The Women’s Revolution: Key Matches And Milestones

The Women’s Revolution in WWE has been one characterized by growth, breaking through barriers, and changing the role of the woman in professional wrestling. With such groundbreaking matches and huge milestones marking its way through history, this movement catapulted women’s wrestling to new heights. This article will look through those defining key matches and milestones that make up the Women’s Revolution, celebrating the success stories of women who have paved the way for future generations.

A New Beginning: The Four Horsewomen
The Women’s Revolution really began when the Four Horsewomen—Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch, and Bayley—finally made an entrance into the scene. Legend has it that these four women originally began with WWE’s developmental brand NXT before making a gigantic stamp in WWE by way of great wrestling skills and exciting storylines.

Charlotte vs. Natalya: NXT TakeOver, May 29, 2014
One of the initial defining moments for this Women’s Revolution had to be the match between Charlotte and Natalya for the NXT Women’s Championship at NXT TakeOver. It was a very technical wrestling match with loads of the emotional elements of storytelling, won by Charlotte. Weight from such WWE legends as Ric Flair and Bret Hart added to the evening’s exercises in respect for a tradition in women’s wrestling and its future.

Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte vs. Becky Lynch vs. Bayley, NXT TakeOver: Rival, February 11, 2015
In a Fatal 4-Way for the NXT Women’s Championship, the Four Horsewomen went at it. This was one of those action-stipulated, high-octane stipulations that really showed off just how deep with talent the women’s division in NXT was. Sasha Banks would come out on top of this stipulation to win the championship and cement her place as someone very special in WWE.

Sasha Banks vs. Bayley, NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn, August 22, 2015
Possibly the most signature match during the early Women’s Revolution was an NXT Women’s Championship match between Sasha Banks and Bayley at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn. Many consider this one of the best women’s matches in WWE history. The point being, it really was an emotionally charged moment—Bayley’s win sealed that scene right there, along with the post-match embrace by the Four Horsewomen, a picture of a new beginning for women in wrestling.

Breaking Barriers on the Main Roster
Soon after, this Women’s Revolution trickled down to WWE’s main roster, where they began giving female Superstars privileged positions and opportunities.

Stephanie McMahon – The Announcement – July 13, 2015
It was on an episode of Monday Night Raw that Stephanie McMahon broke the news about Charlotte, Sasha Banks, and Becky Lynch coming over to the main roster, which really started the ball rolling for the Women’s Revolution in WWE primary programming. Therefore, this was invested with huge importance for a change in direction by the company toward women’s wrestling. The new era would be competitive and respectful to female performers.

WrestleMania 32, April 3, 2016
WrestleMania 32 was big in real прик Reiha, for t-he Women’s Revolution especially did ensue with a huge moment: Charlotte vs. Sasha Banks vs. Becky Lynch in a Triple Threat match for the newly introduced WWE Women’s Championship, which would be, is now known as the Raw Women’s Championship. The addition of this match replaced the Divas Championship and showed a shift away from the “Divas” era into more competitive and respected female wrestlers. Charlotte won the match, thus becoming the first WWE Women’s Champion in the modern era.
Hell in a Cell (October 30, 2016)

For the very first time in WWE history, the final gimmick on a pay-per-view event was sacrificed to a Hell in a Cell match between women. Sasha Banks defended the Raw Women’s Championship against Charlotte Flair in an appalling, historic fight to prove what level of physicality and beating could be put on by the females inside a ring, thus breaking one gender barrier apart and setting another standpoint regarding women grappling.

Asuka’s Rise and the Rise of the NXT Women’s Division
While the Four Horsewomen were breaking sweat on the main roster, NXT remained a breeding ground for top female talent, with Asuka coming out to be a dominant force.

Asuka versus Bayley, NXT TakeOver: Dallas, April 1, 2016 Asuka captured the NXT Women’s Championship from Bayley at NXT TakeOver: Dallas, leading to one of the most dominant reigns of the championship in WWE history. Not having lost a single time and bell-ringing in style put Asuka midfield as that standout performer, an enormous figure for the Women’s Revolution.

Asuka’s Undefeated Streak
Asuka went on to establish an undefeated streak from NXT to the main roster, building the momentousness of her dominance and skill. This lasted for more than two years until the most recent WrestleMania 34, when she met Charlotte Flair in the ring for the SmackDown Women’s Championship. This was yet another milestone that set up the biggest stage with two of WWE’s top female Superstars.

Mae Young Classic
Another huge step in this Women’s Revolution was the Mae Young Classic, an all-women’s tournament paying respect to WWE Hall of Famer Mae Young. Said event would be headlined by talent from all around the world to give a showcasing of depths and diversity for women’s wrestling.

The inaugural Mae Young Classic 2017
The first Mae Young Classic in 2017 had 32 competing women representing a multitude of nationalities and backgrounds. In essence, it was more like a festival of women’s wrestling—talent that hadn’t been experienced by the world as of yet. Kairi Sane won the tournament over Shayna Baszler in the final match.

The Second Mae Young Classic 2018
If anything, the second Mae Young Classic in 2018 was an improvement over the very first. It maintained many returning competitors with new blood, all boiling down to the match-up between Toni Storm and Io Shirai for the finals. The win of Toni Storm showed even more: stating the real meaning of women’s wrestling—international with a deep pool of talent.

First-Ever Women’s Royal Rumble (January 28, 2018)
Another groundbreaking moment in the women’s revolution was when the very first Women’s Royal Rumble match went down at the 2018 Royal Rumble. It would involve 30 female Superstars, past, present, and future alike who had to battle to get into a championship match at WrestleMania. Asuka walked out of that victory—now etched forever in the WWE record.

That definitely made this match noteworthy not only in terms of historic value but also in that some legends were returning, like Trish Stratus and Lita, who paved the way for women’s wrestling.

Introduction of the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship
Another huge moment for the Women’s Revolution came in 2019 with the introduction of the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship, providing female Superstars with new routes into a tag team division and giving them another way to showcase their versatility and teamwork.

Elimination Chamber, February 17, 2019
The very first WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship match would going down inside the Elimination Chamber, pitting six teams in contention for the titles. Inside, Sasha Banks and Bayley would win to become the inaugural WWE women’s tag team champions. This proved a glittering example of how much talented stock is held within today’s women’s division and the importance of tag team wrestling.

Evolution: WWE’s First All-Women’s Pay-Per-View — October, 28 2018
One of the major milestones of the Women’s Revolution was WWE Evolution—the company’s first event with an all-women pay-per-view lineup. The event had been created to honor all accomplishments made by female Superstars and feature matches from all WWE brands and generations.

Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair – Last Woman Standing Match
One of the many standouts of this event was the Last Woman Standing match between Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair for the SmackDown Women’s Championship. This was an absolute war—true and hard to watch in a good way—showcasing from both sides the intensity and will to win. Becky Lynch proved herself to the world once again, being “The Man” and firmly establishing herself as one of WWE’s top stars by emerging victorious in the end.

Ronda Rousey vs Nikki Bella
The main event for that night’s WWE Evolution was Ronda Rousey defending the Raw Women’s Championship against Nikki Bella. It pitted the crossover appeal of former UFC champion Ronda Rousey against the legacy laid down by the twin teams of Bella Twins. Rousey won the bout and celebrated as one with other female Superstars as a way to seal this historic event.

Becky Lynch to the Top: Main Eventing WrestleMania 35
From there, Becky Lynch rose through the ranks in the WWE—a defining storyline of the Women’s Revolution—to make history at WrestleMania 35. Becky Lynch’s “The Man” Persona Becky Lynch became “The Man” With this new character came an attitude and a cockiness that, collectively, clicked with the audience well enough to propel her to the top of WWE. Her feud against Charlotte Flair and Ronda Rousey is considered to be one of the most talked-about storylines in wrestling.

WrestleMania 35, April 7, 2019
WrestleMania 35 featured the very first women’s main event in history, as Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, and Ronda Rousey do battle in a Winner Takes All match for the Raw and SmackDown Women’s Championships. This match was months in the making, touting tons of storytelling and buildup. In what truly was another historical instance for WWE power Ville, Becky Lynch came out on top by pinning Ronda Rousey to her cement as the number one female Superstar.

Conclusion
The Women’s Revolution in WWE has been a terribly conspicuous case of gigantic, breathing talent, resilience, and determination—those very qualities in female Superstars that reshaped professional wrestling. From the starting point, specifically with the Four Horsewomen being developed in NXT, to historic WrestleMania main events with added championships and tournaments, the women’s wrestling story in WWE is simply extraordinary. Not until Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch, and Bayley—WWE’s Four Horsewomen—was anything in women’s wrestling ever going to take off.

These women started stitching together their demos of how females could provide as good a quality match and storyline as the men had. These Superstars not only set a much higher-toned bell for women’s wrestling but have inspired a new generation of talent that wants to fulfill its dream within WWE. The Women’s Revolution entered its peak era with the first Women’s Royal Rumble, the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship, and WWE Evolution, the first all-women’s pay-per-view event. Key moments such as the inaugural Women’s Royal Rumble Match, the introduction of the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship, and the creation of WWE Evolution, the first-ever pay-per-view event featuring only women, have solidified the Women’s Revolution as a cornerstone of WWE’s modern era.

These milestones have provided female Superstars with greater visibility, opportunities, and respect within the industry. The ascension of Becky Lynch from “The Man” to the historic main event winner at WrestleMania 35 worked as a metaphor for hard work and dedication that women have built in the past to see eye-to-eye and get due respect. Starting from Lynch, then Asuka, Ronda Rousey, also including NXT UK/int’l talent, it’s put a stamp around the world and culturally on women’s wrestling with WWE. As WWE moves into the future, the Women’s Revolution serves as a well-timed reminder for their role in representation, inclusivity, or empowering sports entertainment. Breaking barriers to redefining the term ‘wrestler’, female Superstars inspire fans with their athletic prowess, mesmerizing charisma, and passion for their craft.

The Women’s Revolution in WWE is not just any chapter in wrestling history; it is one of continuously making women equal and recognized. As the legacy created by the Four Horsewomen and their contemporaries goes on to inspire future generations, that impact from the Women’s Revolution shall be felt for many years to come—ensuring that women’s wrestling remains an integral and celebrated share of the storied WWE legacy.