Jordynne Grace’s disappearance from SmackDown apparently isn’t about WWE giving up on her. There simply isn’t enough television to go around.
After months of questions over why one of WWE’s biggest signings has barely been used, WrestleVotes’ Joey Votes and TC revealed during a Q&A that Grace has become a victim of SmackDown’s crowded two-hour format—and the women’s division is feeling that squeeze especially hard. Joey put it simply.
“Jordynne Grace they’re certainly not using. It’s a numbers game. She’s done a few Main Event matches. She’s not in storylines. It’s just a numbers game. You gotta pick and choose.”
And those choices have become considerably harder since SmackDown lost its third hour. TC explained that the extra hour gave WWE valuable space to feature women who weren’t necessarily involved in one of the show’s biggest storylines. Multi-woman matches and tag bouts could eat up television time while keeping more of the division visible. That real estate is gone now.
“The third hour no longer being on SmackDown is hurting a lot of these women specifically. That third hour baked into the show was great real estate if you’re a women’s wrestler on SmackDown. You got a lot of multi-woman matches and tag matches, and that kind of seems to have gone away from the three-hour to two-hour shift.”
Grace isn’t the only person fighting for what’s left. WWE has Cody Rhodes, CM Punk and Sami Zayn occupying major pieces of SmackDown, while the returns of Kevin Owens and Randy Orton have added two more established names who need television time. Something has to give. Right now, Grace and other women appear to be paying part of that price.
“So that’s a big part of it here, and having to incorporate a lot of male storylines like what you have with Sami Zayn, Cody Rhodes, and CM Punk. Now you got Kevin Owens and Randy Orton back. That’s a big chunk of real estate that could have been used for women’s matches.”
That provides some much-needed context to what we reported back in July. At the time, it was reported Grace was still showing up at WWE television but wasn’t being given anything substantial to do. Even her occasional Main Event matches eventually dried up.
Grace had previously been traveling to SmackDown tapings without necessarily appearing on television, including one occasion where WWE reportedly flew her to Lexington only to send her home without using her.
Her momentum had already taken a hit when an ankle injury derailed plans for a WrestleMania 42 Women’s United States Championship Triple Threat involving Grace, Tiffany Stratton and Giulia. But Grace has been available again, making her continued absence increasingly difficult to ignore.
Now we know why getting her back onto television has been so difficult. Three hours became two. The men’s side of SmackDown became increasingly crowded with some of WWE’s biggest names. And suddenly the television space that could’ve gone to Jordynne Grace isn’t there anymore. She’s healthy and available, but just caught in the numbers game.
Do you think WWE needs to find television time for Jordynne Grace regardless of how crowded SmackDown has become? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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