WWE Evolution Battle Royal Actually A Conspiracy?

Does anyone else feel like the Battle Royal at Evolution is either a smokescreen for a Women’s Tag Team Championship tournament or a very un-creative replacement for one?

Option 1

First, let’s look at a few of the names that have already been announced for this ever-creative idea for a women’s Battle Royal.

The IIconics are a tag team, Asuka & Naomi were set up as a team, Not-Quite-Absolution is a tag team, and Nia Jax & Ember Moon have been tagging the last few weeks. That’s more than half of the announced roster for this match.

Then, you’ve got the very public social media shade being thrown at the decision from active wrestlers including Carmella, Naomi, the IIconics, Lana and Mandy Rose – all of whom are in the previously listed tag teams. Each of the women posted similar GIFs or images of themselves reacting with sarcasm or disbelief. It isn’t that we haven’t seen social media meltdowns by wrestlers about booking decisions in the past. This situation stands out as a possible red herring because of its coordination and the sheer mindlessness. Want to keep the women’s Royal Rumble match special? Stop having women’s Battle Royals. You’re making them run-of-the-mill.

Tag Titles for WWE‘s women’s division have been teased and whispered about by industry commentators for a while now. A tournament for such belts was even listed on that unconfirmed leaked show card that was floating around a while back. What if they’re real? The titles I mean, not that weird leaked document…

Hanging onto the announcement to make a last-minute bang in the media seems a likely move. It could be used to boost interest in the days leading up to the pay-per-view. It’s at least plausible to think that this could add a real shine to the event. The whole thing may all be moot, given that there is a (meaningless) men’s tournament scheduled for Crown Jewel. That is not, however, the end of this little conspiracy theory. 

Option 2

The Battle Royal wasn’t the first Evolution match to land out of nowhere. Not too long ago, there were two separate singles matches announced for the event in Mickie James vs. Lita and Trish Stratus vs Alexa Bliss. Those matches suddenly merged into one, with WWE going out of its way to put the two legends together in a definitive tag team with a (stupid) name, and everything.

 

What if WWE is looking at this match as another marquee segment? The best way to do that would be to add reasons and motivations to the match beyond the fact that Alexa and Mickie are terrible people. What better motivation than being crowned the Women’s Tag Team Champions? They also have the opportunity to give their two suddenly-a-tag-team legends something new to add to their resumes.

It’s either that, or WWE creative has once again failed to come up with anything interesting for more than half of their female roster leading into their first-ever women’s-only pay-per-view. I can’t imagine they’re going to go to that particular well again.

We had the battle royal at WrestleMania 34, and the women’s Royal Rumble match in January. We don’t need another Battle Royal with a less exciting field. It’s just not like WWE to keep presenting the same match over and over until the fans turn on it… Right?

So, am I out of my mind, or am I onto something with this Evolution Battle Royal conspiracy theory? Let us know on Twitter, Discord, or in the comments below!

• women's battle royal
• evolution
• WOmen's Tag Team Championships
• wwe

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