There are tons of mixed reviews when it came to RAW 25. I think the general consensus was negative in terms of how the WWE overhyped the event, things slowly fizzled and took a downward spiral after the opening “Stone Cold” segment; however, it’s undeniable that the show was still better and more entertaining than the average Monday Night RAW.
One thing that I’ve noted in a couple of articles this week, was just how disappointing the women’s ‘legends’ segment was during the show.
Which really got me thinking the Tuesday after RAW 25. And the more I thought about how lame it was to announce, ‘some of the best female wrestlers in RAW’s history’ (only to have an announcer and a manger come out amongst female wrestling talent) – then have the ladies just stand there and wave to the crowd – the more I am thankful that the women’s revolution is well in full swing within the WWE.
This was RAW 25, a celebration that showcased all the superstars of the past that made the show what it is today. Stone Cold, APA, The Undertaker, The Dudleys, even the Godfather, and other former male talent received solid and viable segments, where fans could truly reminisce about their characters. The women? Well, a slew of female talent was bunched together and propped up on the ramp stage for everyone to see how pretty they still look and applaud them. No promo, no spot in the ring, no chance to help elevate a talent on the current roster, not even an opportunity for them to help promote one of the biggest moments for the women’s revolution that is occurring this Sunday: the first-ever women’s Royal Rumble.
#RAW Commissioner @StephMcMahon will join the commentary table for the first-ever Women’s #RoyalRumble match THIS SUNDAY! https://t.co/1jrNnZxs6k
— WWE (@WWE) January 24, 2018
Surprising considering the current women’s revolution and evolution that talent is experiencing in the WWE, yet if we are going to feel nostalgic about how women were used in the past on RAW, whomever did the segment, did hit the nail on the head when it comes to women’s wrestling and the ranking it got on the show in the past.
Still, the segment was disappointing on so many levels. I was very excited when I heard the female list of names that were going to be on RAW 25, during the weeks leading up to the big show, and it was extremely anticlimactic to see that WWE Creative, or whomever was running the show that night, do something that goes against everything the current women’s movement in the WWE has fought so hard to do. Which was simply leave these women on the ramp with no voice or no true tribute on their incredible accomplishments in the ring, their unique characters and how they contributed to the success of the show during their tenure with the WWE. Especially on the cusp of the women’s Rumble, a ground-breaking event for not only today’s WWE female talent, but the talent of yesterday who paved the way and worked so hard to be considered far more than just eye candy.
The truth is, whomever thought up the segment for the women’s legends, failed incredibly. Failed not only by the wording of their intro (Lilian Garcia and Teri Runnels made huge impacts on RAW, but were not wrestlers), but also in how they presented these former talents’ accomplishments to fans, and failed to truly allow these women to celebrate in the show’s success (and how they helped in that success). It also was a harsh reminder of just how poorly these women were treated in the past when it came to eye-rolling matches booked, weak programs, and just how hard each of them had to fight to be taken seriously.
Here’s hoping the WWE has seen the error in their ways and future celebratory shows will truly spotlight past female talent the way they deserve.
