WWE Raw 1000: Why Lita's Return Is a Reminder of Today's Pitiful Divas Division

During Monday's Raw 1000 broadcast, Lita made a one-night-only return to World Wrestling Entertainment television, adding to Heath Slater's losing record against Monday Night Raw legends.

It was a nice nod to her accomplishments in the past to have her appear on the monumental event, but it was also a nagging reminder of just how pitiful today's Divas division has become.

In 2000, Lita was a pioneer for women's wrestling that had, until then, centered around special gimmick matches and highlighted physical assets rather than talent.

She brought with her a certain charisma and a high-flying move set that popped crowds and made her one of the more exciting performers to watch week-in and week-out. Her matches with Trish Stratus made both women legitimate stars in the traditionally male-dominated industry.

Twelve years later, women's wrestling is as bad as it has ever been. Models are favored over legitimate, capable in-ring workers. Matches last less than a minute, their only purpose being to get the women on television so they do not make any complaints backstage.

Unlike a decade ago, when the company recognized the ability of their Divas to tell stories fans cared about, Vince McMahon and his creative team cannot be bothered to even give their female talent characters for the fans to care about.

Even Jillian Hall was allowed to be a delusional, untalented pop singer.

Lita's return Monday night was an exclamation point, from a female standpoint, on a show that included no segment featuring a Divas match or the Divas Championship. Instead, the title was used as a background prop for a mildly entertaining backstage segment between Layla and AJ.

One could only hope the appearances of Lita and Trish Stratus on Monday's show would make at least one writer on the creative team sit up and remember that the company has a roster of talented women waiting to revitalize the division.

Until that happens, fans will have to look to the early 2000s and the golden days of women's wrestling in North America for entertaining female sports entertainment.