22 god damn divas

[NormanSmiley]

between the main roster and NXT there are 22 divas who "wrestle". Anyone else think this is a tad excessive? do the women still draw now that they aren't used for valets or puppies?

maybe I'm old but since Trish retired I've thought they should have done away with the women's wrestling as it doesn't seem to draw anyone in at all. Obviously with them having a show on E they aren't going anywhere but wouldn't 8-10 girls be enough to hang onto?

[Lock Jaw]

I thoroughly enjoy the NXT divas matches/segments.

[Tom Guycott]

Its one of those things that could work, but it goes back to the company actually putting effort into it to make people care. If you tell everyone, directly OR indirectly that women's wrestling isn't worth anything, then it is no surprise that nobody thinks it worth anything.

Hell, a few years back, TNA of all people were doing phenominal things with women's wrestling. And it was getting over, much to the chagrin of a lot of guys losing TV time to them. It was something that was setting them apart from WWE until the nWo arrived. I mean Immortal. Whatever, same rehashed angle.

Seriously, of the "22 god damn divas", how many do you know off the top of your head? I can only name about half, and that's because people won't shut up about Emma around here and that I have undying loyalties to Layla El.

Everyone talks about the "good ol days" of Trish Stratus, but much like on the men's side with people in the industry like Brock Lesnar or Bill Goldberg, Trish was brought in with the "look good first, then hope she can learn to wrestle" mentality, and like the guys I just mentioned, it worked with her because she took to the business. She wasn't just instantly and magically over. Neither was Lita. They had the sex appeal to capture attention, but the possessed the ability AND JUST AS IMPORTANTLY was given the opportunity to hold on to it once they got it. They didn't simply remain masturbation fodder; they got the shot to earn some respect.

It also didn't hurt that she was written into angles and had feuds. Just about all the girls used to be. Now, the Diva's title is the Everyone-gets-a-turn belt with the prerequisite being having a uterus and being in the WWE. They get pushed against the current champion, they win, and that's it until the next challenger they decide to push.

As it stands right now, they're just random boob sizes coming down to make time for piss breaks. It could be better than that, but WWE is content in just letting it be. To answer your question, it is rather stupid to keep this many women around if you're going to do absolutely nothing to showcase them in a way wrestling fans actually give a flying fornication about.

[#1-norm-fan]

Divas make female fans feel empowered or something. They're necessary.

They really should bring back the idea of valets though. You just can't reason using multiple segments on diva matches so what better way to keep them involved and stop them from being forgotten than to easily inject them into a male storylines as valets? Meanwhile you've got the divas title picture which takes up it's own segment of Raw and the 2 or 3 divas not involved in that are staying relevant without wasting TV time. Also it would help keep order. The "put a title on someone for a month and then forget they exist" booking is pretty bad in the divas division. I think Layla could have been a bigger star/this generations Trish if they had kept her relevant in storylines.

[Lock Jaw]

AJ was involved with male rasslers before becoming so over as a rassler in her own right. Trish and Lita did the same.

Eve got kind of involved and was starting to get over.

[Droford]

They should do a Divas only show on the network eventually..

[Lock Jaw]

They have one on the E! Network!

[Droford]

I was thinking more of having them actually wrestle

[The Rogerer]

The first thing I would do is sort out there entrance music. Half of them are always given entrance music that's about shagging. Treat them like fighters.

[whiteyford]

Pretty much what TG said, TNA had women's matches main eventing Impact and consistently drawing the highest ratings every week to the point they looked at into a separate all Knockouts show, it all comes down to how they're presented/used. If they're booked as a piss break segment that's what they'll be but it's not like they're short of TV time to book a few Diva angles.

[XL]

You'd get by with probably 6 Divas with the way they are currently used. That's 2 months as champion/challenger each. The likes of Aksana, Rosa and Eva Marie are not wrestlers and only get exposure in multi-person matches that mean nothing. Unfortunately, they want the girls on Total Divas to be faces, so they need as many girls to be heels.

It's same throughout the card though. How many guys are aimlessly meandering through the midcard, trading wins/losses with one another right now?

[AKin3D]

Still not the most Divas used at one time. I think it was 2004 or 2005 they had 25 that were considered official Divas. It worked since everyone was attached to a story and was adding something to the show. I have to say that Total Divas in my mind helped save the Divas from the downward spiral they were in. Its like side story to the lack of story they have for wrestling.

[The Rogerer]

It was pretty perfect when you had AJ, Ziggler and Langston together. AJ was getting constant visibility. Now that we know that there are wrestling partnerships, why not put them together? At least reinforce those connections so that people are used to seeing them on TV, weaving them between each other. Hell, have Cena come out to celebrate with Nikki or something. Yes, it's not brilliant but it's better than the nothing that we have.

[DAMN iNATOR]

They talk up the divas’ division like it’s something to be proud of, but at least as far as the non-NXT shows go, it’s still just a steaming hot mess. The sad thing is the crowd, the divas, the commentators...EVERYBODY fucking knows it and they seemingly can’t (or WON’T) choose an actual suitable diva to take the title from AJ Lee, which is probably why she’s taken Maryse’s old record as the longest-reigning WWE Divas’/Women’s Champion of all time at nearly 8 months.

Mix in 1 or 2 more divas from NXT into the main roster, Emma seems at first to be a good fit, and if they can actually go one-on-one LEGIT with AJ, then fine, let one of them take her on for the title if they’re not going to choose a worthy opponent for her from the main roster. Because while whichever of the Funkadactyls, Naomi or Cameron, is seemingly #1 Contender to AJ right now and both have vastly improved, I’m sorry, this is not a racist remark, I SWEAR, but neither of them, IMHO is ready for a title reign and I feel either of them right NOW would be a failure with it.

[DAMN iNATOR]

Still not the most Divas used at one time. I think it was 2004 or 2005 they had 25 that were considered official Divas. It worked since everyone was attached to a story and was adding something to the show. I have to say that Total Divas in my mind helped save the Divas from the downward spiral they were in. Its like side story to the lack of story they have for wrestling.

Yeah, could easily do without Eva Marie for one, don’t know too much more of the divas’ roster besides that, but they need to do some serious fucking pruning.

[Lock Jaw]

I will admit that the Total Divas show has improved the division. Which wasn't hard because it was so terrible before. Just now there are actual feuds going on. Granted it is the same feud over and over again with AJ going against cast member after cast member of the show. Still an improvement.

[DAMN iNATOR]

I will admit that the Total Divas show has improved the division. Which wasn't hard because it was so terrible before. Just now there are actual feuds going on. Granted it is the same feud over and over again with AJ going against cast member after cast member of the show. Still an improvement.

I guess it just doesn’t feel like much of one when they keep using the same watered-down and recycled BS all the time. For a second when they threw Tamina into the mix with AJ as AJ’s “bodyguard/tough/heavy”, I was like, “This could go somewhere...” and yet for the fleeting millisecond that seemed like a nice change, it’s gone right back to the vicious cycle month after month of AJ claiming every diva wants to be her and blah blah blah...maybe I’m just jaded, but I’m sure I’m not the only one who thinks the divas’ division flat-out sucks right now.

[Mr. Nerfect]

I have long been a believer that the Divas Division can make the WWE money. It's just about how the storylines are presented. Hell, Trish Stratus vs. Mickie James was the stand-out match to me at whatever WrestleMania it was when they faced each other (I want to say WrestleMania 22, but I may be very wrong). TNA has proven that the Knockouts can draw money.

I think the WWE needs to step away from the one type of girl. Kharma could have been money, because there is no one else like her. AJ Lee has carved out her own sort of niche, as have Paige and Emma in NXT. I just think that the girls need to be given proper storylines and characters. I still think that Paige vs. Stephanie McMahon could be absolute money. Have Stephanie put Paige in matches against her own mother (signed for a short-term deal, or given a shot and then turned into a producer/trainer), her NXT trainer Sara Del Rey and maybe even have Steph bring back names like Beth Phoenix or Kharma (who take offence to Paige calling herself an "Anti-Diva" when they think she is just a bendy little girl) to destroy her. Paige overcomes this all and earns herself a shot at the Divas Championship.

AJ Lee is a character that people are actually invested in too. It seems like Emma might soon be the new hot act in the Divas Division, so it would make sense to put her against AJ pretty soon. But after they put the Divas Title on Emma, I hope they consider turning AJ Lee face against some of Total Divas girls. I don't mind Nattie being a good girl, but I think The Bellas work far better as heels. A rivalry against a heel Summer Rae for AJ could actually be pretty fun. The Bellas could pay Tamina to turn against AJ and join them.

[Brigstocke]

I think the huge problem with watching women wrestle is that barely half the ones on the WWE roster are capable of making anything look convincing.

These people are brought to the WWE based on looks rather than skills most of the time.

I have no interest in watching women of the WWE wrestle at all with the exception of Natalya, Tamina, Paige and Emma. I would happily send the rest away from the mat and back into the 'valet' positions they should be in.

I also don't find many of the Divas 'attractive' and don't feel like that should be a pre-requisite for their employment..... If I want to see women I look at porn. Simple.

Seriously, Get Kharma, Gail Kim, and Mickie James back bring in ODB with the four girls I mentioned earlier and you have a sufficient female roster.. Use the rest as valets... and For Fucks Sake make Emma stop doing that god awful dance. Its actually ridiculous and she looks like an utter mong.

EDIT - I suppose AJ too at a push.

[Nicky Fives]

like it has been already said, if they were actually used and given time, things would be better.... the best Divas matches are on NXT, as they are given more than 2 minutes, and not forced to have a seventeen woman match in 1:06.....

[Tom Guycott]

I think the huge problem with watching women wrestle is that barely half the ones on the WWE roster are capable of making anything look convincing.

These people are brought to the WWE based on looks rather than skills most of the time.

I have no interest in watching women of the WWE wrestle at all with the exception of Natalya, Tamina, Paige and Emma. I would happily send the rest away from the mat and back into the 'valet' positions they should be in.

I also don't find many of the Divas 'attractive' and don't feel like that should be a pre-requisite for their employment..... If I want to see women I look at porn. Simple.

Seriously, Get Kharma, Gail Kim, and Mickie James back bring in ODB with the four girls I mentioned earlier and you have a sufficient female roster.. Use the rest as valets... and For Fucks Sake make Emma stop doing that god awful dance. Its actually ridiculous and she looks like an utter mong.

EDIT - I suppose AJ too at a push.

The Emma thing; true, but why stop doing it if it's over? The point was that it was supposed to be bad dancing, but it somehow became "so bad it's good" and she's riding that wave, and needs to continue to do so.

You mention Gail Kim. Remember her *last* match with WWE before she walked out? It was like a 8 on 8 Diva's clusterfuck tag match where she wasn't even tagged in and was one of the most capable workers standing on the apron... and the match itself couldn't have been more than 2 minutes with like one tag. Why have all those women out there for what could have EASILY been a standard tag match for the ammount of people who actually participated? It was like the only reason WWE even signed her in that run was so that TNA wouldn't have her, since she was coming off of being the centerpiece of their whole division.

Overall, this thread kinda proves there is an audience for women's wrestling somewhere. It may not be as prevalant as, say, bandwagoning the hot new indy/developmental guy, but it making some money is better than making no money. Like Noid said, it's about relavance. Who gives a fuck about AJ's reign when the focus of the division is on a TV show she's not on on a network nobody cares about? It's the same discussion that can be had about the Diva's division, the tag team picture, or pretty much the vast majority of the undercard talent... why should the audience give a fuck if you basically tell them not to through both action AND inaction?

[Brigstocke]

I understand where you are coming from. But If they gave the Divas division the whole middle hour of Raw I still wouldn't give a damn..

I just don't see the point.. and I don't see how it can ever be 'relevant' In my eyes they just don't have a place on the roster. Theres 'apparently' 22 of them sharing 4/5 gimmicks and incapable of playing any others...

The are all very 'samey' in the ring and based on the amount of 'Mic time' they get, they ultimately must suck at that too..

[voncouch]

Out of 22 divas, I can probably name about 5. And that's probably 3 more than most people who watch WWE.

[Lock Jaw]

I don't think people will ever really care. I booked a pretty sweet divas division in Armchair Warfare and all I heard was "two divas matches in one show?! FU pal!"

[XL]

Thing is a "great women's match" isn't on the same level as a "great men's match" in terms of quality. You can give AJ vs. Paige the same level of booking as Austin/McMahon but they'd lose me when they get in the ring. The match would be good, but "good, for a women's match".

[NormanSmiley]

the jumping bomb angels aren't walking through that door folks

[#1-norm-fan]

Pretty much agree with what XL said. The women's division is a gimmick and should be featured in small doses. If you were putting on a show with the strict idea of only filling it with the best matches you could, they would NEVER get air time. I don't know why. Women just can't rassle like guys.

[Bad News Gertner]

Normansmiley only likes the gayhomosexuals.

[NormanSmiley]

you are 31 right?