'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
WWE Evolution will be the company's first ever all women's pay-per-view. It will take place on 28th October 2018 and will air live from Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, New York. All the women's championships of the company namely RAW Women's championship, SmackDown Live Women's title, NXT Women's championship and NXT UK women's belt will be defended at the event. The finals of the Mae Young Classic 2018 is also set to take place at the PPV.
WWE has already announced the following matches for the historic event-
- Ronda Rousey (c) vs Nikki Bella for the RAW Women's Championship
- Becky Lynch (c) vs Charlotte Flair in a Last Woman Standing match for the SmackDown Women's Championship
- Alexa Bliss and Mickie James vs Trish Stratus and Lita in a tag-team match
- Kairi Sane (c) vs Shayna Baszler for the NXT Women's Championship
The match card so far looks strong however, there are 4 big reasons Evolution may end up as a failure-
#4 The first ever Last Woman Standing match may not main event the historic PPV
Becky Lynch’s heel turn has been one of the best stories ever told in a long time by the WWE Creative. After losing her title match at SummerSlam 2018, the Irish Lasskicker turned on her best friend Charlotte Flair to kick off an epic feud. The first ever SmackDown Women’s champion had crossed all limits to destroy the genetically superior Charlotte on Tuesday nights. She then won the title from the Queen at WWE Hell in A Cell. The two superstars are a part of WWE’s 4 Horsewomen group and have taken the women’s division to the next level.
Charlotte’s rematches for the title at WWE Super Show Down and on the SmackDown Live after Super Show Down yielded no result. Flair won via disqualification at Melbourne while 3 nights later their match ended in a double count-out. The Nature Girl speared the champion through the display boards to create one of the most extreme moments in women’s wrestling history. The two superstars will definitely blow the arena’s roof down at WWE Evolution however, Ronda Rousey’s presence may keep them away from the main event of the show.
#3 Poor booking of the RAW Women's title
WWE Creative have booked themselves in a corner by putting the RAW Women’s championship on Ronda Rousey. There’s no doubt that the Baddest Woman on the planet has improved leaps and bounds ever since making her WWE debut. The problem is that the writers have booked her as an untouchable champion. She squashed Alexa Bliss to win her title at SummerSlam 2018. Next, she single-handedly defeated the Riott Squad at WWE Super Show Down by putting Livv Morgan and Sarah Logan in an arm-bar together.
On the other hand, Nikki Bella had just made her return to the squared circle after the first ever 30-woman Royal Rumble match. She has turned into a part-timer, focusing more on her careers outside WWE which diminishes the minutest chance she will defeat Rousey to win the title. WWE should’ve booked a better match perhaps, a multi-woman match to make Evolution interesting for the fans.
#2 Absence of a credible mid-card
Nia Jax, who won the RAW Women’s title at WrestleMania 34 hasn’t been involved in a major feud ever since moving out of the title picture. Talented female superstars like Natalya, Sasha Banks, Bayley, Ember Moon, The Riott Squad (Ruby Riott, Livv Morgan and Sarah Logan), The IIconics (Billie Kay and Peyton Royce), Brie Bella, Naomi, Asuka and Lana are just having meaningless matches on the weekly shows. WWE books the female talent in filler tag-team matches rather having credible story-lines or feuds.
The male superstars have a stacked mid-card with superstars like Randy Orton, Jeff Hardy, Samoa Joe, Baron Corbin, The Miz, Bobby Lashley (after his heel turn) all involved in major feuds. WWE Creative has just two weeks’ time to build the other matches on the card which seems impossible at the moment given that the SmackDown 1000 episode is taking place this Tuesday. Either the WWE Creative will put all the female superstars in a battle royale to kill time or perhaps, they might have bigger plans and may launch the Women’s tag team titles at Evolution.
#1 Legends to squash the upcoming superstars
Alexa Bliss is one of the most talented superstars in the WWE’s female division right now and deserved a better booking than being destroyed by superstars who have past their prime. Bliss possesses the talent to pull off a feud with any superstar. However, the writers booked her in a “dream match” against Trish Stratus. It seems like WWE realized that it would make a huge mistake and thus, inserted Mickie James to eat the pin at the hands of Lita and Trish Stratus.
Surely, the legends must be a part of history making shows but not at the cost of the upcoming superstars. WWE has also advertised Beth Phoenix for the event and with Torrie Wilson and Michelle McCool announced for SmackDown 1000 expect a long list of female legends to be present at WWE Evolution.
Do you think WWE Evolution will succeed as a PPV? Share your opinions in the comments box below.
