As I once again subjected myself to the Diva Search last night on Raw, I plainly heard chants coming from the fans that I have been thinking ever since the first search last year – boring, boring, boring! And I must admit that it kind of did my heart good too, hearing those red-blooded American males voice the same opinion as myself. I found myself doing something that I don’t normally do. I was aching for a women’s match, well, a LEGITIMATE women’s match! Please, just give me one well-executed Clothesline at least. But I think we have been relegated to more of the same as last night, and I want to know why, damn it!
Actually, I think that a big reason for this is the fact that the Women’s Champion Trish Stratus is out injured. (At least she was injured, and I can only assume that is still the reason that she is MIA.) I’m guessing that the theory behind that is as long as Trish can’t compete, why let other women wrestle when nothing is at stake? Would they do that with the men? DO they do that with the men? Of course not. They wait awhile, then start building feuds for the appropriate return time.
But there is a bigger problem here than just needing the Women’s Champion. How many of the women on the roster are wrestlers? Sadly, very few, and therein lies the actual issue. Where is Molly Holly? Jacqueline? How about Jazz, Gail Kim, or even Nidia? Gone, gone, gone, gone, and gone! Ivory is still with the company, but in a different capacity. Listen, you might not have liked those that I’ve mentioned. Hell, I was never a fan of Nidia, believe me. But I will be the first to admit that the girl went in the ring and worked an entire match, and was never afraid to take a bump.
I am aware that there have always been those women who were there for eye candy and not much more. Sable, Terri, Dawn Marie and Debra occasionally got involved, but that was not their primary function for the WWE. Tori (remember her quite a while back with Kane?) was not used as an athlete very often, but she had worked in Japan and definitely had the goods if they chose to use it. Unfortunately for her, she was also plagued by injuries along the way, which certainly didn’t help her out. But interspersed during this time was also Chyna who, along with some of those I mentioned in the previous paragraph, did her best to rejuvenate and legitimize the women’s division. Successfully, I might add.
But where does that leave us today? Coming straight off the WWE roster and not including Trish, the company has Victoria, Lita, and Melina that could be considered active wrestlers. The vote is still out as far as Melina is concerned for me. Be that as it may, that is a sad state of affairs for women’s wrestling. I must run down the rest of those ladies that are on that list – bare with me. Stacy and Torrie have been involved in matches, but wrestlers? Hardly. Then we have Michelle, Candice Michelle, Sharmell, Lilian, Maria, and I can’t leave out last years’ Diva winner, the skipping Christy Hemme! And this year we will have another new Diva to annoy the Hell out of me!
I am sure that there is room to have Divas who are athletes and Divas who just prance around. There was before, and I can’t imagine why that can’t work again. At this point we are at the whim, as it were, of Vince McMahon and what he feels will sell. I just think that he is wrong, that’s all. He is doing the same thing with the Cruiserweight division, and to a degree, the Tag Team division, and that is a crying shame. But that’s for another time.
Let’s bring back the respect that the Fran Gravette’s, the Fabulous Moolah’s and the Sherri Martel’s gave to the business. It’s the least we can do.
Before you all email me to tell me that I left out so-and-so, I’m sure I have. Feel free to let me know who they were, but I have no doubt that some names got lost in the shuffle.
The Great American Bash is this Sunday. Of course, I’m out of town again and will miss it, but for those of you who watch, enjoy. One way or another I’m determined to see Summerslam!
Be safe and God Bless,
Barb.
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