Charlotte, Becky Lynch and WWE Diva Power Rankings for Week of January 6
Women's wrestling has certainly taken a hit in WWE over the last two weeks, thanks in large part to the holiday season leading to NXT's inactivity and the main roster's Creative team focusing on one primary story alone.
Charlotte and Becky Lynch continued to steal headlines with their quality, layered feud, but that came at the expense of the rest of the roster, which has suddenly taken a backseat.
Sure, Team Bella's Alicia Fox and Brie Bella battled Team B.A.D.'s Naomi and Tamina on the New Year's Eve episode of SmackDown, but given the lack of viewership and overall importance of that match, it is almost like it never happened.
All of that has led to an interesting week here at the WWE Diva Power Rankings, with little movement outside the top four.
There is a new No. 1, as well as a runner-up.
Who are they and what can fans expect from the other women in 2016?
Take a look for yourself.
Criteria
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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.
10. Brie Bella
2 of 11
Last Week: N/A
Brie Bella returns to the power rankings this week, courtesy of a victory in tag team action over Team B.A.D.
The Diva who once battled Stephanie McMahon in the highest-profile women's match in recent memory wrapped up a disappointing 2015 with a big win, pinning Naomi and kicking off the new year in style.
Whether she is able to maintain that momentum is the question, though, as she has been the glorified sidekick of sister Nikki for so long that her television time has been sparse without her record-breaking sibling by her side.
Still one of the biggest names in the division, thanks to WWE's determination to market the Bella brand, Brie will always score the occasional win. Whether it is enough to help her progress up the rankings remains to be seen.
9. Naomi
3 of 11
Last Week: 9
Naomi remains firmly entrenched at No. 9 this week, on the heels of a disappointing loss to Brie Bella in tag team action.
Every time it looks like she may be making strides, perhaps poised to make a leap up the rankings, WWE Creative rears its ugly head and the dynamic Diva winds up back at the bottom, courtesy of a loss that probably never should have happened.
As 2016 arrives, there is no reason to believe Naomi is poised for a greater year than she had previously. WWE Creative, no matter how wrong, does not appear to see as much in her as a lead character in the division as some do, leaving her a background player in rivalries between more dynamic performers.
One of the hardest-working women in the division, competing at live events and television tapings across the globe, Naomi will remain a fixture on WWE programming, just not in the role she probably deserves.
8. Emma
4 of 11
Last Week: 8
Emma enjoyed a career renaissance of sorts in the second half of 2015, courtesy of a heel turn that erased all signs of the bubbly babyface she once was.
A feud with Asuka that culminated in an extraordinary match at TakeOver: London helped remind fans of her considerable skill between the ropes, all the while setting her up as a legitimate threat to Bayley's NXT Women's Championship.
The Aussie's main roster run may not have gone according to plan, but she is finding second life back in NXT, where she has enjoyed the majority of her success. While it remains to be seen if another run on Raw and SmackDown is in her future, do not be surprised to see Emma hold championship gold at some point in 2016.
7. Nia Jax
5 of 11
Last Week: 7
Nia Jax made a major splash upon her debut in NXT, wasting little time establishing herself as the top contender to the women's championship. A loss to Bayley at TakeOver: London would seem to suggest that she will fall back down the card, but a staredown with Asuka backstage prior to that bout would imply otherwise.
Jax is a project of Triple H and NXT's staff, a green rookie who has shown flashes of brilliance, including her performance in the U.K. Putting her in the ring with an experienced and extraordinary talent such as Asuka will not only help her learn, but it will improve with her growth as an in-ring performer.
Her size being her greatest weapon, Nia Jax could very well become the Big Van Vader of the NXT women's division in 2016.
6. Paige
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Last Week: 6
Is there any Diva who had a more disappointing conclusion to 2015 than Paige?
The Anti-Diva hanged around the Divas Championship scene throughout the year, all the way up to TLC in December. But as the rivalry with Charlotte progressed, she began to take a backseat to the champion's heel turn and ongoing conflict with Becky Lynch.
By year's end, she was essentially phased off television, her only appearance coming at the Slammy Awards, where she had to stand on the same stage and be overshadowed by Nikki Bella during her acceptance speech.
There really is no telling what is in store for Paige in 2016. One of the most talented workers on the roster, she has previously been the victim of start-and-stop pushes, left to cool down while WWE Creative focuses on one of her peers, then realizes how much of a mistake it made by shoving her to the background and reigniting her.
Expect another run at the gold, but do not be surprised if this year ends for her not unlike the previous one.
5. Asuka
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Last Week: 5
Asuka exploded onto the scene in NXT, laying waste to any and all unfortunate souls put in her path. As 2016 arrives, she appears poised to face the most dangerous competition presented to her yet, Nia Jax.
A smaller, quicker and more ferocious competitor than the women's wrestlers on the NXT roster, Asuka will present a challenge for Jax unlike any she has ever faced. As we saw in London, the larger Diva fell prey to a submission hold. Asuka possesses that dangerous Asuka Lock, not to mention educated feet that can fell someone of Jax's size with a single shot to the temple.
Not only will Jax present a hurdle for the Japanese-born star, but so will current NXT women's champion Bayley, whom Asuka will presumably have to overcome if she has championship aspirations.
2016 should prove to be a banner year for Asuka in the United States as she prepares to become the face of women's wrestling in WWE's hottest brand.
4. Sasha Banks
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Last Week: 3
Sasha Banks was absent from television this past week, this despite the fact that Team B.A.D. was in action Thursday night on SmackDown.
The Boss had an interesting past year, garnering respect and adulation for her accomplishments between the ropes in NXT but then falling into the muddled mess of the Divas division upon her call-up to the main roster.
Since then, she has been stuck in the realm of mediocrity, still delivering strong performances but experiencing no upward mobility to speak of. Instead, she wanders aimlessly from match to match, winning most but never really engaging anyone in any sort of feud.
And as 2016 dawns, there really is no reason to believe that will change any time soon, what with Becky Lynch and Charlotte fixated on each other in the main rivalry on Raw and SmackDown.
3. Bayley
9 of 11
Last Week: 1
Bayley was one of the most influential women in wrestling in 2015, and the upcoming year should prove no different.
A female performer as popular with the audience as any ever to step into a WWE ring, she has a very recognizable character and a connection with young girls in the audience that the company would be wise to capitalize on whenever it makes the decision to call her up to the main roster.
In the meantime, expect to see Bayley continue her run of greatness, putting her opponents over as legitimate threats to unseat her as women's champion, only to muster the strength to fight back and retain.
Make no mistake about it: Finn Balor may be the most elite of the elite from the male standpoint in NXT, but Bayley is the face of the brand.
2. Becky Lynch
10 of 11
Last Week: 4
Becky Lynch jumps to spots this week on the strength of her victory over Charlotte on the January 4 episode of Raw, as well as the evolving storyline that puts her opposite her former friend in the hunt for the Divas Championship.
Lynch is a sympathetic babyface who has been mistreated by Charlotte and now, as of Monday's broadcast, betrayed by her as well.
On the January 7 episode of SmackDown, the first on the USA Network, Lynch will have the opportunity to unseat her former friend, adding insult to the injury she will most definitely be looking to inflict.
Whether the Lass Kicker is successful or not, it appears as though she has finally won the trust of WWE Creative and, as a result, is poised for huge things in 2016.
1. Charlotte
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Last Week: 2
The Divas champion takes the top spot in this week's rankings on the strength of her heel turn on the January 4 episode of Raw.
Weeks in the making, Charlotte will now be allowed to drop the smiling, second-generation daughter nonsense and become the villain she is much better suited to be.
Some will question the decision to book Ric Flair in her corner, as if she will be getting over solely based on her relationship to him, but that is exactly what the company is aiming for. A spoiled daddy's girl whose success came as a result of her status as his daughter makes for a great heel persona. The entitlement alone will fuel the character.
There has been no denying the strength of Charlotte's ring work, which has improved by leaps and bounds over the last year. Now that she can begin developing her character, the future looks bright for the top star in the Divas division heading into the new year.
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