9 Reasons It’s Now or Never for the First Women’s WrestleMania Main Event

There’s a Rich History to Consider

Although it may seem like women’s wrestling is a relatively new feature for WWE, the truth is that female grappling has a rich history. The Fabulous Moolah was crowned as the first official WWE (then WWF) Women’s Champion in 1983, and you may be surprised to learn that the Women’s Tag Team Championship was introduced in that same year.

The “Women’s Revolution” did not begin at WrestleMania 32 with the re-introduction of the WWE Women’s Championship; it’s an ongoing movement that has endured many highs and lows, spanning decades. At WrestleMania 35, this rich history could prove to be the perfect backstory for one of the most highly anticipated main events ever.

‘Divas’ are Gone

The WWE Attitude Era, especially in the late ’90s, was a hugely successful time for WWE. With “Stone Cold” Steve Austin at the helm, Monday Night RAW became a TV ratings juggernaut and was true appointment viewing, but it is also known as a time that negatively impacted traditional women’s wrestling because the girls were mostly relegated to being valets or providing eye candy to drooling teenagers. The idea of an all-female WrestleMania main event during the Attitude Era would have seemed inconceivable.

The term “Diva” is associated with a low point in women’s wrestling that revolved around mud matches and bikini posedown’s, but with grit and determination, WWE’s strong and empowered women showed that they could wrestle, too. In 2004, Trish Stratus battled Lita in the first ever all-female main event on RAW. This match, now considered a classic, signaled that women’s wrestling was back in business. Because of this, WWE scouts began signing females that had athletic skill rather than a portfolio full of swimsuit shots and, as a result, todays roster of women has an incredible depth of talent. At WrestleMania 32 in 2016, the Divas Championship was officially scrapped and the Women’s Championship was reinstated. With WWE women now recognized as superstars that are on equal footing with the men, there’s no reason why they can’t headline WrestleMania 35.

These Girls Have Earned It

These days, the public is firmly focused on matters of gender equality, and WWE has been keen to show that they are a forward-thinking company with its expansion and elevation of the women’s division. But don’t kid yourself by thinking that an all-female main event at WrestleMania 35 would be some kind of token gesture. The truth is that the women of WWE have worked hard to get to this position, and they’ve legitimately earned this opportunity.

WWE, like any other entertainment company, must think of the box office receipts, and it would not consider promoting female wrestling if there was no market for it. The popularity of women’s wrestling has never been greater thanks to athletes such as Alundra Blayze, Chyna, Emma, Paige, Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch, and countless others who have cultivated their craft to the point where they surpassed many of the guys in terms of technique, skill, and entertainment value. The men featured on a WWE card have to increasingly step their own game up in order to maintain their position, and that’s exactly how it should be in the interests of producing the most compelling product for fans to enjoy.

Women are Stealing the Show

You don’t have to look too hard to find examples of the women outdoing the guys. Far from simply holding their own, there are a number of girls on the WWE roster that are stealing the show night after night, and they are willing to risk life and limb to entertain the masses. With this being the case, it makes logical sense that the best superstars, male or female, should be considered to headline WrestleMania.

In recent years, we’ve been treated to show-stealing confrontations like the Triple Threat match at WrestleMania 32 and the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble in 2018. In NXT, and during the Mae Young Classic, the girls have truly caught the attention of the powers that be. Surely, the natural progression to all this is for the ladies to shine on the grandest stage of them all, by stealing the show in MetLife Stadium during WrestleMania 35.

Ronda Rousey is Here

Unquestionably, Ronda Rousey has divided fans since first appearing on WWE TV in January, 2018. The former UFC Champion could be described as fitting into the “John Cena” category in that she is incredibly talented but is still cheered and jeered by fans in equal measure. That aside, Ronda has provided a great boost to the legitimacy and star power of WWE’s women’s division.

The Baddest Woman on the Planet is a genuine fighting machine, and since her stunning debut at WrestleMania 34, she has improved at lightning speed, thanks to her competitiveness and killer work ethic. This competitiveness has brought a whole new luster to the division, and elevated the Women’s Championship to perhaps its highest ever point. “Rowdy” Ronda is a worthy WrestleMania main-eventer, as is anyone who dares challenge her. And if the rumors of Ronda Rousey leaving WWE shortly after WrestleMania 35 are to be believed, now is the time to make this main event happen.

The Fans Want It

In the days that followed Ronda Rousey’s signing on the dotted line with WWE, fans began to speculate that The Baddest Woman on the Planet was being lined up to main event WrestleMania 35. Chatter from these fans on social media was mostly positive, signaling to WWE that such a match could be a success. In the last couple of months this possibility has become more and more likely, and it is fair to say that the hottest feud in WWE right now is revolving around Ronda Rousey, Charlotte Flair, and Becky Lynch.

Breaking with tradition and placing women in the main event of WrestleMania is no small move. The storied history of the “Show of Shows” includes moments that are etched in our minds, such as Hulk Hogan vs. Andre The Giant and Steve Austin vs. The Rock. Placing women in the main event, while perfectly reasonable, could be seen by some as a commercial risk and a stretch too far for WWE’s most important show of the year. But, at least as far as the WWE Universe is concerned, a women’s main event is the only way to go this year and we whole-heartedly agree. The female division is on fire, and Becky Lynch is possibly the most loved superstar in the company right now. With Rousey’s history of headlining PPV’s for UFC, and Charlotte and Becky being on top of their game, this match has all the makings for a WrestleMania classic.

Critics Want It

When the term #GiveDivasaChance trended on twitter, WWE had to re-think its representation of women in the product, and so the era of the “Diva” officially ended at WrestleMania 32 with the introduction of the new Women’s Championship belt. Following this, women broke new ground time and time again with their first Hell in a Cell, Money in the Bank and even Royal Rumble matches. Inevitably, the critics soon called for that last great glass ceiling to break, and for WWE to book its first-ever, all-female WrestleMania main event.

This kind of event would take some time and promotion, but we are finally here, and the critics are ready. Most experts agree that Becky Lynch is the most popular superstar in WWE at this point, and so there is great support from both fans and critics alike for WrestleMania 35 to be the year that finally hosts a female main event. In terms of match quality, Ronda Rousey, Becky Lynch, and of course Charlotte Flair have the ability to deliver a show-stopping thriller, so come on WWE. Make it official!

The Most Compelling Feud

Rich history and talented female superstars have brought us to a point where a WrestleMania main event is finally conceivable, but to headline the big show, you need the most compelling feud, much like when The Hulkster pinned Randy Savage at WrestleMania 5 or when John Cena went to war twice with The Rock. Only the match with the most public interest is worthy of closing WWE’s biggest annual pay-per-view event. In Ronda Rousey and Becky Lynch, we finally have a female feud that is worthy of a WrestleMania main event.

Becky’s rise as “The Man” has been stratospheric and her plight is that of the underdog who stays in the fight no matter what odds are stacked against her. While the addition of Charlotte Flair into the mix has muddied the narrative for some, it has at least provided a great amount of tension, with viewers not knowing if the injured Becky would even make it to New York on April 7. Now that the Triple Threat Match has been made, we have arguably the three greatest female superstars in the history of WWE ready to do battle. Regardless of their gender, the story around the WWE RAW Women’s Championship is most competing story leading up to WrestleMania 35.

The Future is Now

WWE’s first all-female Pay-Per-View, Evolution, was an enjoyable special event that proved, without doubt, that the girls could carry the WWE brand all by themselves. If WWE officials place the Triple Threat Match as top billing at WrestleMania 35, there is no reason to believe that the girls can’t rise to the occasion, in the same way that they have smashed every other opportunity.

The legitimate evolution of women in wrestling will not be complete until an all-female WrestleMania main event happens, and there’s never been a better time to do it. Whether or not Ronda Rousey stays with the WWE after April, Becky Lynch’s stock seems destined to rise even further in the future.

“The Man”, as Women’s Champion, would have no shortage of top-notch opponents to face, and fans are eager to see more of her on TV since her recent appearances have mostly been limited to short run-ins. For the fans, the critics, and the female WWE Superstars, the future really is now.

Watch WWE WrestleMania 35 Live on April 7^th via WWE Network. For more information, and to get your first month for FREE, visit wwe.com