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The WWE Divas Division was rebranded as the WWE Women's Division back in April of 2016 due to a combination of factors: the women at WWE NXT performing incredible matches, the declining popularity of the model Diva and the rise of women in sports such as Ronda Rousey (now the current RAW Women's Champion), tennis player Serena Williams and the 2015 Women's World Cup Champions the United States Women's Soccer Team.
Since then, WWE's female talents are being treated just about the same as their male counterparts with more longer matches and unique characters as well as phasing out demeaning match stipulations such as pillow fights and bra and panties matches.
With lingering rumours that the Ronda Rousey vs. Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair triple threat match for the RAW Women's Championship at WrestleMania 35 possibly closing out the show, let's count down the five best women's matches and the five worst matches in WrestleMania history.
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#5 Worst: Torrie Wilson & Sable vs. Stacy Kiebler & Miss Jackie (WrestleMania XX)
Let's begin our slideshow with at a look at the interpromotional Playboy Evening Gown tag team match featuring SmackDown Divas Torrie Wilson and Sable taking on RAW Divas Stacy Kiebler and Miss Jackie.
Wilson and Sable graced the cover of the March 2004 issue of Playboy magazine much to the dismay of Kiebler and Jackie, thus setting up this match at WrestleMania XX. The match saw Wilson pinning Jackie with a rollup which saw Jackie's underwear being exposed.
Don't expect this match stipulation to ever happen again in the very near future.
#5 Best: Victoria vs. Trish Stratus vs. Jazz (WrestleMania XIX)
One of the few Divas Era matches that actually got rave reviews from the critics, the Victoria vs. Trish Stratus vs. Jazz Triple Threat match for the WWE Women's Championship may have gotten a little over seven minutes but it did give the women more action and less titilation.
Even though Stevie Richards (who had been managing Victoria at that time) interfered in the match, Stratus was able to reverse Victoria's Widow's Peak into the Chick Kick for the victory and it was that match that helped kickstart Stratus' WWE Hall of Fame career.
#4 Worst: Melina & Beth Phoenix vs. Maria & Ashley Massaro (WrestleMania XXIV)
Like the Torrie Wilson & Sable vs. Stacy Kiebler & Miss Jackie match from the previous slide, the Maria & Ashley Massaro vs. Melina & Beth Phoenix storyline was another rehash involving two Divas posing for Playboy magazine, in this case Massaro in the April 2007 issue and Maria in the April 2008 issue (Maria defeated Phoenix to earn the right to be on the cover on a February 2008 episode of RAW, thus starting the feud).
Even though Melina and Phoenix won the match, it did give Snoop Dogg the opportunity to kiss Maria while giving Santino Marella his comeuppance afterwards.
#4 Best: Alundra Blaze vs. Leilani Kai (WrestleMania X)
After the WWF Women's Championship lay dormant for four years, it was reactivated in the fall of 1993 thanks in large part to the acquisition of several female talents, most notable Alundra Blayze (formerly Madusa Miceli of the short-lived all-female wrestling promotion LPWA).
Blayze was very over with the WWE Universe and her matches with Bull Nakano resulted in a match against WWF legend Leilani Kai for Blayze's WWF Women's Championship.
Though the match lasted a little over three minutes, Blayze nevertheless amazed the fans with her dazzling arsenal.
#3 Worst: Vickie Guerrero, Alicia Fox, Maryse, Michelle McCool & Layla vs Kelly Kelly, Mickie James, Beth Phoenix, Eve Torres & Gail Kim (WrestleMania XXVI)
Another series in yet one of the worst matches during the Divas Era, this one involved ten women which included (gasp) Vickie Guerrero.
Unlike the years past, this one was presented as an actual wrestling match, though it lasted only four minutes as it was basically yet another hair-pulling contest.
Guerrero surprising pinned Kelly Kelly with her "Hog Splash" (Guerrero's late husband Eddie Guerrero's finishing move) but it did nothing but get the female talents a spot on the WrestleMania XXVI card.
#3 Best: Bayley vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Nia Jax vs. Sasha Banks (Wrestlemania 33)
By April of 2017, the WWE was one year removed from the rebranding of the WWE Women's Division as the women were now getting the same amount of TV time as the men and the women partly responsible for the rebranding are the "Four Horsewomen" (Bayley, Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair and Sasha Banks) as they eschewed supermodel looks for in-ring talent which has delighted fans ever since.
Speaking of which, three of the "Four Horsewomen (Bayley, Flair and Banks) and Nia Jax faced each other in a Fatal 4 Way match for the RAW Women's Championship which lasted over 12 minutes as Bayley got the win.
#2 Worst: Melina vs Ashley Massaro (WrestleMania XXIII)
Defending WWE Women's Champion Melina defended her title against Playboy April 2007 cover girl Ashley Massaro for the title at Wrestlemania XXIII in a lumberjill match as a way to get all the Divas on the show.
Even though it was somewhat a competitive match, a match featuring a decent indie worker and a barely-trained model doesn't necessarily make for an entertaining match with blown spots, but at least the title was defended, something that wouldn't happen again until Wrestlemania XXX when the horrific Divas Championship was defended in a 14-woman single fall match.
#2 Best: Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka (WrestleMania 34)
In September of 2015, Triple H bagged what was perhaps his first major female talent signing in Asuka (formerly Kana in the indies). During the Divas Era, Asuka would likely not have been in the WWE due in large part to her age (she was 34 years old at the time) as well as her overall look.
The 2018 Women's Royal Rumble winner took her 914-day winning streak on the line against defending SmackDown Women's Champion Charlotte Flair, which ended when Flair forced the Japanese wrestler in a Figure-Eight Leglock to break the streak. Nevertheless, the match was rated four stars by the Wrestling Observer.
#1 Worst: Miss WrestleMania Battle Royal (Wrestlemania XXV)
Of all the Divas Era matches, this was by far one of the worst. The battle royal features both past and present female talents in the WWE which included the likes of Sunny and Molly Holly, among others. But instead of having separate entrances, the women came out to a Kid Rock medley without being introduced. Michael Cole even referred to Gail Kim as "one of the Bella Twins" when Kim was eliminated.
And to make matters even worse, the Miss WrestleMania Battle Royal was won by male superstar Santino Marella, disguised as a woman.
Fortunately, these kind of matches will never happen again in the WWE as the women in the WWE are being taken very seriously now.
#1 Best: Charlotte Flair vs. Sasha Banks vs. Becky Lynch (WrestleMania 32)
Throughout the history of the WWE, this was the match that changed women's wrestling in the WWE forever.
By early 2016, it became very evident that the term "WWE Diva" carried a negative connotation with both past and current WWE Superstars and fans alike as the term portrayed WWE's female talents in a negative light courtesy by labelling them eye candy.
To remedy the situation, it was announced during the WrestleMania 32 kickoff show that the Divas Championship (AKA the butterfly belt) would be retired and replaced by a new WWE Women's Championship, not to mention that the women would be known as "Superstars" just like the men from that day forward.
As for the match itself, it featured three of the "Four Horsewomen" (Banks, Flair and Lynch) which lasted for sixteen minutes as Flair forced Lynch into submitting, becoming the champion in the process.
This match also set the model for future WWE women's matches to come.
