Today marks the sixth anniversary that Becky Lynch, Sasha Banks and Charlotte Flair debuted on WWE television and changed the wrestling landscape.
On July 13 2015, WWE introduced all three women to the main roster in a move that revolutionised the women’s division.
Months before their debut, WWE hardly featured the women’s division on its programming. When they got a match, it was either in multiple-person tag team matches or bouts that lasted mere minutes.
Meanwhile, in NXT, the 4 Horsewomen were tearing it up. Banks, Flair, Bayley and Lynch were creating magic against one another and were the talk of the wrestling world. Their matches were standout affairs and a far cry from what was taking place on the main roster.
On February 23, 2015, the Bella Twins fought Paige and Emma in the only women’s match of the night. The match lasted 29 seconds and was met with vocal disdain from the live crowd. Following the “match”, #GiveDivasAChance trended worldwide, and WWE knew they had to do something.
On the July 13 edition of Monday Night RAW, Stephanie McMahon announced a revolution by introducing Flair, Lynch, and Banks.
They came over to freshen and legitimise WWE’s vastly under-utilised women’s division, and that is exactly what they did.
Their impact on the main roster is undeniable and what they have done for women’s wrestling during that time is astounding.
The division instantly received a boost by their presence. They got more time and matches followed by championships.
Charlotte was the first to be crowned champion when she dethroned Nikki Bella for the Divas Championship and Clash of Champions in 2015. The title not only ended Bella’s record-breaking reign but brought a close to the term Divas entirely.
At WrestleMania 32, WWE legend and Hall of Famer Lita unveiled the brand new WWE Women’s Championship, retiring the Divas division and the title in the process. All three revolutionaries would go on to steal the show at the “Show of Shows’ that year in an incredible Triple Threat match for the new title.
Throughout the years since then, Banks and Charlotte went on to have an excellent feud over the title, headlining flagship shows, and becoming the first-ever women to main event a WWE pay-per-view. At Hell in a Cell 2016, Banks and Flair battled it out in the first-ever cell match to close the show.
That same year Becky Lynch became the first-ever SmackDown Women’s Champion.
During this time, Bayley made her long-awaited main roster debut bringing further emphasis and excitement to the women’s division.
Since debuting, they became multi-time champions. They made history and broke records. They headlined WrestleMania and, more importantly, brought women’s wrestling to the forefront of the biggest wrestling company in the world. And they aren’t done yet.
What do you make of the watershed moment in women’s wrestling six years on? Let us know in the comments below.
