Is the forbidden door a glass door?

Is the forbidden door a glass door?

By: Troy Smith

 

Wrestling promotions doing cross promotion is nothing new. NJPW and WCW had a relationship in the 90s. TNA has had talent exchanges with NJPW, AAA, and NOAH over the years.  TNA wrestlers have held NJPW titles and TNA titles have been defended at Wrestle Kingdom. However, when Kenny Omega won the AEW world title from Jon Moxley and then announced that his first comments would occur on Impact Wrestling, the wrestling world was shocked. Since that moment, we’ve seen Impact Wrestling tag team The Good Brothers appearing regularly on AEW television.  We’ve seen NJPW stars appearing in AEW and Impact Wrestling.  The IWGP U.S. title has been defended on Dynamite. NJPW tag team Fin Juice has held the Impact Wrestling tag titles, and Kenny Omega is both the AEW and Impact Wrestling world champions. However, with all of this cross promotion going on, I’m left with the question that is the title of this article. Why do I ask if the forbidden door is a glass door? Because, so far, no women have walked through it.

 

    As a fan of women’s wrestling, this really disappoints me. There is so much potential that isn’t being realized. From the moment this crossover between AEW and Impact Wrestling began, many fans were excited and talking about all of the matches that they’d like to see. Seeing the Knockouts of Impact Wrestling go head to head with the women of AEW is something that many fans want to see. It’s also something that many of the wrestlers want to see. Just this week

    The new AEW women’s champion tweeted and fan made graphic depicting a match between herself and Knockouts champion Deonna Purrazzo. AEW wrestlers Big Swole and Red Velvet have challenged the Knockouts tag champions Fire n Flava over social media.  So, if the wrestlers want it and the fans want it, why hasn’t it happened?

 

    Impact has a great track record when it comes to women’s wrestling. I don’t fault them at all over this. I think the issue is with AEW. You’d think that a company whose biggest criticism has been it’s women’s division, would jump at the chance for some positive press.

 

    One big way that AEW and Impact Wrestling could make a big splash in women’s wrestling is a cross promotional PPV. Recently former WWE superstars Mickie James and Maria Kanellis have gone on the record saying that they were told that there would never be another Evolution PPV. Evolution, held in 2018, was WWE’s first ever all women’s PPV. Many fans have wanted another one to occur. Mickie also revealed that she pitched an all women’s brand but it was also rejected by WWE. Impact wrestling is no stranger to all women’s PPVs. From 2013 to 2017 they presented their Knockouts Knockdown PPVs as part of the One Night Only series. A cross branded AEW and Impact wrestling women’s PPV would gain both promotions and lot of good press. It could be one of the monthly Impact Plus specials. Both promotions have very talented female rosters. Plus with free agents like Mickie James, Chelsea Green, and the former IIconics becoming available in July, this is the perfect time to do a show like this.

 

    There are also several story lines that the women could do. We’ve seen Private Party challenge for the Impact Wrestling tag titles. Why not have two women from AEW challenge for the Knockout’s tag titles? The champion best friends Deonna and Dr. Britt joining forces to rule both divisions, would be an interesting option for a cross promotional story and it wouldn’t have to be an invasion.  

 

    There is so much potential for the women in this cross promotion. The women want it. The fans want it. But so far, we’ve gotten nothing. No crossover of any kind involving the women of Impact Wrestling and AEW.  So again I ask, if the forbidden door is a glass door. If so, why?