After 17 weeks, it only took 17 seconds for the entire Emmalina storyline to come crashing down this past Monday night on RAW. By almost all accounts, the re-branding of Emma was a complete disaster.
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Then, only a day after Emma’s return, our friends at Pro Wrestling Sheet reported that there was a reason behind WWE dropping the character so soon.
“There were big plans for the Emmalina character … but after multiple rehearsals, producers realized she couldn’t pull off what they were looking to accomplish.
Sources tell us Emmalina was intended to be a throwback to characters like Sable and The Kat — however, delays were caused after officials felt like she wasn’t committing enough to the role and ultimately they decided to just let Emma be evil again.
We’re told producers are still big fans of the character’s concept though — which is why they held hope it would work out — so it’s always possible that they’ll hold onto it for another female in the future.”
Since this news made the rounds, many people have been critical of the WWE for putting Emma in a position to fail. Other people have also been critical of Emma for not “committing to the part.”
I prefer to look at this glass as half full because not only can the Emma storyline be salvaged, but it can be turned into something bigger than we ever imagined.
During her long absence, what have we learned about Emmalina? Why have fans gotten so excited to see her return? Was it because she was so over before she was injured that fans wanted to see her back in the ring?
Hardly.
Let’s be honest. We’ve been excited because Emma looked amazing in a bikini. Her character has simply been that of a super hot Instagram model.
The WWE didn’t do this by accident. Despite rumors that they wanted a Sable/Sunny throwback character, everything about the current women’s division says they are not moving backwards. The women’s revolution has been geared towards empowering women and featuring them as athletes instead of eye candy.
After Monday, many have given up on the Emma character, but here is a simple way the WWE can give us a payoff for the past four months.
Emma should return next week and cut a promo about how when she started in the WWE, she tried to be herself. She danced awkwardly down to the ring, she made bad jokes, she didn’t fit in with the WWE divas, but she still gave 100%. After months of not being accepted, she was tired of being invisible.
She could then make a statement about how her time off and “reinvention” was all a plan to prove how shallow the WWE Universe was.She could point out that the only time people cared about her was when she was viewed as an object.
This all could be turned into a positive statement on feminine empowerment, but considering how aggravated the audiences has become about her character, it would be easier for them to go the heel route.
Either way, by acknowledging the reality of the situation, that Emma was an afterthought until she became a scantily clad woman licking her lips while lying in a beach chair, they can still turn her character into a major win.
They just need to own it.
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