Mickie James says Evolution was set up to fail by WWE. The All Women’s Pay Per View was the very first and the last of its kind.
On July 23, 2018 WWE executive Stephanie McMahon announced that for the first time, WWE would hold an all-women’s pay-per-view and WWE Network event called Evolution. Evolution eventually took place on October 28 of that year and was a historic night for pro-wrestling.
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The event was highly praised by fans and critics. However, it reportedly did not do very well financially. At least that’s the reason Mickie James was given when she pushed for another all-female event. In a recent interview with Wrestling Inc., James cast the blame on the WWE for it.
Mickie James says Evolution was set up to fail by WWE
“I thought we had made such a monumental stride by announcing Evolution. We all thought it was the start of something really, really cool.”
Unfortunately that was not to be. While “everyone hoped for a yearly event,” James was told that “it was the lowest-rated pay-per-view of all-time” and the former WWE Women’s Champion knew exactly who to blame for that.
“It was only really promoted for a month. The matches weren’t even announced but a week or two before. There was zero promotion or marketing.
“It was almost set up to fail. If there was as much energy and focus put into it as perhaps some of the other events, and made and highlighted how monumental this actually is, perhaps that wouldn’t be true.”
While James appreciated the brutal honesty, she was still disheartened and believes that the fans and wrestlers and wanted it too.
“I think we all collectively wanted it, not just in the locker room but also the fans and even the women on the independents.”
James is currently the Executive producer of NWA’s upcoming all-women’s pay-per-view EMPOWERRR. It will take place live on Saturday, August 28, 2021 from the Khorassan Ballroom of the Chase Park Plaza in St. Louis, Missouri.
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