WWE Twitter Trend: #GiveDivasAChance

Fans Turn to Social Media to Express Outrage on Behalf of WWE Divas

What Happened on RAW

Image Credit: WWE.com

Once again, the WWE Universe has voiced its disgruntlement – this time with how the company handles the WWE Divas Division. The hashtag #GiveDivasAChance began to catch fire after an insultingly short tag team match that put Paige and Emma versus the Bella Twins.

Paige made her way to the ring, only to be left to stand idly while a Sting promotion played out. For five or so minutes, she was left to wait around. The promo ended and viewers found Emma in the ring with her partner. Her entrance wasn't televised. The Bella Twins walked down the runway and, after about a 10 second scuffle, Brie hit Emma with a quick slam and the match was over.

My Personal Insight

Here is where I must editorialize. Within this past year, Paige and Emma produced one of the greatest, most electrifying matches of the year during the NXT Women'sChampionship tournament. The final match lasted 20 minutes – and it was amazing. The two wrestlers (yes, I use the term “wrestlers” here) went back and forth, exchanging moves and blows in acrobatic fashion. The crowd was behind it the whole time, chanting both names. Paige ultimately pulled off the victory and became the first NXT Women's Champion. The match was intense, entertaining and certainly memorable. 

Wasting On-Air Time

During a podcast, Triple H told Stone Cold Steve Austin that the hardest part about adding the third hour to the RAW program is simply filling the time. That is why we saw Curtis Axel get more TV time, shouting “Axel-Mania” than we got to see of four elite female wrestlers. It is also worth noting the scraping around for time at the end of the program. Michael Cole had to scramble together extended replay commentary because the show didn't run quite long enough. Cole even had to retract his signing off statement just to kill more time. Take a guess at who would have benefited from and appreciated those extra five minutes?

Because of the above-mentioned reasons, #GiveDivasAChance became the number one trend worldwide – something the WWE did not broadcast on television. Fans want to see the Divas Division granted more time, but they also want it to be respectable time delegation. The caddy high school games and drama can be left aside. That's what Total Divas is for. They want to see the divas actually compete, not just speak.

Fellow Diva Endorsement

While the hashtag has since moved to the middle of the Twitter trend list, it accumulated more than 34,000 mentions in a small window of time. It's also worth noting that this window of time (10:30 p.m. To 9 a.m.) is when most of the PG-rated programs audience is sleeping. The WWE Universe wasn't alone in supporting the cause either. TNA Knockout Velvet Sky tweeted out the hashtag in support of her fellow female fighters. WWE Diva Renee Young retweeted the hashtag. The official Bella Twins Twitter account started favoriting tweets about the movement. The trend caught traction thanks to a select few prolific celebrities and an enraged fan base.

In a recent panel interview, the Bella Twins discussed the differences between NXT and WWE in regard to on-air and match time. Brie stated that there's little motivation for NXT women to be brought up into the WWE, given the lack of combat time.

 

Womens Championship History and Matches

After the SuperBowl, the #LikeAGirl trend started running rampant on social media, so much so that the WWE got behind it and made its own #LikeAGirl video featuring NXT women. These women aren't “Mean Girls.” They are role models to young ladies. Looking back at famous and infamous women wrestlers, it's hard to imagine the group not cringing at what is being done to the current WWE Divas. Lita and Trish headlined RAW. They fought in a steel cage. Melina and Mickie James had a hardcore match, as did Lita and Jazz. These women created a strong, independent and respectable feel for the division. They fought in extreme rules matches with chairs, tables and Molly Holly even had her head shaved.

While some may argue that the fighters are sexualized – given certain storylines and ring attire – their Candice,Victoria and Beth Phoenix didn't suffer life-altering injuries for the division to get 30 seconds. Chyna took on X Pac and Ken Shamrock during her time. You cannot tell me that the women's division is dead – it just needs air time and decent, non-cliche stories. The Divas sell merchandise and put on a show. Let them live.

artfully-crafted, physical battles show that they mean business. Lita didn't break her neck to have the divas get 30 seconds. Paige didn't work literally her entire life toward a dream of being shoved aside publicly and given 30 seconds.

 

Damage Control

By the end of the trend's prime, it had become the number one topic discussed on Facebook, it accumulated more than 600 Instagram photos and even harbored attention from Tumblr. After the Roman Reigns fiasco, the WWE Universe responded and the WWE listened. They pay attention to what the fans say, so it will be interesting to see how the company and its creative team reacts to the outrage. There were allegations of sexism against Vince McMahon. The term “Glass Ceiling” was tossed around a few times throughout the night. These are certainly not good mark for a business that marches to a mantra of “equality.”

Will AJ Lee return and make a splash? Will we see some of the more physical NXT women come up and join Paige in the “Diva of Tomorrow/Anti-Diva” movement? The next stages – especially leading up to WrestleMania 31 – are both nerve-racking and exciting. The fans want to see more out of this league – and hopefully the WWE delivers.

 

WWE Social Media History

Since 2010, the WWE has owned social media, making great advances via Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and their own World Wrestling Entertainment app. This has allowed the company to collect both qualitative and quantitative data regarding its performance – especially since the launch of the WWE Network this past year.

However, the WWE has seen its fair share of other PR nightmares. After the RoyalRumble pay-per-view, #CancelTheWWENetwork was the number one trend all the way up until midday the following Monday. This hashtag also found its way to the trends list more recently after WWE Fast Lane.

Why WWE's Paige is Best for Business

 Diva is destined to continue creating history for World Wrestling Entertainment

By Stephan Reed

The Anti-Diva, the Scream Queen, the Raven-Haired, Ivory-Skinned Scrapper – however you know her, Saraya-Jade Bevis is set to climb the ranks and reclaim fame as the WWE Diva's champion. Best known by her in-ring alias Paige, the Norwich, England native has the skills and marketability to thrive as a part of World Wrestling Entertainment for a good time to come. If history tells us anything, her peacock-like personality and addicting on-screen presence will be one fans and producers will long to keep around.

Her Background

Paige started fighting at the age of 13 and was born into a family experienced in wrestling. Her mother, Julia, and father, Ricky, saw the future for their daughter and believed condoning her entering the ring would amount to something great. While most 13-year old girls worry about which boy they want to take to the school dance, she was busy training to beat up girls twice her age.

Her in-ring experience, which will be highlighted in-depth later, speaks volumes to her accomplishments. One thing she has done is capture the interest of the entire wrestling community. She has developed a reputation of being an actual fighter. During her time in NXT, she could be seen grappling, kicking and elbowing. She's scrappy. She's exciting. When watching her compete, it's not like you're watching a separate entity that is the Diva's Division – you're just watching a talented superstar.

While some signature move sets can get boring and cliché (see John Cena's Five Moves of Doom),

others can capture the adrenal glands of a nation. For example, The Rock's People's Elbow build up, the Spinaroonie and the Undertaker's finger across the throat/eyes rolled back number. With the exception of Trish Stratus' finger point, AJ Lee's skip and Lita's Hardy Boyz salute, no diva has created something traditional and beloved like this, but Paige is on that track. Her entrance scream, “This is my house,” the out-of-the-ring knees to the chest, shocking boots to the face and that seductive crawl that leads to multiple headbutts (symbolizing her aesthetic appeal and competitive tenacity) are all moves that are distinctly "Paige."

Fans can call out the Ram-Paige, or the PTO or the Paige Turner. She has three finishers with flair, one of them is an intricate submission hold that displays a tremendous amount of strength and balance. She's not just another pretty face. She's a pretty face on one Hell of a fighter. While she hasn't fallen into the right gimmick yet, her in-ring skill has not diminished – it's only getting better. My hope is that the WWE gives her full reign to tear through the Diva's Division – like she did in NXT.

Investment and Commitment

Paige's career on the main WWE roster kicked off in the best possible way – she defeated the seemingly unstoppable force that is AJ Lee after a 295-day title run. While fans were growing bored with Lee's stale tenure as champ, Paige arrived with a pop and a bang as she hit her slightly unrefined finisher and made history as the youngest WWE Diva champion at the age of 21. She lost the title, gained it back and lost it again since, as she continues her pursuit to don the pink-winged belt once again.

But before this, she spent a great deal of time in WWE development leagues. Superstars don't get to up and enter the ring. No. They work their way up, climbing from the bottom up. Failing at her first tryout, Paige fought forward and landed a FCW contract in 2011. Wading through some mis-hitting gimmicks and sticking it out, she eventually built herself up, as the FCW became the now-popular NXT.

Quickly becoming a fan favourite, the Anti-Diva continued to kick the crap out of this Diva's Division. When her signature raven cry played over the stadium speakers, crowds erupted. This was their Diva's champion. Only one problem – there was no NXT Diva's championship. That is until after a hard fought tournament which eventually pit Paige and real-life friend Emma against each other. Paige defeated her opposition, becoming the first ever NXT Diva's champion – kind of a big deal, especially since Triple H was on hand to congratulate the winner.

Paige successfully held the title against any and all competition for more than 300 days until the higher ups at the WWE forced her to vacate the title because she couldn't carry two titles at once. It wasn't fair. She was too good. She had both titles. That's saying a little bit of something.

The WWE gave Paige a chance and she excelled. But it was more than a chance – a shot at temporary fame. They gave her an opportunity to make her mark on wrestling history. And she did just that. She has built herself up – and the WWE has done their part – so much that seeing her fall, now, seems completely impossible.

She's Different

If there's one thing World Wrestling Entertainment likes more than a talented fighter, it's a superstar with super marketability. If they can create buzz, their success can easily follow. Paige is not only a great grappler, but also a character that sells itself. She's not like the rest. She yells. She screams. She's brutal. People Love that she has shaken up the Diva's Division – they just get tired when they see talented athletes get sent through some bad story lines and their skill gets shadowed. When Paige won the Diva's Championship for the first time … that moment still gives me chills. The crowd was so into it. The WWE struck gold.

One great thing they, the company, have done is let Paige be her 22-year old self on social media. Her

personality spills over from TV into the Internet. It's social media marketing genius. If your favourite celebrity is retweeting pics of you wearing their branded clothing and accessories, you're much more inclined to buy something. It's an invaluable added value. If Paige were to “like” my Instagram post, I would likely cry and fanboy all over the place. That's marketing. She can do things that are free – from her phone – that make people spend money. Her Twitter and Instagram (and sometimes Snapchat) presence is done flawlessly.

Another historically proven characteristic that works in the WWE Diva's Division is “craziness.” Look no further than AJ Lee, Mickie James and Victoria (among others) for proof. Paige has this natural menacing charm that fans – and myself – cannot get enough of. It's like the manic pixie dream girl, but unhinged. It's a perfect combination for a crowd of people liking a flashy and violent sport. The young diva has also improved tenfold on the mic. Whereas she used to only prove herself in the ring, she can now perform with her voice. Her accent is lovely and, once again, sets her apart from any other. It's a signature of hers. And the tone in her content – witty, annoyed, boastful remarks – adds to her likeliness. She plays with announcers and interviewers. She's fun and fierce. What more could the WWE ask for?

And finally, it comes down to how much Paige wants this stardom. She took the gamble, at an early age, and sacrificed teen years to get where she is now. However, she's enjoying it. She's embracing it. Her social posts boasts her having a great time with the other divas. And that's just it – she Loves it and she's willing to do whatever it takes, including joining the cast of Total Divas to ensure more face time with the world.

Paige displays raw emotion in and out of the ring. When she won the championship, those were real

tears. When she lost it, that was true rage. When she won the first ever NXT Diva's Championship, she celebrated with same girls she just beat the crap out of. When she defended the title against Natalya and knew she was headed to the WWE, she thanked the veteran diva for the opportunity. She hugged her and showed deep appreciation for someone who has already been through it all.

That's heart. It's more than just prestige – it's passion. It's Love for the business, the lights, the fans, the dream, the crowds' pop when her theme hits, the stage, the sport – the everything.

Paige wants it, so she will get it.