Nikki Bella and the Most Underappreciated Stars of WWE Women's Revolution

When paying tribute to those who revolutionized women's wrestling in WWE, don't forget to include Nikki Bella.

It's easy to focus instead on Sasha Banks and Charlotte Flair, to dismiss Bella as a key figure in an era this new one is distancing itself from. It's understandable that Ronda Rousey is getting so much attention since her WWE debut at the Royal Rumble. The former UFC bantamweight champ proved that women could draw as headliners.

But the story of the rise of women's wrestling wouldn't be complete without The Fearless One.

Bella evolved along with the women's division. She was one of its rocks, a marketable star who helped introduce wrestlers like Flair to a larger audience.

But some fans continue to underrate her, to downplay her achievements. She's in good company in that regard. A number of talented, game-changing women feel the sting of underappreciation. 

When WWE plays highlight reels recapping the rise of women's wrestling, Trish Stratus' face pops up aplenty. The Fabulous Moolah, The Four Horsewomen of NXT and Beth Phoenix all appear. There are deserving bruisers and babyfaces, however, that don't get that kind of shine. The following is a look at five of those women.

Awesome Kong and the Knockouts from TNA (now Impact Wrestling) helped raise the profile of women's wrestling as did Japan's stars from the 1990s like Manami Toyota and Aja Kong, but this list focuses on WWE talent. 

Luna Vachon

Credit: WWE.com

Luna Vachon attacked gender stereotypes as fiercely as she did her opponents. 

She was fearsome and powerful, a predator with painted-on veins crawling up the side of her shaved head. Vachon was a unique, memorable character in a circus world.

WWE, though, never came close to fully using her talents in the ring. Vachon was more often a valet than a fighter, standing in Goldust and Bam Bam Bigelow's corners. In that way, she was underrated during her career, and today, she doesn't often get adequate recognition. 

Her rivals Sensational Sherri and Alundra Blayze are already in the WWE Hall of Fame, and there's certainly an argument Vachon should join them.

Molly Holly

Molly Holly's career too often gets lost in the audience's collection with all the hoopla around Stratus and Lita's great runs. 

The former women's champ, though, was a groundbreaker. She was an athletic performer who could easily go from knocking someone on their ass to dazzling with lucha libre-inspired offense. Holly is one of only four women to win the Hardcore Championship.

She was one of the top workers in the women's division for several years but was often relegated to sidekick duty. Holly was The Hurricane's second, Spike Dudley's love interest and before that a valet for Randy Savage in WCW. 

NXT prospect Nixon Newell tweeted back in 2014, "Molly Holly is completely underrated!" That remains true, although it was great to see WWE pay tribute to her by including her in the first women's Royal Rumble.

Nikki Bella

The Fearless One proved to be one of the catalysts of the sweeping changes WWE made with its women's division.

In February 2015, Nikki and his sister Brie teamed up against Paige and Emma on Raw in a match that lasted only 30 seconds. A frustrated fanbase pushed back, taking to social media to demand that WWE "give Divas a chance," a phrase that became the rallying cry for what evolved into a revolution.

The Bella Twins' popularity was a big reason for that. Fans wanted to see more of them. They had connected with them over the years, and WWE using them so poorly didn't sit well.

Before that moment, Bella had worked hard to improve her mat game, going from one of the worst performers on the roster to a strong storyteller. Memories of the early stages of her transition from modeling to the mat colored many fans' impressions of her later on, though. 

When WWE moved on from the era of Divas, Bella was a cornerstone of the division, elevating Flair, Naomi and others as a rival. 

Her feud with Brie in 2014 didn't produce any in-ring classics but was a reminder that women-centric stories could pull fans in. Either as Total Divas stars or competitors, The Bella Twins have long been marketable assets, something the company hasn't always believed women can be.

Jazz

15 years before Becky Lynch collided with James Ellsworth, Jazz took on Bubba Ray Dudley on Raw in a hardcore match where she clocked him in the head with a trashcan.

The two-time women's champion was one of the most rugged women to ever step into a WWE ring. She was a fierce brawler who flung her foes around like trash.

Like Vachon and Chyna before her, Jazz stood out as a powerhouse in a world of pretty faces.

Jazz was also one of the opponents who could most push Stratus. The women's division was far from deep in the '00s, but it was talented women like Jazz who made the women's title scene an intriguing part of the product.

Even so, her name isn't often brought up when reminiscing about the past. She didn't appear on Raw 25 when WWE saluted former women stars. She didn't get an invite to the first women's Royal Rumble, either.

Her presence and performances, though, shouldn't go ignored.

Rockin' Robin

Time is partly to blame for Rockin' Robin's underappreciated status. As much as it might make one feel old, the 1980s seems like ancient history to some fans.

And if folks remember that era, it's often Wendi Richter marching to the ring with Cyndi Lauper at her side at the first WrestleMania that comes to mind. Richter is in the Hall of Fame. Her title wins over Moolah are shown in WWE video packages.

Robin, meanwhile, is largely forgotten.

The second-generation wrestler was the queen of the women's division for a long stretch. She had a number of compelling battles with Sherri Martel, fought in a title match at the 1989 Royal Rumble and held the old version of the Women's Championship for over 500 days, per WWE.com. 

She was a quick-footed, fiery babyface who often won over the crowd. 

But Robin's name almost never comes up when tracking the arc of women's wrestling despite her stardom and success. A Hall of Fame nod would help change that.  

The kind of changes we have seen in WWE women's wrestling are not something one or two stars achieved. They are the result of the waves a long list of grapplers have made, from Robin to Vachon, Holly to Bella.