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There have been a number of female wrestlers that have competed inside a WWE ring. Many of them went onto achieve great things such as winning the Women's Championship or eventually being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
There have been a few rare instances where the women of WWE have competed for traditional men's championships. That being said, let's take a look at seven women's wrestlers who have held traditional men's championships in WWE.
#7 Kelly Kelly became the first female WWE 24/7 Champion
The WWE 24/7 Championship was introduced on the May 20, 2019 episode of Monday Night RAW by Mick Foley. Its rules were similar to that of the 24/7 rules for the Hardcore Championship back during the Attitude Era. The champion could be pinned at any time in any place as long as a referee was present.
It was introduced as a men's title with the male superstars of RAW and SmackDown going after it. That was until the RAW Reunion in July 2019. A whole host of WWE legends appeared, including former Divas Champion Kelly Kelly. In a backstage segment, Kelly Kelly managed to pin Gerald Brisco (not a sentence you read every day) to become the first-ever female to win the 24/7 Championship.
Sadly for the former member of Extreme Expose, the reign only lasted a few moments. She was pinned by another female legend, Candice Michelle, who was then subsequently pinned by WWE Hall of Famer Alundra Blayze.
#6 Terri Runnels won the WWE Hardcore Championship
During a backstage interview on the May 27, 2002 episode of Monday Night RAW, Terri Runnels caught then-champion Steven Richards off guard. Whilst conducting the interview, Terri somehow managed to pin the former Right to Censor member to win her first-ever championship in WWE.
The reign lasted a mere few seconds, as a shocked Stevie Richards immediately got his championship back, pinning Terri. Runnels can be proud to say that she won a championship in WWE, albeit for a few seconds.
WWE parted ways with Terri in 2004 after eight years with the company, where she had a number of roles including valet, interviewer and sometimes wrestler. She later returned for a one-night only appearance in 2018 on the 25th Anniversary episode of RAW.
Terri became the last female Hardcore Champion in WWE.
#5 Maria Kanellis became the WWE 24/7 Champion
It was a turbulent few months for the Kanellis family in WWE during the first quarter of 2019. Just months prior, Mike and Maria had asked for their releases from WWE but ultimately re-signed with the company. The re-signing led to one of the most shocking moments in the history of the 24/7 Championship.
On the July 1st, 2019 episode of RAW, Maria revealed that she was pregnant. It should have been a special moment for Maria and Mike, but things took a turn on-screen.
A few weeks later, Mike captured the 24/7 Championship but, when he returned backstage, Maria instructed him to lay down so she could pin him to become the champion. He followed the orders, and Maria became the champ. Not only that, but Maria was pregnant at the time, which meant that she became the first pregnant 24/7 Champion in WWE history.
#4 Molly Holly was WWE Hardcore Champion
WWE Hall of Famer Molly Holly, then known as Mighty Molly, captured the WWE Hardcore Championship at WWE's biggest event of the year, WrestleMania. In 2002, the championship was still being contested under 24/7 rules.
During a backstage segment, Molly managed to pin fellow superhero The Hurricane to win the championship. The reign was short-lived, as when trying to evade anyone pinning her, she ran into the top half of a dutch door. This moment allowed Christian to come in and pin Molly and leave WrestleMania as the champion.
#3 Jacqueline won the WWE Cruiserweight Championship
The Cruiserweight Championship was introduced to the WWE Universe in July 2001 following WWE's purchase of WCW. Several stellar performers such as Rey Mysterio, Tajiri, and Billy Kidman held the gold before Jacqueline captured the championship in 2004.
On the May 4th, 2004 episode of SmackDown, then-champion Chavo Guerrero issued an open challenge, putting the title on the line. Surprisingly, Jacqueline answered the challenge and picked up the victory. She became the first Cruiserweight Champion in WWE history. The late Daffney and Madusa held the title in WCW.
#2 Trish Stratus became WWE Hardcore Champion
Monday Night RAW strolled into Hartford, CT on May 6, 2002. The WWE Hardcore Championship was still being defended under the 24/7 rules. Justin Credible walked into the building as champion, but it was Steven Richards who left the building that night holding the gold.
Trish Stratus managed to win the championship after Bubba Ray Dudley hit then-champion Crash Holly with a trash can. Her reign, like most Hardcore Championship reigns, was short-lived and she was defeated by Steven Richards. For Trish, it was another championship to add to her resume on her way to becoming the Diva of the Decade.
#1 Chyna became WWE Intercontinental Champion
To this day, the Ninth Wonder of the World Chyna is still the only female superstar to have held the WWE Intercontinental Championship. The trailblazer not only won the championship once, but she won it on two occasions.
Her first Intercontinental Championship reign began when she defeated Jeff Jarrett in a Good Housekeeping Match. The match took place at the No Mercy pay-per-view in 1999 and capped off the storyline between the two.
She then won the championship again at SummerSlam in 2000, pinning Trish Stratus in a mixed tag team match to take Val Venis' title.
