Women's wrestling was an afterthought until 2015. However, 10 female Superstars in WWE managed to make their mark each year in the 2010s. The 2010s was one of the most transitional periods in the history of WWE's Women's Division. Programs and matches were constantly overlooked and matches would consistently last under five minutes. However, mid-way through the decade, the tide began to turn in favor of female Superstars.
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Before the Women's Revolution, fans in attendance would often use Divas matches as a toilet break since they did not care about the matches, which WWE failed to care about either. In February 2015, #GiveDivasAChance was trending on Twitter, and women began to get the recognition they deserved. Women began to be called Superstars instead of Divas in 2016, and the likes of Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch were amongst those that rose to prominence.
10 2010: Michelle McCool
Whilst Michelle McCool was clearly the standout female Superstar of 2009, she did not win the Diva of the Year Slammy Award. Nevertheless, McCool continued where she left off in 2010 and began the year as WWE Women's Champion.
McCool was victorious at WrestleMania XXVI in a 10-Diva Tag Team match. Michelle made history at Night of Champions when she defeated Divas Champion Melina to unify the Divas Title, which retired Layla's Women's Championship in the process, who McCool was filling for in that match. McCool, with Layla by her side as LayCool, dominated 2010 by being co-Women's and Divas Champions. Michelle capped off the year by winning the Diva of the Year Slammy Award by virtue of winning a battle royal.
9 2011: Beth Phoenix
Beth Phoenix's late resurgence in 2011 was sublime. 2010 was arguably Beth's worst year in the WWE as she was a face which did not suit her at all. In the summer of 2011, The Glamazon turned heel and formed The Divas of Doom with Natalya. Beth made Kelly Kelly a star, when she lost to Kelly Kelly in Divas Championship matches at SummerSlam and in Beth's hometown of Buffalo, New York at Night of Champions.
However, The Glamazon finally won the Divas Championship at Hell in A Cell 2011. Thus, she became the fourth woman to capture both the Women's and Divas Championships. Beth also made Eve Torres a star in their matches at Vengeance and Survivor Series. The Glamazon held the title for six months, and she retired a year later due to frustrations about how women's wrestling was being booked.
8 2012: Eve Torres
One of the females that benefitted from a heel turn was Eve Torres. Eve's face run had become stale. She was involved in a storyline with Zack Ryder, who was over, but she turned on him in early 2012 and became one of the most hated females. Eve was constantly appearing on Raw and SmackDown as she was the Executive Administrator of both shows.
Eve made history at the 2012 Night of Championswhen she defeated Layla to become the first three-time Divas Champion. Eve's in-ring skills improved drastically, but her run was cut short as she handed in her notice in December and retired from professional wrestling in January 2013 to focus on projects outside of the squared circle.
7 2013: AJ Lee
Women's wrestling continued to go on a downward spiral with Kaitlyn as Divas Champion. Finally, AJ Lee, who had been involved in high profile feuds with Kane and Daniel Bryan, ended Kaitlyn's dismal reign at Payback 2013. During this time, Lee was also involved with Big E Langston and World Heavyweight Champion Dolph Ziggler. However, their relationship soon fell apart after Lee betrayed Ziggler in his attempt to regain the gold from Alberto Del Rio.
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AJ was head and shoulders above the rest of the women's division in 2013 and was way ahead of her time. She was featured in the first-ever Divas Championship contract signing for her rematch with Kaitlyn at Money in the Bank. Nevertheless, AJ was a fighting Divas Champion and continued to retain the title for the remainder of the year.
6 2014: AJ Lee
AJ Lee carried on her rich vein of form heading into January 2014, where she continued to make history. At WrestleMania XXX, AJ became the first and only woman to defend the Divas Championship at WrestleMania. She overcame 13 challengers to retain the Divas Title.
AJ's then-record breaking 295 days reign as Divas Champion came to a halt as Paige defeated her on the Raw after WrestleMania. Finally, AJ had a rivalry that she could sink her teeth into with Paige. AJ would become a record-tying three-time Divas Champion in the fall of 2014 with Nikki Bella ending her final reign at Survivor Series. Despite being one of the top sellers of merchandise, AJ retired in April 2015 due to injuries and aggrieved by the lack of ring time given to female talent.
5 2015: Nikki Bella
Nikki Bella can thank AJ Lee for becoming the longest-reigning Divas Champion in 2015. Nikki also benefitted from the #GiveDivasAChanceMoment. Herself and her twin sister Brie fought against Paige and Emma in a match which lasted 30 seconds, certainly not enough time to tell a meaningful story. As a result of the minuscule amount of time dedicated to their match, a social media campaign was created to support them.
It certainly enhanced her Divas Championship reign and she deserves a lot of credit for improving in the ring as she has had her fair share of critics. Nonetheless, Nikki was a top heel and her Rack Attack finisher was devastating. At Night of Champions 2015, Charlotte Flair ended her record 301 days reign as Divas Champion. It was a changing of the guard moment with the Women's Revolution just starting to kick off.
4 2016: Charlotte Flair
Charlotte Flair began 2016 as the Divas Champion but Lita unveiled a new WWE Women's Championship at WrestleMania 32. Charlotte defeated Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch in their maiden WrestleMania match and became the first-ever WWE Women's Champion. Charlotte's full debut year on the main roster was simply sensational.
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Her matches with Sasha continued to deliver time and time again. Women's wrestling was taken seriously as Charlotte and Sasha battled at Hell in a Cell 2016, making history as both the first women to ever main event a pay-per-view and wrestle inside Hell in a Cell. The Queen overcame Sasha inside The Devil's Playground and, by the time the year ended, Charlotte was already a four-time Raw Women's Champion and unbeaten on pay-per-view.
3 2017: Alexa Bliss
Alexa Bliss may be small in stature but she certainly packs a punch. Bliss had an incredible 2017 where she was already a two-time SmackDown Women's Champion. The Goddess became the first woman to defend the title at WrestleMania 33. Nonetheless, she dropped the title to hometown favorite, Naomi.
However, Bliss was drafted to Raw and continued where she left off. Bliss dethroned Bayley at Payback 2017 to become the first woman to win both the Raw and SmackDown Women's titles. The Five Feet of Fury had an incredible rivalry with Sasha Banks, with who she traded the title. The Goddess' second reign as Raw Women's Champion lasted 223 days, which is a testament to how good of an in-ring performer she is.
2 2018: Becky Lynch
2018 was the year Becky Lynch finally arrived. Yes, she was the inaugural SmackDown Women's Champion in 2016, but her Irish Lasskicker gimmick had run its course. Becky turned heel on Charlotte Flair after SummerSlam, and she captured her second SmackDown Women's Championship at Hell in a Cell from Charlotte. Becky called herself "The Man" and her demeanor was reminiscent of Stone Cold Steve Austin in the Attitude Era.
Becky's in-ring promos were captivating and she became the hottest star of the year. Unfortunately, The Man suffered a broken nose when SmackDown invaded Raw and Nia Jax caught her in the face. The image of Becky in the crowd with blood pouring down her face was a sight to behold. She was ruled out of a blockbuster clash with Raw Women's Champion Ronda Rousey at Survivor Series, but Becky did not dwell on it and continued to thrive once she was medically cleared to compete again.
1 2019: Becky Lynch
Becky Lynch was just scratching the surface in 2018. By 2019, she took the ball and ran with it all the way to the top of WWE. The Man won the Women's Royal Rumble match and headlined WrestleMania 35 with Charlotte and Ronda Rousey. Becky captured both the Raw and SmackDown Women's titles and was known as "Becky Two Belts."
Lynch dropped the Smackdown Women's Title at Money in the Bank. However, she became the longest-reigning Raw Women's Champion at 398 days. Her matches with the likes of Sasha Banks and Lacey Evans further cemented her spot as the top female. Becky turned face once more, and she relinquished the title in May 2020 due to her pregnancy.
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