Corey Graves Wants A Bigger Spotlight For SmackDown & RAW Women’s Divisions
Photo Credit: WWE
Corey Graves believes that the top stars in WWE’s women division deserve a bigger spotlight than what they are currently being given and hopes that this Sunday’s WWE Women’s Tag Team Title match that pits Becky Lynch & Charlotte Flair against The Kabuki Warriors will adjust the water level.
Graves started off this week’s episode of WWE After The Bell by going over the card at this Sunday’s WWE TLC event and took a moment to state that he thinks something is wrong with the way Raw and SmackDown handle their women’s division.
“I don’t know what the reasoning is, but RAW, SmackDown everywhere except NXT. NXT’s women division is still on fire,” Grave says, “but on RAW and SmackDown – this has nothing to do with the ability of the women. We have the most talented group of women on the planet Earth. This is not a negative against their abilities or their desire to do so. I don’t know what the fix is, but looking up and down the roster…”
Graves then goes over a list of names that he feels have been under-utilized that includes Asuka, Liv Morgan, and even his off-screen girlfriend Carmella.
“Remember when Asuka used to just kick everybody’s ass? Now she can’t win a match without the dreaded poison mist,” Graves added after running down The Empress’ impressive resume in NXT and her early WWE run.
“And looking elsewhere on the roster, I mean you got Liv Morgan who as of this past Monday is apparently finally coming back. I think Liv is a star waiting to be born. Ruby Riott hopefully comes back from injury soon. I’m sure I’m missing a whole ton of names. Of course I’m partial but when’s the last time Carmella did anything of substance on television? She’s a former SmackDown Women’s Champion.
Graves also feels for the lack of focus put on Bayley who came in with white hot babyface fire when she was first called up, and takes a moment to say that his thoughts are not a knock on the talent themselves whatsoever.
“Bayley, in this new iteration of herself, again, nothing against the talent but it doesn’t feel important. You had one of the hottest stars in the business from NXT into the translation onto RAW and SmackDown and now it’s bad when the SmackDown’s women’s champion doesn’t feel like a focus of the show, and again, I have to reiterate because people take things out of context and they take sound bytes, this is not a knock on any of the women. Our women are insanely talented.”
(Transcription credit should go to @DominicDeAngelo of WrestleZone)
You can listen to the entire episode of After The Bell below: