My earliest and happiest memories include watching wrestling. As a child, wrestling provided me an escape from the world around me. Whether I was getting lost in the stories being told on TV, creating my own storylines with action figures, or reading through wrestling magazines, I loved falling deeper and deeper down the rabbit hole that was professional wrestling.
I started watching wrestling in the early '90s and I've been an avid fan ever since. With over 25 years of fandom behind me, the very real importance of WWE Evolution is not lost on me.
Tomorrow, for the first time ever, fans will witness an all-women's PPV. And no matter your thoughts on the actual card, it's vital that wrestling fans across the world tune in to experience - and support - WWE Evolution.
Throughout the majority of my lifetime, women were there for your sexual entertainment. That's not to say there were not incredibly gifted athletes in the WWF/E and in other promotions, but more often than not, their athletic ability was pushed aside in order to highlight their other...um..."assets". Wrestling fans have a tendency to glorify the Attitude Era, which saw stars like Steve Austin and The Rock rise to superstardom. And, without question, this was an exceptionally entertaining period of time for wrestling fans.
But, and I'm sure I'll get a lot of backlash for this opinion, a whole lot of that "entertainment" does not age well. Thanks to the WWE Network, it's easy to go back and relive the moments that shaped our childhoods...and, well, let's just say there's a number of reasons the WWE decided to grow out of that phase - including, but not limited to, the way women were presented and represented.
Of course, even after the Attitude Era gave way to the age of John Cena, Edge, Randy Orton and others, women still found their TV time often limited to a silly, sexualized presentation. And when they did get to showcase their talent in-ring, it was usually regulated to a quick few minutes - a far cry from the clinics some of these women are putting on today.
Regardless of the abundance of pillow fights, lingerie and frantic cries of "puppies!", there were always certain women who were actively pushing the perception of the "Divas" division with their in-ring abilities. As has been noted on WWE television leading up to Evolution, this show is not something that came to existence overnight. There have been women pushing the patriarchal boundaries of professional wrestling/sports entertainment long before I turned on my first episode of wrestling.
Before Sable was powerbombing Marc Mero or Chyna was winning the Intercontinental Championship, before Lita and Trish Stratus were main eventing RAW, before the first ever Women's Royal Rumble was main eventing one of the marquee events of the year...women have been fighting for their opportunity to shine in the ring.
Now, thanks to their talent and perseverance, thanks to the demands of fans, and undoubtedly thanks to the shift in society, the WWE is allowing women an entire event all to themselves. And I have no doubt they will deliver.
But the success of WWE Evolution is as much on the fans as it is on the women who will step inside the squared circle to compete. As such, we have to follow through on our end of the bargain and tune in - even if you don't agree with the card.
You see, this event is happening. For a lot of reasons. So, now is not the time to let your fantasy booking syndrome come into play and cause low ratings. Just because the show is taking place tomorrow night does not guarantee there will be another one - on the business side of things, WWE needs to see that an event like this makes sense to hold.
And, all the matches (for the most part) make sense...so don't decide to be a mark and f**k this up for these hard working WWE and NXT superstars.
Yes, I'm disappointed Alexa Bliss is not able to compete. Yes, I wish Lita and Trish were going up against Bayley and Sasha, two of the women most commonly associated with the start of the women's revolution. But Alicia Fox has been around for quite some time and even if she isn't utilized to her fullest potential on a regular basis, she has certainly earned herself the right to be featured on this show. When she's on, Fox is on - there's a reason she has held her spot on the roster for so many years. And, with the unexpected injury, there was only so many options - especially "heel" options - for WWE to go with. Let this match breathe and enjoy the return of Stratus and Lita.
Plus, Mickie James is never not on fire in that ring.
For storyline purposes, the six-woman tag match fits so nicely on this card. It can't all be random matches that serve the "then vs. now" dynamic. I wouldn't be surprised to see Natalya turn on Banks and Bayley - and I'm a sucker for a nicely done heel turn. I also believe Riott Squad has really picked up the pace as of late and this is an excellent opportunity for Ruby Riott to showcase her abilities against some young veterans.
We tend to lack patience these days, often complaining about the frequency of matches. But, in my opinion, feuds are meant to last and the best storylines were/are carried out over time. Let these women battle it out time and time again, as long as it leads to a spectacular blowout in the future. For all we know, this helps lead to the formerly craved Sasha/Bayley WrestleMania match - which, if done right, has all the potential in the world to catch your attention.
I'm of the opinion that there is no better wrestling programming available today than what NXT offers each week. Kairi Sane and Shayna Baszler could very well steal the show tomorrow night. Anyone upset that this match is happening again probably shouldn't be watching wrestling anyway.
What better way to conclude the second Mae Young Classic than featuring the finals on the first ever all-women's PPV? Last year's winner is now the NXT champ, so showcasing what these two athletes bring to the table on a featured PPV is smart business. If you haven't been watching the tournament, you're missing out on some awesome competition between a plethora of talented women. And, much like Sane vs. Baszler, the Shirai vs. Storm match has a very real chance of being Match of the Night.
With more women on the roster than ever before, plus the obvious desire to feature as many past talent as possible, it really only makes sense there would be some form of a battle royal at Evolution. When they announced the PPV, Stephanie McMahon stated that "over 50 women" would compete at Evolution. This is clearly just a way to get everyone on the show since it's impossible, or would be a poor decision, to oversaturate the card with single matches. And the women's Royal Rumble was excellent, so between surprise entrants and future storyline development, I'm looking forward to what this match brings to the table.
I'm all the way here for #heel Becky Lynch. And I'm head over heals in love with the development of this ongoing story between Lynch and Charlotte Flair. Becky is finally getting her chance to shine and she's taking full advantage of the opportunity. Let these women feud all the way to WrestleMania - I don't expect it, but I'm not going to be upset if that's the case. Time and time again, these two have proven how talented they are and how well they work together - they know each other's style and beyond the out of ring development, they tell such detailed stories in the ring against each other. The emotion is very real and it's not difficult to expand your imagination and buy into this storyline.
Again, if you have a problem with these two having another match together, maybe this isn't the product for you.
And then you have what will probably be tomorrow's main event, the match that has the most people upset - Ronda Rousey vs. Nikki Bella.
Man, I get the complaints and the criticism. I really do. But I also get why this match makes sense - the most sense - to headline WWE Evolution.
First and foremost, let's get this out of the way: how many people spent years claiming Nikki was only in the position she was because of her relationship with John Cena? How many people overlooked the amount of time she's spent putting in work for the company that employs her? Granted, I've never been a fan of Nikki Bella but that doesn't mean she hasn't worked for her spot - even if she isn't the most gifted in-ring technician. And she's still getting this opportunity even though she split from Cena, so there goes that argument.
WWE is a business. Nikki is a recognizable face that has, in her own way, gained acclaim outside the constraints of WWE programming. This event will be most successful if it appeals to and draws in more than just wrestling fans. Not everyone who tunes in is there to see catch-as-catch-can wrestling - and this applies to those who tune in to watch Raw, Smackdown, WrestleMania, 205 Live and NXT. The WWE has the largest, most diverse fanbase in the world...and it's because they make sure to appeal to more than just one demographic.
And Nikki Bella is a wonderful #heel who people love to hate. Because she represents everything the Women's Revolution is fighting against. That's why Charlotte beat Nikki for her first championship. And that's why it makes perfect sense Nikki is returning to face Ronda for the Women's title at Evolution.
On one side, you have Rousey - a very real athlete who has quickly adapted to the demands of the WWE and who serves as the perfect face of what women's wrestling is becoming. And then you have Nikki Bella, the perfect adversary for not just Ronda but all the women who have been continuously pushing the limits and preconceived notions of what women's wrestling is viewed as.
Guys, there are obviously a lot of women on the roster who deserve to be in the main event. And the argument could be made they deserve it more than either of the two who will fill that role tomorrow. But WWE is and will always be about telling stories...the wrestling, the athleticism, is just a part of that.
Even if it's not the match I want to see the most, what other two women on the roster have the potential to draw the most mainstream coverage for this event while simultaneously telling a story that represents the entirety of the revolution/evolution that's taking place?
Take your "smark" cape off and remember there is more going on here than who "deserves" what and who is the "best". At the end of the day, it's entertainment.
We asked for this. They worked for this. Together, let's make WWE Evolution a success so the revolution can continue.
WWE Evolution airs tomorrow night at 7:00pm EST on the WWE Network.
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