The Women’s Championship is a professional wrestling world championship. It was established in 1956 on September 18 by the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). It has been defended in promotions worldwide ever since. The belt was designed to be equivalent to the NWA World Heavyweight Championship for women, but it took much longer for WWE to agree on this.
WWE Women’s Championship History
The WWE Women’s Championship was first created in 1956. Vince McMahon decided to create a women’s division in the company. The inaugural champion was Beth Phoenix. Over time, other women have held the title, including Trish Stratus, Lita, Mickie James, Alicia Fox, and Charlotte Flair. In 2014, Paige became the first woman to hold the Raw and SmackDown Women’s Championships simultaneously. Recently, Sasha Banks won Charlotte’s title and became a four-time champion (the first woman ever to do so).
The WWE Women’s Championship is one of the most prestigious championships in professional wrestling. In a six-person battle royal, it was awarded to Miss Elizabeth (later known as WWF Women’s Champion Diana Ross). The inaugural champion was Nikita Koloff. In 2002, Stephanie McMahon became the first woman to hold the WWE Women’s Championship twice. She defeated Princess Diana at Royal Rumble 2000 and lost it to Lita at WrestleMania X-Seven. Since then, there have been 19 different women who have held the championship. With AJ Lee being the last champion in 2016.
Current Women’s Division in WWE
The Women’s Division in WWE has seen a lot of change over the last few years. Earlier this year, the division was divided into Raw and SmackDown Live. This was done to make the division more competitive and give each show its flavor. There are now three championships in the Women’s Division:
- Raw Women’s Championship
- SmackDown Women’s Championship
- NXT Women’s Championship
Current Women Champions
WWE Raw Women’s Championship:
Bianca Belair
The current champion is Bianca Belair. She is in her first reign. Belair was introduced as the WWE Women’s Championship on April 3, 2016, at WrestleMania 32. It replaced the Divas Championship and has a unique title history. Apart from WWE’s original Women’s Championship and the Divas Championship.
SmackDown Women’s Championship:
Charlotte Flair
Although many top female stars have held the Women’s Championship at one time or another, Charlotte Flair is the current titleholder. Flair gained this title on October 22, 2021. She has made it her mission to keep the title alive and defend it against all comers. She is currently riding a three-title reign that began at WrestleMania 34 when she won the Raw Women’s Championship and then added the Smack.
NXT Women’s Championship:
Mandy Rose
The NXT Women’s Championship is a women’s professional wrestling championship. It was introduced on April 5, 2013. The inaugural champion was Paige. The last championship held on October 26, 2021, was won by Mandy Rose. She is in her first reign.
The future of the WWE Women’s Championship
As women’s wrestling evolves, so does the Women’s Championship. The championship has transformed in recent years, becoming one of the most prestigious belts in WWE. The Women’s Championship is one of the few championships anyone can defend. It is a valuable title because everyone can defend it. And not only limited to someone who is not just a big name on the main roster.
Since its inception, the Women’s Championship has been contested by some of WWE’s biggest and brightest stars. The inaugural champion was Stephanie McMahon, daughter of Vince McMahon. She defeated Leilani Kai in a tournament final to win the title. Since then, there have been many memorable champions, including Lita, Trish Stratus, Eve Torres, and Naomi.