It’s the morning after the night before and several thoughts are whirling through my brain.
You see, on the first regular three-hour Raw, WWE seemingly showed us just how important the Divas division is to the company, because even with an extra hour of time, champion Layla and her colleagues were nowhere to be found.
This, the first three hour episode of Raw that wasn’t a special edition, should’ve been a starting point for building up other parts of Raw that were often neglected with just two hours; amongst them the midcard scene, the tag team division, and of course, the Divas division. Instead the extra hour was used to show even more of the stars we already see on a weekly basis.
With WWE seemingly showing their hand, there was quite the backlash on Twitter last night following Raw, and while I could forgive the lack of Diva advancement on a special edition of the show such as last week’s 1,000th episode, this week, not so much. With an extra hour of Raw, there’s no excuse to give the Divas 10 minutes of time on the show and start building up captivating storylines as we’ve seen in the past with Trish Stratus and Mickie James, or even recently, with Maxine on NXT and AJ on Raw. Instead, fans aren’t even getting the measly 90 seconds of Divas action they once got on a two-hour broadcast. (Though, it could be argued, it’s better to not see them at all than to watch a 90 second match.)
Needless to say, three hour Raw is not off to a great start. Our sentiments were echoed by former Divas, Brie and Nikki Bella, also: “I agree! It’s so sad! Don’t they know that people want the Divas?”
With the words of former WWE Diva, Maxine, real name Karlee Perez, still ringing in my ears and reports of the cast of ABC’s hit comedy, Modern Family, successfully bandying together to negotiate a pay raise — I wonder, is it time for the Divas to take a stand?
Perez made a lot of sense in our exclusive interview last week, talking about the Divas (and a lot of the male wrestlers, also) having to sit on the sidelines and wait for an opportunity — an opportunity that may never come, all the while giving their best, most youthful years to WWE.
Indeed, we’re seeing from the likes of Perez, the Bellas, Gail Kim and more, that perhaps the grass isn’t always greener in WWE and the trend of Divas opting to leave to pursue other areas where they will be utilized breaks the rose-colored “dream job” theory that many fans have about working for WWE.
With this latest blow, will other Divas soon be joining them outside of WWE? I wouldn’t blame them.
I’m then reminded of all of the coverage I’ve been reading this past week in the Hollywood trade press regarding the Modern Family cast. Of course, it’s not quite the same; there are contracts to negotiate in this case, and I wouldn’t suggest the Divas go as far as filing a lawsuit against WWE, but the principle is there — putting on a united front and standing together often has better results than going it alone.
I say it’s time the Divas grouped together and went a-knockin’ on someone’s door. Surely it isn’t too much to ask for a segment on a three hour weekly show?
“Be the change you want to see in the world.”
Instead of waiting for an opportunity (one that may or may not come), I’d like to see the women stand up for themselves to try and make that change, one that could set the Divas division on a course for years to come.
And even if it doesn’t work, and even if there’s backlash, at least they will have stood up for themselves. That would certainly earn my respect.
So, Divas, take your stand. We’re right behind you.
