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AEW's women's division has received its share of criticism as of late. As the company moves closer to All Out, the issues surrounding their use of their women's roster has been its most glaring problem.
It has been just under one year since the introduction of the AEW Women's World Championship. The division still lacks direction, which has led to fans and pundits to lambaste it.
It's unclear if blames lies in the lap of Kenny Omega, Chief Brand Officer Brandi Rhodes, or AEW President Tony Khan. Regardless, there is no denying that there is an issue that needs to be addressed.
In this article, let's take a look at some ways that AEW can advance its women's division. Although not all criticism is justified due to the relative infancy of the company, there are reasons for concern. Here are three ways to improve upon what is a solid cast of characters in the women's division.
#3 Emphasize the AEW Women's World Championship
Riho's reign as AEW Women's World Championship was one of the biggest successes on Dynamite in 2019. Riho was an unknown to the mainstream American audience and her diminutive size made her an underdog. Nevertheless, she delivered quality matches and pulled in solid viewership in the coveted 18-49 demo during her short run with the title according to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio. Above all, her rivalry with Nyla Rose produced two of the best matches in AEW history.
Nyla Rose's victory over Riho on the Feb. 12 edition of AEW Dynamite was a fantastic match. It earned the show one of its highest-rated segments in the key demo of the night for the latter half of the match according to the Feb. 17, 2020 Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Due to the ongoing global pandemic and subsequent travel restrictions, Nyla's reign with the title was short-lived. It never quite lived up to the expectations that her title win set.
Nyla would go on to lose the title to Hikaru Shida at AEW Double or Nothing 2020 in a fun No Disqualification Match. During Shida's time with the company, she has been a consistent performer, delivering the best AEW matches with Dr. Britt Baker among others. Unfortunately, her title reign has also been lackluster due to the lack of contracted female talent at AEW's disposal.
AEW needs to put emphasis on the AEW Women's World Championship and take advantage of what seems to be an open door policy for female talent. New faces such as Ivelisse, Diamante, and Anna Jay made their debut over the past few months.
AEW showed with the introduction of Cody's weekly TNT Championship open challenge that the company can elevate a title in the eyes of fans with consistent exposure. Allowing Shida to have regular title matches and TV time to perform in the ring against the free agents would promote the title as well as the champion as a character.
#2 A prize for the winner of the AEW Women's Tag Team Cup
The latest attempt to elevate AEW's women's division was the introduction of the AEW Women's Tag Team Cup Tournament. This move has been met with plenty of criticism from the fans due to the presentation. The tournament won't take place on Dynamite or Dark. Instead, AEW announced that the tournament would air on the company's YouTube channel on Monday nights. The division is given little to no time on its main show, so this decision was poorly timed to say the least.
Many performers such as Tay Conti, Lil' Swole Nicole Savoy, Rachael Ellering, and backstage interviewer, Dasha Gonzalez, have debuted during the AEW Women's Tag Team Cup Tournament. Allowing these women the opportunity on Dynamite would have helped the image of the overall women's division. Putting the tournament on the YouTube channel exacerbated how fans feel about the company's treatment of the women.
Although its placement on the channel is bad optics, there is a way to salvage this. The company's decision to put the finals on the Aug. 22 episode of Dynamite is a step in the right direction. However, there needs to be more at stake than a trophy for the winners. AEW could sign some of the unsigned talents that they have used in "The Deadly Draw" and introduce AEW Women's Tag Team Champions. The creation of another title might be negative for some, but it could also present another attainable goal for the ladies of AEW. A new secondary title will help create new stories for these underutilized wrestlers.
Another prize for the winners could be the main title in the division. Giving the winners of the Tag Team Cup a shot at the AEW Women's Championship is a great way to give a further showcase for the performers as well as give Shida two well-built challengers for her title ahead of All Out. Like I said before, Shida has been well established, and giving other performers credibility by the win will help the division overall.
#1 Feuds outside of the AEW Women's World Championship program
During the ongoing pandemic, the feud between Dr. Britt Baker and Big Swole has unquestionably been the highlight of the AEW women's division. The company's ability to continue to build Baker even though she is injured has been tremendous. Dr. Britt Baker has been a revelation for the company in 2020. Since she turned heel in January, Baker has been one of the best characters in all of AEW. It has been remarkable to watch her play of the fan's criticism of her babyface character at the start of the promotion.
Big Swole has proven to be a proper foil for Dr. Baker. Swole has an in-your-face babyface persona, which is easy to get behind. Viewers believe she will deliver comeuppance to any heel that gets in her way.
This feud has propelled both women over the past few weeks. It has been an ongoing highlight on Dynamite for most of the fanbase. However, the success of this feud begs the question: why can't AEW do this with other women in the division outside of the title programs?
AEW showed with their world title and tag team divisions that they can showcase interweaving stories that promote the performers and those respective divisions. The company introduced an interesting character in Abadon a few weeks back. She's a character with a unique look, who has made quite the impression in her debut.
AEW featured her on Dark, but she has not made a return to Dynamite yet. Abadon could start a rivalry with Penelope Ford. Ford plays the beautiful yet dangerous girlfriend and valet of "Superbad" Kip Sabian very well. The differences between the two characters could be a logical introductory feud for Abadon.
Anna Jay has also made her debut and joined up the Dark Order. The Dark Order could have had attempted to bring in another new addition to AEW in recent weeks, Diamante. This could've transitioned nicely into a rivalry between the two when Diamante declined. That is just two relatively simple secondary feuds that AEW could have presented to their fanbase.
Although there are flaws, AEW's women's division has potential. They have a solid cast of women, who may not be the best in-ring performers, but they all present different and unique characters that can be featured on AEW Dynamite and Dark weekly. The talent is available, but right now, the booking and presentation aren't there yet. Hopefully, the much-needed improvement that fans want is coming soon.
