The AEW Women's Division - how can they fix it?

[BomberPat]

12 minutes ago, Carbomb said:

This has come up in the past a lot, and I would both agree and disagree. It's absolutely the case when talking about characters you see for the first time, or for promotions that don't have regular programming with a regular fanbase/audience watching. The wrestler will always need establishing with the crowd with a simple, easy-to-get gimmick.

When you've got TV, however, like AEW, then it becomes less necessary, because the development of said wrestler's character can be followed, allowing detail and nuance to become part of their story. Most obvious cases in point are The Rock and just-before-semi-retiring/COO Triple H. Obviously, their natural charisma and ability that they've developed over the years means they'd probably get over quickly, but say they'd showed up at the beginnings of their respective careers doing the characters they do now - nobody could explain their characters simply, because there's too much to go into.

TV time is the difference-maker here, and I've always seen it as the more TV time a character is allotted, the more nuance you're permitted.

A character who only gets one five minute match a week should be "broad strokes" enough to get that character over within those five minutes, while a main event guy might have a fifteen minute match, a ten minute promo segment, a couple of hype packages, and the announcers talking him up and other wrestlers talking about him all within a single show, so the audience spend a lot more time with that character, and you can afford to develop more subtle elements.

For someone like The Rock or Triple H, they work because there's years of equity built up in those characters. But with Triple H in particular, I'd say that it can really work to his detriment with a hypothetical first-time viewer - would a first time viewer be able to understand what Triple H's deal was if he appeared as a heel COO in a suit on RAW, a babyface boss on NXT, and a leather-clad crotch-chopping biker on PPV, potentially all in the space of a single week? 

[RedRooster]

4 hours ago, Just Some Guy said:

Maybe, but RedRooster was asking who they were. I was able to lay each one out in a sentence, like you can any good idea.

I accept that you need to then plug them into engaging storylines but that's another issue.

Based on what? They are not given promo time to build any level of depth. All you can really do is judge a book by its cover with the majority of the AEW Women’s Division and in a promotion where almost every male character that features on Dynamite is presented as multi-layered and interesting that just doesn’t feel good enough.

The excuse frequently rolled out that the talent isn’t out there is easily disproven when you look at who NXT, Impact and even the NWA have signed since AEW came into existence. All three have fantastic and often world class women’s matches, while AEW hasn’t even come close to that.

[Just Some Guy]

6 hours ago, RedRooster said:

Based on what? They are not given promo time to build any level of depth. All you can really do is judge a book by its cover with the majority of the AEW Women’s Division and in a promotion where almost every male character that features on Dynamite is presented as multi-layered and interesting that just doesn’t feel good enough.

The excuse frequently rolled out that the talent isn’t out there is easily disproven when you look at who NXT, Impact and even the NWA have signed since AEW came into existence. All three have fantastic and often world class women’s matches, while AEW hasn’t even come close to that.

Sorry @RedRooster didn't mean to ghost you. Been travelling since my last post.

The little one line descriptions were based on what I've seen in the ring and what the commentators have said during the matches. I cannot disagree with you over the lack of mic time the women get.

Maybe I'm seeing things that aren't there.

Bottom line for me, and this'll be my last post on the subject so as not to be tiresome, is that it isn't perfect but neither is it the drizzling shits. 

It doesn't need to be fixed imho but understand why many on here are frustrated.

[KingofSports]

Is it not just a case of there being a comparatively small pool to choose from, compared to male wrestlers? WWE already picked up the best from Japan (which no longer has a production line of stars) & the indies. TNA have somehow TNA'd there way into acquiring the better of the rest, leaving AEW with what's left, for the time being. It's fine rhyming off names from the indies, but a lot of those names have been around for years and the fact they haven't been picked up, suggests they're possibly not upto it, on some or other level.

I saw Aja Kong's name mentioned. She's a shell of the wresler she was. Hardly surprising given she's been active since the age of 15 (1987) and probably knows nothing else. It's probably 20 years or more since she had a match of any real consequence.

There's a lot of hype about Britt Baker. Seems people have very quickly forgotten how poor she was in the ring. I actually quite enjoyed her 'dental holds'/finishers, but there really wasn't much else.

I heard Tessa had a deal with AAA. Don't know if that's true, or indeed if it'd make any difference to her working for AEW, if they wanted her. Also mention of Statlander being injured, but if memory serves, she worked a show a few days ago, elsewhere.

If and when everyone's available again, they probably have enough depth in the division for now and barring raids on other 'big' companies, or contract releases, it'll probably have to do.

Gatoh Move and their social media were mentioned earlier in the thread. I'm imagine AEW need that like a hole in head. The state of it:

 

Edited September 25, 2020 by KingofSports