11 WWE Women’s Champions Who Completely Dominated the Ring
WWE’s women’s division didn’t always have the spotlight. For years, it was treated like an afterthought—stuck between comedy skits and bathroom breaks. But that changed because a handful of women pushed past the limits with consistency, skill, and sheer grit. They helped build what came next, and their legacies still shape how the division moves, talks, and fights today. In this article, we’ll discuss a few legendary WWE women’s champions that stunned the world.
Trish Stratus
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Trish Stratus didn’t walk into WWE as a polished wrestler—but she left it as a seven-time champion who helped reset the expectations. Her evolution from fitness model to respected in-ring competitor mirrored the shift in how women’s wrestling was treated. She brought timing, toughness, and crowd command, which made her matches feel like essential viewing in an era that didn’t always offer women that platform.
Charlotte Flair
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Genetics may have opened the door, but Charlotte Flair kicked it wide open. She debuted on the main roster in 2015 and quickly became a fixture in title matches. She’s a 14-time women’s world champion who holds both Raw and SmackDown titles multiple times. She was also one-third of the first-ever women’s WrestleMania main event in 2019 and played a key role in retiring the Divas Championship.
Chyna
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Chyna smashed every ceiling in sight. She became the first woman to enter the Royal Rumble (1999) and the only woman to win the Intercontinental Championship (twice). Her victory over Chris Jericho at Survivor Series 1999 was booked as a straight fight.
Bayley
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Bayley’s rise began in NXT, where her match with Sasha Banks at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn (2015) was considered a turning point for the brand—and the women’s division. On the main roster, she eventually ditched her babyface image and became SmackDown Women’s Champion in 2019. Her 380-day reign—the longest in SmackDown history—featured consistent storytelling, including her feud with Sasha in 2020, culminating in their Hell in a Cell match.
Sasha Banks
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Every time Sasha Banks stepped into a big match, it felt like an instant classic. She was part of the “Four Horsewomen” who helped move WWE beyond the Divas era. Though her title reigns were sometimes short, her matches consistently raised the bar. Her Iron Man match with Bayley at NXT TakeOver: Respect (2015) was the first women’s match to headline a WWE pay-per-view. At WrestleMania 37, she and Bianca Belair became the first Black women to headline the event.
Becky Lynch
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Few champions in WWE—male or female—have ever resonated with fans as organically or as intensely as Lynch did at her peak. She became a breakout star in 2018 when her rivalry with Charlotte Flair and eventual rebranding as “The Man” captured mainstream attention. She won the Royal Rumble in 2019 and headlined WrestleMania 35, where she defeated Ronda Rousey and Charlotte to become both Raw and SmackDown Women’s Champion. Her reign as Raw Women’s Champion lasted 399 days until she relinquished the title due to pregnancy.
Bianca Belair
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Belair’s victory over Sasha Banks to win the SmackDown Women’s Title was a moment of representation and validation. Her 420-day reign was built on clean wins, physical dominance, and steady fan support. Her feud with Becky Lynch, particularly their SummerSlam 2021 and WrestleMania 38 matches, showed she could perform under pressure and hold her own in high-profile storylines.
Asuka
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After being undefeated in NXT for two years, Asuka continued wreaking havoc on the main roster. She won the first women’s Royal Rumble (2018), held the Raw, SmackDown, and NXT titles, and even won the Women’s Tag Team Titles. Her striking and submission-based offense kept her matches unpredictable, and her reigns—especially during the pandemic era—anchored the women’s division.
Rhea Ripley
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Rhea Ripley bulldozed through the division with brutal power and punk-rock flair. As a champion, she showed no fear, no mercy, and no signs of backing down. She challenged Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania 36, then returned stronger the following year to win the Raw Women’s Championship. In 2023, she won the Royal Rumble and went on to defeat Flair at WrestleMania 39, arguably her best match to date.
Lita
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Lita brought a lucha-influenced offense to WWE that hadn’t been seen in the women’s division before. Trained in Mexico, she was fearless in the ring, whether taking bumps from ladders or diving off ropes. Her rivalry with Trish Stratus helped elevate women’s matches to something more than filler. In 2004, she became the first woman since 1995 to headline Raw in a singles match.
Alexa Bliss
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Alexa Bliss used cunning, charisma, and mind games to rack up multiple championship reigns. She wasn’t the biggest or strongest, but she knew how to win—and win convincingly. Her matches relied on ring psychology more than size or power, and her feuds with Bayley, Sasha Banks, and Ronda Rousey showed she could deliver in both character work and execution.
Paige
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Paige’s Raw debut in 2014 shocked the crowd—she defeated AJ Lee and won the Divas Championship on her first night. This was the arrival of someone who had already carried NXT’s women’s division. Paige’s style was different: more grounded, more intense, and less polished in a way that made her stand out.
Mickie James
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Mickie James’ 2005–2006 feud with Trish Stratus brought depth and unpredictability to WWE’s storytelling. She went on to win six WWE Women’s Championships and held gold in multiple eras. Her ability to evolve with the times—from her early psychodramatic angles to her later veteran role—made her an asset in and out of the ring.
Beth Phoenix
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Beth Phoenix, known as “The Glamazon,” was a hybrid of raw strength and sharp technique. She held the WWE Women’s Title three times and the Divas Championship once. At WrestleMania XXVII, she was one of the few women featured in a match with high visibility during a lean time for the division. Her 2010 Royal Rumble appearance—where she eliminated The Great Khali—was a rare spotlight moment in an otherwise male-dominated setting.
AJ Lee
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AJ Lee was a standout in a stagnant era. With a 295-day reign as Divas Champion and three total reigns, she brought character work and ring ability when few were given time to showcase either. Her promo on the Raw 1000 episode—calling out the division for its focus on looks over skill—resonated with fans who wanted better.