WWE News: Update On Why WWE Sent Out A Statement After The Controversial Paige And Charlotte RAW Promo

When WWE gets the wrestling world talking, that is usually a very good thing. However, that does not seem to be the case when it comes to Paige and Charlotte. On the go-home show for WWE Survivor Series about two weeks ago, WWE had a great segment to end the show with two top WWE Divas. This was the first time women were in the main event for a WWE RAW segment.

While people like AJ Lee and others have worked with men in the main event of the night, and others such as Trish Stratus and Lita main evented the show with a match, not once before this show did two women main event a show with a simple segment. Especially a contract signing. While WWE NXT has used women in the main events quite often, even did as recently as this past week, WWE RAW is another animal.

Despite the talk of controversy, let us not forget the history Charlotte and Paige made on this night. The controversy from the night was when both Paige and Charlotte brought up Charlotte’s late brother Reid in their promo. He passed away due to a drug overdose in 2013, around the time Charlotte got started with WWE. They wanted to be in WWE together and come up together. Sadly, Reid had his demons. Drugs took him far too young as he could have had a good career in pro-wrestling if he put the time in.

WWE uses this angle to bring out emotion and attach it to the rivalry, which was perfectly done. However, people didn’t like that the WWE had the ladies use a person who passed in an angle. Although Eddie Guerrero’s name was dropped enough years ago by Chavo, Rey Mysterio, and Batista. No one complained then.

Regardless of the angle being good or bad, WWE was still getting a lot of heat over it. That forced them to send out a very short press release on the matter.

“Subject matter this personal is only approved as a result of the strong advocacy of the talent themselves.”

This was not done because of what people were saying online, but rather due to a U.K. publication getting ready to do an article on the direction of WWE according to The Wrestling Observer. Charlotte’s mother as well as her father Ric Flair spoke out about the promo via social media and podcast and were not favorable on it. Ric implied in his review of the situation that he didn’t want to talk about the angle too much, but he did feel that Charlotte was not quite high enough in the company to speak out against the angle if she didn’t want to do it.

WWE tells talent that they are allowed to turn down ideas or angles if they feel that something goes too far or they don’t agree with it. Sadly, this is a double standard as many are punished for such things when they do. Top stars seem to be able to get away with it, while the mid-card types are not really allowed to turn down anything. Especially if they hope to move up.

While WWE did air the promo on WWE SmackDown later that week, it was cut from the promo leading into their match at Survivor Series. That said, WWE realizes they probably went too far with the angle and decided to remove it from the promo out of respect. This also might be the last time WWE brings up Reid or even asks any talent to bring up a close relative. Due to the double standard WWE has, it is better for the company to not ask so that a talent will not have to turn them down on the idea

[Image via WWE]