The Divas Championship truly had some underwhelming titleholders, and some of the matches were incredibly dire. However, the first 10 WWE Divas Title matches included some of the best Divas Title matches and some forgettable affairs.
At The Great American Bash 2008, the Divas Title was created, and it was a counterpart to the prestigious WWE Women's Championship. The Divas Championship became the sole title for women to compete for when the championship was unified with the WWE Women's Title at Night of Champions 2010.
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The Divas Championship wasn't well-received and rightfully so as women's wrestling wasn't at its peak during this time frame. The Women's Evolution was introduced in the summer of 2015, and at WrestleMania 32, the title was retired in favor of the new WWE Women's Championship (later Raw Women's Title.) Nevertheless, despite the Divas Title not being fondly remembered, there were still some quality title bouts.
10 Michelle McCool Vs. Maria - SmackDown 11/14/08
Michelle McCool rarely defended the Divas Championship, but she put the title on the line against Maria on the November 14, 2008 edition of SmackDown. McCool and Maria sportingly shook hands before the match began which was a nice touch.
However, Jesse and Festus made their way to ringside to give Maria some moral support. The match was abrupt, and McCool retained the Divas Title in a match with a heel hook submission hold.
9 Maryse Vs. Kelly Kelly - Raw 5/25/09
The Divas Championship was now on Raw with Maryse getting drafted to the red brand in the 2009 draft lottery. Maryse put her title on the line against the inexperienced Kelly Kelly on the May 25, 2009 edition of Raw.
Kelly Kelly mocked Maryse by showboating and doing her trademark hair flip. The reigning Divas Champion was not pleased and tackled Kelly. Kelly did a back spring elbow, and she took the fight to Maryse. Nonetheless, they took the fight to the outside and Maryse dashed Kelly over the announce table and got herself disqualified.
8 Maryse Vs. Gail Kim - SmackDown 4/24/09
Gail Kim earned herself a shot at the Divas Championship, and she challenged Maryse with SmackDown emanating in London, England on April 24, 2009. Kim showcased her athleticism early on, but Maryse retaliated by pulling Kim's hair and driving her face to the mat.
This had the potential to be a better Divas Title match, but women were not given a lengthy amount of time to tell a meaningful story in this era. Nevertheless, it was a successful night for Maryse who retaining the title with her patented French Kiss.
7 Maryse Vs. Michelle McCool - SmackDown 3/27/09
Maryse won the Divas Championship in late December 2008, but her first title defense wasn't for another three months. It's farcical that a champion did not defend their title for that period of time. However, Maryse's first Divas Championship title defense was against Michelle McCool, who she beat for the title.
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Both women were heels, and they showed their intent by locking up at the start and onto the outside. McCool exploited Maryse's injured leg throughout the contest. Ultimately, there was not a definitive winner as Gail Kim interfered and assaulted both women which resulted in the match going to no contest.
6 Maryse Vs. Kelly Kelly - Raw 6/8/09
Maryse continued her stranglehold on the Divas Championship. Two weeks after their last encounter, she put her prestigious title on the line once more against Kelly Kelly. However, Mickie James was scouting her potential opponent for the title as she undertook commentary duties.
This rematch was better than their previous clash, and Kelly Kelly ferociously took Maryse down with some fast clotheslines. Maryse is a slow methodical performer, and she regrouped by retaining the Divas Title against Kelly Kelly with a devastating French Kiss.
5 Michelle McCool Vs. Maryse - SmackDown 12/26/08
For the past few months, Maryse had been chasing Michelle McCool's Divas Title with no success. However, on the December 26, 2008, episode of SmackDown, Maryse had another chance at striking gold with Maria as the special guest referee.
Maryse expertly wore McCool down with a Camel Clutch, but McCool responded with a picture-perfect snapmare. Moreover, McCool became frustrated with Maria as she did not count fast enough. It proved to be a costly error as Maryse kicked McCool in the back of the head and captured the Divas Championship for the first time. The aftermath was significant as McCool turned heel afterward by assaulting Maria.
4 Michelle McCool Vs. Maryse - Unforgiven 2008
Michelle McCool was the inaugural Divas Champion at The Great American Bash 2008 but she had to wait two months before she could defend the title. Maryse was first in line, and they collided in a Divas Championship match at Unforgiven 2008.
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They took their battle to the outside, and McCool showed off her tremendous athleticism by clotheslining Maryse off the barricade. Nevertheless, the pendulum swung in Maryse's favor as she targetted McCool's injured knee. They did their best, but McCool overcame Maryse with her patented Wings of Love.
3 Michelle McCool Vs. Maryse - SmackDown 9/19/08
Maryse put her disappointment behind her after failing to wrestle the Divas Championship away from Michelle McCool at Unforgiven. They continued their personal rivalry with McCool once again defending the gold. Their match emanated on the September 19, 2008, episode of SmackDown.
Their match was much better than their Unforgiven battle, and McCool dominated the early exchanges. Maryse wisely regrouped on the outside and she hung McCool off the ring apron to take the initiative. McCool showed her champion's quality by upping the tempo, and her old faithful, the Wings of Love proved to be the difference-maker.
2 Maryse Vs. Mickie James - Night Of Champions 2009
Mickie James had Maryse's number leading up to their Divas Championship match at Night of Champions 2009. James was aiming to become the second woman after Michelle McCool to capture both the Divas and Women's Championships.
Unfortunately, the crowd was largely silent for this titular bout and the pace of the match suited Maryse as it was incredibly slow. However, James quickened the match to her liking, and she countered Maryse's French Kiss, driving her head to the mat with her Mickie DDT to end Maryse's 216-day run as Divas Champion.
1 Michelle McCool Vs. Natalya - The Great American Bash 2008
It might not have been a technical masterclass, but Michelle McCool and Natalya deserve a lot of credit for their match at The Great American Bash 2008, which was for the vacant Divas Title. Natalya recently joined WWE, and she was the missing ingredient that the women's locker room on SmackDown was missing as she was legitimately tough.
McCool and Natalya gave it their all in this title match which certainly set the standards for future Divas Championship matches to follow. Ultimately, McCool made history as the inaugural Divas Champion in a match that proved that the quality of the match is better than the length of a match.
NEXT: 5 Female Wrestlers Who Were Better As A Heel Champion (& 5 Who Were Better As A Face)
