WWE has a rich history of producing top-level women’s wrestlers who have made a name for themselves in the company. However, women’s wrestling hasn’t always been the best for fans to enjoy. There was a time when women’s wrestling was consistently overlooked and it was the proverbial “toilet break” as fans used to it to go to the toilet or get a refreshment with the arena vacating rapidly. However, since 2015 when Stephanie McMahon introduced the women’s evolution, women’s wrestling has no longer been viewed as a laughing stock.
Women’s wrestling has improved leaps and bounds with some talented in-ring performers, but who are the most outstanding female wrestlers to grace WWE?
When it comes down to the greatest women’s wrestling matches of all time, it’s a subjective topic among wrestling fans and critics. Everyone has their favorite wrestlers and some are biased toward picking their matches as all-time greats. Nevertheless, WWE has been blessed with elite-level women’s wrestlers and they have produced the goods in some of the greatest women’s matches in history.
16 Becky Lynch Vs. Bianca Belair Vs. Sasha Banks – Crown Jewel 2021
The Man Narrowly Escaped With Her Championship
| Match Length | Match Stipulation | Match Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 19:25 | Triple threat match for the SmackDown Women’s Championship | Becky Lynch (c) defeated Bianca Belair and Sasha Banks to retain the SmackDown Women’s Championship |
Fans in Saudi Arabia were treated to seeing three WrestleMania main eventers slug it out for the SmackDown Women’s Championship. Becky Lynch entered the bout as the reigning SmackDown Women’s Champion, and Bianca Belair and Sasha Banks were her challengers. However, Lynch and Belair were drafted to Raw, and Banks was on SmackDown which made fans think that the Boss would escape with the title.
All three gave it their best shot, and the EST of WWE was close to regaining the SmackDown Women’s Championship as she executed the KOD on Lynch. Banks pulled Belair out of the ring, but that gave Lynch some time to regroup, and she used the ropes for leverage to remain as the SmackDown Women’s Champion.
15 Sasha Banks Vs. Bayley – SmackDown (11/6/20)
The Boss Gets The Bragging Rights
| Match Length | Match Stipulation | Match Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 18:20 | SmackDown Women’s Championship match | Sasha Banks (c) defeated Bayley to retain the SmackDown Women’s Championship. |
Two-time WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Sasha Banks and Bayley’s rivalry culminated on SmackDown’s November 6, 2020 episode. The Role Model’s record-breaking 380-day SmackDown Women’s Championship reign was ended by Banks inside Hell in a Cell, and Bayley was intent on regaining her championship.
The two MVPs in the COVID-19 pandemic tore the house down in a PLE quality match. The Boss made a statement as the tag of losing a championship in her first title defense was no more as she cinched in the Bank Statement which was enough to retain the SmackDown Women’s Championship.
14 Trish Stratus Vs. Mickie James – WrestleMania 22
Mickie’s Obsession Resulted In Championship Gold
| Match Length | Match Type | Match Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 8:48 | WWE Women’s Championship match | Trish Stratus defeated Mickie James (c) to win the WWE Women’s Championship. |
Trish Stratus and Mickie James clashed in a high-profile WWE Women’s Championship match at WrestleMania 22. Despite being a babyface, Trish was booed by the fans in Chicago. Trish was celebrating her 448th day as the reigning WWE Women’s Champion.
They had a back-and-forth encounter, but fans were ready for a new champion to be crowned. Mickie stunned the crowd much to their delight by executing the Mickie Kick on Trish capturing her first WWE Women’s Championship.
13 Bianca Belair Vs. Bayley – Crown Jewel 2022
The EST Of WWE Took The Role Model For A Ride
| Match Length | Match Stipulation | Match Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 20:20 | Last Woman Standing match for the Raw Women’s Championship | Bianca Belair (c) defeated Bayley to retain the Raw Women’s Championship |
Bayley looked to make it a clean sweep for Damage CTRL at Crown Jewel 2022 as Iyo Sky and Dakota Kai regained the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship from Asuka and Alexa Bliss. The Role Model challenged her nemesis Bianca Belair for the Raw Women’s Championship in a Last Woman Standing match.
Former multi-time WWE Women’s Champion Bayley has grown & evolved throughout the years.
Bayley and Belair knocked it out of the park in an enthralling championship match. Both women were extremely creative with Bayley nailing Belair with her patented Bayley-to-Belly on the floor. Bayley introduced a golf cart into the match, but it was Bayley who went for a ride as she was placed on the top of the golf cart with Belair driving down the aisle. It was a valiant effort from Bayley, but Belair continued her Raw Women’s Championship reign as Bayley was trapped in a ladder and was unable to move.
12 Lita Vs. Trish Stratus – Unforgiven 2006
Trish Stratus Heads Into Retirement In Style In Front Of Her Hometown Fans
| Match Length | Match Type | Match Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 11:35 | WWE Women’s Championship match | Trish Stratus defeated Lita (c) via submission to win the WWE Women’s Championship |
Unforgiven 2006 was an emotional night for Trish Stratus as she challenged Lita for the WWE Women’s Championship in front of her hometown fans in Toronto, Canada. It was also Trish’s retirement match, and she was looking to go out on a high with the WWE Women’s Championship in her possession against her biggest rival.
The storytelling was on point, and Lita was arguably the most detested woman in WWE at the time. Lita and Trish produced a fantastic wrestling match, and Trish cinched in the Sharpshooter which was enough to put Lita away and she secured the WWE Women’s Championship for the seventh time in her career.
11 Bayley Vs. Sasha Banks – Hell In A Cell 2020
The Boss Ended The Role Model’s Historic SmackDown Women’s Championship Reign
| Match Length | Match Type | Match Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 26:35 | Hell in a Cell match for the SmackDown Women’s Championship | Sasha Banks defeated Bayley (c) via submission to win the SmackDown Women’s Championship |
Former best friends Bayley and Sasha Banks were no longer working as a cohesive unit which led to the pair clashing for Bayley’s SmackDown Women’s Championship inside Hell in a Cell. The Boss entered her third Hell in a Cell match, and she lost the previous two against fellow Four Horsewomen Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch.
Bayley entered the match on her record-breaking 380th day as SmackDown Women’s Champion. Neither woman held back in one of the best Hell in a Cell matches in WWE history. Bayley was unable to fend off Sasha’s offense with Sasha dethroning Bayley to become SmackDown Women’s Champion for the first time and completing her set as a Grand Slam Champion in the process.
10 Charlotte Flair Vs. Becky Lynch Vs. Sasha Banks – WrestleMania 32
The Queen, The Iron Lasskicker, And The Boss Stole The Show In A History-Making Match
| Match Length | Match Type | Match Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 16:03 | Triple threat match for the WWE Women’s Championship | Charlotte Flair defeated Becky Lynch and Sasha Banks to win the vacant WWE Women’s Championship |
WrestleMania 32 was a positive step in the women’s evolution as the WWE Divas Championship was retired in favor of the new WWE Women’s Championship. Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, and Sasha Banks competed for the WWE Women’s Championship and they did not fail to disappoint in their WrestleMania debuts.
With her long list of accolades and amazing matches, Charlotte Flair has established herself as one of the greatest women’s wrestlers of all time.
All three women looked right at home and it was a fascinating match to watch as soon as the bell sounded. There was good chemistry between the trio, but Charlotte got the bragging rights by taking home the WWE Women’s Championship after forcing Lynch to submit to Figure Eight.
9 Becky Lynch Vs. Trish Stratus – Payback 2023
The Man And The WWE Hall Of Famer Clashed In The Best Women’s Steel Cage Match In WWE History
| Match Length | Match Type | Match Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 20:00 | Steel Cage match | Becky Lynch defeated Trish Stratus via pinfall |
WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus competed in a steel cage match for the first time in her legendary career at Payback 2023, and she collided with six-time WWE Women’s Champion Becky Lynch in the curtain-raiser. Trish proved that she could mix it up with the big guns, and she had a fantastic performance here.
Trish’s protege Zoey Stark didn’t hesitate to get involved in the proceedings to give Trish a helping hand. Lynch fended off the outside interference, and she executed the Manhandle Slam from the top rope on Trish securing a major victory in arguably the greatest women’s steel cage match in WWE history.
8 Becky Lynch Vs. Charlotte Flair – Survivor Series 2021
Two Former Best Friends Engaged In A Heated Classic
| Match Length | Match Type | Match Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 18:15 | Champion Vs. Champion match | Becky Lynch defeated Charlotte Flair via pinfall |
The real-life animosity between Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair had fans on the edge of their seats for their high-profile encounter at Survivor Series 2021. Big Time Becks was the reigning Raw Women’s Champion, and Charlotte held the SmackDown Women’s Championship but this match was much bigger than brand for supremacy.
Both women were desperate to win the match to get the edge on the other. They had an excellent match which could have closed out the show, but they were the curtain-raiser and Lynch used the ropes for leverage earning another crucial win over her former best friend.
7 Becky Lynch Vs. Asuka Vs. Charlotte Flair – TLC 2018
The Baddest Woman On The Planet Gives Asuka A Huge Assist
| Match Length | Match Type | Match Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 21:45 | TLC match for the SmackDown Women’s Championship | Asuka defeated Becky Lynch (c) and Charlotte Flair to win the SmackDown Women’s Championship |
Three of the all-time greats Becky Lynch, Asuka, and Charlotte Flair were pitted against each other in the first women’s triple threat TLC match for the Man’s SmackDown Women’s Championship. “The Baddest Woman on the Planet” was the Raw Women’s Champion, and she was feuding with both Becky and Charlotte.
Asuka and Charlotte Flair have crossed paths in a WWE ring several times. How do each of their matches stack up, when ranked from worst to best?
Unsurprisingly, all three women knocked it out of the park in a breathtaking TLC match. The action was enthralling and Rousey interfered by knocking both Charlotte and Becky off the ladder which led to Asuka taking advantage and she secured the SmackDown Women’s Championship for the first time.
6 Iyo Sky Vs. Bayley – WrestleMania 40 Sunday
The Role Model Finally Wins A Championship At WrestleMania
| Match Length | Match Type | Match Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 14:20 | WWE Women’s Championship match | Bayley defeated Iyo Sky (c) via pinfall to win the WWE Women’s Championship |
Bayley won the 2024 women’s Royal Rumble match, and she opted to challenge her former Damage CTRL stablemate Iyo Sky for the WWE Women’s Championship on WrestleMania 40 Sunday. The Role Model was seeking her first championship reign in a little over three years.
The penultimate match of the night did not fail to disappoint. There was a lot of quality, and both women hit their spots unable to keep the other down with their signature moves. In the end, Bayley connected with Rose Plant to become a four-time WWE Women’s Champion securing her first championship victory on the Grandest Stage of Them All.
5 Sasha Banks Vs. Bianca Belair – WrestleMania 37 Night One
The Boss And The EST Of WWE Make History!
| Match Length | Match Type | Match Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 17:15 | SmackDown Women’s Championship match | Bianca Belair defeated Sasha Banks (c) via pinfall to win the SmackDown Women’s Championship |
Night one of WrestleMania 37 was a historic night as Sasha Banks and Bianca Belair closed out the show in a SmackDown Women’s Championship. This match had historical importance as it was the first time that two black women main evented WrestleMania which was a phenomenal achievement.
Both women were emotional before the bell sounded, and they channeled their emotions to steal the show in a remarkable championship match. Belair managed to convert her victory from the 2021 women’s Royal Rumble match into the SmackDown Women’s Championship leaving the Boss winless on the Grandest Stage of Them All.
4 Becky Lynch Vs. Bianca Belair – WrestleMania 38 Saturday
Belair Gets Her Revenge!
| Match Length | Match Type | Match Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 19:10 | Raw Women’s Championship match | Bianca Belair defeated Becky Lynch (c) via pinfall to win the Raw Women’s Championship |
If Steve Austin did not return to in-ring competition at WrestleMania 38 then there’s no doubt that Becky Lynch and Bianca Belair would’ve main evented the first night of WrestleMania 38. Nevertheless, both women had grand entrances before they dueled over Lynch’s Raw Women’s Championship.
Becky Lynch has had an up and down time when it comes to WrestleMania, with some duds to go along with all-time classics.
Belair was out for revenge as Lynch beat her in just 26 seconds for the SmackDown Women’s Championship at SummerSlam 2021. There was a callback to that with Lynch executing the Manhandle Slam but Belair kicked out. Ultimately, Belair defeated Lynch with KOD to win the Raw Women’s Championship, and she went on to become the longest-reigning Raw Women’s Champion in history.
3 Sasha Banks Vs. Bayley – NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn, 2015
Bayley Gets Over The Line And Sends The Boss To The Main Roster
| Match Length | Match Type | Match Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 18:22 | NXT Women’s Championship match | Bayley defeated Sasha Banks (c) via pinfall to win the NXT Women’s Championship |
Bayley had been chasing the NXT Women’s Championship for some time but could not get her hands on the title. The Boss squared off with Sasha Banks for the gold at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn. There were a lot of emotions in this title bout, and Sasha and Bayley hit a home run in one of the best matches in WWE history.
Sasha was going to be heading to the main roster as she was a member of Team B.A.D. alongside Tamina and Naomi. Nevertheless, Sasha had business to take care of in NXT, and she had a good sendoff as she dropped the NXT Women’s Championship to an emotional Bayley who connected with the Bayley-to-Belly.
2 Becky Lynch Vs. Charlotte Flair – Evolution 2018
Lynch And Charlotte Threw The Kitchen Sink At Each Other In Their Best Encounter Against Each Other
| Match Length | Match Type | Match Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 30:00 | Last Woman Standing match for the SmackDown Women’s Championship | Becky Lynch (c) defeated Charlotte Flair to retain the SmackDown Women’s Championship |
Arguably, the best match in the series of Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair’s encounters was their Last Woman Standing match for Lynch’s SmackDown Women’s Championship at the all-women’s pay-per-view Evolution 2018. The former best friends took it to the next level in a magnificent contest.
Weapons were involved and Lynch put the Queen through the broadcast table with a leg drop. Charlotte showcased her resiliency as she had a refusal to stay down, but the Man powerbombed Charlotte through the table and that was enough for Lynch to seal the deal by remaining as the SmackDown Women’s Champion.
1 Charlotte Flair Vs. Rhea Ripley – WrestleMania 39 Saturday
Mami Scores The Biggest Victory Of Her Career
| Match Length | Match Type | Match Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 23:35 | SmackDown Women’s Championship match | Rhea Ripley defeated Charlotte Flair (c) via pinfall to win the SmackDown Women’s Championship |
Charlotte Flair and Rhea Ripley’s SmackDown Women’s Championship match at WrestleMania 39 Saturday was unlucky not to main event the show. This was the show-stealer and it is in the conversation for being the WWE match of the year in 2023. This was wrestling at the highest order.
The pendulum swung back and forth with both women throwing everything at each other. Charlotte defeated Ripley for the NXT Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 36 and Charlotte was hoping that lightning would strike twice. That failed to materialize with the Nightmare seeing off Charlotte with a Riptide from the middle rope to become the SmackDown Women’s Champion and thus she became the fifth women’s Grand Slam Champion in WWE history.
