WWE Divas Championship

WWE Divas Championship

The current WWE Divas Championship belt
Details
Current champion(s) Summer Rae
Date won September 20, 2015
Promotion WWE
Other name(s)
  • Unified WWE Divas Championship (2010)

The WWE Divas Championship is a professional wrestling championship in WWE. The championship was created by WWE in 2008, and was introduced in storyline by then SmackDown General Manager Vickie Guerrero as an alternative to Raw's Women's Championship.[1] Michelle McCool became the inaugural champion on July 20, 2008 when she defeated Natalya at The Great American Bash. After former Divas Champion Maryse was drafted to Raw as part of the 2009 WWE draft, she took the title with her. McCool won a match against Melina to unify the WWE Divas and Women's titles at the Night of Champions pay-per-view on September 19, 2010, creating the Unified Divas Championship.

History

Inaugural champion Michelle McCool.

With the first WWE brand extension, a storyline division in which WWE assigned its employees to different television programs and touring companies, in 2002, the WWE Women's Championship was originally to be defended on both brands. At some point that year, however, it became exclusive to the Raw brand. Thereafter, only Divas on the Raw brand were able to compete for the title, while the Divas on the SmackDown brand were unable to compete for a women's-exclusive championship.[2] However, on a few occasions the regulation was bypassed with Melina, Ashley, Torrie Wilson, and Nidia challenging for the title while on the SmackDown brand, but none were successful.[3][4]

Maryse as the WWE Divas Champion in 2009 after Raw draft.

As a result, WWE created the WWE Divas Championship and introduced it on the June 6, 2008 episode of SmackDown when then SmackDown General Manager Vickie Guerrero announced the creation of the title.[5] On 6 June and 4 July, editions of SmackDown, Natalya and Michelle McCool won their respective Golden Dreams match (also Involving Maryse, Victoria, Kelly Kelly, Cherry and Layla) to qualify for the Divas Championship match.[6][7] At The Great American Bash, McCool defeated Natalya to become the inaugural champion.[8] When Maryse won the title from McCool in December 2008, she dislocated her kneecap at a live event later that month. Similar to how Trish Stratus kept the Women's Championship when she was sidelined with a herniated disc in 2005,[9] Maryse was able to keep the Divas title upon her return in late January 2009. As part of the 2009 WWE draft, then Divas Champion Maryse was one of the people drafted to the Raw brand, in the process making the championship exclusive to Raw.[10]

On the January 4, 2010 WWE vacated the title after the current Divas Champion Melina sustained a torn anterior cruciate ligament. A tournament was started two weeks later on Raw, where former Divas Champion Maryse qualify over Brie Bella, Alicia Fox qualify over Kelly Kelly, Eve Torres qualify over Katie Lea Burchill and Gail Kim qualify over former Divas Champion Jillian Hall. In the semifinals, Maryse defeated Eve Torres, and Gail Kim defeated Alicia Fox. On February 22, episode of Raw, Maryse defeated Gail Kim to win the vacant WWE Divas Championship, making her the first person to hold the title on more than one occasion. It was announced on the August 30, episode of Raw that the Divas Championship would be unified with the WWE Women's Championship at a match at Night of Champions. And with that, the title (known briefly as the WWE Unified Divas Championship) became accessible to both WWE brands and the champion could appear on both shows, a situation made permanent by the ending of the brand extension in 2011.

On September 16 2012,at Night of Champions (2012),Eve Torres defeated Layla to win the Divas title making her the first person to hold the title on a record three occasions. On September 21 2014,at Night of Champions (2014),AJ Lee defeated Paige and Nikki Bella in a triple threat match for Divas Champion and she tied the record along with Eve Torres for most reigns.

On April 6, 2014, AJ Lee became the first Diva to defend the Divas Championship at Wrestlemania for WrestleMania XXX.

Reigns

Current champion Charlotte.

There have been 26 total reigns and 1 vacancy. The inaugural champion was Michelle McCool, who defeated Natalya to win the title at The Great American Bash on July 20, 2008.

Eve Torres and AJ Lee hold the record for most reigns as Divas Champion with three each. Nikki Bella has the record for longest reign at 301 days. Jillian Hall has the shortest reign at four minutes. Layla is the oldest Divas Champion, having won at the age of 34 while Paige is the youngest Divas Champion in history, at 21 years of age, and is also the only woman to win the title in her debut.

The current champion is Charlotte, who is in her first reign. She defeated Nikki Bella on September 20, 2015 at Night of Champions, in Houston, Texas to win the title.

References

  1. ↑ Shields, Brian; Sullivan, Kevin (2009). WWE Encyclopedia. DK. p. 81. ISBN 978-075664190-0.
  2. ↑ "WWE Entertainment To Make RAW and SMACKDOWN Distinct Television Brands". World Wrestling Entertainment. 2002-03-27. Retrieved 2008-08-03.
  3. ↑ Hoffman, Brett (2007-04-01). "Playboy Covered". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved 2008-08-03.
  4. ↑ "Women's Champion Trish Stratus def. Melina". World Wrestling Entertainment. 2005-11-28. Retrieved 2008-08-03.
  5. ↑ Passero, Mitch (2008-06-06). "Golden Dreams". WWE. Retrieved 2008-07-15.
  6. ↑ Passero, Mitch (June 6, 2008). "California dreamin'". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved March 4, 2009.
  7. ↑ Hillhouse, Dave (July 24, 2008). "The Great American Soap Opera". SLAM! Wrestling. Retrieved September 2, 2008.
  8. ↑ "History Of The Divas Championship - Michelle McCool (1)". World Wrestling Entertainment. 2008-07-20. Retrieved 2008-07-21.
  9. ↑ "Trish Stratus Bio". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved 2009-09-16.
  10. ↑ Plummer, Dale (2009-04-14). "RAW: Drafting a fresh start for the WWE". SLAM! Sports: Wrestling. Canadian Online Explorer. Retrieved 2009-04-14.

External links

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