Melina’s return – a rare ray of light in an abysmal Divas division
Well, as much as I knew that Melina would make her return to Raw this Monday Night, there was plenty of enjoyment in it all the same. It confirmed that, for once at least, 50% of the people in the Summerslam match would have some tangible wrestling talent – a rare sight.
Much like dancing, in wrestling it takes two to tango. But ever since there was a widespread talent cull in the middle of the last decade, hiring divas with proven wrestling talent seem to be the exception, rather than the rule, within the WWE. There are some names out there, but usually they are thrown in the ring with models who have little idea what they are doing. These days, eclipses come more regularly than two seasoned women’s pros locking horns in a WWE ring.
It’s a shame, because as much as WWE is trying to bury their Women’s division, they still do have talent on their books. Natalya is as polished as they come, Tamina has a very solid base to build on and Jillian Hall was one of the most decorated women’s wrestlers in North America before joining the company. Place those three alongside Serena, Beth Phoenix, Gail Kim and Melina, and you’re left with a very solid division to work on.
But why do a job well when you can do it badly? Regrettably these days WWE Women’s wrestling is infected with models. I don’t doubt their passion for the business, or their willingness to learn. But shouldn’t the biggest wrestling company in the world represent the apex in women’s wrestling – not Tiffany against Michelle McCool? I saw somebody describe their match on last weeks Smackdown as the worst match of the year. Watching it back, it was difficult not to disagree except for the fact that so many of the Divas matches this year fall into that category.
I get the fact that women’s wrestling will never be a massive draw. Fine. But that’s no excuse for not giving it chance to succeed. I know that the current divas feud on Smackdown is as a result of Beth Phoenix’s injury situation. But you create your own luck in life, and in releasing Mickie James, you wrote your own destiny. One real talent on one show does not define a division.
It’s a real shame right now, because I’ve heard many good things about TNA’s knockout’s division in the past. But like many things in TNA right now, the Hogan Bischoff era seems to have turned things for the worse. Not that their division is in anywhere near the hole that WWE’s division is right now, but it appears to me that it’s on the down curve. Quite what they’ve been doing in the last few weeks with Tara and Roxxi is a situation that I don’t have the time to cover here. Of all the people I would cut in TNA, Tara and Roxxi wouldn’t have been part of that, even if Tara is back with the company now.
If the WWE is intent on continuing down the same path of models in a wrestling ring (as hot as Eve Torres and Maryse are), I’d rather see them scrap the division all together than continue to give us this excuse of a women’s division. If you want it to continue, at least do it the right way. Ditch the Divas belt, it has no history, no relevance. Put the Women’s Title back in the spotlight, and have wrestling talent battle for it. Not the excuse we have now that many see as time for a bathroom break and a drink.
If you don’t give women’s wrestling a chance to succeed, it never will.
If anyone has any comments on this, feel free to email me on bobbamber@hotmail.co.uk. I’m on Twitter – @BobbyBamber
