While WWE is undoubtedly enjoying a women’s revolution with “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey leading the charge, the truth is that women have been blazing a trail through WWE for decades. With the Mae Young Classic Tournament ongoing and WWE’s first ever all-female special event, Evolution, set for October 28, we celebrate the 10 greatest WWE women wrestlers of all time.
Catch WWE’s greatest female athletes by watching the Mae Young Classic, and WWE Evolution, on the WWE Network. For more information and to get your first 30 days for FREE, visit wwenetwork.com.
1 of 10
Courtesy of WWE
Chyna
The “Ninth Wonder of the World” was first introduced to WWE audiences as Triple H’s valet, and soon became one of the founding members of D-Generation X. For the first time in history, WWE TV audiences were presented with a woman who was not only bigger than some of the men, but could beat them up too.
Chyna evolved from valet to pro wrestler in WWE, and broke a lot of conventions along the way. She was the first woman to enter a WWE Royal Rumble, and the first woman to hold the intercontinental title. It’s only a matter of time before Chyna is inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
2 of 10
Courtesy of WWE
Alundra Blayze
One of the reasons that women in the WWE are taken more seriously today is because of the simple fact that the girls can wrestle as well as the boys. This wasn’t always the case, particularly in the early ‘90s when females were used primarily as a sideshow to complement the action. But there were still women during that era who could more than hold their own and one such pioneer was Alundra Blayze.
Alundra signed with the WWE in 1993 to kick-start a new women’s division and soon found herself battling some of Japan’s finest talent. Her SummerSlam 1994 match with Bull Nakano remains one of the most well-crafted women’s contests of all time and provided the next generation of women with a blueprint for how good the girls could be.
3 of 10
Courtesy of WWE
Lita
No woman has ever made female wrestling as cool as Lita. This rock chick from Fort Lauderdale was one of the most popular WWE Superstars of the ‘90s and, in line with the group’s attitude era, was a fiery character that could stand up to the men and take it to the women. Lita’s full-on style often saw her risking life and limb to pick up a victory.
Lita won the WWE women’s championship four times and was Inducted into WWE’S Hall of Fame in 2014. Lita was also involved with, and won, the first two all-female main events on WWE Monday Night RAW. She also wrestled Victoria in the first ever female Steel Cage match back in 2003.
4 of 10
Courtesy of WWE
Alexa Bliss
There are obvious comparisons to be made between Alexa Bliss and Trish Stratus, who both came to WWE from a fitness background. At 27 years of age, Alexa is already one of the most dominating forces in female wrestling history. Little Miss Bliss won the WWE SmackDown women’s championship on a record setting two occasions, and is the first woman to win both the RAW and SmackDown women’s titles. She also won the first ever Women’s Elimination Chamber match and the 2018 Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match; all in under three years!
Alexa’s skills both on the microphone and in the ring continue to improve in leaps and bounds, and the pocket rocket seems destined to climb a few places on this list in the next few years. With a hotly anticipated match against Trish Stratus set for WWE Evolution on October 28, Alexa is now laser-focused on overtaking her trailblazing opponent.
5 of 10
Courtesy of WWE
Sasha Banks
As an athlete that exemplifies the current female movement in WWE, The Boss has helped change perceptions and shatter some of the more common stereotypes associated with female pro wrestling. While Sasha is no doubt stunning and in great shape, The Boss didn’t sign with WWE because of a former career as a model. She is in WWE to wrestle, and she gives it her all.
Sasha fell in love with WWE through her admiration for one of the greatest wrestlers of all time, Eddie Guerrero, and much like her hero, has tried to steal the show with every match she has performed in. A true student of the game, Sasha’s list of accomplishments includes four runs with the WWE women’s championship and she also took part in the ground-breaking Hell in a Cell match with Charlotte Flair where new standards were set for female wrestlers.
6 of 10
Courtesy of WWE
Fabulous Moolah
The late Fabulous Moolah is one of the most recognizable stars in female wrestling history. She first won the NWA women’s championship in 1956 and dominated the title, astoundingly, for almost 30 years. Moolah then signed with WWE during the ‘80s Rock’n’Wrestling era and famously feued with Wendi Richter and singer Cyndi Lauper.
Whilst wrestling historians debate Moolah’s true character and business traits (she is thought to have taken a large cut of match pay-offs earned by her students and is also accused of sexually exploiting her trainees for cash), her successes are unquestionable. The Fabulous Moolah held the WWE women’s championship on four occasions and was the first woman to be inducted into WWE’s Hall of Fame.
7 of 10
Courtesy of WWE
Mickie James
Accurately placing Mickie James on a list of WWE’s greatest female grapplers is no mean feat because of the many contributions she has made to the industry. Since making her WWE debut in 2005, Mickie has continued to evolve as a talented and relevant WWE Superstar. She is one of WWE’s most decorated stars, and is far from done yet.
Many fans will remember Mickie for her sexually charged storyline with Trish Stratus which climaxed with a win over Trish to take the WWE women’s championship at WrestleMania 22. Since then, Mickie’s importance to WWE, and women’s pro wrestling in general, cannot be overstated.
Mickie returned to WWE in 2016 after an impressive outing with Asuka and was quickly re-signed to the SmackDown roster where she became a friend of Alexa Bliss and has no doubt been able to provide advice and experience to the younger protégé. Mickie was a key player in the first ever Women’s Elimination Chamber match and, now back on Monday Night RAW, continues to show boundless energy, proving that she’s still hungry for another run with the championship.
8 of 10
Courtesy of WWE
Trish Stratus
When fitness model, Trish Stratus burst onto the WWE scene back in 2000, few could have predicted that this beauty would become one of WWE’s most beloved wrestling superstars, crushing stereotypes along the way. Originally cast as a valet, Trish was eager to prove herself as more than just a pretty face.
Far from standing back and looking pretty, Trish found herself in the thick of the action when she was slammed through a table by the Dudley Boyz at BackLash in her debut year. It was a dangerous fall for anyone to take and showed her commitment to being an active part of the WWE roster.
In the years that followed, Trish continued to excel thanks to her magnetic charisma and constantly improving ring skills. During her career, this girl from Ontario earned many accomplishments with pure grit and a hardworking attitude that pro wrestling fans respected greatly. Trish is a former seven-time women’s champion, and one-time WWE Hardcore Champion. She officially retired in 2006, but after an appearance at the first Women’s Royal Rumble, and with a return match scheduled against Alexa Bliss at Evolution, there’s plenty more “Stratus-faction” to come.
9 of 10
Courtesy of WWE
Mae Young
A true pioneer if ever there was one, Mae Young first stepped through the ropes as a pro in the 1940s and notched up an incredible seven decades of ring action before hanging up her boots. The Queen famously wrestled in Memphis on December 7, 1941, which turned out to be the same day that Pearl Harbor was attacked. With the men fighting abroad, Mae helped to expand the number of females taking up pro wrestling in the United States. Mae also helped to popularize women’s wrestling in Canada. Today, WWE celebrates her legacy with the all-female Mae Young Classic Tournament.
Whilst Mae didn’t officially join WWE until 1999, she soon became one of the group’s most prolific on-screen characters and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2008. In 2010 Mae Young became the first person ever to wrestle on Monday Night RAW at more than 80 years old. Her influence on today’s generation of WWE female athletes cannot be emphasized enough.
10 of 10
Courtesy of WWE
Charlotte Flair
If you ask any pro wrestling aficionado to name the greatest grappler of all time, “Nature Boy” Ric Flair will be at the top, or close to it. The shadow that Ric must have inadvertently cast on his daughter Charlotte as she trained to become a WWE Superstar must have been quite the burden to bear. But Charlotte set about reflecting her father’s best traits and becoming a valid superstar in her own right. In doing so, Charlotte has not only proved worthy to be following in her father’s footsteps, but in many ways has overtaken him, and Ric couldn’t be prouder.
The current WWE SmackDown women’s champion has held a world title in WWE on no less than eight occasions and much like her dad, “Slick Ric,” Charlotte is as adept at working the crowd as she is performing technically sound moves in the ring. Her aerial offence seems to defy gravity as she twists and turns through the air, toppling her foes with grace and poise.
This former gymnast, and Muscle & Fitness Hers cover star, has dreams of being part of the first ever all-female WrestleMania main event and the momentum certainly seems to be building amongst WWE fans for this to happen. When all is said and done, Charlotte Flair may not just be WWE’s greatest female, but WWE’s Greatest superstar.
