That's the idea of depth that you hear about in some team sports. There is usually more than one person available to play a given position. When someone gets injured, ejected from the game, is playing badly, simply needs a break, or whatever, you have someone to take the spot. The person you start might usually be the best player and one you want to be out there. When he goes out, you want to go to your next best guy. Because of this, it isn't just replacing one body for another, but also trying to replace a good, prepared player with another who can get the job done.
Depth is obviously an issue in wrestling. When the WWE loses a top star, they have to call on someone else. This is usually not a huge problem in the men's division. You have so many men and top stars, you usually have someone you can go to when another top guy goes down, whether to injury, suspension, or what have you. When Cena got injured a few months ago, the WWE went with Ryback. When CM Punk got injured, The Shield got a PPV match. It is in the diva division that depth becomes a real issue. I have spoken about it many times, but I don't believe I have ever used this term to describe it. I think I'll start using it, so I that's why I'm talking about it now. If you are a sports fan, you might have already been familiar with depth. It might be easier to understand than me talking about centerpieces and the periphery. Let me just list a few instances where depth is worth discussing in the diva division.
First, I have to talk about Mickie James. How many times have I said that Mickie James was getting pushed mainly because she was the only convenient and qualified option around? If you look at the face options in the diva division at the time, there was not much depth. At one time, Melina, Beth Phoenix, and Jillian were the heels. You have good depth there. A lot of good options. The faces? Mickie James, Maria, and Ashley. This was when Candice Michelle, the centerpiece of the diva division, was out with an injury. Mickie James was most qualified out of all the faces to carry the division. That's how the WWE would use women with wrestling credibility. Could you imagine the situation you would have had if Mickie James suffered a serious injury around this time? Since the WWE did not have faith in pushing eye-candy divas as credible jobbers back then, they would have either have had to rush a face turn for a heel credible jobber or debut a new female wrestler from developmental. The WWE was lucky Mickie James was around.
The WWE's luck soon ran out. After the WWE released Mickie James, the only credible jobber available on Smackdown was Beth Phoenix. Outside of her, you had Kelly Kelly and Tiffany, two eye-candy divas. What kind of depth is that? Your centerpiece is a heel, so it would have been smart to have more options in the face credible jobber position. To top it all off, Beth Phoenix got injured. The WWE actually pushed Kelly Kelly and Tiffany more. Tiffany then got suspended and eventually released. You are left with virtually no real depth at all. It is no surprise the WWE soon unified the titles and the divisions. It is also no surprise that the WWE would warm up to the idea of using eye-candy divas as credible jobbers. If they saw that they could keep the division going without female wrestlers being used as jobbers and filler, why not give the eye-candy divas those opportunities. That widens the depth they could possibly have now. Tamina and Natalya are the only two female-wrestler credible jobbers. However, because the WWE can use eye-candy divas like Layla as credible jobbers, that gives them added depth. It gives them more options now, even though they still have issues with the centerpiece position.
Speaking of centerpieces, how about the greatest centerpiece the diva division ever had? Trish Stratus was fortunate to be in the diva division at a time when they had a lot of female wrestlers. From the time she started to be pushed as centerpiece, Lita was the only female-wrestler periphery diva. All those other female wrestlers were credible jobbers. Trish had no less than half a dozen women with solid wrestling training and credibility revolving around her. The WWE was always bringing in fresh options for her to work against. They were running an effective women's division. Not only were they investing creatively and had a centerpiece that was working out, but they had a lot of options to go to. However, as great as some people view this time in the diva division, it was showing signs of the issues you have had in recent years. When Trish returned from her injury in 2005, the only face divas getting action in the ring were her and Ashley. The heels were Victoria, Torrie Wilson, and Candice Michelle. You have one heel credible jobber and two eye-candy periphery divas. Prior to Mickie James debuting, you did not have a face credible jobber. If Trish had gotten injured again during that time, the WWE would have been in trouble. If Victoria had gotten injured, the WWE would have been in trouble. Trish Stratus eventually did get injured again a few months later. Because that psycho storyline was so rich, the WWE could carry it on with just Mickie James for a while. They eventually debuted Beth Phoenix, who became the only face credible jobber, since Mickie had turned heel. Beth then got injured. Those are depth issues you have at the credible jobber position. The WWE had some options on Smackdown to keep things fresh and bring in if injuries really proved to be too much, but it's plain to see the "Golden Age" was starting to lose some stability even while Trish and Lita were there.
Everything I have spoken about so far has been about depth issues for the credible jobber position. A lack of depth caused the WWE to continuously go to Mickie James. There was a time when there was absolutely zero depth for female-wrestler credible jobbers on Smackdown. Even during the best years of the division, a shortage of credible jobbers was starting to arise. You also have depth issues with the centerpiece position. Michelle McCool left, so they went to Kelly Kelly. They gave up on her and went to Eve. She left, and now we see who is next on the bench. As I said before, it's not just about replacing one body with another. You want to go with someone you have confidence in. In the WWE's mind, it seems to be less about having confidence in them and more about being willing to develop that woman into a major star. You have women on the bench, you have women you can go to, but it means nothing if the WWE does not put them in there. Then again, with the luck the WWE is having with their centerpieces, they might go through the entire depth chart and they will all flop for one reason or another. What's left then? Send in Yogi Bear? How about Jinder Mahal? Whoever looks better in lingerie? My money's on Yogi.
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