WWE Evolution: Women’s Wrestling Reaches Historic Milestone

Stephanie McMahon gave many fans exactly what they wanted on the July 23 edition of WWE Monday Night Raw. She was expected to deliver some big news and that news reportedly involved the women’s division. But even though fans did have an idea of what Stephanie was going to say, they surely did not know the details.

The first ever all-women’s pay-per-view event will take place on Sunday, October 28 at NYCB Live, Home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Evolution will be the first event to exclusively feature WWE’s female Superstars. Over 50 women from yesterday and today will appear. It promises to be the biggest night in the history of WWE women’s wrestling.

It’s the next logical step for the company. In the short time that the female Superstars have been on the rise, WWE has become must-see TV for women’s wrestling. Money in the Bank, Hell in a Cell, The Elimination Chamber, The Royal Rumble; all of these matches came to the women’s division. This is progress and it’s only getting better.

Watch Stephanie’s announcement from Raw:

Stephanie McMahon announces WWE Evolution: Raw, July 23, 2018

Stephanie McMahon credited the fans for sparking the fire in the women’s division and rightfully so. Back when the women were stripping down to their lingerie in order to get noticed, fans wanted something more. When the women became Divas and the division was ruled by The Bella Twins, fans wondered if that was the best the company could do. But WWE did not seem interested in doing more.

Or perhaps WWE just needed the right talent in order to do more. Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch and Bayley were becoming stars in NXT while the main roster continued with business as usual. The fans at Full Sail could see a glimpse of the future but even they likely could not predict what was to come. The company was about to turn the corner. But would the impending revolution get over?

This is where WWE seems to enjoy offering revisionist history. The notion that the Women’s Revolution is successful thanks to the fans cannot be denied. But the idea that fans made it happen because of their passion for the product suggests that WWE perhaps always wanted to offer them more of that product but just didn’t.

Are fans to believe that the company could have taken the women’s division in a new direction at any time but didn’t for fear of the WWE Universe not accepting it? The fact is that while there were talented female Superstars on the roster before The Four Horsewomen, no one could legitimately take the division where it needed to go and WWE surely knew it.

So perhaps Charlotte and company came along at the right time. Or maybe WWE had this planned all along. But it could be that once again, WWE lucked into a situation and then took full advantage of it. After all, this is the same company that evidently saw nothing in Daniel Bryan but then completely changed course when the fans demanded he get a shot at the top. So maybe The Women’s Revolution was indeed not just a constructed storyline.

Watch Becky Lynch’s reaction:

Becky Lynch gets goosebumps from the WWE Evolution announcement: Raw Exclusive, July 23, 2018

But what happens at Evolution? It’s curious that WWE would choose the name of Triple H’s second most popular faction of all time. Of course the name does directly involve the Women’s Evolution of WWE so that seems to be enough of a reason to move forward with the event’s title.

The fact is that Evolution does represent a new level of importance for women’s wrestling. While WWE has not confirmed otherwise, it’s logical to assume that Evolution will become an annual event. Why wouldn’t it? If WWE is indeed serious about firmly establishing the women’s division, then every step taken to this point should become the norm.

This should not be a one-and-done scenario. Fans expect WWE to be all in on this and that will surely be the case. The company has invested too much time and the women have invested too much work, to take a step back. The fact that all three championships will be on the line does nothing but reinforce WWE’s commitment to the women’s division.

It will mark the first time that the Raw, SmackDown Live and NXT Women’s Championships will be defended on the same night. That news probably would have been enough for fans that have only been dreaming of an all-women’s event. But the fact that over 50 Superstars from the past and present will be on hand is more than anyone could have anticipated. Of course one of those 50 will be Ronda Rousey.

This must be exactly what the McMahon family wanted for WWE when the very idea of a potential Rousey signing was even discussed. Ronda’s presence is certainly not the only contributing factor when it comes to the birth of Evolution. But she certainly had a lot to do with it. Not only has she proved herself in the ring, it’s clear that the mainstream media has proved they still care about her. Their coverage will surely follow her to Evolution.

Watch Ronda Rousey attack Mickie James:

Ronda Rousey leaps from her ringside seat to attack Mickie James: WWE Extreme Rules 2018

Many fans believe that Rousey will eventually face Charlotte and that match could potentially main event WrestleMania 35. But is it possible that match could take place at Evolution? Or Rousey may lose to Alexa Bliss at SummerSlam, only to get a rematch and become the Raw women’s champion at Evolution. That could set the stage for Mania in 2019.

It’s too soon to know what WWE has planned for Evolution. But it could very well be that this event will be a game-changer for everyone involved. Indeed the women’s division may enjoy yet another spectacular rise once the October 28 event is over.

The women of WWE have proved their worth at every turn. When they get a shot at the main stage, they almost always step up and deliver. Evolution is the night when all of their efforts will payoff. It will absolutely be their night to shine like never before. This is their WrestleMania and they will surely make it the grandest stage of them all.

 

Tom Clark can regularly be seen on Wrestling Rumors. His podcast, Tom Clark’s Main Event, is available on iTunes, Google Play, YouTube, iHeart Radio, Amazon Android, Windows Phone and online at boinkstudios.com