Fifteen years ago, it wouldn't be unusual to see Stephanie McMahon do her heel act and to actually be on the receiving end of a finisher for it. These days, it is extremely rare to see a man hit any kind of move on a woman in the WWE. You would think the WWE would still come up with better ways for some of these guys Stephanie has manhandled to stand up for themselves.
There have been moments where Stephanie McMahon has been embarrassed, like when she got arrested during her feud with The Bellas or when it looked like The Authority were out of power. Problem is, it never really hurts her that much. She comes back and slaps more people around. It just becomes overbearing for some fans.
Comeuppance for Stephanie McMahon has to be more than her just getting laid out by someone she is trying to intimidate. It has to be her actually being shut down, at least for a while. Make it look like the face that puts her in her place actually accomplished something. Have her take a break for a few months, be used less on Raw, or just act like she has been put in her place for a while. It has to be about more than a moment.
Since it likely won't be a man that shuts Stephanie McMahon down, you have to look to the divas. If AJ Lee was still around, she might be an obvious choice. Fans were anticipating some kind of feud when she called Stephanie McMahon out on Twitter earlier this year. That was not kayfabe. The Bellas have feuded with Stephanie before. The WWE can turn them face and revisit that feud. This time, have the sisters overcome Stephanie. Or they can push Paige against Stephanie. Have Paige call her out on who really started the revolution. If the WWE is going to continue to protect Stephanie so much, they can build her up to eventually put a diva over.
This situation with Stephanie McMahon reminds me of what you had with LayCool. With only them being featured prominently in the diva division for a long span, they just became overbearing. They would never really get shut down. There were moments where it seemed like a face put them in their place, like Mickie James or Natalya did. The two heels just always bounced back like nothing really happened. They were still featured as the top stars. That is because McCool was the centerpiece. After the two split and Layla went over her, the WWE just never followed up with Layla at a high level. Even after injuries, they had the opportunity to. Stephanie McMahon is not the centerpiece of the diva division like Michelle McCool was. That makes the WWE protecting her too much even more needless.
Even though fans are supposed to want to see heels get what they have coming, there are still instances where you would like certain heels to be dominant for a span just because there might be some great storyline potential there. Look at Bray Wyatt. How many major feuds has this guy won? How many storylines actually make him look like a winner? He seems to win just to be built up to put over someone else. A lot of fans want to see him actually accomplish some of the things he talks about. Or is he just a babbling loser? He would still be eventually used to put a face over, but he would look strong and intriguing until that time comes. Considering he is fresher talent than Stephanie McMahon, this is a character the WWE should feature stronger.
I like Stephanie McMahon. There was a span over a decade ago where she was my favorite woman in the company. But that was also back when she was put in her place more often. Her character never got as overbearing as it can sometimes be these days. She can go on the mic and she can be charismatic and fun, but as a heel, she does need to let a few faces shut her down more often.
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