Which Women's Champion ruled the Summer of 2018?

Summer is over, and there were many exciting happenings in the world of women's professional wrestling. Former UFC champ Ronda Rousey became the face of Raw, ROH continued to grow its Women of Honor division, and the Knockouts are back to impressing people much as they did a decade ago. With the WWE preparing to launch its first ever all women's PPV, now is the time to take stock of the state of women's wrestling.

There is no better way to ascertain this than by examining the women's champions over the summer months and how they compare. In order to qualify, they must either be the current women's champion or have held the title for at least thirty days during June, July, or August.

The champions will be rated on four criterion;

Win/Loss Record: Wins and losses are an important part of a wrestler's overall story arc and help to separate the cream from the crop.

Title Defenses: How often did the champion defend? Were the defenses achieved by shaky means (count out, DQ, etc.) or were they legit victories?

Technical Ability: Wrestling is a sport, and that takes athletics and skill. How skilled/athletic is the champion?

Cross-media Appeal: How likely is someone outside of wrestling fandom to recognize the champion?

Without further ado, let's look at the champions.

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Sumie Sakai - ROH Women's Champion

With combat sports experience, a Judo black belt and plenty of experience, Sumi Sakai presents a very legitimate world champion for Ring of Honor. Though nearing fifty years of age, Sakai holds her own and then some with some of the best athletes in the world.

Win/Loss Record: Sakai has eight wins, zero losses for Summer 2018, an excellent record. Grade: A+

Title Defenses: Sakai successfully defended her title five times, almost twice the number required every thirty days. Her defenses were all decisive victories against the best the world has to offer, including Madison Rayne. Grade: A+

Technical Ability: Sakai's legit combat sports experience translated well to pro wrestling, and with almost thirty years of experience she rarely makes a slip. Grade: A

Cross-media Appeal: Though Sakai did have some MMA bouts, she mostly is considered a dabbler in the sport, and few outside of wrestling are likely to know her. Grade: C

Overall Grade: A

Sakai is an excellent representative of women's wrestling in general and ROH in particular.

Tessa Blanchard - Impact Knockouts Champion

Second generation star Tessa Blanchard seemed a shoe-in for the WWE, but they for reasons unknown did not offer her a contract. Fortunately for fans, she found a home on Impact wrestling and has become an instant sensation for the promotion.

Win/Loss Record: Blanchard's record is outstanding with 14 wins and four losses. Grade: A

Title Defenses: (Note - Blanchard is a dual champion, holding both the Knockouts and PCW titles.) Tessa defended her titles no less than six times, every time successfully. Grade: A

Technical Ability: Tessa makes a strong case for being the best female wrestler in the world thanks to her technical ability and poise: Grade: A

Cross-media Appeal: While she is undeniably a wrestling star few outside sports entertainment are likely to know who she is. Grade: D

Overall Grade: A

Nicole Savoy - Shimmer/PWR Champion

Currently the longest reigning Shimmer champion in history, Nicole Savoy is always on the list of athletes who critics believe will be signed by WWE or Impact--but then it never materializes. She is considered a hidden gem in the world of women's wrestling.

Win/Loss Record: Savoy did not have a very active summer of 2018, with one draw and one loss. Grade: F

Title Defenses: Savoy only defended her PWR title once, which resulted in a draw with Taya Valkyrie. She did not defend the Shimmer title at all. Grade: D

Technical Ability: Like most women on the independent scene, Savoy has to be twice as good just to get noticed. Her technical acumen is far above par. Grade: A

Cross-media Appeal: Savoy is a relative unknown outside of independent wrestling. Grade: D

Overall Grade: C

Su Yung - Former Impact Knockouts Champion

The former Impact Knockouts Champion qualifies for this list because she held the title for most of summer 2018. Her unique persona and appearance make her truly stand out among women wrestlers.

Win/Loss Record: Yung splits the difference with six wins and seven losses. Grade: C

Title Defenses: Yung successfully defended her title three times against top tier opponents and won decisively. Grade: A

Technical Ability: Yung isn't on the level of Tessa Blanchard or Charlotte, but she's still one of the best. Grade: B

Cross-media Appeal: Yung is relatively unknown outside of wrestling. Grade: D

Overall Grade: C+

Alexa Bliss - Former RAW Women's Champion

The heel queen of WWE qualifies for this list because she held the title for the majority of the summer, though she did lose it to Ronda Rousey at SummerSlam.

Win/Loss Record: Five wins and six losses is a pretty decent record for a heel wrestler. Grade: B

Title Defenses: Bliss had two defenses, resulting in a victory and a defeat. Grade: C

Technical Ability: Though she uses a lot of hair pulling and choking, Bliss can actually wrestle if the occasion calls for it, and her aerial awareness is top notch. Grade: B+

Cross-media Appeal: Bliss's participation in Total Divas raises her grade, as does her appearance on numerous promotional posters and modeling work. Grade: B

Overall Grade: B+

Charlotte Flair - Current SmackDown Women's Champion

Second generation star Charlotte Flair continues to dominate the women's wrestling scene in WWE with her high profile victories and unparalleled athleticism.

Win/Loss Record: Six wins and three losses put Charlotte into a good grade. Grade: A

Title Defenses: Charlotte defended her title twice already, despite only having been champion for less than a month, and both were decisive victories. Grade: A

Technical Ability: Charlotte is one of the best workers today. Grade: A

Cross-media Appeal: Flair may be wrestling royalty, but few outside of sports entertainment know who she is. Grade: D

Overall Grade: A-

Carmella - Former WWE SmackDown Women's Champion

The fabulous one may have lost her title to Charlotte, but spent most of the summer as champion, thus qualifying her for this list.

Win/Loss Record: 3 wins, five losses isn't terrible, but it's not great either. Grade: C-

Title Defenses: Carmella defended her title three times, with two wins and one loss. However, both her wins were as a result of interference by James Ellsworth, lowering her grade a bit. Grade: C

Technical Ability: While athletic, Carmella has a limited move set and isn't really on the level of most of the WWE's women's division. Grade: C+

Cross-media appeal: Carmella is unlikely to be known outside of wrestling. Grade: D

Overall Grade: C-

Shayna Baszler - Former NXT Women's Champion

The Queen of Hearts has proven herself quite adept at the wrestling ring, aided by her former MMA training and veteran status. She qualifies for this list because she held the NXT title for most of the summer of 2018.

Wins/Losses: Bayszler was one of the most active wrestlers during summer 2018, racking up an impressive sixteen wins and nine losses. Grade: A+

Title Defenses: Bayslzer defended her title successfully a total of seventeen times! Wow! Grade: A+

Technical Ability: As you might expect, the Queen of Hearts dominates with her ground-based and striking style. Grade: A

Cross-media Appeal: Shayna is well known in MMA circles and has been a force of nature in wrestling. Grade: A

Overall Grade: A+

Kairi Sane - Current NXT Women's Champion

The Pirate Princess finally won the big belt in NXT, after impressing the world by winning the Mae Young Classic in 2017.

Win/Loss Record: With twenty wins and only three losses, Sane gets the highest marks. Grade: A+

Title Defenses: Sane has yet to defend her title, though she has only been champion for a matter of weeks. Grade: N/A

Technical Ability: Sane is nearly the perfect wrestler, able to brawl, strike, mat wrestle, utilize submissions, and fly through the air. Grade: A+

Cross-media Appeal: Sane is a wrestler first and foremost, and thus will be unlikely to gain recognition outside the squared circle. Grade: D

Overall Grade: A

Ronda Rousey - WWE Raw Women's Champion

The former UFC champion and Olympic medalist has transitioned very well into pro wrestling.

Win/Loss Record: Rousey only wrestled four times this summer, but they were all victories, including a title win. Grade: A

Title Defenses: Rousey has yet to defend the title she won a short time ago. Grade: N/A

Technical Ability: Rousey is growing into her role as a pro wrestler and has some crisp moves but she is still a bit green. Grade: B

Cross-media Appeal: Rousey has massive recognition from her days in the UFC and as a model for numerous companies. Grade: A+

Overall Grade: A-

And the most dominant women's champion of Summer 2018 is...SHAYNA BASZLER!

It was a close contest, but Shayna's workhorse schedule and stunning seventeen successful title defenses against the best NXT has to offer, as well as her cross-media appeal, set her above and beyond the competition.

Some might be surprised that Shayna outscored the 'bigger' star in Ronda Rousey, but given Bayszler's dedication to wrestling and her work ethic it's easy to see why she is the most dominant women's champion of Summer 2018.