Top 10 Female Wrestlers Of The Decade

What a decade it has been!

Over the past 10 years, we have seen a seismic shift in how we both view and digest wrestling. As a result, we have seen an increase in the athletic ability of many of the stars that grace the squared circle in the modern era.

This shift has been most obvious across the female wrestlers of today, who are currently going through a golden period. Such is the quality of the women's divisions in world wrestling that the task of picking the 10 best of the decade has been a difficult one.

A lack of knowledge on this writer's part of the Joshi wrestling style meant there was no place for greats like Meiko Satomura. As much as they've played a huge role worldwide in defining women's wrestling, Scots Piper' Viper' Niven and Kay Lee Ray also fall short, as do WWE pioneers Paige, Alexa Bliss and Natalya.

Even with these top names missing, we have still assembled a phenomenal list. With that being said, here are the top 10 female wrestlers of the past decade.

#10 Nikki Bella

A surprise starter on the list but you can't argue how far Nikki came across the decade.

When 2010 kicked off, Nikki and her sister Brie were nothing more than extras in amongst the women's division. It wasn't until she became a star on the reality TV show Total Divas that WWE began to position her as a mainstream star.

The company took advantage of the show's popularity by putting the WWE Divas Championship on Bella in 2014. She would go on to hold that title for a record 301 days. During that period, she would take immense strides in terms of her in-ring game, putting on more consistent match-ups.

Such was her improvement that she would become a steady hand in the division as it began to develop in 2016.

Her last in-ring match came in 2018 when she headlined the Evolution PPV alongside Ronda Rousey, something which showed how big a star she'd became across the overall sports world.

#9 Shayna Baszler

When we talk about stars who have transitioned from MMA to WWE, many out with the wrestling inner circle will think of Ronda Rousey.

But when it comes to impact on a particular brand, the former RAW Women's Champion is topped by her training partner and friend. 'The Queen of Spades' Shayna Baszler made the jump to professional wrestling three years before Rousey, training under the mentorship of independent stalwart Mercedes Martinez.

This meant that by the time she arrived in WWE for the Mae Young Classic, she was close to defining a more all-round style in the ring. Her arrival in NXT in 2018 came after a period of domination from Asuka, and the brand's division needed a new leading presence.

In the 24 months since her debut on the Black and Gold brand, Baszler vanquished all that came before her. For all bar 14 days of 2019, she reigned as NXT Women's Champion - an incredible feat in its own right. The list of enemies she has bettered is impressive in itself - Kairi Sane, Ember Moon, Bianca Belair, Io Shirai and Candice Le Rae to name a few.

Baszler's place on this list is cemented with her win in the Survivor Series 2019 main event over Becky Lynch and Bayley, a win which gave NXT the victory on the night and showed that she was a force to be reckoned with going forward.

#8 AJ Lee

Debuting during an era dominated by Divas, AJ Lee did an amazing job of standing out from the pack.

A competitor during Season Three of the original NXT Series, Lee originally came across as a lower card superstar upon her debut on the WWE roster.

It wasn't until her partnership with then World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan that she made her impact known.

During the year 2012, she became the standout in the rivalry between Bryan, CM Punk and Kane. Despite criticisms that her character portrayed mental health issues in the wrong light, you couldn't help but admire how Lee made it work on screen.

Such was her talent that she successfully reinvented herself soon after as a hell figure alongside Dolph Ziggler. Making use of their hired hand Big E Langston, she would dominate the women's division in WWE for most of 2013 and 2014.

This period saw her constantly at wit's end with the cast of Total Divas, who she would cut her version of a Pipebomb promo on, one of several fantastic bits of mic work she did throughout her time in the company.

Her retirement in 2015 came far too soon for many of her fans. But with relations eased between WWE and her now-husband CM Punk, hopefully, we will see her cement her legacy further in the years and months to come.

#7 Asuka

If not for her stop-start booking on the main roster in recent years, 'The Empress of Tomorrow' would have easily been higher up this list.

Before arriving in WWE in 2015, Asuka was a dominating and intimidating presence across Japan in the first half of the decade.

Such was her reputation in that spell that her signing with NXT was one of the most anticipated in the brand's history to that point.

For 914 days in the WWE, Asuka went undefeated and unpinned. Her achievements in that time include an untouched reign as NXT Champion - a championship she never lost in an in-ring capacity.

Her early days on the main roster looked to start where she'd left off. Not only did she reign as the sole survivor in 2017 in the women's Survivor Series match, but she'd then go on to make history by becoming the first-ever Women's Royal Rumble winner.

She continues to have top class matches despite her booking never really hitting the heights of this since. Her triple threat TLC match at the end of 2018 with Becky Lynch and Charlotte was voted Match of the Year by CBS Sports, whilst her singles bout with the latter at WrestleMania was considered by many as the best that particular night.

As of writing, she has reinvented herself with Kairi Sane as The Kabuki Warriors, which should hopefully lead to Asuka being considered further up the list when we talk about top stars of 2020 next year.

#6 Io Shirai

One of just two stars on this list considered mainly for their achievements outside of WWE.

At the age of 29, it's fair to say that 'The Genius of The Sky' still has her best years ahead of her. Which is amazing considering what she has done so far.

Originally a tag team wrestler upon her debut in 2007, Shirai broke out this decade in Stardom to become one of the top stars, both male and female, in Japan.

Such was her achievements in the promotion that she was once referred to as the 'ace' of Stardom, indicating that she was the top face in the whole company.

A two-time Wonder of Stardom champion and six-time Artist of Stardom champion, she was also recognized by Japanese publication Tokyo Sports Puroresu as their women's grand prize recipient three years running from 2015 to 2017.

Long touted as someone on the radar of WWE, she finally debuted with the company in 2018 during the second Mae Young Classic, in which she would finish runner-up behind Toni Storm.

Originally coming in as a colorful high flyer, Shirai has redefined her character as more of a cold-hearted Judas in this last year to rave reviews.

She still hasn't reached her peak on NXT as of yet, but her achievements in Japan alone deserve the top ten honors.

#5 Bayley

The first of the famed Four Horsewomen of NXT, Bayley's inclusion so high on the top ten may be hotly debated.

2015 presented a breakout year for Bayley, where she began to stand out as one of the best in the entire industry. Her rivalry and subsequent matches with good friend Sasha Banks helped define both herself and NXT as a whole.

The battles between the pair at both NXT Takeover: Brooklyn and NXT Takeover: Respect rank highly as two of the greatest matches in both the Black and Gold brand and wrestling as a whole across the decade.

Throughout the next year on NXT, she continued to have top drawer matches with stars such as Nia Jax and Asuka before moving on to the main roster.

Initial reaction to Bayley was as strong as any of her fellow Horsewomen, something highlighted when WWE travelled to Glasgow in late-2016.

Some may argue that the company has let her down at times in how they present her character, fuelling the questions as to her inclusion over others on this list.

To me, her achievements in the last 12 months just tip it. This includes her win alongside Banks to become the first ever WWE Women's Tag Team Champions, plus her victories in the Women's Money In The Bank match and later SmackDown Women's Championship reigns.

#4 Sasha Banks

Coming in at number four is the other first-ever WWE Women's Tag Team Champion.

In the early days of the NXT brand we now and love, Banks' character The Boss presented one of the finest to come out of Full Sail.

As an arrogant heel, she brought across a new found confidence which meshed with her natural in-ring ability.

Whilst her matches with Bayley mentioned before in 2015 were standouts in her career, Banks arguably had a finer year in 2016.

Trading the RAW Women's Championship with Charlotte Flair, 'The Boss' found herself in several 'first-time-ever' bouts, including the first Women's Hell in A Cell match. Her best match that year though was probably her Falls Count Anywhere match with Flair that headlined one episode of RAW.

For someone still so young at the age of 27, Banks has done so much in wrestling. Whilst her critics will argue that at times, she can be reckless in the ring - something which can endanger both herself and her opponent.

However, when she turns it on, there aren't many better in WWE's Female division than Banks. Take her match with Becky Lynch at Hell in A Cell this year for example which this writer classed as his favorite of 2019.

#3 Tessa Blanchard

It can't be argued the impact our top two have had on women's wrestling. Despite this, neither of them can say they've gone to the limits that Blanchard has.

The daughter of the great Tully Blanchard's placing in this list is all the more amazing considering she's spent most of her career to-date in Impact Wrestling - a promotion many think is on its knees.

We got our first major exposure to Tessa back in 2017 when she went out in the first round of the Mae Young Classic to Kairi Sane. Despite standing out in arguably the match of the tournament, Blanchard was never picked up by the company.

Upon signing with Impact in 2018, she took these flashes of her potential and took it to the next level, winning the Impact Knockouts Championship soon after.

As her confidence grew in 2019, her star shone brighter and brighter. An acclaimed feud with Gail Kim would be followed by the then-unprecedented step of a male-female rivalry with Sami Callihan.

Despite the odds being stacked against her, Tessa would take the fight to Callihan despite coming up short, but she will soon have her chance at revenge when the pair face for the Impact World Title next month.

The first woman since Chyna to go regularly against the men in the US, it seems inevitable that 2020 will see Blanchard become the first-ever female top champion in a major organization.

#2 Becky Lynch

'The Man' just falls short of the top spot, but what a decade she has had.

Becky Lynch was semi-retired and appeared to have put professional wrestling behind her, in 2010. Three years later, she had signed with WWE as part of the NXT brand. As part of the Four Horsewomen, Lynch was the solid, consistent member of the group.

Despite this, going into 2018, she looked to be falling behind the other three members and seemingly out of the spotlight. That would soon change later that year, as one blow to Charlotte Flair at Summerslam would turn her career in a completely different direction.

Presenting herself with a more edgy character, Becky began receiving more and more support from the WWE Universe. Calling herself 'The Man', Lynch was not one to shy away from a fight, as shown by her interactions with Ronda Rousey leading into Survivor Series which took her star to the next level.

Now positioned as one of the biggest stars in wrestling, Lynch is now on par with the top male wrestlers in WWE history. As a result, it was fitting that it was her that came out victorious in the historic first-ever women's main event of WrestleMania this year.

The sky really still is the limit for Becky.

#1 Charlotte Flair

Coming from the famous Flair family, wrestling truly was in Charlotte's blood. It showed from the very early days in NXT, as she progressed at a much fastest rate than her peers.

The WWE hierarchy took notice, putting the NXT Women's Title on her very early in her career. In the five years that have followed, her achievements truly do speak for themselves.

First-ever Divas Champion. Four-time and inaugural RAW Women's Champion. Five-time SmackDown Women's Champion. The first women to main event RAW, SmackDown and a PPV, as well as the only person to hold the Divas, RAW Women's, SmackDown Women's and NXT Women's Championships.

She calls herself The Queen for a reason.

Her in-ring ability is second to none, with her ability to draw out a good match with anyone on the roster, a vital quality to have.Despite only being an active wrestler since 2012, it's easy to understand why many analysts class Flair as the greatest female wrestler ever, not just the decade.

Like with Lynch, she was also part of the historic female WrestleMania main event. Whilst many would argue with many inclusions on this list, few will ignore our top choice in Charlotte.

Edited by Joseph Solomon