Who Is Really To Blame For The Divas Revolution Failing? + The Difference Between NXT and RAW

So, something that had the online wrestling community buzzing was the fact that, following a match last week on RAW involving the Divas, several of them went online and posted rather angry tweets at the fans who basically dumped all over the match. They talked about how they didn’t care about the Divas Revolution, how they’re trying to do be stars and no one cares, etc. Now, I know for a fact that at least one of them, Paige, almost immediately took her tweet down. One theory as to why that is is because she realized that antagonizing the fans right back would just encourage that to happen again in the next city they wrestled in. However, I’m willing to give her the benefit of the doubt and suggest that maybe she realized that she was just yelling out of anger and didn’t think what she was writing out all that well when she did it.

If you don’t know what I mean, allow me to explain: RAW last week was filmed from the Barclays Centre in Brooklyn, New York. Why is that relevant? Because that’s where they filmed SummerSlam, and more importantly to this case, NXT TakeOver, and it was the same crowd at all three shows. And, at NXT TakeOver, there was a match between Sasha Banks and Bayley that was arguably one of the best matches all weekend. Personally, I think it was the best in terms of action, drama, build-up, resolution, and so on, but I’m willing to say that others MIGHT be better, but that it was at least in the Top 3 or 5. Regardless, it was built like a Goddamn main event, and the crowd appreciated and responded to it as such. So to say that the crowd doesn’t care for the women in WWE is bullcrap, because they LOVED that match.

So, if that’s the case, why did they seem to not care about the match on RAW? Because it wasn’t very good. The action wasn’t that good, there was little to no build-up, and in the promo that took place beforehand, we were basically told that wins and losses don’t mean anything, so the crowd didn’t care who won. So why would you be surprised that the crowd didn’t care? They weren’t given any reason to care. If they don’t have a reason to care, they’re gonna dump on a match, and especially when you’re in a ruckus crowd like they had in Brooklyn. That’s just how it is.

In the wake of this, it’s been brought up on a number of different wrestling podcasts and news articles that the reason the Divas Revolution is failing on RAW has nothing to do with the women involved, and it has nothing to do with the fans. And frankly, I tend to agree with what they’ve determined based on my own recollections and opinions. The problem is what it’s always been, and with the popularity that NXT has gotten, and a lot of people watching that show and comparing it to RAW, and seeing the same talent appear on both shows and taking note of what’s different with the exact same people on the two different shows, it’s more clear than it’s ever been what the problem is: The problem is Vince McMahon. And I’m aware of the fact that we wouldn’t even have a WWE if it weren’t for Vince, I am not taking anything away from his success, but the man needs to stop. He needs to stop coming to every RAW and personally mandating how it goes every single night. He needs to let Triple H and Stephanie run the show, and honestly, the fact that I can say that and mean it says a lot about how things are different nowadays. lol But regardless, one thing is clear: Triple H and Stephanie know how to run a wrestling show in 2015. Vince McMahon doesn’t. And if you don’t understand how that is, allow me to demonstrate, and remember that Vince has the final say of everything on RAW, and rarely if ever even watches NXT:

• On NXT, women are given actual time to wrestle, are built like athletes, and have their own unique stories that are told. On RAW, the Divas Revolution is the story, not the individuals in it, they aren’t given time to wrestle, they don’t have their own stories, and we’re constantly told how we’re in the middle of a revolution of women in sports, even though women in sports have been awesome for a LONG time now.
• On NXT, titles mean something. They are prizes with an incredible honour attached to them that are not passed around to anyone on the roster from any given point in time. When you win one, it shows you busted your ass to obtain it and have an important role in the brand’s history. On RAW, damned near everyone on the roster has won a title. The championships no longer hold value because they’ve been passed around like a game of hot potato, and in fact, there has existed for a decade now a method of gaining a title shot anytime you want, making the list of people that have won the WWE World Heavyweight Championship (and the two belts merged to create it) even larger. And speaking of the titles, the NXT Women’s Title looks like something you’d be proud to display in your living room (although I don’t know why it’s silver. Title belts should really be gold in my opinion), and the WWE Divas’ Title looks like something you’d display in your room as a trophy you won as a child (it’s a frigging BUTTERFLY!!!).
• On NXT, everyone working the show has their own story that’s being told with as much care as can be given. On RAW, the only people that are given any REAL care are John Cena and whoever the next person is to wrestle him. And that’s not even a knock against John Cena. Hell, I actually feel BAD for him sometimes, because he’s the one that gets knocked on for that, when it’s Vince that ultimately decides to keep pushing him as the top guy, whether he has the belt or not. I guess Brock gets some care too, but not nearly as much, which is a shame, because, let’s be honest, for better or worse, he’s the most over guy on RAW right now. Him and Paul Heyman, who seriously needs to be put in the Hall of Fame one of these days.
• This is probably the most bizarre of all, and continues to baffle the frak outta me, but in a way that actually makes me laugh. On RAW, Triple H and Stephanie are the top villains. You would THINK that Seth Rollins is the top villain, because he’s the champion, but because those two are running the show and constantly helping him, all the while talking down all the good guys and saying that they don’t need them to survive, they’re the top heels. On NXT, they could not possibly get more over as good guys. They give the fans what they want, they help build up the big match-ups, Stephanie is always putting over the women on the show, they can pretty much do no wrong.

So, that’s my take on the difference between RAW and NXT, and why the Divas Revolution is failing. Agree or disagree? Lemme know in the comments, and we’ll see if anything changes in the near future. Ja né!