Brilliant Or Terrible Worked Shoot?

Highlights

• AJ Lee's "Pipebombshell" promo blurred the lines between fiction and reality, creating intense reactions from fans and wrestlers.
• The promo generated significant buzz and sustained discussions over time, showcasing its effectiveness in sports entertainment.
• While viewed as controversial in retrospect, the promo served its purpose of starting a discussion about the portrayal of women in WWE and the role of reality television.

Ever wondered if a promo cut by a WWE superstar is real or scripted? There exists a fascinating space known as the "worked shoot" promo. AJ Lee's notorious "Pipebombshell" stands as a testament to this delicate balance, blurring the lines between orchestrated narrative and unfiltered reality. As we navigate through the twists and turns of this explosive moment in wrestling history, the question looms: Was it a stroke of genius that left an indelible mark, or did it unravel into a potentially disastrous venture? The answers lie within the contours of AJ Lee's brazen words and the reverberations they caused among the wrestling elite.

Was AJ Lee's Pipebombshell Promo A Work Or A Shoot?

AJ Lee's WWE Raw Promo Was A Work And A Shoot

In the world of professional wrestling, promos play a pivotal role in building storylines and generating fan interest. A "worked" promo refers to a scripted speech, while a "shoot" promo involves unscripted, real-life sentiments. A worked shoot promo, like AJ Lee's "Pipebombshell," blends elements of both, where the wrestler has general guidance but isn't handed a word-for-word script.

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AJ Lee Vs Total Divas

On August 28, 2013, AJ Lee delivered a memorable promo on RAW, targeting the cast of Total Divas. She criticized their portrayal of women and boldly challenged them in the wrestling ring. She said:

“Do you wanna know what I see when I look in that ring? Honestly? A bunch of cheap, interchangeable, expendable, usuless women. Women who have turned to reality television 'cause they just weren't gifted enough to be actresses. And they just weren't talented enough to be champion. I have done more in one year than all of you have done in your entire collective careers. I have saved your Divas division, I have shattered glass ceilings, I have broken down doors. Why? So, so, a bunch of ungrateful, stiff, plastic mannequins can waltz on through without even getting as much of a thank you? You guys can't even go backstage and shake my hand and look at me in the eyes because you know that I worked my entire life to get here, I gave my life to this, and you were just handed fifteen minutes of fame. I didn't get here because I was cute, or because I came from a famous wrestling family, or because I sucked up to the right people. I got here because I am good. I earned this Championship and no matter how many red carpets you guys wanna walk in your four thousand dollars ridicolous heels, you will never be able to lace up my Chuck Taylors.”

The response from Divas like the Bella Twins, Natalya, and Naomi was fierce, with a recorded segment released by WWE showing them clapping back at AJ for allegedly riding the fame of different men and them also being formidable in the ring.

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AJ Lee's Was Proud Of Her Promo

In a later interview on the Sessions podcast with Renee Paquette, AJ Lee expressed pride in her promo, revealing that Vince McMahon himself assisted in its creation. She said:

“The Pipe Bombshell, I loved that one. I remember like I got bullet points from Vince, like, that was our thing. He’d give me bullet points and then just trust me. And I remember, I came to the back and he gave me a kiss on the cheek, and he said, ‘Great job.’ And then he said don’t pace as much in the beginning, like, be a little more steady on your feet. But I remember we had that kind of relationship where he was very proud of promo stuff.”

While the immediate impact was unquestionable as fans loved the promo, revisiting the promo through the lens of hindsight prompts a critical examination. The landscape of women's wrestling in WWE has evolved significantly since 2013, with the Women's Evolution ushering in a new era of respect and equality for female performers. This evolution prompts a reconsideration of AJ's sharp criticisms and personal attacks in the promo. In retrospect, certain elements of AJ's promo raise eyebrows. The personal attacks on the Total Divas cast, branding them as "plastic" and "expendable," now appear somewhat out of sync with the strides made in portraying women as athletes and professionals rather than mere objects.

It's important to note that controversial promos, especially those targeting personal lives, have persisted in WWE even after the Women's Evolution. Examples include Ronda Rousey's remarks about Nikki Bella when Ronda Rousey cut a promo on Nikki Bella, in which she claimed Bella's main accomplishment was being with John Cena. More recently, the feud between Becky Lynch and Trish Stratus saw Lynch delivering a pointed promo. Lynch expressed horror at the idea of engaging in certain actions that Trish had during her career, referencing a controversial segment from 2001.

AJ Lee's "Pipebombshell" promo can be deemed genius for its immediate impact, sparking intense reactions from both fans and fellow wrestlers. It successfully blurred the lines between fiction and reality, creating a buzz that resonated beyond the episode's airtime. While the promo may be viewed as controversial in retrospect, its ability to generate significant buzz and sustain discussions over time showcases its effectiveness in the realm of sports entertainment. Whether to agree with AJ’s stance at that time in her character remains with fans. Some can find it empowering, others can find it sexist. But the point of it was not to give a judgment but to start a discussion, as WWE was the one who was behind Total Divas, and also the one behind AJ’s critique of it.