SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
Apparently we’re on the road to “All In,” although it doesn’t feel like it given that nothing has yet been announced. As I’m ever the optimist, I’m hoping for several matches to take shape once this week’s Collision is in the record books.
This week’s All Elite Assessment has been spurred on by a fan sign spotted at this past Wednesday’s Dynamite. I decided to focus on the AEW Women’s Division as a whole as I feel it has become greatly diminished in the first half of 2023.
Women’s Division Special
“Book the Women’s Division better”
-Fan sign, AEW Dynamite 07/26.
The last All Elite Assessment explored the career of AEW Women’s champion Toni Storm. The column was prompted, in part, by a personal exacerbation with the current creative direction of the division. On this week’s Dynamite a fan sign, caught on camera, perfectly encapsulated the point the column was attempting to make in five simple words.
Since Toni Storm retained her AEW title at Forbidden Door on June 25, she has been involved in very little narrative progression. Kris Statlander, the newly crowned TBS Champion, has defended her title sporadically, but again is not currently involved in any long-term storytelling.
In defense of AEW, the women’s division has experienced a bout of bad luck in recent times.
An injury to charismatic champion Jamie Hayter has obviously derailed creative plans involving The Outcasts and Britt Baker.
Equally, an injury to the Stardom Women’s Champion Mercedes Moné may also have changed the course of AEW’s summer storylines.
Injuries. though. should not be excuses for the clear dip the division has experienced in 2023 as there is a cavalcade of talented women primed to fill those spots.
There is no doubt that the talented female roster is being underutilized on AEW’s weekly television. One match per show with little to no creative seems to be the current booking pattern. Wrestler A wins a squash, Wrestler B challenges Wrestler A either backstage or in-ring and a one-off match on the following show concludes the story arc.
Ruby Soho, Taya Valkyrie, and Britt Baker have been recent victims of this stale trope. A quick squash for Baker on the July 19 Dynamite gave her some rare ring time, but wouldn’t the television quarter be better utilized by redefining Baker’s mission.
Follow the squash with an in-ring promo with Storm or Statlander looking on from afar. It’s a well-worn wrestling convention, but it’s a start and flags to fans that something more than just the match of the week is happening. Featuring female talents key moves and mannerisms is fine but giving the women programs to sink their teeth into would be infinitely preferable.
How does Ruby Soho feel after defeat in her second consecutive tournament final? What does the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament victory mean to Willow Nightingale and how will this propel her into the next stage of her career? How about Toni Storm and the impending return of Jamie Hayter? Where is Thunder Rosa?
AEW has recently markedly improved its video package output, so why not dedicate some of this creativity to telling more compelling stories in a division crying out for attention?
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AEW currently has five hours of cable television to fill on a weekly basis. Sure, there are many wrestlers – both male and female – battling it out for a share of attention, but the lack of focus on the women’s roster has become a self-fulfilling prophecy. The less AEW features women’s wrestling, the more causal fan will define it as disposable. Define the division as an important part of the product. Have the announcers talk about the latest happenings across the shows and feature the top stars in key segments.
There are positives on the horizon that AEW must utilize. A returning Jamie Hayter or Jade Cargill could reinvigorate the division. A showpiece match between champion Storm and Hayter at All In could be a statement match for women’s wrestling and potentially a moment to be remembered for years to come. Willow Nightingale has star potential and now has credibility due to a tournament win. Could Nightingale be the wrestler AEW fans rally behind akin to Becky Lynch circa WrestleMania 35?
By no means is WWE historically the template for strong female booking, but the company has proven that by focusing key stories and moments around stars such as Rhea Ripley, Bianca Belair, Charlotte Flair, and the aforementioned Lynch, ratings and creative success is possible.
AEW need a six-t0-twelve month period focused on a handful of key female talent. Set in stone that each Dynamite and Collision should, in part, be dedicated to showcasing the selected talent. Put some narrative focus on the two champions either by in-ring segments, hype videos, or competitive matches. Give the two titles a level of prestige. The challenger of the week approach has damaged both champions credibility as little focus has been given to any hopefuls journey.
Creating interest in a floundering division won’t occur overnight, but perception is currently reality. It is up to AEW Creative to change that perception and make sure that “Book the Women’s Division better” is not a criticism moving forward.
VERDICT: AEW undoubtedly has the talent both creatively and on the team sheet to make the women’s division the most compelling in mainstream wrestling, but success requires a long-term creative strategy and dedication.
RECOMMENDED NEXT: AEW ALL ELITE ASSESSMENT: Toni Storm and Harley Cameron – Evaluating a main event and potential rising star act
OR CHECK THIS OUT AT PROWRESTLING.NET: Powell’s AEW Dynamite Hit List: Moxley & Claudio Castagnoli vs. Lucha Bros vs. Best Friends, Cassidy vs. AR Fox for the AEW International Title, Darby vs. Swerve, Valkyrie vs. Baker
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Minor correction, Mercedes Mone is not and has never been the Stardom women’s champion. She was the IWGP women’s champion, a New Japan belt that is sometimes defended in Stardom. It isn’t considered a Stardom belt, and Stardom generally ranks it below their own top 2 titles.