Stephanie McMahon did a sit-down interview at CES with Variety. The outlet posted several clips of her discussing the future of women’s wrestling and what led to its upswing. Check out transcriptions of the answers below.
Transcription by WrestleZone.com Senior Editor Tyler Treese.
Her dream match-up:
My dream match-up is [a women’s] main event of WrestleMania, regardless of who is in it. I think it’s going to happen. I also don’t think it is easy, but what is great about it is that our women and men are truly competing for the spotlight right now. It’s a great conversation and it’s about who belongs there. Not because of their gender, but who is the bigger star? Who is delivering? It’s always a family, but it’s exciting and fun. That’s the way it should be.
Signing Ronda Rousey:
Ronda wanted to be a part of this change and it happened before she actually came on board, which was something that disappointed her on a certain level, but also excited her to be a part of it and raise the bar.
Women performing in Abu Dhabi:
There’s another story to be told and that’s the power of this movement. The power of digital and social media, and the power of all of our voices. Just over a year ago in Abu Dhabi, our women were allowed to perform for the very first time and they had to be covered from head to toe except their heads and hands. During a match, a chant broke out. Both men and women chanting, “This is hope.” That happened in Abu Dhabi during a WWE match. Our performers in the ring said they saw tears of little girls in the front row. That’s what this movement is really about. It’s about giving that share a voice and making change.
The success of WWE Evolution:
WWE Evolution trended number one worldwide for over two hours during the last game of the World Series and during Sunday Night Football. That’s because of our fanbase and our women killing it. We’re not giving them opportunities because they’re women, it’s giving them opportunity because they’re the best and deserve this spot.
What led to the change in women’s wrestling
The way we portrayed our women [historically] was in a secondary role. It was never believed that women could be the main event or the draw. What happened was that in our developmental system, [Triple H] started recruiting athletes over models for both men and women. He started training women the same way the men were trained and giving them the same match time, and opportunities on television. As a result, they started to rise and truly steal the show. It was to the point where our fanbase was chanting “This is wrestling,” and “Women’s wrestling.” That was really the impetus of what happened then…
Check out the full clip below:
Stephanie McMahon explains the evolution of women in the WWE #CES pic.twitter.com/4N8UAFLt28
— Variety (@Variety) January 9, 2019
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