a bathroom break. They have real storylines and character arcs. Sorry guys, the women are fighting and it’s not over you.

What’s more interesting, is that at a time when the men’s division is drawing from a lot of “veteran” talent (the Undertaker made a comeback last night, Kane, the Dudley Boyz, Sting, etc), the female division continues to develop great talent in the NXT. Sasha Banks’ acting skills are on point and Paige is obviously the next Diva’s Champ in the making.

So what’s the WWE missing? More female matches. The main lineup for RAW features about 12–15 matches and usually only one of those is a female matchup. Let’s develop more storylines and get the ladies more matches.

How about co-ed tag teams? Elevate women in the WWE to being more than girlfriends and ringside cheerleaders. Mixed gender tag teams could be pretty interesting and I’m not sure the WWE has ever explored this route before.

Also, can we please get a female announcer alongside JBL and Michael Cole? Seriously, I’m available.

There have been a few times in recent years when I’ve almost completely given up on the WWE. One of those moments was watching the Undertaker’s 20 year streak end in the hands of Brock ‘the Cabbage Patch kid’ Lesner. But when I do watch, I fall in love with the storylines. I hate on the heels and cheer for the up-and-coming stars. I long for the days of the Attitude Era and Vince McMahon getting pummeled in a hospital bed by the Texas Rattlesnake. And maybe we’re getting there. Stars like Roman Reigns, the Bellas, John Cena, the Wyatts…they’re all captivating characters. So I guess it’s up to us, the fans, to keep the legacy of wrestling going in our homes and in our hearts.

I’m not going to wait for a dude to tell the wrestling stories that I relate to. In fact, I’m not going to wait for another woman to do it either. Plan to hear more about wrestling from me. And if you don’t like it, well…

❤
cab