Author: Ian Henson
Wrestlemania has not always been great for the women of the WWE. From bra and panties matches, to an endless array of lumberjill matches – or simply being left off the card entirely, the women’s division hasn’t always been given the respect it deserved. However, that isn’t to say there have not been some memorable moments or great matches. The past may not have been great for the women’s division, but as the times change – the future isn’t as bleak as it once was.
Let’s take a look back at 10 of the more memorable moments from the grandest stage of them all:
10. HHH & Stephanie McMahon v Kurt Angle & Ronda Rousey (WM 2018)
Having previously teased Rousey’s working with WWE before, this was the first time we got to see Ronda in a WWE match, and what better time than the ‘grandest stage of them all’? The match won’t be considered a ‘classic’ by any means, but hearing the roar of the crowd when Rousey not only beats on HHH but finally gets her hands on Stephanie is worth your time watching this match.
Match highlight – Stephanie thinking she can stand up to Ronda is played to perfection. Say what you will about Stephanie, but she can sell the mood of a match with her facial expressions alone.
Honourable mention – The Radicalz v Too Cool & Chyna (WM 2000)
09. Molly Holly v Victoria : Hair v Women’s Championship match (WM 2004)
2004 was an odd time for the women’s division. Trish Stratus and Lita were both off in non-title angles and this left an open space for some of the other women to get a chance to shine. Molly Holly has stated in the past that she sold the idea of this match to Vince in order to have the women get a match on the card. The match itself is a decent outing for both Victoria and Molly, but the real ‘Wrestlemania moment’ here is seeing the expertly played heel Molly actually getting her head shaved. To this day Molly does not get enough credit for doing all she could to have women’s wrestling represented at WM.
Match highlight – a solid wrestling bout (which is to be expected with the competitors) but seeing an angry and writhing Molly fighting whilst her head is shaved? Brilliant.
Honourable mention – Paige & AJ Lee v The Bella Twins (WM 2015)
08. The Iiconics v Beth Phoenix & Natalya v Nia Jax & Tamina v Sasha & Bayley: Women’s Tag Team Titles (WM 2019)
Having been re-introduced the year before, the women’s tag titles were given ample time to shine at this Wrestlemania in a fun match that saw the Iconics rightfully claim the gold. This match was a good way to use a lot of women in one go, but rather than one of the dreaded ‘lumberjill’ matches of yesteryear, the WWE rightfully used an array of established teams. Following the usual ‘lots of people in the ring so let’s chuck ’em out a lot’ method of keeping the action fresh, this match saw each team get a moment to shine and was never too busy to enjoy.
Match highlight – After a devastating top rope ‘Glam Slam’, Peyton Royce throwing Beth out for Billie to get the pin is a great moment. The crowd were heavily invested and gave the match love throughout.
Honourable mention – Trish Stratus v Jazz v Victoria: Women’s Championship match (WM 2003)
07. Asuka v Charlotte Flair: Smackdown Women’s Championship (WM 2018)
Heading into Wrestlemania, Asuka had not only won the first ever women’s 30 woman Royal Rumble, but was also on an epic undefeated streak. Whilst this streak was always going to end, having Asuka take the loss here felt unnecessary. That said, regardless of personal feelings, the match is great. Asuka sells for Charlotte very well and Charlotte mostly keeps up with the superior Asuka throughout.
Match highlight – Seeing Asuka finally lose the streak is bittersweet but if it’s going to happen then Wrestlemania is the perfect time.
Honourable mention – Trish Stratus v Lita v Jazz: Women’s Championship (WM 2002)
06. Asuka v Rhea Ripley: Raw Women’s Championship (WM 2021 night 02)
As with most of the women’s matches at recent Wrestlemanias, the build for this match was not stellar. However, Rhea had something to prove after losing to Charlotte the year before, and she more than proved her worth here. It’s a hard hitting match with neither woman holding back at all. For each hard hit Asuka dealt, Rhea was right there with a move of her own. The match had some great spots and some genuine near misses. The crowd started so-so but as the match went on the crowd got more invested. Rhea picks up the win and finally gets her ‘mania moment’ it’s just a shame it wasn’t the year before.
Match highlight – Rhea hitting her finisher essentially out of nowhere was a genuine shock, and her getting the 3-count after it was good stuff.
Honourable mention – Shayna Bazsler & Nia Jax v Natalya & Tamina: Women’s Tag Team TItles (WM 2021 night 02)
05. Bayley v Nia Jax V Charlotte Flair v Sasha Banks: Raw Women’s Championship – (WM 2017)
Another Wrestlemania wherein we were stopped from seeing the ‘Four Horsewomen’ square off, but by no means a bad match. Nia Jax is the odd one out here, but her solid heel work helps establish her place in this match. Bayley, Charlotte, and Sasha teaming up to eliminate Nia first is a good touch as it added an ‘anyone could win this’ momentum to the match by removing the biggest threat. The action is solid with each woman getting a moment to shine. There are respectful ‘women’s wrestling’ chants throughout and the crowd were hot for the whole match. When Sasha is eliminated there’s an audible sigh of shock from the crowd and it really adds to the match. Bayley going on to win was a big surprise, as the elimination of both Nia and Sasha seemed to indicate Charlotte was getting another notch in her impressive career.
Match highlight – Sasha and Bayley delivering a double-team back drop after Charlotte kicked Nia in the head was an excellent visual, and showed that even when at odds, the ‘four horsewomen’ can still play the game.
Honourable mention – Alexa Bliss v Nia Jax: Raw Women’s Championship (WM 2018)
04. Trish Stratus v Mickie James: WWE Women’s Championship (WM 2006)
Heading into Wrestlemania 2006, the build for Mickie v Trish had reached nuclear levels of excitement. For months we’d seen the ‘ultimate fan’ Mickie James slowly twist and turn into Trish’s worst enemy. Having had great matches a few months prior at events such as ‘New Year’s Revolution’, expectations for a classic were high. For the most part the match is solid, but it’s Mickie’s expert body language and facial expressions which sell the story here. Watching it the crowd were fully in to Mickie and the ever popular Trish Stratus was treated like the heel. The match is hard hitting and the right person stands victorious at the end.
Match highlight – After Mickie drops Trish’s leg over the ropes and Mickie lands outside, screams at the crowd and crawls back to the ring to pin an injured Trish is excellent story telling by the always reliable Mickie James.
Honourable mention – Ivory v Chyna (WM 2001)
03. Becky Lynch v Sasha Banks v Charlotte Flair: WWE Women’s championship (WM 2016)
This match has significance in that it showed the WWE’s (somewhat short lived) respect for the women. Out was the infamously bad ‘Divas championship’ and in was a title belt that was not designed in a way to be overtly feminine, and on par with the men’s titles. The build going into this match is solid and even though it was always a given that Charlotte was taking the gold, the match is no less for it. Again, this is a time in which we’re robbed of a bout between the ‘Four Horsewomen’, and adding Bayley could’ve really taken this match to the next level. That all said, this is by no means a poor match. All the competitors bought their A-game and each got a moment to shine. Sasha’s slight botch with her dive is covered by Charlotte well enough that it worked and the crowd are extremely invested throughout. It could be argued the wrong woman took the win, but it’s not like all the women at this point in the match didn’t have a good track record with success. Again, another match that had ‘women’s wrestling’ chants.
Match highlight – Even though it looks a little too staged, Charlotte’s spinning moonsault from the top rope to the outside is a sight to behold.
Honourable mention – Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross v The Kabuki Warriors: Women’s Tag Team Titles (WM 2020 night 01)
02. Bianca Belair v Sasha Banks: Smackdown Women’s Championship (WM 2021 night 01)
After Becky, Charlotte and Ronda had the main event match of 2020. Many believed that without the large pull of someone like Rousey, we’d never see the women main event again. Boy were they wrong! This match is extremely groundbreaking for a few reasons, but the most notable is having two women of colour main event Wrestlemania. On a card that also saw the likes of Seth Rollins, AJ Styles and Drew McIntyre, the women’s match still headlined.
Whilst the build was a bit lacklustre, the match was far from it. Both Sasha and Bianca gave it their all and the crowd were heavily invested. Big move after big move, and big spot after big spot, the match ran smoothly and was booked to near perfection. Sasha matched Bianca’s strength with her cunning and Bianca matched her cunning with her agility. It was a good back-and-forth match that could’ve gone either way. This was a match wherein there was arguably no clear winner and either competitor winning would’ve been a good result, but seeing Bianca truly establish herself as someone putting the EST in Wrestlemania was great. Added bonus to seeing how genuinely happy Sasha was for Bianca, even on the sly.
Match highlight – Sasha pulling off the DDT she also used in her appearance on The Mandalorian was a great spot.
Honourable mention – Trish Stratus v Lita v Jazz: Women’s Championship (WM 2002)
01. Becky Lynch v Charlotte Flair v Ronda Rousey: Raw and Smackdown Women’s Championship winner takes all
This gets the top spot for the simple fact of these three women making history; a history no one ever thought we’d see. In the years before this, even at their peaks, women such as Trish Stratus, Lita, and Chyna were still held back by booking/ management and never given the same opportunities the women of today have. So when the time came, Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, and Ronda Rousey stepped up and shattered the glass ceiling.
The build to this match is excellent. Becky v Ronda was teased a lot, and whilst Nia Jax’s concrete right fist stopped us from getting that match, in hindsight this was a great move. In just over a year, Becky Lynch had gone from a successful superstar to ‘The Man’. Through consistent ring work, great mic work, and a Twitter feed that was pure fire, Becky got the fans on her side like no other woman had before. Mix this with an unstoppable Ronda Rousey and the match was set. However, WWE saw fit to add Charlotte Flair to the mix. This was met with criticism early on but, as she often does, Charlotte more than rose to the occasion.
The match itself is decent, it’s not a solid wrestling bout and does suffer from noticeable botches, but a hot crowd helped hide a lot of the shortcomings. To everyone’s surprise Becky Lynch picked up the win here by pinning Ronda, albeit controversially so. Seeing Becky do the unthinkable – pin Ronda, take both titles, and be the first ever woman to win a Wrestlemania main event, is still quite the sight to behold and will firmly establish her as an icon in the industry.
Match highlight – the spot wherein Ronda has Charlotte in an upside armbar draped over the ropes, then having Becky do a running dropkick to break it up is a true ‘holy shit’ moment. Ronda drops on the outside in a rough looking spot. It added a lot to the legitimacy of this bout.
Honourable mention – Sasha Banks v Naomi v Lacey Evans v Tamina v Bayley: Smackdown Women’s Championship (WM 2020 night 02)
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Photo Credit: WWE