Okay I know women were part of the original Attitude Era,
but they weren’t at the forefront, the driving force. The current phase of the
Divas’ evolution sees a genuine contrast of styles and characters vying for
recognition as the division’s best. I’ve said before, the reason current WWE
programming seems tepid is down to a lack of competition. The Monday Night Wars
were so enthralling because WWE and WCW pushed the standards higher and higher.
The main roster has no rival now. This isn’t true for the Divas.
The Divas Division has utilised the different branding (main roster and NXT) and created a mini-war of their own. With it the women have seemingly been given greater creative freedom – just like Vince McMahon afforded his chosen stars back when WCW took the upper-hand. It’s no coincidence that Triple H – the King of chosen Kings – is the force behind NXT. It has its own voice and continues to make its own stamp.
What we’re seeing now is an Invasion of sorts. Unlike the disappointing WCW Invasion angle that presented the outsiders as inferior, this one has inverted the rules. The NXT crew appear more dominant, better equipped. It’d have been a hard sell to do it any other way. Anyone watching the WWE Network will know women’s matches there have a higher degree of technical application and last for more than three minutes. They actually wrestle – and dare I say it – sometimes it’s better than their male counterparts.
Within this micro Monday Night War the NXT edgier attitude has seeped through. Suddenly it’s not all so vanilla. Paige – the division’s outstanding performer – has slotted in perfectly. She was never going to be the next Bella twin. This future Hall of Famer was always going to redefine the term “Diva” for a new generation. It helps this transition that she now has wrestlers that can complement her ability on the show.
The Divas Division has utilised the different branding (main roster and NXT) and created a mini-war of their own. With it the women have seemingly been given greater creative freedom – just like Vince McMahon afforded his chosen stars back when WCW took the upper-hand. It’s no coincidence that Triple H – the King of chosen Kings – is the force behind NXT. It has its own voice and continues to make its own stamp.
What we’re seeing now is an Invasion of sorts. Unlike the disappointing WCW Invasion angle that presented the outsiders as inferior, this one has inverted the rules. The NXT crew appear more dominant, better equipped. It’d have been a hard sell to do it any other way. Anyone watching the WWE Network will know women’s matches there have a higher degree of technical application and last for more than three minutes. They actually wrestle – and dare I say it – sometimes it’s better than their male counterparts.
Within this micro Monday Night War the NXT edgier attitude has seeped through. Suddenly it’s not all so vanilla. Paige – the division’s outstanding performer – has slotted in perfectly. She was never going to be the next Bella twin. This future Hall of Famer was always going to redefine the term “Diva” for a new generation. It helps this transition that she now has wrestlers that can complement her ability on the show.
Sasha Banks and Charlotte have unique styles and personalities but contrasting personas are vital ingredients for the Diva Revolution – their Attitude Era – to work. Not to mention some recognised star power. WCW and WWE were flooded with big names, having the daughter of Ric Flair in the mix doesn’t harm things (Wooo!). In an Attitude Era pretty much anything goes but everyone needs to be different. Current WWE is too safe, too manufactured, too plastic. The new Divas are anything but.
The current roster has to step up to the challenge or face extinction. They must have been worried for some time, watching excellent NXT shows and wondering if they could cope with such energetic brutality. To be fair, so far they have taken the bull by the horns and added to the excitement. Brie Bella looks convincing grappling with the NXT additions. This is a testament to the desire to evolve and adapt the exiting ladies have.
Obviously the Divas Revolution can’t be a true Attitude Era. The WWE world is too PG for that. But it can alter the current tone. The happy music, cheery skips, and matches that look like two girls getting choreography wrong, can be scrapped. In NXT when a submission move gets locked in (like the Bank Statement) it’s hard not to wince. Attitude is one part that the fresh characters are bringing along with the damage their bodies are now absorbing.
Like an era there has to be an end goal. For the Attitude Era it was securing the win during the Monday Night Wars. For the Divas it will be ensuring that their division never returns to being an afterthought or the segment of a PPV where everyone takes a toilet break. As Charlotte said recently, she wants to headline WrestleMania. That sounds far-flung now but Ronda Rousey now headlines the male sport of MMA. Why can’t a Divas Championship one day close the greatest show on Earth?
There is no reason. If the women involved continue to make the strides forward at the pace they currently are the paying public will demand more Diva matches higher up the card.
Viva la Revolution.
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