Paige, Charlotte and WWE Divas Power Rankings for the Week of December 9

WWE's build to two major events, both featuring high-profile Divas bouts, helped shape this week's power rankings.

Charlotte and Paige confronted each other on Miz TV, just days from their Divas Championship bout at Dec. 13's Tables, Ladders & Chairs 2015 pay-per-view. With the legendary Ric Flair backing up his daughter, she began exhibiting the same attitude and arrogance her father had throughout his Hall of Fame career.

Paige responded by slapping The Nature Boy, something she hopes to do (and more) to Charlotte come the December 13 WWE Network broadcast.

And then there is Becky Lynch, who has been experiencing great frustration with Charlotte, who is supposed to be her friend but has done anything but act like it of late.

Over at NXT, Bayley suddenly found herself on the receiving end of Nia Jax's attention and is set for what appears to be a showdown at TakeOver: London with the dangerously beautiful newcomer.

Asuka has a showdown with Emma at the same TakeOver show and reverted to using mind games to send a message to the Aussie.

With so much going on in the world of Divas action, including a rivalry between Team B.A.D. and Team Bella, who emerged at the top of this week's rankings? And who is in line to unseat them going forward?

Find the answers to your questions inside.

Criteria

Credit: WWE.com

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 throwaway matches 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 have lost 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, depending 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. Naomi

Last Week: N/A

Naomi has been the woman most adversely affected by the Divas Revolution that overtook the company this past summer. She was in the midst of the biggest push of her career at that point, the lead heel in the Divas division.

Almost overnight, she was shoved into the background, the backup for an infinitely more interesting Sasha Banks.

Since then, she has filled that role admirably, enjoying considerable success.

On the December 7 episode of Raw, she earned some spotlight of her own when she used her Rear View finisher to pick up a big tag team victory for her and Banks over Team Bella's Brie Bella and Alicia Fox.

It is unlikely that this is the start of any substantial push for Naomi, but for the time being the win was enough to warrant a jump into the top 10 for the first time in the short history of these rankings.

9. Asuka

Credit: WWE.com

Last Week: 8

International star Asuka has been absent from the squared circle for weeks, but that did not stop her from making a huge impact on the December 2 episode of NXT.

After Emma scored an impressive, one-sided victory over Liv Morgan, Asuka appeared on the video screen, furiously kicking a heavy bag before issuing a warning to her rival about their match at TakeOver: London.

Asuka is a rarity when it comes to Divas in that she has mastered the art of the performance, the importance of presence and facial expressions. Add to that her superb in-ring work, and you have someone who is the complete package.

She will be women's champion before the summer of 2016—mark this writer's words.

8. Eva Marie

Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press

Last Week: 6

The All Red Everything Diva has been conspicuous in her absence of late, which is interesting considering all the effort that went into her first women's title match against Bayley just a few weeks back.

Of course, Eva Marie has some sort of association with Nia Jax that has not been completely meshed to this point, though it would be of no real surprise if she makes her presence felt in the TakeOver: London match between Jax and Bayley, or if it was some grand scheme to acquire the title in a manner that would make "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase proud.

Whatever the case may be, Eva's story in NXT does not feel like it has reached its climax. In fact, with the storyline being that WWE management was trying desperately to ensure that she won the women's title, it is likely just beginning.

7. Emma

Last Week: 9

Just two weeks before a showdown with Asuka at TakeOver: London, Emma delivered a convincing and impressive victory over rookie Liv Morgan on the December 2 episode of NXT.

This was no typical squash, though.

Instead, Emma ruthlessly pummeled her opponent, cutting off any and all attempts at a comeback with stiff strikes. She finished her off with the Emma Lock, sending a message to her rival.

It was exactly the type of performance Emma needed ahead of her match with Asuka, as it allowed her to show that she can be the nasty, mean, tough Diva. 

She has essentially erased all preconceptions and memories of the bubbly young woman who became a cult favorite of the NXT Universe and could now find herself in title contention, if she can continue building momentum for herself in the coming weeks and months.

6. Nia Jax

Last Week: 7

The top contender to Bayley's NXT Women's Championship, Nia Jax continued to be a major threat to the gold on December 2, confronting the titleholder backstage and making her intentions perfectly clear.

Then she put Bayley through a door, demonstrating the strength and ferocity that has helped her become the most unstoppable force in the NXT Divas division.

Very real questions and concerns exist about her ability to deliver in a high-profile situation, especially considering her lack of experience. Still, the potential for a match based on story rather than actual ring work is strong.

Jax has been incredibly impressive to this point. She will only grow and develop as a worker as she has more opportunities to work with talented performers such as Bayley. 

5. Becky Lynch

Last Week: 5

Becky Lynch is in a strange predicament at this point.

She clearly has the support of WWE Creative and is gearing up for a feud of sorts with friend/rival Charlotte, but she has not been given that one major victory to really cement herself as a deserving contender to the Divas title.

The issues between her and her former Team PCB mate continued on the December 3 episode of SmackDown when she lost to Brie Bella by disqualification after Charlotte got involved.

Frustration mounted, and Lynch refused any sort of embrace or sign of friendship with the second-generation Diva, further suggesting that the blow-off match between them is on the horizon.

It is a development that Lynch has long deserved dating back to her arrival on the main roster and what quickly became an underwhelming presence on Raw and SmackDown, through no fault of her own. Now that she is garnering quality television time, she can remind fans that all the hype surrounding her growth in NXT and leap to the main roster was warranted.

4. Sasha Banks

Credit: WWE.com

Last Week: 4

Sasha Banks still has not received the attention she truly deserves from WWE Creative but continues to win on the main roster, thus earning herself a continued presence in the top five of the Divas Power Rankings.

Last week's episode of Main Event featured The Boss picking up an impressive submission victory over Alicia Fox, as Team B.A.D. and Team Bella's blossoming rivalry continued to take shape.

Days later, on the December 7 edition of Raw, she teamed with Naomi in a victory over Fox and Brie Bella, then participated in some twerking with WWE tag team champions The New Day.

Banks has certainly earned an opportunity to be involved in a more high-profile story and a shot at the Divas title, but with a logjam of talent at the top of the division and proof that WWE Creative clearly does not know which Diva it wants to run with as the face of the women's roster, perhaps it is best for Banks to hang back and wait patiently until the rocket scientists who write the shows figure out exactly what they are doing with the title picture.

3. Paige

Last Week: 3

One would not expect the top contender for the WWE Divas Championship to fall into the background, but here we are, just days away from TLC, and that is essentially what has happened to Paige.

The British-born Diva has become an afterthought as WWE Creative seemingly has shifted focus from her issues with Charlotte to the titleholder's ongoing drama with Becky Lynch, leaving Paige to compete in a high-profile pay-per-view bout without any real heat of her own.

Sure, she appeared on the December 7 episode of Raw and slapped the ever-loving hell out of Ric Flair, but that is hardly enough to get fans excited about her as a potential threat to Charlotte's mediocre title reign.

Easily the most over Diva on the main roster, one would think WWE Creative would be interested in pushing her more as a star, but unfortunately, the inconsistency of the booking team and a lack of focus has left her wallowing as the final pay-per-view extravaganza of 2015 arrives.

If something does not change, it would not be a surprise to see her drop out of the top three next week.

2. Charlotte

Last Week: 2

The current WWE Divas champion has not been what one would necessarily call a "fighting" champion, competing inside the squared circle somewhat irregularly of late. That has not stopped her from making enemies, sometimes even out of friends.

As her feud with Paige rages on, Charlotte has demonstrated new attitude characteristics that suggest the second-generation Diva will turn heel in the near future. It is those characteristics that have set her on a collision course with friend Becky Lynch.

After cheating to beat Lynch on the November 30 episode of Raw (covered last week), she interfered in the Irishwoman's match against Brie Bella on the December 3 SmackDown, getting her disqualified and infuriating her.

Even during the December 7 edition of Raw, in which she appeared on Miz TV, Charlotte seemed to be much louder and overbearing at times as she talked down to both the host of the show and her TLC opponent, Paige.

That father Ric Flair was right by her side, giving her advice as if he was the devil on her shoulder, only strengthened the notion of her possibly turning to the dark side.

No in-ring action, though, and a muddled mess of booking on the part of WWE Creative cost her a spot at the top of these rankings.

1. Bayley

Credit: WWE.com

Last Week: 1

With TakeOver: London on the horizon and an almost certain NXT Women's Championship defense against Nia Jax, Bayley retains her spot at No. 1 in this week's power rankings.

Though she did not compete and was on the receiving end of an assault at the hands of her top contender, she tops the list thanks to a lack of upward momentum by her two biggest challengers to the spot, Charlotte and Paige. 

That she is the best women's wrestler in the hottest brand in the sport right now only strengthens her case.

Bayley is as popular, if not more so, than any of her peers in these rankings and should receive a hero's welcome when she arrives in jolly ol' England for the live December 16 special.

She will need all the fan support she can get, too, as she battles the unstoppable force Jax for the right to hold on to the title she cherishes so much.