'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
#3 Rhea Ripley holds court as the current RAW Women's Champion
The RAW women's division arguably starts and ends with Charlotte Flair. She is always pushed as the top woman regardless of whether she is holding a title. Her return in December allowed Asuka to recapture the Women's Tag titles, but as RAW Women's Champion, Asuka was an afterthought.
Ripley might be holding the belt, but WWE always seems to want Flair in the title hunt or holding the title. That, unfortunately, has possibly prevented other stars from moving up in the division.
After the 2020 WWE Draft, the top four female stars on RAW were Flair, Asuka, Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax. Regardless of other factors, those women will likely be consistent presences in the RAW Women's and WWE Women's Tag title pictures.
Once Jax and Baszler drop their tag titles, they should presumably challenge for the RAW Women's title. Neither has challenged for it this year, or for much of 2020. If Flair wins another title, however, that might change the situation, as all three women are heels at the moment.
If Rhea Ripley manages to retain her title beyond WrestleMania Backlash, then Jax and Baszler will be in her path after the pay-per-view. ThunderDome fans were reportedly instructed to cheer for Ripley when she teamed up with Baszler and Jax, so anything is possible.
One of the most intriguing women in the division is Alexa Bliss. Bliss does what most other women in WWE don't do - try out other personas. Instead of bragging about being great or the best, she has been allowed to go in a completely different direction.
It took a special talent to pull off being a female confidante of The Fiend. Bliss did that well, but she broke her alliance with Bray Wyatt at WrestleMania and put the RAW women's roster on notice.
The rest of the women on RAW are either not used, like Nikki Cross, or are a part of a tag team. Naomi and Lana and the duo of Mandy Rose and Dana Brooke have been consistently featured in the tag title picture, whereas Cross hasn't been on RAW for what seems like months.
The same happened with Peyton Royce before she was released earlier in April. She had one match against Asuka, but lost. Overall, the division has depth, but it will be hard for the women to move up with Ripley, Flair, Asuka, Jax and Baszler in the division.
Grade: B+
