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On the July 13th addition of her podcast, Oral Sessions, Renee Paquette hosted WWE Hall of Famer, Beth Phoenix, as they talked everything from wrestling to perogies. Perhaps the most important part of their discussion was the talk of commentary.
Renee made history in 2018 becoming Monday Night Raw’s first full time women’s commentator. Beth followed suit shortly after, and in May 2019, she graced the desk on Wednesday nights, becoming the first women’s commentator on NXT. Paquette’s commentary run lasted just over a year, and was filled with many “first times” and historic milestones. Phoenix is still performing commentary on Tuesday nights.
In the midst of change and empowerment happening in the WWE’s Women’s Division, both Renee and Beth carried the evolution outside of the ring. While women’s superstars fought for more opportunities and presented themselves in a slough of big time matches inside the ring, Paquette (at the time, Young,) and Phoenix forged their own paths behind booths and desks, showing women and girls that there’s incredible things to be done outside of the ring.
Renee and Beth talked about their commentary experiences on Oral Sessions, giving fans an insight on their times spent calling the in-ring action. Both expressed their utmost gratitude for the opportunities they earned. Renee talked a little of her struggles, noting how happy she was to be the first woman to do it, but ultimately feeling she was not right for the job. Beth admitted she struggled in the beginning, but has now found her footing and loves her job. Impressively, Phoenix shares how she had to call NXT virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic. Both women spoke very highly of their male colleagues, saying the likes of Michael Cole, Corey Graves, Tom Phillips, and others helped the two of them the best they could while they tried to find their voices on the job. The two women mention that fans often confuse the two saying “Beth Phoenix sounds like Renee Young” and vice versa. They say while they do understand the confusion, parts of them feel like fans mix them up because they are the only two women who have commentated.
This podcast episode raises the conversation about women on commentary, and how important it is to have women in that role. After Renee left her commentary duties in 2019, Monday Night Raw has not seen another full time women’s commentator. Smackdown Live on Friday Nights has yet to see a women’s commentator. On a brighter note however, Phoenix is still holding strong on NXT. But the fight for the women’s evolution is still going strong within the WWE, and it’s important to give more women the opportunity to sit behind the desk. What kind of hope is there for women and girls who wish to peruse a broadcasting job if a women’s commentator is only present on one out of three weekly shows? What’s the harm in giving another woman the chance to step up and give their voice to the wrestling? Sure it’s trial and error to find the right fit, but that does not mean there can’t be more than one women’s commentator present in the company. It is so important that the push for women keeps coming, and that wrestling companies and shows all over allow fans the chance to hear a woman’s voice calling the action. Personally, I have hopes of someday joining the commentary team, but it’s so hard to keep that dream in my heart when I only have the chance to hear a woman in that role on one show a week. I really do believe that there’s so much power in a woman in that spot, and I think it is so important to showcase women’s broadcasters more.
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