WWE Women’s Division: Evaluation of the Refreshed Evolution

WWE has done all it possibly could to really push their “Women’s Evolution” in the past couple of years which has resulted in some of the best TV and matches the WWE has seen the past decade. Women’s wrestling as a whole has jumped to new heights in the past two decades so in no way should WWE get all the credit but when it comes to a national stage, what they have done has been great. Now with both Raw and SmackDown on different hopes and having their own unique rosters, it has become a time where the women’s division in the WWE has to utilize everyone with the most talent at their disposal in wrestling. A land of firsts has been highlighted by four women for the most part, and while that is incredible to see women get the chance, there are more than just four.

Four Horsewomen

Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks, and Bayley. The Four Horsewomen are among the most prominent stars in all of the WWE and they have proven that year after year. They have been trusted to lead the “Women’s Evolution” with all four participating in almost every “first” for the women’s division. Discussing these four includes some incredible history as Charlotte Flair was the first Raw Women’s Champion. Becky Lynch was the first SmackDown Women’s Champion. And Sasha Banks and Bayley became the first-ever WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions earlier this year. Match types, PPVs, new titles, and main events including WrestleMania, all things these four women have been apart of in helping change the mold of the women in the WWE.

When it comes to guarantees in this company, these four women being at the top being among the best parts of the show is for sure. With Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair being at the head of Raw and Sasha Banks and Bayley at the head of SmackDown, both brands have a solidified duo at the top. But after them is where the problem arises.

The Problem

WWE has struggled at establishing the women of the WWE underneath the Four Horsewomen. Not that they do not have the women to fill in for the job. But instead, they do not give them the opportunities to do the job. A roster full of women who are all unique and incredible in their own way and it comes down to just four on TV week in and week out. This is not an article to hate on the Four Horsewomen one bit. They’re all awesome. It is more so an evaluation of what the WWE can do now that it is far more refreshed and each women’s division only has two of the tops stars they have used for the past year.

Crowning The Kabuki Warriors as WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions was a step in the right direction. Asuka and Kairi Sane are two of the most talented women in the company and were held back for months at a time, which should never happen to two talents like them. What is great is that the fans of these women never let them go and any time they showed up, they got reactions. Something that is incredibly important in the WWE is getting reaction from the fans. “The Man” doesn’t get to the highest point ever without the fans. Asuka and Sane have shown a different edge that is appreciated and it has them going to NXT, the place where Asuka became a legend in herself and Sane became one of the most popular. But after them, who is there that do not hold championships?

Alexa Bliss, who is a multi-time women’s champion and really is the only woman to get main time other than the horsewomen. Bliss has helped raise someone like Nikki Cross into more existence by just being together. Now as the main two babyfaces of the SmackDown brand, they will remain an important part of the machine. Another that should be worth noting is Carmella, who most of the time has been stuck with R-Truth and the 24/7 Championship, but has continued to get TV time leaving her unforgotten. But at times it seems the WWE has completely forgotten all of their other incredibly talented women which must be changed for an even bright future in the women’s division.

Forgotten One’s

Sonya Deville is the first woman that comes to mind when thinking of the “Forgotten Ones” on the main roster. Deville may be one of the easiest wrestlers to get behind in the entire company, however, the insistence of keeping Deville and her real-life best friend Mandy Rose together remains. Fire and Desire have shown plenty of potential, but truth be told, the real potential is in these two women as singles. Mandy is the perfect heel as she simply can use her looks to piss people off. Sonya, on the other hand, is someone people want to cheer for and very much should get a look on Friday nights as one of the brands top babyfaces when the time comes. Her story is unique, so share that on the best platform possible and let fans get behind her.

Up there with Fire and Desire are the likes of the former Riott Squad. While Ruby Riott has been sidelined for most of 2019, Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan have been on TV a combined three or four times since the Superstar Shakeup that broke them apart in April. Morgan and Logan are both now back on Raw together, but it seems Morgan is going down a dark path when we will see the “real” her. It actually is one of the most enticing possibilities in the WWE right now, but it becomes difficult to say she is “involved” when she has been on TV one time since April. When it comes to Sarah Logan, she deserves an opportunity as well. A possible connection between her and the Viking Raiders could be something very tempting in the long run. And for Ruby, she should be a top woman on either brand she ends up when she is healed.

Ember Moon had hope at one time just a few months ago, getting a SmackDown Women’s Championship match at SummerSlam. Sadly, she is now out with an injury and without a brand. As one of the more talented in-ring talents in all the WWE, she should absolutely be given a shot when she returns. Dana Brooke is a name that does not get a lot of love, but she has seemingly improved quietly through time and has a solid amount of fans behind her to mean something in the future. Of course, it would be a crime to forget about the beloved IIconics as well, who have not been seen much on TV since losing their titles. Nia Jax and Mickie James are two more names to keep an eye out for when the time comes as they are both former women’s champions.

The New Divisions

Here are the new, official divisions that can open up to possibilities on both Raw and SmackDown:

Raw 

Raw Women’s Champion Becky Lynch

Charlotte Flair

WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Asuka and Kairi Sane

Liv Morgan

Billy Kay

Peyton Royce

Natalya

Sarah Logan

Zelina Vega

SmackDown

SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley

Sasha Banks

Sonya Deville

Mandy Rose

Lacey Evans

Alexa Bliss

Nikki Cross

Carmella

Dana Brooke

Injured/Not Officially On A Roster

Ronda Rousey

Ruby Riott

Nia Jax

Ember Moon

Naomi

Fans continuously hope for call-ups to freshen up rosters and have new serious contenders. Little do fans know, there are contenders already on the roster that can help lead to a new future.

A New Future

A new future awaits all that are apart of the Raw and SmackDown women’s divisions. With no “wild card rule” to ruin the divisions, the women who deserve opportunities can now get them. It was already seen on the first edition of Friday Night SmackDown following the draft, as Nikki Cross earned a shot at Bayley’s SmackDown Women’s Championship. Even more is stirring between Sonya Deville and Becky Lynch, except they are on different brands. As we have learned, trades are possible. This future is bright and it really is a complete reset that leads to hope. Becky Lynch now awaits a challenger. We can only hope as fans that it is not Charlotte Flair off the bat, but instead another woman like Liv Morgan or either of the IIconics seizing the opportunity they have yet to obtain.

In all, this past WWE Draft opened up opportunities that had really stalled since after WrestleMania. I must mention Ronda Rousey due to how much she helped the women’s division continue its climb to be the best thing on the show most weeks. With her out of the picture (for now), this is time for the WWE to appreciate what they have at their disposal and continue to give the women chances that they have already begun with last Friday.

SmackDown needs a new established top babyface in that division with Bayley going dark on everyone, and Raw needs someone to challenge “The Man”. Let the games begin! Hopefully a year from now, many of these non-Four Horsewomen have grown into bigger roles with the company.