Becky Lynch, Charlotte and WWE Diva Power Rankings for Week of December 30

The year 2015 was a banner one for women's wrestling in WWE.

First, NXT revolutionized the sport, putting talent like Charlotte, Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch and Bayley in position to not only shine bright in the spotlight, but also headline major WWE Network productions. In the process, fans fell in love with their characters and stories and proved they were as willing to support those women as they were any of their male counterparts.

Eager to cash in on the success of the NXT crew, Vince McMahon jumped at the opportunity to call Charlotte, Banks and Lynch up to the main roster over the summer, introducing the WWE Universe to his manufactured Divas Revolution.

While the performers themselves proved to be over, the handling of the talent and the lackluster stories that awaited them proved troublesome, and the so-called "revolution" fizzled.

As 2016 approaches, though, fans are still treated to extended matches featuring the women of WWE on Raw and SmackDown while NXT continues to churn out phenomenal wrestling and storytelling on a weekly basis.

WWE laid the groundwork over the last 12 months for a product in which the value of female wrestlers is equal to that of male wrestlers, where fans are not ashamed to admit their favorite wrestler is Bayley, not Roman Reigns or John Cena.

Considering where the sport was just five short years ago, it is phenomenal to even think such a thing.

With the new year upon us, take one last stroll through 2015 with this week's WWE Diva Power Rankings and a recap of the year that was for the women lucky enough to make the list.

Criteria

Credit: WWE.com

This is not a cumulative "Best of 2015" list.

The Diva power rankings are compiled based on a few factors.

We take into account wins and losses, as almost all power rankings do, 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.

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.

Though this week's rankings will feature a year in review for each Diva, all are still ranked based on what they have done as of late.  

10. Nikki Bella

Last Week: 10

The 2015 Slammy Award winner for Diva of the Year absolutely earned that honor, becoming the longest-reigning Divas champion in WWE history this past year.

A constantly improving, always evolving in-ring worker who did not get nearly the respect she deserved for what she accomplished between the ropes, Bella's improvement was on full display as she wrestled a very good series of matches against Paige early in the year and then rekindled the rivalry over the summer months.

Bella would drop the title in September, marking the first time in 2015 that she did not hold the championship.

A neck injury brought her year to a premature end, forcing her from competition and to the sidelines.

As 2016 dawns, the Fearless Diva's career is still in limbo. She has not returned to the squared circle, and her Slammy appearance looks to have been a one-off. Where that leaves her going forward remains a mystery, but one would assume that, if she is physically capable, Bella will return in time for WrestleMania. 

9. Naomi

Last Week: 9

For years, Naomi was underrated and undervalued by WWE, left to dance as one of the Funkadactyls who accompanied Brodus Clay to the ring week in and week out. 

2015 brought with it the opportunity for the dynamic Diva to break out, to finally be taken seriously as a wrestler. And she did that by turning heel and turning her natural charisma all the way up to 10.

The lead heel in the Divas division prior to the genesis of the revolution that would encompass women's wrestling on Raw and SmackDown in the summer, she made enemies of Nikki Bella and Paige, all the while chasing the Divas Championship that had eluded her for so long.

She never did manage to win the title, but she did become a relevant member of Team B.A.D. and is currently engaged in a rivalry with Charlotte and Becky Lynch that has netted the former Total Divas star with her most television time since her initial heel push.

8. Emma

Last Week: 8

The disappointment Emma must have felt when she rode a wave of momentum into the main roster only to be tossed aside and treated as a joke—her aspiration of winning championships and starring as an internationally recognized Diva squashed from the get-go—is unfathomable.

Rather than letting it define her, she worked hard to get into the best shape of her career, return to NXT, undergo a complete character makeover and set out to prove to management why she is one of the most talented wrestlers in the world.

As one-half of NXT's resident mean girls alongside Dana Brooke, Emma found herself feuding with Asuka as the year winded down. At TakeOver: London, the two Divas worked a fantastic match that put the Aussie-born competitor's skills on display for everyone to see.

She lost the match, but so strong was her performance that it would not be a shock to see her wearing NXT Women's Championship gold by the time 2016 wraps up.    

7. Nia Jax

Last Week: 7

Nia Jax exploded onto the scene in 2015 and wasted little time making a name for herself as the most imposing Diva on the NXT roster.

Just weeks into her run with the brand, she made it abundantly clear she would be challenging for the women's championship. At TakeOver: London in front of a pro-Bayley crowd, Jax did just that, working a match that was reminiscent of the clashes between Vader and Sting in early-'90s WCW. 

Despite her relative inexperience, Jax was fantastic, filling her role to perfection and showing the flashes of brilliance that will help her become one of the driving forces behind the NXT women's division in 2016.

The future is bright for the rookie, who will be carrying gold sooner rather than later—with or without associate Eva Marie by her side.

6. Paige

Last Week: 6

There are few performers in all of WWE who have been booked with such wild inconsistency as Paige.

Was she a babyface or a heel? What was her motivation for turning? Is she an elite Diva or an extra in the Nikki Bella and Charlotte shows? 

These are all questions left unanswered by WWE Creative in 2015, as the British-born wrestler straddled the line between good and evil, all the while showing great ferocity between the ropes and working some truly stellar matches with her fellow competitors.

Late in the year, it appeared as though she was firmly established as a villain, only to have Charlotte undergo a transformation that stole her heat.

Incredibly over and a legitimate merchandise mover, Paige has the tools to be the leading face of WWE's Divas Revolution. Unfortunately for her, there is always someone else WWE Creative seems more interested in pushing.

5. Asuka

Last Week: 5

Asuka exploded onto the scene at NXT's TakeOver: Respect and sent a message loud and clear to the rest of the roster: She is the most dangerous woman in the sport, and she is not afraid to kick your head off to prove it.

Dana Brooke was the first unfortunate soul to endure the wrath of the Japanese-born competitor, succumbing to the Asuka Lock in one of the most one-sided pay-per-view matches of the year.

Next was Emma, who fell prey to a side kick that left the Aussie unconscious in London.

In between, Asuka amassed an undefeated record by beating any and all put in front of her. A teased rivalry with Nia Jax could make for some incredible television and even more interesting matches in 2016, but at this point, the real money is in a potential match with Bayley for the top prize in NXT.

4. Becky Lynch

Last Week: 3

For Becky Lynch, 2015 was full of highs and lows.

At NXT TakeOver: Unstoppable, she had her first opportunity to challenge for the Women's Championship in a singles bout live on the WWE Network. She and opponent Sasha Banks delivered a phenomenal match that, by year's end, still ranks high on many a Match of the Year list.

Her arrival on the main roster shortly thereafter, though, left her shuffled into the background as WWE Creative opted to shine the spotlight on Charlotte and Paige, not to mention Nikki Bella, rather than the orange-haired Dubliner.

Luckily, by year's end, the writing staff recognized the error it had made and reincorporated Lynch into the Divas Championship picture as the best friend of an arrogant titleholder in Charlotte, who cares only about her own well-being as the top woman in the sport.

As the new year approaches, it appears Lynch is on a collision course with the second-generation Diva in a story that should see her unseat her "bestie" to become champion, thus making up for the fact that the Lass Kicker is the only one of the Four Horsewomen not to wear gold to this point in her WWE career.

3. Sasha Banks

Last Week: 4

The best wrestler of the year for WWE in 2015, regardless of gender, was Sasha Banks.

The Boss kicked off the year by capturing the NXT Women's Championship from Charlotte in a Fatal 4-Way match back at TakeOver: Arrival then proceeded to craft a critically acclaimed reign for herself, courtesy of phenomenal matches against former champion Bayley and Becky Lynch.

In the process, she established her character, added little intricacies to it and helped develop a star persona that captured the attention of fans every time she stepped through the curtain.

Add to that an in-ring game that counteracted her arrogance with ferocity and meanness, and you had one of the most complete performers in the entire industry.

For Banks, her year will forever be defined by the series of matches she had with Bayley in the summer and fall. There was raw emotion to them; fans invested in the journeys of both women and the wrestling they put on display between the ropes.

Her call-up to the main roster was not quite as eventful as most would have liked, at least at first, but it has picked up steam in recent weeks, positioning Banks to have a breakout year on Raw and SmackDown in 2016.

2. Charlotte

Last Week: 2

The second-generation star entered 2015 as the NXT Women's champion and exited as the WWE Divas champion, wrapping up one of the best years any woman has ever had in the company.

Along the way, she developed rivalries and blossomed into a strong worker whose athleticism is her greatest feat.

More importantly, especially as the new year arrives, is the fact Ric Flair's daughter has undergone a character transformation that has her in position to become the biggest heel in the entire division.

A cocky, confident and selfish performer unafraid to throw her friends under the proverbial bus if it means retaining her title, Charlotte could be someone vital to the growth of women's wrestling on the main roster over the next 12 months.

Matches with Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch, Paige and Nikki Bella in 2015 helped shape her into the worker she has become, and working with those women, as well as any new faces who make the transition from NXT to WWE in the coming months, will only help her further evolve.

1. Bayley

Last Week: 1

The most beloved female character this side of Miss Elizabeth, Bayley rounds out 2015 still atop the Diva power rankings.

The smiley, fun-loving, Hug Life wrestler realized her dreams in 2015 after years of hard work, dedication and sometimes failure.

The consummate underdog, she had seen the NXT Women's Championship slip through her grasp a time or two before engaging Sasha Banks in a rivalry for the gold. A modern take on the story of Rocky Balboa, Bayley was very much the inspirational hero tasked with taking on the arrogant, confident and truly great champion if she was to win the prize at the end of the rainbow.

With her family watching and a record NXT crowd packed into Brooklyn's Barclays Center, Bayley evolved before our eyes, summoning the strength to put all disappointment behind her and deliver the Bayley-to-Belly suplex that would capture her the glory of championship gold in New York.

As Banks, Charlotte and Becky Lynch were called up to the main roster, Bayley was left to be the face of NXT. And, in many ways, she even supplanted heavyweight champion Finn Balor as the biggest star on that roster. 

That does not appear to be coming to an end anytime soon as 2016 arrives.