6 Reasons why the Evolution PPV was underwhelming

Was WWE's Evolution pay per view a complete bust?
Was WWE's Evolution pay per view a complete bust?

Disclaimer: The views expressed in the piece are that of the author's and not of Sportskeeda's

Not all that glitters is gold and not every single idea that comes out of WWE's camp is going to be a good way. Unfortunately for The WWE Universe, they found that out the hard way when WWE hosted their first ever all women's pay per view and while there were some good moments during the show, they were continuously overshadowed by a plethora of not so good decisions.

Again, that doesn't mean the Evolution pay per view isn't worth a watch or even a rewatch if you feel tempted, but it still failed to achieve what it had set out to and that was to change the game for women's wrestling. With that being said and the reasons that will be listed below, the Evolution pay per view was underwhelming as a whole and fans need to admit it.

As always, let us know your thoughts about WWE's first ever all women's pay per view in the comments below and be sure to tell us what you thought of the show as a whole. Also be sure to let us know what your favorite match was throughout the show and whether you would want to see another all women's pay per view again.


#6 The opening match

What was even the point of Trish Stratus and Lita returning to WWE?
What was even the point of Trish Stratus and Lita returning to WWE?

The opening match on any card is a very important spot. It is something that can set the tone for the rest of the evening and is sometimes that can really get the crowd into the show early on. The opening match between Trish Stratus, Lita, Mickie James and Alicia Fox didn't accomplish any of that however and was mainly a desperate attempt at nostalgia.

Now the match would have served a little bit more of a purpose if Alexa Bliss didn't get injured a week or two before the show, but without her, it really didn't do anything for anyone. In fact, it wasn't a match that WWE can really build upon, which is another reason why the match didn't seem to serve a purpose.

In the end, it was fun at times to see Trish Stratus hit the Stratusfaction and Lita hit a moonsault, but that doesn't take away from the fact that the match achieved nothing besides a hint at nostalgia. Beyond that, it looked sloppy in a few places and WWE trying to get Bliss involved throughout the match did next to nothing to make it better.

#5 Use of the number one contender Battle Royal

Did The Number one contender's battle Royale feel slow paced to anyone else?
Did The Number one contender's battle Royale feel slow paced to anyone else?

WWE held a number one contender's battle royal at Evolution to determine who would get a future title shot and while the match had its strong points, it seemed like it was just a way to shoehorn a bunch of women onto the pay per view. Furthermore, it also seemed to be a way to stall time and pad out the event.

Of course, it wasn't all bad and the WWE Universe got to see past stars like Alundra Blayze, Kelly Kelly, Molly Holly, Maria Kanellis and Ivory, but that doesn't exactly make up for the fact that it seemed poorly planned. Beyond that, the women seemed to have trouble eliminating each other safely, which only hurt the match more.

In the end, it was a nice little throwback to the past, present and the future of the Women's division, but all of that was overshadowed by the slow pace, the constant breaks for crowd pandering nonsense and the fact that the right Superstar didn't even end up winning the match when all was said done.

#4 Nia Jax winning the Battle Royal

Why does WWE want Nia Jax to face Ronda Rousey for the title again?
Why does WWE want Nia Jax to face Ronda Rousey for the title again?

Why is WWE already doing this feud again?

Why would WWE have Nia Jax win the Battle Royal at Evolution when she has already tried and failed to unseat Ronda Rousey as champion. Maybe the decision was due to the WWE's belief that there aren't a lot of realistic opponents for Rousey, but that argument falls flat when you consider that Tamina Snuka would have been a fresh new opponent for Rousey.

Furthermore, WWE could have just as easily chosen to give the win to a SmackDown Live women's Superstar, which would have made a lot more sense than just giving Nia Jax another title shot. Of course, some will argue that Rousey and Jax have unfinished business, especially since their match didn't end clean, but it still doesn't justify doing it again!

#3 minimal involvement from Stephanie McMahon

Why wasn't Stephanie McMahon more involved in The Evolution pay per view?
Why wasn't Stephanie McMahon more involved in The Evolution pay per view?

Another problem with the Evolution pay per view was the fact that Stephanie McMahon wasn't really a part of the show at all. Sure, she was there alongside Triple H following the finals of The Mae Young Classic and she made another appearance in a pre-taped segment, but one would think that she would have been more involved than that.

In fact, one has to wonder why WWE didn't go forward with a one on one match between Stephanie McMahon and Ronda Rousey, which would probably have been a little more interesting than the main event fans got. Beyond that, it would have been a much more meaningful match for the company if scripted right.

In the end, it was probably McMahon's decision to take a back seat and let the other women shine, but in doing so, she really robbed herself out of a spot she deserved. In fact, Stephanie McMahon is said to be one of the original backers of the Women's revolution, which made it just that much more upsetting that she wasn't involved on a higher scale.

#2 No tag team titles introduced

Not introducing the women's tag team titles at Evolution was a bad move on WWE's part.
Not introducing the women's tag team titles at Evolution was a bad move on WWE's part.

WWE promised to make history at the first ever all women's pay per view in the company's history and while that was achieved to some degree, they missed out on several other opportunities to do so. In fact, one of the most surprising missed opportunities was WWE's decision not to introduce a Women's Tag Team Title into the picture.

Not only would the move have put the women on the same level as men in yet another way, but it also would have had a lot more meaning since it debuted at the all-women pay per view. Unfortunately for the WWE Universe, the company ultimately decided not to and it was extremely baffling to see.

In the end, introducing the Women's Tag Team Titles would have been just one more barrier-breaking decision that put the men and women on the same playing field. Evolution was also probably the most meaningful place to introduce the titles, meaning that WWE is going to have to wait a while before actually making the announcement.

#1 Becky Lynch versus Charlotte Flair didn't main event

Becky Lynch versus Charlotte Flair should have been the main event of Evolution.
Becky Lynch versus Charlotte Flair should have been the main event of Evolution.

Can we just take a moment to admit that the last woman standing match between Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch should have main evented the Evolution pay per view. Not only was it much more frantically paced with so many amazing false finishes, but it also was leaps and bounds more personal than that of Ronda Rousey versus Nikki Bella

Sure, Ronda Rousey had that line about who Nikki Bella slept with and The Bella Twins fired back with Rousey's losses in MMA, but it felt so rushed and superficial. WWE also didn't have much time to build the feud between Bella and Rousey, which is another reason why it just wasn't as good.

In the end, Rousey versus Bella relied too much on cheap heat and really wasn't all that exciting. Compare that to the absolute war that Charlotte and Becky Lynch had for The SmackDown Live Women's title and it should be very easy to figure out which match deserved the main event spot.

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