Thanks to Stephanie McMahon’s announcement during last night’s RAW, it’s official: Wrestlemania’s triple threat main event is a “winner takes all” match, meaning that we will see a double champion crowned come this Sunday. The news also continues to enhance the buzz around the WWE Universe that the SmackDown LIVE and RAW Women’s Championships could be unified.
While there are pros and cons to this concept, including the idea around the female talent pool thinning a tad thanks to the Women’s Tag Team titles, this wrestling journalist struggles with the concept that a title unification is what’s “best for business” or women’s wrestling, especially after reaching a pinnacle milestone like having three females (finally) close the Grandest Stage of Them All.
First and foremost, having one holy grail to reach for within both brands would inevitably lessen creative programs for the two jam-packed female rosters, brimming at the top with talent right now. The women’s revolution fought so hard to placed into the spotlight, treated as equals when it came to matches on television and pay-per-views (PPV), with storylines that meant more than sideline flash, eye candy, and bra and panties matches. One title means one high-level female program that is profiled on either brand, depending on where the challenger resides. It also means plenty of female talent sitting on the sidelines watching the wrestling seasons go by; not what the women’s revolution was about.
To boot, whoever walks away champion from this Sunday’s main event, will be handed additional dates to an already chaotic schedule that WWE performers have to work; with appearances (potentially) needed on both Monday Night RAW and SD LIVE, working double-duty. This could take a toll on any superstar, man or woman.
Then, one has to think about the upper-mid-card talents that may get lost in the shuffle with only one championship title for the women on both rosters; many superstars who won’t be getting any chance to look at a title race picture. I’m looking at you, Nikki Cross, Lacey Evans, Naomi, the Riott Squad, Mickie James. It may also mean that superstars like Alexa Bliss and Asuka, main eventing women in their own right, also sit on the sidelines for an undue amount of time. Heck, with Asuka dropping the title last week, this scraps a one-on-one high profile Wrestlemania match as Charlotte Flair was already scheduled for the main event.
One championship for two female rosters means that opportunities get cut in half, it affects NXT female callups and their potential debuts, the talent pool in the singles division unequally widens, and many talented women, who deserve more, will just get less: less airtime, less PPV time, less time to connect with fans.
Is this what fans and female superstars envisioned when they looked at a successful women’s evolution? Finally getting the Wrestlemania main event, only to then have two high-tier titles; two mid-card titles; two tag titles for the men’s division and only one high-tier championship for the females?
Perhaps if a second title gets introduced for female mid-carders, this could rectify things, but until then, I’m truly skeptical if a Women’s title unification is what is “best for business”, post Wrestlemania season.
More About:Sports