Paige, Eva Marie and WWE Diva Power Rankings for Week of November 25
The Divas Championship was at the center of an intense rivalry this week, culminating in a major title bout at Sunday's Survivor Series pay-per-view.
With the memory of her late brother Reid fueling her, Charlotte valiantly defended her championship against Paige. A victory, though, was but an anomaly, as Paige recovered long enough to leave her opponent punished and in a heap just 24 hours later on Raw.
Over on NXT, Bayley successfully retained the Women's Championship over Alexa Bliss but found herself the recipient of a challenge by the brand's most despised star, Eva Marie.
Becky Lynch and Sasha Banks returned to action, and Nia Jax continued her dominant ways in what was another eventful week for the female portion of WWE's expansive roster.
Where did your favorite Diva land on this week's rankings, compiled according to wins and overall importance of their contributions to programming?
Let's take a look.
10. Nia Jax
1 of 10
Last Week: 10
Nia Jax defeated Carmella on the November 18 episode of NXT in what was her biggest victory to date. To accomplish such a win, she had to overcome a series of hard forearms and even the guillotine submission hold.
But she did, putting the Princess of Staten Island down with a spine buster and a leg drop.
There was no further developments in the union between her and Eva Marie, though, which was somewhat curious considering the fiery redhead would make her intentions to challenge Bayley for the women's title on the November 25 episode.
Jax has been absolutely dominant and destructive to this point, squashing any and all competition. It will not be until she takes a major step up in competition, or officially enters title contention, that she moves up the rankings, though.
9. Asuka
2 of 10
Last Week: 8
Though she did not actually work a match, Asuka's name remained in the headlines courtesy of Emma and her dominant win over Mary Kate.
The Japanese-born Diva remains one of the most over workers on the NXT roster and will have the opportunity to wrestle her first real, competitive match at TakeOver: London, where she is almost certain to wrestle the Aussie in one-on-one action.
The submission-based offense of both women could, and should, result in a match that is completely different from those that NXT fans have witnessed in the past. With the dangerous, deadly Asuka Lock in her repertoire, the relative newcomer will be the clear favorite to leave the U.K. with another win under her belt.
8. Alexa Bliss
3 of 10
Last Week: 7
Alexa Bliss fell one spot this week, dropping to No. 8 after a loss to Bayley in her first women's title opportunity.
With that said, she turned in one of the finest performances of her young career, wrestling an incredibly smart match with the champion.
Showcasing a great understanding of in-ring psychology, not to mention the outstanding facial expressions and body language that are of the utmost importance when crafting a true star presence, Bliss was phenomenal.
Unfortunately, the arrival of Eva Marie after the match all but shoved her to the background in an instant. Where does this leave Bliss going forward?
That is a question that will be answered over time, but if it is anywhere other than right in the thick of things, it will be a major disappointment for a Diva who has shown flashes of greatness over the last month.
7. Eva Marie
4 of 10
Last Week: 9
Eva Marie makes a leap up the rankings this week, thanks to the official start of her push toward the NXT Women's Championship.
One week after defeating Gionna Daddio in a glorified squash, the star of Total Divas confronted Bayley and announced that her first opportunity to wrest the title away from the most popular woman in the sport would come on the November 25 episode of NXT.
She was, of course, greeted with a chorus of boos so loud that she could barely get her point across and will probably face the same hostility when she laces the boots and sets foot inside the squared circle for the biggest match of her career.
How she performs in that moment will determine whether she ever earns the respect of fans.
More importantly, it will decide her fate as an in-ring performer, for an awful showing will certainly affect how management sees her as a legitimate worker.
6. Natalya
5 of 10
Last Week: 4
Another week, and no Natalya, necessitating her drop from the No. 4 position last week to No. 6 this week.
Do not be surprised if her descent continues, as the Calgary native has done nothing of note recently. Now, it appears as though her feud with Team B.A.D. has been dropped, her position being given to Becky Lynch.
Where does that leave the third-generation Diva, who was in the process of reminding fans that she was one of the elite in-ring workers on the female roster?
Unfortunately, it could mean another stint of wallowing away in the undercard, her appearances on live event cards across the country and potential meaningless matches on Superstars and Main Event her only saving grace.
Natalya certainly deserves better, but she has been let down and done such a great disservice by WWE Creative on so many occasions that it is difficult to stay positive in regard to her on-screen status.
5. Becky Lynch
6 of 10
Last Week: 5
Becky Lynch returned to the squared circle Monday night on Raw after two weeks off, selling the vicious attack perpetrated on her by Paige. Her first test? Sasha Banks, who was accompanied by Team B.A.D. members Naomi and Tamina.
Unfortunately for the Irishwoman, she did not benefit from the presence of backup in the same way that her opponent did, and the numbers game proved too much, as she was rolled up and defeated in controversial fashion.
The most interesting element of that match was the fact that Lynch did not have the support of Charlotte. After months spent by the current Divas champion's side, watching her back in the battle of trios, she was essentially abandoned.
And this was not even the first time it happened.
Remember the aforementioned attack she suffered at the hands of Paige? Charlotte only arrived on the scene well after damage had been done, something that would not have occurred if Charlotte would have accompanied her to the squared circle.
While played up subtly, it should be interesting to see if WWE Creative addresses that, maybe even going as far as positioning The Lass Kicker as the next challenger to the top prize in women's wrestling.
4. Sasha Banks
7 of 10
Last Week: 6
The Boss has been the most criminally underused performer on the WWE roster since her call-up this past summer. Her inconsistent appearances and a lack of anything interesting to do have been incredibly disheartening for fans to watch, especially those who were lucky enough to watch as she established herself as one of the best wrestlers of 2015, regardless of gender.
Monday night, she returned to the squared circle and capitalized on interference from Tamina and Naomi to pick up another win, this one over familiar foe Becky Lynch.
Ideally, this would mean the start of a major push for Banks, who deserves the opportunity to show the main roster fans why she was the most hyped- and buzzed-about star in NXT throughout this year.
With so much inconsistency within the writing team, its focus shifting from one star to another on a fairly regular basis, it would not be a surprise at all to see them forget The Boss for another handful of weeks before suddenly remembering how awesome she is and booking her accordingly.
Or her and her fellow Team B.A.D. members could be on the precipice of a feud with Lynch that allows all involved to thrive.
Only time will tell.
3. Bayley
8 of 10
Last Week: 2
Despite a successful championship defense against Alexa Bliss, Bayley falls one spot to No. 3, the result of a high-profile pay-per-view match for the two women that eclipse her this week and nothing more.
The most popular women's wrestler on the planet, Bayley continued her incredible hot streak with another quality match, this time working with her lesser-experienced opponent to deliver a very cerebral match focused on the champion's arm and previously injured hand.
It was a smartly wrestled match in which psychology and storytelling trumped anything the two women did physically.
The ignition of Eva Marie's push after the match set Bayley on a collision course with the Total Divas star, but it is the redhead's new associate, the dominant Nia Jax, who poses the greatest threat to the huggable, lovable performer and her spot atop the NXT Divas roster.
Few can tout the sort of year Bayley has had, embracing the underdog role and turning in legitimate Match of the Year candidates against Sasha Banks at two straight TakeOver specials. Tasked with being the face of the division, and carrying it on her back while her peers continue to develop and grow, she has been under tremendous pressure and, to this point, has succeeded.
2. Charlotte
9 of 10
Last Week: 3
Survivor Series was the setting of one of the most emotionally charged Divas title matches in recent history, as Charlotte defended her title against Paige.
Prior to the match, the Genetically Superior Diva scored a decisive win over Brie Bella on SmackDown and appeared on her way to destroying her rival and establishing herself as the champion the division deserves.
Then came the Survivor Series debacle, a title bout that lacked the intensity and ferocity necessary to tell the story WWE Creative was trying to. The crowd was quiet, picking up only when Paige unleashed with her "this is my house" line, proving the fans are far more invested in her persona than the one-dimensional Charlotte.
Sure, she won the match, but one night later on Raw, Charlotte had that win called into question by Paige, who was quick to point out that the Divas champion's arm was under the rope when she scored the win.
Moments later, they met in a rematch, and Paige once again overshadowed Charlotte, complete with a post-match beatdown that culminated with the PTO on the announce table.
Charlotte should be No. 1 in these rankings on the heels of two signature wins. Unfortunately, WWE Creative's reluctance to push her as anything but Ric Flair's daughter, while simultaneously giving Paige much meatier material to work with, has doomed her to the runner-up position yet again.
1. Paige
10 of 10
Last Week: 1
The Anti-Diva makes it three weeks in a row at the top spot, thanks to another fantastic week of heel promos and despicable actions.
The only saving grace of a Survivor Series match that completely misjudged what fans wanted and proved the disconnect between WWE Creative and the audience, Paige appeared to be hellbent on generating a reaction as she stood atop the guard rail, letting out one of her catchphrases and seemingly basking in the applause of the fans.
Though she lost, she wasted little time getting back over with the audience Monday night, as she brutalized Charlotte and trapped her in the PTO on the announce table.
It was yet another display of villainy but one that sold her as a true alternative to the otherwise one-dimensional Divas on the main roster, thus generating cheers.
A second-generation performer who understands what it means to be a heel and has demonstrated a whole boatload of natural charisma while doing so, she has been the star of women's wrestling in WWE for the last two months, completely overshadowing anyone the company has attempted to push ahead of her.
While the focus has been on building Charlotte into a credible champion, WWE Creative seems intent on letting Paige demonstrate her evil awesomeness and establishing that the Divas division is, in fact, her house.
.jpg?w=600 "WWE Raw Results & Grades 🔠")
