Seven Days in Women’s Wrestling – March 10 to 16, 2024

This week in women’s wrestling, it’s Big Business! One of the biggest names of women’s wrestling returns to a CEO-level contract plus the roads to WrestleMania and the ROH Women’s Title Tournament continue!

I’m trying a new format this week. Let’s see how it works.

Monday – WWE Monday Night Raw:

Matches: 3 women / 2 men

Approx. In-Ring Time: 28 min women / 49:30 men

Representation: 10 women / 8 men

Becky Lynch d. Liv Morgan 15:30

Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell d. Ivy Nile & Maxxine Dupri 2:00

Kabuki Warriors d. Zoey Stark & Shayna Baszler (Women’s Tag Titles) 10:20

It’s a big night for the tag teams of WWE, Zoey & Shayna finally getting their tag title shot after reigning supreme over most of the other teams. We also played into the online heat of Maxxine with Candice berating her mid-ring.

Becky wins a hard-fought match against Liv Morgan, with Rhea Ripley coming out to acknowledge her after the match. Nia Jax attacks both Becky and Liv backstage to set up another Becky/Nia match next week.

Not a bad week for the women, as they are represented well and both titles on the show get some shine. A B+ tonight.

Tuesday: WWE NXT

Matches: 2 women / 4 men

Approx. In-Ring Time: 10 min women / 35:30 men

Representation: 6 women / 10 men

Arianna Grace d. Gigi Dolin 4:14

Izzi Dame & Kiana James d. Thea Hail & Fallon Henley 5:35

After taking champion Lyra Valkyria out of action last week, our head story this week is Roxanne Perez. Roxanne gives an AJ Lee-ish promo on her actions (which is great), before Lyra obsessive Tatum Paxley tries to attack her.

Elsewhere, Arianna Grace beats Gigi Dolin which gives Arianna the right to give Gigi a more elegant look next week. This was also the match where men debated if women are hurt by low blows (we are!). There’s a lot involving the other women as well as Thea rejects Jacy Jayne and reclaims her spot as Chase U cheerleader. Karmen Petrovic and Sol Ruca want to face Blair Davenport, Lola Vide argues with Petrovic, and Brinley Reece shows support for Sol Ruca’s breaking up of the fight.

As always, there are stories upon stories going on with the NXT women’s division. They didn’t get near the equal ring time this week, but they’re still the most interesting part of the show. B-.

Wednesday – AEW Dynamite

Matches: 1 women / 4 men

Approx. In-Ring Time: 9:30 min women / 44:30 men

Representation: 2 women / 14 men

Willow Nightingale d. Riho 9:19

It’s Big Business of course, and we start out with the rumored debut of Mercedes Mone, the former Sasha Banks. Mercedes gets a huge reaction and the high point of the show’s ratings as she says she is here for new challenges and to elevate the division. She mentions she has unfinished business with Willow, who is in the main event, and will be keeping an eye on it.

Mercedes shakes Riho’s hand backstage. Willow and Riho have a fun, hard-hitting match that Willow wins. Julia Hart and Skye Blue appear to attack Willow, who is saved by Mercedes. We end the show with Willow welcoming Sasha and arms raised.

Deonna Purrazzo issues a tag team challenge with a partner to be named against Toni Storm and Mariah May next week.

It certainly felt big this week and as you all know, I’ve been begging for the AEW women’s division to get the time it deserves. It got a little under half an hour including promo time tonight, but it remains to be seen if the focus continues. We have a match set for next week plus a Mercedes appearance planned, so we’ll see. Either way, it felt like an A for AEW tonight.

Thursday – ROH on HonorClub

Matches: 4 women / 6 men

Approx. In-Ring Time: 33 min women / 41 min men

Representation: 10 women / 22 men

Billie Starkz d. Diamente (Women’s TV Title Quarterfinals) 11:38

Kiera Hogan d. Lady Frost, Layla Hirsch, Robyn Renegade (Four Corner Survival Match) 5:26

Athena d. Aisha (Proving Ground) 4:30

Mercedes Martinez d. Abadon (Women’s TV Title Quarterfinals) 9:46

SuperCard of Honor is weeks away and with Nyla Rose vanquished, Athena has no opponent. She wins a Proving Ground match (which is a given since no champion has lost one since the rebirth of the brand) and then is challenged by Hikaru Shida. While she isn’t a ROH competitor, it’s a match to look forward to at least.

The Women’s TV Title tournament continues on as well as we crown a new champ at SuperCard. Good wins this week for Billie Starkz and Mercedes Martinez to advance.

Plus, we’re back to two hour shows which means one thing: cram 30+ competitors into matches! The return of the “throw four women into a five minute match” is back.

The focus always feels lost when ROH goes over an hour, but the women were focal this week and it’s appreciated. C.

Thursday – TNA Impact

Matches: 1 women / 5 men

Approx. In-Ring Time: 2:30 min women / 40:30 men

Representation: 4 women / 14 men

Spitfire d. Vanna Black & Beaa Moss 2:12

There are a lot of talented women in TNA, but you wouldn’t know it from the three minutes or so of TV time they received this week. We do set up a Knockouts World Title match next week as Tasha Steelz issues a challenge to Jordynne Grace.

Knockouts Tag Champs Spitfire get a quick win and… well, that’s the entirely of the women’s feature for the week. Oof. I’m giving it a D-.

Thursday – WWE Main Event

Matches: 1 women / 1 men

Approx. In-Ring Time: 9:30 min women / 5 men

Representation: 2 women / 4 men

Chelsea Green d. Natalya 9:20

Is that a ten minute match? On Main Event?? It is, with Chelsea getting a win over veteran Nattie in the longest Main Event women’s match in probably a year. A good one, too. A-.

Friday – AEW Rampage

Matches: 1 women / 4 men

Approx. In-Ring Time: 3 min women / 33:50 men

Representation: 4 women / 12 men

Toni Storm & Mariah May d. Kayla Sparks & LMK 3:05

I’m not sure squash what was we ordered, but it’s all we got tonight. Toni and her double Mariah get an easy win to warm up for their Dynamite match. Post-match, Deonna announces her partner: Thunder Rosa.

The other woman who appears on this show sometimes, Serena Deeb, gives some general “I want to wrestle” comments. We suddenly remember Queen Aminata exists in the world of AEW as we get a package about her and her ROH Women’s TV Title dreams, which probably won’t cross over to AEW.

And… we don’t really talk about the big debut a few days ago??? Sure, okay. Not a stellar show for the ladies as they all get crammed into about a six minute window. D.

Friday – NXT Level Up

Matches: 2 women / 1 men

Approx. In-Ring Time: 10:30 min women / 5:30 men

Representation: 4 women / 4 men

Lola Vice d. Carlee Bright 4:25

Sol Ruca d. Wren Sinclair 6:25

As usual, Level Up focuses on the future stars of NXT. Lola Vice and Sol Ruca both play heavily into future plans for the brand and they get a good spotlight here. A.

Friday – TNA Xplosion

Matches: 0 women / 1 men

Approx. In-Ring Time: 0 min women / 6:30 men

Representation: 0 women / 2 men

There just doesn’t seem to be much for the women on Xplosion or in general for the women of TNA this week. F.

Friday – WWE Friday Night SmackDown

Matches: 1 women / 4 men

Approx. In-Ring Time: 7:30 min women / 30:30 men

Representation: 2 women / 12 men

The big story for the women continues to circle Bayley and Damage CTRL, with Bayley facing former bestie Dakota Kai in the ring this week. A good match ends by DQ with Iyo Sky involvement, which leads to Naomi coming out to save Bayley and start spinning the wheels for a Women’s Tag Title match at WrestleMania.

And… that’s all the women got this week. Between The Rock singing and the tag ladder match qualifies, the women didn’t really have much to do. They did get the main event match and show-closing angle, but there’s so much more of a women’s division that didn’t do a thing this week. D.

Saturday – AEW Collision

Matches: 1 women / 6 men

Approx. In-Ring Time: 8 min women / 59 min men

Representation: 2 women / 14 men

Julia Hart d. Trish Adora (TBS Title Open House match) 7:43

The representation problem continues as the women get eight minutes of a two hour show, while the men get almost an hour of in-ring time alone.

Julia Hart gave Trish Adora a title shot, with this week’s House rule being that the loser couldn’t be ringside for the main event House of Black vs Infantry match. I appreciate the match having stakes, at least.

The Outcasts saga stretches on for a 854th week, plus we get a look back at the Mone debut and some words from Toni & Mariah.

Still waiting for the hopeful winds of change to hit this show as well. While the women had a fun match, there’s gotta be more to do with them in two hours. C-.

Final Tallies:

WWE/NXT – 9 matches, 66 minutes

AEW/ROH – 7 matches, 53:50 minutes

TNA – 1 match, 2:30 minutes