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It is the best time to be a female pro wrestler right now, because of the number of opportunities these performers are getting. In 2015, WWE management finally decided to come out of their 'Divas' mindset, and for once chose to treat their female performers like wrestlers.
#GiveDivasAChance became so popular on social media that year, and it started the movement in wrestling. We all know how these wrestlers grabbed that opportunity with both hands.
To quote Stephanie McMahon,
"These women have not been given opportunities, they have earned them."
We are trying to recognise women who paved the way for women's wrestling in the different time periods. We have done articles about the 20th century and the period between 2000-2015, and now it is time to take a look at women who have continued to take the torch forward post 2015, and made being a woman wrestler a privilege.
Before we have a look at the 5 superstars who have been the flag bearers of women's wrestling in the last few years, we look at some superstars who didn't make the cut, but deserve a mention nonetheless.
Honorable mentions
Ronda Rousey has changed the whole meaning of rookie year by the amount of authority she has established in less than a year, and don't be surprised to see her main event WrestleMania 35.
Superstars such as Naomi, Ember Moon, Ruby Riott, Sonya Deville and Natalya do not get equal credit due to the lack of star power, but if the Four Horsewomen are the heart of the women's division right now, then these women are the arteries that supply blood to the whole company.
Alexa Bliss and Paige have defined how bad and mean a heel character can be. Even though Paige's career was cut short due to injury, she will always be the woman who made the term 'women's revolution' popular among WWE fans.
Lastly, there are wrestlers such as Kairi Sane, Shayna Baszler, Dakota Kai, and Nikki Cross who kept the fire alive in the developmental brand NXT after the promotion of other wrestlers to the main roster.
#5 Bayley
Bayley was the most over babyface during her NXT days, and some even regarded her as the lady John Cena. Her character comes naturally to her. Being part of the Four Horsewomen of WWE, Bayley played an integral part in getting women's wrestling where it is today.
Her 30-minutes Iron Woman match with Sasha Banks at NXT Takeover: Respect is still talked about, and will definitely go in history as one of the best-choreographed matches of all time.
Her underdog gimmick connected with the audience, and it helped her initially during her main-roster run when she was in a feud with Charlotte Flair for the Raw Women's Championship.
She is a complete wrestler who is as good with the mic as she is in the ring. In pro-wrestling, in-ring skills make you a star, but your gimmick can make you a superstar; Bayley is an ideal representative of that.
Even though she does not have any concrete plan moving forward due to poor booking, she is capable of bouncing back strongly whenever WWE needs her in the championship picture.
#4 Asuka
Many call her over-rated, but one cannot deny the mystique she brings with her. Her passionate persona, and her hard-hitting fighting style is something only a few can match in the squared circle.
Her mass appeal could be clearly seen during the build-up to her TLC match this year, where the crowd continued to cheer her every time she was in the ring despite Becky Lynch's presence.
Remember, it was the same Becky Lynch for whom the crowd turned against Ronda Rousey and Charlotte Flair, but it was not the case this time around.
In the developmental brand, Asuka was the most dominant superstar, never pinned, nor submitted, and only vacated the NXT Women's Championship after beating everyone they had.
Before joining WWE, Asuka wrestled under the name of Kanako Urai in various promotions such as Smash, Pro Wrestling Wave, Shimmer, and Wrestling New Classic. Asuka is much better as a heel.
Her fans will know about her villainous time in Japan, where she would get genuine heat from the crowd. This type of top heel characters are missing in the company right now, as they can manage to turn the crowd against them with the drop of a hat.
She is often compared to Goldberg because of the sudden push they both got, but unlike him who would wreck the competition - she outworks them. With the SmackDown Women's Championship, she is currently sitting at the top, and believe me - she has just started.
#3 Sasha Banks
It takes at least two wrestlers to put on a great show, and that is why Sasha Banks deserves equal credits for the instant classic at NXT Takeover: Respect. Banks has been a part of many different promotions before joining WWE - like NECW, NWA, and CW where she first created a reputation for herself.
Like Bayley, Banks too had a dream start in the main roster, with her feud against Charlotte Flair which resulted in the pair producing excellent matches on a regular basis.
She has impressed both fans and critics with her wrestling style, and is capable of bringing out good matches with any rookie wrestler, an attribute only top wrestlers like AJ Styles and Seth Rollins possess in the current roster.
Her career in WWE has been similar to her best friend Bayley's, as both got lost in the middle after the initial boom period, however, the management might not worry about it much because they know that Banks can go back to the top after just one good match.
Like Asuka, a heel character suits her more, and all of her brilliant work in NXT was achieved as a heel, so maybe she needs to go back to that character.
Banks started her career just a couple of years ago, but is already considered one of the legends like Trish Stratus & Lita, and her performances will surely improve.
#2 Charlotte Flair
Charlotte Flair has been gathering attention ever since she made her NXT debut, but it was her presence in the main-roster ever since the summer of 2015 that sparked a revolution.
All women have been thrown into the mid-card at some point in their career, where they have been left with no storyline or future, but not Charlotte. She has been involved in the main storylines of the women's division in some capacity.
Some call it nepotism, but I think of it as a deserving push. Being Ric Flair’s daughter might have helped her in getting an easy road to WWE, but it was her athleticism and determination that kept her relevant in the company. She is one of the most rounded wrestlers in WWE at the moment, and her sense of superiority just adds to the enigma she possesses.
Making history is nothing new for her, as she has won a record of eight Women's Championships in WWE, has most pay-per-view wins for a woman, and was part of the first-ever women's Hell in a Cell and TLC match.
She can also go on to become the first woman to main-event WrestleMania as well. She has had quite an eminent career despite only being on the main roster for three years.
#1 Becky Lynch
Becky Lynch is the most over wrestler right now. Some wrestlers fail to achieve even half of the prominence she has achieved in the last 4-5 months.
Her comparison with Stone Cold does not even begin describing the reaction she receives from the crowd; it feels like she has just returned after defeating Thanos single-handedly.
There was no doubt about her in-ring talent, but the way she sold her feud with Charlotte via those promos just added the last piece of the puzzle, as she became 'The Man' and forced the entire locker room (including men) to step behind her.
Her popularity could be clearly seen at the 1000th episode of SmackDown where she insulted Edge, and the crowd was still cheering her. Furthermore, she also made the crowd boo the overwhelmingly favourite Ronda Rousey a couple of months later.
Nobody can get away after insulting the Rated R Superstar and the Baddest Woman on Planet, but I guess Becky is living in a totally different dimension.
Lynch excelled in her role as an adorable babyface, and surprisingly exceeded all expectations as a heel. Her ring work has also improved with time.
She is guiding the entire women's division to a position they have never reached before, which can be clearly seen on a weekly basis by the number of times she is present in the main event segment of SmackDown, which was a rarity for women.
Lynch is defining wrestling on her own terms, and going by her words, she will continue to do that for the foreseeable future.
