Don’t get me wrong, what happened on “Monday Night RAW” was very exciting, well overdue, and critical to the progression of the Diva’s division. But it isn’t enough, at least not by itself. Becky Lynch, Charlotte, and Sasha banks are huge talents. They are fierce competitors and they have every ability to redefine women’s wrestling in the WWE. They’re just not going to be able to do it alone. Creative and management need to be behind this revolution or we’ll be back to same old same old in a month. We need more than call-ups, what we need is true change.
This is a golden opportunity, not just for the new recruits, for the whole division. Which means this shouldn’t be a squash by the NXT girls, although that beat down at the end was awesome. If this is really going to cause a revolution, Team Bella needs to wrestle up to their opponents. They’re the benchmark because they represent the old division. They need to evolve, to step up, and to show us they’re more than a couple of good moves and a lot of screaming. If they can do that, the whole division is poised to start wrestling up to its potential, instead of down to creative’s expectations.
This massive 9-woman feud is a huge step forward from the “Mean Girls vs. the Freaks and Geeks” we’re accustom to these days. It shouldn’t, however, last for much longer. Instead, this is a chance to get multiple quality feuds going in the division. The possibilities are endless: the various factions could turn in on themselves (Bella/Bella anyone?) Sasha could turn face and reunite with former BFF Charlotte. Maybe Paige could decide she really just isn’t about friendship at all, and someone has to come for Nikki’s title. They need to use it to light a fire under the division, story-wise. Every Diva should be clamoring to prove herself in that ring. “Give Divas a chance” is not just a catch phrase for WWE to throw around as they please, it’s about creating a creative environment where they can succeed.
Stephanie McMahon as a face might be the best part of this story, because it gives us a point person to lead the division. She should play the tough-love Momma Hen. No more favoritism or underhandedness, she should push them to be better by putting them in tough matches. Under her leadership the division can blossom, working strong title feuds and developing the mid card talent. The Queen of WWE is definitely the best person for the job.
There’s a revolution coming for sure, but it’ll take more than just call ups to make this work. The Bellas, and the rest of the tenured Divas, need to step it up and prove that talent and hard work have never been the issue here. Long, intense and dramatic matches need to come from this. Not just for one massive storyline, but multiple feuds that utilize the depth of the Diva’s locker room. Steph should be pushing all of them, not just the top four, to seek out opportunities to prove themselves. That’s what we’re looking for when we say give them a chance. That’s what a Diva’s revolution looks like.
