Women's 100
ON APRIL 7, 2019, the biggest wrestling event of the year was headlined by three women: Ronda Rousey, Becky Lynch, and Charlotte Flair. It was, in many ways, the culmination of the “women’s revolution” that unofficially began in July 2015 when Stephanie McMahon—acknowledging the “Give Divas A Chance” movement on social media—announced the start of a new era for women in WWE.
The three-minute “bathroom break” matches were gone. The “bra and panties” catfights of the Attitude Era were made relics of a bygone era. WWE was getting behind women as bona fide attractions and giving them the opportunity to take center stage … and ultimately the main event of WrestleMania.
But the so-called women’s revolution (or evolution, as it would become known) was really just WWE finally catching up with the times. In promotions like SHIMMER, STARDOM, and SHINE, women were already putting up incredible matches, showcasing athleticism over sex appeal. TNA’s Knockouts division was routinely drawing higher TV ratings than its men’s matches. In reality, the women’s movement in wrestling was underway long before WWE joined the party.
In 2008, in recognition of the rising popularity of women’s wrestling, PWI established the “Female 50” Last year, we expanded it to the “Women’s 100” and opened the ranking up to include international competitors instead of focusing exclusively on the U.S. and Canada, as we had in years past.
The PWI “Women’s 100” is the most comprehensive evaluation of the state of women’s wrestling ever undertaken by a national publication.
Our rankings are based primarily on each wrestler’s performance from October 1, 2018, through September 30, 2019, though we do reference some events that occurred outside of that timeframe to provide historical context.
Like the “PWI 500,” this list is ranked based on the following criteria:
•CHAMPIONSHIPS WON
•QUALITY OF OPPOSITION
•TECHNICAL PROFICIENCY
•WON-LOSS RECORDS
•OVERALL ACTIVITY
•MOMENTUM/PROMOTIONAL “PUSH”
(Note: The parenthetical information alongside each name represents the wrestler’s height, weight, years pro, and last year’s ranking, if applicable.)
Becky Lynch was the easy choice as number one. Not only did “The Man” come out of Wrestle-Mania as “Becky Two Belts,” but she has been arguably WWE’s overall most popular (and successful) star over the past 12 months.
Ronda Rousey at number three might be considered a bit controversial, but Rousey has not officially retired, was sufficiently active during the evaluation period, and only had one controversial loss (at WrestleMania). There are many familiar names missing from the list, something we didn’t foresee happening when we doubled its size. That in and of itself should tell you something about the state of women’s wrestling as we finish off the decade.
1. BECKY LYNCH
(5’6”, 135, 17, 11)
Last year, Lynch didn’t break our Top 10. This year, she left no question that she was the only choice for number one … It was a remarkable year for “The Man,” highlighted by headlining WrestleMania 35 and pinning Ronda Rousey to win the Raw and Smackdown Women’s championships … “Becky Two Belts” was a dual champion for a little more than a month until Charlotte Flair defeated her for the Smackdown title at Money in the Bank, thanks to interference from Lacey Evans … Entered WrestleMania as WWE’s hottest commodity, but has lost a bit of momentum in recent months after a series of matches against Evans that dragged through the summer.
2. CHARLOTTE FLAIR
(5’11”, 143, 7, 3)
“The Queen” has already captured a combined nine WWE women’s titles (including Raw, Smackdown, and Divas) since joining the main roster in 2015, making her the most decorated female in WWE history … Entered the main event of Wrestle-Mania 35 (by helicopter, no less!) as the reigning Smackdown champion … Has scored multiple wins over Becky Lynch in the past, including at Money in the Bank, where she beat “The Man” to win her fourth Smackdown title … Lost the belt to Bayley that same night … Earned major bragging rights by beating Trish Stratus in a featured match at SummerSlam.
3. RONDA ROUSEY
(5’7”, 135, 2, 1)
“Rowdy Ronda” hasn’t been seen in a wrestling ring since her loss at WrestleMania 35, and while her wrestling future is uncertain, she has not retired and still qualifies for inclusion … Went undefeated in 69 matches from April 2018 through April 2019, scoring wins over Nia Jax, Sasha Banks, Nikki Bella, Alexa Bliss, and Ruby Riott, among others … Former UFC star made a seamless transition into wrestling and was arguably pro wrestling’s biggest star of the past year … A comeback—possibly with her Four Horsewomen crew—would send shockwaves through all of women’s wrestling.
4. SHAYNA BASZLER
(5’7”, 136, 4, 6)
Former UFC fighter has been NXT’s most dominant woman for the past year and is the first two-time champion in NXT history … Defeated Ember Moon for the title in April 2018 and held the championship for four months until dropping it to Kairi Sane … Defeated Sane by referee stoppage to regain the title at Evolution 2018 … Has grown increasingly reliant on outside interference from former MMA allies Marina Shafir and Jessamyn Duke … Perhaps the most versatile submission artist in wrestling today, male or female … Scored a major win over Io Shirai at TakeOver 25.
5. TESSA BLANCHARD
(5’5”, 126, 5, 15)
Third-generation competitor has been on a quest for gold this year, winning the Women of Wrestling title, the Impact Wrestling Knockouts title, and the AAA Reina de Reinas title … She also held the Phoenix of RISE and WSU championships during the evaluation period … Lost the Phoenix of RISE title to Mercedes Martinez in a 75-minute Iron Woman match in October 2018, believed to be the longest women’s match ever … Defeated Gail Kim at Impact Rebellion in April in what many saw as a “passing of the torch” moment … Lost to Sami Callihan in a historic intergender
