Let me start with the fact that this feud is still going on. Some feuds become candidates for "Feud of the Year" awards because they are forced. The promotion just keeps going to it even if it isn't that great anymore. Yes, Charlotte and Sasha have been involved in some highly-praised matches, but there are other women to get to. The fact that a title change just happened means a rematch will also happen. That means the feud continues for another few weeks. These women will end up feuding for at least four months, not even counting earlier this year. Some fans are hoping this feud goes to a Hell in a Cell match. I will talk about that if it happens. Until then, there are some women in limbo until this feud ends. How about giving some of them a chance to steal the show and possibly get over with more than just wrestling fans?
Looking at the match itself, it was what you would expect from these women in a big match. Great spots. A little cleaner than I have seen from some of their other performances. Nevertheless, still sloppy at times. And Sasha Banks did her customary awkward dive out of the ring. If she was as close to being indestructible as you can be, I would probably not hang on this issue so much. She's not indestructible. She has taken time off on a few occasions over the last year for injuries. There are enough big spots in the women's matches these days that might result in serious injury, so I don't think it is too much to ask for Sasha Banks to stop doing this one spot where it looks like she might literally be broken in half. Either clean up how you do it or stop doing it.
Now, the decision to put the women in the main event. Much like Lita/Trish main-eventing Raw, it came during football season. One major difference, both Trish and Lita had big main-event rubs prior to that big match. Lita had defeated Stephanie McMahon for the Women's Championship in the main event of Raw. Trish Stratus had interacted with men like The Rock and Triple H for years. They were built the right way. Charlotte has had some main-event segments already in the last year. She also had her legendary father with her for a few months. Still, the WWE could do more work with her. Sasha Banks has gotten even less main-event credibility than that. I don't think I would have put this match in the main event just yet, but seeing as how Raw has issues now, including various injury issues to main-eventers, I am not going to condemn this decision so much.
Why is it so important to build stars the right way? It is not just about giving these women main-event credibility prior to putting them in the main event. There is also entertainment to be found in the interactions between these women and the top stars. Women like Lita, Trish Stratus, Chyna, and AJ Lee had some very big and entertaining interactions with men. And people sometimes talk about maintaining the credibility and importance of titles. How about maintaining the credibility and importance of the main-event spot? You want people to tune in for the end of the show? You have to maintain it as something important. The best match of the night will not always be put at the end of the show. The top stars or the angle with the most hype are likely to trump two amazing workers that will be given the time and green light to steal the show. If the WWE is serious about Sasha Banks and Charlotte being top stars, they need more work. The fact that smarks love them is not enough.
Will it draw? It is a shame they don't report on the quarterly ratings breakdown anymore. If some fans see an increase in viewers from last week, they will likely jump to the conclusion that Sasha Banks is a draw or women's wrestling is a draw for the WWE. Hold on, not so fast! Remember that last week went against a huge presidential debate, as well as football. It is to be expected that ratings will bounce back. If not, there is something seriously wrong. What you should look for is how many viewers the third hour lost, if any. Compare the overall viewership for this week to the Raw from two weeks ago. Don't expect amazing numbers, but let's just see how this show did.
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