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| It's happening Photo Credit: WWE.com |
Still, this has been a long time coming, at least three months coming, to be exact. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's prohibition of female wrestling helped put a damper on the Greatest Royal Rumble, and many people, myself included, thought WWE should have made Backlash an all-women's show. Of course, WWE could have not partnered with the war crime committing House of Saud in the first place, but hey, capitalists gonna capitalism, I guess. Still, this landmark in women's wrestling really should've happened a long time ago, or in reality, shouldn't have needed to happen at all. Thanks, Moolah, hope it's hot where you're at.
In that vein, while for the sake of each of the female performers who will be on this card I hope it's a smashing success, I hope that it's also the only show if its kind. True equality is not "separate but equal." This country, for example, has a long history of what that sort of thing is a bad idea. The endgame should be lifting the ridiculous embargo on intergender wrestling WWE has had since the early Aughts. The only place where current center-right gender roles belong is in the trash, along with pseudoscience about gender differences, and the warped, shitty conservative fan ideals of "realism." Be that as it may, even if it doesn't mean Asuka getting to kick AJ Styles in the head, it should mean a more robust lineup of women's feuds. WWE has no reason just to have the two Women's Title matches on a regular PPV anymore. The viewing audience is anywhere between 35 and 50 percent women; the roster and card makeup should reflect that. Evolution is a great gesture, but it should be the only one before drastically remaking the company's image to reflect changing times.
As for what the card might look like, I'm not sure what SummerSlam is going to hold at this point. WWE's volatile week-to-week booking makes long-term forecasting a bit problematic to say the least. Obviously, the main players will be prominently involved. Folks like Ronda Rousey, Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch, Bayley, Nia Jax, Alexa Bliss, Carmella, and Asuka will more than likely have big parts to play, barring injury. How they get to 50 will be interesting. Whether it's a 50 as in appearance or 50 active wrestlers will be a huge distinction to make. My guess is a lot of the returning women from the past will be there in dignitary roles, unlike in the Women's Royal Rumble, where their contributions were celebrated as a make-good on the prior two decades of shitty treatment.
I still feel, however, that Banks and Bayley will play a major role in the main event. Whether its as troubled tag partners gunning for the shot to be the first ever Women's Tag Champions, part of an uneasy alliance of NXT Horsewomen against the MMA Horsewomen (all of whom are under WWE contract now), or as foes in a match, title or otherwise, this kind of show feels like the stage where they'll get their shot to blow off a feud, whereas WrestleMania will be saved for the, ahem, more prestigious matches (*cough cough*BLOND AND WHITE*cough cough*). Additionally, thank God the second Mae Young Classic final will be held here as well. While it won't be the main event, it'll have more of a shot of getting over than it did when sandwiched between Kevin Owens bloodying Vince McMahon with a headbutt and a half-hour of vanilla midgets.
While I'm mostly down on WWE's corporate structure and the slog of events, I'm genuinely excited for Evolution, mainly because you know all the women will put their best feet forward. This show has been a long time coming, and no matter what, I'm sure it'll be memorable.
