What are they even asking for? Give the divas more time! Push the real wrestlers! Don't hold them back! Basically, do what helped to put TNA's women's division on the map. These fans are not asking for enough. To put it another way, they are asking for the wrong thing. There was a time when this diva division was more respectable and given more time. But it never really revolved around trying to be respectable and being efficient. This diva division was never what some fans want it to become. The diva division was founded on the principle that a hot model-type will be developed to be the top star. Where does that leave actual female wrestlers? They will not be pushed as centerpiece. They will either be pushed as credible jobbers, being used primarily as jobbers to the centerpiece and interim centerpiece, or be pushed as periphery divas, getting angles mostly in the men's division while the centerpiece dominates the title scene. Even though Trish Stratus became a solid in-ring performer, it does not change the fact that she is the model-type the WWE likes to push as centerpiece. And that diva division was at its best when she was the centerpiece.
What went wrong? Depth started to become an issue during the final years of the golden age, but things were still working out. What really started the problems was when a credible jobber came in that would do what no other woman pushed like that had ever done. Get over. I am not talking about just getting over with wrestling fans. I mean get really over. Become the most over diva on the roster. That was what Mickie James did. As a heel credible jobber, she got cheered against a face centerpiece in Trish Stratus at Wrestlemania. Trish soon retired. What goes over everyone's head is that the WWE continued to push Mickie James to put over the centerpiece and used her as filler when the centerpiece was not around. Because of those depth issues the WWE never resolved, they continued to push Mickie James more often than they would have liked. She was often the only face credible jobber available. They were pushing her out of necessity, not desire. They needed to push Mickie James because she was the only face with wrestling credibility available. They were not yet comfortable using other eye-candy divas as credible jobbers. And Mickie James took this career of mediocrity and solidified her overness.
The women they desired to be the centerpiece kept on getting injured, failing to get over, and just flopped. Candice Michelle did not work out. Maryse did not work out. Michelle McCool was not getting over. No centerpiece has worked out. The WWE was not getting what they wanted out of their diva division. It is not shocking that they would lose interest the way they did. Having some success with AJ Lee, a periphery diva, has not gotten them to regain that momentum. The Bellas look like they may be the next centerpiece attempt, but what do they have to do to inject that momentum to get the WWE to be efficient again with the diva division?
All these fans seem to want is for the WWE to look respectable again. That is not enough. Don't you think the WWE might love for it to be like that again? But they want it on their terms. Let's say they turn back the clock and create another golden age. The Bellas, whether it be one of them or both of them, are the centerpiece. AJ Lee, assuming she comes back, is a top periphery diva, much like Lita. You have credible jobbers on the main roster and in NXT. Paige is a credible jobber. Divas are given more time. The Bellas have the wrestling ability Trish had. They are that over. Everything is perfect. Everything is running like it did a decade ago.
Now, let's say Paige does what Mickie James did. Let's say she gets very over. Let's say the centerpieces start flopping again and fans are wondering why Paige isn't pushed more. The WWE will only push her when the need arises, much like they did Mickie James. Would fans realize what is going on? Will there be an uproar for Paige? Would you have a female version of Daniel Bryan on your hands? Whatever the case, there is also the possibility that the WWE starts to lose interest again. It happened before. The WWE has not really changed.
Give divas a chance? Why? The WWE does not want to give all these women a fair chance to get over and make a centerpiece of the one best capable to handle the push. They have never pushed the diva division like that since they created it in 1998. They don't even push the men's division like that. Fans know this. Ask Daniel Bryan.
Honestly, I find what these fans are asking for disgusting. When it comes to the men, fans are getting pissed off when talent that they love or believe have potential are underpushed, not pushed at all, or treated very badly. Daniel Bryan is consistently featured. He is frequently in main events on Raw and Smackdown. But fans are not satisfied with that. I would agree that the guy deserves to be pushed properly. Give him what he has earned. But when it comes to the divas, fans are only complaining because they don't get used better. What about the issue of women succeeding and not getting the better career? That demon was always there in the diva division. A credible jobber overcame it and never got the better career. Instead, the WWE just kept on making mistakes to get the diva division to where it is today. Do fans believe these women are not deserving of being pushed as stars? Do they think they are only good for featuring women's wrestling? TNA must be giving a lot of fans the wrong idea. TNA cannot properly create and feature stars. The WWE should not be like that. Fans just seem to be asking for a women's division that will be underachieving. You have to want better than that. You have to demand better than that. I think these women deserve the same fair opportunities to earn that better push for themselves that men deserve. But the women just seem to be a step behind the men. I don't even see fans bringing up the idea that what happened to Daniel Bryan could happen in the diva division. That's a shame. Because that's the kind of thing that can put an end to a golden age.
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