Sports Illustrated: 20 Greatest WWE Wrestlers Of All Time

20 - Becky Lynch

19 - Mick Foley

18 - Chris Jericho

17 - CM Punk

16 - Andre the Giant

15 - Randy Orton

14 - Edge

13 - Rowdy Roddy Piper

12 - Kurt Angle

11 - Macho Man Randy Savage

10 - Bruno Sammartino

9 - Bret Hart

8 - Shawn Michaels

7 - Triple H

6 - The Undertaker

5 - Roman Reigns

4 - John Cena

3 - The Rock

2 - Hulk Hogan

1 - Stone Cold Steve Austin

Becky Lynch Vacates RAW Women's Title To Asuka, Announces Pregnancy On RAW

Becky Lynch is expecting her first child.

The Man appeared during tonight's RAW from the WWE Performance Center and announced that she is pregnant. The segment opened with Lynch coming out with the women's MITB briefcase. She got emotional and cried before bringing Asukaout. She then revealed that Asuka hasn't been able to open the briefcase because she was the only one with the combination. Lynch opened the briefcase and the RAW Women's Title belt was inside. Lynch then confirmed that Asuka is the new RAW Women's Champion as Sunday's MITB Ladder Match wasn't for a future women's title shot, it was for the RAW Women's Title.

Asuka danced around and came back to the ring where Lynch was waiting. That's when Lynch announced that she was going to be a mother because she can't fight anymore. Lynch then finally smiled and showed some happiness while embracing Asuka. Lynch made her emotional exit up the ramp, told fans she will miss them, and left to the back as Asuka continued her celebration.

RAW returned from the commercial break and we saw Lynch being congratulated by several Superstars in the backstage area.

Lynch is engaged to Seth Rollins.

WWE "Fight Like A Girl" Series Details With Stephanie McMahon And Various Superstars

WWE has announced new details on their "Fight Like a Girl" series with Quibi.

It was announced today that individual episodes will be lead by RAW Women's Champion Becky Lynch, The Bella Twins, Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks, Alexa Bliss, Sonya Deville, Paige, Nia Jax, and Natalya.

WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon will be featured in each episode as she pairs a WWE Superstar with a young woman struggling with personal issues. The episodes were filmed at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando. Stephanie is also an Executive Producer of the series.

"This strong cast of Superstars are leaders and role models who each have personal stories of challenge, perseverance and triumph," Stephanie said in the announcement. "We are thrilled to have them on board to help young women find both their inner and outer strength and overcome adversity in their lives."

Below is the full announcement issued by WWE today:

QUIBI AND WWE ANNOUNCE SUPERSTARS IN FIGHT LIKE A GIRL

LOS ANGELES, CA and STAMFORD, Conn., January 15, 2020 - Quibi and WWE today announced the WWE Superstars participating in the transformational series Fight Like a Girl. Leading individual episodes of the upcoming series are WWE Superstars Sasha Banks, Brie Bella, Nikki Bella, Alexa Bliss, Sonya Deville, Charlotte Flair, Nia Jax, Becky Lynch and Natalya.
In each episode of Fight Like a Girl, Stephanie McMahon pairs a WWE Superstar with a young woman struggling with a personal issue that has been holding her back. The WWE Superstars draw from their own life experiences to help their trainees overcome obstacles and become tougher, stronger and healthier versions of their former selves inside and out.

"This strong cast of Superstars are leaders and role models who each have personal stories of challenge, perseverance and triumph," said Stephanie McMahon, WWE Chief Brand Officer. "We are thrilled to have them on board to help young women find both their inner and outer strength and overcome adversity in their lives."

Shot at the world-famous WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, each episode features a stunning transformation and heart-pounding reveal as the women change their lives forever.

Produced by WWE Studios and Critical Content. Executive Producers are Stephanie McMahon, Susan Levison and Ben Zierten for WWE Studios, and Tom Forman, Jenny Daly and Jon Beyer for Critical Content.

Paramount Animation & WWE Studios Partner For Upcoming Feature ‘Rumble

Paramount Animation is teaming with WWE Studios on the upcoming summer 2020 release Rumble, which is set in a world where monster wrestling is a global sport and monsters are superstar athletes.

The pic will headline the voice cast of Will Arnett, Terry Crews, Geraldine Viswanathan plus WWE Superstars Becky Lynch (The Marine 6: Close Quarters) and Roman Reigns (Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw). In addition, Tony Danza, Stephen A. Smith, Jimmy Tatro, Ben Schwartz and Michael Buffer will also be part of the voiceover cast.

Directed by Hamish Grieve, Rumble follows Winnie who seeks to follow in her father’s footsteps by coaching a loveable underdog monster into a wrestling champion.

Pic is produced by Mark Bakshi and Brad Booker. Susan Levison and Richard Lowell will serve as EPs for WWE Studios. Reel FX and Walden Media are also producers on Rumble.

WWE Studios recently produced the Dwayne Johnson feature film Fighting with My Familywith the actor’s Seven Bucks and MGM. WWE is currently in production on the Netflix feature The Main Event, The Big Show Show for the streamer and Fight Like a Girl, an unscripted series for Quibi. Recent projects also include Andre the Giant, an Emmy-nominated documentary in partnership with HBO, as well as hit shows Total Divas and Total Bellas on E! and Miz & Mrs. on USA.

Said Mireille Soria, President of Paramount Animation, “Rumble is steeped in the world of wrestling, and what better partners to help bring this world to life than WWE. They bring a pedigree and institutional excellence that is unmatched, and we couldn’t be happier to collaborate with them on this special film. We are thrilled to have a seasoned and dynamic cast in place to breathe life into this exciting story, and can’t wait to bring it to audiences.”

The Relationship Between Ric Flair and WWE Sours

The relationship between WWE and Ric Flair is on the rocks according to a number of sources, while not dire the cracks are starting to show and many know how stubborn Flair can be.

His Daughter Charlotte is reportedly not happy that he has taken legal action against WWE and Triple H and Seth Rollins have both unfollowed him on Twitter.

It all started when the two-time WWE Hall of Famer claimed WWE had lost respect for them after he issued a legal challenge for the term "The Man" which he believes he has a claim to financially.

Below is a transcript of what Flair told TMZ:

“I’m glad that I’m having this opportunity to clear the air. When I first saw this [‘The Man’ Becky Lynch] thing go down in August 2018, I thought, ‘Cool, ‘The Man’ – my gimmick – versus my daughter, Charlotte.’ Okay, that’s the day it started, right after SummerSlam. I thought, cool.

I said, ‘I’m going to make some money; it’s my trademark and they have it to use.’ I’ve been saying it’s [been mine] since 1981. So I got my worded statement, I sent [WWE’s lawyer] a text and the lawyer, who just has no respect for me whatsoever which is something I’m not going to deal with much longer, he said, ‘You’re wrong. It’s not even close.’

I said, ‘It’s not even close?’ So, boom, I sent him another text, he didn’t respond. So I had my lawyer call him and he blew off my lawyer. This is all in 2018 or in January of ’19.”

I told Hunter, ‘Hunter, I’m going to file.’ I mean, the reason they don’t have [the trademark for ‘The Man’], it’s my understanding that it’s because it’s too close to mine… I told Hunter, ‘Hey, if push comes to shove, I’m going to file for it.’

I mean, I get it, but here’s the deal: I love Becky Lynch, and no one has supported the women’s division more than me as an outsider. As a matter of fact, I told the guys that I would have texted Becky last night and Sasha, but I’m sure Becky – I don’t know what the WWE’s spin has been to her. They stole it last night.

It’s funny, my daughter [Charlotte Flair] is so mad at me because I filed, not even understanding that it’s not Becky. I have no beef with Becky.

But here’s the deal: when I almost died two years ago, one person stayed by me the whole time for 31 days in ICU, 12 days while I was dying on a respirator, and I’m going to take care of her and her family, and my family that has taken care of me, no matter what.

I don’t care what the WWE thinks of me personally; I know they love me, but obviously they have lost respect for me. If I don’t win, and even if I won, Becky can have [The Man] all day long. I’m glad! But I want the company to pay me for it because I’m going to take care of my family.

I am going to be ‘The Man’, and if I don’t get it, you know what my tombstone will say? ‘He died trying to be The Man’.”

WWE 2K20 Cover Superstars, Release Date And Collector's Edition Revealed

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–2K today announced current Raw® Women’s Champion Becky Lynch® and WWE Superstar Roman Reigns™ as the cover Superstars for WWE® 2K20, the forthcoming release in the flagship WWE video game franchise. Lynch and Reigns will serve as ambassadors for WWE 2K20’s worldwide marketing campaign – “Step Inside” – which invites players to enter the world of WWE and face a variety of new and exciting challenges in the virtual ring. WWE 2K20 is currently scheduled for worldwide release on Tuesday, October 22, 2019 for the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and the Xbox One family of devices, including the Xbox One X and Windows PC. Players who purchase the WWE 2K20 Deluxe Edition or Collector’s Edition will receive in-game bonuses, including playable Superstars Chyna, Hulk Hogan, Mankind and The Rock®, in addition to the Standard Edition game.

“My career has been about breaking barriers and doing what nobody else has done before. Being the first female Superstar on the cover of a WWE 2K video game is no exception,” said Becky Lynch.

“As a gamer myself, being on the cover of WWE 2K20 alongside ‘The Man’ Becky Lynch and joining the likes of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and John Cena is a huge career and personal milestone for me,” said Roman Reigns.

WWE 2K20, in direct response to fan feedback, will include several franchise firsts alongside streamlined gameplay and a variety of popular modes. The story-driven, objective-based 2K Showcase: The Women’s Evolution will follow the careers of the Four Horsewomen – Raw Women’s Champion Becky Lynch, SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley®, Charlotte Flair® and Sasha Banks®. Controls will be streamlined to allow new players to jump into the game more easily, while experienced players will still enjoy a challenge.

In addition, WWE 2K20 players will be able to compete as both male and female Superstars in MyCAREER and Mixed Tag matches, while last year’s popular WWE Towers returns with exciting new challenges, including a story-driven Tower centered around the career of Roman Reigns.

The game will also introduce a new service model – WWE 2K20 Originals – set to deliver a wealth of 2K Showcase add-on content for player exploration beyond the game’s initial launch. Each of the WWE 2K20 Originals will present a new playable world and its own unique theme, with more details to be announced in the coming months. WWE 2K20 Originals is downloadable content that may require additional purchase.

“Becky Lynch and Roman Reigns embody passion, determination and perseverance, and they’re both major game changers within the larger WWE landscape,” said Chris Snyder, Vice President of Marketing for 2K. “They are the spirit of WWE 2K20, which is going to introduce changes requested by our fans. They asked for female-driven MyCAREER and 2K Showcase offerings, and we’re giving them just that, as well as streamlined controls and our brand new WWE 2K20 Originals. We can’t wait to reveal more details soon.”

Roman Reigns Wins First-Ever WWE Award At ESPN's ESPYS, Reigns Comments, Top WWE Stars In Attendance

Roman Reigns just won the first-ever Best WWE Moment award at the 2019 ESPN ESPYS from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. Reigns won the award for his "triumphant return to Monday Night RAW" earlier this year following his second battle with leukemia.

The other nominees were Becky Lynch for winning the RAW Women's Title and SmackDown Women's Title at WrestleMania 35, Kofi Kingston for winning the WWE Title at WrestleMania 35, and Ronda Rousey for winning her first RAW Women's Title at SummerSlam 2018.

As we've noted, this was the first time that WWE had an award category at the ESPYS, under the Best Performance category.

"For to me just to be able to be healthy was the only award I needed. This is just so flattering for everyone to kind of lift me up and show me that support system and love from everybody," Reigns said in WWE's announcement on the award. "It was never about awards or anything like that. It was just about awareness, it was just about sharing my story and hopefully someone could use it for a little bit of hope."

WWE noted that Reigns was congratulated during during the red carpet special by Triple H, Stephanie McMahon, the RAW Women's Champion Lynch, and WWE Universal Champion Seth Rollins.

Becky Lynch Becomes First WWE Star To Land ESPN The Magazine Cover

As seen below, Lynch and actress Alison Brie of Netflix's GLOW series are gracing the cover of the "Blockbuster Issue" from ESPN The Magazine. The issue hits newsstands this Friday.

Below is WWE's announcement on the cover, along with the cover photo:

Becky Lynch and Alison Brie to be featured on cover of ESPN The Magazine's "Blockbuster" issue

Becky Lynch has taken over the sports-entertainment scene in the last year, and this Friday, you can find the Raw Women's Champion with actress Alison Brie on the cover of ESPN The Magazine's "Blockbuster" issue.

The new issue focuses on the intersection between Hollywood and sports. Lynch and Brie, who is the star of Netflix's hit comedy show "GLOW" on the 1980s Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling promotion, got together for an interview about the obstacles they face in their respective industries, the toughness of women, and much more.

The Man is the first WWE Superstar to ever appear on the cover of ESPN The Magazine. Get your hands on the issue when it hits newsstands this Friday.

WWE Receives Its Own Category At This Year's ESPYS

For the first time, WWE is getting a "Best WWE Moment" under the Best Performance category at this year's ESPYS, which will be hosted by Tracy Morgan on July 10 at 8 pm ET on ABC.

The nominees for the award are: Roman Reigns' return after his battle with Leukemia, Becky Lynch wins the WWE RAW and SmackDown Women's Championships at WrestleMania 35, Kofi Kingston wins his first WWE Championship at WrestleMania 35, and Ronda Rousey becomes WWE RAW Women's Champion.

Voting is done by the fans via ESPN's site, which you can do by clicking here.

WrestleMania to feature first-ever women's main event

For the first time in WWE history, a women’s match will be the main event of WrestleMania as the Raw Women’s Championship Match featuring Ronda Rousey vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Becky Lynch will take place on Sunday, April 7, in front of a capacity crowd at MetLife Stadium and streaming live on WWE Network around the world.  

Ronda Rousey is the current Raw Women’s Champion, Olympic medalist, the first female UFC Champion and the first woman to be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame. She is also an actress and New York Times bestselling author. Charlotte Flair is a seven-time Champion in WWE, a former Division 1 volleyball player, philanthropist and author. She is the daughter of two-time WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair. Becky Lynch is the 2019 Women's Royal Rumble winner, a two-time SmackDown Women's Champion and was named Wrestler of the Year by both Sports Illustrated and CBS Sports in 2018. She was also the first woman ever to top ESPN’s WWE Power Rankings.

At WrestleMania 32 in 2016, WWE re-branded the Divas Division the Women’s Division and unveiled a new Women’s Championship title. Since that time, the women’s evolution has placed a greater spotlight on WWE’s female Superstars, including more prominent storylines and deeper character development that showcases their athleticism, charisma and star power.

Last October, WWE held it’s first-ever all-women’s pay-per-view event, Evolution, in front of a sold-out crowd and millions more watching on WWE Network.

Full List Of CBS Sports Pro Wrestling 2018 Award Winners

Wrestler of the Year: Becky Lynch (WWE)

WWE Male Wrestler of the Year: Johnny Gargano

NJPW Wrestler of the Year: Kota Ibushi

Match of the Year: Kenny Omega def. Kazuchika Okada (NJPW Dominion 6.9)

WWE Match of the Year: Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka (TLC)

NXT Match of the Year: Andrade "Cien" Almas def. Johnny Gargano (NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia)

Tag Team of the Year: The Usos (WWE)

Rookie of the Year: Ronda Rousey (WWE)

Commentator of the Year: Mauro Ranallo (NXT)

Comeback Wrestler of the Year: Daniel Bryan (WWE)

Breakthough Wrestler of the Year*: Buddy Murphy (205 Live)

Feud of the Year*: Johnny Gargano vs. Tomasso Ciampa (NXT)

Best Pay-Per-View of the Year*: TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs

Best Moment of the Year*: Becky Lynch attacks Ronda Rousey on Raw

Best Promo of the Year*: Daniel Bryan before TLC
Smack Talker of the Year*: Samoa Joe

Worst Angle of the Year*: DeGeneration X vs. Brothers of Destruction

Becky Lynch Becomes The First Woman To Top ESPN's WWE Power Rankings, Lynch Reacts

ESPN announced today that SmackDown Women's Champion Becky Lynch is the first woman to ever top their monthly WWE Power Rankings.

The Man of WWE easily topped the list by nearly sweeping the first-place votes, according to ESPN's Tim Fiorvanti. Lynch ranked #4 on the last set of rankings that was released. ESPN notes that "rankings are based upon the perceived value of a superstar to the on-screen product of WWE, which is determined by the voting of a panel of WWE on ESPN contributors. Number in parentheses indicates first-place votes."

ESPN's Matt Wilansky wrote the following on Lynch for this month's #1 spot: "When you step back and think of Becky's ascent, it's astonishing. We all assumed Charlotte Flair and Ronda Rousey would take the women's evolution to the next level, but it's the SmackDown champ who has the most ardent and passion fan base in the WWE today, and that includes the men. Her beeline to the top of the summit is one of the best wrestling stories of 2018."

This month's rankings saw WWE Intercontinental Champion Seth Rollins come in second. Others on the list are WWE Champion Daniel Bryan at #3, Drew McIntyre, RAW Women's Champion Ronda Rousey, Charlotte Flair, AJ Styles, Dean Ambrose, Randy Orton and WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar at #10.

Lynch took to Twitter and wrote the following on topping the list:

The first woman ever to top the ESPN Power Rankings? You’re damn right I am, and we’re only getting warmed up. #IamTheMan

Shawn Michaels, The Miz And Becky Lynch Announced For Next WWE Studios 'The Marine' Movie

WWE® STUDIOS AND SONY PICTURES WORLDWIDE ACQUISITIONS TO PARTNER ON THE MARINE 6: CLOSE QUARTERS

Starring WWE Superstars The Miz® and Becky Lynch™, and WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels®

Burbank, Calif. (November 22, 2017) – WWE Studios and Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions (SPWA) today announced that the two studios will partner again to release the upcoming action film The Marine 6: Close Quarters, directed by James Nunn (The Marine 5: Battleground, Eliminators). The film will feature WWE Superstars The Miz and Becky Lynch, and WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels, and is set to begin production on Monday, November 27 in London.

When Jake Carter (The Miz) and fellow Marine Luke Trapper (Shawn Michaels) stumble upon a kidnapped girl being held prisoner by a dangerous gang of international criminals, they find themselves in the crosshairs as they try to save the girl and bring her kidnappers to justice.

"The Marine series continues to deliver action-packed entertainment to our fans, and we are excited to partner again with Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions and director James Nunn to bring The Marine 6: Close Quarters to a global audience" said Michael Luisi, President of WWE Studios. "The motion picture debut of the talented Becky Lynch and the addition of Shawn Michaels to the series, alongside The Miz, is sure to bring the excitement and action to the next level."

Becky Lynch Suffers Undisclosed Injury

F4WOnline.com is confirming earlier reports of Becky Lynch being removed from the WWE No Mercy pay-per-view, citing an undisclosed injury as the reason for the change.

First reported by James McKenna of Pro Wrestling Sheet, Lynch was said to be 100% off the PPV card tomorrow and may miss the rest of the month. F4WOnline.com said the injury remains unknown and WWE and Lynch have not publicly commented on the matter, and cited Randy Orton’s injury (which coincidentally McKenna originally confirmed) keeping him from competing on the WWE Backlash card last month as a similar situation.

Becky Lynch Crowned First-Ever WWE SmackDown Women's Champion At Backlash

Becky Lynch became the first-ever WWE SmackDown Women's Champion by winning a Six-Pack Challenge at tonight's Backlash pay-per-view in Richmond, Virginia. Other match participants were Nikki Bella, Natalya, Carmella, Alexa Bliss and Naomi.

Eliminations in the match went like this:

1. Naomi eliminated Alexa Bliss
2. Natalya eliminated Naomi
3. Nikki Bella eliminated Natalya
4. Carmella eliminated Nikki Bella
5. Becky Lynch defeated Carmella

The Four Horsewomen of WWE

WWE is undergoing a massive change, thanks, in no small part, to the Four Horsewomen—four preternaturally fierce and gifted wrestlers who frequently outshine their male counterparts. Meet Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch, Charlotte, and Bayley, who are quickly ushering in a new era...More?

source: gq.com

Notes on Tonight’s WWE Cruiserweight Classic Taping; Accident Causes Delay, Seating Chaos, Top Names Backstage, More

-The show was delayed from its original start time as, according to officials in the arena, there was a traffic accident that delayed some fans getting to the arena and they didn’t want to start the taping with a half-empty house. While there are conflicting statements going around about this, with some suggesting that WWE was covering for a low turnout, local news reports confirm that there was a serious two-lane blocking accident in the Orlando area slowing down traffic considerably.

-Because of the delay and fans arriving late, there was a bit of an issue with seating in the building. Apparently close to the original start time, arena workers had started to tarp off areas and move people into hard camera seats to fill in gaps. However when people began to arrive late, it caused a problem with many of their seats already being taken, and workers having to rearrange reserved seating sections to accommodate for the chaos.

-Both Smackdown announcer Mauro Ranallo and Daniel Bryan, who will be co-hosting the tournament together, received huge reactions from the crowd when introduced.

-WWE did a live stream introducing all of the CWC competitors on their Facebook account, which you can check out at this link.

-There were several WWE and NXT names backstage for the taping, including Finn Balor, Corey Graves and Becky Lynch, Hideo Itami and Funaki (who is still with the company doing Japanese commentary for the PPV’s). Obviously Triple H was also backstage in production as well.

-They will be taping four episodes at tonight’s taping event which will include all 16 of the first round tournament matches. We are hoping to have a bracket for what the second round will look like later tonight.

-Possibly killing the rumor of a WWE Cruiserweight Championship return that has been floating around since the announcement of the tournament several months ago, Mauro Ranallo noted during the Facebook-exclusive talent parade earlier tonight that the winner would receive a Cruiserweight Trophy. No mention of a championship of any kind.

Dana Brooke To Make Main Roster In-Ring Debut

As seen on RAW, NXT star Dana Brooke made her WWE main roster debut, aligning herself with Emma and attacking Becky Lynch.

Brooke will make her main roster in-ring debut this week on WWE Smackdown, where she will face off with Lynch.

Triple H Talks About Sheamus and Becky Lynch, Their Work Ethic

Triple H spoke with 98 FM in Dublin, Ireland last week to promote the upcoming WWE NXT UK tour. He commented on what got Sheamus and Becky Lynch to where they are:

"Well because they both have an amazing work ethic. I've known Sheamus for a long time, he's amazingly dedicated, just trains hard and is a sponge for the business. He wants to learn and constantly grow. Becky is the same thing. Becky, from the time I met her and we brought her into the Performance Center, through her time at NXT. Her rate of change and how she's grown as a performer and a character, just captivated the crowd [with] her energy. I always say Becky's energy is infectious. You can't talk to her more than 5 minutes without feeling hyped up and jazzed up. I think that's what works for her, is her personality. But the thing that helps both of them, and I don't know if that's Dublin work ethic or what that is, they're just very hard workers and that's what it takes to get to the top of the game in WWE."

A Redefining Moment

Stephanie McMahon wrote the following for The Players Tribune:

For three straight days, during February of 2015, #GiveDivasAChance was a trending topic.

Three. Straight. Days.

The message from our fan base around the world during those 72 hours was resounding: They wanted to see our female performers in more prominent storylines, with deeper character development, and they wanted to see them compete in longer matches. This sentiment resonated so strongly throughout WWE that our Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon responded with a tweet of his own, “We hear you, keep watching #GiveDivasAChance.”

“Divas” is how WWE branded our female performers starting in 2008, in an effort to give them a more prominent role. As a point of reference, our male performers are known as Superstars. It was so successful, it led to the creation of a WWE reality show, Total Divas, and launched the careers of those who have become household names, like the Bella Twins, Natalya, Paige, Alicia Fox and Eva Marie.

Now, fast forward to Monday Night RAW on July 13, 2015. That night, when my music, “Welcome to the Queendom,” hit the arena, I strode to the ring with my shoulders back and head held high (versus my character’s normal villainous strut) because I knew I was about to make a historic announcement.

I began by speaking about the revolution around women in sports, referencing Ronda Rousey’s breakthrough success as the first UFC women’s champion, Venus and Serena Williams’ overwhelming popularity transcending tennis and the United States Women’s National Team’s World Cup-clinching victory garnering more viewers than any other soccer game in history. I made it clear that our female performers were going to have that same opportunity in WWE.

This “movement” became known as the Divas Revolution, and the truth is, it began long before I made that announcement. I simply had the privilege of bringing it to life by introducing to WWE’s main roster three of the four women who had been stealing the show as a part of our third brand, NXT, with their unrivaled athleticism, their ability to captivate the audience and their undeniable charisma. As I said their names, the crowd erupted and jumped to their feet. They were Charlotte, the daughter of WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair; the “Irish lass kicker” Becky Lynch; and “The Boss” Sasha Banks.

These were the same three women who competed tonight in front of a record crowd of more than 100,000 at our biggest event of the year, WrestleMania, in a triple threat match for the championship.

Only, they didn’t compete for the Divas Championship. Instead, they competed for the Women’s Championship. This blockbuster announcement was made, as a surprise to our audience, tonight at WrestleMania by WWE Hall of Famer Lita.

Lita made reference to all of the pioneers who have led the way for this transition, including “The Great” Mae Young, Fabulous Moolah, Wendi Richter, Sensational Sherri, Trish Stratus and recent Hall of Fame inductee Jacqueline. She spoke of her pride in the Divas Division, the evolution of the Women’s Division, and then she revealed the physical symbol of this transition: a brand new WWE Women’s Championship belt with the same aesthetics as the male WWE World Heavyweight Championship belt. This title belt represents the pinnacle of achievement in pro wrestling — and shows that in WWE, it isn’t about gender, race or ethnicity. It is simply about being the best at what you do.

The role of women in WWE has continued to evolve. For the first time in WWE history, Sasha Banks and Bayley became the first women to main event an NXT pay-per-view, and they tore the house down. In fact, their match the month before at NXT TakeOver was voted “match of the year” by our fan base. And earlier tonight, at WrestleMania, Charlotte, Sasha and Becky competed in a triple threat match, which ultimately saw Charlotte leave as the champion.

Our female performers are world-class athletes, actors, public speakers and philanthropists. They’re role models, inspiring and empowering women and girls to be confident and strong. They dedicate themselves to WWE, achieve great success and earn the same respect as their male counterparts.

Therefore, from this point forward, all of our performers – male and female – will be known as “Superstars.”