The World Wrestling Entertainment has given rise to some of the best-known women wrestlers of all time, including names, but it came much later in the 2010s. Some of them remain under the radar and underrepresented, playing a huge role in the success of WWE.
1. Candice LeRae
A majority of her on-screen appearances were backstage in support of her husband, Johnny Gargano. But with an impressive career in wrestling, she was not given many opportunities.
The five-foot-two wrestler was a revolution for individual women’s wrestling and an underdog that started her WWE journey as a fan favorite for the inaugural Mae Young Classic tournament.
She made history by becoming the first-ever WWE Women’s Speed Champion after she made her return in 2022 after pregnancy.
2. Naomi (Trinity LaShawn Fatu)
She is considered one of the most accomplished WWE women’s superstars, having reinvented herself by playing with the style of more than one character throughout her career. Belonging to the Divas era, her change to the new era of women’s wrestling was a successful one but has remained much under the radar.
She played well in both long and short matches, but her role in the Team B.A.D. of Tamina and Sasha Banks cemented her status well.
3. Zelina Vega (Thea Megan Trinidad Büdgen)
Idolizing the legendary Rey Mysterio, Zelina was greatly misunderstood for her underdog status. Silencing her critics, she won the first-ever Queen’s Crown Tournament, followed by the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship.
Fierce in nature, Zelina’s career later expanded outside the ring, earning her a movie role in “Fighting with My Family,” and she played the role of a commentator in the Street Fighter 6 video game.
4. Nikki Bella (Stephanie Nicole Garcia-Colace)
Out of The Bella Twins, Nikki Bella’s participation in the Divas Championship saw some power-packed performances that grew the prominence of women’s wrestling and raised the bar.
Alongside her sister Brie, both the sisters made their entry into the main roster in 2008, following which they won the Divas Title reign in 2011 and 2012. Meanwhile, Nikki changed into the mean-girl status that earned her another Divas Title reign, which remained unchanged for 301 days.
She and her twin, Brie, were named as members of the 2020 WWE Hall of Fame Class.
5. Natalya Neidhart (Natalie Katherine Neidhart-Wilson)
Daughter of the former professional wrestler Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart, Natalya held a tough and fierce nature in the ring, trained at the Hart Dungeon. Beauty with talents is what she is, and she has proudly carried the Hart family’s legacy. She was also regarded as the ‘Best of All Time’ of WWE.
But on the other side, she was never credited with what she deserved, being a professional wrestler. Her career played a huge role in the growth of women’s wrestling and thrived during the toughest moments in WWE.
· Inputs sourced from [WWE]
