Paige, Natalya and WWE Diva Power Rankings for Week of November 11
In a week in which World Wrestling Entertainment was shaken to its core by the untimely injury suffered by Seth Rollins, the WWE Divas continued to roll as November 22's Survivor Series 2015 looms large.
With a Divas Championship match pitting titleholder Charlotte against Paige booked for the show, it was only logical that the WWE Universe would bear witness to the latest chapter in their intensifying rivalry. Unfortunately for "Lass Kicker" Becky Lynch, it would come at her expense.
Speaking of budding rivalries in the Divas division, Natalya would have a banner week for this year, picking up victories over two-thirds of Team B.A.D. Unfortunately for the third-generation competitor, she would also find herself on the receiving end of a beatdown, courtesy of "The Boss" Sasha Banks.
Down in NXT, Eva Marie returned with a dominant victory, while Asuka toyed with Cameron en route to a one-sided win.
Which of the aforementioned Divas made a giant leap up the rankings? Which ones were unfortunate enough to tumble down the list, landing hard and significantly lower than they would like?
Find out now with this week's Divas Power Rankings, which are based on wins and losses, the importance of storylines and the significance of matches.
10. Eva Marie
1 of 10
Last Month: N/A
After weeks spent filming in Paris for Total Divas, Eva Marie returned to the NXT Arena at Full Sail University and was greeted with the rabid and raucous chorus of boos she should have expected.
Her match with Gionna Daddio, who is no more experienced than the "All Red Everything" Diva, was hardly pretty, but it allowed Eva to pick up a victory as she looks to establish herself as a legitimate contender to Bayley's NXT Women's Championship.
There is still a lot of room for improvement when it comes to Eva's in-ring game, something that will certainly come along as she is allowed to work with significantly more experienced performers, but she has the mannerisms and crowd-interaction elements of her game down to a science.
She is easy to despise, but she has done a fantastic job of basking in the boos instead of allowing them to adversely affect her.
Will Eva Marie ever evolve into a halfway decent worker?
Who knows? For now, though, she earns her way into the rankings by way of a victory and what felt very much like the foreshadowing of a championship program with Bayley.
9. Nikki Bella
2 of 10
Last Week: 6
Nikki Bella's injuries and subsequent time off have led to her plummet down the rankings. This week, she drops three spots to No. 9, her nonexistent presence on WWE television adversely affecting her ability to maintain her spot on the countdown.
There is no denying that the moment The Fearless Diva makes her return to the squared circle, she will instantly be a factor in the Divas title picture, and with good reason. She is one of the premier stars in the division, has crossover appeal to the female members of the audience who appreciate reality television and has worked extremely hard to develop into a quality wrestler.
Will she win the gold back immediately?
Probably not, and that would be a good thing. After all, fans already debate whether she deserves the television time she gets (she does). The last thing WWE Creative needs to do is strap the title right back around her waist.
8. Alexa Bliss
3 of 10
Last Week: 10
The clear-cut top contender to Bayley's NXT Women's Championship, Alexa Bliss rebounded, moving up two spots this week on the back of a challenge she made to her lovable rival for a Six-Person Tag Team match.
As revealed in her pre-taped promo, Bliss revealed that she would be backed up by former tag champions Wesley Blake and Buddy Murphy, before challenging Bayley to find any two pathetic losers to team with her for the big mixed tag bout.
While it was not a win, Bliss' brief appearance on the November 4 episode of NXT was enough to earn her a jump of two spots in this week's rankings because it set up her first in-ring showdown with women's champion Bayley, whom she figures to challenge for the gold in the immediate future.
7. Asuka
4 of 10
Last Week: 9
Asuka returned to the squared circle this week, facing Cameron in one of the most mismatched bouts of the year.
One of the most talented stars in the industry, Asuka has shown flashes of brilliance, leaving some fans salivating at the idea of potential showdowns between the Japanese sensation and Bayley.
Mocking Cameron's former cohort, Naomi, she used a series of Rear Views to flatten her opponent, then locked in the Asuka Lock for the submission victory.
Easily the most talented in-ring worker in the company, Asuka has certainly managed to strike fear in the hearts of her opponents, all the while carrying them to the most interesting squash bouts in recent memory.
Eventually, she will move on to challenge for the NXT Women's Championship. When she does, fans will be privy to some of the most monumental clashes in brand history. More importantly, they will witness one of the finest and most dynamic stars in the industry unleash her talents on the biggest stage imaginable.
Much to the dismay of her opponents.
6. Sasha Banks
5 of 10
Last Week: 4
The lack of any actual in-ring work for Sasha Banks contributes to her disappointing fall from the top five this week.
That does not mean she was not a participant in important developments over the last seven days, though.
On the November 5 episode of SmackDown, seeds were planted for the demise of Team B.A.D., as Banks and peers Naomi and Tamina each argued over who the true leader of the trio is. The issues between the three competitors appeared to be short-lived, however.
Four days later on Raw, Banks took the lead, locking rival Natalya in the Bank Statement and humiliating her by forcing her to wear a pair of her shades.
It was a great way to further the rivalry with Natalya while teasing Banks' eventual split from Naomi and Tamina. After having one of the best years by any wrestler on the roster, she deserves to break out and bask in the spotlight, without her fellow teammates mooching her heat.
The budding rivalry with Natalya will do wonders for Banks from an in-ring perspective, giving The Boss the chance to showcase her skills for those main-roster fans who may be watching her for the first time by going up against one of the most talented technicians in women's wrestling.
5. Becky Lynch
6 of 10
Last Week: 7
A few weeks back, Becky Lynch was threatened with dropping out of the rankings, her status as Charlotte's lackey and as-needed backup severely hurting her ability to make any upward momentum for herself.
After a breakout performance in the No. 1 Contender match a week ago, she followed up with a pinfall victory over Paige on Raw. Best of all, she fought fire with fire, using a handful of tights to score the win just moments after The Anti-Diva attempted the same underhanded tactic.
Sure, she endured a PTO on the announce table after the match, but for the first time since the so-called "Diva Revolution" began over the summer, Lynch feels like a woman on a roll, poised to break out as 2016 approaches.
4. Natalya
7 of 10
Last Week: 5
The meteoric rise up the rankings continues for Natalya, who has not only found herself back in a meaningful feud but is facing a potential series of matches with Sasha Banks that will remind those who may have forgotten just how extraordinary a talent she is.
Last week on SmackDown, she benefited from in-fighting between Banks and Naomi to defeat a distracted Tamina.
Just a few days later, she scored a roll-up win over Naomi, only to be attacked and humiliated by Team B.A.D.
Though her Monday night may not have ended the way she had hoped, there is no denying that appearing as a victim of a beatdown that will ultimately further a rivalry is much preferred to sitting on the sidelines, watching the Divas Revolution pass her by.
3. Charlotte
8 of 10
Last Week: 2
The use of the Divas champion is puzzling, in that WWE Creative has seemingly forgotten all about Charlotte as it tells the story of her top contender, Paige.
At a time when her character should be undergoing development in an attempt to keep it from being too one-dimensional and repeatedly reminding fans of who her father is, she finds herself off television or rushing to the aid of Becky Lynch rather than making any real impact of her own.
That will likely change in the coming week as she prepares to defend the Divas title against the aforementioned Paige.
If not, there is no guarantee that the second-generation star will be able to hold on to her spot in the top five, something unheard of for the woman who is supposed to be the future of women's wrestling in Vince McMahon's company.
2. Bayley
9 of 10
Last Week: 2
Not only did Bayley respond to Alexa Bliss' challenge for a Six-Person Tag Team match on this week's episode of NXT by recruiting Mojo Rawley and Zack Ryder to back her up, but she also hit the road, representing the developmental brand during WWE's tour of Europe.
It was a major nod to her accomplishments and the connection she has with fans for Bayley to appear alongside the main-roster Divas as they traveled throughout the continent. Earning victories on the tour only enhanced her argument to remain in the same No. 2 spot she occupied last week.
Bliss should prove stiff competition for Bayley, especially given the lengths to which the former fitness model is sure to go to pick up a victory.
As she has done countless times throughout her career, though, expect to see Bayley persevere and possibly even vanquish Bliss, eliminating her from title contention.
1. Paige
10 of 10
Last Week: 1
The Anti-Diva retains the top spot in this week's rankings, despite suffering a tainted loss to Becky Lynch on Raw.
After having her shoulders pinned to the mat for a three-count, her tights grasped in the hand of her opponent, Paige attacked the Irish-born Diva and trapped her in the PTO while atop the announce table.
It was a display of the ruthless aggression and overall danger Paige brings to the table, attributes that will make her a very real threat to Charlotte and the Divas title come Survivor Series on November 22.
With so many other Divas enjoying productive weeks, it will be imperative that Paige remains strong heading into the upcoming pay-per-view—while simultaneously progressing her story with Charlotte—if she is to keep the top spot in this weekly countdown.
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