Becky Lynch, Bayley and WWE Diva Power Rankings for Week of December 2
Between championship bouts, corporate conspiracies, the arrival of new top contenders, the intensification of a rivalry, tension between friends and the continued greatness of one of 2015's finest wrestlers, it has been a busy week for women's wrestling in WWE.
Divas champion Charlotte began exhibiting traits similar to the ones that earned Ric Flair the nickname of "The Dirtiest Player in the Game," much to the dismay of best friend Becky Lynch, who suffered for it.
Meanwhile, the seeds were planted for a feud between Team B.A.D. and the remnants of Team Bella, courtesy of Sasha Banks' victory over Brie Bella and what appeared to be the mocking of Nikki.
NXT women's champion Bayley overcame crooked officiating and an apparent fix by WWE management to defeat Eva Marie but was quickly put down by Nia Jax, who made it clear her focus is on the title.
And who could forget Emma and Dana Brooke conspiring to leave Asuka lying for the first time in her NXT stint?
At a time when WWE Creative is in a rut and the quality of the company's product has lacked severely as a result, the women on WWE and NXT have somehow thrived, earning as much exposure as they ever have.
Who managed to translate their activities over the last week into a jump up the rankings? Which Divas plummeted?
Take a look for yourself.
Criteria
1 of 11
The Diva Power Rankings are compiled based on a few factors.
Wins and losses are certainly taken into account, as they are in almost all power rankings, but they are hardly the only thing considered.
Also of great importance is the quality of the Divas' appearances on television. If they work a throwaway match of little meaning or reason, it will affect whether they advance up the ranks, stay neutral or fall. For example, winning an irrelevant match will not help a Diva jump one of her peers who may lose a high-profile title bout.
Booking also plays a small role in the compilation of the list. If someone who should be booked strongly is made to look significantly weak, it could result in her falling a spot or two based on the strength of the field.
And finally, in extreme cases in which one's placement is not immediately obvious, main roster versus NXT will be taken into account, almost assuredly leading to those on the main roster earning the nod.
10. Alexa Bliss
2 of 11
Last Week: 8
Alexa Bliss fell two spots this week, as she was overshadowed by everything else going on in the NXT Divas division around her and was left off the last two weeks' worth of television as a result.
It is disappointing for anyone who has tracked her career in NXT thus far. Once a green rookie out of the fitness modeling world, she just recently wrestled a quality match against Bayley for the NXT Women's Championship but was sadly tossed aside immediately in favor of Eva Marie and Nia Jax.
Where that leaves her going forward is a mystery, especially since her charges Wesley Blake and Buddy Murphy do not get the screen time they used to either.
Bliss was making great strides, both as a wrestler and an on-screen persona.
Unfortunately, she is trending downward in these rankings.
9. Emma
3 of 11
Last Week: N/A
For weeks, Emma asserted that she was not afraid of Asuka, who essentially punked her out the first time they came face-to-face at TakeOver: Respect.
Last Wednesday, she and Dana Brooke took the offensive.
Brooke distracted the Japanese star, and Emma attacked from behind, locking in the Emma Lock and leaving her rival writhing in pain.
It was a big step for Emma, who desperately needed something to convince fans that she is more than just fodder for Asuka when they finally do lock up, presumably at TakeOver: London on December 16.
From her submission assault on Asuka to the serious facial expressions she flashed after the beatdown, Emma turned in a strong performance that should set her up nicely for the biggest match she has wrestled since her women's title bout against Paige in February 2014.
8. Asuka
4 of 11
Last Week: 9
Asuka is not used to suffering a beatdown, but that is exactly what happened last Wednesday when a scheduled match against Dana Brooke devolved into a sneak attack at the hands of Emma and a crushing submission assault.
The international star had previously intimidated Dana and Emma with her facial expressions and body language but quickly found out just how dangerous the numbers disadvantage can be.
TakeOver: London should be home to a high-profile match between Asuka and Emma, who will provide her with her toughest battle to date.
A victory over the Aussie would almost certainly catapult Asuka into championship contention.
7. Nia Jax
5 of 11
Last Week: 10
The on-screen pairing between Nia Jax and Eva Marie could well have spelled the demise of Bayley's NXT Women's Championship reign. Jax, cousin of The Rock, repeatedly interfered in the NXT women's title match between Bayley and Eva but ultimately was knocked off the apron and to the arena floor, where she watched as Bayley suplexed her associate from the top rope and dashed Eva Marie's title aspirations.
But Jax wasted little time inserting herself into the title picture, attacking Bayley after the bell and leaving her lying following a big leg drop. Jax held the title, seemingly announcing her intentions to chase it as the broadcast went off the air.
Jax is still green and inexperienced, but she has great presence and a relationship with Eva Marie that will certainly earn her heat with the audience. Those two elements, combined with the love that fans have for Bayley, could make the ensuing feud quality television.
6. Eva Marie
6 of 11
Last Week: 7
Eva Marie had her first opportunity to wrestling a high-profile main event in NXT on the November 25 episode of the show, and she did not disappoint.
With enough booking to help mask her weaknesses, she did exactly what she had to in order to ensure the quality of the match, while the intense disdain that fans had for her led to a dramatic contest.
The fix was clearly in, and Eva almost benefited, as the star of Total Divas nearly earned the championship status most fans have long suspected management to want for her.
But in the end, she endured a huge Bayley-to-Belly suplex from the top rope and lost the match.
Now with Nia Jax eyeing the title, Eva has the opportunity to use her monstrous new associate to get closer to the title than ever before. The question remains, will Jax be so quick to hand over the gold if she can defeat Bayley, or will Eva Marie have to face a bigger, nastier and more dangerous problem going forward?
5. Becky Lynch
7 of 11
Last Week: 5
From a wins-and-losses standpoint, Becky Lynch's week has been wildly disappointing. First, she lost to Paige on SmackDown, with a rollup dooming her to defeat. Days later, as she excitedly squared off with friend Charlotte, with the legendary Ric Flair watching from ringside, she fell victim to the deceit and trickery that only the Dirtiest Player in the Game could appreciate.
In the process, the once-strong bond between Lynch and Charlotte was weakened significantly.
So how did Lynch lose two matches yet maintain her spot in these rankings from last week?
She suddenly found herself in the heart of the premier Divas story on the main roster.
Lynch has been one of the most misused and mishandled performers on the roster since being called up from NXT. To be thrown into the mix as a pawn in the rivalry between Paige and Charlotte allows Lynch to enjoy the spotlight she should have basked in from day one on the main roster.
The story establishes Lynch as the only true babyface who is competing regularly on Raw and SmackDown. She is the white light in a muddled mess of shades of gray.
That will benefit her going forward, leading to the biggest push of her young WWE career.
4. Sasha Banks
8 of 11
Last Week: 4
Away from the Divas Championship scene, Sasha Banks continues to win regardless, scoring a huge submission win over Brie Bella with her Bank Statement submission hold.
In the process, she appears to have started a war with Team Bella.
Banks mocked former Divas champion Nikki's entrance as she arrived in the arena for her match. Knowing the Bella Twins as the WWE Universe does, the likelihood that the sign of disrespect goes unnoticed is low.
While the feud will tide Banks over for the time being, she really should be competing in the title hunt.
One of the best wrestlers of 2015, she has been wasted in her current role. Only when she is allowed to break free and be The Boss that everyone knows and loves will she make the jump into the top three of these rankings.
3. Paige
9 of 11
Last Week: 1
The November 26 episode of SmackDown gave Paige plenty to be thankful for as she scored a rollup win over Becky Lynch, maintaining momentum as she targets Charlotte and the WWE Divas Championship.
Perhaps her greatest achievement, though, has been planting the seeds of doubt in the mind of Lynch, who is beginning to see Charlotte for what she is: a selfish champion who cares only about herself and retaining the Divas title.
Paige watched from ringside on Monday's Raw as Charlotte deceived her way to victory and appeared to be both amused and satisfied by what she saw.
The recent developments for WWE's Anti-Diva have been quite interesting, but if Creative is not careful, it will wind up turning her babyface once again, especially considering the audience's appreciation for her and apathy for Charlotte.
Paige has been the master manipulator to this point, and that should continue as the relationship between Charlotte and Lynch crumbles—leaving Paige to pick up the pieces and, perhaps, the Divas Championship.
2. Charlotte
10 of 11
Last Week: 2
The November 30 episode of Raw was an interesting one for Charlotte, who was accompanied to the squared circle by her father Ric Flair for a match with friend Becky Lynch. Just as the legendary Nature Boy had done countless times before, Charlotte used underhanded tactics to secure the win while simultaneously driving a wedge between the remnants of Team PCB.
The latest twist in the saga of Charlotte is intriguing because it appears to be an admission of sorts that the second-generation Diva is not quite getting over as a babyface to the extent that WWE Creative had hoped. Thus, the steps are being taken to turn her, leaving Lynch to carry the mantle for babyface Divas.
It would not be a bad move. Charlotte has the pure athleticism and is a strong worker, but she is not relatable as a babyface in the slightest. She is the entitled daughter of Flair and got over as such in NXT.
Going back to that character and really playing up the connection to her father may be the best play WWE Creative can make in regard to the Divas champion.
1. Bayley
11 of 11
Last Week: 3
The fix was in on the November 25 episode of NXT.
Bayley was the unfortunate champion forced to overcome the insistence by WWE management that Eva Marie leave Full Sail University as the NXT women's champion. To do so, she thwarted attempts by senior official Charles Robinson to fast-count her shoulders to the mat, as well as interference from Nia Jax.
In the end, she delivered a Bayley-to-Belly suplex from the top rope to put the All Red Everything Diva down and retain her title. Of course, she was assaulted right after the match, as Nia Jax left her prone following a big leg drop, which sets up her next title program.
Bayley became the first Diva to successfully retain the women's title in consecutive main events. More importantly, she continued to establish herself as the most beloved character in wrestling. The connection she has with the fans fuels the passionate responses to every near-fall that occurred in her bout with the hated Eva Marie.
There was a time when fans denounced the idea that Bayley was being left behind by her fellow Four Horsewomen, but upon further review, it has allowed her to become one of the biggest stars in NXT, regardless of gender, and has intensified the love and admiration that fans of all ages have for her.
As a female character whom kids can look up to and believe in, she is the John Cena of NXT...with a much more expanded move set and an awesome headband.
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